don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第156节

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　　〃I　cannot　convince　or　persuade　myself　that　everything　that　is
written　in　the　preceding　chapter　could　have　precisely　happened　to
the　valiant　Don　Quixote；　and　for　this　reason；　that　all　the
adventures　that　have　occurred　up　to　the　present　have　been　possible　and
probable；　but　as　for　this　one　of　the　cave；　I　see　no　way　of　accepting
it　as　true；　as　it　passes　all　reasonable　bounds。　For　me　to　believe　that
Don　Quixote　could　lie；　he　being　the　most　truthful　gentleman　and　the
noblest　knight　of　his　time；　is　impossible；　he　would　not　have　told　a
lie　though　he　were　shot　to　death　with　arrows。　On　the　other　hand；　I
reflect　that　he　related　and　told　the　story　with　all　the
circumstances　detailed；　and　that　he　could　not　in　so　short　a　space　have
fabricated　such　a　vast　complication　of　absurdities；　if；　then；　this
adventure　seems　apocryphal；　it　is　no　fault　of　mine；　and　so；　without
affirming　its　falsehood　or　its　truth；　I　write　it　down。　Decide　for
thyself　in　thy　wisdom；　reader；　for　I　am　not　bound；　nor　is　it　in　my
power；　to　do　more；　though　certain　it　is　they　say　that　at　the　time　of
his　death　he　retracted；　and　said　he　had　invented　it；　thinking　it
matched　and　tallied　with　the　adventures　he　had　read　of　in　his
histories。〃　And　then　he　goes　on　to　say：
　　The　cousin　was　amazed　as　well　at　Sancho's　boldness　as　at　the
patience　of　his　master；　and　concluded　that　the　good　temper　the
latter　displayed　arose　from　the　happiness　he　felt　at　having　seen　his
lady　Dulcinea；　even　enchanted　as　she　was；　because　otherwise　the
words　and　language　Sancho　had　addressed　to　him　deserved　a　thrashing；
for　indeed　he　seemed　to　him　to　have　been　rather　impudent　to　his
master；　to　whom　he　now　observed；　〃I；　Senor　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；
look　upon　the　time　I　have　spent　in　travelling　with　your　worship　as
very　well　employed；　for　I　have　gained　four　things　in　the　course　of　it；
the　first　is　that　I　have　made　your　acquaintance；　which　I　consider
great　good　fortune；　the　second；　that　I　have　learned　what　the　cave　of
Montesinos　contains；　together　with　the　transformations　of　Guadiana　and
of　the　lakes　of　Ruidera；　which　will　be　of　use　to　me　for　the　Spanish
Ovid　that　I　have　in　hand；　the　third；　to　have　discovered　the
antiquity　of　cards；　that　they　were　in　use　at　least　in　the　time　of
Charlemagne；　as　may　be　inferred　from　the　words　you　say　Durandarte
uttered　when；　at　the　end　of　that　long　spell　while　Montesinos　was
talking　to　him；　he　woke　up　and　said；　'Patience　and　shuffle。'　This
phrase　and　expression　he　could　not　have　learned　while　he　was
enchanted；　but　only　before　he　had　become　so；　in　France；　and　in　the
time　of　the　aforesaid　emperor　Charlemagne。　And　this　demonstration　is
just　the　thing　for　me　for　that　other　book　I　am　writing；　the
'Supplement　to　Polydore　Vergil　on　the　Invention　of　Antiquities；'　for　I
believe　he　never　thought　of　inserting　that　of　cards　in　his　book；　as
I　mean　to　do　in　mine；　and　it　will　be　a　matter　of　great　importance；
particularly　when　I　can　cite　so　grave　and　veracious　an　authority　as
Senor　Durandarte。　And　the　fourth　thing　is；　that　I　have　ascertained　the
source　of　the　river　Guadiana；　heretofore　unknown　to　mankind。〃
　　〃You　are　right；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　I　should　like　to　know；　if　by
God's　favour　they　grant　you　a　licence　to　print　those　books　of　yours…
which　I　doubt…　to　whom　do　you　mean　dedicate　them？〃
　　〃There　are　lords　and　grandees　in　Spain　to　whom　they　can　be
dedicated；〃　said　the　cousin。
　　〃Not　many；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃not　that　they　are　unworthy　of　it；　but
because　they　do　not　care　to　accept　books　and　incur　the　obligation　of
making　the　return　that　seems　due　to　the　author's　labour　and
courtesy。　One　prince　I　know　who　makes　up　for　all　the　rest；　and　more…
how　much　more；　if　I　ventured　to　say；　perhaps　I　should　stir　up　envy
in　many　a　noble　breast；　but　let　this　stand　over　for　some　more
convenient　time；　and　let　us　go　and　look　for　some　place　to　shelter
ourselves　in　to…night。〃
　　〃Not　far　from　this；〃　said　the　cousin；　〃there　is　a　hermitage；　where
there　lives　a　hermit；　who　they　say　was　a　soldier；　and　who　has　the
reputation　of　being　a　good　Christian　and　a　very　intelligent　and
charitable　man。　Close　to　the　hermitage　he　has　a　small　house　which　he
built　at　his　own　cost；　but　though　small　it　is　large　enough　for　the
reception　of　guests。〃
　　〃Has　this　hermit　any　hens；　do　you　think？〃　asked　Sancho。
　　〃Few　hermits　are　without　them；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　those　we
see　now…a…days　are　not　like　the　hermits　of　the　Egyptian　deserts　who
were　clad　in　palm…leaves；　and　lived　on　the　roots　of　the　earth。　But
do　not　think　that　by　praising　these　I　am　disparaging　the　others；　all　I
mean　to　say　is　that　the　penances　of　those　of　the　present　day　do　not
come　up　to　the　asceticism　and　austerity　of　former　times；　but　it　does
not　follow　from　this　that　they　are　not　all　worthy；　at　least　I　think
them　so；　and　at　the　worst　the　hypocrite　who　pretends　to　be　good　does
less　harm　than　the　open　sinner。〃
　　At　this　point　they　saw　approaching　the　spot　where　they　stood　a　man
on　foot；　proceeding　at　a　rapid　pace；　and　beating　a　mule　loaded　with
lances　and　halberds。　When　he　came　up　to　them；　he　saluted　them　and
passed　on　without　stopping。　Don　Quixote　called　to　him；　〃Stay；　good
fellow；　you　seem　to　be　making　more　haste　than　suits　that　mule。〃
　　〃I　cannot　stop；　senor；〃　answered　the　man；　〃for　the　arms　you　see　I
carry　here　are　to　be　used　tomorrow；　so　I　must　not　delay；　God　be　with
you。　But　if　you　want　to　know　what　I　am　carrying　them　for；　I　mean　to
lodge　to…night　at　the　inn　that　is　beyond　the　hermitage；　and　if　you
be　going　the　same　road　you　will　find　me　there；　and　I　will　tell　you
some　curious　things；　once　more　God　be　with　you；〃　and　he　urged　on　his
mule　at　such　a　pace　that　Don　Quixote　had　no　time　to　ask　him　what　these
curious　things　were　that　he　meant　to　tell　them；　and　as　he　was　somewhat
inquisitive；　and　always　tortured　by　his　anxiety　to　learn　something
new；　he　decided　to　set　out　at　once；　and　go　and　pass　the　night　at　the
inn　instead　of　stopping　at　the　hermitage；　where　the　cousin　would
have　had　them　halt。　Accordingly　they　mounted　and　all　three　took　the
direct　road　for　the　inn；　which　they　reached　a　little　before　nightfall。
On　the　road　the　cousin　proposed　they　should　go　up　to　the　hermitage
to　drink　a　sup。　The　instant　Sancho　heard　this　he　steered　his　Dapple
towards　it；　and　Don　Quixote　and　the　cousin　did　the　same；　but　it
seems　Sancho's　bad　luck　so　ordered　it　that　the　hermit　was　not　at　home；
for　so　a　sub…hermit　they　found　in　the　hermitage　told　them。　They　called
for　some　of　the　best。　She　replied　that　her　master　had　none；　but　that
if　they　liked　cheap　water　she　would　give　it　with　great　pleasure。
　　〃If　I　found　any　in　water；〃　said　Sancho；　〃there　are　wells　along　the
road　where　I　could　have　had　enough　of　it。　Ah；　Camacho's　wedding；　and
plentiful　house　of　Don　Diego；　how　often　do　I　miss　you！〃
　　Leaving　the　hermitage；　they　pushed　on　towards　the　inn；　and　a
little　farther　they　came　upon　a　youth　who　was　pacing　along　in　front　of
them　at　no　great　speed；　so　that　they　overtook　him。　He　carried　a
sword　over　his　shoulder；　and　slung　on　it　a　budget　or　bundle　of　his
clothes　apparently；　probably　his　breeches　or　pantaloons；　and　his　cloak
and　a　shirt　or　two；　for　he　had　on　a　short　jacket　of　velvet　with　a
gloss　like　satin　on　it　in　places；　and　had　his　shirt　out；　his　stockings
were　of　silk；　and　his　shoes　square…toed　as　they　wear　them　at　court。
His　age　might　have　been　eighteen　or　nineteen；　he　was　of　a　merry
countenance；　and　to　all　appearance　of　an　active　habit；　and　he　went
along　singing　seguidillas　to　beguile　the　wearisomeness　of　the　road。　As
they　came　up　with　him　he　was　just　finishing　one；　which　the　cousin
got　by　heart　and　they　say　ran　thus…

　　　　　　　　　I'm　off　to　the　wars
　　　　　　　　　　　For　the　want　of　pence；
　　　　　　　　　Oh；　had　I　but　money
　　　　　　　　　　　I'd　show　more　sense。

　　The　first　to　address　him　was　Don　Quixote；　who　said；　〃You　travel　very
airily；　sir　gallant；　whither　bound；　may　we　ask；　if　it　is　your　pleasure
to　tell　us？〃
　　To　which　the　youth　replied；　〃The　heat　and　my　poverty　are　the
reason　of　my　travelling　so　airily；　and　it　is　to　the　wars　that　I　am
bound。〃
　　〃How　poverty？〃　asked　Don　Quixote；　〃the　heat　one　can　understand。〃
　　〃Senor；〃　replied　the　youth；　〃in　this　bundle　I　carry　velvet
pantaloons　to　match　this　jacket；　if　I　wear　them　out　on　the　road；　I
shall　not　be　able　to　make　a　decent　appearance　in　them　in　the　city；　and
I　have　not　the　wherewithal　to　buy　others；　and　so　for　this　reason；　as
well　as　to　keep　myself　cool；　I　am　making　my　way　in　this　fashion　to
overtake　some　companies　of　infantry　that　are　not　twelve　leagues　off；
in　which　I　shall　enlist；　and　there　will　be　no　want　of　baggage　trains
to　travel　with　after　that　to　the　place　of　embarkation；　which　they
say　will　be　Carthagena；　I　would　rather　have　the　King　for　a　master；　and
serve　him　in　the　wars；　than　serve　a　court　pauper。〃
　　〃And　did　you　get　any　bounty；　now？〃　asked　the　cousin。
　　〃If　I　had　been　in　the　service　of　some　grandee　of　Spain　or
personage　of　distinction；〃　replied　the　youth；　〃I　should　have　been　safe
to　get　it；　for　that　is　the　advantage　of　serving　good　masters；　that　out
of　the　servants'　hall　men　come　to　be　ancients　or　captains；　or　get　a
good　pension。　But　I；　to　my　misfortune；　always　served　place…hunters　and
adventurers；　whose　keep　and　wage