don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第51章

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afflictions　with　wisdom　and　resignation；　hence　the　ignorant　and
ill…disposed　vulgar　took　occasion　to　say　and　think　that　she　was　his
mistress；　and　they　lie；　I　say　it　once　more；　and　will　lie　two　hundred
times　more；　all　who　think　and　say　so。〃
　　〃I　neither　say　nor　think　so；〃　said　Sancho；　〃let　them　look　to　it；
with　their　bread　let　them　eat　it；　they　have　rendered　account　to　God
whether　they　misbehaved　or　not；　I　come　from　my　vineyard；　I　know
nothing；　I　am　not　fond　of　prying　into　other　men's　lives；　he　who　buys
and　lies　feels　it　in　his　purse；　moreover；　naked　was　I　born；　naked　I
find　myself；　I　neither　lose　nor　gain；　but　if　they　did；　what　is　that　to
me？　many　think　there　are　flitches　where　there　are　no　hooks；　but　who
can　put　gates　to　the　open　plain？　moreover　they　said　of　God…〃
　　〃God　bless　me；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃what　a　set　of　absurdities　thou
art　stringing　together！　What　has　what　we　are　talking　about　got　to　do
with　the　proverbs　thou　art　threading　one　after　the　other？　for　God's
sake　hold　thy　tongue；　Sancho；　and　henceforward　keep　to　prodding　thy
ass　and　don't　meddle　in　what　does　not　concern　thee；　and　understand
with　all　thy　five　senses　that　everything　I　have　done；　am　doing；　or
shall　do；　is　well　founded　on　reason　and　in　conformity　with　the　rules
of　chivalry；　for　I　understand　them　better　than　all　the　world　that
profess　them。〃
　　〃Senor；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃is　it　a　good　rule　of　chivalry　that　we
should　go　astray　through　these　mountains　without　path　or　road；　looking
for　a　madman　who　when　he　is　found　will　perhaps　take　a　fancy　to
finish　what　he　began；　not　his　story；　but　your　worship's　head　and　my
ribs；　and　end　by　breaking　them　altogether　for　us？〃
　　〃Peace；　I　say　again；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　let　me　tell
thee　it　is　not　so　much　the　desire　of　finding　that　madman　that　leads　me
into　these　regions　as　that　which　I　have　of　performing　among　them　an
achievement　wherewith　I　shall　win　eternal　name　and　fame　throughout　the
known　world；　and　it　shall　be　such　that　I　shall　thereby　set　the　seal　on
all　that　can　make　a　knight…errant　perfect　and　famous。〃
　　〃And　is　it　very　perilous；　this　achievement？〃
　　〃No；〃　replied　he　of　the　Rueful　Countenance；　〃though　it　may　be　in　the
dice　that　we　may　throw　deuce…ace　instead　of　sixes；　but　all　will　depend
on　thy　diligence。〃
　　〃On　my　diligence！〃　said　Sancho。
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　if　thou　dost　return　soon　from　the
place　where　I　mean　to　send　thee；　my　penance　will　be　soon　over；　and
my　glory　will　soon　begin。　But　as　it　is　not　right　to　keep　thee　any
longer　in　suspense；　waiting　to　see　what　comes　of　my　words；　I　would
have　thee　know；　Sancho；　that　the　famous　Amadis　of　Gaul　was　one　of
the　most　perfect　knights…errant…　I　am　wrong　to　say　he　was　one；　he
stood　alone；　the　first；　the　only　one；　the　lord　of　all　that　were　in　the
world　in　his　time。　A　fig　for　Don　Belianis；　and　for　all　who　say　he
equalled　him　in　any　respect；　for；　my　oath　upon　it；　they　are
deceiving　themselves！　I　say；　too；　that　when　a　painter　desires　to
become　famous　in　his　art　he　endeavours　to　copy　the　originals　of　the
rarest　painters　that　he　knows；　and　the　same　rule　holds　good　for　all
the　most　important　crafts　and　callings　that　serve　to　adorn　a　state；
thus　must　he　who　would　be　esteemed　prudent　and　patient　imitate
Ulysses；　in　whose　person　and　labours　Homer　presents　to　us　a　lively
picture　of　prudence　and　patience；　as　Virgil；　too；　shows　us　in　the
person　of　AEneas　the　virtue　of　a　pious　son　and　the　sagacity　of　a　brave
and　skilful　captain；　not　representing　or　describing　them　as　they　were；
but　as　they　ought　to　be；　so　as　to　leave　the　example　of　their　virtues
to　posterity。　In　the　same　way　Amadis　was　the　polestar；　day…star；　sun
of　valiant　and　devoted　knights；　whom　all　we　who　fight　under　the　banner
of　love　and　chivalry　are　bound　to　imitate。　This；　then；　being　so；　I
consider；　friend　Sancho；　that　the　knight…errant　who　shall　imitate
him　most　closely　will　come　nearest　to　reaching　the　perfection　of
chivalry。　Now　one　of　the　instances　in　which　this　knight　most
conspicuously　showed　his　prudence；　worth；　valour；　endurance；
fortitude；　and　love；　was　when　he　withdrew；　rejected　by　the　Lady
Oriana；　to　do　penance　upon　the　Pena　Pobre；　changing　his　name　into　that
of　Beltenebros；　a　name　assuredly　significant　and　appropriate　to　the
life　which　he　had　voluntarily　adopted。　So；　as　it　is　easier　for　me　to
imitate　him　in　this　than　in　cleaving　giants　asunder；　cutting　off
serpents'　heads；　slaying　dragons；　routing　armies；　destroying　fleets；
and　breaking　enchantments；　and　as　this　place　is　so　well　suited　for　a
similar　purpose；　I　must　not　allow　the　opportunity　to　escape　which
now　so　conveniently　offers　me　its　forelock。〃
　　〃What　is　it　in　reality；〃　said　Sancho；　〃that　your　worship　means　to　do
in　such　an　out…of…the…way　place　as　this？〃
　　〃Have　I　not　told　thee；〃　answered　Don　Quixote；　〃that　I　mean　to
imitate　Amadis　here；　playing　the　victim　of　despair；　the　madman；　the
maniac；　so　as　at　the　same　time　to　imitate　the　valiant　Don　Roland；　when
at　the　fountain　he　had　evidence　of　the　fair　Angelica　having
disgraced　herself　with　Medoro　and　through　grief　thereat　went　mad；
and　plucked　up　trees；　troubled　the　waters　of　the　clear　springs；　slew
destroyed　flocks；　burned　down　huts；　levelled　houses；　dragged　mares
after　him；　and　perpetrated　a　hundred　thousand　other　outrages　worthy　of
everlasting　renown　and　record？　And　though　I　have　no　intention　of
imitating　Roland；　or　Orlando；　or　Rotolando　（for　he　went　by　all　these
names）；　step　by　step　in　all　the　mad　things　he　did；　said；　and
thought；　I　will　make　a　rough　copy　to　the　best　of　my　power　of　all
that　seems　to　me　most　essential；　but　perhaps　I　shall　content　myself
with　the　simple　imitation　of　Amadis；　who　without　giving　way　to　any
mischievous　madness　but　merely　to　tears　and　sorrow；　gained　as　much
fame　as　the　most　famous。〃
　　〃It　seems　to　me；〃　said　Sancho；　〃that　the　knights　who　behaved　in　this
way　had　provocation　and　cause　for　those　follies　and　penances；　but　what
cause　has　your　worship　for　going　mad？　What　lady　has　rejected　you；　or
what　evidence　have　you　found　to　prove　that　the　lady　Dulcinea　del
Toboso　has　been　trifling　with　Moor　or　Christian？〃
　　〃There　is　the　point；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃and　that　is　the　beauty
of　this　business　of　mine；　no　thanks　to　a　knight…errant　for　going　mad
when　he　has　cause；　the　thing　is　to　turn　crazy　without　any　provocation；
and　let　my　lady　know；　if　I　do　this　in　the　dry；　what　I　would　do　in
the　moist；　moreover　I　have　abundant　cause　in　the　long　separation　I
have　endured　from　my　lady　till　death；　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　for　as　thou
didst　hear　that　shepherd　Ambrosio　say　the　other　day；　in　absence　all
ills　are　felt　and　feared；　and　so；　friend　Sancho；　waste　no　time　in
advising　me　against　so　rare；　so　happy；　and　so　unheard…of　an　imitation；
mad　I　am；　and　mad　I　must　be　until　thou　returnest　with　the　answer　to
a　letter　that　I　mean　to　send　by　thee　to　my　lady　Dulcinea；　and　if　it　be
such　as　my　constancy　deserves；　my　insanity　and　penance　will　come　to　an
end；　and　if　it　be　to　the　opposite　effect；　I　shall　become　mad　in
earnest；　and；　being　so；　I　shall　suffer　no　more；　thus　in　whatever　way
she　may　answer　I　shall　escape　from　the　struggle　and　affliction　in
which　thou　wilt　leave　me；　enjoying　in　my　senses　the　boon　thou
bearest　me；　or　as　a　madman　not　feeling　the　evil　thou　bringest　me。
But　tell　me；　Sancho；　hast　thou　got　Mambrino's　helmet　safe？　for　I　saw
thee　take　it　up　from　the　ground　when　that　ungrateful　wretch　tried　to
break　it　in　pieces　but　could　not；　by　which　the　fineness　of　its
temper　may　be　seen。〃
　　To　which　Sancho　made　answer；　〃By　the　living　God；　Sir　Knight　of　the
Rueful　Countenance；　I　cannot　endure　or　bear　with　patience　some　of
the　things　that　your　worship　says；　and　from　them　I　begin　to　suspect
that　all　you　tell　me　about　chivalry；　and　winning　kingdoms　and　empires；
and　giving　islands；　and　bestowing　other　rewards　and　dignities　after
the　custom　of　knights…errant；　must　be　all　made　up　of　wind　and　lies；
and　all　pigments　or　figments；　or　whatever　we　may　call　them；　for　what
would　anyone　think　that　heard　your　worship　calling　a　barber's　basin
Mambrino's　helmet　without　ever　seeing　the　mistake　all　this　time；　but
that　one　who　says　and　maintains　such　things　must　have　his　brains
addled？　I　have　the　basin　in　my