don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第69节

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demonstrations　that　cannot　be　denied；　like；　'If　equals　be　taken　from
equals；　the　remainders　are　equal：'　and　if　they　do　not　understand
this　in　words；　and　indeed　they　do　not；　it　has　to　be　shown　to　them　with
the　hands；　and　put　before　their　eyes；　and　even　with　all　this　no　one
succeeds　in　convincing　them　of　the　truth　of　our　holy　religion。　This
same　mode　of　proceeding　I　shall　have　to　adopt　with　thee；　for　the
desire　which　has　sprung　up　in　thee　is　so　absurd　and　remote　from
everything　that　has　a　semblance　of　reason；　that　I　feel　it　would　be　a
waste　of　time　to　employ　it　in　reasoning　with　thy　simplicity；　for　at
present　I　will　call　it　by　no　other　name；　and　I　am　even　tempted　to
leave　thee　in　thy　folly　as　a　punishment　for　thy　pernicious　desire；　but
the　friendship　I　bear　thee；　which　will　not　allow　me　to　desert　thee
in　such　manifest　danger　of　destruction；　keeps　me　from　dealing　so
harshly　by　thee。　And　that　thou　mayest　clearly　see　this；　say；
Anselmo；　hast　thou　not　told　me　that　I　must　force　my　suit　upon　a　modest
woman；　decoy　one　that　is　virtuous；　make　overtures　to　one　that　is
pure…minded；　pay　court　to　one　that　is　prudent？　Yes；　thou　hast　told
me　so。　Then；　if　thou　knowest　that　thou　hast　a　wife；　modest；
virtuous；　pure…minded　and　prudent；　what　is　it　that　thou　seekest？　And
if　thou　believest　that　she　will　come　forth　victorious　from　all　my
attacks…　as　doubtless　she　would…　what　higher　titles　than　those　she
possesses　now　dost　thou　think　thou　canst　upon　her　then；　or　in　what
will　she　be　better　then　than　she　is　now？　Either　thou　dost　not　hold　her
to　be　what　thou　sayest；　or　thou　knowest　not　what　thou　dost　demand。
If　thou　dost　not　hold　her　to　be　what　thou　why　dost　thou　seek　to
prove　her　instead　of　treating　her　as　guilty　in　the　way　that　may　seem
best　to　thee？　but　if　she　be　as　virtuous　as　thou　believest；　it　is　an
uncalled…for　proceeding　to　make　trial　of　truth　itself；　for；　after
trial；　it　will　but　be　in　the　same　estimation　as　before。　Thus；　then；　it
is　conclusive　that　to　attempt　things　from　which　harm　rather　than
advantage　may　come　to　us　is　the　part　of　unreasoning　and　reckless
minds；　more　especially　when　they　are　things　which　we　are　not　forced　or
compelled　to　attempt；　and　which　show　from　afar　that　it　is　plainly
madness　to　attempt　them。
　　〃Difficulties　are　attempted　either　for　the　sake　of　God　or　for　the
sake　of　the　world；　or　for　both；　those　undertaken　for　God's　sake　are
those　which　the　saints　undertake　when　they　attempt　to　live　the　lives
of　angels　in　human　bodies；　those　undertaken　for　the　sake　of　the
world　are　those　of　the　men　who　traverse　such　a　vast　expanse　of
water；　such　a　variety　of　climates；　so　many　strange　countries；　to
acquire　what　are　called　the　blessings　of　fortune；　and　those　undertaken
for　the　sake　of　God　and　the　world　together　are　those　of　brave
soldiers；　who　no　sooner　do　they　see　in　the　enemy's　wall　a　breach　as
wide　as　a　cannon　ball　could　make；　than；　casting　aside　all　fear；
without　hesitating；　or　heeding　the　manifest　peril　that　threatens　them；
borne　onward　by　the　desire　of　defending　their　faith；　their　country；
and　their　king；　they　fling　themselves　dauntlessly　into　the　midst　of
the　thousand　opposing　deaths　that　await　them。　Such　are　the　things　that
men　are　wont　to　attempt；　and　there　is　honour；　glory；　gain；　in
attempting　them；　however　full　of　difficulty　and　peril　they　may　be；　but
that　which　thou　sayest　it　is　thy　wish　to　attempt　and　carry　out　will
not　win　thee　the　glory　of　God　nor　the　blessings　of　fortune　nor　fame
among　men；　for　even　if　the　issue　he　as　thou　wouldst　have　it；　thou　wilt
be　no　happier；　richer；　or　more　honoured　than　thou　art　this　moment；　and
if　it　be　otherwise　thou　wilt　be　reduced　to　misery　greater　than　can
be　imagined；　for　then　it　will　avail　thee　nothing　to　reflect　that　no
one　is　aware　of　the　misfortune　that　has　befallen　thee；　it　will　suffice
to　torture　and　crush　thee　that　thou　knowest　it　thyself。　And　in
confirmation　of　the　truth　of　what　I　say；　let　me　repeat　to　thee　a
stanza　made　by　the　famous　poet　Luigi　Tansillo　at　the　end　of　the
first　part　of　his　'Tears　of　Saint　Peter；'　which　says　thus：

　　　The　anguish　and　the　shame　but　greater　grew
　　　　　In　Peter's　heart　as　morning　slowly　came；
　　　No　eye　was　there　to　see　him；　well　he　knew；
　　　　　Yet　he　himself　was　to　himself　a　shame；
　　　Exposed　to　all　men's　gaze；　or　screened　from　view；
　　　　　A　noble　heart　will　feel　the　pang　the　same；
　　　A　prey　to　shame　the　sinning　soul　will　be；
　　　Though　none　but　heaven　and　earth　its　shame　can　see。

Thus　by　keeping　it　secret　thou　wilt　not　escape　thy　sorrow；　but
rather　thou　wilt　shed　tears　unceasingly；　if　not　tears　of　the　eyes；
tears　of　blood　from　the　heart；　like　those　shed　by　that　simple　doctor
our　poet　tells　us　of；　that　tried　the　test　of　the　cup；　which　the　wise
Rinaldo；　better　advised；　refused　to　do；　for　though　this　may　be　a
poetic　fiction　it　contains　a　moral　lesson　worthy　of　attention　and
study　and　imitation。　Moreover　by　what　I　am　about　to　say　to　thee　thou
wilt　be　led　to　see　the　great　error　thou　wouldst　commit。
　　〃Tell　me；　Anselmo；　if　Heaven　or　good　fortune　had　made　thee　master
and　lawful　owner　of　a　diamond　of　the　finest　quality；　with　the
excellence　and　purity　of　which　all　the　lapidaries　that　had　seen　it　had
been　satisfied；　saying　with　one　voice　and　common　consent　that　in
purity；　quality；　and　fineness；　it　was　all　that　a　stone　of　the　kind
could　possibly　be；　thou　thyself　too　being　of　the　same　belief；　as
knowing　nothing　to　the　contrary；　would　it　be　reasonable　in　thee　to
desire　to　take　that　diamond　and　place　it　between　an　anvil　and　a
hammer；　and　by　mere　force　of　blows　and　strength　of　arm　try　if　it
were　as　hard　and　as　fine　as　they　said？　And　if　thou　didst；　and　if　the
stone　should　resist　so　silly　a　test；　that　would　add　nothing　to　its
value　or　reputation；　and　if　it　were　broken；　as　it　might　be；　would
not　all　be　lost？　Undoubtedly　it　would；　leaving　its　owner　to　be　rated
as　a　fool　in　the　opinion　of　all。　Consider；　then；　Anselmo　my　friend；
that　Camilla　is　a　diamond　of　the　finest　quality　as　well　in　thy
estimation　as　in　that　of　others；　and　that　it　is　contrary　to　reason
to　expose　her　to　the　risk　of　being　broken；　for　if　she　remains　intact
she　cannot　rise　to　a　higher　value　than　she　now　possesses；　and　if　she
give　way　and　be　unable　to　resist；　bethink　thee　now　how　thou　wilt　be
deprived　of　her；　and　with　what　good　reason　thou　wilt　complain　of
thyself　for　having　been　the　cause　of　her　ruin　and　thine　own。
Remember　there　is　no　jewel　in　the　world　so　precious　as　a　chaste　and
virtuous　woman；　and　that　the　whole　honour　of　women　consists　in
reputation；　and　since　thy　wife's　is　of　that　high　excellence　that
thou　knowest；　wherefore　shouldst　thou　seek　to　call　that　truth　in
question？　Remember；　my　friend；　that　woman　is　an　imperfect　animal；
and　that　impediments　are　not　to　be　placed　in　her　way　to　make　her
trip　and　fall；　but　that　they　should　be　removed；　and　her　path　left
clear　of　all　obstacles；　so　that　without　hindrance　she　may　run　her
course　freely　to　attain　the　desired　perfection；　which　consists　in
being　virtuous。　Naturalists　tell　us　that　the　ermine　is　a　little　animal
which　has　a　fur　of　purest　white；　and　that　when　the　hunters　wish　to
take　it；　they　make　use　of　this　artifice。　Having　ascertained　the　places
which　it　frequents　and　passes；　they　stop　the　way　to　them　with　mud；　and
then　rousing　it；　drive　it　towards　the　spot；　and　as　soon　as　the
ermine　comes　to　the　mud　it　halts；　and　allows　itself　to　be　taken
captive　rather　than　pass　through　the　mire；　and　spoil　and　sully　its
whiteness；　which　it　values　more　than　life　and　liberty。　The　virtuous
and　chaste　woman　is　an　ermine；　and　whiter　and　purer　than　snow　is　the
virtue　of　modesty；　and　he　who　wishes　her　not　to　lose　it；　but　to　keep
and　preserve　it；　must　adopt　a　course　different　from　that　employed　with
the　ermine；　he　must　not　put　before　her　the　mire　of　the　gifts　and
attentions　of　persevering　lovers；　because　perhaps…　and　even　without
a　perhaps…　she　may　not　have　sufficient　virtue　and　natural　strength
in　herself　to　pass　through　and　tread　under　foot　these　impediments；
they　must　be　removed；　and　the　brightness　of　virtue　and　the　beauty　of　a
fair　fame　must　be　put　before　her。　A　virtuous　woman；　too；　is　like　a
mirror；　of　clear　shining　crystal；　liable　to　be　tarnished　and　dimmed　by
every　breath　that　touches　it。　She　must　be　treated　as　relics　are；
adored；　not　touched。　She　must　be　protected　and　prized　as　one
protects　and　prizes　a　fair　garden　full　of　roses　and　flowers；　the　owner
of　which　allows　no　one　to　trespass　or　pluck　a　blossom；　enough　for
others　that　from　afar　and　through　the　iron　grating　they　may　enjoy
its　fragrance　and　its　beauty。　Finally　let　me　repeat　to　thee　some
verses　that　come　to　my　mind；　I　heard　them　in　a　modern　comedy；　and　it
seems　to　me　they　bear　upon　the　point　we　are　discussing。　A　prudent
old　man　was　giving　advice　to　another；　the　father　of　a　young　girl；　to
lock　her　up；　watch　over　her　and　keep　her　in　seclusion；　and　among　other
arguments　he　used　these：

　　　　　　　Woman　is　a　thing　of　glass；
　　　　　　　　　But　her　brittleness　'tis　best
　　　　　　　　　Not　too　curiously　to　test：
　　　　　　　Who　knows　what　may　come　to　pass？

　　　　　　　Breaking　is　an　easy　matter；
　　　　　　　　　And　it's　folly　to　expose
　　　　　　　　　What　you　cannot　mend　to　blows；
　　　　　　　What　you　can't　make　whole　to　shatter。