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diff --git a/old/orig5946-h/p24.htm b/old/orig5946-h/p24.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..79aeff4 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/orig5946-h/p24.htm @@ -0,0 +1,412 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<title>THE HISTORY OF DON QUIXOTE, By Cervantes, Vol. II., Part 24.</title> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<style type="text/css"> + <!-- + body {background:#faebd7; margin:10%; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; } + HR { width: 33%; text-align: center; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; } + .figleft {float: left;} + .figright {float: right;} + .toc { margin-left: 15%; margin-bottom: 0em;} + CENTER { padding: 10px;} + PRE { font-family: Times; font-size: 97%; margin-left: 15%;} + // --> +</style> + + +</head> +<body> + + +<center> +<table summary="" cellPadding=4 border=3> +<tr><td> + <a href="p23.htm">Previous Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="5946-h.htm">Main Index</a> +</td><td> + <a href="p25.htm">Next Part</a> + </td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<br><br> + + + +<center> +<h1>DON QUIXOTE</h1> +<br> +<h2>by Miguel de Cervantes</h2> +<br> +<h3>Translated by John Ormsby</h3> +</center> + +<br><br> +<center><h3> +Volume II., Part 24. +<br><br> +Chapter 21 +</h3></center> + + +<br><br> +<center> +<img alt="bookcover.jpg (230K)" src="images/bookcover.jpg" height="842" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/bookcover.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center> +<img alt="spine.jpg (152K)" src="images/spine.jpg" height="842" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/spine.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> +<br><br><br><br> + + + +<h3>Ebook Editor's Note</h3> + +<blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote> +<p> +The book cover and spine above and the images which follow were not part of the original Ormsby +translation—they are taken from the 1880 edition of J. W. Clark, illustrated by +Gustave Dore. Clark in his edition states that, "The English text of 'Don Quixote' +adopted in this edition is that of Jarvis, with occasional corrections from Motteaux." +See in the introduction below John Ormsby's critique of +both the Jarvis and Motteaux translations. It has been elected in the present Project Gutenberg edition +to attach the famous engravings of Gustave Dore to the Ormsby translation instead +of the Jarvis/Motteaux. The detail of many of the Dore engravings can be fully appreciated only +by utilizing the "Enlarge" button to expand them to their original dimensions. Ormsby +in his Preface has criticized the fanciful nature of Dore's illustrations; others feel +these woodcuts and steel engravings well match Quixote's dreams. + D.W.</p> +</blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote> +<br><br><br><br> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center> +<img alt="p003.jpg (307K)" src="images/p003.jpg" height="813" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/p003.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> +<br><br><br><br> + + +<center><h2>CONTENTS</h2></center> + + +<pre> + +<a href="#ch21b">CHAPTER XXI</a> +IN WHICH CAMACHO'S WEDDING IS CONTINUED, WITH OTHER +DELIGHTFUL INCIDENTS + +</pre> + +<br><br><br><br> + + +<center><h1>DON QUIXOTE</h1></center> +<br><br> +<center><h2>Volume II.</h2></center> +<br> +<br> +<br> + + + + +<br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch21b"></a>CHAPTER XXI.</h2></center> +<br> +<center><h3>IN WHICH CAMACHO'S WEDDING IS CONTINUED, +WITH OTHER DELIGHTFUL INCIDENTS +</h3></center> +<br> +<br> +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p21a"></a><img alt="p21a.jpg (118K)" src="images/p21a.jpg" height="412" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/p21a.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"></a> +<br><br><br><br> + + +<p>While Don Quixote and Sancho were engaged in the discussion set +forth the last chapter, they heard loud shouts and a great noise, +which were uttered and made by the men on the mares as they went at +full gallop, shouting, to receive the bride and bridegroom, who were +approaching with musical instruments and pageantry of all sorts around +them, and accompanied by the priest and the relatives of both, and all +the most distinguished people of the surrounding villages. When Sancho +saw the bride, he exclaimed, "By my faith, she is not dressed like a +country girl, but like some fine court lady; egad, as well as I can +make out, the patena she wears rich coral, and her green Cuenca +stuff is thirty-pile velvet; and then the white linen trimming—by +my oath, but it's satin! Look at her hands—jet rings on them! May I +never have luck if they're not gold rings, and real gold, and set with +pearls as white as a curdled milk, and every one of them worth an +eye of one's head! Whoreson baggage, what hair she has! if it's not +a wig, I never saw longer or fairer all the days of my life. See how +bravely she bears herself—and her shape! Wouldn't you say she was +like a walking palm tree loaded with clusters of dates? for the +trinkets she has hanging from her hair and neck look just like them. I +swear in my heart she is a brave lass, and fit 'to pass over the banks +of Flanders.'"</p> + +<p>Don Quixote laughed at Sancho's boorish eulogies and thought that, +saving his lady Dulcinea del Toboso, he had never seen a more +beautiful woman. The fair Quiteria appeared somewhat pale, which +was, no doubt, because of the bad night brides always pass dressing +themselves out for their wedding on the morrow. They advanced +towards a theatre that stood on one side of the meadow decked with +carpets and boughs, where they were to plight their troth, and from +which they were to behold the dances and plays; but at the moment of +their arrival at the spot they heard a loud outcry behind them, and +a voice exclaiming, "Wait a little, ye, as inconsiderate as ye are +hasty!" At these words all turned round, and perceived that the +speaker was a man clad in what seemed to be a loose black coat +garnished with crimson patches like flames. He was crowned (as was +presently seen) with a crown of gloomy cypress, and in his hand he +held a long staff. As he approached he was recognised by everyone as +the gay Basilio, and all waited anxiously to see what would come of +his words, in dread of some catastrophe in consequence of his +appearance at such a moment. He came up at last weary and +breathless, and planting himself in front of the bridal pair, drove +his staff, which had a steel spike at the end, into the ground, and, +with a pale face and eyes fixed on Quiteria, he thus addressed her +in a hoarse, trembling voice:</p> + +<p>"Well dost thou know, ungrateful Quiteria, that according to the +holy law we acknowledge, so long as live thou canst take no husband; +nor art thou ignorant either that, in my hopes that time and my own +exertions would improve my fortunes, I have never failed to observe +the respect due to thy honour; but thou, casting behind thee all +thou owest to my true love, wouldst surrender what is mine to +another whose wealth serves to bring him not only good fortune but +supreme happiness; and now to complete it (not that I think he +deserves it, but inasmuch as heaven is pleased to bestow it upon him), +I will, with my own hands, do away with the obstacle that may +interfere with it, and remove myself from between you. Long live the +rich Camacho! many a happy year may he live with the ungrateful +Quiteria! and let the poor Basilio die, Basilio whose poverty +clipped the wings of his happiness, and brought him to the grave!"</p> + +<p>And so saying, he seized the staff he had driven into the ground, +and leaving one half of it fixed there, showed it to be a sheath +that concealed a tolerably long rapier; and, what may be called its +hilt being planted in the ground, he swiftly, coolly, and deliberately +threw himself upon it, and in an instant the bloody point and half the +steel blade appeared at his back, the unhappy man falling to the earth +bathed in his blood, and transfixed by his own weapon.</p> + +<p>His friends at once ran to his aid, filled with grief at his +misery and sad fate, and Don Quixote, dismounting from Rocinante, +hastened to support him, and took him in his arms, and found he had +not yet ceased to breathe. They were about to draw out the rapier, but +the priest who was standing by objected to its being withdrawn +before he had confessed him, as the instant of its withdrawal would be +that of this death. Basilio, however, reviving slightly, said in a +weak voice, as though in pain, "If thou wouldst consent, cruel +Quiteria, to give me thy hand as my bride in this last fatal moment, I +might still hope that my rashness would find pardon, as by its means I +attained the bliss of being thine."</p> + +<p>Hearing this the priest bade him think of the welfare of his soul +rather than of the cravings of the body, and in all earnestness +implore God's pardon for his sins and for his rash resolve; to which +Basilio replied that he was determined not to confess unless +Quiteria first gave him her hand in marriage, for that happiness would +compose his mind and give him courage to make his confession.</p> + +<p>Don Quixote hearing the wounded man's entreaty, exclaimed aloud that +what Basilio asked was just and reasonable, and moreover a request +that might be easily complied with; and that it would be as much to +Senor Camacho's honour to receive the lady Quiteria as the widow of +the brave Basilio as if he received her direct from her father.</p> + +<p>"In this case," said he, "it will be only to say 'yes,' and no +consequences can follow the utterance of the word, for the nuptial +couch of this marriage must be the grave."</p> + +<p>Camacho was listening to all this, perplexed and bewildered and +not knowing what to say or do; but so urgent were the entreaties of +Basilio's friends, imploring him to allow Quiteria to give him her +hand, so that his soul, quitting this life in despair, should not be +lost, that they moved, nay, forced him, to say that if Quiteria were +willing to give it he was satisfied, as it was only putting off the +fulfillment of his wishes for a moment. At once all assailed +Quiteria and pressed her, some with prayers, and others with tears, +and others with persuasive arguments, to give her hand to poor +Basilio; but she, harder than marble and more unmoved than any statue, +seemed unable or unwilling to utter a word, nor would she have given +any reply had not the priest bade her decide quickly what she meant to +do, as Basilio now had his soul at his teeth, and there was no time +for hesitation.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p21b"></a><img alt="p21b.jpg (374K)" src="images/p21b.jpg" height="512" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/p21b.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"></a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>On this the fair Quiteria, to all appearance distressed, grieved, +and repentant, advanced without a word to where Basilio lay, his +eyes already turned in his head, his breathing short and painful, +murmuring the name of Quiteria between his teeth, and apparently about +to die like a heathen and not like a Christian. Quiteria approached +him, and kneeling, demanded his hand by signs without speaking. +Basilio opened his eyes and gazing fixedly at her, said, "O +Quiteria, why hast thou turned compassionate at a moment when thy +compassion will serve as a dagger to rob me of life, for I have not +now the strength left either to bear the happiness thou givest me in +accepting me as thine, or to suppress the pain that is rapidly drawing +the dread shadow of death over my eyes? What I entreat of thee, O thou +fatal star to me, is that the hand thou demandest of me and wouldst +give me, be not given out of complaisance or to deceive me afresh, but +that thou confess and declare that without any constraint upon thy +will thou givest it to me as to thy lawful husband; for it is not meet +that thou shouldst trifle with me at such a moment as this, or have +recourse to falsehoods with one who has dealt so truly by thee."</p> + +<p>While uttering these words he showed such weakness that the +bystanders expected each return of faintness would take his life +with it. Then Quiteria, overcome with modesty and shame, holding in +her right hand the hand of Basilio, said, "No force would bend my +will; as freely, therefore, as it is possible for me to do so, I +give thee the hand of a lawful wife, and take thine if thou givest +it to me of thine own free will, untroubled and unaffected by the +calamity thy hasty act has brought upon thee."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I give it," said Basilio, "not agitated or distracted, but +with unclouded reason that heaven is pleased to grant me, thus do I +give myself to be thy husband."</p> + +<p>"And I give myself to be thy wife," said Quiteria, "whether thou +livest many years, or they carry thee from my arms to the grave."</p> + +<p>"For one so badly wounded," observed Sancho at this point, "this +young man has a great deal to say; they should make him leave off +billing and cooing, and attend to his soul; for to my thinking he +has it more on his tongue than at his teeth."</p> + +<p>Basilio and Quiteria having thus joined hands, the priest, deeply +moved and with tears in his eyes, pronounced the blessing upon them, +and implored heaven to grant an easy passage to the soul of the +newly wedded man, who, the instant he received the blessing, started +nimbly to his feet and with unparalleled effrontery pulled out the +rapier that had been sheathed in his body. All the bystanders were +astounded, and some, more simple than inquiring, began shouting, "A +miracle, a miracle!" But Basilio replied, "No miracle, no miracle; +only a trick, a trick!" The priest, perplexed and amazed, made haste +to examine the wound with both hands, and found that the blade had +passed, not through Basilio's flesh and ribs, but through a hollow +iron tube full of blood, which he had adroitly fixed at the place, the +blood, as was afterwards ascertained, having been so prepared as not +to congeal. In short, the priest and Camacho and most of those present +saw they were tricked and made fools of. The bride showed no signs +of displeasure at the deception; on the contrary, hearing them say +that the marriage, being fraudulent, would not be valid, she said that +she confirmed it afresh, whence they all concluded that the affair had +been planned by agreement and understanding between the pair, +whereat Camacho and his supporters were so mortified that they +proceeded to revenge themselves by violence, and a great number of +them drawing their swords attacked Basilio, in whose protection as +many more swords were in an instant unsheathed, while Don Quixote +taking the lead on horseback, with his lance over his arm and well +covered with his shield, made all give way before him. Sancho, who +never found any pleasure or enjoyment in such doings, retreated to the +wine-jars from which he had taken his delectable skimmings, +considering that, as a holy place, that spot would be respected.</p> + +<p>"Hold, sirs, hold!" cried Don Quixote in a loud voice; "we have no +right to take vengeance for wrongs that love may do to us: remember +love and war are the same thing, and as in war it is allowable and +common to make use of wiles and stratagems to overcome the enemy, so +in the contests and rivalries of love the tricks and devices +employed to attain the desired end are justifiable, provided they be +not to the discredit or dishonour of the loved object. Quiteria +belonged to Basilio and Basilio to Quiteria by the just and beneficent +disposal of heaven. Camacho is rich, and can purchase his pleasure +when, where, and as it pleases him. Basilio has but this ewe-lamb, and +no one, however powerful he may be, shall take her from him; these two +whom God hath joined man cannot separate; and he who attempts it +must first pass the point of this lance;" and so saying he +brandished it so stoutly and dexterously that he overawed all who +did not know him.</p> + +<p>But so deep an impression had the rejection of Quiteria made on +Camacho's mind that it banished her at once from his thoughts; and +so the counsels of the priest, who was a wise and kindly disposed man, +prevailed with him, and by their means he and his partisans were +pacified and tranquillised, and to prove it put up their swords again, +inveighing against the pliancy of Quiteria rather than the +craftiness of Basilio; Camacho maintaining that, if Quiteria as a +maiden had such a love for Basilio, she would have loved him too as +a married woman, and that he ought to thank heaven more for having +taken her than for having given her.</p> + +<p>Camacho and those of his following, therefore, being consoled and +pacified, those on Basilio's side were appeased; and the rich Camacho, +to show that he felt no resentment for the trick, and did not care +about it, desired the festival to go on just as if he were married +in reality. Neither Basilio, however, nor his bride, nor their +followers would take any part in it, and they withdrew to Basilio's +village; for the poor, if they are persons of virtue and good sense, +have those who follow, honour, and uphold them, just as the rich +have those who flatter and dance attendance on them. With them they +carried Don Quixote, regarding him as a man of worth and a stout +one. Sancho alone had a cloud on his soul, for he found himself +debarred from waiting for Camacho's splendid feast and festival, which +lasted until night; and thus dragged away, he moodily followed his +master, who accompanied Basilio's party, and left behind him the +flesh-pots of Egypt; though in his heart he took them with him, and +their now nearly finished skimmings that he carried in the bucket +conjured up visions before his eyes of the glory and abundance of +the good cheer he was losing. And so, vexed and dejected though not +hungry, without dismounting from Dapple he followed in the footsteps +of Rocinante.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p21c"></a><img alt="p21c.jpg (417K)" src="images/p21c.jpg" height="514" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/p21c.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"></a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<center><a name="p21e"></a><img alt="p21e.jpg (49K)" src="images/p21e.jpg" height="739" width="525"> +</center> + + + +<br> +<br> + + +<center> +<table summary="" cellPadding=4 border=3> +<tr><td> + <a href="p23.htm">Previous Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="5946-h.htm">Main Index</a> +</td><td> + <a href="p25.htm">Next Part</a> + </td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<br><br> + +</body> +</html> + + |