don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第169节

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GRAVE　AND　DROLL

　　DON　QUIXOTE；　then；　having　risen　to　his　feet；　trembling　from　head
to　foot　like　a　man　dosed　with　mercury；　said　in　a　hurried；　agitated
voice；　〃The　place　I　am　in；　the　presence　in　which　I　stand；　and　the
respect　I　have　and　always　have　had　for　the　profession　to　which　your
worship　belongs；　hold　and　bind　the　hands　of　my　just　indignation；　and
as　well　for　these　reasons　as　because　I　know；　as　everyone　knows；　that　a
gownsman's　weapon　is　the　same　as　a　woman's；　the　tongue；　I　will　with
mine　engage　in　equal　combat　with　your　worship；　from　whom　one　might
have　expected　good　advice　instead　of　foul　abuse。　Pious；　well…meant
reproof　requires　a　different　demeanour　and　arguments　of　another
sort；　at　any　rate；　to　have　reproved　me　in　public；　and　so　roughly；
exceeds　the　bounds　of　proper　reproof；　for　that　comes　better　with
gentleness　than　with　rudeness；　and　it　is　not　seemly　to　call　the　sinner
roundly　blockhead　and　booby；　without　knowing　anything　of　the　sin
that　is　reproved。　Come；　tell　me；　for　which　of　the　stupidities　you　have
observed　in　me　do　you　condemn　and　abuse　me；　and　bid　me　go　home　and
look　after　my　house　and　wife　and　children；　without　knowing　whether　I
have　any？　Is　nothing　more　needed　than　to　get　a　footing；　by　hook　or
by　crook；　in　other　people's　houses　to　rule　over　the　masters　（and　that；
perhaps；　after　having　been　brought　up　in　all　the　straitness　of　some
seminary；　and　without　having　ever　seen　more　of　the　world　than　may
lie　within　twenty　or　thirty　leagues　round）；　to　fit　one　to　lay　down　the
law　rashly　for　chivalry；　and　pass　judgment　on　knights…errant？　Is　it；
haply；　an　idle　occupation；　or　is　the　time　ill…spent　that　is　spent　in
roaming　the　world　in　quest；　not　of　its　enjoyments；　but　of　those
arduous　toils　whereby　the　good　mount　upwards　to　the　abodes　of
everlasting　life？　If　gentlemen；　great　lords；　nobles；　men　of　high
birth；　were　to　rate　me　as　a　fool　I　should　take　it　as　an　irreparable
insult；　but　I　care　not　a　farthing　if　clerks　who　have　never　entered
upon　or　trod　the　paths　of　chivalry　should　think　me　foolish。　Knight　I
am；　and　knight　I　will　die；　if　such　be　the　pleasure　of　the　Most　High。
Some　take　the　broad　road　of　overweening　ambition；　others　that　of
mean　and　servile　flattery；　others　that　of　deceitful　hypocrisy；　and
some　that　of　true　religion；　but　I；　led　by　my　star；　follow　the　narrow
path　of　knight…errantry；　and　in　pursuit　of　that　calling　I　despise
wealth；　but　not　honour。　I　have　redressed　injuries；　righted　wrongs；
punished　insolences；　vanquished　giants；　and　crushed　monsters；　I　am
in　love；　for　no　other　reason　than　that　it　is　incumbent　on
knights…errant　to　be　so；　but　though　I　am；　I　am　no　carnal…minded　lover；
but　one　of　the　chaste；　platonic　sort。　My　intentions　are　always
directed　to　worthy　ends；　to　do　good　to　all　and　evil　to　none；　and　if　he
who　means　this；　does　this；　and　makes　this　his　practice　deserves　to
be　called　a　fool；　it　is　for　your　highnesses　to　say；　O　most　excellent
duke　and　duchess。〃
　　〃Good；　by　God！〃　cried　Sancho；　〃say　no　more　in　your　own　defence；
master　mine；　for　there's　nothing　more　in　the　world　to　be　said；
thought；　or　insisted　on；　and　besides；　when　this　gentleman　denies；　as
he　has；　that　there　are　or　ever　have　been　any　knights…errant　in　the
world；　is　it　any　wonder　if　he　knows　nothing　of　what　he　has　been
talking　about？〃
　　〃Perhaps；　brother；〃　said　the　ecclesiastic；　〃you　are　that　Sancho
Panza　that　is　mentioned；　to　whom　your　master　has　promised　an　island？〃
　　〃Yes；　I　am；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　what's　more；　I　am　one　who　deserves　it
as　much　as　anyone；　I　am　one　of　the　sort…　'Attach　thyself　to　the
good；　and　thou　wilt　be　one　of　them；'　and　of　those；　'Not　with　whom　thou
art　bred；　but　with　whom　thou　art　fed；'　and　of　those；　'Who　leans
against　a　good　tree；　a　good　shade　covers　him；'　I　have　leant　upon　a
good　master；　and　I　have　been　for　months　going　about　with　him；　and
please　God　I　shall　be　just　such　another；　long　life　to　him　and　long
life　to　me；　for　neither　will　he　be　in　any　want　of　empires　to　rule；
or　I　of　islands　to　govern。〃
　　〃No；　Sancho　my　friend；　certainly　not；〃　said　the　duke；　〃for　in　the
name　of　Senor　Don　Quixote　I　confer　upon　you　the　government　of　one　of
no　small　importance　that　I　have　at　my　disposal。〃
　　〃Go　down　on　thy　knees；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　kiss　the　feet
of　his　excellence　for　the　favour　he　has　bestowed　upon　thee。〃
　　Sancho　obeyed；　and　on　seeing　this　the　ecclesiastic　stood　up　from
table　completely　out　of　temper；　exclaiming；　〃By　the　gown　I　wear；　I
am　almost　inclined　to　say　that　your　excellence　is　as　great　a　fool　as
these　sinners。　No　wonder　they　are　mad；　when　people　who　are　in　their
senses　sanction　their　madness！　I　leave　your　excellence　with　them；
for　so　long　as　they　are　in　the　house；　I　will　remain　in　my　own；　and
spare　myself　the　trouble　of　reproving　what　I　cannot　remedy；〃　and
without　uttering　another　word；　or　eating　another　morsel；　he　went
off；　the　entreaties　of　the　duke　and　duchess　being　entirely
unavailing　to　stop　him；　not　that　the　duke　said　much　to　him；　for　he
could　not；　because　of　the　laughter　his　uncalled…for　anger　provoked。
　　When　he　had　done　laughing；　he　said　to　Don　Quixote；　〃You　have　replied
on　your　own　behalf　so　stoutly；　Sir　Knight　of　the　Lions；　that　there
is　no　occasion　to　seek　further　satisfaction　for　this；　which；　though　it
may　look　like　an　offence；　is　not　so　at　all；　for；　as　women　can　give
no　offence；　no　more　can　ecclesiastics；　as　you　very　well　know。〃
　　〃That　is　true；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　the　reason　is；　that　he　who　is
not　liable　to　offence　cannot　give　offence　to　anyone。　Women；
children；　and　ecclesiastics；　as　they　cannot　defend　themselves；
though　they　may　receive　offence　cannot　be　insulted；　because　between
the　offence　and　the　insult　there　is；　as　your　excellence　very　well
knows；　this　difference：　the　insult　comes　from　one　who　is　capable　of
offering　it；　and　does　so；　and　maintains　it；　the　offence　may　come
from　any　quarter　without　carrying　insult。　To　take　an　example：　a　man　is
standing　unsuspectingly　in　the　street　and　ten　others　come　up　armed　and
beat　him；　he　draws　his　sword　and　quits　himself　like　a　man；　but　the
number　of　his　antagonists　makes　it　impossible　for　him　to　effect　his
purpose　and　avenge　himself；　this　man　suffers　an　offence　but　not　an
insult。　Another　example　will　make　the　same　thing　plain：　a　man　is
standing　with　his　back　turned；　another　comes　up　and　strikes　him；　and
after　striking　him　takes　to　flight；　without　waiting　an　instant；　and
the　other　pursues　him　but　does　not　overtake　him；　he　who　received　the
blow　received　an　offence；　but　not　an　insult；　because　an　insult　must　be
maintained。　If　he　who　struck　him；　though　he　did　so　sneakingly　and
treacherously；　had　drawn　his　sword　and　stood　and　faced　him；　then　he
who　had　been　struck　would　have　received　offence　and　insult　at　the　same
time；　offence　because　he　was　struck　treacherously；　insult　because　he
who　struck　him　maintained　what　he　had　done；　standing　his　ground
without　taking　to　flight。　And　so；　according　to　the　laws　of　the
accursed　duel；　I　may　have　received　offence；　but　not　insult；　for
neither　women　nor　children　can　maintain　it；　nor　can　they　wound；　nor
have　they　any　way　of　standing　their　ground；　and　it　is　just　the　same
with　those　connected　with　religion；　for　these　three　sorts　of　persons
are　without　arms　offensive　or　defensive；　and　so；　though　naturally　they
are　bound　to　defend　themselves；　they　have　no　right　to　offend
anybody；　and　though　I　said　just　now　I　might　have　received　offence；　I
say　now　certainly　not；　for　he　who　cannot　receive　an　insult　can　still
less　give　one；　for　which　reasons　I　ought　not　to　feel；　nor　do　I　feel；
aggrieved　at　what　that　good　man　said　to　me；　I　only　wish　he　had
stayed　a　little　longer；　that　I　might　have　shown　him　the　mistake　he
makes　in　supposing　and　maintaining　that　there　are　not　and　never　have
been　any　knights…errant　in　the　world；　had　Amadis　or　any　of　his
countless　descendants　heard　him　say　as　much；　I　am　sure　it　would　not
have　gone　well　with　his　worship。〃
　　〃I　will　take　my　oath　of　that；〃　said　Sancho；　〃they　would　have　given
him　a　slash　that　would　have　slit　him　down　from　top　to　toe　like　a
pomegranate　or　a　ripe　melon；　they　were　likely　fellows　to　put　up　with
jokes　of　that　sort！　By　my　faith；　I'm　certain　if　Reinaldos　of　Montalvan
had　heard　the　little　man's　words　he　would　have　given　him　such　a
spank　on　the　mouth　that　he　wouldn't　have　spoken　for　the　next　three
years；　ay；　let　him　tackle　them；　and　he'll　see　how　he'll　get　out　of
their　hands！〃
　　The　duchess；　as　she　listened　to　Sancho；　was　ready　to　die　with
laughter；　and　in　her　own　mind　she　set　him　down　as　droller　and　madder
than　his　master；　and　there　were　a　good　many　just　then　who　were　of
the　same　opinion。
　　Don　Quixote　finally　grew　calm；　and　dinner　came　to　an　end；　and　as　the
cloth　was　removed　four　damsels　came　in；　one　of　them　with　a　silver
basin；　another　with　a　jug　also　of　silver；　a　third　with　two　fine
white　towels　on　her　shoulder；　and　the　fourth　with　her　arms　bared　to
the　elbows；　and　in　her　white　hands　（for　white　they　certainly　were）　a
round　ball　of　Naples　soap。　The　one　with　the　basin　approached；　and　with
arch　composure　and　impudence；　thrust　it　under　Don　Quixote's　chin；　who；
wondering　at　such　a　ceremony；　said　never　a　word；　supposing　it　to　be
the　custom　of　that　country　to　wash　beards　i