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第6章

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the old man some of the ample fragments of our repast; on condition;

however; that he should sit down and make a meal。

  He accordingly took his seat at some little distance from us; and

began to eat slowly; and with a sobriety and decorum that would have

become a hidalgo。 There was altogether a measured manner and a quiet

self…possession about the old man; that made me think that he had seen

better days; his language too; though simple; had occasionally

something picturesque and almost poetical in the phraseology。 I set

him down for some broken…down cavalier。 I was mistaken; it was nothing

but the innate courtesy of a Spaniard; and the poetical turn of

thought and language often to be found in the lowest classes of this

clear…witted people。 For fifty years; he told us; he had been a

shepherd; but now he was out of employ and destitute。 〃When I was a

young man;〃 said he; 〃nothing could harm or trouble me; I was always

well; always gay; but now I am seventy…nine years of age; and a

beggar; and my heart begins to fail me。〃

  Still he was not a regular mendicant: it was not until recently that

want had driven him to this degradation; and he gave a touching

picture of the struggle between hunger and pride; when abject

destitution first came upon him。 He was returning from Malaga

without money; he had not tasted food for some time; and was

crossing one of the great plains of Spain; where there were but few

habitations。 When almost dead with hunger; he applied at the door of a

venta or country inn。 〃Perdon usted por Dios; hermano!〃 (〃Excuse us;

brother; for God's sake!〃) was the reply… the usual mode in Spain of

refusing a beggar。

  〃I turned away;〃 said he; 〃with shame greater than my hunger; for my

heart was yet too proud。 I came to a river with high banks; and

deep; rapid current; and felt tempted to throw myself in: 'What should

such an old; worthless; wretched man as I live for?' But when I was on

the brink of the current; I thought on the blessed Virgin; and

turned away。 I travelled on until I saw a country…seat at a little

distance from the road; and entered the outer gate of the

court…yard。 The door was shut; but there were two young senoras at a

window。 I approached and begged。 'Perdon usted por Dios; hermano!'…

and the window closed。

  〃I crept out of the court…yard; but hunger overcame me; and my heart

gave way: I thought my hour at hand; so I laid myself down at the

gate; commended myself to the Holy Virgin; and covered my head to die。

In a little while afterwards the master of the house came home。 Seeing

me lying at his gate; he uncovered my head; had pity on my gray hairs;

took me into his house; and gave me food。 So; senores; you see that

one should always put confidence in the protection of the Virgin。〃

  The old man was on his way to his native place; Archidona; which was

in full view on its steep and rugged mountain。 He pointed to the ruins

of its castle。 〃That castle;〃 he said; 〃was inhabited by a Moorish

king at the time of the wars of Granada。 Queen Isabella invaded it

with a great army; but the king looked down from his castle among

the clouds; and laughed her to scorn! Upon this the Virgin appeared to

the queen; and guided her and her army up a mysterious path in the

mountains; which had never before been known。 When the Moor saw her

coming; he was astonished; and springing with his horse from a

precipice; was dashed to pieces! The marks of his horse's hoofs;〃 said

the old man; 〃are to be seen in the margin of the rock to this day。

And see; senores; yonder is the road by which the queen and her army

mounted: you see it like a ribbon up the mountain's side; but the

miracle is; that; though it can be seen at a distance; when you come

near it disappears!〃

  The ideal road to which he pointed was undoubtedly a sandy ravine of

the mountain; which looked narrow and defined at a distance; but

became broad and indistinct on an approach。

  As the old man's heart warmed with wine and wassail; he went on to

tell us a story of the buried treasure left under the castle by the

Moorish king。 His own house was next to the foundations of the castle。

The curate and notary dreamed three times of the treasure; and went to

work at the place pointed out in their dreams。 His own son…in…law

heard the sound of their pickaxes and spades at night。 What they found

nobody knows; they became suddenly rich; but kept their own secret。

Thus the old man had once been next door to fortune; but was doomed

never to get under the same roof。

  I have remarked that the stories of treasure buried by the Moors; so

popular throughout Spain; are most current among the poorest people。

Kind nature consoles with shadows for the lack of substantials。 The

thirsty man dreams of fountains and running streams; the hungry man of

banquets; and the poor man of heaps of hidden gold: nothing

certainly is more opulent than the imagination of a beggar。

  Our afternoon's ride took us through a steep and rugged defile of

the mountains; called Puerto del Rey; the Pass of the King; being

one of the great passes into the territories of Granada; and the one

by which King Ferdinand conducted his army。 Towards sunset the road;

winding round a hill; brought us in sight of the famous little

frontier city of Loxa; which repulsed Ferdinand from its walls。 Its

Arabic name implies 〃guardian;〃 and such it was to the vega of

Granada; being one of its advanced guards。 It was the strong…hold of

that fiery veteran; old Ali Atar; father…in…law of Boabdil; and here

it was that the latter collected his troops; and sallied forth on that

disastrous foray which ended in the death of the old alcayde and his

own captivity。 From its commanding position at the gate; as it were;

of this mountain pass; Loxa has not unaptly been termed the key of

Granada。 It is wildly picturesque; built along the face of an arid

mountain。 The ruins of a Moorish alcazar or citadel crown a rocky

mound which rises out of the centre of the town。 The river Xenil

washes its base; winding among rocks; and groves; and gardens; and

meadows; and crossed by a Moorish bridge。 Above the city all is savage

and sterile; below is the richest vegetation and the freshest verdure。

A similar contrast is presented by the river; above the bridge it is

placid and grassy; reflecting groves and gardens; below it is rapid;

noisy and tumultuous。 The Sierra Nevada; the royal mountains of

Granada; crowned with perpetual snow; form the distant boundary to

this varied landscape; one of the most characteristic of romantic

Spain。

  Alighting at the entrance of the city; we gave our horses to

Sancho to lead them to the inn; while we strolled about to enjoy the

singular beauty of the environs。 As we crossed the bridge to a fine

alameda; or public walk; the bells tolled the hour of oration。 At

the sound the wayfarers; whether on business or pleasure; paused; took

off their hats; crossed themselves; and repeated their evening prayer…

a pious custom still rigidly observed in retired parts of Spain。

Altogether it was a solemn and beautiful evening scene; and we

wandered on as the evening gradually closed; and the new moon began to

glitter between the high elms of the alameda。

  We were roused from this quiet state of enjoyment by the voice of

our trusty squire hailing us from a distance。 He came up to us; out of

breath。 〃Ah; senores;〃 cried he; 〃el pobre Sancho no es nada sin Don

Quixote。〃 (〃Ah; senores; poor Sancho is nothing without Don Quixote。〃)

He had been alarmed at our not coming to the inn; Loxa was such a wild

mountain place; full of contrabandistas; enchanters; and infiernos; he

did not well know what might have happened; and set out to seek us;

inquiring after us of every person he met; until he traced us across

the bridge; and; to his great joy; caught sight of us strolling in the

alameda。

  The inn to which he conducted us was called the Corona; or Crown;

and we found it quite in keeping 

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