don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第186部分

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stern　judge　stands　not　higher　than　that　of　the　compassionate。
　　〃If　perchance　thou　permittest　the　staff　of　justice　to　swerve；　let　it
be　not　by　the　weight　of　a　gift；　but　by　that　of　mercy。
　　〃If　it　should　happen　thee　to　give　judgment　in　the　cause　of　one　who
is　thine　enemy；　turn　thy　thoughts　away　from　thy　injury　and　fix　them　on
the　justice　of　the　case。
　　〃Let　not　thine　own　passion　blind　thee　in　another　man's　cause；　for
the　errors　thou　wilt　thus　commit　will　be　most　frequently　irremediable；
or　if　not；　only　to　be　remedied　at　the　expense　of　thy　good　name　and
even　of　thy　fortune。
　　〃If　any　handsome　woman　come　to　seek　justice　of　thee；　turn　away　thine
eyes　from　her　tears　and　thine　ears　from　her　lamentations；　and　consider
deliberately　the　merits　of　her　demand；　if　thou　wouldst　not　have　thy
reason　swept　away　by　her　weeping；　and　thy　rectitude　by　her　sighs。
　　〃Abuse　not　by　word　him　whom　thou　hast　to　punish　in　deed；　for　the
pain　of　punishment　is　enough　for　the　unfortunate　without　the
addition　of　thine　objurgations。
　　〃Bear　in　mind　that　the　culprit　who　comes　under　thy　jurisdiction　is
but　a　miserable　man　subject　to　all　the　propensities　of　our　depraved
nature；　and　so　far　as　may　be　in　thy　power　show　thyself　lenient　and
forbearing；　for　though　the　attributes　of　God　are　all　equal；　to　our
eyes　that　of　mercy　is　brighter　and　loftier　than　that　of　justice。
　　〃If　thou　followest　these　precepts　and　rules；　Sancho；　thy　days　will
be　long；　thy　fame　eternal；　thy　reward　abundant；　thy　felicity
unutterable；　thou　wilt　marry　thy　children　as　thou　wouldst；　they　and
thy　grandchildren　will　bear　titles；　thou　wilt　live　in　peace　and
concord　with　all　men；　and；　when　life　draws　to　a　close；　death　will　come
to　thee　in　calm　and　ripe　old　age；　and　the　light　and　loving　hands　of
thy　great…grandchildren　will　close　thine　eyes。
　　〃What　I　have　thus　far　addressed　to　thee　are　instructions　for　the
adornment　of　thy　mind；　listen　now　to　those　which　tend　to　that　of　the
body。〃


　　CHAPTER　XLIII
　　OF　THE　SECOND　SET　OF　COUNSELS　DON　QUIXOTE　GAVE　SANCHO　PANZA

　　WHO；　hearing　the　foregoing　discourse　of　Don　Quixote；　would　not
have　set　him　down　for　a　person　of　great　good　sense　and　greater
rectitude　of　purpose？　But；　as　has　been　frequently　observed　in　the
course　of　this　great　history；　he　only　talked　nonsense　when　he
touched　on　chivalry；　and　in　discussing　all　other　subjects　showed
that　he　had　a　clear　and　unbiassed　understanding；　so　that　at　every　turn
his　acts　gave　the　lie　to　his　intellect；　and　his　intellect　to　his　acts；
but　in　the　case　of　these　second　counsels　that　he　gave　Sancho　he　showed
himself　to　have　a　lively　turn　of　humour；　and　displayed　conspicuously
his　wisdom；　and　also　his　folly。
　　Sancho　listened　to　him　with　the　deepest　attention；　and　endeavoured
to　fix　his　counsels　in　his　memory；　like　one　who　meant　to　follow　them
and　by　their　means　bring　the　full　promise　of　his　government　to　a　happy
issue。　Don　Quixote；　then；　went　on　to　say：
　　〃With　regard　to　the　mode　in　which　thou　shouldst　govern　thy　person
and　thy　house；　Sancho；　the　first　charge　I　have　to　give　thee　is　to　be
clean；　and　to　cut　thy　nails；　not　letting　them　grow　as　some　do；　whose
ignorance　makes　them　fancy　that　long　nails　are　an　ornament　to　their
hands；　as　if　those　excrescences　they　neglect　to　cut　were　nails；　and
not　the　talons　of　a　lizard…catching　kestrel…　a　filthy　and　unnatural
abuse。
　　〃Go　not　ungirt　and　loose；　Sancho；　for　disordered　attire　is　a　sign　of
an　unstable　mind；　unless　indeed　the　slovenliness　and　slackness　is　to
he　set　down　to　craft；　as　was　the　common　opinion　in　the　case　of
Julius　Caesar。
　　〃Ascertain　cautiously　what　thy　office　may　be　worth；　and　if　it　will
allow　thee　to　give　liveries　to　thy　servants；　give　them　respectable　and
serviceable；　rather　than　showy　and　gay　ones；　and　divide　them　between
thy　servants　and　the　poor；　that　is　to　say；　if　thou　canst　clothe　six
pages；　clothe　three　and　three　poor　men；　and　thus　thou　wilt　have
pages　for　heaven　and　pages　for　earth；　the　vainglorious　never　think
of　this　new　mode　of　giving　liveries。
　　〃Eat　not　garlic　nor　onions；　lest　they　find　out　thy　boorish　origin　by
the　smell；　walk　slowly　and　speak　deliberately；　but　not　in　such　a　way
as　to　make　it　seem　thou　art　listening　to　thyself；　for　all
affectation　is　bad。
　　〃Dine　sparingly　and　sup　more　sparingly　still；　for　the　health　of
the　whole　body　is　forged　in　the　workshop　of　the　stomach。
　　〃Be　temperate　in　drinking；　bearing　in　mind　that　wine　in　excess　keeps
neither　secrets　nor　promises。
　　〃Take　care；　Sancho；　not　to　chew　on　both　sides；　and　not　to　eruct　in
anybody's　presence。〃
　　〃Eruct！〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　don't　know　what　that　means。〃
　　〃To　eruct；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃means　to　belch；　and　that　is
one　of　the　filthiest　words　in　the　Spanish　language；　though　a　very
expressive　one；　and　therefore　nice　folk　have　had　recourse　to　the
Latin；　and　instead　of　belch　say　eruct；　and　instead　of　belches　say
eructations；　and　if　some　do　not　understand　these　terms　it　matters
little；　for　custom　will　bring　them　into　use　in　the　course　of　time；
so　that　they　will　be　readily　understood；　this　is　the　way　a　language　is
enriched；　custom　and　the　public　are　all…powerful　there。〃
　　〃In　truth；　senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃one　of　the　counsels　and　cautions
I　mean　to　bear　in　mind　shall　be　this；　not　to　belch；　for　I'm　constantly
doing　it。〃
　　〃Eruct；　Sancho；　not　belch；〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃Eruct；　I　shall　say　henceforth；　and　I　swear　not　to　forget　it；〃
said　Sancho。
　　〃Likewise；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃thou　must　not　mingle　such　a
quantity　of　proverbs　in　thy　discourse　as　thou　dost；　for　though
proverbs　are　short　maxims；　thou　dost　drag　them　in　so　often　by　the　head
and　shoulders　that　they　savour　more　of　nonsense　than　of　maxims。〃
　　〃God　alone　can　cure　that；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　I　have　more　proverbs　in
me　than　a　book；　and　when　I　speak　they　come　so　thick　together　into　my
mouth　that　they　fall　to　fighting　among　themselves　to　get　out；　that's
why　my　tongue　lets　fly　the　first　that　come；　though　they　may　not　be　pat
to　the　purpose。　But　I'll　take　care　henceforward　to　use　such　as　befit
the　dignity　of　my　office；　for　'in　a　house　where　there's　plenty；　supper
is　soon　cooked；'　and　'he　who　binds　does　not　wrangle；'　and　'the
bell…ringer's　in　a　safe　berth；'　and　'giving　and　keeping　require
brains。'〃
　　〃That's　it；　Sancho！〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃pack；　tack；　string
proverbs　together；　nobody　is　hindering　thee！　'My　mother　beats　me；
and　I　go　on　with　my　tricks。'　I　am　bidding　thee　avoid　proverbs；　and
here　in　a　second　thou　hast　shot　out　a　whole　litany　of　them；　which　have
as　much　to　do　with　what　we　are　talking　about　as　'over　the　hills　of
Ubeda。'　Mind；　Sancho；　I　do　not　say　that　a　proverb　aptly　brought　in
is　objectionable；　but　to　pile　up　and　string　together　proverbs　at
random　makes　conversation　dull　and　vulgar。
　　〃When　thou　ridest　on　horseback；　do　not　go　lolling　with　thy　body　on
the　back　of　the　saddle；　nor　carry　thy　legs　stiff　or　sticking　out
from　the　horse's　belly；　nor　yet　sit　so　loosely　that　one　would
suppose　thou　wert　on　Dapple；　for　the　seat　on　a　horse　makes　gentlemen
of　some　and　grooms　of　others。
　　〃Be　moderate　in　thy　sleep；　for　he　who　does　not　rise　early　does　not
get　the　benefit　of　the　day；　and　remember；　Sancho；　diligence　is　the
mother　of　good　fortune；　and　indolence；　its　opposite；　never　yet
attained　the　object　of　an　honest　ambition。
　　〃The　last　counsel　I　will　give　thee　now；　though　it　does　not　tend　to
bodily　improvement；　I　would　have　thee　carry　carefully　in　thy　memory；
for　I　believe　it　will　be　no　less　useful　to　thee　than　those　I　have
given　thee　already；　and　it　is　this…　never　engage　in　a　dispute　about
families；　at　least　in　the　way　of　comparing　them　one　with　another；
for　necessarily　one　of　those　compared　will　be　better　than　the　other；
and　thou　wilt　be　hated　by　the　one　thou　hast　disparaged；　and　get
nothing　in　any　shape　from　the　one　thou　hast　exalted。
　　〃Thy　attire　shall　be　hose　of　full　length；　a　long　jerkin；　and　a　cloak
a　trifle　longer；　loose　breeches　by　no　means；　for　they　are　becoming
neither　for　gentlemen　nor　for　governors。
　　〃For　the　present；　Sancho；　this　is　all　that　has　occurred　to　me　to
advise　thee；　as　time　goes　by　and　occasions　arise　my　instructions　shall
follow；　if　thou　take　care　to　let　me　know　how　thou　art　circumstanced。〃
　　〃Senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　see　well　enough　that　all　these　things
your　worship　has　said　to　me　are　good；　holy；　and　profitable；　but　what
use　will　they　be　to　me　if　I　don't　remember　one　of　them？　To　be　sure
that　about　not　letting　my　nails　grow；　and　marrying　again　if　I　have　the
chance；　will　not　slip　out　of　my　head；　but　all　that　other　hash；　muddle；
and　jumble…　I　don't　and　can't　recollect　any　more　of　it　than　of　last
year's　clouds；　so　it　must　be　given　me　in　writing；　for　though　I　can't
either　read　or　write；　I'll　give　it　to　my　confessor；　to　drive　it　into
me　and　remind　me　of　it　whenever　it　is　necessary。〃
　　〃Ah；　sinner　that　I　am！〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃how　bad　it　looks　in
governors　not　to　know　how　to　read　or　write；　for　let　me　tell　thee；
Sancho；　when　a　man　knows　not　how　to　read；　or　is　left…handed；　it　argues
one　of　two　things；　either　that　he　was　the　son　of　exceedingly　mean
and　lowly　parents；　or　that　he　himself　was　so　incorrigible　and
ill…conditioned　that　neither　good　company　nor　good　teaching　could　make
any