don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第162部分

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declare　that　it　had　said　so　and　so；　which　fitted　the　case　exactly。
In　this　way　he　acquired　a　prodigious　name　and　all　ran　after　him；　on
other　occasions；　being　very　crafty；　he　would　answer　in　such　a　way　that
the　answers　suited　the　questions；　and　as　no　one　cross…questioned　him
or　pressed　him　to　tell　how　his　ape　divined；　he　made　fools　of　them
all　and　filled　his　pouch。　The　instant　he　entered　the　inn　he　knew　Don
Quixote　and　Sancho；　and　with　that　knowledge　it　was　easy　for　him　to
astonish　them　and　all　who　were　there；　but　it　would　have　cost　him
dear　had　Don　Quixote　brought　down　his　hand　a　little　lower　when　he
cut　off　King　Marsilio's　head　and　destroyed　all　his　horsemen；　as
related　in　the　preceeding　chapter。
　　So　much　for　Master　Pedro　and　his　ape；　and　now　to　return　to　Don
Quixote　of　La　Mancha。　After　he　had　left　the　inn　he　determined　to
visit；　first　of　all；　the　banks　of　the　Ebro　and　that　neighbourhood；
before　entering　the　city　of　Saragossa；　for　the　ample　time　there　was
still　to　spare　before　the　jousts　left　him　enough　for　all。　With　this
object　in　view　he　followed　the　road　and　travelled　along　it　for　two
days；　without　meeting　any　adventure　worth　committing　to　writing
until　on　the　third　day；　as　he　was　ascending　a　hill；　he　heard　a　great
noise　of　drums；　trumpets；　and　musket…shots。　At　first　he　imagined
some　regiment　of　soldiers　was　passing　that　way；　and　to　see　them　he
spurred　Rocinante　and　mounted　the　hill。　On　reaching　the　top　he　saw
at　the　foot　of　it　over　two　hundred　men；　as　it　seemed　to　him；　armed
with　weapons　of　various　sorts；　lances；　crossbows；　partisans；　halberds；
and　pikes；　and　a　few　muskets　and　a　great　many　bucklers。　He　descended
the　slope　and　approached　the　band　near　enough　to　see　distinctly　the
flags；　make　out　the　colours　and　distinguish　the　devices　they　bore；
especially　one　on　a　standard　or　ensign　of　white　satin；　on　which
there　was　painted　in　a　very　life…like　style　an　ass　like　a　little　sard；
with　its　head　up；　its　mouth　open　and　its　tongue　out；　as　if　it　were
in　the　act　and　attitude　of　braying；　and　round　it　were　inscribed　in
large　characters　these　two　lines…

　　　　　　　　　They　did　not　bray　in　vain；
　　　　　　　　　Our　alcaldes　twain。

From　this　device　Don　Quixote　concluded　that　these　people　must　be
from　the　braying　town；　and　he　said　so　to　Sancho；　explaining　to　him
what　was　written　on　the　standard。　At　the　same　time　be　observed　that
the　man　who　had　told　them　about　the　matter　was　wrong　in　saying　that
the　two　who　brayed　were　regidors；　for　according　to　the　lines　of　the
standard　they　were　alcaldes。　To　which　Sancho　replied；　〃Senor；
there's　nothing　to　stick　at　in　that；　for　maybe　the　regidors　who　brayed
then　came　to　he　alcaldes　of　their　town　afterwards；　and　so　they　may
go　by　both　titles；　moreover；　it　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　truth　of
the　story　whether　the　brayers　were　alcaldes　or　regidors；　provided　at
any　rate　they　did　bray；　for　an　alcalde　is　just　as　likely　to　bray　as
a　regidor。〃　They　perceived；　in　short；　clearly　that　the　town　which
had　been　twitted　had　turned　out　to　do　battle　with　some　other　that
had　jeered　it　more　than　was　fair　or　neighbourly。
　　Don　Quixote　proceeded　to　join　them；　not　a　little　to　Sancho's
uneasiness；　for　he　never　relished　mixing　himself　up　in　expeditions
of　that　sort。　The　members　of　the　troop　received　him　into　the　midst
of　them；　taking　him　to　he　some　one　who　was　on　their　side。　Don　Quixote；
putting　up　his　visor；　advanced　with　an　easy　bearing　and　demeanour　to
the　standard　with　the　ass；　and　all　the　chief　men　of　the　army
gathered　round　him　to　look　at　him；　staring　at　him　with　the　usual
amazement　that　everybody　felt　on　seeing　him　for　the　first　time。　Don
Quixote；　seeing　them　examining　him　so　attentively；　and　that　none　of
them　spoke　to　him　or　put　any　question　to　him；　determined　to　take
advantage　of　their　silence；　so；　breaking　his　own；　he　lifted　up　his
voice　and　said；　〃Worthy　sirs；　I　entreat　you　as　earnestly　as　I　can
not　to　interrupt　an　argument　I　wish　to　address　to　you；　until　you
find　it　displeases　or　wearies　you；　and　if　that　come　to　pass；　on　the
slightest　hint　you　give　me　I　will　put　a　seal　upon　my　lips　and　a　gag
upon　my　tongue。〃
　　They　all　bade　him　say　what　he　liked；　for　they　would　listen　to　him
willingly。
　　With　this　permission　Don　Quixote　went　on　to　say；　〃I；　sirs；　am　a
knight…errant　whose　calling　is　that　of　arms；　and　whose　profession　is
to　protect　those　who　require　protection；　and　give　help　to　such　as
stand　in　need　of　it。　Some　days　ago　I　became　acquainted　with　your
misfortune　and　the　cause　which　impels　you　to　take　up　arms　again　and
again　to　revenge　yourselves　upon　your　enemies；　and　having　many　times
thought　over　your　business　in　my　mind；　I　find　that；　according　to　the
laws　of　combat；　you　are　mistaken　in　holding　yourselves　insulted；　for　a
private　individual　cannot　insult　an　entire　community；　unless　it　be
by　defying　it　collectively　as　a　traitor；　because　he　cannot　tell　who　in
particular　is　guilty　of　the　treason　for　which　he　defies　it。　Of　this　we
have　an　example　in　Don　Diego　Ordonez　de　Lara；　who　defied　the　whole
town　of　Zamora；　because　he　did　not　know　that　Vellido　Dolfos　alone
had　committed　the　treachery　of　slaying　his　king；　and　therefore　he
defied　them　all；　and　the　vengeance　and　the　reply　concerned　all；
though；　to　be　sure；　Senor　Don　Diego　went　rather　too　far；　indeed　very
much　beyond　the　limits　of　a　defiance；　for　he　had　no　occasion　to　defy
the　dead；　or　the　waters；　or　the　fishes；　or　those　yet　unborn；　and　all
the　rest　of　it　as　set　forth；　but　let　that　pass；　for　when　anger
breaks　out　there's　no　father；　governor；　or　bridle　to　check　the　tongue。
The　case　being；　then；　that　no　one　person　can　insult　a　kingdom；
province；　city；　state；　or　entire　community；　it　is　clear　there　is　no
reason　for　going　out　to　avenge　the　defiance　of　such　an　insult；
inasmuch　as　it　is　not　one。　A　fine　thing　it　would　be　if　the　people　of
the　clock　town　were　to　be　at　loggerheads　every　moment　with　everyone
who　called　them　by　that　name；　…or　the　Cazoleros；　Berengeneros；
Ballenatos；　Jaboneros；　or　the　bearers　of　all　the　other　names　and
titles　that　are　always　in　the　mouth　of　the　boys　and　common　people！
It　would　be　a　nice　business　indeed　if　all　these　illustrious　cities
were　to　take　huff　and　revenge　themselves　and　go　about　perpetually
making　trombones　of　their　swords　in　every　petty　quarrel！　No；　no；　God
forbid！　There　are　four　things　for　which　sensible　men　and
well…ordered　States　ought　to　take　up　arms；　draw　their　swords；　and　risk
their　persons；　lives；　and　properties。　The　first　is　to　defend　the
Catholic　faith；　the　second；　to　defend　one's　life；　which　is　in
accordance　with　natural　and　divine　law；　the　third；　in　defence　of　one's
honour；　family；　and　property；　the　fourth；　in　the　service　of　one's　king
in　a　just　war；　and　if　to　these　we　choose　to　add　a　fifth　（which　may
be　included　in　the　second）；　in　defence　of　one's　country。　To　these
five；　as　it　were　capital　causes；　there　may　be　added　some　others　that
may　be　just　and　reasonable；　and　make　it　a　duty　to　take　up　arms；　but　to
take　them　up　for　trifles　and　things　to　laugh　at　and　he　amused　by
rather　than　offended；　looks　as　though　he　who　did　so　was　altogether
wanting　in　common　sense。　Moreover；　to　take　an　unjust　revenge　（and
there　cannot　be　any　just　one）　is　directly　opposed　to　the　sacred　law
that　we　acknowledge；　wherein　we　are　commanded　to　do　good　to　our
enemies　and　to　love　them　that　hate　us；　a　command　which；　though　it
seems　somewhat　difficult　to　obey；　is　only　so　to　those　who　have　in　them
less　of　God　than　of　the　world；　and　more　of　the　flesh　than　of　the
spirit；　for　Jesus　Christ；　God　and　true　man；　who　never　lied；　and
could　not　and　cannot　lie；　said；　as　our　law…giver；　that　his　yoke　was
easy　and　his　burden　light；　he　would　not；　therefore；　have　laid　any
command　upon　us　that　it　was　impossible　to　obey。　Thus；　sirs；　you　are
bound　to　keep　quiet　by　human　and　divine　law。〃
　　〃The　devil　take　me；〃　said　Sancho　to　himself　at　this；　〃but　this
master　of　mine　is　a　tologian；　or；　if　not；　faith；　he's　as　like　one　as
one　egg　is　like　another。〃
　　Don　Quixote　stopped　to　take　breath；　and；　observing　that　silence
was　still　preserved；　had　a　mind　to　continue　his　discourse；　and　would
have　done　so　had　not　Sancho　interposed　with　his　smartness；　for　he；
seeing　his　master　pause；　took　the　lead；　saying；　〃My　lord　Don　Quixote
of　La　Mancha；　who　once　was　called　the　Knight　of　the　Rueful
Countenance；　but　now　is　called　the　Knight　of　the　Lions；　is　a　gentleman
of　great　discretion　who　knows　Latin　and　his　mother　tongue　like　a
bachelor；　and　in　everything　that　he　deals　with　or　advises　proceeds
like　a　good　soldier；　and　has　all　the　laws　and　ordinances　of　what
they　call　combat　at　his　fingers'　ends；　so　you　have　nothing　to　do　but
to　let　yourselves　be　guided　by　what　he　says；　and　on　my　head　be　it　if
it　is　wrong。　Besides　which；　you　have　been　told　that　it　is　folly　to
take　offence　at　merely　hearing　a　bray。　I　remember　when　I　was　a　boy　I
brayed　as　often　as　I　had　a　fancy；　without　anyone　hindering　me；　and
so　elegantly　and　naturally　that　when　I　brayed　all　the　asses　in　the
town　would　bray；　but　I　was　none　the　less　for　that　the　son　of　my
parents　who　were　greatly　respected；　and　though　I　was　envied　because　of
the　gift　by　more　than　one　of　the　high　and　mighty　ones　of　the　town；　I
did　not　care　two　farthings　for　it；　and