don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第83部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

displeasure　and　energy；　〃No；　not　Zoraida；　Maria；　Maria！〃　giving　them
to　understand　that　she　was　called　〃Maria〃　and　not　〃Zoraida。〃　These
words；　and　the　touching　earnestness　with　which　she　uttered　them；
drew　more　than　one　tear　from　some　of　the　listeners；　particularly　the
women；　who　are　by　nature　tender…hearted　and　compassionate。　Luscinda
embraced　her　affectionately；　saying；　〃Yes；　yes；　Maria；　Maria；〃　to
which　the　Moor　replied；　〃Yes；　yes；　Maria；　Zoraida　macange；〃　which
means　〃not　Zoraida。〃
　　Night　was　now　approaching；　and　by　the　orders　of　those　who
accompanied　Don　Fernando　the　landlord　had　taken　care　and　pains　to
prepare　for　them　the　best　supper　that　was　in　his　power。　The　hour
therefore　having　arrived　they　all　took　their　seats　at　a　long　table
like　a　refectory　one；　for　round　or　square　table　there　was　none　in
the　inn；　and　the　seat　of　honour　at　the　head　of　it；　though　he　was　for
refusing　it；　they　assigned　to　Don　Quixote；　who　desired　the　lady
Micomicona　to　place　herself　by　his　side；　as　he　was　her　protector。
Luscinda　and　Zoraida　took　their　places　next　her；　opposite　to　them　were
Don　Fernando　and　Cardenio；　and　next　the　captive　and　the　other
gentlemen；　and　by　the　side　of　the　ladies；　the　curate　and　the　barber。
And　so　they　supped　in　high　enjoyment；　which　was　increased　when　they
observed　Don　Quixote　leave　off　eating；　and；　moved　by　an　impulse　like
that　which　made　him　deliver　himself　at　such　length　when　he　supped　with
the　goatherds；　begin　to　address　them：
　　〃Verily；　gentlemen；　if　we　reflect　upon　it；　great　and　marvellous
are　the　things　they　see；　who　make　profession　of　the　order　of
knight…errantry。　Say；　what　being　is　there　in　this　world；　who
entering　the　gate　of　this　castle　at　this　moment；　and　seeing　us　as　we
are　here；　would　suppose　or　imagine　us　to　be　what　we　are？　Who　would　say
that　this　lady　who　is　beside　me　was　the　great　queen　that　we　all　know
her　to　be；　or　that　I　am　that　Knight　of　the　Rueful　Countenance；
trumpeted　far　and　wide　by　the　mouth　of　Fame？　Now；　there　can　be　no
doubt　that　this　art　and　calling　surpasses　all　those　that　mankind　has
invented；　and　is　the　more　deserving　of　being　held　in　honour　in
proportion　as　it　is　the　more　exposed　to　peril。　Away　with　those　who
assert　that　letters　have　the　preeminence　over　arms；　I　will　tell
them；　whosoever　they　may　be；　that　they　know　not　what　they　say。　For　the
reason　which　such　persons　commonly　assign；　and　upon　which　they　chiefly
rest；　is；　that　the　labours　of　the　mind　are　greater　than　those　of　the
body；　and　that　arms　give　employment　to　the　body　alone；　as　if　the
calling　were　a　porter's　trade；　for　which　nothing　more　is　required　than
sturdy　strength；　or　as　if；　in　what　we　who　profess　them　call　arms；
there　were　not　included　acts　of　vigour　for　the　execution　of　which　high
intelligence　is　requisite；　or　as　if　the　soul　of　the　warrior；　when　he
has　an　army；　or　the　defence　of　a　city　under　his　care；　did　not　exert
itself　as　much　by　mind　as　by　body。　Nay；　see　whether　by　bodily　strength
it　be　possible　to　learn　or　divine　the　intentions　of　the　enemy；　his
plans；　stratagems；　or　obstacles；　or　to　ward　off　impending　mischief；
for　all　these　are　the　work　of　the　mind；　and　in　them　the　body　has　no
share　whatever。　Since；　therefore；　arms　have　need　of　the　mind；　as
much　as　letters；　let　us　see　now　which　of　the　two　minds；　that　of　the
man　of　letters　or　that　of　the　warrior；　has　most　to　do；　and　this　will
be　seen　by　the　end　and　goal　that　each　seeks　to　attain；　for　that
purpose　is　the　more　estimable　which　has　for　its　aim　the　nobler　object。
The　end　and　goal　of　letters…　I　am　not　speaking　now　of　divine
letters；　the　aim　of　which　is　to　raise　and　direct　the　soul　to　Heaven；
for　with　an　end　so　infinite　no　other　can　be　compared…　I　speak　of　human
letters；　the　end　of　which　is　to　establish　distributive　justice；　give
to　every　man　that　which　is　his；　and　see　and　take　care　that　good　laws
are　observed：　an　end　undoubtedly　noble；　lofty；　and　deserving　of　high
praise；　but　not　such　as　should　be　given　to　that　sought　by　arms；
which　have　for　their　end　and　object　peace；　the　greatest　boon　that
men　can　desire　in　this　life。　The　first　good　news　the　world　and　mankind
received　was　that　which　the　angels　announced　on　the　night　that　was　our
day；　when　they　sang　in　the　air；　'Glory　to　God　in　the　highest；　and
peace　on　earth　to　men　of　good…will；'　and　the　salutation　which　the
great　Master　of　heaven　and　earth　taught　his　disciples　and　chosen
followers　when　they　entered　any　house；　was　to　say；　'Peace　be　on　this
house；'　and　many　other　times　he　said　to　them；　'My　peace　I　give　unto
you；　my　peace　I　leave　you；　peace　be　with　you；'　a　jewel　and　a
precious　gift　given　and　left　by　such　a　hand：　a　jewel　without　which
there　can　be　no　happiness　either　on　earth　or　in　heaven。　This　peace
is　the　true　end　of　war；　and　war　is　only　another　name　for　arms。　This；
then；　being　admitted；　that　the　end　of　war　is　peace；　and　that　so　far　it
has　the　advantage　of　the　end　of　letters；　let　us　turn　to　the　bodily
labours　of　the　man　of　letters；　and　those　of　him　who　follows　the
profession　of　arms；　and　see　which　are　the　greater。〃
　　Don　Quixote　delivered　his　discourse　in　such　a　manner　and　in　such
correct　language；　that　for　the　time　being　he　made　it　impossible　for
any　of　his　hearers　to　consider　him　a　madman；　on　the　contrary；　as
they　were　mostly　gentlemen；　to　whom　arms　are　an　appurtenance　by　birth；
they　listened　to　him　with　great　pleasure　as　he　continued：　〃Here；　then；
I　say　is　what　the　student　has　to　undergo；　first　of　all　poverty：　not
that　all　are　poor；　but　to　put　the　case　as　strongly　as　possible：　and
when　I　have　said　that　he　endures　poverty；　I　think　nothing　more　need　be
said　about　his　hard　fortune；　for　he　who　is　poor　has　no　share　of　the
good　things　of　life。　This　poverty　he　suffers　from　in　various　ways；
hunger；　or　cold；　or　nakedness；　or　all　together；　but　for　all　that　it　is
not　so　extreme　but　that　he　gets　something　to　eat；　though　it　may　be
at　somewhat　unseasonable　hours　and　from　the　leavings　of　the　rich；
for　the　greatest　misery　of　the　student　is　what　they　themselves　call
'going　out　for　soup；'　and　there　is　always　some　neighbour's　brazier
or　hearth　for　them；　which；　if　it　does　not　warm；　at　least　tempers　the
cold　to　them；　and　lastly；　they　sleep　comfortably　at　night　under　a
roof。　I　will　not　go　into　other　particulars；　as　for　example　want　of
shirts；　and　no　superabundance　of　shoes；　thin　and　threadbare
garments；　and　gorging　themselves　to　surfeit　in　their　voracity　when
good　luck　has　treated　them　to　a　banquet　of　some　sort。　By　this　road
that　I　have　described；　rough　and　hard；　stumbling　here；　falling
there；　getting　up　again　to　fall　again；　they　reach　the　rank　they
desire；　and　that　once　attained；　we　have　seen　many　who　have　passed
these　Syrtes　and　Scyllas　and　Charybdises；　as　if　borne　flying　on　the
wings　of　favouring　fortune；　we　have　seen　them；　I　say；　ruling　and
governing　the　world　from　a　chair；　their　hunger　turned　into　satiety；
their　cold　into　comfort；　their　nakedness　into　fine　raiment；　their
sleep　on　a　mat　into　repose　in　holland　and　damask；　the　justly　earned
reward　of　their　virtue；　but；　contrasted　and　compared　with　what　the
warrior　undergoes；　all　they　have　undergone　falls　far　short　of　it；　as　I
am　now　about　to　show。〃

　　CHAPTER　XXXVIII
　　WHICH　TREATS　OF　THE　CURIOUS　DISCOURSE　DON　QUIXOTE　DELIVERED　ON
ARMS　AND　LETTERS

　　CONTINUING　his　discourse　Don　Quixote　said：　〃As　we　began　in　the
student's　case　with　poverty　and　its　accompaniments；　let　us　see　now
if　the　soldier　is　richer；　and　we　shall　find　that　in　poverty　itself
there　is　no　one　poorer；　for　he　is　dependent　on　his　miserable　pay；
which　comes　late　or　never；　or　else　on　what　he　can　plunder；　seriously
imperilling　his　life　and　conscience；　and　sometimes　his　nakedness
will　be　so　great　that　a　slashed　doublet　serves　him　for　uniform　and
shirt；　and　in　the　depth　of　winter　he　has　to　defend　himself　against　the
inclemency　of　the　weather　in　the　open　field　with　nothing　better　than
the　breath　of　his　mouth；　which　I　need　not　say；　coming　from　an　empty
place；　must　come　out　cold；　contrary　to　the　laws　of　nature。　To　be
sure　he　looks　forward　to　the　approach　of　night　to　make　up　for　all
these　discomforts　on　the　bed　that　awaits　him；　which；　unless　by　some
fault　of　his；　never　sins　by　being　over　narrow；　for　he　can　easily
measure　out　on　the　ground　as　he　likes；　and　roll　himself　about　in　it　to
his　heart's　content　without　any　fear　of　the　sheets　slipping　away
from　him。　Then；　after　all　this；　suppose　the　day　and　hour　for　taking
his　degree　in　his　calling　to　have　come；　suppose　the　day　of　battle　to
have　arrived；　when　they　invest　him　with　the　doctor's　cap　made　of　lint；
to　mend　some　bullet…hole；　perhaps；　that　has　gone　through　his
temples；　or　left　him　with　a　crippled　arm　or　leg。　Or　if　this　does　not
happen；　and　merciful　Heaven　watches　over　him　and　keeps　him　safe　and
sound；　it　may　be　he　will　be　in　the　same　poverty　he　was　in　before；
and　he　must　go　through　more　engagements　and　more　battles；　and　come
victorious　out　of　all　before　he　betters　himself；　but　miracles　of
that　sort　are　seldom　seen。　For　tell　me；　sirs；　if　you　have　ever
reflected　upon　it；　by　how　much　do　those　who　have　gained　by　war　fall
short　of　the　number　of　those　who　have　perished　in　it？　No　doubt　you
will　reply　that　there　can　be　no　comparison；　that　the　dead　cannot　be
numbe