don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第246章

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in　spite　of　the　lladres　that　seek　his　ruin！〃
　　The　captains　showed　plainly　the　concern　they　felt；　the　regent's　lady
was　downcast；　and　the　pilgrims　did　not　at　all　enjoy　seeing　their
property　confiscated。　Roque　kept　them　in　suspense　in　this　way　for　a
while；　but　he　had　no　desire　to　prolong　their　distress；　which　might
be　seen　a　bowshot　off；　and　turning　to　the　captains　he　said；　〃Sirs；
will　your　worships　be　pleased　of　your　courtesy　to　lend　me　sixty
crowns；　and　her　ladyship　the　regent's　wife　eighty；　to　satisfy　this
band　that　follows　me；　for　'it　is　by　his　singing　the　abbot　gets　his
dinner；'　and　then　you　may　at　once　proceed　on　your　journey；　free　and
unhindered；　with　a　safe…conduct　which　I　shall　give　you；　so　that　if　you
come　across　any　other　bands　of　mine　that　I　have　scattered　in　these
parts；　they　may　do　you　no　harm；　for　I　have　no　intention　of　doing
injury　to　soldiers；　or　to　any　woman；　especially　one　of　quality。〃
　　Profuse　and　hearty　were　the　expressions　of　gratitude　with　which
the　captains　thanked　Roque　for　his　courtesy　and　generosity；　for　such
they　regarded　his　leaving　them　their　own　money。　Senora　Dona　Guiomar　de
Quinones　wanted　to　throw　herself　out　of　the　coach　to　kiss　the　feet　and
hands　of　the　great　Roque；　but　he　would　not　suffer　it　on　any　account；
so　far　from　that；　he　begged　her　pardon　for　the　wrong　he　had　done　her
under　pressure　of　the　inexorable　necessities　of　his　unfortunate
calling。　The　regent's　lady　ordered　one　of　her　servants　to　give　the
eighty　crowns　that　had　been　assessed　as　her　share　at　once；　for　the
captains　had　already　paid　down　their　sixty。　The　pilgrims　were　about　to
give　up　the　whole　of　their　little　hoard；　but　Roque　bade　them　keep
quiet；　and　turning　to　his　men　he　said；　〃Of　these　crowns　two　fall　to
each　man　and　twenty　remain　over；　let　ten　be　given　to　these　pilgrims；
and　the　other　ten　to　this　worthy　squire　that　he　may　be　able　to　speak
favourably　of　this　adventure；〃　and　then　having　writing　materials；　with
which　he　always　went　provided；　brought　to　him；　he　gave　them　in　writing
a　safe…conduct　to　the　leaders　of　his　bands；　and　bidding　them
farewell　let　them　go　free　and　filled　with　admiration　at　his
magnanimity；　his　generous　disposition；　and　his　unusual　conduct；　and
inclined　to　regard　him　as　an　Alexander　the　Great　rather　than　a
notorious　robber。
　　One　of　the　squires　observed　in　his　mixture　of　Gascon　and　Catalan；
〃This　captain　of　ours　would　make　a　better　friar　than　highwayman；　if　he
wants　to　be　so　generous　another　time；　let　it　be　with　his　own
property　and　not　ours。〃
　　The　unlucky　wight　did　not　speak　so　low　but　that　Roque　overheard　him；
and　drawing　his　sword　almost　split　his　head　in　two；　saying；　〃That　is
the　way　I　punish　impudent　saucy　fellows。〃　They　were　all　taken　aback；
and　not　one　of　them　dared　to　utter　a　word；　such　deference　did　they　pay
him。　Roque　then　withdrew　to　one　side　and　wrote　a　letter　to　a　friend　of
his　at　Barcelona；　telling　him　that　the　famous　Don　Quixote　of　La
Mancha；　the　knight…errant　of　whom　there　was　so　much　talk；　was　with
him；　and　was；　he　assured　him；　the　drollest　and　wisest　man　in　the
world；　and　that　in　four　days　from　that　date；　that　is　to　say；　on
Saint　John　the　Baptist's　Day；　he　was　going　to　deposit　him　in　full
armour　mounted　on　his　horse　Rocinante；　together　with　his　squire　Sancho
on　an　ass；　in　the　middle　of　the　strand　of　the　city；　and　bidding　him
give　notice　of　this　to　his　friends　the　Niarros；　that　they　might　divert
themselves　with　him。　He　wished；　he　said；　his　enemies　the　Cadells　could
be　deprived　of　this　pleasure；　but　that　was　impossible；　because　the
crazes　and　shrewd　sayings　of　Don　Quixote　and　the　humours　of　his　squire
Sancho　Panza　could　not　help　giving　general　pleasure　to　all　the
world。　He　despatched　the　letter　by　one　of　his　squires；　who；　exchanging
the　costume　of　a　highwayman　for　that　of　a　peasant；　made　his　way　into
Barcelona　and　gave　it　to　the　person　to　whom　it　was　directed。


　　CHAPTER　LXI
　　OF　WHAT　HAPPENED　DON　QUIXOTE　ON　ENTERING　BARCELONA；　TOGETHER　WITH
OTHER　MATTERS　THAT　PARTAKE　OF　THE　TRUE　RATHER　THAN　OF　THE　INGENIOUS

　　DON　QUIXOTE　passed　three　days　and　three　nights　with　Roque；　and　had
he　passed　three　hundred　years　he　would　have　found　enough　to　observe
and　wonder　at　in　his　mode　of　life。　At　daybreak　they　were　in　one
spot；　at　dinner…time　in　another；　sometimes　they　fled　without　knowing
from　whom；　at　other　times　they　lay　in　wait；　not　knowing　for　what。　They
slept　standing；　breaking　their　slumbers　to　shift　from　place　to
place。　There　was　nothing　but　sending　out　spies　and　scouts；　posting
sentinels　and　blowing　the　matches　of　harquebusses；　though　they　carried
but　few；　for　almost　all　used　flintlocks。　Roque　passed　his　nights　in
some　place　or　other　apart　from　his　men；　that　they　might　not　know　where
he　was；　for　the　many　proclamations　the　viceroy　of　Barcelona　had　issued
against　his　life　kept　him　in　fear　and　uneasiness；　and　he　did　not
venture　to　trust　anyone；　afraid　that　even　his　own　men　would　kill　him
or　deliver　him　up　to　the　authorities；　of　a　truth；　a　weary　miserable
life！　At　length；　by　unfrequented　roads；　short　cuts；　and　secret
paths；　Roque；　Don　Quixote；　and　Sancho；　together　with　six　squires；
set　out　for　Barcelona。　They　reached　the　strand　on　Saint　John's　Eve
during　the　night；　and　Roque；　after　embracing　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho
（to　whom　he　presented　the　ten　crowns　he　had　promised　but　had　not　until
then　given）；　left　them　with　many　expressions　of　good…will　on　both
sides。
　　Roque　went　back；　while　Don　Quixote　remained　on　horseback；　just　as　he
was；　waiting　for　day；　and　it　was　not　long　before　the　countenance　of
the　fair　Aurora　began　to　show　itself　at　the　balconies　of　the　east；
gladdening　the　grass　and　flowers；　if　not　the　ear；　though　to　gladden
that　too　there　came　at　the　same　moment　a　sound　of　clarions　and
drums；　and　a　din　of　bells；　and　a　tramp；　tramp；　and　cries　of　〃Clear　the
way　there！〃　of　some　runners；　that　seemed　to　issue　from　the　city。　The
dawn　made　way　for　the　sun　that　with　a　face　broader　than　a　buckler
began　to　rise　slowly　above　the　low　line　of　the　horizon；　Don　Quixote
and　Sancho　gazed　all　round　them；　they　beheld　the　sea；　a　sight　until
then　unseen　by　them；　it　struck　them　as　exceedingly　spacious　and　broad；
much　more　so　than　the　lakes　of　Ruidera　which　they　had　seen　in　La
Mancha。　They　saw　the　galleys　along　the　beach；　which；　lowering　their
awnings；　displayed　themselves　decked　with　streamers　and　pennons　that
trembled　in　the　breeze　and　kissed　and　swept　the　water；　while　on
board　the　bugles；　trumpets；　and　clarions　were　sounding　and　filling　the
air　far　and　near　with　melodious　warlike　notes。　Then　they　began　to　move
and　execute　a　kind　of　skirmish　upon　the　calm　water；　while　a　vast
number　of　horsemen　on　fine　horses　and　in　showy　liveries；　issuing
from　the　city；　engaged　on　their　side　in　a　somewhat　similar　movement。
The　soldiers　on　board　the　galleys　kept　up　a　ceaseless　fire；　which　they
on　the　walls　and　forts　of　the　city　returned；　and　the　heavy　cannon　rent
the　air　with　the　tremendous　noise　they　made；　to　which　the　gangway　guns
of　the　galleys　replied。　The　bright　sea；　the　smiling　earth；　the　clear
air　…though　at　times　darkened　by　the　smoke　of　the　guns…　all　seemed
to　fill　the　whole　multitude　with　unexpected　delight。　Sancho　could
not　make　out　how　it　was　that　those　great　masses　that　moved　over　the
sea　had　so　many　feet。
　　And　now　the　horsemen　in　livery　came　galloping　up　with　shouts　and
outlandish　cries　and　cheers　to　where　Don　Quixote　stood　amazed　and
wondering；　and　one　of　them；　he　to　whom　Roque　had　sent　word；　addressing
him　exclaimed；　〃Welcome　to　our　city；　mirror；　beacon；　star　and　cynosure
of　all　knight…errantry　in　its　widest　extent！　Welcome；　I　say；　valiant
Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　not　the　false；　the　fictitious；　the
apocryphal；　that　these　latter　days　have　offered　us　in　lying　histories；
but　the　true；　the　legitimate；　the　real　one　that　Cide　Hamete　Benengeli；
flower　of　historians；　has　described　to　us！〃
　　Don　Quixote　made　no　answer；　nor　did　the　horsemen　wait　for　one；　but
wheeling　again　with　all　their　followers；　they　began　curvetting　round
Don　Quixote；　who；　turning　to　Sancho；　said；　〃These　gentlemen　have
plainly　recognised　us；　I　will　wager　they　have　read　our　history；　and
even　that　newly　printed　one　by　the　Aragonese。〃
　　The　cav