don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第141节

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gentleman's　life　and　occupation；　and　thinking　it　a　good　and　a　holy
life；　and　that　he　who　led　it　ought　to　work　miracles；　he　threw
himself　off　Dapple；　and　running　in　haste　seized　his　right　stirrup
and　kissed　his　foot　again　and　again　with　a　devout　heart　and　almost
with　tears。
　　Seeing　this　the　gentleman　asked　him；　〃What　are　you　about；　brother？
What　are　these　kisses　for？〃
　　〃Let　me　kiss；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　I　think　your　worship　is　the　first
saint　in　the　saddle　I　ever　saw　all　the　days　of　my　life。〃
　　〃I　am　no　saint；〃　replied　the　gentleman；　〃but　a　great　sinner；　but　you
are；　brother；　for　you　must　be　a　good　fellow；　as　your　simplicity
shows。〃
　　Sancho　went　back　and　regained　his　pack…saddle；　having　extracted　a
laugh　from　his　master's　profound　melancholy；　and　excited　fresh
amazement　in　Don　Diego。　Don　Quixote　then　asked　him　how　many　children
he　had；　and　observed　that　one　of　the　things　wherein　the　ancient
philosophers；　who　were　without　the　true　knowledge　of　God；　placed　the
summum　bonum　was　in　the　gifts　of　nature；　in　those　of　fortune；　in
having　many　friends；　and　many　and　good　children。
　　〃I；　Senor　Don　Quixote；〃　answered　the　gentleman；　〃have　one　son；
without　whom；　perhaps；　I　should　count　myself　happier　than　I　am；　not
because　he　is　a　bad　son；　but　because　he　is　not　so　good　as　I　could
wish。　He　is　eighteen　years　of　age；　he　has　been　for　six　at　Salamanca
studying　Latin　and　Greek；　and　when　I　wished　him　to　turn　to　the　study
of　other　sciences　I　found　him　so　wrapped　up　in　that　of　poetry　（if　that
can　be　called　a　science）　that　there　is　no　getting　him　to　take　kindly
to　the　law；　which　I　wished　him　to　study；　or　to　theology；　the　queen
of　them　all。　I　would　like　him　to　be　an　honour　to　his　family；　as　we
live　in　days　when　our　kings　liberally　reward　learning　that　is　virtuous
and　worthy；　for　learning　without　virtue　is　a　pearl　on　a　dunghill。　He
spends　the　whole　day　in　settling　whether　Homer　expressed　himself
correctly　or　not　in　such　and　such　a　line　of　the　Iliad；　whether　Martial
was　indecent　or　not　in　such　and　such　an　epigram；　whether　such　and　such
lines　of　Virgil　are　to　be　understood　in　this　way　or　in　that；　in　short；
all　his　talk　is　of　the　works　of　these　poets；　and　those　of　Horace；
Perseus；　Juvenal；　and　Tibullus；　for　of　the　moderns　in　our　own　language
he　makes　no　great　account；　but　with　all　his　seeming　indifference　to
Spanish　poetry；　just　now　his　thoughts　are　absorbed　in　making　a　gloss
on　four　lines　that　have　been　sent　him　from　Salamanca；　which　I
suspect　are　for　some　poetical　tournament。〃
　　To　all　this　Don　Quixote　said　in　reply；　〃Children；　senor；　are
portions　of　their　parents'　bowels；　and　therefore；　be　they　good　or　bad；
are　to　be　loved　as　we　love　the　souls　that　give　us　life；　it　is　for
the　parents　to　guide　them　from　infancy　in　the　ways　of　virtue；
propriety；　and　worthy　Christian　conduct；　so　that　when　grown　up　they
may　be　the　staff　of　their　parents'　old　age；　and　the　glory　of　their
posterity；　and　to　force　them　to　study　this　or　that　science　I　do　not
think　wise；　though　it　may　be　no　harm　to　persuade　them；　and　when
there　is　no　need　to　study　for　the　sake　of　pane　lucrando；　and　it　is　the
student's　good　fortune　that　heaven　has　given　him　parents　who　provide
him　with　it；　it　would　be　my　advice　to　them　to　let　him　pursue
whatever　science　they　may　see　him　most　inclined　to；　and　though　that　of
poetry　is　less　useful　than　pleasurable；　it　is　not　one　of　those　that
bring　discredit　upon　the　possessor。　Poetry；　gentle　sir；　is；　as　I
take　it；　like　a　tender　young　maiden　of　supreme　beauty；　to　array；
bedeck；　and　adorn　whom　is　the　task　of　several　other　maidens；　who　are
all　the　rest　of　the　sciences；　and　she　must　avail　herself　of　the　help
of　all；　and　all　derive　their　lustre　from　her。　But　this　maiden　will　not
bear　to　be　handled；　nor　dragged　through　the　streets；　nor　exposed
either　at　the　corners　of　the　market…places；　or　in　the　closets　of
palaces。　She　is　the　product　of　an　Alchemy　of　such　virtue　that　he　who
is　able　to　practise　it；　will　turn　her　into　pure　gold　of　inestimable
worth。　He　that　possesses　her　must　keep　her　within　bounds；　not
permitting　her　to　break　out　in　ribald　satires　or　soulless　sonnets。　She
must　on　no　account　be　offered　for　sale；　unless；　indeed；　it　be　in
heroic　poems；　moving　tragedies；　or　sprightly　and　ingenious　comedies。
She　must　not　be　touched　by　the　buffoons；　nor　by　the　ignorant　vulgar；
incapable　of　comprehending　or　appreciating　her　hidden　treasures。　And
do　not　suppose；　senor；　that　I　apply　the　term　vulgar　here　merely　to
plebeians　and　the　lower　orders；　for　everyone　who　is　ignorant；　be　he
lord　or　prince；　may　and　should　be　included　among　the　vulgar。　He；　then；
who　shall　embrace　and　cultivate　poetry　under　the　conditions　I　have
named；　shall　become　famous；　and　his　name　honoured　throughout　all　the
civilised　nations　of　the　earth。　And　with　regard　to　what　you　say；
senor；　of　your　son　having　no　great　opinion　of　Spanish　poetry；　I　am
inclined　to　think　that　he　is　not　quite　right　there；　and　for　this
reason：　the　great　poet　Homer　did　not　write　in　Latin；　because　he　was
a　Greek；　nor　did　Virgil　write　in　Greek；　because　he　was　a　Latin；　in
short；　all　the　ancient　poets　wrote　in　the　language　they　imbibed　with
their　mother's　milk；　and　never　went　in　quest　of　foreign　ones　to
express　their　sublime　conceptions；　and　that　being　so；　the　usage　should
in　justice　extend　to　all　nations；　and　the　German　poet　should　not　be
undervalued　because　he　writes　in　his　own　language；　nor　the
Castilian；　nor　even　the　Biscayan；　for　writing　in　his。　But　your　son；
senor；　I　suspect；　is　not　prejudiced　against　Spanish　poetry；　but
against　those　poets　who　are　mere　Spanish　verse　writers；　without　any
knowledge　of　other　languages　or　sciences　to　adorn　and　give　life　and
vigour　to　their　natural　inspiration；　and　yet　even　in　this　he　may　be
wrong；　for；　according　to　a　true　belief；　a　poet　is　born　one；　that　is　to
say；　the　poet　by　nature　comes　forth　a　poet　from　his　mother's　womb；　and
following　the　bent　that　heaven　has　bestowed　upon　him；　without　the
aid　of　study　or　art；　he　produces　things　that　show　how　truly　he　spoke
who　said；　'Est　Deus　in　nobis；'　&c。　At　the　same　time；　I　say　that　the
poet　by　nature　who　calls　in　art　to　his　aid　will　be　a　far　better
poet；　and　will　surpass　him　who　tries　to　be　one　relying　upon　his
knowledge　of　art　alone。　The　reason　is；　that　art　does　not　surpass
nature；　but　only　brings　it　to　perfection；　and　thus；　nature　combined
with　art；　and　art　with　nature；　will　produce　a　perfect　poet。　To　bring
my　argument　to　a　close；　I　would　say　then；　gentle　sir；　let　your　son
go　on　as　his　star　leads　him；　for　being　so　studious　as　he　seems　to
be；　and　having　already　successfully　surmounted　the　first　step　of　the
sciences；　which　is　that　of　the　languages；　with　their　help　he　will　by
his　own　exertions　reach　the　summit　of　polite　literature；　which　so　well
becomes　an　independent　gentleman；　and　adorns；　honours；　and
distinguishes　him；　as　much　as　the　mitre　does　the　bishop；　or　the　gown
the　learned　counsellor。　If　your　son　write　satires　reflecting　on　the
honour　of　others；　chide　and　correct　him；　and　tear　them　up；　but　if　he
compose　discourses　in　which　he　rebukes　vice　in　general；　in　the　style
of　Horace；　and　with　elegance　like　his；　commend　him；　for　it　is
legitimate　for　a　poet　to　write　against　envy　and　lash　the　envious　in
his　verse；　and　the　other　vices　too；　provided　he　does　not　single　out
individuals；　there　are；　however；　poets　who；　for　the　sake　of　saying
something　spiteful；　would　run　the　risk　of　being　banished　to　the
coast　of　Pontus。　If　the　poet　be　pure　in　his　morals；　he　will　be　pure　in
his　verses　too；　the　pen　is　the　tongue　of　the　mind；　and　as　the　thought
engendered　there；　so　will　be　the　things　that　it　writes　down。　And　when
kings　and　princes　observe　this　marvellous　science　of　poetry　in　wise；
virtuous；　and　thoughtful　subjects；　they　honour；　value；　exalt　them；　and
even　crown　them　with　the　leaves　of　that　tree　which　the　thunderbolt
strikes　not；　as　if　to　show　that　they　whose　brows　are　honoured　and
adorned　with　such　a　crown　are　not　to　be　assailed　by　anyone。〃
　　He　of　the　green　gaban　was　filled　with　astonishment　at　Don　Quixote's
argument；　so　much　so　that　he　began　to　abandon　the　notion　he　had　taken
up　about　his　being　crazy。　But　in　the　middle　of　the　discourse；　it　being
not　very　much　to　his　taste；　Sancho　had　turned　aside　out　of　the　road　to
beg　a　little　milk　from　some　shepherds；　who　were　milking　their　ewes
hard　by；　and　just　as　the　gentleman；　highly　pleased；　was　about　to　renew
the　conversation；　Don　Quixote；　raising　his　head；　perceived　a　cart
covered　with　royal　flags　coming　along　the　road　they　were　travelling；
and　persuaded　that　this　must　be　some　new　adventure；　he　called　aloud　to
Sancho　to　come　and　bring　him　his　helmet。　Sancho；　hearing　himself
called；　quitted　the　shepherds；　and；　prodding　Dapple　vigorously；　came
up　to　his　master；　to　whom　there　fell　a　terrific　and　desperate
adventure。
　　

CHAPTER　XVII
　　WHEREIN　IS　SHOWN　THE　FURTHEST　AND　HIGHEST　POINT　WHICH　THE　UNEXAMPLED
COURAGE　OF　DON　QUIXOTE　REACHED　OR　COULD　REACH；　TOGETHER　WITH　THE
HAPPILY　ACHIEVED　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　LIONS

　　THE　history　tells　that　when　Don　Quixote　called　out　to　Sancho　to
bring　him　his　helmet；　Sancho　was　buying　some　curds　the　shepherds
agreed　to　sell　him；　and　flurried　by　the　great　haste　his　master　was
in　did