don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第102节

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he　had　gained　after　having　involved　them　all　in　such　an　elaborate
entanglement；　resolved　to　try　his　hand　once　more　by　stirring　up
fresh　quarrels　and　disturbances。
　　It　came　about　in　this　wise：　the　officers　were　pacified　on　learning
the　rank　of　those　with　whom　they　had　been　engaged；　and　withdrew　from
the　contest；　considering　that　whatever　the　result　might　be　they　were
likely　to　get　the　worst　of　the　battle；　but　one　of　them；　the　one　who
had　been　thrashed　and　kicked　by　Don　Fernando；　recollected　that　among
some　warrants　he　carried　for　the　arrest　of　certain　delinquents；　he　had
one　against　Don　Quixote；　whom　the　Holy　Brotherhood　had　ordered　to　be
arrested　for　setting　the　galley　slaves　free；　as　Sancho　had；　with
very　good　reason；　apprehended。　Suspecting　how　it　was；　then；　he
wished　to　satisfy　himself　as　to　whether　Don　Quixote's　features
corresponded；　and　taking　a　parchment　out　of　his　bosom　he　lit　upon　what
he　was　in　search　of；　and　setting　himself　to　read　it　deliberately；
for　he　was　not　a　quick　reader；　as　he　made　out　each　word　he　fixed　his
eyes　on　Don　Quixote；　and　went　on　comparing　the　description　in　the
warrant　with　his　face；　and　discovered　that　beyond　all　doubt　he　was　the
person　described　in　it。　As　soon　as　he　had　satisfied　himself；　folding
up　the　parchment；　he　took　the　warrant　in　his　left　hand　and　with　his
right　seized　Don　Quixote　by　the　collar　so　tightly　that　he　did　not
allow　him　to　breathe；　and　shouted　aloud；　〃Help　for　the　Holy
Brotherhood！　and　that　you　may　see　I　demand　it　in　earnest；　read　this
warrant　which　says　this　highwayman　is　to　be　arrested。〃
　　The　curate　took　the　warrant　and　saw　that　what　the　officer　said　was
true；　and　that　it　agreed　with　Don　Quixote's　appearance；　who；　on　his
part；　when　he　found　himself　roughly　handled　by　this　rascally　clown；
worked　up　to　the　highest　pitch　of　wrath；　and　all　his　joints　cracking
with　rage；　with　both　hands　seized　the　officer　by　the　throat　with　all
his　might；　so　that　had　he　not　been　helped　by　his　comrades　he　would
have　yielded　up　his　life　ere　Don　Quixote　released　his　hold。　The
landlord；　who　had　perforce　to　support　his　brother　officers；　ran　at
once　to　aid　them。　The　landlady；　when　she　saw　her　husband　engaged　in
a　fresh　quarrel；　lifted　up　her　voice　afresh；　and　its　note　was
immediately　caught　up　by　Maritornes　and　her　daughter；　calling　upon
heaven　and　all　present　for　help；　and　Sancho；　seeing　what　was　going　on；
exclaimed；　〃By　the　Lord；　it　is　quite　true　what　my　master　says　about
the　enchantments　of　this　castle；　for　it　is　impossible　to　live　an
hour　in　peace　in　it！〃
　　Don　Fernando　parted　the　officer　and　Don　Quixote；　and　to　their　mutual
contentment　made　them　relax　the　grip　by　which　they　held；　the　one　the
coat　collar；　the　other　the　throat　of　his　adversary；　for　all　this；
however；　the　officers　did　not　cease　to　demand　their　prisoner　and
call　on　them　to　help；　and　deliver　him　over　bound　into　their　power；
as　was　required　for　the　service　of　the　King　and　of　the　Holy
Brotherhood；　on　whose　behalf　they　again　demanded　aid　and　assistance　to
effect　the　capture　of　this　robber　and　footpad　of　the　highways。
　　Don　Quixote　smiled　when　he　heard　these　words；　and　said　very
calmly；　〃Come　now；　base；　ill…born　brood；　call　ye　it　highway　robbery　to
give　freedom　to　those　in　bondage；　to　release　the　captives；　to
succour　the　miserable；　to　raise　up　the　fallen；　to　relieve　the　needy？
Infamous　beings；　who　by　your　vile　grovelling　intellects　deserve　that
heaven　should　not　make　known　to　you　the　virtue　that　lies　in
knight…errantry；　or　show　you　the　sin　and　ignorance　in　which　ye　lie
when　ye　refuse　to　respect　the　shadow；　not　to　say　the　presence；　of
any　knight…errant！　Come　now；　band；　not　of　officers；　but　of　thieves；
footpads　with　the　licence　of　the　Holy　Brotherhood；　tell　me　who　was　the
ignoramus　who　signed　a　warrant　of　arrest　against　such　a　knight　as　I
am？　Who　was　he　that　did　not　know　that　knights…errant　are　independent
of　all　jurisdictions；　that　their　law　is　their　sword；　their　charter
their　prowess；　and　their　edicts　their　will？　Who；　I　say　again；　was
the　fool　that　knows　not　that　there　are　no　letters　patent　of　nobility
that　confer　such　privileges　or　exemptions　as　a　knight…errant
acquires　the　day　he　is　dubbed　a　knight；　and　devotes　himself　to　the
arduous　calling　of　chivalry？　What　knight…errant　ever　paid　poll…tax；
duty；　queen's　pin…money；　king's　dues；　toll　or　ferry？　What　tailor
ever　took　payment　of　him　for　making　his　clothes？　What　castellan　that
received　him　in　his　castle　ever　made　him　pay　his　shot？　What　king　did
not　seat　him　at　his　table？　What　damsel　was　not　enamoured　of　him　and
did　not　yield　herself　up　wholly　to　his　will　and　pleasure？　And；　lastly；
what　knight…errant　has　there　been；　is　there；　or　will　there　ever　be
in　the　world；　not　bold　enough　to　give；　single…handed；　four　hundred
cudgellings　to　four　hundred　officers　of　the　Holy　Brotherhood　if　they
come　in　his　way？〃

　　CHAPTER　XLVI
　　OF　THE　END　OF　THE　NOTABLE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　OFFICERS　OF　THE　HOLY
BROTHERHOOD；　AND　OF　THE　GREAT　FEROCITY　OF　OUR　WORTHY　KNIGHT；　DON
QUIXOTE

　　WHILE　Don　Quixote　was　talking　in　this　strain；　the　curate　was
endeavouring　to　persuade　the　officers　that　he　was　out　of　his　senses；
as　they　might　perceive　by　his　deeds　and　his　words；　and　that　they
need　not　press　the　matter　any　further；　for　even　if　they　arrested　him
and　carried　him　off；　they　would　have　to　release　him　by…and…by　as　a
madman；　to　which　the　holder　of　the　warrant　replied　that　he　had　nothing
to　do　with　inquiring　into　Don　Quixote's　madness；　but　only　to　execute
his　superior's　orders；　and　that　once　taken　they　might　let　him　go　three
hundred　times　if　they　liked。
　　〃For　all　that；〃　said　the　curate；　〃you　must　not　take　him　away　this
time；　nor　will　he；　it　is　my　opinion；　let　himself　be　taken　away。〃
　　In　short；　the　curate　used　such　arguments；　and　Don　Quixote　did　such
mad　things；　that　the　officers　would　have　been　more　mad　than　he　was
if　they　had　not　perceived　his　want　of　wits；　and　so　they　thought　it
best　to　allow　themselves　to　be　pacified；　and　even　to　act　as
peacemakers　between　the　barber　and　Sancho　Panza；　who　still　continued
their　altercation　with　much　bitterness。　In　the　end　they；　as　officers
of　justice；　settled　the　question　by　arbitration　in　such　a　manner
that　both　sides　were；　if　not　perfectly　contented；　at　least　to　some
extent　satisfied；　for　they　changed　the　pack…saddles；　but　not　the
girths　or　head…stalls；　and　as　to　Mambrino's　helmet；　the　curate；
under　the　rose　and　without　Don　Quixote's　knowing　it；　paid　eight
reals　for　the　basin；　and　the　barber　executed　a　full　receipt　and
engagement　to　make　no　further　demand　then　or　thenceforth　for　evermore；
amen。　These　two　disputes；　which　were　the　most　important　and　gravest；
being　settled；　it　only　remained　for　the　servants　of　Don　Luis　to
consent　that　three　of　them　should　return　while　one　was　left　to
accompany　him　whither　Don　Fernando　desired　to　take　him；　and　good
luck　and　better　fortune；　having　already　begun　to　solve　difficulties
and　remove　obstructions　in　favour　of　the　lovers　and　warriors　of　the
inn；　were　pleased　to　persevere　and　bring　everything　to　a　happy
issue；　for　the　servants　agreed　to　do　as　Don　Luis　wished；　which　gave
Dona　Clara　such　happiness　that　no　one　could　have　looked　into　her
face　just　then　without　seeing　the　joy　of　her　heart。　Zoraida；　though
she　did　not　fully　comprehend　all　she　saw；　was　grave　or　gay　without
knowing　why；　as　she　watched　and　studied　the　various　countenances；
but　particularly　her　Spaniard's；　whom　she　followed　with　her　eyes　and
clung　to　with　her　soul。　The　gift　and　compensation　which　the　curate
gave　the　barber　had　not　escaped　the　landlord's　notice；　and　he　demanded
Don　Quixote's　reckoning；　together　with　the　amount　of　the　damage　to　his
wine…skins；　and　the　loss　of　his　wine；　swearing　that　neither
Rocinante　nor　Sancho's　ass　should　leave　the　inn　until　he　had　been　paid
to　the　very　last　farthing。　The　curate　settled　all　amicably；　and　Don
Fernando　paid；　though　the　Judge　had　also　very　readily　offered　to　pay
the　score；　and　all　became　so　peaceful　and　quiet　that　the　inn　no　longer
reminded　one　of　the　discord　of　Agramante's　camp；　as　Don　Quixote
said；　but　of　the　peace　and　tranquillity　of　the　days　of　Octavianus：　for
all　which　it　was　the　universal　opinion　that　their　thanks　were　due　to
the　great　zeal　and　eloquence　of　the　curate；　and　to　the　unexampled
generosity　of　Don　Fernando。
　　Finding　himself　now　clear　and　quit　of　all　quarrels；　his　squire's
as　well　as　his　own；　Don　Quixote　considered　that　it　would　be
advisable　to　continue　the　journey　he　had　begun；　and　bring　to　a　close
that　great　adventure　for　which　he　had　been　called　and　chosen；　and　with
this　high　resolve　he　went　and　knelt　before　Dorothea；　who；　however；
would　not　allow　him　to　utter　a　word　until　he　had　risen；　so　to　obey　her
he　rose；　and　said；　〃It　is　a　common　proverb；　fair　lady；　that　'diligence
is　the　mother　of　good　fortune；'　and　experience　has　often　shown　in
important　affairs　that　the　earnestness　of　the　negotiator　brings　the
doubtful　case　to　a　successful　termination；　but　in　nothing　does　this
truth　show　itself　more　plainly　than　in　war；　where　quickness　and
activity　forestall　the　devices　of　the　enemy；　and　win　the　victory
before　the　foe　has　time　to　defend　himself。　All　this　I　say；　exalted　and
esteemed　lady；　because　it　seems　to　me