don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第50章

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wit；　and　ease；　but　a　time　may　come　when　this　omission　can　be　remedied；
and　to　rectify　it　nothing　more　is　needed　than　for　your　worship　to　be
so　good　as　to　come　with　me　to　my　village；　for　there　I　can　give　you
more　than　three　hundred　books　which　are　the　delight　of　my　soul　and　the
entertainment　of　my　life；…　though　it　occurs　to　me　that　I　have　not
got　one　of　them　now；　thanks　to　the　spite　of　wicked　and　envious
enchanters；…　but　pardon　me　for　having　broken　the　promise　we　made　not
to　interrupt　your　discourse；　for　when　I　hear　chivalry　or
knights…errant　mentioned；　I　can　no　more　help　talking　about　them　than
the　rays　of　the　sun　can　help　giving　heat；　or　those　of　the　moon
moisture；　pardon　me；　therefore；　and　proceed；　for　that　is　more　to　the
purpose　now。〃
　　While　Don　Quixote　was　saying　this；　Cardenio　allowed　his　head　to　fall
upon　his　breast；　and　seemed　plunged　in　deep　thought；　and　though
twice　Don　Quixote　bade　him　go　on　with　his　story；　he　neither　looked
up　nor　uttered　a　word　in　reply；　but　after　some　time　he　raised　his　head
and　said；　〃I　cannot　get　rid　of　the　idea；　nor　will　anyone　in　the
world　remove　it；　or　make　me　think　otherwise　…and　he　would　be　a
blockhead　who　would　hold　or　believe　anything　else　than　that　that
arrant　knave　Master　Elisabad　made　free　with　Queen　Madasima。〃
　　〃That　is　not　true；　by　all　that's　good；〃　said　Don　Quixote　in　high
wrath；　turning　upon　him　angrily；　as　his　way　was；　〃and　it　is　a　very
great　slander；　or　rather　villainy。　Queen　Madasima　was　a　very
illustrious　lady；　and　it　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　so　exalted　a
princess　would　have　made　free　with　a　quack；　and　whoever　maintains
the　contrary　lies　like　a　great　scoundrel；　and　I　will　give　him　to
know　it；　on　foot　or　on　horseback；　armed　or　unarmed；　by　night　or　by
day；　or　as　he　likes　best。〃
　　Cardenio　was　looking　at　him　steadily；　and　his　mad　fit　having　now
come　upon　him；　he　had　no　disposition　to　go　on　with　his　story；　nor
would　Don　Quixote　have　listened　to　it；　so　much　had　what　he　had　heard
about　Madasima　disgusted　him。　Strange　to　say；　he　stood　up　for　her　as
if　she　were　in　earnest　his　veritable　born　lady；　to　such　a　pass　had　his
unholy　books　brought　him。　Cardenio；　then；　being；　as　I　said；　now　mad；
when　he　heard　himself　given　the　lie；　and　called　a　scoundrel　and
other　insulting　names；　not　relishing　the　jest；　snatched　up　a　stone
that　he　found　near　him；　and　with　it　delivered　such　a　blow　on　Don
Quixote's　breast　that　he　laid　him　on　his　back。　Sancho　Panza；　seeing
his　master　treated　in　this　fashion；　attacked　the　madman　with　his
closed　fist；　but　the　Ragged　One　received　him　in　such　a　way　that　with　a
blow　of　his　fist　he　stretched　him　at　his　feet；　and　then　mounting
upon　him　crushed　his　ribs　to　his　own　satisfaction；　the　goatherd；　who
came　to　the　rescue；　shared　the　same　fate；　and　having　beaten　and
pummelled　them　all　he　left　them　and　quietly　withdrew　to　his
hiding…place　on　the　mountain。　Sancho　rose；　and　with　the　rage　he　felt
at　finding　himself　so　belaboured　without　deserving　it；　ran　to　take
vengeance　on　the　goatherd；　accusing　him　of　not　giving　them　warning
that　this　man　was　at　times　taken　with　a　mad　fit；　for　if　they　had　known
it　they　would　have　been　on　their　guard　to　protect　themselves。　The
goatherd　replied　that　he　had　said　so；　and　that　if　he　had　not　heard
him；　that　was　no　fault　of　his。　Sancho　retorted；　and　the　goatherd
rejoined；　and　the　altercation　ended　in　their　seizing　each　other　by　the
beard；　and　exchanging　such　fisticuffs　that　if　Don　Quixote　had　not　made
peace　between　them；　they　would　have　knocked　one　another　to　pieces。
　　〃Leave　me　alone；　Sir　Knight　of　the　Rueful　Countenance；〃　said　Sancho；
grappling　with　the　goatherd；　〃for　of　this　fellow；　who　is　a　clown
like　myself；　and　no　dubbed　knight；　I　can　safely　take　satisfaction
for　the　affront　he　has　offered　me；　fighting　with　him　hand　to　hand　like
an　honest　man。〃
　　〃That　is　true；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　I　know　that　he　is　not　to
blame　for　what　has　happened。〃
　　With　this　he　pacified　them；　and　again　asked　the　goatherd　if　it　would
be　possible　to　find　Cardenio；　as　he　felt　the　greatest　anxiety　to
know　the　end　of　his　story。　The　goatherd　told　him；　as　he　had　told　him
before；　that　there　was　no　knowing　of　a　certainty　where　his　lair　was；
but　that　if　he　wandered　about　much　in　that　neighbourhood　he　could
not　fail　to　fall　in　with　him　either　in　or　out　of　his　senses。

　　CHAPTER　XXV
　　WHICH　TREATS　OF　THE　STRANGE　THINGS　THAT　HAPPENED　TO　THE　STOUT　KNIGHT
OF　LA　MANCHA　IN　THE　SIERRA　MORENA；　AND　OF　HIS　IMITATION　OF　THE　PENANCE
OF　BELTENEBROS

　　DON　QUIXOTE　took　leave　of　the　goatherd；　and　once　more　mounting
Rocinante　bade　Sancho　follow　him；　which　he　having　no　ass；　did　very
discontentedly。　They　proceeded　slowly；　making　their　way　into　the
most　rugged　part　of　the　mountain；　Sancho　all　the　while　dying　to　have　a
talk　with　his　master；　and　longing　for　him　to　begin；　so　that　there
should　be　no　breach　of　the　injunction　laid　upon　him；　but　unable　to
keep　silence　so　long　he　said　to　him：
　　〃Senor　Don　Quixote；　give　me　your　worship's　blessing　and　dismissal；
for　I'd　like　to　go　home　at　once　to　my　wife　and　children　with　whom　I
can　at　any　rate　talk　and　converse　as　much　as　I　like；　for　to　want　me　to
go　through　these　solitudes　day　and　night　and　not　speak　to　you　when　I
have　a　mind　is　burying　me　alive。　If　luck　would　have　it　that　animals
spoke　as　they　did　in　the　days　of　Guisopete；　it　would　not　be　so　bad；
because　I　could　talk　to　Rocinante　about　whatever　came　into　my　head；
and　so　put　up　with　my　ill…fortune；　but　it　is　a　hard　case；　and　not　to
be　borne　with　patience；　to　go　seeking　adventures　all　one's　life　and
get　nothing　but　kicks　and　blanketings；　brickbats　and　punches；　and　with
all　this　to　have　to　sew　up　one's　mouth　without　daring　to　say　what　is
in　one's　heart；　just　as　if　one　were　dumb。〃
　　〃I　understand　thee；　Sancho；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃thou　art　dying　to
have　the　interdict　I　placed　upon　thy　tongue　removed；　consider　it
removed；　and　say　what　thou　wilt　while　we　are　wandering　in　these
mountains。〃
　　〃So　be　it；〃　said　Sancho；　〃let　me　speak　now；　for　God　knows　what
will　happen　by…and…by；　and　to　take　advantage　of　the　permit　at　once；
I　ask；　what　made　your　worship　stand　up　so　for　that　Queen　Majimasa；
or　whatever　her　name　is；　or　what　did　it　matter　whether　that　abbot
was　a　friend　of　hers　or　not？　for　if　your　worship　had　let　that　pass
…and　you　were　not　a　judge　in　the　matter…　it　is　my　belief　the　madman
would　have　gone　on　with　his　story；　and　the　blow　of　the　stone；　and
the　kicks；　and　more　than　half　a　dozen　cuffs　would　have　been　escaped。〃
　　〃In　faith；　Sancho；〃　answered　Don　Quixote；　〃if　thou　knewest　as　I　do
what　an　honourable　and　illustrious　lady　Queen　Madasima　was；　I　know
thou　wouldst　say　I　had　great　patience　that　I　did　not　break　in　pieces
the　mouth　that　uttered　such　blasphemies；　for　a　very　great　blasphemy　it
is　to　say　or　imagine　that　a　queen　has　made　free　with　a　surgeon。　The
truth　of　the　story　is　that　that　Master　Elisabad　whom　the　madman
mentioned　was　a　man　of　great　prudence　and　sound　judgment；　and　served
as　governor　and　physician　to　the　queen；　but　to　suppose　that　she　was
his　mistress　is　nonsense　deserving　very　severe　punishment；　and　as　a
proof　that　Cardenio　did　not　know　what　he　was　saying；　remember　when
he　said　it　he　was　out　of　his　wits。〃
　　〃That　is　what　I　say；〃　said　Sancho；　〃there　was　no　occasion　for
minding　the　words　of　a　madman；　for　if　good　luck　had　not　helped　your
worship；　and　he　had　sent　that　stone　at　your　head　instead　of　at　your
breast；　a　fine　way　we　should　have　been　in　for　standing　up　for　my
lady　yonder；　God　confound　her！　And　then；　would　not　Cardenio　have
gone　free　as　a　madman？〃
　　〃Against　men　in　their　senses　or　against　madmen；〃　said　Don　Quixote；
〃every　knight…errant　is　bound　to　stand　up　for　the　honour　of　women；
whoever　they　may　be；　much　more　for　queens　of　such　high　degree　and
dignity　as　Queen　Madasima；　for　whom　I　have　a　particular　regard　on
account　of　her　amiable　qualities；　for；　besides　being　extremely
beautiful；　she　was　very　wise；　and　very　patient　under　her
misfortunes；　of　which　she　had　many；　and　the　counsel　and　society　of　the
Master　Elisabad　were　a　great　help　and　support　to　her　in　enduring　her
afflictions　with　wisdom　and　resignation；　hence　the　ignorant　and
ill…disposed　vulgar　took　occasion　to　say　and