don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第8节

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lineage。〃
　　〃Then　to　the　yard　with　the　whole　of　them；〃　said　the　curate；　〃for
to　have　the　burning　of　Queen　Pintiquiniestra；　and　the　shepherd　Darinel
and　his　eclogues；　and　the　bedevilled　and　involved　discourses　of　his
author；　I　would　burn　with　them　the　father　who　begot　me　if　he　were
going　about　in　the　guise　of　a　knight…errant。〃
　　〃I　am　of　the　same　mind；〃　said　the　barber。
　　〃And　so　am　I；〃　added　the　niece。
　　〃In　that　case；〃　said　the　housekeeper；　〃here；　into　the　yard　with
them！〃
　　They　were　handed　to　her；　and　as　there　were　many　of　them；　she
spared　herself　the　staircase；　and　flung　them　down　out　of　the　window。
　　〃Who　is　that　tub　there？〃　said　the　curate。
　　〃This；〃　said　the　barber；　〃is　'Don　Olivante　de　Laura。'〃
　　〃The　author　of　that　book；〃　said　the　curate；　〃was　the　same　that　wrote
'The　Garden　of　Flowers；'　and　truly　there　is　no　deciding　which　of　the
two　books　is　the　more　truthful；　or；　to　put　it　better；　the　less
lying；　all　I　can　say　is；　send　this　one　into　the　yard　for　a
swaggering　fool。〃
　　〃This　that　follows　is　'Florismarte　of　Hircania；'〃　said　the　barber。
　　〃Senor　Florismarte　here？〃　said　the　curate；　〃then　by　my　faith　he　must
take　up　his　quarters　in　the　yard；　in　spite　of　his　marvellous　birth　and
visionary　adventures；　for　the　stiffness　and　dryness　of　his　style
deserve　nothing　else；　into　the　yard　with　him　and　the　other；　mistress
housekeeper。〃
　　〃With　all　my　heart；　senor；〃　said　she；　and　executed　the　order　with
great　delight。
　　〃This；〃　said　the　barber；　〃is　The　Knight　Platir。'〃
　　〃An　old　book　that；〃　said　the　curate；　〃but　I　find　no　reason　for
clemency　in　it；　send　it　after　the　others　without　appeal；〃　which　was
done。
　　Another　book　was　opened；　and　they　saw　it　was　entitled；　〃The　Knight
of　the　Cross。〃
　　〃For　the　sake　of　the　holy　name　this　book　has；〃　said　the　curate；　〃its
ignorance　might　be　excused；　but　then；　they　say；　'behind　the　cross
there's　the　devil；　to　the　fire　with　it。〃
　　Taking　down　another　book；　the　barber　said；　〃This　is　'The　Mirror　of
Chivalry。'〃
　　〃I　know　his　worship；〃　said　the　curate；　〃that　is　where　Senor
Reinaldos　of　Montalvan　figures　with　his　friends　and　comrades；
greater　thieves　than　Cacus；　and　the　Twelve　Peers　of　France　with　the
veracious　historian　Turpin；　however；　I　am　not　for　condemning　them　to
more　than　perpetual　banishment；　because；　at　any　rate；　they　have　some
share　in　the　invention　of　the　famous　Matteo　Boiardo；　whence　too　the
Christian　poet　Ludovico　Ariosto　wove　his　web；　to　whom；　if　I　find　him
here；　and　speaking　any　language　but　his　own；　I　shall　show　no　respect
whatever；　but　if　he　speaks　his　own　tongue　I　will　put　him　upon　my
head。〃
　　〃Well；　I　have　him　in　Italian；〃　said　the　barber；　〃but　I　do　not
understand　him。〃
　　〃Nor　would　it　be　well　that　you　should　understand　him；〃　said　the
curate；　〃and　on　that　score　we　might　have　excused　the　Captain　if　he　had
not　brought　him　into　Spain　and　turned　him　into　Castilian。　He　robbed
him　of　a　great　deal　of　his　natural　force；　and　so　do　all　those　who
try　to　turn　books　written　in　verse　into　another　language；　for；　with
all　the　pains　they　take　and　all　the　cleverness　they　show；　they　never
can　reach　the　level　of　the　originals　as　they　were　first　produced。　In
short；　I　say　that　this　book；　and　all　that　may　be　found　treating　of
those　French　affairs；　should　be　thrown　into　or　deposited　in　some　dry
well；　until　after　more　consideration　it　is　settled　what　is　to　be
done　with　them；　excepting　always　one　'Bernardo　del　Carpio'　that　is
going　about；　and　another　called　'Roncesvalles；'　for　these；　if　they
come　into　my　hands；　shall　pass　at　once　into　those　of　the
housekeeper；　and　from　hers　into　the　fire　without　any　reprieve。〃
　　To　all　this　the　barber　gave　his　assent；　and　looked　upon　it　as
right　and　proper；　being　persuaded　that　the　curate　was　so　staunch　to
the　Faith　and　loyal　to　the　Truth　that　he　would　not　for　the　world　say
anything　opposed　to　them。　Opening　another　book　he　saw　it　was　〃Palmerin
de　Oliva；〃　and　beside　it　was　another　called　〃Palmerin　of　England；〃
seeing　which　the　licentiate　said；　〃Let　the　Olive　be　made　firewood　of
at　once　and　burned　until　no　ashes　even　are　left；　and　let　that　Palm
of　England　be　kept　and　preserved　as　a　thing　that　stands　alone；　and　let
such　another　case　be　made　for　it　as　that　which　Alexander　found　among
the　spoils　of　Darius　and　set　aside　for　the　safe　keeping　of　the　works
of　the　poet　Homer。　This　book；　gossip；　is　of　authority　for　two　reasons；
first　because　it　is　very　good；　and　secondly　because　it　is　said　to　have
been　written　by　a　wise　and　witty　king　of　Portugal。　All　the
adventures　at　the　Castle　of　Miraguarda　are　excellent　and　of
admirable　contrivance；　and　the　language　is　polished　and　clear；
studying　and　observing　the　style　befitting　the　speaker　with
propriety　and　judgment。　So　then；　provided　it　seems　good　to　you；　Master
Nicholas；　I　say　let　this　and　'Amadis　of　Gaul'　be　remitted　the
penalty　of　fire；　and　as　for　all　the　rest；　let　them　perish　without
further　question　or　query。〃
　　〃Nay；　gossip；〃　said　the　barber；　〃for　this　that　I　have　here　is　the
famous　'Don　Belianis。'〃
　　〃Well；〃　said　the　curate；　〃that　and　the　second；　third；　and　fourth
parts　all　stand　in　need　of　a　little　rhubarb　to　purge　their　excess　of
bile；　and　they　must　be　cleared　of　all　that　stuff　about　the　Castle　of
Fame　and　other　greater　affectations；　to　which　end　let　them　be
allowed　the　over…seas　term；　and；　according　as　they　mend；　so　shall
mercy　or　justice　be　meted　out　to　them；　and　in　the　mean　time；　gossip；
do　you　keep　them　in　your　house　and　let　no　one　read　them。〃
　　〃With　all　my　heart；〃　said　the　barber；　and　not　caring　to　tire　himself
with　reading　more　books　of　chivalry；　he　told　the　housekeeper　to　take
all　the　big　ones　and　throw　them　into　the　yard。　It　was　not　said　to
one　dull　or　deaf；　but　to　one　who　enjoyed　burning　them　more　than
weaving　the　broadest　and　finest　web　that　could　be；　and　seizing　about
eight　at　a　time；　she　flung　them　out　of　the　window。
　　In　carrying　so　many　together　she　let　one　fall　at　the　feet　of　the
barber；　who　took　it　up；　curious　to　know　whose　it　was；　and　found　it
said；　〃History　of　the　Famous　Knight；　Tirante　el　Blanco。〃
　　〃God　bless　me！〃　said　the　curate　with　a　shout；　〃'Tirante　el　Blanco'
here！　Hand　it　over；　gossip；　for　in　it　I　reckon　I　have　found　a　treasury
of　enjoyment　and　a　mine　of　recreation。　Here　is　Don　Kyrieleison　of
Montalvan；　a　valiant　knight；　and　his　brother　Thomas　of　Montalvan；
and　the　knight　Fonseca；　with　the　battle　the　bold　Tirante　fought　with
the　mastiff；　and　the　witticisms　of　the　damsel　Placerdemivida；　and
the　loves　and　wiles　of　the　widow　Reposada；　and　the　empress　in　love
with　the　squire　Hipolito…　in　truth；　gossip；　by　right　of　its　style　it
is　the　best　book　in　the　world。　Here　knights　eat　and　sleep；　and　die
in　their　beds；　and　make　their　wills　before　dying；　and　a　great　deal
more　of　which　there　is　nothing　in　all　the　other　books。　Nevertheless；　I
say　he　who　wrote　it；　for　deliberately　composing　such　fooleries；
deserves　to　be　sent　to　the　galleys　for　life。　Take　it　home　with　you　and
read　it；　and　you　will　see　that　what　I　have　said　is　true。〃
　　〃As　you　will；〃　said　the　barber；　〃but　what　are　we　to　do　with　these
little　books　that　are　left？〃
　　〃These　must　be；　not　chivalry；　but　poetry；〃　said　the　curate；　and
opening　one　he　saw　it　was　the　〃Diana〃　of　Jorge　de　Montemayor；　and；
supposing　all　the　others　to　be　of　the　same　sort；　〃these；〃　he　said；　〃do
not　deserve　to　be　burned　like　the　others；　for　they　neither　do　nor
can　do　the　mischief　the　books　of　chivalry　have　done；　being　books　of
entertainment　that　can　hurt　no　one。〃
　　〃Ah；　senor！〃　said　the　niece；　〃your　worship　had　better　order　these　to
be　burned　as　well　as　the　others；　for　it　would　be　no　wonder　if；　after
being　cured　of　his　chivalry　disorder；　my　uncle；　by　reading　these；　took
a　fancy　to　turn　shepherd　and　range　the　woods　and　fields　singing　and
piping；　or；　what　would　be　still　worse；　to　turn　poet；　which　they　say　is
an　incurable　and　infectious　malady。〃
　　〃The　damsel　is　right；〃　said　the　curate；　〃and　it　will　be　well　to
put　this　stumbling…block　and　temptation　out　of　our　friend's　way。　To
begin；　then；　with　the　'Diana'　of　Montemayor。　I　am　of　opinion　it　should
not　be　burned；　but　that　it　should　be　cleared　of　all　that　about　the
sage　Felicia　and　the　magic　water；　and　of　almost　all　the　longer
pieces　of　verse：　let　it　keep；　and　welcome；　its　prose　and　the　honour　of
being　the　first　of　books　of　the　kind。〃
　　〃This　that　comes　next；〃　said　the　barber；　〃is　the　'Diana；'　entitled
the　'Second　Part；　by　the　Salamancan；'　and　this　other　has　the　same
title；　and　its　author　is　Gil　Polo。〃
　　〃As　for　that　of　the　Salamancan；〃　replied　the　curate；　〃let　it　go　to
swell　the　number　of　the　condemned　in　the　yard；　and　let　Gil　Polo's　be
preserved　as　if　it　came　from　Apollo　himself：　but　get　on；　gossip；　and
make　haste；　for　it　is　growing　late。〃
　　〃This　book；〃　said　the　barber；　opening　another；　〃is　the　ten　books
of　the　'Fortune　of　Love；'　written　by　Antonio　de　Lofraso；　a　Sardinian
poet。〃
　　〃By　the　orders　I　have　received；〃　said　the　curate；　〃since　Apollo
has　been　Apollo；　and　the　Muses　have　been　Muses；　and　poets　have　been
poets；　so　droll　and　absurd　a　book　as　this　has　never　been　written；
and　in　its　way　it　is　the　best　and　the　most　singular　of　all　of　this
species　that　have　as　yet　appeared；　and　he　who　has　not　read　it　may　be
sure　he