don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第184部分

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city；　and　saw　the　whole　sack　and　storming　and　the　death　of　Bourbon；
and　was　back　in　Madrid　the　next　morning；　where　he　gave　an　account　of
all　he　had　seen；　and　he　said　moreover　that　as　he　was　going　through　the
air；　the　devil　bade　him　open　his　eyes；　and　he　did　so；　and　saw
himself　so　near　the　body　of　the　moon；　so　it　seemed　to　him；　that　he
could　have　laid　hold　of　it　with　his　hand；　and　that　he　did　not　dare
to　look　at　the　earth　lest　he　should　be　seized　with　giddiness。　So　that；
Sancho；　it　will　not　do　for　us　to　uncover　ourselves；　for　he　who　has
us　in　charge　will　be　responsible　for　us；　and　perhaps　we　are　gaining　an
altitude　and　mounting　up　to　enable　us　to　descend　at　one　swoop　on　the
kingdom　of　Kandy；　as　the　saker　or　falcon　does　on　the　heron；　so　as　to
seize　it　however　high　it　may　soar；　and　though　it　seems　to　us　not
half　an　hour　since　we　left　the　garden；　believe　me　we　must　have
travelled　a　great　distance。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　how　that　may　be；〃　said　Sancho；　〃all　I　know　is　that
if　the　Senora　Magallanes　or　Magalona　was　satisfied　with　this　croup；
she　could　not　have　been　very　tender　of　flesh。〃
　　The　duke；　the　duchess；　and　all　in　the　garden　were　listening　to　the
conversation　of　the　two　heroes；　and　were　beyond　measure　amused　by
it；　and　now；　desirous　of　putting　a　finishing　touch　to　this　rare　and
well…contrived　adventure；　they　applied　a　light　to　Clavileno's　tail
with　some　tow；　and　the　horse；　being　full　of　squibs　and　crackers；
immediately　blew　up　with　a　prodigious　noise；　and　brought　Don　Quixote
and　Sancho　Panza　to　the　ground　half　singed。　By　this　time　the　bearded
band　of　duennas；　the　Trifaldi　and　all；　had　vanished　from　the　garden；
and　those　that　remained　lay　stretched　on　the　ground　as　if　in　a
swoon。　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　got　up　rather　shaken；　and；　looking　about
them；　were　filled　with　amazement　at　finding　themselves　in　the　same
garden　from　which　they　had　started；　and　seeing　such　a　number　of　people
stretched　on　the　ground；　and　their　astonishment　was　increased　when
at　one　side　of　the　garden　they　perceived　a　tall　lance　planted　in　the
ground；　and　hanging　from　it　by　two　cords　of　green　silk　a　smooth
white　parchment　on　which　there　was　the　following　inscription　in
large　gold　letters：　〃The　illustrious　knight　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha
has；　by　merely　attempting　it；　finished　and　concluded　the　adventure
of　the　Countess　Trifaldi；　otherwise　called　the　Distressed　Duenna；
Malambruno　is　now　satisfied　on　every　point；　the　chins　of　the　duennas
are　now　smooth　and　clean；　and　King　Don　Clavijo　and　Queen　Antonomasia
in　their　original　form；　and　when　the　squirely　flagellation　shall
have　been　completed；　the　white　dove　shall　find　herself　delivered
from　the　pestiferous　gerfalcons　that　persecute　her；　and　in　the　arms　of
her　beloved　mate；　for　such　is　the　decree　of　the　sage　Merlin；
arch…enchanter　of　enchanters。〃
　　As　soon　as　Don　Quixote　had　read　the　inscription　on　the　parchment
he　perceived　clearly　that　it　referred　to　the　disenchantment　of
Dulcinea；　and　returning　hearty　thanks　to　heaven　that　he　had　with　so
little　danger　achieved　so　grand　an　exploit　as　to　restore　to　their
former　complexion　the　countenances　of　those　venerable　duennas；　he
advanced　towards　the　duke　and　duchess；　who　had　not　yet　come　to
themselves；　and　taking　the　duke　by　the　hand　he　said；　〃Be　of　good
cheer；　worthy　sir；　be　of　good　cheer；　it's　nothing　at　all；　the
adventure　is　now　over　and　without　any　harm　done；　as　the　inscription
fixed　on　this　post　shows　plainly。〃
　　The　duke　came　to　himself　slowly　and　like　one　recovering
consciousness　after　a　heavy　sleep；　and　the　duchess　and　all　who　had
fallen　prostrate　about　the　garden　did　the　same；　with　such
demonstrations　of　wonder　and　amazement　that　they　would　have　almost
persuaded　one　that　what　they　pretended　so　adroitly　in　jest　had
happened　to　them　in　reality。　The　duke　read　the　placard　with
half…shut　eyes；　and　then　ran　to　embrace　Don　Quixote　with…open　arms；
declaring　him　to　be　the　best　knight　that　had　ever　been　seen　in　any
age。　Sancho　kept　looking　about　for　the　Distressed　One；　to　see　what　her
face　was　like　without　the　beard；　and　if　she　was　as　fair　as　her　elegant
person　promised；　but　they　told　him　that；　the　instant　Clavileno
descended　flaming　through　the　air　and　came　to　the　ground；　the　whole
band　of　duennas　with　the　Trifaldi　vanished；　and　that　they　were　already
shaved　and　without　a　stump　left。
　　The　duchess　asked　Sancho　how　he　had　fared　on　that　long　journey；　to
which　Sancho　replied；　〃I　felt；　senora；　that　we　were　flying　through　the
region　of　fire；　as　my　master　told　me；　and　I　wanted　to　uncover　my
eyes　for　a　bit；　but　my　master；　when　I　asked　leave　to　uncover　myself；
would　not　let　me；　but　as　I　have　a　little　bit　of　curiosity　about　me；
and　a　desire　to　know　what　is　forbidden　and　kept　from　me；　quietly　and
without　anyone　seeing　me　I　drew　aside　the　handkerchief　covering　my
eyes　ever　so　little；　close　to　my　nose；　and　from　underneath　looked
towards　the　earth；　and　it　seemed　to　me　that　it　was　altogether　no
bigger　than　a　grain　of　mustard　seed；　and　that　the　men　walking　on　it
were　little　bigger　than　hazel　nuts；　so　you　may　see　how　high　we　must
have　got　to　then。〃
　　To　this　the　duchess　said；　〃Sancho；　my　friend；　mind　what　you　are
saying；　it　seems　you　could　not　have　seen　the　earth；　but　only　the　men
walking　on　it；　for　if　the　earth　looked　to　you　like　a　grain　of
mustard　seed；　and　each　man　like　a　hazel　nut；　one　man　alone　would
have　covered　the　whole　earth。〃
　　〃That　is　true；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　for　all　that　I　got　a　glimpse　of
a　bit　of　one　side　of　it；　and　saw　it　all。〃
　　〃Take　care；　Sancho；〃　said　the　duchess；　〃with　a　bit　of　one　side　one
does　not　see　the　whole　of　what　one　looks　at。〃
　　〃I　don't　understand　that　way　of　looking　at　things；〃　said　Sancho；
〃I　only　know　that　your　ladyship　will　do　well　to　bear　in　mind　that　as
we　were　flying　by　enchantment　so　I　might　have　seen　the　whole　earth　and
all　the　men　by　enchantment　whatever　way　I　looked；　and　if　you　won't
believe　this；　no　more　will　you　believe　that；　uncovering　myself
nearly　to　the　eyebrows；　I　saw　myself　so　close　to　the　sky　that　there
was　not　a　palm　and　a　half　between　me　and　it；　and　by　everything　that
I　can　swear　by；　senora；　it　is　mighty　great！　And　it　so　happened　we　came
by　where　the　seven　goats　are；　and　by　God　and　upon　my　soul；　as　in　my
youth　I　was　a　goatherd　in　my　own　country；　as　soon　as　I　saw　them　I　felt
a　longing　to　be　among　them　for　a　little；　and　if　I　had　not　given　way　to
it　I　think　I'd　have　burst。　So　I　come　and　take；　and　what　do　I　do？
without　saying　anything　to　anybody；　not　even　to　my　master；　softly
and　quietly　I　got　down　from　Clavileno　and　amused　myself　with　the
goats…　which　are　like　violets；　like　flowers…　for　nigh　three…quarters
of　an　hour；　and　Clavileno　never　stirred　or　moved　from　one　spot。〃
　　〃And　while　the　good　Sancho　was　amusing　himself　with　the　goats；〃　said
the　duke；　〃how　did　Senor　Don　Quixote　amuse　himself？〃
　　To　which　Don　Quixote　replied；　〃As　all　these　things　and　such　like
occurrences　are　out　of　the　ordinary　course　of　nature；　it　is　no
wonder　that　Sancho　says　what　he　does；　for　my　own　part　I　can　only　say
that　I　did　not　uncover　my　eyes　either　above　or　below；　nor　did　I　see
sky　or　earth　or　sea　or　shore。　It　is　true　I　felt　that　I　was　passing
through　the　region　of　the　air；　and　even　that　I　touched　that　of　fire；
but　that　we　passed　farther　I　cannot　believe；　for　the　region　of　fire
being　between　the　heaven　of　the　moon　and　the　last　region　of　the　air；
we　could　not　have　reached　that　heaven　where　the　seven　goats　Sancho
speaks　of　are　without　being　burned；　and　as　we　were　not　burned；
either　Sancho　is　lying　or　Sancho　is　dreaming。〃
　　〃I　am　neither　lying　nor　dreaming；〃　said　Sancho；　〃only　ask　me　the
tokens　of　those　same　goats；　and　you'll　see　by　that　whether　I'm　telling
the　truth　or　not。〃
　　〃Tell　us　them　then；　Sancho；〃　said　the　duchess。
　　〃Two　of　them；〃　said　Sancho；　〃are　green；　two　blood…red；　two　blue；　and
one　a　mixture　of　all　colours。〃
　　〃An　odd　sort　of　goat；　that；〃　said　the　duke；　〃in　this　earthly
region　of　ours　we　have　no　such　colours；　I　mean　goats　of　such　colours。〃
　　〃That's　very　plain；〃　said　Sancho；　〃of　course　there　must　be　a
difference　between　the　goats　of　heaven　and　the　goats　of　the　earth。〃
　　〃Tell　me；　Sancho；〃　said　the　duke；　〃did　you　see　any　he…goat　among
those　goats？〃
　　〃No；　senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　I　have　heard　say　that　none　ever
passed　the　horns　of　the　moon。〃
　　They　did　not　care　to　ask　him　anything　more　about　his　journey；　for
they　saw　he　was　in　the　vein　to　go　rambling　all　over　the　heavens　giving
an　account　of　everything　that　went　on　there；　without　having　ever
stirred　from　the　garden。　Such；　in　short；　was　the　end　of　the
adventure　of　the　Distressed　Duenna；　which　gave　the　duke　and　duchess
laughing　matter　not　only　for　the　time　being；　but　for　all　their
lives；　and　Sancho　something　to　talk　about　for　ages；　if　he　lived　so
long；　but　Don　Quixote；　coming　close　to　his　ear；　said　to　him；
〃Sancho；　as　you　would　have　us　believe　what　you　saw　in　heaven；　I
require　you　to　believe　me　as　to　what　I　saw　in　the　cave　of
Montesinos；　I　say　no　more。〃


　　CHAPTER　XLII
　　OF　THE　COUNSELS　WHICH　DON　QUIXOTE　GAVE　SANCHO　PANZA　BEFORE　HE　SET
OUT　TO　GOVERN　THE　ISLAND；　TOGETHER　WITH　OTHER　WELL…CONSIDERED　MATTERS

　　THE　duke　and　duchess　were　so　well　pleased　with　the　successful　and
drol