don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第109节

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is　so　melancholy　and　dejected；　and　then　we　might　try　our　chance　in
looking　for　adventures　again；　and　if　we　have　no　luck　there　will　be
time　enough　to　go　back　to　the　cage；　in　which；　on　the　faith　of　a　good
and　loyal　squire；　I　promise　to　shut　myself　up　along　with　your　worship；
if　so　be　you　are　so　unfortunate；　or　I　so　stupid；　as　not　to　be　able
to　carry　out　my　plan。〃
　　〃I　am　content　to　do　as　thou　sayest；　brother　Sancho；〃　said　Don
Quixote；　〃and　when　thou　seest　an　opportunity　for　effecting　my
release　I　will　obey　thee　absolutely；　but　thou　wilt　see；　Sancho；　how
mistaken　thou　art　in　thy　conception　of　my　misfortune。〃
　　The　knight…errant　and　the　ill…errant　squire　kept　up　their
conversation　till　they　reached　the　place　where　the　curate；　the
canon；　and　the　barber；　who　had　already　dismounted；　were　waiting　for
them。　The　carter　at　once　unyoked　the　oxen　and　left　them　to　roam　at
large　about　the　pleasant　green　spot；　the　freshness　of　which　seemed
to　invite；　not　enchanted　people　like　Don　Quixote；　but　wide…awake；
sensible　folk　like　his　squire；　who　begged　the　curate　to　allow　his
master　to　leave　the　cage　for　a　little；　for　if　they　did　not　let　him
out；　the　prison　might　not　be　as　clean　as　the　propriety　of　such　a
gentleman　as　his　master　required。　The　curate　understood　him；　and
said　he　would　very　gladly　comply　with　his　request；　only　that　he　feared
his　master；　finding　himself　at　liberty；　would　take　to　his　old
courses　and　make　off　where　nobody　could　ever　find　him　again。
　　〃I　will　answer　for　his　not　running　away；〃　said　Sancho。
　　〃And　I　also；〃　said　the　canon；　〃especially　if　he　gives　me　his　word　as
a　knight　not　to　leave　us　without　our　consent。〃
　　Don　Quixote；　who　was　listening　to　all　this；　said；　〃I　give　it；…
moreover　one　who　is　enchanted　as　I　am　cannot　do　as　he　likes　with
himself；　for　he　who　had　enchanted　him　could　prevent　his　moving　from
one　place　for　three　ages；　and　if　he　attempted　to　escape　would　bring
him　back　flying。〃…　And　that　being　so；　they　might　as　well　release
him；　particularly　as　it　would　be　to　the　advantage　of　all；　for；　if　they
did　not　let　him　out；　he　protested　he　would　be　unable　to　avoid
offending　their　nostrils　unless　they　kept　their　distance。
　　The　canon　took　his　hand；　tied　together　as　they　both　were；　and　on　his
word　and　promise　they　unbound　him；　and　rejoiced　beyond　measure　he
was　to　find　himself　out　of　the　cage。　The　first　thing　he　did　was　to
stretch　himself　all　over；　and　then　he　went　to　where　Rocinante　was
standing　and　giving　him　a　couple　of　slaps　on　the　haunches　said；　〃I
still　trust　in　God　and　in　his　blessed　mother；　O　flower　and　mirror　of
steeds；　that　we　shall　soon　see　ourselves；　both　of　us；　as　we　wish　to
be；　thou　with　thy　master　on　thy　back；　and　I　mounted　upon　thee；
following　the　calling　for　which　God　sent　me　into　the　world。〃　And　so
saying；　accompanied　by　Sancho；　he　withdrew　to　a　retired　spot；　from
which　he　came　back　much　relieved　and　more　eager　than　ever　to　put　his
squire's　scheme　into　execution。
　　The　canon　gazed　at　him；　wondering　at　the　extraordinary　nature　of　his
madness；　and　that　in　all　his　remarks　and　replies　he　should　show　such
excellent　sense；　and　only　lose　his　stirrups；　as　has　been　already　said；
when　the　subject　of　chivalry　was　broached。　And　so；　moved　by
compassion；　he　said　to　him；　as　they　all　sat　on　the　green　grass
awaiting　the　arrival　of　the　provisions：
　　〃Is　it　possible；　gentle　sir；　that　the　nauseous　and　idle　reading　of
books　of　chivalry　can　have　had　such　an　effect　on　your　worship　as　to
upset　your　reason　so　that　you　fancy　yourself　enchanted；　and　the
like；　all　as　far　from　the　truth　as　falsehood　itself　is？　How　can
there　be　any　human　understanding　that　can　persuade　itself　there　ever
was　all　that　infinity　of　Amadises　in　the　world；　or　all　that
multitude　of　famous　knights；　all　those　emperors　of　Trebizond；　all
those　Felixmartes　of　Hircania；　all　those　palfreys；　and　damsels…errant；
and　serpents；　and　monsters；　and　giants；　and　marvellous　adventures；　and
enchantments　of　every　kind；　and　battles；　and　prodigious　encounters；
splendid　costumes；　love…sick　princesses；　squires　made　counts；　droll
dwarfs；　love　letters；　billings　and　cooings；　swashbuckler　women；　and；
in　a　word；　all　that　nonsense　the　books　of　chivalry　contain？　For
myself；　I　can　only　say　that　when　I　read　them；　so　long　as　I　do　not　stop
to　think　that　they　are　all　lies　and　frivolity；　they　give　me　a
certain　amount　of　pleasure；　but　when　I　come　to　consider　what　they　are；
I　fling　the　very　best　of　them　at　the　wall；　and　would　fling　it　into　the
fire　if　there　were　one　at　hand；　as　richly　deserving　such　punishment　as
cheats　and　impostors　out　of　the　range　of　ordinary　toleration；　and　as
founders　of　new　sects　and　modes　of　life；　and　teachers　that　lead　the
ignorant　public　to　believe　and　accept　as　truth　all　the　folly　they
contain。　And　such　is　their　audacity；　they　even　dare　to　unsettle　the
wits　of　gentlemen　of　birth　and　intelligence；　as　is　shown　plainly　by
the　way　they　have　served　your　worship；　when　they　have　brought　you　to
such　a　pass　that　you　have　to　be　shut　up　in　a　cage　and　carried　on　an
ox…cart　as　one　would　carry　a　lion　or　a　tiger　from　place　to　place　to
make　money　by　showing　it。　Come；　Senor　Don　Quixote；　have　some
compassion　for　yourself；　return　to　the　bosom　of　common　sense；　and　make
use　of　the　liberal　share　of　it　that　heaven　has　been　pleased　to
bestow　upon　you；　employing　your　abundant　gifts　of　mind　in　some　other
reading　that　may　serve　to　benefit　your　conscience　and　add　to　your
honour。　And　if；　still　led　away　by　your　natural　bent；　you　desire　to
read　books　of　achievements　and　of　chivalry；　read　the　Book　of　Judges　in
the　Holy　Scriptures；　for　there　you　will　find　grand　reality；　and
deeds　as　true　as　they　are　heroic。　Lusitania　had　a　Viriatus；　Rome　a
Caesar；　Carthage　a　Hannibal；　Greece　an　Alexander；　Castile　a　Count
Fernan　Gonzalez；　Valencia　a　Cid；　Andalusia　a　Gonzalo　Fernandez；
Estremadura　a　Diego　Garcia　de　Paredes；　Jerez　a　Garci　Perez　de
Vargas；　Toledo　a　Garcilaso；　Seville　a　Don　Manuel　de　Leon；　to　read　of
whose　valiant　deeds　will　entertain　and　instruct　the　loftiest　minds　and
fill　them　with　delight　and　wonder。　Here；　Senor　Don　Quixote；　will　be
reading　worthy　of　your　sound　understanding；　from　which　you　will　rise
learned　in　history；　in　love　with　virtue；　strengthened　in　goodness；
improved　in　manners；　brave　without　rashness；　prudent　without
cowardice；　and　all　to　the　honour　of　God；　your　own　advantage　and　the
glory　of　La　Mancha；　whence；　I　am　informed；　your　worship　derives　your
birth。〃
　　Don　Quixote　listened　with　the　greatest　attention　to　the　canon's
words；　and　when　he　found　he　had　finished；　after　regarding　him　for　some
time；　he　replied　to　him：
　　〃It　appears　to　me；　gentle　sir；　that　your　worship's　discourse　is
intended　to　persuade　me　that　there　never　were　any　knights…errant　in
the　world；　and　that　all　the　books　of　chivalry　are　false；　lying；
mischievous　and　useless　to　the　State；　and　that　I　have　done　wrong　in
reading　them；　and　worse　in　believing　them；　and　still　worse　in
imitating　them；　when　I　undertook　to　follow　the　arduous　calling　of
knight…errantry　which　they　set　forth；　for　you　deny　that　there　ever
were　Amadises　of　Gaul　or　of　Greece；　or　any　other　of　the　knights　of
whom　the　books　are　full。〃
　　〃It　is　all　exactly　as　you　state　it；〃　said　the　canon；　to　which　Don
Quixote　returned；　〃You　also　went　on　to　say　that　books　of　this　kind　had
done　me　much　harm；　inasmuch　as　they　had　upset　my　senses；　and　shut　me
up　in　a　cage；　and　that　it　would　be　better　for　me　to　reform　and
change　my　studies；　and　read　other　truer　books　which　would　afford
more　pleasure　and　instruction。〃
　　〃Just　so；〃　said　the　canon。
　　〃Well　then；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃to　my　mind　it　is　you　who　are　the
one　that　is　out　of　his　wits　and　enchanted；　as　you　have　ventured　to
utter　such　blasphemies　against　a　thing　so　universally　acknowledged　and
accepted　as　true　that　whoever　denies　it；　as　you　do；　deserves　the
same　punishment　which　you　say　you　inflict　on　the　books　that　irritate
you　when　you　read　them。　For　to　try　to　persuade　anybody　that　Amadis；
and　all　the　other　knights…adventurers　with　whom　the　books　are
filled；　never　existed；　would　be　like　trying　to　persuade　him　that　the
sun　does　not　yield　light；　or　ice　cold；　or　earth　nourishment。　What
wit　in　the　world　can　persuade　another　that　the　story　of　the　Princess
Floripes　and　Guy　of　Burgundy　is　not　true；　or　that　of　Fierabras　and　the
bridge　of　Mantible；　which　happened　in　the　time　of　Charlemagne？　For
by　all　that　is　good　it　is　as　true　as　that　it　is　daylight　now；　and　if
it　be　a　lie；　it　must　be　a　lie　too　that　there　was　a　Hector；　or
Achilles；　or　Trojan　war；　or　Twelve　Peers　of　France；　or　Arthur　of
England；　who　still　lives　changed　into　a　raven；　and　is　unceasingly
looked　for　in　his　kingdom。　One　might　just　as　well　try　to　make　out　that
the　history　of　Guarino　Mezquino；　or　of　the　quest　of　the　Holy　Grail；　is
false；　or　that　the　loves　of　Tristram　and　the　Queen　Yseult　are
apocryphal；　as　well　as　those　of　Guinevere　and　Lancelot；　when　there　are
persons　who　can　almost　remember　having　seen　the　Dame　Quintanona；　who
was　the　best　cupbearer　in　Great　Britain。　And　so　true　is　this；　that　I
recollect　a　grandmother　of　mine　on　the　father's　side；　whenever　she　saw
any　dame　in　a　venerable　hood；　used　to　say　to　me；　'Grandson；　that　one
is　like　Dame　Quintanona；