don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第216部分

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had　it　in　his　hand；　he　did　not　want　him　to　flatter　himself　with　the
idea　that　he　had　read　it；　for　our　thoughts；　and　still　more　our　eyes；
should　keep　themselves　aloof　from　what　is　obscene　and　filthy。
　　They　asked　him　whither　he　meant　to　direct　his　steps。　He　replied；
to　Saragossa；　to　take　part　in　the　harness　jousts　which　were　held　in
that　city　every　year。　Don　Juan　told　him　that　the　new　history　described
how　Don　Quixote；　let　him　be　who　he　might；　took　part　there　in　a　tilting
at　the　ring；　utterly　devoid　of　invention；　poor　in　mottoes；　very　poor
in　costume；　though　rich　in　sillinesses。
　　〃For　that　very　reason；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃I　will　not　set　foot　in
Saragossa；　and　by　that　means　I　shall　expose　to　the　world　the　lie　of
this　new　history　writer；　and　people　will　see　that　I　am　not　the　Don
Quixote　he　speaks　of。〃
　　〃You　will　do　quite　right；〃　said　Don　Jeronimo；　〃and　there　are　other
jousts　at　Barcelona　in　which　Senor　Don　Quixote　may　display　his
prowess。〃
　　〃That　is　what　I　mean　to　do；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　as　it　is　now
time；　I　pray　your　worships　to　give　me　leave　to　retire　to　bed；　and　to
place　and　retain　me　among　the　number　of　your　greatest　friends　and
servants。〃
　　〃And　me　too；〃　said　Sancho；　〃maybe　I'll　be　good　for　something。〃
　　With　this　they　exchanged　farewells；　and　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho
retired　to　their　room；　leaving　Don　Juan　and　Don　Jeronimo　amazed　to　see
the　medley　he　made　of　his　good　sense　and　his　craziness；　and　they
felt　thoroughly　convinced　that　these；　and　not　those　their　Aragonese
author　described；　were　the　genuine　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho。　Don　Quixote
rose　betimes；　and　bade　adieu　to　his　hosts　by　knocking　at　the　partition
of　the　other　room。　Sancho　paid　the　landlord　magnificently；　and
recommended　him　either　to　say　less　about　the　providing　of　his　inn　or
to　keep　it　better　provided。
　　

CHAPTER　LX
　　OF　WHAT　HAPPENED　DON　QUIXOTE　ON　HIS　WAY　TO　BARCELONA

　　IT　WAS　a　fresh　morning　giving　promise　of　a　cool　day　as　Don　Quixote
quitted　the　inn；　first　of　all　taking　care　to　ascertain　the　most　direct
road　to　Barcelona　without　touching　upon　Saragossa；　so　anxious　was　he
to　make　out　this　new　historian；　who　they　said　abused　him　so；　to　be　a
liar。　Well；　as　it　fell　out；　nothing　worthy　of　being　recorded
happened　him　for　six　days；　at　the　end　of　which；　having　turned　aside
out　of　the　road；　he　was　overtaken　by　night　in　a　thicket　of　oak　or　cork
trees；　for　on　this　point　Cide　Hamete　is　not　as　precise　as　he　usually
is　on　other　matters。
　　Master　and　man　dismounted　from　their　beasts；　and　as　soon　as　they　had
settled　themselves　at　the　foot　of　the　trees；　Sancho；　who　had　had　a
good　noontide　meal　that　day；　let　himself；　without　more　ado；　pass　the
gates　of　sleep。　But　Don　Quixote；　whom　his　thoughts；　far　more　than
hunger；　kept　awake；　could　not　close　an　eye；　and　roamed　in　fancy　to　and
fro　through　all　sorts　of　places。　At　one　moment　it　seemed　to　him　that
he　was　in　the　cave　of　Montesinos　and　saw　Dulcinea；　transformed　into
a　country　wench；　skipping　and　mounting　upon　her　she…ass；　again　that
the　words　of　the　sage　Merlin　were　sounding　in　his　ears；　setting
forth　the　conditions　to　be　observed　and　the　exertions　to　be　made　for
the　disenchantment　of　Dulcinea。　He　lost　all　patience　when　he
considered　the　laziness　and　want　of　charity　of　his　squire　Sancho；
for　to　the　best　of　his　belief　he　had　only　given　himself　five　lashes；　a
number　paltry　and　disproportioned　to　the　vast　number　required。　At　this
thought　he　felt　such　vexation　and　anger　that　he　reasoned　the　matter
thus：　〃If　Alexander　the　Great　cut　the　Gordian　knot；　saying；　'To　cut
comes　to　the　same　thing　as　to　untie；'　and　yet　did　not　fail　to　become
lord　paramount　of　all　Asia；　neither　more　nor　less　could　happen　now
in　Dulcinea's　disenchantment　if　I　scourge　Sancho　against　his　will；
for；　if　it　is　the　condition　of　the　remedy　that　Sancho　shall　receive
three　thousand　and　odd　lashes；　what　does　it　matter　to　me　whether　he
inflicts　them　himself；　or　some　one　else　inflicts　them；　when　the
essential　point　is　that　he　receives　them；　let　them　come　from
whatever　quarter　they　may？〃
　　With　this　idea　he　went　over　to　Sancho；　having　first　taken
Rocinante's　reins　and　arranged　them　so　as　to　be　able　to　flog　him
with　them；　and　began　to　untie　the　points　（the　common　belief　is　he
had　but　one　in　front）　by　which　his　breeches　were　held　up；　but　the
instant　he　approached　him　Sancho　woke　up　in　his　full　senses　and
cried　out；　〃What　is　this？　Who　is　touching　me　and　untrussing　me？〃
　　〃It　is　I；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　I　come　to　make　good　thy
shortcomings　and　relieve　my　own　distresses；　I　come　to　whip　thee；
Sancho；　and　wipe　off　some　portion　of　the　debt　thou　hast　undertaken。
Dulcinea　is　perishing；　thou　art　living　on　regardless；　I　am　dying　of
hope　deferred；　therefore　untruss　thyself　with　a　good　will；　for　mine　it
is；　here；　in　this　retired　spot；　to　give　thee　at　least　two　thousand
lashes。〃
　　〃Not　a　bit　of　it；〃　said　Sancho；　〃let　your　worship　keep　quiet；　or
else　by　the　living　God　the　deaf　shall　hear　us；　the　lashes　I　pledged
myself　to　must　be　voluntary　and　not　forced　upon　me；　and　just　now　I
have　no　fancy　to　whip　myself；　it　is　enough　if　I　give　you　my　word　to
flog　and　flap　myself　when　I　have　a　mind。〃
　　〃It　will　not　do　to　leave　it　to　thy　courtesy；　Sancho；〃　said　Don
Quixote；　〃for　thou　art　hard　of　heart　and；　though　a　clown；　tender　of
flesh；〃　and　at　the　same　time　he　strove　and　struggled　to　untie　him。
　　Seeing　this　Sancho　got　up；　and　grappling　with　his　master　he
gripped　him　with　all　his　might　in　his　arms；　giving　him　a　trip　with　the
heel　stretched　him　on　the　ground　on　his　back；　and　pressing　his　right
knee　on　his　chest　held　his　hands　in　his　own　so　that　he　could　neither
move　nor　breathe。
　　〃How　now；　traitor！〃　exclaimed　Don　Quixote。　〃Dost　thou　revolt　against
thy　master　and　natural　lord？　Dost　thou　rise　against　him　who　gives　thee
his　bread？〃
　　〃I　neither　put　down　king；　nor　set　up　king；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　only
stand　up　for　myself　who　am　my　own　lord；　if　your　worship　promises　me　to
be　quiet；　and　not　to　offer　to　whip　me　now；　I'll　let　you　go　free　and
unhindered；　if　not…

　　　　　　　Traitor　and　Dona　Sancha's　foe；
　　　　　　　Thou　diest　on　the　spot。〃

　　Don　Quixote　gave　his　promise；　and　swore　by　the　life　of　his
thoughts　not　to　touch　so　much　as　a　hair　of　his　garments；　and　to
leave　him　entirely　free　and　to　his　own　discretion　to　whip　himself
whenever　he　pleased。
　　Sancho　rose　and　removed　some　distance　from　the　spot；　but　as　he　was
about　to　place　himself　leaning　against　another　tree　he　felt
something　touch　his　head；　and　putting　up　his　hands　encountered
somebody's　two　feet　with　shoes　and　stockings　on　them。　He　trembled　with
fear　and　made　for　another　tree；　where　the　very　same　thing　happened
to　him；　and　he　fell　a…shouting；　calling　upon　Don　Quixote　to　come　and
protect　him。　Don　Quixote　did　so；　and　asked　him　what　had　happened　to
him；　and　what　he　was　afraid　of。　Sancho　replied　that　all　the　trees　were
full　of　men's　feet　and　legs。　Don　Quixote　felt　them；　and　guessed　at
once　what　it　was；　and　said　to　Sancho；　〃Thou　hast　nothing　to　be
afraid　of；　for　these　feet　and　legs　that　thou　feelest　but　canst　not　see
belong　no　doubt　to　some　outlaws　and　freebooters　that　have　been
hanged　on　these　trees；　for　the　authorities　in　these　parts　are　wont
to　hang　them　up　by　twenties　and　thirties　when　they　catch　them；　whereby
I　conjecture　that　I　must　be　near　Barcelona；〃　and　it　was；　in　fact；　as
he　supposed；　with　the　first　light　they　looked　up　and　saw　that　the
fruit　hanging　on　those　trees　were　freebooters'　bodies。
　　And　now　day　dawned；　and　if　the　dead　freebooters　had　scared　them；
their　hearts　were　no　less　troubled　by　upwards　of　forty　living　ones；
who　all　of　a　sudden　surrounded　them；　and　in　the　Catalan　tongue　bade
them　stand　and　wait　until　their　captain　came　up。　Don　Quixote　was　on
foot　with　his　horse　unbridled　and　his　lance　leaning　against　a　tree；
and　in　short　completely　defenceless；　he　thought　it　best　therefore　to
fold　his　arms　and　bow　his　head　and　reserve　himself　for　a　more
favourable　occasion　and　opportunity。　The　robbers　made　haste　to
search　Dapple；　and　did　not　leave　him　a　single　thing　of　all　he
carried　in　the　alforjas　and　in　the　valise；　and　lucky　it　was　for　Sancho
that　the　duke's　crowns　and　those　he　brought　from　home　were　in　a　girdle
that　he　wore　round　him；　but　for　all　that　these　good　folk　would　have
stripped　him；　and　even　looked　to　see　what　he　had　hidden　between　the
skin　and　flesh；　but　for　the　arrival　at　that　moment　of　their　captain；
who　was　about　thirty…four　years　of　age　apparently；　strongly　built；
above　the　middle　height；　of　stern　aspect　and　swarthy　complexion。　He
was　mounted　upon　a　powerful　horse；　and　had　on　a　coat　of　mail；　with
four　of　the　pistols　they　call　petronels　in　that　country　at　his
waist。　He　saw　that　his　squires　（for　so　they　call　those　who　follow　that
trade）　were　about　to　rifle　Sancho　Panza；　but　he　ordered　them　to　desist
and　was　at　once　obeyed；　so　the　girdle　escaped。　He　wondered　to　see
the　lance　leaning　against　the　tree；　the　shield　on　the　ground；　and
Don　Quixote　in　armour　and　dejected；　with　the　saddest　and　most
melancholy　face　that　sadness　itself　could　produce；　and　going　up　to　him
he　said；　〃Be　not　so　cast　down；　good　man；　for　you　have　not　fallen
into　the　hands　of　any　inhuman　Busiris；　but　into　Roque　Guinart's；　which
are