don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第75章

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make；　and　another　time　he　attacked　a　very　great　and　powerful　army；
in　which　there　were　more　than　a　million　six　hundred　thousand　soldiers；
all　armed　from　head　to　foot；　and　he　routed　them　all　as　if　they　had
been　flocks　of　sheep。　And　then；　what　do　you　say　to　the　good　Cirongilio
of　Thrace；　that　was　so　stout　and　bold；　as　may　be　seen　in　the　book；
where　it　is　related　that　as　he　was　sailing　along　a　river　there　came　up
out　of　the　midst　of　the　water　against　him　a　fiery　serpent；　and　he；
as　soon　as　he　saw　it；　flung　himself　upon　it　and　got　astride　of　its
scaly　shoulders；　and　squeezed　its　throat　with　both　hands　with　such
force　that　the　serpent；　finding　he　was　throttling　it；　had　nothing
for　it　but　to　let　itself　sink　to　the　bottom　of　the　river；　carrying
with　it　the　knight　who　would　not　let　go　his　hold；　and　when　they　got
down　there　he　found　himself　among　palaces　and　gardens　so　pretty　that
it　was　a　wonder　to　see；　and　then　the　serpent　changed　itself　into　an
old　ancient　man；　who　told　him　such　things　as　were　never　heard。　Hold
your　peace；　senor；　for　if　you　were　to　hear　this　you　would　go　mad
with　delight。　A　couple　of　figs　for　your　Great　Captain　and　your　Diego
Garcia！〃
　　Hearing　this　Dorothea　said　in　a　whisper　to　Cardenio；　〃Our　landlord
is　almost　fit　to　play　a　second　part　to　Don　Quixote。〃
　　〃I　think　so；〃　said　Cardenio；　〃for；　as　he　shows；　he　accepts　it　as　a
certainty　that　everything　those　books　relate　took　place　exactly　as
it　is　written　down；　and　the　barefooted　friars　themselves　would　not
persuade　him　to　the　contrary。〃
　　〃But　consider；　brother；　said　the　curate　once　more；　〃there　never
was　any　Felixmarte　of　Hircania　in　the　world；　nor　any　Cirongilio　of
Thrace；　or　any　of　the　other　knights　of　the　same　sort；　that　the　books
of　chivalry　talk　of；　the　whole　thing　is　the　fabrication　and
invention　of　idle　wits；　devised　by　them　for　the　purpose　you　describe
of　beguiling　the　time；　as　your　reapers　do　when　they　read；　for　I
swear　to　you　in　all　seriousness　there　never　were　any　such　knights　in
the　world；　and　no　such　exploits　or　nonsense　ever　happened　anywhere。〃
　　〃Try　that　bone　on　another　dog；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃as　if　I　did
not　know　how　many　make　five；　and　where　my　shoe　pinches　me；　don't　think
to　feed　me　with　pap；　for　by　God　I　am　no　fool。　It　is　a　good　joke　for
your　worship　to　try　and　persuade　me　that　everything　these　good　books
say　is　nonsense　and　lies；　and　they　printed　by　the　license　of　the　Lords
of　the　Royal　Council；　as　if　they　were　people　who　would　allow　such　a
lot　of　lies　to　be　printed　all　together；　and　so　many　battles　and
enchantments　that　they　take　away　one's　senses。〃
　　〃I　have　told　you；　friend；〃　said　the　curate；　〃that　this　is　done　to
divert　our　idle　thoughts；　and　as　in　well…ordered　states　games　of
chess；　fives；　and　billiards　are　allowed　for　the　diversion　of　those　who
do　not　care；　or　are　not　obliged；　or　are　unable　to　work；　so　books　of
this　kind　are　allowed　to　be　printed；　on　the　supposition　that；　what
indeed　is　the　truth；　there　can　be　nobody　so　ignorant　as　to　take　any　of
them　for　true　stories；　and　if　it　were　permitted　me　now；　and　the
present　company　desired　it；　I　could　say　something　about　the
qualities　books　of　chivalry　should　possess　to　be　good　ones；　that　would
be　to　the　advantage　and　even　to　the　taste　of　some；　but　I　hope　the　time
will　come　when　I　can　communicate　my　ideas　to　some　one　who　may　be
able　to　mend　matters；　and　in　the　meantime；　senor　landlord；　believe
what　I　have　said；　and　take　your　books；　and　make　up　your　mind　about
their　truth　or　falsehood；　and　much　good　may　they　do　you；　and　God　grant
you　may　not　fall　lame　of　the　same　foot　your　guest　Don　Quixote　halts
on。〃
　　〃No　fear　of　that；〃　returned　the　landlord；　〃I　shall　not　be　so　mad
as　to　make　a　knight…errant　of　myself；　for　I　see　well　enough　that
things　are　not　now　as　they　used　to　be　in　those　days；　when　they　say
those　famous　knights　roamed　about　the　world。〃
　　Sancho　had　made　his　appearance　in　the　middle　of　this　conversation；
and　he　was　very　much　troubled　and　cast　down　by　what　he　heard　said
about　knights…errant　being　now　no　longer　in　vogue；　and　all　books　of
chivalry　being　folly　and　lies；　and　he　resolved　in　his　heart　to　wait
and　see　what　came　of　this　journey　of　his　master's；　and　if　it　did　not
turn　out　as　happily　as　his　master　expected；　he　determined　to　leave　him
and　go　back　to　his　wife　and　children　and　his　ordinary　labour。
　　The　landlord　was　carrying　away　the　valise　and　the　books；　but　the
curate　said　to　him；　〃Wait；　I　want　to　see　what　those　papers　are　that
are　written　in　such　a　good　hand。〃　The　landlord　taking　them　out
handed　them　to　him　to　read；　and　he　perceived　they　were　a　work　of　about
eight　sheets　of　manuscript；　with；　in　large　letters　at　the　beginning；
the　title　of　〃Novel　of　the　Ill…advised　Curiosity。〃　The　curate　read
three　or　four　lines　to　himself；　and　said；　〃I　must　say　the　title　of
this　novel　does　not　seem　to　me　a　bad　one；　and　I　feel　an　inclination　to
read　it　all。〃　To　which　the　landlord　replied；　〃Then　your　reverence　will
do　well　to　read　it；　for　I　can　tell　you　that　some　guests　who　have
read　it　here　have　been　much　pleased　with　it；　and　have　begged　it　of
me　very　earnestly；　but　I　would　not　give　it；　meaning　to　return　it　to
the　person　who　forgot　the　valise；　books；　and　papers　here；　for　maybe　he
will　return　here　some　time　or　other；　and　though　I　know　I　shall　miss
the　books；　faith　I　mean　to　return　them；　for　though　I　am　an
innkeeper；　still　I　am　a　Christian。〃
　　〃You　are　very　right；　friend；〃　said　the　curate；　〃but　for　all　that；　if
the　novel　pleases　me　you　must　let　me　copy　it。〃
　　〃With　all　my　heart；〃　replied　the　host。
　　While　they　were　talking　Cardenio　had　taken　up　the　novel　and　begun　to
read　it；　and　forming　the　same　opinion　of　it　as　the　curate；　he　begged
him　to　read　it　so　that　they　might　all　hear　it。
　　〃I　would　read　it；〃　said　the　curate；　〃if　the　time　would　not　be　better
spent　in　sleeping。〃
　　〃It　will　be　rest　enough　for　me；〃　said　Dorothea；　〃to　while　away　the
time　by　listening　to　some　tale；　for　my　spirits　are　not　yet　tranquil
enough　to　let　me　sleep　when　it　would　be　seasonable。〃
　　〃Well　then；　in　that　case；〃　said　the　curate；　〃I　will　read　it；　if　it
were　only　out　of　curiosity；　perhaps　it　may　contain　something
pleasant。〃
　　Master　Nicholas　added　his　entreaties　to　the　same　effect；　and
Sancho　too；　seeing　which；　and　considering　that　he　would　give
pleasure　to　all；　and　receive　it　himself；　the　curate　said；　〃Well
then；　attend　to　me　everyone；　for　the　novel　begins　thus。〃

　　CHAPTER　XXXIII
　　IN　WHICH　IS　RELATED　THE　NOVEL　OF　〃THE　ILL…ADVISED　CURIOSITY〃

　　IN　Florence；　a　rich　and　famous　city　of　Italy　in　the　province
called　Tuscany；　there　lived　two　gentlemen　of　wealth　and　quality；
Anselmo　and　Lothario；　such　great　friends　that　by　way　of　distinction
they　were　called　by　all　that　knew　them　〃The　Two　Friends。〃　They　were
unmarried；　young；　of　the　same　age　and　of　the　same　tastes；　which　was
enough　to　account　for　the　reciprocal　friendship　between　them。　Anselmo；
it　is　true；　was　somewhat　more　inclined　to　seek　pleasure　in　love　than
Lothario；　for　whom　the　pleasures　of　the　chase　had　more　attraction；　but
on　occasion　Anselmo　would　forego　his　own　tastes　to　yield　to　those　of
Lothario；　and　Lothario　would　surrender　his　to　fall　in　with　those　of
Anselmo；　and　in　this　way　their　inclinations　kept　pace　one　with　the
other　with　a　concord　so　perfect　that　the　best　regulated　clock　could
not　surpass　it。
　　Anselmo　was　deep　in　love　with　a　high…born　and　beautiful　maiden　of
the　same　city；　the　daughter　of　parents　so　estimable；　and　so
estimable　herself；　that　he　resolved；　with　the　approval　of　his　friend
Lothario；　without　whom　he　did　nothing；　to　ask　her　of　them　in　marriage；
and　did　so；　Lothario　being　the　bearer　of　the　demand；　and　conducting
the　negotiation　so　much　to　the　satisfaction　of　his　friend　that　in　a
short　time　he　was　in　possession　of　the　object　of　his　desires；　and
Camilla　so　happy　in　having　won　Anselmo　for　her　husband；　that　she
gave　thanks　unceasingly　to　heaven　and　to　Lothario；　by　whose　means　such
good　fortune　had　fallen　to　her。　The　first　few　days；　those　of　a　wedding
being　usually　days　of　merry…making；　Lothario　frequented　his　friend
Anselmo's　house　as　he　had　been　wont；　striving　to　do　honour　to　him
and　to　the　occasion；　and　to　gratify　him　in　every　way　he　could；