don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第180部分

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But　that　they　have　not；　for　Heaven　will　not　suffer　so　great　a　wrong　to
Earth；　as　it　would　be　to　pluck　unripe　the　grapes　of　the　fairest
vineyard　on　its　surface。　Of　this　beauty；　to　which　my　poor　feeble
tongue　has　failed　to　do　justice；　countless　princes；　not　only　of　that
country；　but　of　others；　were　enamoured；　and　among　them　a　private
gentleman；　who　was　at　the　court；　dared　to　raise　his　thoughts　to　the
heaven　of　so　great　beauty；　trusting　to　his　youth；　his　gallant　bearing；
his　numerous　accomplishments　and　graces；　and　his　quickness　and
readiness　of　wit；　for　I　may　tell　your　highnesses；　if　I　am　not　wearying
you；　that　he　played　the　guitar　so　as　to　make　it　speak；　and　he　was；
besides；　a　poet　and　a　great　dancer；　and　he　could　make　birdcages　so
well；　that　by　making　them　alone　he　might　have　gained　a　livelihood；　had
he　found　himself　reduced　to　utter　poverty；　and　gifts　and　graces　of
this　kind　are　enough　to　bring　down　a　mountain；　not　to　say　a　tender
young　girl。　But　all　his　gallantry；　wit；　and　gaiety；　all　his　graces　and
accomplishments；　would　have　been　of　little　or　no　avail　towards　gaining
the　fortress　of　my　pupil；　had　not　the　impudent　thief　taken　the
precaution　of　gaining　me　over　first。　First；　the　villain　and
heartless　vagabond　sought　to　win　my　good…will　and　purchase　my
compliance；　so　as　to　get　me；　like　a　treacherous　warder；　to　deliver
up　to　him　the　keys　of　the　fortress　I　had　in　charge。　In　a　word；　he
gained　an　influence　over　my　mind；　and　overcame　my　resolutions　with　I
know　not　what　trinkets　and　jewels　he　gave　me；　but　it　was　some　verses　I
heard　him　singing　one　night　from　a　grating　that　opened　on　the　street
where　he　lived；　that；　more　than　anything　else；　made　me　give　way　and
led　to　my　fall；　and　if　I　remember　rightly　they　ran　thus：

　　　　　From　that　sweet　enemy　of　mine
　　　　　　　My　bleeding　heart　hath　had　its　wound；
　　　　　　　And　to　increase　the　pain　I'm　bound
　　　　　To　suffer　and　to　make　no　sign。

The　lines　seemed　pearls　to　me　and　his　voice　sweet　as　syrup；　and
afterwards；　I　may　say　ever　since　then；　looking　at　the　misfortune
into　which　I　have　fallen；　I　have　thought　that　poets；　as　Plato　advised；
ought　to　he　banished　from　all　well…ordered　States；　at　least　the
amatory　ones；　for　they　write　verses；　not　like　those　of　'The　Marquis　of
Mantua；'　that　delight　and　draw　tears　from　the　women　and　children；
but　sharp…pointed　conceits　that　pierce　the　heart　like　soft　thorns；　and
like　the　lightning　strike　it；　leaving　the　raiment　uninjured。　Another
time　he　sang：

　　　　　Come　Death；　so　subtly　veiled　that　I
　　　　　　　Thy　coming　know　not；　how　or　when；
　　　　　　　Lest　it　should　give　me　life　again
　　　　　To　find　how　sweet　it　is　to　die。

…and　other　verses　and　burdens　of　the　same　sort；　such　as　enchant　when
sung　and　fascinate　when　written。　And　then；　when　they　condescend　to
compose　a　sort　of　verse　that　was　at　that　time　in　vogue　in　Kandy；　which
they　call　seguidillas！　Then　it　is　that　hearts　leap　and　laughter　breaks
forth；　and　the　body　grows　restless　and　all　the　senses　turn
quicksilver。　And　so　I　say；　sirs；　that　these　troubadours　richly　deserve
to　be　banished　to　the　isles　of　the　lizards。　Though　it　is　not　they　that
are　in　fault；　but　the　simpletons　that　extol　them；　and　the　fools　that
believe　in　them；　and　had　I　been　the　faithful　duenna　I　should　have
been；　his　stale　conceits　would　have　never　moved　me；　nor　should　I
have　been　taken　in　by　such　phrases　as　'in　death　I　live；'　'in　ice　I
burn；'　'in　flames　I　shiver；'　'hopeless　I　hope；'　'I　go　and　stay；'　and
paradoxes　of　that　sort　which　their　writings　are　full　of。　And　then　when
they　promise　the　Phoenix　of　Arabia；　the　crown　of　Ariadne；　the　horses
of　the　Sun；　the　pearls　of　the　South；　the　gold　of　Tibar；　and　the　balsam
of　Panchaia！　Then　it　is　they　give　a　loose　to　their　pens；　for　it
costs　them　little　to　make　promises　they　have　no　intention　or　power
of　fulfilling。　But　where　am　I　wandering　to？　Woe　is　me；　unfortunate
being！　What　madness　or　folly　leads　me　to　speak　of　the　faults　of
others；　when　there　is　so　much　to　be　said　about　my　own？　Again；　woe　is
me；　hapless　that　I　am！　it　was　not　verses　that　conquered　me；　but　my　own
simplicity；　it　was　not　music　made　me　yield；　but　my　own　imprudence；
my　own　great　ignorance　and　little　caution　opened　the　way　and　cleared
the　path　for　Don　Clavijo's　advances；　for　that　was　the　name　of　the
gentleman　I　have　referred　to；　and　so；　with　my　help　as　go…between；　he
found　his　way　many　a　time　into　the　chamber　of　the　deceived　Antonomasia
（deceived　not　by　him　but　by　me）　under　the　title　of　a　lawful　husband；
for；　sinner　though　I　was；　would　not　have　allowed　him　to　approach　the
edge　of　her　shoe…sole　without　being　her　husband。　No；　no；　not　that；
marriage　must　come　first　in　any　business　of　this　sort　that　I　take　in
hand。　But　there　was　one　hitch　in　this　case；　which　was　that　of
inequality　of　rank；　Don　Clavijo　being　a　private　gentleman；　and　the
Princess　Antonomasia；　as　I　said；　heiress　to　the　kingdom。　The
entanglement　remained　for　some　time　a　secret；　kept　hidden　by　my
cunning　precautions；　until　I　perceived　that　a　certain　expansion　of
waist　in　Antonomasia　must　before　long　disclose　it；　the　dread　of
which　made　us　all　there　take　counsel　together；　and　it　was　agreed
that　before　the　mischief　came　to　light；　Don　Clavijo　should　demand
Antonomasia　as　his　wife　before　the　Vicar；　in　virtue　of　an　agreement　to
marry　him　made　by　the　princess；　and　drafted　by　my　wit　in　such
binding　terms　that　the　might　of　Samson　could　not　have　broken　it。　The
necessary　steps　were　taken；　the　Vicar　saw　the　agreement；　and　took
the　lady's　confession；　she　confessed　everything　in　full；　and　he
ordered　her　into　the　custody　of　a　very　worthy　alguacil　of　the　court。〃
　　〃Are　there　alguacils　of　the　court　in　Kandy；　too；〃　said　Sancho　at
this；　〃and　poets；　and　seguidillas？　I　swear　I　think　the　world　is　the
same　all　over！　But　make　haste；　Senora　Trifaldi；　for　it　is　late；　and
I　am　dying　to　know　the　end　of　this　long　story。〃
　　〃I　will；〃　replied　the　countess。


　　CHAPTER　XXXIX
　　IN　WHICH　THE　TRIFALDI　CONTINUES　HER　MARVELLOUS　AND　MEMORABLE　STORY

　　BY　EVERY　word　that　Sancho　uttered；　the　duchess　was　as　much　delighted
as　Don　Quixote　was　driven　to　desperation。　He　bade　him　hold　his　tongue；
and　the　Distressed　One　went　on　to　say：　〃At　length；　after　much
questioning　and　answering；　as　the　princess　held　to　her　story；
without　changing　or　varying　her　previous　declaration；　the　Vicar　gave
his　decision　in　favour　of　Don　Clavijo；　and　she　was　delivered　over　to
him　as　his　lawful　wife；　which　the　Queen　Dona　Maguncia；　the　Princess
Antonomasia's　mother；　so　took　to　heart；　that　within　the　space　of　three
days　we　buried　her。〃
　　〃She　died；　no　doubt；〃　said　Sancho。
　　〃Of　course；〃　said　Trifaldin；　〃they　don't　bury　living　people　in
Kandy；　only　the　dead。〃
　　〃Senor　Squire；〃　said　Sancho；　〃a　man　in　a　swoon　has　been　known　to
be　buried　before　now；　in　the　belief　that　he　was　dead；　and　it　struck　me
that　Queen　Maguncia　ought　to　have　swooned　rather　than　died；　because
with　life　a　great　many　things　come　right；　and　the　princess's　folly　was
not　so　great　that　she　need　feel　it　so　keenly。　If　the　lady　had
married　some　page　of　hers；　or　some　other　servant　of　the　house；　as　many
another　has　done；　so　I　have　heard　say；　then　the　mischief　would　have
been　past　curing。　But　to　marry　such　an　elegant　accomplished
gentleman　as　has　been　just　now　described　to　us…　indeed；　indeed；　though
it　was　a　folly；　it　was　not　such　a　great　one　as　you　think；　for
according　to　the　rules　of　my　master　here…　and　he　won't　allow　me　to
lie…　as　of　men　of　letters　bishops　are　made；　so　of　gentlemen　knights；
specially　if　they　be　errant；　kings　and　emperors　may　be　made。〃
　　〃Thou　art　right；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　with　a
knight…errant；　if　he　has　but　two　fingers'　breadth　of　good　fortune；
it　is　on　the　cards　to　become　the　mightiest　lord　on　earth。　But　let
senora　the　Distressed　One　proceed；　for　I　suspect　she　has　got　yet　to
tell　us　the　bitter　part　of　this　so　far　sweet　story。〃
　　〃The　bitter　is　indeed　to　come；〃　said　the　countess；　〃and　such
bitter　that　colocynth　is　sweet　and　oleander　toothsome　in　comparison。
The　queen；　then；　being　dead；　and　not　in　a　swoon；　we　buried　her；　and
hardly　had　we　covered　her　with　earth；　hardly　had　we　said　our　last
farewells；　when；　quis　talia　fando　temperet　a　lachrymis？　over　the
queen's　grave　there　appeared；　mounted　upon　a　wooden　horse；　the　giant
Malambruno；　Maguncia's　first　cousin；　who　besides　being　cruel　is　an
enchanter；　and　he；　to　revenge　the　death　of　his　cousin；　punish　the
audacity　of　Don　Clavijo；　and　in　wrath　at　the　contumacy　of　Antonomasia；
left　them　both　enchanted　by　his　art　on　the　grave　itself；　she　being
changed　into　an　ape　of　brass；　and　he　into　a　horrible　crocodile　of　some
unknown　metal；　while　between　the　two　there　stands　a　pillar；　also　of
metal；　with　certain　characters　in　the　Syriac　language　inscribed　upon
it；　which；　being　translated　into　Kandian；　and　now　into　Castilian；
contain　the　following　sentence：　'These　two　rash　lovers　shall　not
recover　their　former　shape　until　the　valiant　Manchegan　comes　to　do
battle　with　me　in　single　combat；　for　the　Fates　reserve　this　unexampled
adventure　for　his　mighty　valour　alone。'　This　done；　he　drew　from　its
sheath　a　huge　broad　scimitar；　and　seizing　me　by　the　hair　he　made　as
though　he　meant　to　cut　my　throat　and　shear　my　head　clean　off