don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第237节

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may　come　into　my　head；　to　pass　away　our　time　in　those　secluded　regions
where　we　shall　be　roaming。　But　what　is　most　needful；　sirs；　is　that
each　of　us　should　choose　the　name　of　the　shepherdess　he　means　to
glorify　in　his　verses；　and　that　we　should　not　leave　a　tree；　be　it　ever
so　hard；　without　writing　up　and　carving　her　name　on　it；　as　is　the
habit　and　custom　of　love…smitten　shepherds。〃
　　〃That's　the　very　thing；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃though　I　am　relieved
from　looking　for　the　name　of　an　imaginary　shepherdess；　for　there's　the
peerless　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　the　glory　of　these　brooksides；　the
ornament　of　these　meadows；　the　mainstay　of　beauty；　the　cream　of　all
the　graces；　and；　in　a　word；　the　being　to　whom　all　praise　is
appropriate；　be　it　ever　so　hyperbolical。〃
　　〃Very　true；〃　said　the　curate；　〃but　we　the　others　must　look　about　for
accommodating　shepherdesses　that　will　answer　our　purpose　one　way　or
another。〃
　　〃And；〃　added　Samson　Carrasco；　〃if　they　fail　us；　we　can　call　them
by　the　names　of　the　ones　in　print　that　the　world　is　filled　with；
Filidas；　Amarilises；　Dianas；　Fleridas；　Galateas；　Belisardas；　for　as
they　sell　them　in　the　market…places　we　may　fairly　buy　them　and　make
them　our　own。　If　my　lady；　or　I　should　say　my　shepherdess；　happens　to
be　called　Ana；　I'll　sing　her　praises　under　the　name　of　Anarda；　and
if　Francisca；　I'll　call　her　Francenia；　and　if　Lucia；　Lucinda；　for　it
all　comes　to　the　same　thing；　and　Sancho　Panza；　if　he　joins　this
fraternity；　may　glorify　his　wife　Teresa　Panza　as　Teresaina。〃
　　Don　Quixote　laughed　at　the　adaptation　of　the　name；　and　the　curate
bestowed　vast　praise　upon　the　worthy　and　honourable　resolution　he
had　made；　and　again　offered　to　bear　him　company　all　the　time　that　he
could　spare　from　his　imperative　duties。　And　so　they　took　their　leave
of　him；　recommending　and　beseeching　him　to　take　care　of　his　health　and
treat　himself　to　a　suitable　diet。
　　It　so　happened　his　niece　and　the　housekeeper　overheard　all　the　three
of　them　said；　and　as　soon　as　they　were　gone　they　both　of　them　came
in　to　Don　Quixote；　and　said　the　niece；　〃What's　this；　uncle？　Now　that
we　were　thinking　you　had　come　back　to　stay　at　home　and　lead　a　quiet
respectable　life　there；　are　you　going　to　get　into　fresh　entanglements；
and　turn　'young　shepherd；　thou　that　comest　here；　young　shepherd
going　there？'　Nay！　indeed　'the　straw　is　too　hard　now　to　make　pipes
of。'〃
　　〃And；〃　added　the　housekeeper；　〃will　your　worship　be　able　to　bear；
out　in　the　fields；　the　heats　of　summer；　and　the　chills　of　winter；
and　the　howling　of　the　wolves？　Not　you；　for　that's　a　life　and　a
business　for　hardy　men；　bred　and　seasoned　to　such　work　almost　from　the
time　they　were　in　swaddling…clothes。　Why；　to　make　choice　of　evils；
it's　better　to　be　a　knight…errant　than　a　shepherd！　Look　here；　senor；
take　my　advice…　and　I'm　not　giving　it　to　you　full　of　bread　and　wine；
but　fasting；　and　with　fifty　years　upon　my　head…　stay　at　home；　look
after　your　affairs；　go　often　to　confession；　be　good　to　the　poor；　and
upon　my　soul　be　it　if　any　evil　comes　to　you。〃
　　〃Hold　your　peace；　my　daughters；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃I　know　very　well
what　my　duty　is；　help　me　to　bed；　for　I　don't　feel　very　well；　and
rest　assured　that；　knight…errant　now　or　wandering　shepherd　to　be；　I
shall　never　fail　to　have　a　care　for　your　interests；　as　you　will　see　in
the　end。〃　And　the　good　wenches　（for　that　they　undoubtedly　were）；　the
housekeeper　and　niece；　helped　him　to　bed；　where　they　gave　him
something　to　eat　and　made　him　as　comfortable　as　possible。
　　

CHAPTER　LXXIV


　　OF　HOW　DON　QUIXOTE　FELL　SICK；　AND　OF　THE　WILL　HE　MADE；　AND　HOW　HE

DIED



　　AS　NOTHING　that　is　man's　can　last　for　ever；　but　all　tends　ever

downwards　from　its　beginning　to　its　end；　and　above　all　man's　life；　and

as　Don　Quixote's　enjoyed　no　special　dispensation　from　heaven　to　stay

its　course；　its　end　and　close　came　when　he　least　looked　for　it。　For…

whether　it　was　of　the　dejection　the　thought　of　his　defeat　produced；　or

of　heaven's　will　that　so　ordered　it…　a　fever　settled　upon　him　and　kept

him　in　his　bed　for　six　days；　during　which　he　was　often　visited　by

his　friends　the　curate；　the　bachelor；　and　the　barber；　while　his　good

squire　Sancho　Panza　never　quitted　his　bedside。　They；　persuaded　that　it

was　grief　at　finding　himself　vanquished；　and　the　object　of　his

heart；　the　liberation　and　disenchantment　of　Dulcinea；　unattained；　that

kept　him　in　this　state；　strove　by　all　the　means　in　their　power　to

cheer　him　up；　the　bachelor　bidding　him　take　heart　and　get　up　to

begin　his　pastoral　life；　for　which　he　himself；　he　said；　had　already

composed　an　eclogue　that　would　take　the　shine　out　of　all　Sannazaro　had

ever　written；　and　had　bought　with　his　own　money　two　famous　dogs　to

guard　the　flock；　one　called　Barcino　and　the　other　Butron；　which　a

herdsman　of　Quintanar　had　sold　him。

　　But　for　all　this　Don　Quixote　could　not　shake　off　his　sadness。　His

friends　called　in　the　doctor；　who　felt　his　pulse　and　was　not　very　well

satisfied　with　it；　and　said　that　in　any　case　it　would　be　well　for

him　to　attend　to　the　health　of　his　soul；　as　that　of　his　body　was　in

a　bad　way。　Don　Quixote　heard　this　calmly；　but　not　so　his

housekeeper；　his　niece；　and　his　squire；　who　fell　weeping　bitterly；

as　if　they　had　him　lying　dead　before　them。　The　doctor's　opinion　was

that　melancholy　and　depression　were　bringing　him　to　his　end。　Don

Quixote　begged　them　to　leave　him　to　himself；　as　he　had　a　wish　to　sleep

a　little。　They　obeyed；　and　he　slept　at　one　stretch；　as　the　saying

is；　more　than　six　hours；　so　that　the　housekeeper　and　niece　thought

he　was　going　to　sleep　for　ever。　But　at　the　end　of　that　time　he　woke

up；　and　in　a　loud　voice　exclaimed；　〃Blessed　be　Almighty　God；　who　has

shown　me　such　goodness。　In　truth　his　mercies　are　boundless；　and　the

sins　of　men　can　neither　limit　them　nor　keep　them　back！〃

　　The　niece　listened　with　attention　to　her　uncle's　words；　and　they

struck　her　as　more　coherent　than　what　usually　fell　from　him；　at

least　during　his　illness；　so　she　asked；　〃What　are　you　saying；　senor？

Has　anything　strange　occurred？　What　mercies　or　what　sins　of　men　are

you　talking　of？〃

　　〃The　mercies；　niece；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃are　those　that　God　has　this

moment　shown　me；　and　with　him；　as　I　said；　my　sins　are　no　impediment　to

them。　My　reason　is　now　free　and　clear；　rid　of　the　dark　shadows　of

ignorance　that　my　unhappy　constant　study　of　those　detestable　books

of　chivalry　cast　over　it。　Now　I　see　through　their　absurdities　and

deceptions；　and　it　only　grieves　me　that　this　destruction　of　my

illusions　has　come　so　late　that　it　leaves　me　no　time　to　make　some

amends　by　reading　other　books　that　might　be　a　light　to　my　soul。　Niece；

I　feel　myself　at　the　point　of　death；　and　I　would　fain　meet　it　in

such　a　way　as　to　show　that　my　life　has　not　been　so　ill　that　I　should

leave　behind　me　the　name　of　a　madman；　for　though　I　have　been　one；　I

would　not　that　the　fact　should　be　made　plainer　at　my　death。　Call　in　to

me；　my　dear；　my　good　friends　the　curate；　the　bachelor　Samson　Carrasco；

and　Master　Nicholas　the　barber；　for　I　wish　to　confess　and　make　my

will。〃　But　his　niece　was　saved　the　trouble　by　the　entrance　of　the

three。　The　instant　Don　Quixote　saw　them　he　exclaimed；　〃Good　news　for

you；　good　sirs；　that　I　am　no　longer　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　but

Alonso　Quixano；　whose　way　of　life　won　for　him　the　name　of　Good。　Now　am

I　the　enemy　of　Amadis　of　Gaul　and　of　the　whole　countless　troop　of

his　descendants；　odious　to　me　now　are　all　the　profane　stories　of

knight…errantry；　now　I　perceive　my　folly；　and　the　peril　into　which

reading　them　brought　me；　now；　by　God's　mercy　schooled　into　my　right

senses；　I　loathe　them。〃

　　When　the　three　heard　him　speak　in　this　way；　they　had　no　doubt

whatever　that　some　new　craze　had　taken　possession　of　him；　and　said

Samson；　〃What？　Senor　Don　Quixote！　Now　that　we　have　intelligence　of　the

lady　Dulcinea　being　disenchanted；　are　you　taking　this　line；　now；

just　as　we　are　on　the　point　of　becoming　shepherds；　to　pass　our　lives

singing；　like　princes；　are　you　thinking　of　turning　hermit？　Hush；　for

heaven's　sake；　be　rational　and　let's　have　no　more　nonsense。〃

　　〃All　that　nonsense；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃that　until　now　has　been　a

reality　to　my　hurt；　my　death　will；　with　heaven's　help；　turn　to　my

good。　I　feel；　sirs；　that　I　am　rapidly　drawing　near　death；　a　truce　to

jesting；　let　me　have　a　confessor　to　confess　me；　and　a　notary　to　make

my　will；　for　in　extremities　like　this；　man　must　not　trifle　with　his

soul；　and　while　the　curate　is　confessing　me　let　some　one；　I　beg；　go

for　the　notary。〃

　　They　looked　at　one　another；　wondering　at　Don　Quixote's　words；　but；

though　uncertain；　they　were　inclined　to　believe　him；　and　one　of　the

signs　by　which　they　came　to　the　conclusion　he　was　dying　was　this　so

sudden　and　complete　return　to　his　senses　after　having　been　mad；　for　to

the　words　already　quoted　he　added　much　more；　so　well　expressed；　so

devout；　and　so　rational；　as　to　banish　all　doubt　and　convince　them　that

he　was　sound　of　mind。　The　curate　turned　them　all　out；　and　left　alone

with　him　confessed　him。　The　bachelor　went　for　the　notary　and

returned　shortly　afterwards　with　him　and　with　Sancho；　who；　having

already　learned