don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第4章

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him；　saying；　〃From　this　spot　I　rise　not；　valiant　knight；　until　your
courtesy　grants　me　the　boon　I　seek；　one　that　will　redound　to　your
praise　and　the　benefit　of　the　human　race。〃　The　landlord；　seeing　his
guest　at　his　feet　and　hearing　a　speech　of　this　kind；　stood　staring
at　him　in　bewilderment；　not　knowing　what　to　do　or　say；　and
entreating　him　to　rise；　but　all　to　no　purpose　until　he　had　agreed　to
grant　the　boon　demanded　of　him。　〃I　looked　for　no　less；　my　lord；　from
your　High　Magnificence；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃and　I　have　to　tell
you　that　the　boon　I　have　asked　and　your　liberality　has　granted　is　that
you　shall　dub　me　knight　to…morrow　morning；　and　that　to…night　I　shall
watch　my　arms　in　the　chapel　of　this　your　castle；　thus　tomorrow；　as　I
have　said；　will　be　accomplished　what　I　so　much　desire；　enabling　me
lawfully　to　roam　through　all　the　four　quarters　of　the　world　seeking
adventures　on　behalf　of　those　in　distress；　as　is　the　duty　of
chivalry　and　of　knights…errant　like　myself；　whose　ambition　is　directed
to　such　deeds。〃
　　The　landlord；　who；　as　has　been　mentioned；　was　something　of　a　wag；
and　had　already　some　suspicion　of　his　guest's　want　of　wits；　was
quite　convinced　of　it　on　hearing　talk　of　this　kind　from　him；　and　to
make　sport　for　the　night　he　determined　to　fall　in　with　his　humour。
So　he　told　him　he　was　quite　right　in　pursuing　the　object　he　had　in
view；　and　that　such　a　motive　was　natural　and　becoming　in　cavaliers
as　distinguished　as　he　seemed　and　his　gallant　bearing　showed　him　to
be；　and　that　he　himself　in　his　younger　days　had　followed　the　same
honourable　calling；　roaming　in　quest　of　adventures　in　various　parts　of
the　world；　among　others　the　Curing…grounds　of　Malaga；　the　Isles　of
Riaran；　the　Precinct　of　Seville；　the　Little　Market　of　Segovia；　the
Olivera　of　Valencia；　the　Rondilla　of　Granada；　the　Strand　of　San　Lucar；
the　Colt　of　Cordova；　the　Taverns　of　Toledo；　and　divers　other　quarters；
where　he　had　proved　the　nimbleness　of　his　feet　and　the　lightness　of
his　fingers；　doing　many　wrongs；　cheating　many　widows；　ruining　maids
and　swindling　minors；　and；　in　short；　bringing　himself　under　the　notice
of　almost　every　tribunal　and　court　of　justice　in　Spain；　until　at
last　he　had　retired　to　this　castle　of　his；　where　he　was　living　upon
his　property　and　upon　that　of　others；　and　where　he　received　all
knights…errant　of　whatever　rank　or　condition　they　might　be；　all　for
the　great　love　he　bore　them　and　that　they　might　share　their
substance　with　him　in　return　for　his　benevolence。　He　told　him；
moreover；　that　in　this　castle　of　his　there　was　no　chapel　in　which　he
could　watch　his　armour；　as　it　had　been　pulled　down　in　order　to　be
rebuilt；　but　that　in　a　case　of　necessity　it　might；　he　knew；　be　watched
anywhere；　and　he　might　watch　it　that　night　in　a　courtyard　of　the
castle；　and　in　the　morning；　God　willing；　the　requisite　ceremonies
might　be　performed　so　as　to　have　him　dubbed　a　knight；　and　so
thoroughly　dubbed　that　nobody　could　be　more　so。　He　asked　if　he　had　any
money　with　him；　to　which　Don　Quixote　replied　that　he　had　not　a
farthing；　as　in　the　histories　of　knights…errant　he　had　never　read　of
any　of　them　carrying　any。　On　this　point　the　landlord　told　him　he　was
mistaken；　for；　though　not　recorded　in　the　histories；　because　in　the
author's　opinion　there　was　no　need　to　mention　anything　so　obvious
and　necessary　as　money　and　clean　shirts；　it　was　not　to　be　supposed
therefore　that　they　did　not　carry　them；　and　he　might　regard　it　as
certain　and　established　that　all　knights…errant　（about　whom　there　were
so　many　full　and　unimpeachable　books）　carried　well…furnished　purses　in
case　of　emergency；　and　likewise　carried　shirts　and　a　little　box　of
ointment　to　cure　the　wounds　they　received。　For　in　those　plains　and
deserts　where　they　engaged　in　combat　and　came　out　wounded；　it　was
not　always　that　there　was　some　one　to　cure　them；　unless　indeed　they
had　for　a　friend　some　sage　magician　to　succour　them　at　once　by
fetching　through　the　air　upon　a　cloud　some　damsel　or　dwarf　with　a　vial
of　water　of　such　virtue　that　by　tasting　one　drop　of　it　they　were　cured
of　their　hurts　and　wounds　in　an　instant　and　left　as　sound　as　if　they
had　not　received　any　damage　whatever。　But　in　case　this　should　not
occur；　the　knights　of　old　took　care　to　see　that　their　squires　were
provided　with　money　and　other　requisites；　such　as　lint　and　ointments
for　healing　purposes；　and　when　it　happened　that　knights　had　no　squires
（which　was　rarely　and　seldom　the　case）　they　themselves　carried
everything　in　cunning　saddle…bags　that　were　hardly　seen　on　the　horse's
croup；　as　if　it　were　something　else　of　more　importance；　because；
unless　for　some　such　reason；　carrying　saddle…bags　was　not　very
favourably　regarded　among　knights…errant。　He　therefore　advised　him
（and；　as　his　godson　so　soon　to　be；　he　might　even　command　him）　never
from　that　time　forth　to　travel　without　money　and　the　usual
requirements；　and　he　would　find　the　advantage　of　them　when　he　least
expected　it。
　　Don　Quixote　promised　to　follow　his　advice　scrupulously；　and　it　was
arranged　forthwith　that　he　should　watch　his　armour　in　a　large　yard
at　one　side　of　the　inn；　so；　collecting　it　all　together；　Don　Quixote
placed　it　on　a　trough　that　stood　by　the　side　of　a　well；　and　bracing
his　buckler　on　his　arm　he　grasped　his　lance　and　began　with　a　stately
air　to　march　up　and　down　in　front　of　the　trough；　and　as　he　began　his
march　night　began　to　fall。
　　The　landlord　told　all　the　people　who　were　in　the　inn　about　the　craze
of　his　guest；　the　watching　of　the　armour；　and　the　dubbing　ceremony
he　contemplated。　Full　of　wonder　at　so　strange　a　form　of　madness；
they　flocked　to　see　it　from　a　distance；　and　observed　with　what
composure　he　sometimes　paced　up　and　down；　or　sometimes；　leaning　on　his
lance；　gazed　on　his　armour　without　taking　his　eyes　off　it　for　ever
so　long；　and　as　the　night　closed　in　with　a　light　from　the　moon　so
brilliant　that　it　might　vie　with　his　that　lent　it；　everything　the
novice　knight　did　was　plainly　seen　by　all。
　　Meanwhile　one　of　the　carriers　who　were　in　the　inn　thought　fit　to
water　his　team；　and　it　was　necessary　to　remove　Don　Quixote's　armour　as
it　lay　on　the　trough；　but　he　seeing　the　other　approach　hailed　him　in　a
loud　voice；　〃O　thou；　whoever　thou　art；　rash　knight　that　comest　to
lay　hands　on　the　armour　of　the　most　valorous　errant　that　ever　girt
on　sword；　have　a　care　what　thou　dost；　touch　it　not　unless　thou　wouldst
lay　down　thy　life　as　the　penalty　of　thy　rashness。〃　The　carrier　gave　no
heed　to　these　words　（and　he　would　have　done　better　to　heed　them　if
he　had　been　heedful　of　his　health）；　but　seizing　it　by　the　straps　flung
the　armour　some　distance　from　him。　Seeing　this；　Don　Quixote　raised　his
eyes　to　heaven；　and　fixing　his　thoughts；　apparently；　upon　his　lady
Dulcinea；　exclaimed；　〃Aid　me；　lady　mine；　in　this　the　first　encounter
that　presents　itself　to　this　breast　which　thou　holdest　in　subjection；
let　not　thy　favour　and　protection　fail　me　in　this　first　jeopardy；〃
and；　with　these　words　and　others　to　the　same　purpose；　dropping　his
buckler　he　lifted　his　lance　with　both　hands　and　with　it　smote　such　a
blow　on　the　carrier's　head　that　he　stretched　him　on　the　ground；　so
stunned　that　had　he　followed　it　up　with　a　second　there　would　have　been
no　need　of　a　surgeon　to　cure　him。　This　done；　he　picked　up　his　armour
and　returned　to　his　beat　with　the　same　serenity　as　before。
　　Shortly　after　this；　another；　not　knowing　what　had　happened　（for
the　carrier　still　lay　senseless）；　came　with　the　same　object　of
giving　water　to　his　mules；　and　was　proceeding　to　remove　the　armour
in　order　to　clear　the　trough；　when　Don　Quixote；　without　uttering　a
word　or　imploring　aid　from　anyone；　once　more　dropped　his　buckler　and
once　more　lifted　his　lance；　and　without　actually　breaking　the　second
carrier's　head　into　pieces；　made　more　than　three　of　it；　for　he　laid　it
open　in　four。　At　the　noise　all　the　people　of　the　inn　ran　to　the
spot；　and　among　them　the　landlord。　Seeing　this；　Don　Quixote　braced　his
buckler　on　his　arm；　and　with　his　hand　on　his　sword　exclaimed；　〃O
Lady　of　Beauty；　strength　and　support　of　my　faint　heart；　it　is　time　for
thee　to　turn　the　eyes　of　thy　greatness　on　this　thy　captive　knight　on
the　brink　of　so　mighty　an　adventure。〃　By