don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第175节

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Then　there　were　heard　repeated　lelilies　after　the　fashion　of　the　Moors
when　they　rush　to　battle；　trumpets　and　clarions　brayed；　drums　beat；
fifes　played；　so　unceasingly　and　so　fast　that　he　could　not　have　had
any　senses　who　did　not　lose　them　with　the　confused　din　of　so　many
instruments。　The　duke　was　astounded；　the　duchess　amazed；　Don　Quixote
wondering；　Sancho　Panza　trembling；　and　indeed；　even　they　who　were
aware　of　the　cause　were　frightened。　In　their　fear；　silence　fell　upon
them；　and　a　postillion；　in　the　guise　of　a　demon；　passed　in　front　of
them；　blowing；　in　lieu　of　a　bugle；　a　huge　hollow　horn　that　gave　out
a　horrible　hoarse　note。
　　〃Ho　there！　brother　courier；〃　cried　the　duke；　〃who　are　you？　Where　are
you　going？　What　troops　are　these　that　seem　to　be　passing　through　the
wood？〃
　　To　which　the　courier　replied　in　a　harsh；　discordant　voice；　〃I　am　the
devil；　I　am　in　search　of　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　those　who　are
coming　this　way　are　six　troops　of　enchanters；　who　are　bringing　on　a
triumphal　car　the　peerless　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　she　comes　under
enchantment；　together　with　the　gallant　Frenchman　Montesinos；　to　give
instructions　to　Don　Quixote　as　to　how；　she　the　said　lady；　may　be
disenchanted。〃
　　〃If　you　were　the　devil；　as　you　say　and　as　your　appearance
indicates；〃　said　the　duke；　〃you　would　have　known　the　said　knight　Don
Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　for　you　have　him　here　before　you。〃
　　〃By　God　and　upon　my　conscience；〃　said　the　devil；　〃I　never　observed
it；　for　my　mind　is　occupied　with　so　many　different　things　that　I　was
forgetting　the　main　thing　I　came　about。〃
　　〃This　demon　must　be　an　honest　fellow　and　a　good　Christian；〃　said
Sancho；　〃for　if　he　wasn't　he　wouldn't　swear　by　God　and　his　conscience；
I　feel　sure　now　there　must　be　good　souls　even　in　hell　itself。〃
　　Without　dismounting；　the　demon　then　turned　to　Don　Quixote　and
said；　〃The　unfortunate　but　valiant　knight　Montesinos　sends　me　to　thee；
the　Knight　of　the　Lions　（would　that　I　saw　thee　in　their　claws）；
bidding　me　tell　thee　to　wait　for　him　wherever　I　may　find　thee；　as　he
brings　with　him　her　whom　they　call　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　that　he　may
show　thee　what　is　needful　in　order　to　disenchant　her；　and　as　I　came
for　no　more　I　need　stay　no　longer；　demons　of　my　sort　be　with　thee；　and
good　angels　with　these　gentles；〃　and　so　saying　he　blew　his　huge
horn；　turned　about　and　went　off　without　waiting　for　a　reply　from
anyone。
　　They　all　felt　fresh　wonder；　but　particularly　Sancho　and　Don　Quixote；
Sancho　to　see　how；　in　defiance　of　the　truth；　they　would　have　it　that
Dulcinea　was　enchanted；　Don　Quixote　because　he　could　not　feel　sure
whether　what　had　happened　to　him　in　the　cave　of　Montesinos　was　true　or
not；　and　as　he　was　deep　in　these　cogitations　the　duke　said　to　him；　〃Do
you　mean　to　wait；　Senor　Don　Quixote？〃
　　〃Why　not？〃　replied　he；　〃here　will　I　wait；　fearless　and　firm；
though　all　hell　should　come　to　attack　me。〃
　　〃Well　then；　if　I　see　another　devil　or　hear　another　horn　like　the
last；　I'll　wait　here　as　much　as　in　Flanders；〃　said　Sancho。
　　Night　now　closed　in　more　completely；　and　many　lights　began　to　flit
through　the　wood；　just　as　those　fiery　exhalations　from　the　earth；　that
look　like　shooting…stars　to　our　eyes；　flit　through　the　heavens；　a
frightful　noise；　too；　was　heard；　like　that　made　by　the　solid　wheels
the　ox…carts　usually　have；　by　the　harsh；　ceaseless　creaking　of
which；　they　say；　the　bears　and　wolves　are　put　to　flight；　if　there
happen　to　be　any　where　they　are　passing。　In　addition　to　all　this
commotion；　there　came　a　further　disturbance　to　increase　the　tumult；
for　now　it　seemed　as　if　in　truth；　on　all　four　sides　of　the　wood；
four　encounters　or　battles　were　going　on　at　the　same　time；　in　one
quarter　resounded　the　dull　noise　of　a　terrible　cannonade；　in　another
numberless　muskets　were　being　discharged；　the　shouts　of　the　combatants
sounded　almost　close　at　hand；　and　farther　away　the　Moorish　lelilies
were　raised　again　and　again。　In　a　word；　the　bugles；　the　horns；　the
clarions；　the　trumpets；　the　drums；　the　cannon；　the　musketry；　and　above
all　the　tremendous　noise　of　the　carts；　all　made　up　together　a　din　so
confused　and　terrific　that　Don　Quixote　had　need　to　summon　up　all　his
courage　to　brave　it；　but　Sancho's　gave　way；　and　he　fell　fainting　on
the　skirt　of　the　duchess's　robe；　who　let　him　lie　there　and　promptly
bade　them　throw　water　in　his　face。　This　was　done；　and　he　came　to
himself　by　the　time　that　one　of　the　carts　with　the　creaking　wheels
reached　the　spot。　It　was　drawn　by　four　plodding　oxen　all　covered
with　black　housings；　on　each　horn　they　had　fixed　a　large　lighted　wax
taper；　and　on　the　top　of　the　cart　was　constructed　a　raised　seat；　on
which　sat　a　venerable　old　man　with　a　beard　whiter　than　the　very
snow；　and　so　long　that　it　fell　below　his　waist；　he　was　dressed　in　a
long　robe　of　black　buckram；　for　as　the　cart　was　thickly　set　with　a
multitude　of　candles　it　was　easy　to　make　out　everything　that　was　on
it。　Leading　it　were　two　hideous　demons；　also　clad　in　buckram；　with
countenances　so　frightful　that　Sancho；　having　once　seen　them；　shut　his
eyes　so　as　not　to　see　them　again。　As　soon　as　the　cart　came　opposite
the　spot　the　old　man　rose　from　his　lofty　seat；　and　standing　up　said　in
a　loud　voice；　〃I　am　the　sage　Lirgandeo；〃　and　without　another　word
the　cart　then　passed　on。　Behind　it　came　another　of　the　same　form；　with
another　aged　man　enthroned；　who；　stopping　the　cart；　said　in　a　voice　no
less　solemn　than　that　of　the　first；　〃I　am　the　sage　Alquife；　the
great　friend　of　Urganda　the　Unknown；〃　and　passed　on。　Then　another　cart
came　by　at　the　same　pace；　but　the　occupant　of　the　throne　was　not　old
like　the　others；　but　a　man　stalwart　and　robust；　and　of　a　forbidding
countenance；　who　as　he　came　up　said　in　a　voice　far　hoarser　and　more
devilish；　〃I　am　the　enchanter　Archelaus；　the　mortal　enemy　of　Amadis　of
Gaul　and　all　his　kindred；〃　and　then　passed　on。　Having　gone　a　short
distance　the　three　carts　halted　and　the　monotonous　noise　of　their
wheels　ceased；　and　soon　after　they　heard　another；　not　noise；　but　sound
of　sweet；　harmonious　music；　of　which　Sancho　was　very　glad；　taking　it
to　be　a　good　sign；　and　said　he　to　the　duchess；　from　whom　he　did　not
stir　a　step；　or　for　a　single　instant；　〃Senora；　where　there's　music
there　can't　be　mischief。〃
　　〃Nor　where　there　are　lights　and　it　is　bright；〃　said　the　duchess；
to　which　Sancho　replied；　〃Fire　gives　light；　and　it's　bright　where
there　are　bonfires；　as　we　see　by　those　that　are　all　round　us　and
perhaps　may　burn　us；　but　music　is　a　sign　of　mirth　and　merrymaking。〃
　　〃That　remains　to　be　seen；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　who　was　listening　to
all　that　passed；　and　he　was　right；　as　is　shown　in　the　following
chapter。


　　CHAPTER　XXXV
　　WHEREIN　IS　CONTINUED　THE　INSTRUCTION　GIVEN　TO　DON　QUIXOTE　TOUCHING
THE　DISENCHANTMENT　OF　DULCINEA；　TOGETHER　WITH　OTHER　MARVELLOUS
INCIDENTS

　　THEY　saw　advancing　towards　them；　to　the　sound　of　this　pleasing
music；　what　they　call　a　triumphal　car；　drawn　by　six　grey　mules　with
white　linen　housings；　on　each　of　which　was　mounted　a　penitent；　robed
also　in　white；　with　a　large　lighted　wax　taper　in　his　hand。　The　car　was
twice　or；　perhaps；　three　times　as　large　as　the　former　ones；　and　in
front　and　on　the　sides　stood　twelve　more　penitents；　all　as　white　as
snow　and　all　with　lighted　tapers；　a　spectacle　to　excite　fear　as　well
as　wonder；　and　on　a　raised　throne　was　seated　a　nymph　draped　in　a
multitude　of　silver…tissue　veils　with　an　embroidery　of　countless
gold　spangles　glittering　all　over　them；　that　made　her　appear；　if　not
richly；　at　least　brilliantly；　apparelled。　She　had　her　face　covered
with　thin　transparent　sendal；　the　texture　of　which　did　not　prevent　the
fair　features　of　a　maiden　from　being　distinguished；　while　the　numerous
lights　made　it　possible　to　judge　of　her　beauty　and　of　her　years；　which
seemed　to　be　not　less　than　seventeen　but　not　to　have　yet　reached
twenty。　Beside　her　was　a　figure　in　a　robe　of　state；　as　they　call　it；
reaching　to　the　feet；　while　the　head　was　covered　with　a　black　veil。
But　the　instant　the　car　was　opposite　the　duke　and　duchess　and　Don
Quixote　the　music　of　the　clarions　ceased；　and　then　that　of　the　lutes
and　harps　on　the　car；　and　the　figure　in　the　robe　rose　up；　and　flinging
it　apart　and　removing　the　veil　from　its　face；　disclosed　to　their
eyes　the　shape　of　Death　itself；　fleshless　and　hideous；　at　which
sight　Don　Quixote　felt　uneasy；　Sancho　frightened；　and　the　duke　and
duchess　displayed　a　certain　trepidation。　Having　risen　to　its　feet；
this　living　death；　in　a　sleepy　voice　and　with　a　tongue　hardly　awake；
held　forth　as　follows：

　　I　am　that　Merlin　who　the　legends　say
　　The　devil　had　for　father；　and　the　lie
　　Hath　gathered　credence　with　the　lapse　of　time。
　　Of　magic　prince；　of　Zoroastric　lore
　　Monarch　and　treasurer；　with　jealous　eye
　　I　view　the　efforts　of　the　age　to　hide
　　The　gallant　deeds　of　doughty　errant　knights；
　　Who　are；　and　ever　have　been；　dear　to　me。
　　　　Enchanters　and　magicians　and　their　kind
　　Are　mostly　hard　of　heart；　not　so　am　I；
　　For　mine　is　tender；　soft；　compassionate；
　　And　its　delight　is　doing　good　to　all。
　　In　the　dim　caverns　of　the　gloomy　Dis；
　　Where；　tracing　mystic　lines　and　characters；
　　My　soul　abideth　now；　there　came　to　me
　　The　sorrow…laden　plaint　of