don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第239部分

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are　even　now　tottering；　and　doubtless　doomed　to　fall　for　ever。

Farewell。〃





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…




　　DEDICATION　OF　PART　II

　　TO　THE　COUNT　OF　LEMOS：

　　THESE　days　past；　when　sending　Your　Excellency　my　plays；　that　had
appeared　in　print　before　being　shown　on　the　stage；　I　said；　if　I
remember　well；　that　Don　Quixote　was　putting　on　his　spurs　to　go　and
render　homage　to　Your　Excellency。　Now　I　say　that　〃with　his　spurs；　he
is　on　his　way。〃　Should　he　reach　destination　methinks　I　shall　have
rendered　some　service　to　Your　Excellency；　as　from　many　parts　I　am
urged　to　send　him　off；　so　as　to　dispel　the　loathing　and　disgust　caused
by　another　Don　Quixote　who；　under　the　name　of　Second　Part；　has　run
masquerading　through　the　whole　world。　And　he　who　has　shown　the
greatest　longing　for　him　has　been　the　great　Emperor　of　China；　who
wrote　me　a　letter　in　Chinese　a　month　ago　and　sent　it　by　a　special
courier。　He　asked　me；　or　to　be　truthful；　he　begged　me　to　send　him
Don　Quixote；　for　he　intended　to　found　a　college　where　the　Spanish
tongue　would　be　taught；　and　it　was　his　wish　that　the　book　to　be　read
should　be　the　History　of　Don　Quixote。　He　also　added　that　I　should　go
and　be　the　rector　of　this　college。　I　asked　the　bearer　if　His　Majesty
had　afforded　a　sum　in　aid　of　my　travel　expenses。　He　answered；　〃No；　not
even　in　thought。〃
　　〃Then；　brother；〃　I　replied；　〃you　can　return　to　your　China；　post
haste　or　at　whatever　haste　you　are　bound　to　go；　as　I　am　not　fit　for　so
long　a　travel　and；　besides　being　ill；　I　am　very　much　without　money；
while　Emperor　for　Emperor　and　Monarch　for　Monarch；　I　have　at　Naples
the　great　Count　of　Lemos；　who；　without　so　many　petty　titles　of
colleges　and　rectorships；　sustains　me；　protects　me　and　does　me　more
favour　than　I　can　wish　for。〃
　　Thus　I　gave　him　his　leave　and　I　beg　mine　from　you；　offering　Your
Excellency　the　〃Trabajos　de　Persiles　y　Sigismunda；〃　a　book　I　shall
finish　within　four　months；　Deo　volente；　and　which　will　be　either　the
worst　or　the　best　that　has　been　composed　in　our　language；　I　mean　of
those　intended　for　entertainment；　at　which　I　repent　of　having　called
it　the　worst；　for；　in　the　opinion　of　friends；　it　is　bound　to　attain
the　summit　of　possible　quality。　May　Your　Excellency　return　in　such
health　that　is　wished　you；　Persiles　will　be　ready　to　kiss　your　hand
and　I　your　feet；　being　as　I　am；　Your　Excellency's　most　humble　servant。

　From　Madrid；　this　last　day　of　October　of　the　year　one　thousand　six
hundred　and　fifteen。

　　　　　　　　　　At　the　service　of　Your　Excellency：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MIGUEL　DE　CERVANTES　SAAVEDRA


　　THE　AUTHOR'S　PREFACE

　　GOD　bless　me；　gentle　（or　it　may　be　plebeian）　reader；　how　eagerly
must　thou　be　looking　forward　to　this　preface；　expecting　to　find
there　retaliation；　scolding；　and　abuse　against　the　author　of　the
second　Don　Quixote…　I　mean　him　who　was；　they　say；　begotten　at
Tordesillas　and　born　at　Tarragona！　Well　then；　the　truth　is；　I　am　not
going　to　give　thee　that　satisfaction；　for；　though　injuries　stir　up
anger　in　humbler　breasts；　in　mine　the　rule　must　admit　of　an　exception。
Thou　wouldst　have　me　call　him　ass；　fool；　and　malapert；　but　I　have　no
such　intention；　let　his　offence　be　his　punishment；　with　his　bread
let　him　eat　it；　and　there's　an　end　of　it。　What　I　cannot　help　taking
amiss　is　that　he　charges　me　with　being　old　and　one…handed；　as　if　it
had　been　in　my　power　to　keep　time　from　passing　over　me；　or　as　if　the
loss　of　my　hand　had　been　brought　about　in　some　tavern；　and　not　on
the　grandest　occasion　the　past　or　present　has　seen；　or　the　future
can　hope　to　see。　If　my　wounds　have　no　beauty　to　the　beholder's　eye；
they　are；　at　least；　honourable　in　the　estimation　of　those　who　know
where　they　were　received；　for　the　soldier　shows　to　greater　advantage
dead　in　battle　than　alive　in　flight；　and　so　strongly　is　this　my
feeling；　that　if　now　it　were　proposed　to　perform　an　impossibility
for　me；　I　would　rather　have　had　my　share　in　that　mighty　action；　than
be　free　from　my　wounds　this　minute　without　having　been　present　at
it。　Those　the　soldier　shows　on　his　face　and　breast　are　stars　that
direct　others　to　the　heaven　of　honour　and　ambition　of　merited
praise；　and　moreover　it　is　to　be　observed　that　it　is　not　with　grey
hairs　that　one　writes；　but　with　the　understanding；　and　that　commonly
improves　with　years。　I　take　it　amiss；　too；　that　he　calls　me　envious；
and　explains　to　me；　as　if　I　were　ignorant；　what　envy　is；　for　really
and　truly；　of　the　two　kinds　there　are；　I　only　know　that　which　is　holy；
noble；　and　high…minded；　and　if　that　be　so；　as　it　is；　I　am　not　likely
to　attack　a　priest；　above　all　if；　in　addition；　he　holds　the　rank　of
familiar　of　the　Holy　Office。　And　if　he　said　what　he　did　on　account
of　him　on　whose　behalf　it　seems　he　spoke；　he　is　entirely　mistaken；　for
I　worship　the　genius　of　that　person；　and　admire　his　works　and　his
unceasing　and　strenuous　industry。　After　all；　I　am　grateful　to　this
gentleman；　the　author；　for　saying　that　my　novels　are　more　satirical
than　exemplary；　but　that　they　are　good；　for　they　could　not　be　that
unless　there　was　a　little　of　everything　in　them。
　　I　suspect　thou　wilt　say　that　I　am　taking　a　very　humble　line；　and
keeping　myself　too　much　within　the　bounds　of　my　moderation；　from　a
feeling　that　additional　suffering　should　not　be　inflicted　upon　a
sufferer；　and　that　what　this　gentleman　has　to　endure　must　doubtless　be
very　great；　as　he　does　not　dare　to　come　out　into　the　open　field　and
broad　daylight；　but　hides　his　name　and　disguises　his　country　as　if
he　had　been　guilty　of　some　lese　majesty。　If　perchance　thou　shouldst
come　to　know　him；　tell　him　from　me　that　I　do　not　hold　myself
aggrieved；　for　I　know　well　what　the　temptations　of　the　devil　are；
and　that　one　of　the　greatest　is　putting　it　into　a　man's　head　that　he
can　write　and　print　a　book　by　which　he　will　get　as　much　fame　as　money；
and　as　much　money　as　fame；　and　to　prove　it　I　will　beg　of　you；　in
your　own　sprightly；　pleasant　way；　to　tell　him　this　story。
　　There　was　a　madman　in　Seville　who　took　to　one　of　the　drollest
absurdities　and　vagaries　that　ever　madman　in　the　world　gave　way　to。　It
was　this：　he　made　a　tube　of　reed　sharp　at　one　end；　and　catching　a
dog　in　the　street；　or　wherever　it　might　be；　he　with　his　foot　held
one　of　its　legs　fast；　and　with　his　hand　lifted　up　the　other；　and　as
best　he　could　fixed　the　tube　where；　by　blowing；　he　made　the　dog　as
round　as　a　ball；　then　holding　it　in　this　position；　he　gave　it　a　couple
of　slaps　on　the　belly；　and　let　it　go；　saying　to　the　bystanders　（and
there　were　always　plenty　of　them）：　〃Do　your　worships　think；　now；
that　it　is　an　easy　thing　to　blow　up　a　dog？〃…　Does　your　worship　think
now；　that　it　is　an　easy　thing　to　write　a　book？
　　And　if　this　story　does　not　suit　him；　you　may；　dear　reader；　tell
him　this　one；　which　is　likewise　of　a　madman　and　a　dog。
　　In　Cordova　there　was　another　madman；　whose　way　it　was　to　carry　a
piece　of　marble　slab　or　a　stone；　not　of　the　lightest；　on　his　head；　and
when　he　came　upon　any　unwary　dog　he　used　to　draw　close　to　him　and
let　the　weight　fall　right　on　top　of　him；　on　which　the　dog　in　a　rage；
barking　and　howling；　would　run　three　streets　without　stopping。　It　so
happened；　however；　that　one　of　the　dogs　he　discharged　his　load　upon
was　a　cap…maker's　dog；　of　which　his　master　was　very　fond。　The　stone
came　down　hitting　it　on　the　head；　the　dog　raised　a　yell　at　the　blow；
the　master　saw　the　affair　and　was　wroth；　and　snatching　up　a
measuring…yard　rushed　out　at　the　madman　and　did　not　leave　a　sound　bone
in　his　body；　and　at　every　stroke　he　gave　him　he　said；　〃You　dog；　you
thief！　my　lurcher！　Don't　you　see；　you　brute；　that　my　dog　is　a
lurcher？〃　and　so；　repeating　the　word　〃lurcher〃　again　and　again；　he
sent　the　madman　away　beaten　to　a　jelly。　The　madman　took　the　lesson
to　heart；　and　vanished；　and　for　more　than　a　month　never　once　showed
himself　in　public；　but　after　that　he　came　out　again　with　his　old　trick
and　a　heavier　load　than　ever。　He　came　up　to　where　there　was　a　dog；　and
examining　it　very　carefully　without　venturing　to　let　the　stone　fall；
he　said：　〃This　is　a　lurcher；　ware！〃　In　short；　all　the　dogs　he　came
across；　be　they　mastiffs　or　terriers；　he　said　were　lurchers；　and　he
discharged　no　more　stones。　Maybe　it　will　be　the　same　with　this
historian；　that　he　will　not　venture　another　time　to　discharge　the
weight　of　his　wit　in　books；　which；　being　bad；　are　harder　than
stones。　Tell　him；　too；　that　I　do　not　care　a　farthing　for　the　threat　he
holds　out　to　me　of　depriving　me　of　my　profit　by　means　of　his　book；
for；　to　borrow　from　the　famous　interlude　of　〃The　Perendenga；〃　I　say　in
answer　to　him；　〃Long　life　to　my　lord　the　Veintiquatro；　and　Christ　be
with　us　all。〃　Long　life　to　the　great　Conde　de　Lemos；　whose　Christian
charity　and　well…known　generosity　support　me　against　all　the　strokes
of　my　curst　fortune；　and　long　life　to　the　supreme　benevolence　of　His
Eminence　of　Toledo；　Don　Bernardo　de　Sandoval　y　Rojas；　and　what
matter　if　there　be　no　printing…presses　in　the　world；　or　if　they
print　more　books　against　me　than　there　are　letters　in　the　verses　of
Mingo　Revulgo！　These　two　princes；　unsought　by　any　adulation　or
flattery　of　mine；　of　their　own　goodness　alone；　have　taken　it　upon　them
to　show　me　kindness　and