don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第94章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


or　hearth　for　them；　which；　if　it　does　not　warm；　at　least　tempers　the
cold　to　them；　and　lastly；　they　sleep　comfortably　at　night　under　a
roof。　I　will　not　go　into　other　particulars；　as　for　example　want　of
shirts；　and　no　superabundance　of　shoes；　thin　and　threadbare
garments；　and　gorging　themselves　to　surfeit　in　their　voracity　when
good　luck　has　treated　them　to　a　banquet　of　some　sort。　By　this　road
that　I　have　described；　rough　and　hard；　stumbling　here；　falling
there；　getting　up　again　to　fall　again；　they　reach　the　rank　they
desire；　and　that　once　attained；　we　have　seen　many　who　have　passed
these　Syrtes　and　Scyllas　and　Charybdises；　as　if　borne　flying　on　the
wings　of　favouring　fortune；　we　have　seen　them；　I　say；　ruling　and
governing　the　world　from　a　chair；　their　hunger　turned　into　satiety；
their　cold　into　comfort；　their　nakedness　into　fine　raiment；　their
sleep　on　a　mat　into　repose　in　holland　and　damask；　the　justly　earned
reward　of　their　virtue；　but；　contrasted　and　compared　with　what　the
warrior　undergoes；　all　they　have　undergone　falls　far　short　of　it；　as　I
am　now　about　to　show。〃

　　CHAPTER　XXXVIII
　　WHICH　TREATS　OF　THE　CURIOUS　DISCOURSE　DON　QUIXOTE　DELIVERED　ON
ARMS　AND　LETTERS

　　CONTINUING　his　discourse　Don　Quixote　said：　〃As　we　began　in　the
student's　case　with　poverty　and　its　accompaniments；　let　us　see　now
if　the　soldier　is　richer；　and　we　shall　find　that　in　poverty　itself
there　is　no　one　poorer；　for　he　is　dependent　on　his　miserable　pay；
which　comes　late　or　never；　or　else　on　what　he　can　plunder；　seriously
imperilling　his　life　and　conscience；　and　sometimes　his　nakedness
will　be　so　great　that　a　slashed　doublet　serves　him　for　uniform　and
shirt；　and　in　the　depth　of　winter　he　has　to　defend　himself　against　the
inclemency　of　the　weather　in　the　open　field　with　nothing　better　than
the　breath　of　his　mouth；　which　I　need　not　say；　coming　from　an　empty
place；　must　come　out　cold；　contrary　to　the　laws　of　nature。　To　be
sure　he　looks　forward　to　the　approach　of　night　to　make　up　for　all
these　discomforts　on　the　bed　that　awaits　him；　which；　unless　by　some
fault　of　his；　never　sins　by　being　over　narrow；　for　he　can　easily
measure　out　on　the　ground　as　he　likes；　and　roll　himself　about　in　it　to
his　heart's　content　without　any　fear　of　the　sheets　slipping　away
from　him。　Then；　after　all　this；　suppose　the　day　and　hour　for　taking
his　degree　in　his　calling　to　have　come；　suppose　the　day　of　battle　to
have　arrived；　when　they　invest　him　with　the　doctor's　cap　made　of　lint；
to　mend　some　bullet…hole；　perhaps；　that　has　gone　through　his
temples；　or　left　him　with　a　crippled　arm　or　leg。　Or　if　this　does　not
happen；　and　merciful　Heaven　watches　over　him　and　keeps　him　safe　and
sound；　it　may　be　he　will　be　in　the　same　poverty　he　was　in　before；
and　he　must　go　through　more　engagements　and　more　battles；　and　come
victorious　out　of　all　before　he　betters　himself；　but　miracles　of
that　sort　are　seldom　seen。　For　tell　me；　sirs；　if　you　have　ever
reflected　upon　it；　by　how　much　do　those　who　have　gained　by　war　fall
short　of　the　number　of　those　who　have　perished　in　it？　No　doubt　you
will　reply　that　there　can　be　no　comparison；　that　the　dead　cannot　be
numbered；　while　the　living　who　have　been　rewarded　may　be　summed　up
with　three　figures。　All　which　is　the　reverse　in　the　case　of　men　of
letters；　for　by　skirts；　to　say　nothing　of　sleeves；　they　all　find　means
of　support；　so　that　though　the　soldier　has　more　to　endure；　his
reward　is　much　less。　But　against　all　this　it　may　be　urged　that　it　is
easier　to　reward　two　thousand　soldiers；　for　the　former　may　be
remunerated　by　giving　them　places；　which　must　perforce　be　conferred
upon　men　of　their　calling；　while　the　latter　can　only　be　recompensed
out　of　the　very　property　of　the　master　they　serve；　but　this
impossibility　only　strengthens　my　argument。
　　〃Putting　this；　however；　aside；　for　it　is　a　puzzling　question　for
which　it　is　difficult　to　find　a　solution；　let　us　return　to　the
superiority　of　arms　over　letters；　a　matter　still　undecided；　so　many
are　the　arguments　put　forward　on　each　side；　for　besides　those　I　have
mentioned；　letters　say　that　without　them　arms　cannot　maintain
themselves；　for　war；　too；　has　its　laws　and　is　governed　by　them；　and
laws　belong　to　the　domain　of　letters　and　men　of　letters。　To　this
arms　make　answer　that　without　them　laws　cannot　be　maintained；　for　by
arms　states　are　defended；　kingdoms　preserved；　cities　protected；
roads　made　safe；　seas　cleared　of　pirates；　and；　in　short；　if　it　were
not　for　them；　states；　kingdoms；　monarchies；　cities；　ways　by　sea　and
land　would　be　exposed　to　the　violence　and　confusion　which　war　brings
with　it；　so　long　as　it　lasts　and　is　free　to　make　use　of　its　privileges
and　powers。　And　then　it　is　plain　that　whatever　costs　most　is　valued
and　deserves　to　be　valued　most。　To　attain　to　eminence　in　letters　costs
a　man　time；　watching；　hunger；　nakedness；　headaches；　indigestions；
and　other　things　of　the　sort；　some　of　which　I　have　already　referred
to。　But　for　a　man　to　come　in　the　ordinary　course　of　things　to　be　a
good　soldier　costs　him　all　the　student　suffers；　and　in　an　incomparably
higher　degree；　for　at　every　step　he　runs　the　risk　of　losing　his
life。　For　what　dread　of　want　or　poverty　that　can　reach　or　harass　the
student　can　compare　with　what　the　soldier　feels；　who　finds　himself
beleaguered　in　some　stronghold　mounting　guard　in　some　ravelin　or
cavalier；　knows　that　the　enemy　is　pushing　a　mine　towards　the　post
where　he　is　stationed；　and　cannot　under　any　circumstances　retire　or
fly　from　the　imminent　danger　that　threatens　him？　All　he　can　do　is　to
inform　his　captain　of　what　is　going　on　so　that　he　may　try　to　remedy　it
by　a　counter…mine；　and　then　stand　his　ground　in　fear　and　expectation
of　the　moment　when　he　will　fly　up　to　the　clouds　without　wings　and
descend　into　the　deep　against　his　will。　And　if　this　seems　a　trifling
risk；　let　us　see　whether　it　is　equalled　or　surpassed　by　the
encounter　of　two　galleys　stem　to　stem；　in　the　midst　of　the　open　sea；
locked　and　entangled　one　with　the　other；　when　the　soldier　has　no
more　standing　room　than　two　feet　of　the　plank　of　the　spur；　and　yet；
though　he　sees　before　him　threatening　him　as　many　ministers　of　death
as　there　are　cannon　of　the　foe　pointed　at　him；　not　a　lance　length　from
his　body；　and　sees　too　that　with　the　first　heedless　step　he　will　go
down　to　visit　the　profundities　of　Neptune's　bosom；　still　with
dauntless　heart；　urged　on　by　honour　that　nerves　him；　he　makes
himself　a　target　for　all　that　musketry；　and　struggles　to　cross　that
narrow　path　to　the　enemy's　ship。　And　what　is　still　more　marvellous；　no
sooner　has　one　gone　down　into　the　depths　he　will　never　rise　from
till　the　end　of　the　world；　than　another　takes　his　place；　and　if　he　too
falls　into　the　sea　that　waits　for　him　like　an　enemy；　another　and
another　will　succeed　him　without　a　moment's　pause　between　their
deaths：　courage　and　daring　the　greatest　that　all　the　chances　of　war
can　show。　Happy　the　blest　ages　that　knew　not　the　dread　fury　of　those
devilish　engines　of　artillery；　whose　inventor　I　am　persuaded　is　in
hell　receiving　the　reward　of　his　diabolical　invention；　by　which　he
made　it　easy　for　a　base　and　cowardly　arm　to　take　the　life　of　a　gallant
gentleman；　and　that；　when　he　knows　not　how　or　whence；　in　the　height　of
the　ardour　and　enthusiasm　that　fire　and　animate　brave　hearts；　there
should　come　some　random　bullet；　discharged　perhaps　by　one　who　fled
in　terror　at　the　flash　when　he　fired　off　his　accursed　machine；　which
in　an　instant　puts　an　end　to　the　projects　and　cuts　off　the　life　of　one
who　deserved　to　live　for　ages　to　come。　And　thus　when　I　reflect　on
this；　I　am　almost　tempted　to　say　that　in　my　heart　I　repent　of　having
adopted　this　profession　of　knight…errant　in　so　detestable　an　age　as　we
live　in　now；　for　though　no　peril　can　make　me　fear；　still　it　gives　me
some　uneasiness　to　think　that　powder　and　lead　may　rob　me　of　the
opportunity　of　making　myself　famous　and　renowned　throughout　the
known　earth　by　the　might　of　my　arm　and　the　edge　of　my　sword。　But
Heaven's　will　be　done；　if　I　succeed　in　my　attempt　I　shall　be　all　the
more　honoured；　as　I　have　faced　greater　dangers　than　the　knights…errant
of　yore　exposed　themselves　to。〃
　　All　this　lengthy　discourse　Don　Quixote　deli