don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第247章

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plainly　recognised　us；　I　will　wager　they　have　read　our　history；　and
even　that　newly　printed　one　by　the　Aragonese。〃
　　The　cavalier　who　had　addressed　Don　Quixote　again　approached　him
and　said；　〃Come　with　us；　Senor　Don　Quixote；　for　we　are　all　of　us
your　servants　and　great　friends　of　Roque　Guinart's；〃　to　which　Don
Quixote　returned；　〃If　courtesy　breeds　courtesy；　yours；　sir　knight；
is　daughter　or　very　nearly　akin　to　the　great　Roque's；　carry　me　where
you　please；　I　will　have　no　will　but　yours；　especially　if　you　deign
to　employ　it　in　your　service。〃
　　The　cavalier　replied　with　words　no　less　polite；　and　then；　all
closing　in　around　him；　they　set　out　with　him　for　the　city；　to　the
music　of　the　clarions　and　the　drums。　As　they　were　entering　it；　the
wicked　one；　who　is　the　author　of　all　mischief；　and　the　boys　who　are
wickeder　than　the　wicked　one；　contrived　that　a　couple　of　these
audacious　irrepressible　urchins　should　force　their　way　through　the
crowd；　and　lifting　up；　one　of　them　Dapple's　tail　and　the　other
Rocinante's；　insert　a　bunch　of　furze　under　each。　The　poor　beasts
felt　the　strange　spurs　and　added　to　their　anguish　by　pressing　their
tails　tight；　so　much　so　that；　cutting　a　multitude　of　capers；　they
flung　their　masters　to　the　ground。　Don　Quixote；　covered　with　shame　and
out　of　countenance；　ran　to　pluck　the　plume　from　his　poor　jade's
tail；　while　Sancho　did　the　same　for　Dapple。　His　conductors　tried　to
punish　the　audacity　of　the　boys；　but　there　was　no　possibility　of　doing
so；　for　they　hid　themselves　among　the　hundreds　of　others　that　were
following　them。　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　mounted　once　more；　and　with　the
same　music　and　acclamations　reached　their　conductor's　house；　which　was
large　and　stately；　that　of　a　rich　gentleman；　in　short；　and　there　for
the　present　we　will　leave　them；　for　such　is　Cide　Hamete's　pleasure。
　　

CHAPTER　LXII
　　WHICH　DEALS　WITH　THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　ENCHANTED　HEAD；　TOGETHER
WITH　OTHER　TRIVIAL　MATTERS　WHICH　CANNOT　BE　LEFT　UNTOLD

　　DON　QUIXOTE'S　host　was　one　Don　Antonio　Moreno　by　name；　a　gentleman
of　wealth　and　intelligence；　and　very　fond　of　diverting　himself　in
any　fair　and　good…natured　way；　and　having　Don　Quixote　in　his　house
he　set　about　devising　modes　of　making　him　exhibit　his　mad　points　in
some　harmless　fashion；　for　jests　that　give　pain　are　no　jests；　and　no
sport　is　worth　anything　if　it　hurts　another。　The　first　thing　he　did
was　to　make　Don　Quixote　take　off　his　armour；　and　lead　him；　in　that
tight　chamois　suit　we　have　already　described　and　depicted　more　than
once；　out　on　a　balcony　overhanging　one　of　the　chief　streets　of　the
city；　in　full　view　of　the　crowd　and　of　the　boys；　who　gazed　at　him　as
they　would　at　a　monkey。　The　cavaliers　in　livery　careered　before　him
again　as　though　it　were　for　him　alone；　and　not　to　enliven　the　festival
of　the　day；　that　they　wore　it；　and　Sancho　was　in　high　delight；　for
it　seemed　to　him　that；　how　he　knew　not；　he　had　fallen　upon　another
Camacho's　wedding；　another　house　like　Don　Diego　de　Miranda's；
another　castle　like　the　duke's。　Some　of　Don　Antonio's　friends　dined
with　him　that　day；　and　all　showed　honour　to　Don　Quixote　and　treated
him　as　a　knight…errant；　and　he　becoming　puffed　up　and　exalted　in
consequence　could　not　contain　himself　for　satisfaction。　Such　were
the　drolleries　of　Sancho　that　all　the　servants　of　the　house；　and　all
who　heard　him；　were　kept　hanging　upon　his　lips。　While　at　table　Don
Antonio　said　to　him；　〃We　hear；　worthy　Sancho；　that　you　are　so　fond
of　manjar　blanco　and　forced…meat　balls；　that　if　you　have　any　left；　you
keep　them　in　your　bosom　for　the　next　day。〃
　　〃No；　senor；　that's　not　true；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　I　am　more　cleanly
than　greedy；　and　my　master　Don　Quixote　here　knows　well　that　we　two　are
used　to　live　for　a　week　on　a　handful　of　acorns　or　nuts。　To　be　sure；　if
it　so　happens　that　they　offer　me　a　heifer；　I　run　with　a　halter；　I
mean；　I　eat　what　I'm　given；　and　make　use　of　opportunities　as　I　find
them；　but　whoever　says　that　I'm　an　out…of…the…way　eater　or　not
cleanly；　let　me　tell　him　that　he　is　wrong；　and　I'd　put　it　in　a
different　way　if　I　did　not　respect　the　honourable　beards　that　are　at
the　table。〃
　　〃Indeed；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃Sancho's　moderation　and　cleanliness
in　eating　might　be　inscribed　and　graved　on　plates　of　brass；　to　be　kept
in　eternal　remembrance　in　ages　to　come。　It　is　true　that　when　he　is
hungry　there　is　a　certain　appearance　of　voracity　about　him；　for　he
eats　at　a　great　pace　and　chews　with　both　jaws；　but　cleanliness　he　is
always　mindful　of；　and　when　he　was　governor　he　learned　how　to　eat
daintily；　so　much　so　that　he　eats　grapes；　and　even　pomegranate　pips；
with　a　fork。〃
　　〃What！〃　said　Don　Antonio；　〃has　Sancho　been　a　governor？〃
　　〃Ay；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　of　an　island　called　Barataria。　I　governed　it
to　perfection　for　ten　days；　and　lost　my　rest　all　the　time；　and　learned
to　look　down　upon　all　the　governments　in　the　world；　I　got　out　of　it　by
taking　to　flight；　and　fell　into　a　pit　where　I　gave　myself　up　for　dead；
and　out　of　which　I　escaped　alive　by　a　miracle。〃
　　Don　Quixote　then　gave　them　a　minute　account　of　the　whole　affair　of
Sancho's　government；　with　which　he　greatly　amused　his　hearers。
　　On　the　cloth　being　removed　Don　Antonio；　taking　Don　Quixote　by　the
hand；　passed　with　him　into　a　distant　room　in　which　there　was　nothing
in　the　way　of　furniture　except　a　table；　apparently　of　jasper；
resting　on　a　pedestal　of　the　same；　upon　which　was　set　up；　after　the
fashion　of　the　busts　of　the　Roman　emperors；　a　head　which　seemed　to
be　of　bronze。　Don　Antonio　traversed　the　whole　apartment　with　Don
Quixote　and　walked　round　the　table　several　times；　and　then　said；　〃Now；
Senor　Don　Quixote；　that　I　am　satisfied　that　no　one　is　listening　to　us；
and　that　the　door　is　shut；　I　will　tell　you　of　one　of　the　rarest
adventures；　or　more　properly　speaking　strange　things；　that　can　be
imagined；　on　condition　that　you　will　keep　what　I　say　to　you　in　the
remotest　recesses　of　secrecy。〃
　　〃I　swear　it；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　for　greater　security　I　will　put
a　flag…stone　over　it；　for　I　would　have　you　know；　Senor　Don　Antonio〃
（he　had　by　this　time　learned　his　name）；　〃that　you　are　addressing　one
who；　though　he　has　ears　to　hear；　has　no　tongue　to　speak；　so　that　you
may　safely　transfer　whatever　you　have　in　your　bosom　into　mine；　and
rely　upon　it　that　you　have　consigned　it　to　the　depths　of　silence。〃
　　〃In　reliance　upon　that　promise；〃　said　Don　Antonio；　〃I　will
astonish　you　with　what　you　shall　see　and　hear；　and　relieve　myself　of
some　of　the　vexation　it　gives　me　to　have　no　one　to　whom　I　can
confide　my　secrets；　for　they　are　not　of　a　sort　to　be　entrusted　to
everybody。〃
　　Don　Quixote　was　puzzled；　wondering　what　could　be　the　object　of
such　precautions；　whereupon　Don　Antonio　taking　his　hand　passed　it　over
the　bronze　head　and　the　whole　table　and　the　pedestal　of　jasper　on
which　it　stood；　and　then　said；　〃This　head；　Senor　Don　Quixote；　has　been
made　and　fabricated　by　one　of　the　greatest　magicians　and　wizards　the
world　ever　saw；　a　Pole；　I　believe；　by　birth；　and　a　pupil　of　the　famous
Escotillo　of　whom　such　marvellous　stories　are　told。　He　was　here　in
my　house；　and　for　a　consideration　of　a　thousand　crowns　that　I　gave　him
he　constructed　this　head；　which　has　the　property　and　virtue　of
answering　whatever　questions　are　put　to　its　ear。　He　observed　the
points　of　the　compass；　he　traced　figures；　he　studied　the　stars；　he
watched　favourable　moments；　and　at　length　brought　it　to　the　perfection
we　shall　see　to…morrow；　for　on　Fridays　it　is　mute；　and　this　being
Friday　we　must　wait　till　the　next　day。　In　the　interval　your　worship
may　consider　what　you　would　like　to　ask　it；　and　I　know　by　experience
that　in　all　its　answers　it　tells　the　truth。〃
　　Don　Quixote　was　amazed　at　the　virtue　and　property　of　the　head；　and
was　inclined　to　disbelieve　Don　Antonio；　but　seeing　what　a　short　time
he　had　to　wait　to　test　the　matter；　he　did　not　choose　to　say　anything
except　that　he　thanked　him　for　having　revealed　to　him　so　mighty　a
secret。　They　then　quitted　the　room；　Don　Antonio　locked　the　door；　and
they　repaired　to　the　chamber　where　the　rest　of　the　gentlemen　were
assembled。　In　the　meantime　Sancho　had　recounted　to　them　several　of　the
adventures　and　accidents　that　had　happened　his