don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第121部分

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out　of　place　and　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　history　of　his　worship
Senor　Don　Quixote。〃
　　〃I　will　bet　the　son　of　a　dog　has　mixed　the　cabbages　and　the
baskets；〃　said　Sancho。
　　〃Then；　I　say；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃the　author　of　my　history　was　no
sage；　but　some　ignorant　chatterer；　who；　in　a　haphazard　and　heedless
way；　set　about　writing　it；　let　it　turn　out　as　it　might；　just　as
Orbaneja；　the　painter　of　Ubeda；　used　to　do；　who；　when　they　asked　him
what　he　was　painting；　answered；　'What　it　may　turn　out。'　Sometimes　he
would　paint　a　cock　in　such　a　fashion；　and　so　unlike；　that　he　had　to
write　alongside　of　it　in　Gothic　letters；　'This　is　a　cock；　and　so　it
will　be　with　my　history；　which　will　require　a　commentary　to　make　it
intelligible。〃
　　〃No　fear　of　that；〃　returned　Samson；　〃for　it　is　so　plain　that　there
is　nothing　in　it　to　puzzle　over；　the　children　turn　its　leaves；　the
young　people　read　it；　the　grown　men　understand　it；　the　old　folk　praise
it；　in　a　word；　it　is　so　thumbed；　and　read；　and　got　by　heart　by
people　of　all　sorts；　that　the　instant　they　see　any　lean　hack；　they
say；　'There　goes　Rocinante。'　And　those　that　are　most　given　to
reading　it　are　the　pages；　for　there　is　not　a　lord's　ante…chamber　where
there　is　not　a　'Don　Quixote'　to　be　found；　one　takes　it　up　if　another
lays　it　down；　this　one　pounces　upon　it；　and　that　begs　for　it。　In
short；　the　said　history　is　the　most　delightful　and　least　injurious
entertainment　that　has　been　hitherto　seen；　for　there　is　not　to　be
found　in　the　whole　of　it　even　the　semblance　of　an　immodest　word；　or
a　thought　that　is　other　than　Catholic。〃
　　〃To　write　in　any　other　way；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃would　not　be　to
write　truth；　but　falsehood；　and　historians　who　have　recourse　to
falsehood　ought　to　be　burned；　like　those　who　coin　false　money；　and　I
know　not　what　could　have　led　the　author　to　have　recourse　to　novels　and
irrelevant　stories；　when　he　had　so　much　to　write　about　in　mine；　no
doubt　he　must　have　gone　by　the　proverb　'with　straw　or　with　hay；
&c。；'　for　by　merely　setting　forth　my　thoughts；　my　sighs；　my　tears；
my　lofty　purposes；　my　enterprises；　he　might　have　made　a　volume　as
large；　or　larger　than　all　the　works　of　El　Tostado　would　make　up。　In
fact；　the　conclusion　I　arrive　at；　senor　bachelor；　is；　that　to　write
histories；　or　books　of　any　kind；　there　is　need　of　great　judgment　and　a
ripe　understanding。　To　give　expression　to　humour；　and　write　in　a
strain　of　graceful　pleasantry；　is　the　gift　of　great　geniuses。　The
cleverest　character　in　comedy　is　the　clown；　for　he　who　would　make
people　take　him　for　a　fool；　must　not　be　one。　History　is　in　a　measure　a
sacred　thing；　for　it　should　be　true；　and　where　the　truth　is；　there　God
is；　but　notwithstanding　this；　there　are　some　who　write　and　fling　books
broadcast　on　the　world　as　if　they　were　fritters。〃
　　〃There　is　no　book　so　bad　but　it　has　something　good　in　it；〃　said
the　bachelor。
　　〃No　doubt　of　that；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃but　it　often　happens
that　those　who　have　acquired　and　attained　a　well…deserved　reputation
by　their　writings；　lose　it　entirely；　or　damage　it　in　some　degree；　when
they　give　them　to　the　press。〃
　　〃The　reason　of　that；〃　said　Samson；　〃is；　that　as　printed　works　are
examined　leisurely；　their　faults　are　easily　seen；　and　the　greater
the　fame　of　the　writer；　the　more　closely　are　they　scrutinised。　Men
famous　for　their　genius；　great　poets；　illustrious　historians；　are
always；　or　most　commonly；　envied　by　those　who　take　a　particular
delight　and　pleasure　in　criticising　the　writings　of　others；　without
having　produced　any　of　their　own。〃
　　〃That　is　no　wonder；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　there　are　many　divines
who　are　no　good　for　the　pulpit；　but　excellent　in　detecting　the　defects
or　excesses　of　those　who　preach。〃
　　〃All　that　is　true；　Senor　Don　Quixote；〃　said　Carrasco；　〃but　I　wish
such　fault…finders　were　more　lenient　and　less　exacting；　and　did　not
pay　so　much　attention　to　the　spots　on　the　bright　sun　of　the　work
they　grumble　at；　for　if　aliquando　bonus　dormitat　Homerus；　they
should　remember　how　long　he　remained　awake　to　shed　the　light　of　his
work　with　as　little　shade　as　possible；　and　perhaps　it　may　be　that　what
they　find　fault　with　may　be　moles；　that　sometimes　heighten　the
beauty　of　the　face　that　bears　them；　and　so　I　say　very　great　is　the
risk　to　which　he　who　prints　a　book　exposes　himself；　for　of　all
impossibilities　the　greatest　is　to　write　one　that　will　satisfy　and
please　all　readers。〃
　　〃That　which　treats　of　me　must　have　pleased　few；〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃Quite　the　contrary；〃　said　the　bachelor；　〃for；　as　stultorum
infinitum　est　numerus；　innumerable　are　those　who　have　relished　the
said　history；　but　some　have　brought　a　charge　against　the　author's
memory；　inasmuch　as　he　forgot　to　say　who　the　thief　was　who　stole
Sancho's　Dapple；　for　it　is　not　stated　there；　but　only　to　be　inferred
from　what　is　set　down；　that　he　was　stolen；　and　a　little　farther　on
we　see　Sancho　mounted　on　the　same　ass；　without　any　reappearance　of　it。
They　say；　too；　that　he　forgot　to　state　what　Sancho　did　with　those
hundred　crowns　that　he　found　in　the　valise　in　the　Sierra　Morena；　as　he
never　alludes　to　them　again；　and　there　are　many　who　would　be　glad　to
know　what　he　did　with　them；　or　what　he　spent　them　on；　for　it　is　one　of
the　serious　omissions　of　the　work。〃
　　〃Senor　Samson；　I　am　not　in　a　humour　now　for　going　into　accounts　or
explanations；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　there's　a　sinking　of　the　stomach　come
over　me；　and　unless　I　doctor　it　with　a　couple　of　sups　of　the　old　stuff
it　will　put　me　on　the　thorn　of　Santa　Lucia。　I　have　it　at　home；　and
my　old　woman　is　waiting　for　me；　after　dinner　I'll　come　back；　and
will　answer　you　and　all　the　world　every　question　you　may　choose　to
ask；　as　well　about　the　loss　of　the　ass　as　about　the　spending　of　the
hundred　crowns；〃　and　without　another　word　or　waiting　for　a　reply　he
made　off　home。
　　Don　Quixote　begged　and　entreated　the　bachelor　to　stay　and　do　penance
with　him。　The　bachelor　accepted　the　invitation　and　remained；　a
couple　of　young　pigeons　were　added　to　the　ordinary　fare；　at　dinner
they　talked　chivalry；　Carrasco　fell　in　with　his　host's　humour；　the
banquet　came　to　an　end；　they　took　their　afternoon　sleep；　Sancho
returned；　and　their　conversation　was　resumed。


　　CHAPTER　IV
　　IN　WHICH　SANCHO　PANZA　GIVES　A　SATISFACTORY　REPLY　TO　THE　DOUBTS　AND
QUESTIONS　OF　THE　BACHELOR　SAMSON　CARRASCO；　TOGETHER　WITH　OTHER　MATTERS
WORTH　KNOWING　AND　TELLING

　　SANCHO　came　back　to　Don　Quixote's　house；　and　returning　to　the　late
subject　of　conversation；　he　said；　〃As　to　what　Senor　Samson　said；
that　he　would　like　to　know　by　whom；　or　how；　or　when　my　ass　was　stolen；
I　say　in　reply　that　the　same　night　we　went　into　the　Sierra　Morena；
flying　from　the　Holy　Brotherhood　after　that　unlucky　adventure　of　the
galley　slaves；　and　the　other　of　the　corpse　that　was　going　to
Segovia；　my　master　and　I　ensconced　ourselves　in　a　thicket；　and
there；　my　master　leaning　on　his　lance；　and　I　seated　on　my　Dapple；
battered　and　weary　with　the　late　frays　we　fell　asleep　as　if　it　had
been　on　four　feather　mattresses；　and　I　in　particular　slept　so　sound；
that；　whoever　he　was；　he　was　able　to　come　and　prop　me　up　on　four
stakes；　which　he　put　under　the　four　corners　of　the　pack…saddle　in　such
a　way　that　he　left　me　mounted　on　it；　and　took　away　Dapple　from　under
me　without　my　feeling　it。〃
　　〃That　is　an　easy　matter；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　it　is　no　new
occurrence；　for　the　same　thing　happened　to　Sacripante　at　the　siege
of　Albracca；　the　famous　thief；　Brunello；　by　the　same　contrivance；　took
his　horse　from　between　his　legs。〃
　　〃Day　came；〃　continued　Sancho；　〃and　the　moment　I　stirred　the　stakes
gave　way　and　I　fell　to　the　ground　with　a　mighty　come　down；　I　looked
about　for　the　ass；　but　could　not　see　him；　the　tears　rushed　to　my
eyes　and　I　raised　such　a　lamentation　that；　if　the　author　of　our
history　has　not　put　it　in；　he　may　depend　upon　it　he　has　left　out　a
good　thing。　Some　days　after；　I　know　not　how　many；　travelling　with
her　ladyship　the　Princess　Micomicona；　I　saw　my　ass；　and　mounted　upon
him；　in　the　dress　of　a　gipsy；　was　that　Gines　de　Pasamonte；　the　great
rogue　and　rascal　that　my　master　and　I　freed　from　the　chain。〃
　　〃That　is　not　where　the　mistake　is；〃　replied　Samson；　〃it　is；　that
before　the　ass　has　turned　up；　the　author　speaks　of　Sancho　as　being
mounted　on　it。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　what　to　say　to　that；〃　said　Sancho；　〃unless　that　the
historian　made　a　mistake；　or　perhaps　it　might　be　a　blunder　of　the
printer's。〃
　　〃No　doubt　that's　it；〃　said　Samson；　〃but　what　became　of　the　hundred
crowns？　Did　they　vanish？〃
　　To　which　Sancho　answered；　〃I　spent　them　for　my　own　good；　and　my
wife's；　and　my　children's；　and　it　is　they　that　have　made　my　wife
bear　so　patiently　all　my　wanderings　on　highways　and　byways；　in　the
service　of　my　master；　Don　Quixote；　for　if　after　all　this　time　I　had
come　back　to　the　house　without　a　rap　and　without　the　ass；　it　would
have　been　a　poor　look…out　for　me；　and　if　anyone　wants　to　know　anything
more　about　me；　here　I　am；　ready　to　answer　the　king　himself　in
person；　and　it　is　no　affair　of　anyone's　whether　I　took　or　did　not
take；　whether　I　spent　or　did　not　spend；　for　the　whacks　that　were　given
me　in　these　journeys　were　to　be　paid　for　in　money；　even　if　they　were
valued　at　no　more