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diff --git a/old/orig5946-h/p36.htm b/old/orig5946-h/p36.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..01dc159 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/orig5946-h/p36.htm @@ -0,0 +1,666 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<title>THE HISTORY OF DON QUIXOTE, By Cervantes, Vol. II., Part 36.</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="p35.htm">Previous Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="5946-h.htm">Main Index</a> +</td><td> + <a href="p37.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 36 +<br><br> +Chapter 60 +</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> + + +<center> +<h3>Ebook Editor's Note</h3> +</center> +<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="#ch60b">CHAPTER LX</a> +OF WHAT HAPPENED DON QUIXOTE ON HIS WAY TO BARCELONA + +</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="ch60b"></a>CHAPTER LX.</h2></center> +<br> +<center><h3>OF WHAT HAPPENED DON QUIXOTE ON HIS WAY TO BARCELONA +</h3></center> +<br> +<br> + +<center><a name="p60a"></a><img alt="p60a.jpg (129K)" src="images/p60a.jpg" height="414" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/p60a.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"></a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>It was a fresh morning giving promise of a cool day as Don Quixote +quitted the inn, first of all taking care to ascertain the most direct +road to Barcelona without touching upon Saragossa; so anxious was he +to make out this new historian, who they said abused him so, to be a +liar. Well, as it fell out, nothing worthy of being recorded +happened him for six days, at the end of which, having turned aside +out of the road, he was overtaken by night in a thicket of oak or cork +trees; for on this point Cide Hamete is not as precise as he usually +is on other matters.</p> + +<p>Master and man dismounted from their beasts, and as soon as they had +settled themselves at the foot of the trees, Sancho, who had had a +good noontide meal that day, let himself, without more ado, pass the +gates of sleep. But Don Quixote, whom his thoughts, far more than +hunger, kept awake, could not close an eye, and roamed in fancy to and +fro through all sorts of places. At one moment it seemed to him that +he was in the cave of Montesinos and saw Dulcinea, transformed into +a country wench, skipping and mounting upon her she-ass; again that +the words of the sage Merlin were sounding in his ears, setting +forth the conditions to be observed and the exertions to be made for +the disenchantment of Dulcinea. He lost all patience when he +considered the laziness and want of charity of his squire Sancho; +for to the best of his belief he had only given himself five lashes, a +number paltry and disproportioned to the vast number required. At this +thought he felt such vexation and anger that he reasoned the matter +thus: "If Alexander the Great cut the Gordian knot, saying, 'To cut +comes to the same thing as to untie,' and yet did not fail to become +lord paramount of all Asia, neither more nor less could happen now +in Dulcinea's disenchantment if I scourge Sancho against his will; +for, if it is the condition of the remedy that Sancho shall receive +three thousand and odd lashes, what does it matter to me whether he +inflicts them himself, or some one else inflicts them, when the +essential point is that he receives them, let them come from +whatever quarter they may?"</p> + +<p>With this idea he went over to Sancho, having first taken +Rocinante's reins and arranged them so as to be able to flog him +with them, and began to untie the points (the common belief is he +had but one in front) by which his breeches were held up; but the +instant he approached him Sancho woke up in his full senses and +cried out, "What is this? Who is touching me and untrussing me?"</p> + +<p>"It is I," said Don Quixote, "and I come to make good thy +shortcomings and relieve my own distresses; I come to whip thee, +Sancho, and wipe off some portion of the debt thou hast undertaken. +Dulcinea is perishing, thou art living on regardless, I am dying of +hope deferred; therefore untruss thyself with a good will, for mine it +is, here, in this retired spot, to give thee at least two thousand +lashes."</p> + +<p>"Not a bit of it," said Sancho; "let your worship keep quiet, or +else by the living God the deaf shall hear us; the lashes I pledged +myself to must be voluntary and not forced upon me, and just now I +have no fancy to whip myself; it is enough if I give you my word to +flog and flap myself when I have a mind."</p> + +<p>"It will not do to leave it to thy courtesy, Sancho," said Don +Quixote, "for thou art hard of heart and, though a clown, tender of +flesh;" and at the same time he strove and struggled to untie him.</p> + +<p>Seeing this Sancho got up, and grappling with his master he +gripped him with all his might in his arms, giving him a trip with the +heel stretched him on the ground on his back, and pressing his right +knee on his chest held his hands in his own so that he could neither +move nor breathe.</p> + +<p>"How now, traitor!" exclaimed Don Quixote. "Dost thou revolt against +thy master and natural lord? Dost thou rise against him who gives thee +his bread?"</p> + +<p>"I neither put down king, nor set up king," said Sancho; "I only +stand up for myself who am my own lord; if your worship promises me to +be quiet, and not to offer to whip me now, I'll let you go free and +unhindered; if not—</p> + +<pre> +Traitor and Dona Sancha's foe, +Thou diest on the spot." + +</pre> + +<p> +Don Quixote gave his promise, and swore by the life of his +thoughts not to touch so much as a hair of his garments, and to +leave him entirely free and to his own discretion to whip himself +whenever he pleased.</p> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p60c"></a><img alt="p60c.jpg (250K)" src="images/p60c.jpg" height="822" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/p60c.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"></a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>Sancho rose and removed some distance from the spot, but as he was +about to place himself leaning against another tree he felt +something touch his head, and putting up his hands encountered +somebody's two feet with shoes and stockings on them. He trembled with +fear and made for another tree, where the very same thing happened +to him, and he fell a-shouting, calling upon Don Quixote to come and +protect him. Don Quixote did so, and asked him what had happened to +him, and what he was afraid of. Sancho replied that all the trees were +full of men's feet and legs. Don Quixote felt them, and guessed at +once what it was, and said to Sancho, "Thou hast nothing to be +afraid of, for these feet and legs that thou feelest but canst not see +belong no doubt to some outlaws and freebooters that have been +hanged on these trees; for the authorities in these parts are wont +to hang them up by twenties and thirties when they catch them; whereby +I conjecture that I must be near Barcelona;" and it was, in fact, as +he supposed; with the first light they looked up and saw that the +fruit hanging on those trees were freebooters' bodies.</p> + +<p>And now day dawned; and if the dead freebooters had scared them, +their hearts were no less troubled by upwards of forty living ones, +who all of a sudden surrounded them, and in the Catalan tongue bade +them stand and wait until their captain came up. Don Quixote was on +foot with his horse unbridled and his lance leaning against a tree, +and in short completely defenceless; he thought it best therefore to +fold his arms and bow his head and reserve himself for a more +favourable occasion and opportunity. The robbers made haste to +search Dapple, and did not leave him a single thing of all he +carried in the alforjas and in the valise; and lucky it was for Sancho +that the duke's crowns and those he brought from home were in a girdle +that he wore round him; but for all that these good folk would have +stripped him, and even looked to see what he had hidden between the +skin and flesh, but for the arrival at that moment of their captain, +who was about thirty-four years of age apparently, strongly built, +above the middle height, of stern aspect and swarthy complexion. He +was mounted upon a powerful horse, and had on a coat of mail, with +four of the pistols they call petronels in that country at his +waist. He saw that his squires (for so they call those who follow that +trade) were about to rifle Sancho Panza, but he ordered them to desist +and was at once obeyed, so the girdle escaped. He wondered to see +the lance leaning against the tree, the shield on the ground, and +Don Quixote in armour and dejected, with the saddest and most +melancholy face that sadness itself could produce; and going up to him +he said, "Be not so cast down, good man, for you have not fallen +into the hands of any inhuman Busiris, but into Roque Guinart's, which +are more merciful than cruel."</p> + +<p>"The cause of my dejection," returned Don Quixote, "is not that I +have fallen into thy hands, O valiant Roque, whose fame is bounded +by no limits on earth, but that my carelessness should have been so +great that thy soldiers should have caught me unbridled, when it is my +duty, according to the rule of knight-errantry which I profess, to +be always on the alert and at all times my own sentinel; for let me +tell thee, great Roque, had they found me on my horse, with my lance +and shield, it would not have been very easy for them to reduce me +to submission, for I am Don Quixote of La Mancha, he who hath filled +the whole world with his achievements."</p> + +<p>Roque Guinart at once perceived that Don Quixote's weakness was more +akin to madness than to swagger; and though he had sometimes heard him +spoken of, he never regarded the things attributed to him as true, nor +could he persuade himself that such a humour could become dominant +in the heart of man; he was extremely glad, therefore, to meet him and +test at close quarters what he had heard of him at a distance; so he +said to him, "Despair not, valiant knight, nor regard as an untoward +fate the position in which thou findest thyself; it may be that by +these slips thy crooked fortune will make itself straight; for +heaven by strange circuitous ways, mysterious and incomprehensible +to man, raises up the fallen and makes rich the poor."</p> + +<p>Don Quixote was about to thank him, when they heard behind them a +noise as of a troop of horses; there was, however, but one, riding +on which at a furious pace came a youth, apparently about twenty years +of age, clad in green damask edged with gold and breeches and a +loose frock, with a hat looped up in the Walloon fashion, +tight-fitting polished boots, gilt spurs, dagger and sword, and in his +hand a musketoon, and a pair of pistols at his waist.</p> + +<p>Roque turned round at the noise and perceived this comely figure, +which drawing near thus addressed him, "I came in quest of thee, +valiant Roque, to find in thee if not a remedy at least relief in my +misfortune; and not to keep thee in suspense, for I see thou dost +not recognise me, I will tell thee who I am; I am Claudia Jeronima, +the daughter of Simon Forte, thy good friend, and special enemy of +Clauquel Torrellas, who is thine also as being of the faction +opposed to thee. Thou knowest that this Torrellas has a son who is +called, or at least was not two hours since, Don Vicente Torrellas. +Well, to cut short the tale of my misfortune, I will tell thee in a +few words what this youth has brought upon me. He saw me, he paid +court to me, I listened to him, and, unknown to my father, I loved +him; for there is no woman, however secluded she may live or close she +may be kept, who will not have opportunities and to spare for +following her headlong impulses. In a word, he pledged himself to be +mine, and I promised to be his, without carrying matters any +further. Yesterday I learned that, forgetful of his pledge to me, he +was about to marry another, and that he was to go this morning to +plight his troth, intelligence which overwhelmed and exasperated me; +my father not being at home I was able to adopt this costume you +see, and urging my horse to speed I overtook Don Vicente about a +league from this, and without waiting to utter reproaches or hear +excuses I fired this musket at him, and these two pistols besides, and +to the best of my belief I must have lodged more than two bullets in +his body, opening doors to let my honour go free, enveloped in his +blood. I left him there in the hands of his servants, who did not dare +and were not able to interfere in his defence, and I come to seek from +thee a safe-conduct into France, where I have relatives with whom I +can live; and also to implore thee to protect my father, so that Don +Vicente's numerous kinsmen may not venture to wreak their lawless +vengeance upon him."</p> + +<p>Roque, filled with admiration at the gallant bearing, high spirit, +comely figure, and adventure of the fair Claudia, said to her, +"Come, senora, let us go and see if thy enemy is dead; and then we +will consider what will be best for thee." Don Quixote, who had been +listening to what Claudia said and Roque Guinart said in reply to her, +exclaimed, "Nobody need trouble himself with the defence of this lady, +for I take it upon myself. Give me my horse and arms, and wait for +me here; I will go in quest of this knight, and dead or alive I will +make him keep his word plighted to so great beauty."</p> + +<p>"Nobody need have any doubt about that," said Sancho, "for my master +has a very happy knack of matchmaking; it's not many days since he +forced another man to marry, who in the same way backed out of his +promise to another maiden; and if it had not been for his +persecutors the enchanters changing the man's proper shape into a +lacquey's the said maiden would not be one this minute."</p> + +<p>Roque, who was paying more attention to the fair Claudia's adventure +than to the words of master or man, did not hear them; and ordering +his squires to restore to Sancho everything they had stripped Dapple +of, he directed them to return to the place where they had been +quartered during the night, and then set off with Claudia at full +speed in search of the wounded or slain Don Vicente. They reached +the spot where Claudia met him, but found nothing there save freshly +spilt blood; looking all round, however, they descried some people +on the slope of a hill above them, and concluded, as indeed it +proved to be, that it was Don Vicente, whom either dead or alive his +servants were removing to attend to his wounds or to bury him. They +made haste to overtake them, which, as the party moved slowly, they +were able to do with ease. They found Don Vicente in the arms of his +servants, whom he was entreating in a broken feeble voice to leave him +there to die, as the pain of his wounds would not suffer him to go any +farther. Claudia and Roque threw themselves off their horses and +advanced towards him; the servants were overawed by the appearance +of Roque, and Claudia was moved by the sight of Don Vicente, and going +up to him half tenderly half sternly, she seized his hand and said +to him, "Hadst thou given me this according to our compact thou +hadst never come to this pass."</p> + +<p>The wounded gentleman opened his all but closed eyes, and +recognising Claudia said, "I see clearly, fair and mistaken lady, that +it is thou that hast slain me, a punishment not merited or deserved by +my feelings towards thee, for never did I mean to, nor could I, +wrong thee in thought or deed."</p> + +<p>"It is not true, then," said Claudia, "that thou wert going this +morning to marry Leonora the daughter of the rich Balvastro?"</p> + +<p>"Assuredly not," replied Don Vicente; "my cruel fortune must have +carried those tidings to thee to drive thee in thy jealousy to take my +life; and to assure thyself of this, press my hands and take me for +thy husband if thou wilt; I have no better satisfaction to offer +thee for the wrong thou fanciest thou hast received from me."</p> + +<p>Claudia wrung his hands, and her own heart was so wrung that she lay +fainting on the bleeding breast of Don Vicente, whom a death spasm +seized the same instant. Roque was in perplexity and knew not what +to do; the servants ran to fetch water to sprinkle their faces, and +brought some and bathed them with it. Claudia recovered from her +fainting fit, but not so Don Vicente from the paroxysm that had +overtaken him, for his life had come to an end. On perceiving this, +Claudia, when she had convinced herself that her beloved husband was +no more, rent the air with her sighs and made the heavens ring with +her lamentations; she tore her hair and scattered it to the winds, she +beat her face with her hands and showed all the signs of grief and +sorrow that could be conceived to come from an afflicted heart. +"Cruel, reckless woman!" she cried, "how easily wert thou moved to +carry out a thought so wicked! O furious force of jealousy, to what +desperate lengths dost thou lead those that give thee lodging in their +bosoms! O husband, whose unhappy fate in being mine hath borne thee +from the marriage bed to the grave!"</p> + +<p>So vehement and so piteous were the lamentations of Claudia that +they drew tears from Roque's eyes, unused as they were to shed them on +any occasion. The servants wept, Claudia swooned away again and again, +and the whole place seemed a field of sorrow and an abode of +misfortune. In the end Roque Guinart directed Don Vicente's servants +to carry his body to his father's village, which was close by, for +burial. Claudia told him she meant to go to a monastery of which an +aunt of hers was abbess, where she intended to pass her life with a +better and everlasting spouse. He applauded her pious resolution, +and offered to accompany her whithersoever she wished, and to +protect her father against the kinsmen of Don Vicente and all the +world, should they seek to injure him. Claudia would not on any +account allow him to accompany her; and thanking him for his offers as +well as she could, took leave of him in tears. The servants of Don +Vicente carried away his body, and Roque returned to his comrades, and +so ended the love of Claudia Jeronima; but what wonder, when it was +the insuperable and cruel might of jealousy that wove the web of her +sad story?</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p60d"></a><img alt="p60d.jpg (439K)" src="images/p60d.jpg" height="821" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/p60d.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"></a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>Roque Guinart found his squires at the place to which he had ordered +them, and Don Quixote on Rocinante in the midst of them delivering a +harangue to them in which he urged them to give up a mode of life so +full of peril, as well to the soul as to the body; but as most of them +were Gascons, rough lawless fellows, his speech did not make much +impression on them. Roque on coming up asked Sancho if his men had +returned and restored to him the treasures and jewels they had +stripped off Dapple. Sancho said they had, but that three kerchiefs +that were worth three cities were missing.</p> + +<p>"What are you talking about, man?" said one of the bystanders; "I +have got them, and they are not worth three reals."</p> + +<p>"That is true," said Don Quixote; "but my squire values them at +the rate he says, as having been given me by the person who gave +them."</p> + +<p>Roque Guinart ordered them to be restored at once; and making his +men fall in in line he directed all the clothing, jewellery, and money +that they had taken since the last distribution to be produced; and +making a hasty valuation, and reducing what could not be divided +into money, he made shares for the whole band so equitably and +carefully, that in no case did he exceed or fall short of strict +distributive justice.</p> + +<p>When this had been done, and all left satisfied, Roque observed to +Don Quixote, "If this scrupulous exactness were not observed with +these fellows there would be no living with them."</p> + +<p>Upon this Sancho remarked, "From what I have seen here, justice is +such a good thing that there is no doing without it, even among the +thieves themselves."</p> + +<p>One of the squires heard this, and raising the butt-end of his +harquebuss would no doubt have broken Sancho's head with it had not +Roque Guinart called out to him to hold his hand. Sancho was +frightened out of his wits, and vowed not to open his lips so long +as he was in the company of these people.</p> + +<p>At this instant one or two of those squires who were posted as +sentinels on the roads, to watch who came along them and report what +passed to their chief, came up and said, "Senor, there is a great +troop of people not far off coming along the road to Barcelona."</p> + +<p>To which Roque replied, "Hast thou made out whether they are of +the sort that are after us, or of the sort we are after?"</p> + +<p>"The sort we are after," said the squire.</p> + +<p>"Well then, away with you all," said Roque, "and bring them here +to me at once without letting one of them escape."</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p60e"></a><img alt="p60e.jpg (420K)" src="images/p60e.jpg" height="848" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/p60e.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"></a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>They obeyed, and Don Quixote, Sancho, and Roque, left by themselves, +waited to see what the squires brought, and while they were waiting +Roque said to Don Quixote, "It must seem a strange sort of life to +Senor Don Quixote, this of ours, strange adventures, strange +incidents, and all full of danger; and I do not wonder that it +should seem so, for in truth I must own there is no mode of life +more restless or anxious than ours. What led me into it was a +certain thirst for vengeance, which is strong enough to disturb the +quietest hearts. I am by nature tender-hearted and kindly, but, as I +said, the desire to revenge myself for a wrong that was done me so +overturns all my better impulses that I keep on in this way of life in +spite of what conscience tells me; and as one depth calls to +another, and one sin to another sin, revenges have linked themselves +together, and I have taken upon myself not only my own but those of +others: it pleases God, however, that, though I see myself in this +maze of entanglements, I do not lose all hope of escaping from it +and reaching a safe port."</p> + +<p>Don Quixote was amazed to hear Roque utter such excellent and just +sentiments, for he did not think that among those who followed such +trades as robbing, murdering, and waylaying, there could be anyone +capable of a virtuous thought, and he said in reply, "Senor Roque, the +beginning of health lies in knowing the disease and in the sick +man's willingness to take the medicines which the physician +prescribes; you are sick, you know what ails you, and heaven, or +more properly speaking God, who is our physician, will administer +medicines that will cure you, and cure gradually, and not of a +sudden or by a miracle; besides, sinners of discernment are nearer +amendment than those who are fools; and as your worship has shown good +sense in your remarks, all you have to do is to keep up a good heart +and trust that the weakness of your conscience will be strengthened. +And if you have any desire to shorten the journey and put yourself +easily in the way of salvation, come with me, and I will show you +how to become a knight-errant, a calling wherein so many hardships and +mishaps are encountered that if they be taken as penances they will +lodge you in heaven in a trice."</p> + +<p>Roque laughed at Don Quixote's exhortation, and changing the +conversation he related the tragic affair of Claudia Jeronima, at +which Sancho was extremely grieved; for he had not found the young +woman's beauty, boldness, and spirit at all amiss.</p> + +<p>And now the squires despatched to make the prize came up, bringing +with them two gentlemen on horseback, two pilgrims on foot, and a +coach full of women with some six servants on foot and on horseback in +attendance on them, and a couple of muleteers whom the gentlemen had +with them. The squires made a ring round them, both victors and +vanquished maintaining profound silence, waiting for the great Roque +Guinart to speak. He asked the gentlemen who they were, whither they +were going, and what money they carried with them; "Senor," replied +one of them, "we are two captains of Spanish infantry; our companies +are at Naples, and we are on our way to embark in four galleys which +they say are at Barcelona under orders for Sicily; and we have about +two or three hundred crowns, with which we are, according to our +notions, rich and contented, for a soldier's poverty does not allow +a more extensive hoard."</p> + +<p>Roque asked the pilgrims the same questions he had put to the +captains, and was answered that they were going to take ship for Rome, +and that between them they might have about sixty reals. He asked also +who was in the coach, whither they were bound and what money they had, +and one of the men on horseback replied, "The persons in the coach are +my lady Dona Guiomar de Quinones, wife of the regent of the Vicaria at +Naples, her little daughter, a handmaid and a duenna; we six +servants are in attendance upon her, and the money amounts to six +hundred crowns."</p> + +<p>"So then," said Roque Guinart, "we have got here nine hundred crowns +and sixty reals; my soldiers must number some sixty; see how much +there falls to each, for I am a bad arithmetician." As soon as the +robbers heard this they raised a shout of "Long life to Roque Guinart, +in spite of the lladres that seek his ruin!"</p> + +<p>The captains showed plainly the concern they felt, the regent's lady +was downcast, and the pilgrims did not at all enjoy seeing their +property confiscated. Roque kept them in suspense in this way for a +while; but he had no desire to prolong their distress, which might +be seen a bowshot off, and turning to the captains he said, "Sirs, +will your worships be pleased of your courtesy to lend me sixty +crowns, and her ladyship the regent's wife eighty, to satisfy this +band that follows me, for 'it is by his singing the abbot gets his +dinner;' and then you may at once proceed on your journey, free and +unhindered, with a safe-conduct which I shall give you, so that if you +come across any other bands of mine that I have scattered in these +parts, they may do you no harm; for I have no intention of doing +injury to soldiers, or to any woman, especially one of quality."</p> + +<p>Profuse and hearty were the expressions of gratitude with which +the captains thanked Roque for his courtesy and generosity; for such +they regarded his leaving them their own money. Senora Dona Guiomar de +Quinones wanted to throw herself out of the coach to kiss the feet and +hands of the great Roque, but he would not suffer it on any account; +so far from that, he begged her pardon for the wrong he had done her +under pressure of the inexorable necessities of his unfortunate +calling. The regent's lady ordered one of her servants to give the +eighty crowns that had been assessed as her share at once, for the +captains had already paid down their sixty. The pilgrims were about to +give up the whole of their little hoard, but Roque bade them keep +quiet, and turning to his men he said, "Of these crowns two fall to +each man and twenty remain over; let ten be given to these pilgrims, +and the other ten to this worthy squire that he may be able to speak +favourably of this adventure;" and then having writing materials, with +which he always went provided, brought to him, he gave them in writing +a safe-conduct to the leaders of his bands; and bidding them +farewell let them go free and filled with admiration at his +magnanimity, his generous disposition, and his unusual conduct, and +inclined to regard him as an Alexander the Great rather than a +notorious robber.</p> + +<p>One of the squires observed in his mixture of Gascon and Catalan, +"This captain of ours would make a better friar than highwayman; if he +wants to be so generous another time, let it be with his own +property and not ours."</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p60f"></a><img alt="p60f.jpg (426K)" src="images/p60f.jpg" height="834" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/p60f.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"></a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>The unlucky wight did not speak so low but that Roque overheard him, +and drawing his sword almost split his head in two, saying, "That is +the way I punish impudent saucy fellows." They were all taken aback, +and not one of them dared to utter a word, such deference did they pay +him. Roque then withdrew to one side and wrote a letter to a friend of +his at Barcelona, telling him that the famous Don Quixote of La +Mancha, the knight-errant of whom there was so much talk, was with +him, and was, he assured him, the drollest and wisest man in the +world; and that in four days from that date, that is to say, on +Saint John the Baptist's Day, he was going to deposit him in full +armour mounted on his horse Rocinante, together with his squire Sancho +on an ass, in the middle of the strand of the city; and bidding him +give notice of this to his friends the Niarros, that they might divert +themselves with him. He wished, he said, his enemies the Cadells could +be deprived of this pleasure; but that was impossible, because the +crazes and shrewd sayings of Don Quixote and the humours of his squire +Sancho Panza could not help giving general pleasure to all the +world. He despatched the letter by one of his squires, who, exchanging +the costume of a highwayman for that of a peasant, made his way into +Barcelona and gave it to the person to whom it was directed.</p> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p60g"></a><img alt="p60g.jpg (42K)" src="images/p60g.jpg" height="412" width="650"> +</center> + + + + + +<br> +<br> + + +<center> +<table summary="" cellPadding=4 border=3> +<tr><td> + <a href="p35.htm">Previous Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="5946-h.htm">Main Index</a> +</td><td> + <a href="p37.htm">Next Part</a> + </td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<br><br> + +</body> +</html> + |