Ioane Panca for so was she called although her Husband and she were not Knisfolk but by reason that in the Mancha the Wives are usually called after their Husbands Sirname Doe not busie thy self Ioane quoth Sancho to know these things on such a sudden let it suffice that I tell thee the truth and therewithall sow up thy mouth I will onely say thus much unto thee as it were by the way that there is nothing in the World so pleasant as for an honest man to be the Squire of a Knight Errant that seeks Adventures It is very true that the greatest number of Adventures found out succeeded not to a mans satisfaction so much as he would desire for of a hundred that are incountred the ninety and nine are wont to be crosse and untoward ones I know it by experience for I have come away my self out of some of them well canvassed and out of others well beaten But yet for all that it is a fine thing to expect events traverse Groves search Woods tread on Rocks visit Castles and lodge in Innes at a mans pleasure without paying the Devill a crosse All these Discourses passed between Sancho Panca and his wife Ioane Panca whilst the old woman and Don-Quixotes Niece did receive him put off his clothes and lay him down in his ancient bed he looked upon them very earnestly and could not conjecture where he was The Curate charged the Niece to cherish her Uncle very carefully and that they should look well that he made not the third escape relating at large all the adoe that they had to bring him home Here both the women renewed their exclamations their execreations of all Books of Knighthood here came to be reiterated here they besought Heaven to throw down into the very Center of the bottomlesse Pit the out-cryes of so many lies and ravings Finally they remained perplexed and timorous that they should lose again their Master and Uncle as soon as he was any thing recovered and it befell just as they suspected but the Authour of this History although he have with all diligence and curiosity inquired after the Acts atcheived by Don-Quixote in his third sally to seek Adventures yet could he never attaine at least by authenticall Writings to any notice of them Only Fame hath left in the memories of the Mancha that Don-Quixote after his third escape was at Saragosa and present at certain famous Justs made in that Citty and that therein befell him events most worthy of his valour and good wit But of his end he could finde nothing nor ever should have known ought if good fortune had not offered to his view an old Phisician who had in his custodie a leaden Box which as hee affirmed was found in the ruines of an old Eremitage as it was a repayring in which Box were certaine scroles of Parchment written with Gothicall Characters but contayning Castilian verses which comprehended many of his Acts and specified Dulcinea of Toboso her beautie decyphered Rozinante and intreated of Sancho Panca's fidelitie as also of Don-Quixotes Sepulchre with sundry Epitaphs and Elogies of his Life and Manners and those that could bee read and copied out throughly were those that are here set downe by the faithfull Authour of this new and unmatched Relation Which Authour demands of the Readers no other guerdon in regard of his huge travaile spent in the search of all the old Records of the Mancha for the bringing thereof unto light but that they will daigne to afford it as much credit as discreete men are wont to give unto Bookes of Knighthood which are of so great Reputation now a dayes in the World for herewith hee will rest most fully contented and satisfied and withall encouraged to publish and seeke out for other Discourses if not altogether so true as this at least of as great both Invention and Recreation The first words written in the Scrole of Parchment that was found in the leaden Box were these The Academicks of Argamasilla a Towne of the Mancha on the Life and Death of the valorous DON-QUIXOTE of the Mancha hoc scripserunt An Epitaph of Monicongo the Academick of Argamasilla to DON-QUIXOTES Sepulcre THE clattring Thunderbolt that did adorne The Mancha with more spoyles then Jason Creete The Wit whose Wether-cock was sharp was Thorne When somewhat flatter it to bee was meete The Arme which did his powre so much dilate As it Gaeta and Cathay did retch The dreadfull'st Muse and eke discreetest that In brazen-sheets did prayses ever stretch Hee that the Amadises left behinde And held the Gataors but in small esteeme Both for his braverie and his loving minde Hee dumb that made Don-Belianis to seeme And hee that farre on Rozinante err'd Vnder this frozen stone doth lie interr'd Paniagando an Academick of Argamasilla in prayse of DULCINEA of Toboso SONNET SHE which you view with triple face and sheene High-breasted and couragious like a man Is tall Dulcinea of Toboso Queene Of great Quixote wellbeloved than Hee for her sake treads th' one and th' other side Of the browne Mountaine and the famous Fields Of Montiel and Aran Ivez so wide On foote all tyr'd loaden with Speere and Shield The fault was Rozinantes O hard starre That this Manchegan Dame and worthy Knight In tender yeeres when people strongest are Shee lost by death the glimpse of beautie bright And hee although in Marble richly done Yet Loves wrath and deceits shee could not shunne Caprichioso the most ingenious Academick of Argamasilla in praise of Rozinante DON-QUIXOTE his Steed SONNET INto the proud erected Diamond stock Which Mars with bloody plants so often bored Half wood with Valour the Manchegan stuck His wav'ring Standard and his Arms restored For them thereon hee hung and his bright Sword Wherewith hee hacks rents parts and overthrows New prowesses to which Art must afford New stiles on this new Palatine to gloze And if Gaule mâ—ch her Amadis doth prize Whose brave descendants have illustred Greece And fild it full of Trophies and of Fame Much more Bellona's Court doth solemnize Quixote whose like in Gaule nor Grecia is So honourd's none as in Mancha his name Let no oblivion his glory stain Seeing in swiftnesse Rozinant his Steed Even Bayard doth and Briliador exceed Burlador Academick of Argamasilla to SANCHO PANCA SONNET THis Sancho Panca is of Body little But yet O miracle in Valour great The simplest Squire and sooth to say lest suttle That in this World I swear liv'd ever yet From being an Earl he scarce was a threads bredth Had not at once conspir'd to crosse his guerdon The malice of the times and men misled Which scarce an Asse incountring would him pardon Vpon the like hee rode O give me leave To tell how this meek Squire after the Horse Milde Rozinante and his Lord did drive O! then vain hopes of men what thing is worse Which proves us desired case to lend Yet doe at last in smoaks our glories end Chachidiablo
THE HISTORY OF The Valorous and VVitty-KNIGHT-ERRANT Don-Quixote of the Mancha Translated out of the Spanish now newly Corrected and Amended LONDON Printed by Richard Hodgkinsonne for Andrew Crooke 1652. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE his very good friend the Lord of VValden c. MIne Honourable Lord having Translated some five or six years agoe the Historie of Don-Quixote out of the Spanish tongue into the English in the space of fourty dayes being thereunto more then half enforced through the importunity of a very deer friend that was desirous to understand the subject After I had given once a view thereof I cast it aside where it lay long time neglected in a corner and so little regarded by me as I never once set hand to review or correct the same Since when at the entreatie of others my friends I was content to let it come to light conditionally that some one or other would peruse and and amend the errours escaped my many affairs hindring me from undergoing that labour Now I understand by the Printer that the Copie was presented to your Honor which did at the first somewhat disgust me because as it must pass I fear much it wil prove far unworthy either of your Noble view or protection Yet since it is mine though abortive I doe humbly intreat that your Honour will lend it a favourable countenance thereby to animate the Parent thereof to produce in time some worthier subject in your Honourable name whose many rare Virtues have already rendred me so highly devoted to your service as I will some day give very evident tokens of the same and till then I rest Your Honours most affectionate Servitor Thomas Shelton The Authors Preface to the Reader THou maist beleeve me gentle Reader without swearing that I could willingly desire this book as a childe of understanding to be the most beautifull gallant and discreet that might possibly bee imagined But I could not transgresse the order of Nature wherein every thing begets his like which being so what could my sterile and ill-tild wit engender but the History of a dry toasted and humorous sonne full of various thoughts and conceits never before imagined of any other much like one who was ingendred within some noysome prison where all discommodities have taken possession and all dolefull noyses made their habitation seeing that rest pleasant places amenity of the fields the cheerfulnesse of cleer skie the murmuring noyse of the cristal fountains quiet repose of the spirit are great helps for the most barren Muses to shew themselves fruitful to bring forth into the world such births as may enrich it with admiration delight It oft times befals that a father hath a child both by by birth evil favoured and quite devoid of all perfection and yet the love that hee bears him is such as it casts a mask over his eyes which hinders his descerning of the faults and simplicities thereof and makes him rather to deem them discretions beauty and so tels them to his friends for witty jests conceits But I though in shew a father yet in truth but a step-father to Don Quixote will not bee born away by the violent current of the modern custome now a daies and therefore intreat thee with the tears almost in mine eyes as many others are wont to doe most dear Reader to pardon and dissemble the faults which thou shalt discern in this my soone for thou art neither his kinsman nor friend and thou hast thy soul in thy body and thy free will therein as absolute as the best and thou art in thine own house wherein thou art as absolute a Lord as the King is of his subsidies and thou knowest well the common Proverb that Under my cloak a fig for the King all which doth exempt thee and makes thee free from all respect and obligation and so thou maiest holdly say of this History whatsoever thou shalt think good without fear either to bee controled for the evill or rewarded for the good thou shalt speak thereof I would very fain have presented it unto thee pure and Naked without the ornament of a Preface or the rabblement Catalogue of the wonted Sonnets Epigrams Poems Elegies c. which are wont to bee put at the beginning of Books For I dare say unto thee that although it cost me some pains to compose it yet in no respect did it equalize that which I took to make this preface which thou doest now read I took oftentimes my pen in my hand to write it and as often set it down again as not knowing what I should write and being once in amuse with my Paper before me my Pen in mine eare mine elbow on the table and my hand on my cheek imagining what I might write there entred a friend of mine unexpectedly who was a very discreet and pleasantly witted man who seeing me so pensative demanded of me the reason of my musing And not concealing it from him said That I bethought my self on my preface I was to make to Don Quixotes History which did so much trouble me as I neither mean to make any at all nor publish the History of the Acts of so noble a Knight For how can I choose quoth I but be much confounded at that which the old legislator the Vulgar will say when it sees that after the end of so many years as are spent since I first step in the bosome of oblivion I come out loaden with my gray haires and bring with me a Book as dry as a Kex void of invention barren of good phrase poor of conceits and altogether emptie both of learning and eloquence without quotations on the margents or annotations in the end of the Book wherewith I see other Books are still adorned bee they never so idle fabulous and prophane so full of sentences of Aristotle and Plato and the other crue of the Philosophers as admires the Readers and makes them beleeve that these Authours were very learned and eloquent And after when they cite Plutarch or Cicero what can they say but that they are the sayings of S. Thomas or other Doctors of the Church observing herein so ingenious a method as in one line they will paint you an enamoured gull and in the other will lay you down a little seeming devout sermon so that it is a great pleasure and delight to read or heare it all which things must be wanting in my Book for neither have I any thing to cite on the margent or note in the end much lesse doe I know what Authors I follow to put them at the beginning as the custome is by the letter of the A.B.C. beginning with Aristotle and ending in Xenophon or in Zoylus or Zeuxis Although the one was a Railer and the other a Painter So likewise shall my Book want Sonnets at the beginning at least such Sonnets whose Authours bee Dukes Marquesses Earls Bishops Ladies or famous Poets Although if I would demand them
shall bee recounted in the second Part. THE Delightfull Historie of the most witty Knight DON-QUIXOTE of the Mancha The Second Part. CHAP. I. Wherein is related the events of the fearfull Battell which the gallant Biscaine fought with Don-Quixote WEE left the valorous Biscaine and the famous Don-Quixote in the first Part with their Swords lifted up and naked in termes to discharge one upon another two furious Cleevers and such as if they had lighted rightly would cut and divide them both from the top to the toe and open them like a Pomgranat And that in so doubtfull a taking the delightfull Historie stopped and remained dismembred the Author thereof leaving us no notice where wee might find the rest of the narration This grieved mee not a little but wholly turned the pleasure I tooke in reading the beginning thereof into disgust thinking how small commodity was offered to finde out so much as in my opinion wanted of this so delectable a tale It seemed unto mee almost impossible and contrary to all good order that so good a Knight should want some wise man that would undertake his wonderfull prowesses and feats of Chivalry A thing that none of those Knights Errant ever wanted of whom People speake for each of them had one or two wise men of purpose that did not only write their Acts but also depainted their very least thoughts and toyes were they never so hidden And surely so good a Knight could not bee so unfortunate as to want that wherewith Platyr and others his like abounded and therefore could not induce my self to beleeve that so gallant a Historie might remaine maimed and lame and did rather cast the fault upon the malice of the time who is a consumer and devourer of all things which had eyther hidden or consumed it Me thought on the other side seeing that among his bookes were found some modern workes such as the Vndeceiving of Iealousie and the Nymphs and Sheepheards of Henares That also his owne Historie must have been new and if that it were not written yet was the memory of him fresh among the dwellers of his owne Village and the other Villages adjoyning This imagination held mee suspended and desirous to learn really and truly all the life and miracles of our famous Spanyard Don-Quixote of the Mancha the light and mirror of all Manchicall Chivalrie being the first who in this our age and time so full of calamities did undergoe the travells and exercise of armes Errant and undid wrongs succour'd widdowes protected Damzels that rode up and down with their whips and Palfreys and with all their virginity on their backs from hill to hill and dale to dale for if it hapned not that some lewd miscreant or some Clowne with a hatchet and long haire or some monstrous Giant did force them Damzels there were in times past that at the end of fourescore yeeres all which time they never slept one day under a roofe went as entyre and pure may dens to their Graves as the very mother that bore them Therefore I say that as well for this as for many other good respects our gallant Don-Quixote is worthy of continuall and memorable praises nor can the like bee justly denied to my self for the labour and diligence which I used to finde out the end of this gratefull History although I know very well that if Heaven Chance and Fortune had not assisted mee the world had beene deprived of the delight and pastime that men may take for almost two houres together who shall with diligent attention read it The manner therefore of finding it was this Being one day walking in the Exchange of Toledo a certain Boy by chance would have sold divers old quires scroules of bookes to a Squire that walked up and down in that place and I being addicted to read such scroules though I found them torn in the streets borne away by this my naturall inclination tooke one of the quires in my hand and perceived it to bee written in Arabicall Characters and seeing that although I knew the Letters yet could I not read the substance I looked about to view whether I could perceive any Moor turned Spanyard thereabouts that could reade them nor was it very difficult to finde there such an Interpreter for if I had searched one of another better and more ancient language to Wit a Iew that place would easily afford him In fine my good fortune presented one to mee to whom telling my desire and giving him the booke in his hand hee opened it and having read a little therein began to laugh I demanded of him why hee laughed and hee answered at that marginall note which the booke had I bad him to expound it to mee and with that tooke him a little aside and hee continuing still his laughter said there is written here on this margin these words This Dulcinea of Toboso so many times spoaken of in this Historie had the best hand for powdring of Porkes of any woman in all the Mancha When I heard it make mention of Dulcinea of Toboso I rested amazed and suspended and imagined forthwith that those quires contained the Historie of Don-Quixote with this conceit I hastned him to read the ibegnning which hee did and translating the Arabicall into Spanish in a trice hee said that it began thus The Historie of Don-Quixote of the Mancha written by Cyde Hamete Benegeli an Arabicall Historiographer Much discretion was requisite to dissemble the content of mind I conceived when I heard the Title of the book and preventing the Squire I bought all the boyes scroles and papers for a Riall and were he of discretion or knew my desire he might have promised himself easily and also have borne away with him more then six Reals for his Merchandize I departed after with the Moor to the Cloyster of the great Church I requested him to turn me all the Arabicall sheets that treated of Don-Quixote into Spanish without adding or taking away any thing from them and I would pay him what hee listed for his paines hee demanded fifty pounds of Raisons and three Bushells of Wheat and promised to translate them speedily well and faithfully But I to hasten the matter more least I should lose such an unexpected and welcome treasure brought him to my house where he translated all the work in lesse then a moneth and a half even in the manner that it is here recounted There was painted in the first Quier very naturally the battell betwixt Don-Quixote and the Biscaine even in the same manner that the History relateth it with their Swords lifted aloft the one covered with his Buckler the other with the Cushion and the Biscaines Mule was delivered so naturally as a man might perceive it was hired although he stood farther oft then the shot of a Cross-bow The Biscaine had a title written under his feet that said Don Sancho de Azpetia for so belike he was called and at Rozinante his
Don Iohn why should wee read these fopperies hee that hath read the first part of Don-Quixote it is impossible hee should take any pleasure in reading the second For all that quoth Don Iohn 't were good reading it for there is no book so ill that hath not some good thing in it That which most displeaseth me in this is thet hee makes Don-Quixote disenamoured of Dulcinea del Toboso Which when Don-Quixote heard full of wrath and despight hee lifted up his voyce saying Whosoever saith Don Quixote de la Mancha hath forgotten or can forget Dulcinea del Toboso I will make him know with equall Armes that he is farre from the truth for the peerlesse Dulcinea del Toboso cannot bee forgotten neither can forgetfullnesse bee contained in Don-Quixote his Scutchion is Loyalty his Profession sweetly to keep it without doing it any violence Who is that answers us said they in the next room Who should it bee quoth Sancho but Don-Quixote himself that will make good all hee hath said or as much as hee shall say for a good Pay-master cares not for his pawnes Scarce had Sancho said this when the two Gentlemen came in at the Chamber door for they seemed no lesse to them and one of them casting his Armes about Don-Quixotes neck said neither can your presence belye your name or your name credit your presence Doubtlesse you Sir are the right Don-Quixote de la Mancha North-starre and Morning-starre of Knight Errantry in spight of him that hath usurped your name and annihilated your exploits as the Author of this Book I here deliver hath done and giving him the Book that his companion had Don-Quixote took it and without answering a word began to turne the leaves and a while after returned it saying In this little that I have seen I have found three things in this Authour worthy of reprehension This the Authour of this Book brings in by way of invective against an Aragonian Scholer that wrote a second part of Don Quixote before this was published The first is some words I have read in this Prologue The second that his language is Arragonian for sometimes hee writes without Articles And the third which doth most confirm his ignorance is That hee errs and strayes from the truth in the chiefest of the History for here hee sayes that Sancho Panca my Squires Wifes name was Mary Gutierrez which is not so but shee is called Teresa Panca and therefore hee that errs in so main a matter it may well bee feared he will erre in all the rest of the History To this Sancho said prettily done indeed of the Historian hee knows very well sure what belongs to our Affaires since he calls my Wife Teresa Panca Mary Gutierrez Pray take the Book again Sir and see whether I be there and whether he have chang'd my name By your speech friend quoth Don Ieronimo you should be Sancho Panca Signior Don-Quixotes Squire I am quoth Sancho and I am proud of it Well in faith said the Gentleman this modern Authour doth not treat of you so neatly as your person makes shew for hee paints you out for a Glutton and Ideot and nothing witty and farre different from the Sancho that is described in the first part of your Masters History God forgive him said Sancho hee should have left me in my corner and not remembred me for every man in his ability and 't is good sleeping in a whole skin The two Gentlemen entreated Don-Quixote to goe to their chamber and Sup with them for they knew well that in that Inne hee found not things fitting to his person Don-Quixote who was ever courteous condescended to their requests and supped with them Sancho remained with his flesh-pot sole Lord and Governour Sancho sate at the upper end of the Table and with him the Inn-keeper that was no lesse affectioned to his Neats-feet then Sancho In the midst of supper Don Iohn asked Don Quixote what news hee had of his Lady Dulcinea del Toboso whether shee were married or brought a Bed or great with child or being entire whether respecting her honesty and good decorum she were mindefull of Signior Don Quixotes amorous desires To which he answered Dulcinea is as entire and my desires as firm as ever our correspondency in the ancient barrennsse her beauty transformed into the complexion of a base Milk-wench and straight hee recounted unto them every tittle of her Enchantment and what had befaln him in Montesinos Cave with the order that the sage Merlin had given for her dis-enchanting which was by Sancho's stripes Great was the delight the two Gentlemen received to heare Don Quixote tell the strange passages of his History and so they wondered at his fopperies as also his elegant manner of delivering them here they held him to be wise there he slipped from them by the fool so they know not what medium to give him betwixtn wisedome and folly Sancho ended his Supper and leaving the Inn-keeper passed to the Chamber where his Master was and entring said Hang me Sirs if the Authour of this Book that your Worships have would that wee should eat a good meale together pray God as hee calls me Glutton hee say not that I am a Drunkard too Yes marry doth hee said Don Ieronimo but I know not how directly though I know his reasons doe not hang together and are very erroneous as I see by Sancho's Phisiognomy here present Believe me quoth Sancho Sancho and Don-Quixote are differing in this History from what they are in that Cid Hamete Benengeli composed for wee are my Master valiant discreet and amorous I simple and conceited but neither Glutton nor Drunkard I believe it said Don Iohn and were it possible it should bee commanded that none should dare to treat of the Grand Don Quixotes Affairs but Cid Hamete his first Authour as Alexander commanded that none but Apelles should dare to draw him Let whose will draw me quoth Don-Quixote but let him not abuse me for ofâ— times patience falls when injuries over-load None quoth Don Iohn can be done Signior Don-Quixote that hee will not bee revenged of if he ward it not with the Shield of his patience which in my opinion is strong and great In these and other discourses they passed a great part of the night and though Don Iohn would that Don-Quixote should have read more in the Book to see what it did descant on yet hee could not prevaile with him saying Hee made account he had read it and concluded it to bee but an idle Pamphlet and that hee would not if it should come to the Authours knowledge that hee had medled with it hee should make himself merry to think he had read it for our thoughts must not be busied in filthy and obscene things much lesse our eyes They asked him whither hee purposed his voyage Hee answered to Saragosa to be at the Justs in Harnesse that use to be there yeerly Don Iohn told him that
of two or three Ahtificers of mine acquaintance I know they would make me some such as those of the most renowed in Spain would in no wise be able to equall or compare with them Finally good Sir and my very deer friend quoth I I doe resolve that Sir Don Quixote remain intombed among the old Records of the Mancha untill heaven ordain some to adorn him with the many graces that are yet wanting for I find my self wholly unable to remedy them through mine insufficiency and little learning and also because I am naturally lazie and unwilling to goe searching for Authors to say that which I can say well enough without them And hence proceeded the perplexity extasie wherein you found me plunged My friend hearing that striking himself on the fore head after a long and lowd laughter said In good faith friend I have now at last delivered my self of a long and intricate error wherewith I was possessed all the time of our acquaintance for hitherto I accounted thee ever to bee discreet and prudent in all thy Actions but now I see plainly that thou art as far from that I took thee to bee as Heaven is from the Earth How is it possible that things of so small moment and so easie to be redressed can have force to suspend and swallow up so ripe a wit as yours hath seemed to bee and so fitted to break up and trample over the greatest difficulties that can be propounded This proceeds not in good sooth from defect of will but from superfluity of sloath and penury of discourse wilt thou see whether that I say be true or no Listen then attentively a while and thou shalt perceive how in the twinkling of an eye I will confound all these difficulties and supply all the wants which doe suspend affright thee from publishing to the world The History of the famous DON-QUIXOTE the light and mirrour of all Knighthood Errant Say I pray thee quoth I hearing what hee had said after what manner doest thou think to replenish the vacuity of my fear and reduce the Chaos of my confusion to any cleernesse and light And hee replyed The first thing whereat thou stopest of Sonnets Epigrams Eglogues c. which are wanting for the beginning and ought to be written by grave and noble persons may be remedied if thou thy self wilt but take a little pain to compasse them and thou mayest after name them as thou pleasest and father them on Prester John of the Indians or the Emperour of Trapisonde whom I know were held to be famous Poets and suppose they were not but that some pedantes and presumptuous fellowes would backbite thee and murmur against this truth thou needest not waigh them two straws for although they could prove it to bee an untruth yet cannot they cut off thy hand for it As touching citations in the margent and Authours out of whom thou mayest collect sentences and sayings to insert in thy History there is nothing else to bee done but to bob into it some latine sentences that thou knowest already by rote or mayest get easily with a little labour as for example When thou treatest of liberty and thraldome thou mayest cite that non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro and presently quote Horace or hee whosoever else that said it on the margent If thou shouldest speak of the power of death have presently recourse to that of Pallida mors equo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas Regumque turres If of the instability of friends thou hast at hand Cato freely offering his distiâ—hon Donec eris foelix multos numerabis amicos Tempora si iuerint nubila solus eris If of riches quantum quisque sua nummorum servat in arca tantum habet fidei If of love hei mihi quod nullis amor est medicabilis herbis And so with these latine Authorities and other such like they will at least account thee a good Grammarian and the being of such a one is of no little honour and profit in this our age As touching the addition of annotations in the end of thy Book thou mayest boldly observe this course If thou namest any Gyant in thy Book procure that it bee the Gyant Goliah and with this alone which almost will cost thee nothing thou hast gotten a fair annotation for thou mayest say The Gyant Golias or Goliat was a Philistine whom the Sheepheard David slew with the blow of a stone in the vale of Terebintho as is recounted in the Book of Kings in the chapter wherein thou shalt finde it written After all this to shew that thou art learned in humane letters and a Cosmographer take some occasion to make mention of the River Tagus and thou shalt presently finde thy self stored with another notable notation saying the River Tagus was so called of a King of Spain it takes it beginning from such a place and dies in the Ocean Seas kissing first the walls of the famous Citie of Lisborne And some are of opinion that the sands thereof are of Gold c. If thou wilt treat of Theeves I will recite the History of Cacus to thee for I know it by memory If of Whores or Curtezans there thou hast the Bishop of Mondonnedo who will lend thee Lamia Layda and Flora whose annotation will gain thee no small credit If of cruell persons Ovid will tender Medea If of Enchanters and Witches Homer hath Calipso and Virgill Circe If of valorous Captains Julius Caesar shall lend himself in his commentaries to thee and Plutarch shall give thee a thousand Alexanders If thou doest treat of Love and hast but two ounces of the Thuscane language thou shalt encounter with Lion the Hebrew who will replenish thy vessells with store in that kinde but if thou wilt not travel for it into strange Countries thou hast here at home in thy house Fonseca of the love of God wherein is deciphered all that either thou or the most ingenious capacitie can desire to learn of that subject In conclusion there is nothing else to bee done but that thou only indeavour to name those names or to touch those Histories in thine own which I have here related and leave the adding of Annotations and citations unto me for I doe promise thee that I will both fill up the margent and also spend four or five sheets of advantage at the end of the Book Now let us come to the citation of Authours which other Books have and thine wanteth the remedie hereof is very easie for thou needest doe naught else but seek out a Book that doth quote them all from the Letter A untill Z as thou saidst thy self but even now and thou shalt set that very same Alphabet to thine own Book for although the little necessity that thou hadst to use their assistance in thy work will presently convict thee of falshood it makes no matter and perhaps there may not a few bee found so simple as to
beleeve that thou hast holp thy self in the Narration of thy most simple sincere History with all their authorities And though that large Catalogue of Authors doe serve to none other purpose yet will it at least give some authority to the Book at the first blush and the rather because none will bee so mad as to stand to examine whether thou doest follow them or no seeing they can gain nothing by the matter Yet if I doe not erre in the consideration of so weighty an affaire this Book of thine needs none of all these things for as much as it is only an invective against Books of Knighthood a subject whereof Aristotle never dreamed Saint Basil said nothing Cicero never heard any word Nor doe the punctualities of truth nor observations of Astrologie fall within the Sphear of such fabulous jestings Nor doe Geometricall dimentions impart it anything nor the confutation of arguments usurped by Rhetorick nor ought it to preach unto any the mixture of holy matters with prophane a motly wherewith no Christian well should bee attyred only it hath need to help it self with imitation for by how much the more it shall excell therein by so much the more will the work be esteemed And since that thy labour doth aime at no more then to diminish the authoritie and acceptance that Books of Chivalrie have in the world and among the vulgar there is no occasion why thou shouldest goe begging of sentences from Philosophers fables from Poets Orations from Rhetoritians or miracles from the Saints but onely endeavour to deliver with significant plain honest and well-ordered words thy joviall and cheerfull discourse expressing as neer as thou mayest possibly thy intention making thy conceits cleer and not intricate or dark and labour also that the melancholy Mare by the reading thereof may bee urged to laughter the pleasant disposition increased the simple not cloyed and that the judicious may admire thy invention the grave not despise it the prudent applaude it In conclusion let thy project bee to overthrow the ill-compiled Machina and bulk of those knightly Books abhorred by many but applauded by more For if thou bring this to passe thou hast not atchieved a small matter I listned with very great attention to my friends Speech and his reasons are so firmly imprinted in my minde as without making any reply unto them I approved them all for good and framed my preface of them Wherein sweet Reader thou mayest perceive my friends discretion my happinesse to meet with so good a councellour at such a pinch and thine own ease in finding so plainly and sincerely related The History of the famous DON-QUIXOTE of the Mancha of whom it is the common opinion of all the inhabitants bordering on the Fields of Montiel that hee was the most chaste enamoured and valiant Knight that hath been seen read or heard of these many ages I will not indeer the benefit and service I have done thee by making thee acquainted with so Noble and Honourable a Knight but only doe desire that thou gratifie me for the notice of the famous Sancho Panca his Squire in whom in mine opinion are deciphered all the Squire-like graces dispersed throughout the vain rout of Knightly Books And herewithall I bid thee farewell and doe not forget me Vale. Certain Sonnets written by Knights Errant Ladies Squires and Horses in the praise of DON-QUIXOTE his Dame his Squire and Steed AMADIS of Gaule in praise of Don-Quixote THou that my dolefull life did'st imitate When absent and disdained it befell Devoid of Joy I a repentant state Did lead and on the poor Rock's top did dwell Thou that the streams so often from thine eyes Did'st suck of scalding tears digustfull brine And without Pewter Copper Plate likewise Wast on the bare earth oft constrain'd to dine Live on one thing secure eternally That whil'st bright Phoebus shall his Horses spur Through the fourth Spheares dilated Monarchy Thy name shall be renowned neer and fur And as 'mongst Countries thine is best alone So shall thine Authour Peers on earth have none DON BELIANIS of Greece to Don Quixote of the Mancha I Tore I hackt abolisht said and did More then Knight Errant else on earth hath done I dextrous valiant and so stout beside Have thousand wrongs reveng'd millions undone I have done Acts that my fame eternize In Love I courteous and so peerlesse was Gyants as if but Dwarfs I did despise And yet no time of Love plaints I let passe I have held Fortune prostrate at my feet And by my wit seiz'd on occasions top Whose wandring steps I led where I thought meet And though beyond the Moor my soaring hope Did crown my hap with all felicitie Yet Great Quixote doe I envie thee The Knight of the Sunne ALPHEBO to Don Quixote MY Sword could not at all compare with thine Spanish Alphebo full of courtesie Nor thine Armes valour can bee match'd by mine Though I was fear'd where dayes both spring and dye Empires I scorn'd and the vast Monarchie Of th' orient ruddie offred me in vain I left that I the soveraigne face might see Of my Aurora fair Claridiane Whom as by miracle I surely lov'd So banisht by disgrace even very Hell Quak'd at mine Arme that did his furie tame But thou illustrious Gothe Quixote hast prov'd Thy Valour for Dulcinea's sake so well As both on earth have gain'd eternall fame ORLANDO FURIOSO Peer of France to Don Quixote of the Mancha THought thou art not a Peer thou hast no peer Who mightst among ten thousand Peers be one Nor shalt thou never any Peer have here Who ever conquering vanquisht was of none Quixote I' me Orlando that cast away For faire Angelica crost remotest Seas And did such Trophies on Fames Altar lay As passe oblivions reach many degrees Nor can I bee thy Peer for Peerlesnesse Is to thy prowes due and great renown Although I lost as well as thou my wit Yet mine thou may'st be if thy good successe Make thee the proud Moor tame and Schite that crown Us equals in disgrace and loving fit SOLIS DAN to Don Quixote of the Mancha MAugre the ravings that are set abroach And rumble up and down thy troubled brain Yet none thine Acts Quixote can reproach Or thy proceedings tax as vile or vain Thy feats shall bee thy fairest ornament Seeing wrongs to ' ndoe thou goest thus about Although with blows a thousand times y-shent Thou wert well nigh yea ' ven by the miscreant rout And if thy fair Dulcinea shall wrong By mis-regard thy fairer expectation And to thy cares will lend no lightning eare Then let this comfort all thy woes out weare That Sancho faild in Brokers occupation Hee foolish cruel she thou without tongue The Princesse ORIANA of Great Britain to Lady Dulcinea del Toboso HAppie those which for more commoditie And ease Dulcinea fair could bring to passe That Green Witch where Toboso is might bee And London chang'd where thy
how hee should watch his Armes in a great yard that lay neere unto one side of the Inne Wherefore Don-Quixote gathering all his Armes together laid them on a Cistern that stood neer unto a Well And buckling on his Target hee laid hold on his Launce and walked up and down before the Cisterne very demurely and when hee began to walke the night likewise began to lock up the splendor of the day The In-keeper in the mean season recounted to all the rest that lodged in the Inne the folly of his Guest the watching of his Armes and the Knighthood which hee expected to receive They all admired very much at so strange a kinde of folly and went out to behold him from a far off and saw that somtimes he pranced too and fro with a quiet gesture other times leaning upon his Launce he looked upon his Armor without beholding any other thing save his Armes for a good space The night being shut up at last wholly but with such cleerenesse of the Moone as it might well compare with his brightnesse that lent her her splendor every thing which our new Knight did was easily perceived by all the beholders In this season one of the Carriers that lodged in the Inne resolved to water his Mules and for that purpose it was necessarie to remove Don-Quixotes Armour that lay on the Cistern who seeing him approach said unto him with a loud voice O thou whosoever thou beest bold Knight that commest to touch the Armour of the most valorous Adventurer that ever gyrded sword looke well what thou dost and touch them not if thou meanest not to leave thy life in payment of thy presumption The Carrier made no account of those words but it were better hee had for it would have redounded to his benefit but rather laying hold on the leatherings threw the Armour a pretty way off from him which being perceived by Don-Quixote hee lifted up his eyes towards heaven and addressing his thoughts as it seemed to his Lady Dulcinea hee said Assist mee deere Lady in this first dangerous affront and adventure offered to this breast that is enthralled to thee and let not thy favor and protection faile mee in this my first Traunce And uttering these and other such words hee let slip his Target and lifting up his Launce with both hands hee paid the Carrier so round a knock therewithall on the Pate as hee overthrew him to the ground in so evill takiâ—g as if hee had seconded it with another hee should not have needed any Surgeon to cure him This done hee gathered up his Armour again and laying them where they had-beene before hee walked after up and downe by them with as much quietnesse as hee did at the first But very soone after another Carrier without knowing what had hapned for his companion lay yet in a Trance on the ground came also to give his Mules water and coming to take away the Armes that hee might free the Cistern of incumbrances and take water the easier Don-Quixote saying nothing nor imploring favor of his Mistris or any other let slip again his Target and lifting his Launce without breaking of it in peeces made more then three of the second Carriers noddle for hee broke it in foure places All the People of the Inne and amongst them the Host likewise repayred at this time to the noyse which Don-Quixote perceiving imbracing his Targeâ— and laying hand on his sword hee said O Lady of all Beauty Courage and Vigour of my weakened heart it is now high time that thou doe convert the eyes of thy greatnesse to this thy captive Knight who doth expect so marveilous great an Adventure Saying thus hee recovered as hee thought so great courage that if all the Cariers of the world had assayled him hee would not goe one step backward The wounded mens fellowes seeing them so evill dight from a far off began to raine stones on Don-Quixote who did defend himself the best hee might with his Target and durst not depart from the Cistern lest hee should seeme to abandon his Armes The Inkeeper cryed to them to let him alone for hee had already informed them that hee was mad and for such a one would scape scot free although hee had slain them all Don-Quixote likewise cryed out louder terming them all disloyall men and traytors and that the Lord of the Castle was a treacherous and bad Knight seeing that hee consented that Knights Errant should be so basely used and that if hee had not yet received the Order of Knighthood hee would make him understand his treason but of you base and rascally Kenell quoth he I make no reckoning at all throw at mee approach draw neere and doe mee all the hurt you may for you shall ere long receive the reward you shall carie for this your madnesse and outrage Which words hee spoke with such great spirit and boldnesse as hee stroke a terrible feare into all those that assaulted him and therefore moved both by it and the Inkeepers perswasions they left oft throwing stones at him and hee permitted them to carry away the wounded men and returned to the guard of his Armes with as great quietnes and gravity as he did at the beginning The Inkeeper did not like very much these tricks of his Guest and therefore hee determined to abbreviate and give him the unfortunate Order of Knighthood forthwith before some other disaster befell and with this resolution coming unto him hee excused himself of the insolencies those base fellowes had used to him without his privity or consent but their rashnesse as hee said remained well chastized Hee added how he had already told unto him that there was no Chappel in his Castle and that for what yet rested unperfected of their intention it was not necessarie because the chiefe point of remayning Knighted consisted chiefly in blowes of the neck and shoulders as hee had read in the ceremoniall Booke of the Order and that that might bee given in the very midst of the fields and that hee had already accomplished the obligation of watching his Armes which with only two houres watch might bee fullfilled how much more after having watched foure as hee had done All this Don-Quixote beleeved and therefore answered That hee was most ready to obey him and requested him to conclude with all the brevity possible for if hee saw himselfe Knighted and were once again assaulted hee meant not to leave one person alive in all the Castle except those which the Constable should command whom he would spare for his sake The Constable being thus advertised and fearfull that hee would put this his deliberation in execution brought out a Booke presently wherein hee was wont to write downe the accounts of the straw and Barly which hee delivered from time to time to such Carriers as lodged in his Inne for their Beasts and with a But of a candle which a boy held lighted in his hand before him accompanied
question that was put to him Which the good man perceiving disarmed him the best he could to see whether he had any wound but he could see no blood or any token on him of hurt Afterward he endeavoured to raise him from the ground which he did at the last with much adoe and mounted him on his Asse as a Beast of easiest carriage He gathered then together all his Arms and left not behinde so much as the splinters of the Launce and tied them altogether upon Rozinante whom he took by the bridle and the Asse by his halter and led them both in that equipage fair and easily towards his Village being very pensative to hear the follies that Don-Quixote spoak And Don-Quixote was no lesse melancholy who was so beaten and bruised as he could hardly hold himself upon the Asse and ever and anon he breathed forth such grievons sighs as he seemed to fix them in Heaven which moved his neighbour to intreat him again to declare unto him the cause of his grief And it seems none other but that the very Devill himself did call to his memorie Histories accommodated to his successes For in that instant wholy forgeting Valdovinos he remembred the Moor Abindaraez then when the Constable of Antequera Roderick Narvaez had taken him and carried him prisoner to his Castle So that when his neighbour turned again to aske of him how hee did and what ailed him he answered the very same words and speech that Captive Abencerrase said to Narvaez just as hee had read them in Diana of Montemayor where the History is written applying it so properly to his purpose that the labourer grew almost mad for anger to heare that Machina of follies by which hee collected that his neighbour was distracted and therfore hee hied as fast as possible hee could to the Village that so hee might free himself from the vexation that Don-Quixotes idle and prolixe discourse gave unto him At the end whereof the Knight said Don Rodericke of Narvaez You shall understand that this beautifull Xarifa of whom I spoak is now the faire Dulcinea of Toboso for whom I have done I doe and will doe such famous acts of Knighthood as ever have beene are and shall be seen in all the World To this his neighbour answered doe not you perceive Sir sinner that I am how I am neyther Don Roderick de Narvaez nor the Marquesse of Mantua but Peter Alonso your neighbour nor are you Valdovinos nor Abindaraez but the honourable yeoman Master Quixada I know very well who I am quoth Don-Quixote and also I know that I may not only bee those whom I have named but also all the twelve Peeres of France yea and the nine worthies since mine Acts shall surpasse all those that ever they did together or every one of them apart With these and such other discourses they arived at last at their Village about Sun-set but the labourer awayted untill it waxed somwhat darke because folke should not view the Knight so simply mounted And when hee saw his time he entred into the Towne and went to Don-Quixotes house which hee found full of confusion There was the Curate the Barbar of the Village both of them Don-Quixotes great friends to whom the old woman of the house said in a lamentable manner What doe you think Master Licentiate Pere Perez for so the Curate was called of my Masters misfortune These six dayes neyther hee nor his horse have appeared nor the Target Launce or Armour unfortunate woman that I am I doe suspect and I am as sure it is true as that I shall die how those accursed Books of Knighthood which hee hath and is wont to reade ordinarily have turned his judgement for now I remember that I have heard him say often times speaking to himself that hee would become a Knight Errant and goe seeke Adventures throughout the World Let such Books bee recommended to Sathan and Barrabas which have destroyed in this sort the most delicate understanding of all the Mancha His Niese affirmed the same and did add moreover you shall understand good Master Nicholus for so hight the Barbar that it many times befell my Uncle to continue the Lecture of those unhappy Books of disventures two dayes and two nights together At the end of which throwing the book away from him he would lay hand on his Sword and would fall a slashing of the walls and when hee were wearied hee would say that hee had slain foure Giants as great as foure Towres and the sweat that dropped down through the labour hee tooke hee would say was blood that gushed out of those wounds which hee had received in the conflict and then would hee quaffe off a great pot full of cold water and straight hee did become whole and quiet saying that water was a most precious drinke which the wise man Esquife a great Enchanter or Sorcerer and his friend had brought unto him But I am in the fault of all this who never advertis'd you both of mine Uncles raving to the end you might have redrest it ere it came to these termes and burnt all those Excommunicate Books for hee had many that deserved the Fire as much as if they were Hereticall That doe I likewise affirme quoth Master Curate and in soothe to morrow shall not passe over us without making a publique Processe against them and condemn them to bee burned in the Fire that they may not minister occasion again to such as may read them to doe that which I feare my good friend hath done The Labourer and Don-Quixote stood hearing all that which was said and then hee perfectly found the disease of his neighbour and therefore he began to crie aloud Open the doores to Lord Valdovinos and to the Lord Marquesse of Mantua who comes very sore wounded and hurt and to the Lord Moore Abindaraez whom the valorous Rodericke of Narvaez Constable of Antequera brings as his Prisoner All the houshould ran out hearing these cries and some knowing their friend the others their Master and Uncle who had not yet alighted from the Asse because he was not able they ran to embrace him but he forbad them saying stand still and touch me not for I returne very sore wounded and hurt through default of my horse carie me to my bed and if it be possible send for the wise Viganda that she may cure and looke to my hurt See in an ill houre quoth the old woman straight way if my heart did not very well foretell me on which foote my Master halted come up in good time for we shall know how to cure you well enough without sending for that Viganda you have mentioned Accursed say I once again and a hundred times accursed may those bookes of Knighthood be which have brought you to such a state With that they bore him up to his bed and searching for his wounds could not finde any and then hee said all was but bruising by
his work which if I can finde among these and that he speaks not his own native tongue I 'le use him with no respect but if he talk in his own language I will put him for honours sake on my head If that be so quoth the Barber I have him at home in the Italian but cannot understand him Neither were it good you should understand him replyed the Curate and here we would willingly have excused the good Captain that translated it into Spanish from that labour or bringing it into Spain if it had pleased himself For he hath deprived it of much naturall worth in the translation a fault incident to all those that presume to translate Verses out of one language into another for though they imploy all their industry and wit therein they can never arive to the height of that Primitive conceit which they bring with them in their first byrth I say therefore that this booke and all the others that may bee found in this Library to treate of French affaires bee cast and deposited in some drie Vault untill wee may determine with more deliberation what wee should doe with them alwaies excepting Bernardo del Carpio which must bee there amongst the rest and another called Roncesualles for these two coming to my hands shall bee rendred up to those of the old guardian and from hers into the fires without any remission All which was confirmed by the Barbar who did ratifie his Sentence holding it for good and discreete because hee knew the Curate to bee so vertuous a man and so great a friend of the truth as he would say nothing contrary to it for all the goods of the world And then opening another booke he saw it was Palmerin de Oliva neere unto which stood another intituled Palmerin of England which the â—icenciat perceiving said let Oliva be presently rent in pieces and burned in such sort that even the very ashes thereof may not be found and let Palmerin of England be preserved as a thing rarely delectable and let such another box as that which Alexander found among Darius spoyls and depured to keep Homers works be made for it for gossip this booke hath sufficient authority for two reasons the first because of it self it is very good and excellently contrived the other for as much as the report runnes that a certain discreet King of Portugal was the author thereof All the Adventures of the Castle of Miraguarda are excellent and artificiall The discourses very cleere and courtly observing evermore a decorum in him that speaks with great propriety and conceit therefore I say Master Nicholas if you think good this and Amadis de Gaule may bee preserved from the fire and let all the rest without farther search or regard perish In the devills name doe not so gentle gossip replyed the Barbar for this which I hold now in my hand is the famous Don Belianis What hee quoth the Curate the second third and fourth part thereof have great neede of some Ruybarbe to purge his excessive choller and wee must moreover take out of him all that of the Castell of Fame and other impertinencies of more consequence Therefore wee give them a terminus Vltramarinus and as they shall bee corrected so will wee use Mercy or justice towards them and in the meane space Gossip you may keepe them at your house but permit no man to read them I am pleased quoth the Barbar and being unwilling to tyre himself any more by reading of Titles hee bad the old woman to take all the great volumes and throw them into the yard the words were not spoken to a Mome or deaf person but to one that had more desire to burn them then to weave a peace of Linnen were it never so great and fine and therefore taking eight of them together shee threw them all out of the window and returning the second time thinking to carry away a great many at once one of them fell at the Barbers feet who desirous to know the Title saw that it was the Historie of the famous Knight Tirante the white Good God quoth the Curate with a loud voice is Tirante the white here Give mee it Gossip for I make account to find in it a Treasure of delight and a copious Mine of pastime Here is Don Quireleison of Montalban a valiant Knight and his brother Thomas of Montalban and the Knight Fonseca and the combat which the valiant Detriante fought with Alano and the witty conceits of the damzell Plazerdeminida with the love and guiles of the widow Reposada and of the Empresse enamoured on her Squire Ipolite I say unto you gossip that this booke is for the stile one of the best of the world in it Knights doe eate and drinke and sleepe and die in their beds naturally and make their testaments before their death with many other things which all other bookes of this subject doe want yet notwithstanding if I might bee Judge the Author thereof deserved because hee purposely penned and writ so many follies to bee sent to the Gallies for all the dayes of his life Carie it home and read it and you shall see all that I have said thereof to bee true I beleeve it very well quoth the Barber But what shall wee doe with these little bookes that remaine These as I take said the Curate are not bookes of Knighthood but of Poetry and opening one hee perceived it was The Diana of Montemayor and beleeving that all the rest were of that stampe hee said these deserve not to bee burned with the rest for they have not nor can doe so much hurt as bookes of Knighthood being all of them works full of understanding and conceits and doe not prejudice any other O good Sir quoth Don-Quixote his Niese your reverence shall likewise doe well to have them also burned lest that mine Uncle after hâ—â— bee cured of his Knightly disease may fall by reading of these in an humor of becomming a Sheepheard and so wander through the woods and fields singing of Rounde layes and playing on a Crowd and what is more dangerous then to become a Poet which is as some say an incurable and infectious disease This maiden saies true quoth the Curate and it will not bee amisse to remove this stumbling block and occasion out of our friends way and since wee begin with the Diana of Montemayor I am of opinion that it bee not burned but only that all that which treates of the wise Felicia and of the inchanted water bee taken away and also all the longer verses and let him remaine with his Proses and the honour of being the best of that kinde This that followes quoth the Barber is the Diana called the second written by him of Salamanca and this other is of the same name whose Author is Gil Polo Let that of Salamanca answered Master Parson augment the number of the condemned in the yard and that of Gil Polo bee kept as charity
as if it were Apollo his owne worke and goe forward speedily good Gossip for it growes late This booke quoth the Barber opening of another is The twelve bookes of the fortunes of Love written by Anthony Lâ—fraso the 〈◊〉 Poet. By the holy Orders which I have received quoth the Curate since Apollo was Apollo and the Muses Muses and Poets Poets was never written so delightful band extravagant a worke as this and that in his way and vaine it is the only one of all the bookes that have everissued of that kinde to view the light of the world and hee that hath not read it may make account that hee hath never read matter of delight Give it to men Gossip for I doe prize more the finding of it then I would the gift of a Caâ—â—ocke of the best sate in of Florence and so with great joy bee laid it aside and the Barbar prosecuted saying these that follow bee The Sheepheard of Iâ—eâ—â— The Nymphs of Enares and the Recâ—â—ing of the 〈◊〉 Then there is no more to bee done but to deliver them up to the secular arm of the old wife and doe not demand the reason for that were never to make an end This that comes is The Sheepheard of Filida That is not a Sheepheard quoth the Curate but a very compleat Courtier let it bee reserved as a precious jewell This great one that followes is said the Barber intituledâ— The Treasure of divers Poems If they had not beene so many replyed the Curate they would have beene more esteemed It is necessary that this book bee carded and purged of certain base things that lurke among his high conceits Let Him bee kept both because the Author is my very great friend and in regard of other more Heroicall and lost in works hee hath written This is said the Barber The ditty booke of Lopez Maldonadâ— The Author of that worke is likewise my great friend replyed the Parson and his lines pronounced by himselfe doe ravish the hearers and such is the sweetnesse of his voice when hee sings them as it doth enchant the eare Hee is somwhat prolix in his Eglogues but that which is good is never superfluous let him bee kept among the choysest But what booke is that which lies next unto him The Galatea of Michael Cervantes quoth the Barber That Cervantes said the Curate is my old acquaintance this many a yeere and I know hee is more practised in misfortunes then in verses His booke hath some good invention in it hee intends and propounds somwhat but concludes nothing therefore wee must expect the second Part which hee hath promised perhaps his amendment may obtaine him a generall remission which until now is denied him and whilest we expect the sight of his second work keep this part closely imprisoned in your lodging I am very well content to do so good Gossip said the Barber and here there come three together The Auracana of Don Alonso de Ercilla The Austriada of Iohn Ruffo one of the Magistrates of Cordova and The Monserrato of Christopher de Virnes a Valentian Poet. All these three books quoth the Curate are the best that are written in heroicall verse in the Castilian tongue and may compare with the most famous of Italy reserve them as the richest pawns that Spain enjoyeth of Poetry The Curate with this grew weary to see so many books and so he would have all the rest burned at all adventures But the Barber ere the Sentence was given had opened by chance one entituled The Tears of Angelica I would have shed those tears my self said the Curate if I had wittingly caused such a book to bee burned for the Author thereof was one of the most famous Poets of the World not only of Spain And was most happy in the translation of certain Fables of Ovid. CHAP. VII Of the second departure which our good Knight Don-Quixote made from his house to seek Adventures WHile they were thus busied Don-Quixote began to cry aloud saying Here here valourous Knights here it is needfull that you shew the force of your valiant armes for the Courtiers begin to bear away the best of the Tourney The folk repairing to this rumour and noyse was an occasion that any farther speech and visitation of the books was omitted and therefore it is to be suspected that The Caâ—â—leâ—â— and Lyon of Spain with the acts of the Emperor Charles the fifth written by Don Luis de Avila were burned without being ever seen or heard and perhaps if the Curate had seen them they should not have pas'd under so rigorous a sentence When they all arrived to Don-Quixote his Chamber he was risen already out of his Bed and continued still his out-cries cutting and flashing on every side being as bâ—â—â—dly awake as if he never had slept Wherefore taking him in their arms they returned him by main force into his Bed and after he was somewhat quiet and setled he said turning himself to the Curate In good sooth Lord Archbishop Turpin it is a great dishonor to us that are called the twelve Peers to permit the Knights of the Court to bear thus away the glory of the Tournay without more adoe seeing that we the Adventures have gained the prize thereof the three formost dayes Hold your peace good Gossip quoth the Curate for fortune may be pleased to change the successe what is lost to day may be wonn again to morrow Look you to your health for the present for you seem at least to be very much tyred if besides you be not sore wounded Wounded no quoth Don-Quixote but doubtless I am somewhat bruised for that Bastard Don Rowland hath beaten me to powder with the stock of an Oake-tree and all for envy because he sees that I only dare oppose my self to his valour But let me be never again called Raynold of Montealban if he pay not deerly for it as soon as I rise from this Bed in despite of all his inchantment But I pray you call for my breakfast for I know it will doe me much good and have the revenge of this wrong to my charge Presently meat was brought and after he had eaten he fell a sleep and they remained astonished at his wonderfull madnesse That night the old woman burned all the books that she found in the house and yard and some there were burned that deserved for their worthynesse to be kept up in everlasting Treasuries if their fortunes and the lazinesse of the Searchers had permitted it And so the proverb was verrified in them That the Just payes sometimes for the Sinners One of the remedies which the Curate and the Barber prescribed for that present to help their friends Disease was that they should change his Chamber and dam up his Study to the end that when he arose he might not finde them for perhaps by removing the cause they might also take away the effects And moreover they bad them to say that a certain
but this my good desire availed me but little to hinder my going there from whence I have no hope ever to return my yeers doe so burden me and also the stone which lets me not rest an instâ—nt And saying this hee turned again to his lamentations as at the first and Sancho took such compassion on him as setting his hand into his bosome hee drew out a couple of shillings and gave it him as an almes From him Don-Quixote past to another and demanded his fault who answered with no lesse but with much more pleasantnesse then the former I goe here because I have jested somewhat too much with two Cousen Germains of mine own and with two other sisters which were none of mine own Finally I jested so much with them all that thence resulted the increase of my Kindred so intricately as there is no Casuist that can well resolve it All was proved by me I wanted favour I had no money and was in danger to lose my head Finally I was condemned for six yeers to the Gallies I consented it as a punishment of my fault I am young and let my life but hold out a while longer and all will goe well And if you Sir Knight carry any thing to succour us poor folk God will reward you it in heaven and wee will have care here on earth to desire God in our dayly prayers for your life and health that it bee as long and as good as your good countenance deserves Hee that said this went in the habit of a Student and one of the Guard told him that hee was a great talker and a very good Latinist After all these came a man of some thirty yeers old of very comely personage save only that when hee looked hee seemed to thrust the one eye into the other Hee was differently tyed from the rest for hee carried about his legg so long a chain that it tyred all the rest of his body And hee had besides two iron rings about his neck the one of the chain and the other of that kinde which are called A keep friend or the foot of a friend from whence descended two irons unto his middle out of which did stick two manacles wherein his handâ— were locke up with a great hanging lock so as hee could neither set his hands to his mouth nor bend down his head towards his hands Don-Quixote demanded why hee was so loaden with iron more then the rest The guard answered because hee alone hath committed more 〈◊〉 then all together and was a more desperate knave and that although they carried him tyed in that sort yet went they not sure of him but feared hee would make an escape What falts can he have so grievous quoth Don-Quixote since hee hath only deserved to bee sent to the Gallies hee goeth replyed the guard to them for ten yeers which is equivalent to a civill death never strive to know more but that this man is the notorious Gines of Passamonte who is otherwise called Ginesilio of Parapilla Master Commissary quoth the slave hearing him say so goe faire and softly and runne not thus dilating of names and sirnames I am called Gines and not Ginesilio and Passamonte is my sirname and not Parapilla as you say and let every one turne about him and hee shall not doe little Speak with lesse swelling quoth the Commissary Sir Theefe of more then the Marke Marke is a certaine length appointed in Spaine for Swords which if any transgresse hee is punished and the Sword Forfeited If you will not have mee to make you hold your peace maugre your teeth It seemes well quoth the slave that a man is carried as pleaseth God but one day sombodie shall know whether I bee called Ginesilio of Parapilla Why doe not they call thee so couzener quoth the Guard They doe said Gines but I will make that they shall not call mee so or I will fleece them there where I mutter under my teeth Sir Knight if you have any thing to bestow on us give it us now and be gone in the name of God for you doe tyre us with your too curious search of knowing other mens lives and if you would know mine you shall understand that I am Gines of Passamonte whose life is written shewing his hand by these two fingers Hee says true quoth the Commissâ—ry for hee himselfe hath penned his owne History so well as there is nothing more to bee desired and leaves the booke pawned in the Prison for two hundred Rials and likewise meane to redeeme it quoth Gines though it were in for as many Duckets Is it so good a worke said Don-Quixote It is so good replyed Gines that it quite puts down Lazarillo de Tormes and as many others as are written or shall bee written of that kinde for that which I dare affirme to you is that it treats of true accidents and those so delightfull that no like invention can bee compared to them And how is the booke intituled quoth Don-Quixote It is called said he The life of Gines of Passamonte And is it yet ended said the Knight How can it be finished replyed he my life being not yet ended Since all that is written is from the hour of my byrth untill that instant that I was sent this last time to the Gallies Why then belike you were there once before quoth Don-Quixote to serve God and the King I have been in there another time four yeers and I know already how the bisket and provant agree with my stomack quoth Gines nor doth it grieve mee very much to returne unto them for there I shall have leisure to finish my Booke and I have many things yet to say and in the Gallies of Spaine there is more resting time then is requisite for that businesse although I shall not neede much time to pen what is yet unwritten for I can if neede were say it all by roate Thou seemest to bee ingenuous quoth Don-Quixote and unfortunate withall quoth Gines for mishaps doe still persecute the best wâ—ts They persecute knaves quoth the Commissary I have already spoken to Master Commissary quoth Passamonte to goe faire aod softly for the Lords did not give you that rod to the end you should abuse us wretches that goe here but rather to guide and carry us where his Majesty hath commanded if not by the life of 't is enough that perhaps one day may come to light the spottes that were made in the Inne And let all the world peace and live well and speake better for this is now too great a digression The Commissary held up his rod to strike Passamonte in answere of his Threats but Don-Quixote put himselfe betweene them and intreated him not to use him hardly seeing it was not much that one who caried his hands so tyed should have his tongue somwhat free and then turning himself toward the slaves he said I have gathered out of all that which you have said deere
Inn-Keeper the Hostesse her Daughter and Maritornes seeing Don-Quixote and Sancho return went out to receive them with tokens of great love and joy and he entertained them with grave countenance and applause and bade them to make him ready a better Bed then the other which they had given unto him the time before Sir quoth the Hostesse if you would pay us better then the last time wee would give you one for a Prince Don-Quixote answered that he would They prepared a reasonable good bed for him in the same wide room where he lay before and he went presently to bed by reason that he arived much tyred and void of wit And scarce was he gotten into his chamber when the Hostesse leaping suddainly on the Barber and taking him by the beard said Now by my self blessed thou shalt use my taile no more for a beard and thou shalt turne me my taile for my husbands combe goes thrown up and down the floor that it is a shame to see it I mean the combe that I was wont to hang up in my good taile The Barber would not give it unto her for all her drawing untill the Licentiat bade him to restore it that they had now no more use thereof but that he might now very well discover himself and appear in his own shape and say to Don-Quixote that after the Gally-slaves had rob'd him he fled to that Inne And if Don-Quixote demanded by chance for the Princesse her Squire that they should tell him how she had sent him before to her Kingdome to give intelligence to her Subjects that she returned bringing with her him that should free and give them all libertie With this the Barber surrendred the taile willingly to the Hostesse and likewise all the other borrowed wares which she had lent for Don-Quixotes deliverie All those of the Inne rested wonderfull amazed at Doroteas beautie and also at the comelinesse of the Sheepheard Cardenio Then the Curate gave order to make readie for them such meat as the Inne could afford and the Inn-keeper in hope of better payment did dresse very speedily for them a reasonable good Dinner Don-Quixote slept all this while and they were of opinion to let him take his rest seeing sleep was more requisite for his disease then meat At the Table they discoursed the Inn-keeper his Wife Daughter and Maritoâ—nes and all the other Travailers being present of Don-Quixotes strange Frenzie and of the manner wherein they found him The Hostesse eftsoons recounted what had hapned there between him and the Carrier and looking to see whether Sancho were present preceiving that he was away she told likewise all the story of his canvasing whereat they conceived no little content and pastime And as the Curate said that the originall cause of Don-Quixotes madnesse proceeded from the reading of Books of Knighthood The Inn-keeper answered I cannot conceive how that can bee for as I beleeve there is no reading so delightfull in this world and I my selfe have two or three bookes of that kinde with other papers which doe verily keepe mee alive and not only mee but many other For in the reaping times many of the Reapers repayre to this place in the heates of mid day and there is evermore some one or other among them that can reade who takes one of these bookes in hand and then some thirty or more of us doe compasse him about and doe listen to him with such pleasure as it hinders a thousand hoary haires for I dare say at least of my selfe that when I heard tell of those furious and terrible blowes that Knights Errant give it inflames mee with a desire to become such a one my selfe and could finde in my heart to bee hearing of them day and night I am just of the same minde no more nor no lesse said the Hostesse for I never have any quiet houre in my house but when thou art hearing those bookes whereon thou art so besotted as then thou dost only forget to chide which is thy ordinary exercise at other times That is very true said Maritornes And I in good sooth doe take great delight to heare those things for they are very fine and especially when they tell how such a Ladie lies embraced by her Knight under an Orange tree and that a certaine Damzell keepeth Watch all the while readie to burst for envie that shee hath not likewise her sweete-heart and very much afraid I say that all those things are as sweete as honey to mee And you quoth the Curate to the Inn-keepers daughter what doe you thinke I know not in good sooth Sir quoth shee but I doe likewise give eare and in truth although I understand it not yet doe I take some pleasure to heare them but I mislike greatly those blows which please my father so much and only delight in the lamentations that Knights make being absent from their Ladies which in sooth doe now and then make mee weepe through the compassion I take of them Well then quoth Dorotea belike faire mayden you would remedie them if such plaints were breathed for your owne sake I know not what I would doe answered the Gyrle only this I know that there are some of those Ladies so cruell as their Knights call them Tygers and Lyons and a thousand other wilde-Beasts And good Iesus I know not what un-Souled folke they bee and so without Conscience that because they will not once behold an honourable man they suffer him eyther to die or run mad And I know not to what end serves all that coynesse For if they doe it for honesties sake let them marry with them for the Knights desire nothing more Peace childe quoth the Hostesse for it seems that thou knowest too much of those matters and it is not decent that Maidens should know or speak so much I speak quoth she by reason that this good Sir made me the demand and I could not in courtesie omit to answer him Well said the Curate let me intreat you good mine Host to bring us here those Books for I would fain see them I am pleased said the Inn-keeper And then entring into his Chamber he brought forth a little old Malet shut up with a chain and opening thereof hee took out three great Books and certain Papers written with a very fair Letter The first Book hee opened was that of Don Cirongilio of Thracia The other Felixmarte of Hircania And the third The History of the great Captain Goncalo Hernandez of Cordova with the life of Diego Garcia of Paredes adjoyned As soon as the Curate had read the Titles of the two Books he said to the Barber We have now great want of our friends the old woman and Neece Not so much as you think quoth the Barber for I know also the way to the yard or the chimney and in good sooth there is a fire in it good enough for that purpose Would you then quoth the Host burn my Books No more of
them quoth the Curate but these first two of Don Cirongilio and Felixmarte are my Books Perhaps quoth the Inn-keeper Hereticall or Flegmaticall that you would thus roughly handle them Schismaticall thou woâ—ldest have said quoth the Barber and not Flegmaticall It is so said the Inn-keeper but if you will needs burn any I pray you rather let it be that of the great Captain and of that Diego Garcia for I would rather suffer one of my Sonnes to bee burned then any one of those other two Good friend these two Books are lying and full of follies and vanities but that of the great Captain is true and containeth the arts of Goncalo Hernandez of Cordova who for his sundrie and noble acts merited to be tearmed by all the world The great Captain a name famous illustrious and only deserved by himself and this other Diego Garcia of Paredes was a noble Gentleman born in the City of Truxillo in Estremadura was a most valourous Souldier and of so surpassing force as he would detain a Mill-wheele with one hand from turning in the midest of the speediest motion And standing once at the end of a Bridge with a two-handed Sword defended the passage against a mighty Armie that attempted to passe over it and did so many other things that if another who were a stranger and unpassionate had written them as he did himself who was the relater and Historiographer of his own Acts and therefore recounted them with the modestie of a Gentleman and proper Chronicler they would have drowned all the Hectors Achillises and Rollands in oblivion There is a Jest quoth the Inn-keeper deale with my father I pray you see at what you wonder A wise tale at the with-holding of the wheele of a Mill. I swear you ought to read that which is read in Felixmarte of Hircania who with one thwart blow cut five mighty Gyants in halfes as if they were of Beans like to the little Friers that Children make of Bean-cods And set another time upon a great and most powerfull Army of more then a Million and six hundred thousand Souldiers and overthrew and scattered them all like a Flock of Sheep What then can you say to me of the good Don Cirongilio of Thracia who was so animous and valiant as may bee seen in his Book wherein is laid down That as he sailed along a River there issued out of the midest of the water a Serpent of fire and he as soon as he perceived it leaped upon her and hanging by her scalie shoulders he wrung her throat so straitly between both his armes that the Serpent perceiving her self to be well-nigh strangled had no other way to save her self but by diving down into the deeps carrying the Knight away with her who would never let goe his gripe and when they came to the bottom hee found himself by a Palace in such faire and pleasant gardens as it was a wonder and presently the Serpent turned into an old man which said to him such things as there is no more to be desired Two figs for the Great Captain and that Diego Garcia of whom you speake Dorotea hearing him speake thus said to Cardenio Mee thinks our Host wants but little to make up a second part of Don-Quixote So it seemes to mee likewise replyed Cardenio for as wee may conjecture by his words hee certainly beleeves that every thing written in those bookes passed just as it is laid downe and barefooted-Friers would bee scarce able to perswade him the contary Know friend quoth the Curate to the In-keeper that there was never any such man as Felixmarte of Hircania or Don-Chirongilio of Thracia nor other such Knights as bookes of Chivalry recount for all is but a device and fiction of idle wits that composed them to the end that thou sayest to passe over the time as your readers doe in reading of them For I sinceerely sweare unto thee that there were never such Knights in the world nor such Adventures and ravings hapned in it Cast that bone to another dog quoth the In-keeper as though I knew not how many numbers are five and where the shooe wrests mee now I pray you Sir goe not about to give mee pap for by the Lord I am not so white Is it not a good sport that you labour to perswade mee that all that which these good bookes say are but ravings and fables they being printed by Grace and Favour of the Lords of the Privie Councell as if they were folke that would permit so many lies to bee printed at once and so many Battells and Enchantments as are able to make a man run out of his wits I have told thee already friend said the Curate that this is done for the recreation of our idle thoughts and so even as in well governed Comonwealths the playes at Chesse Tennis and Trucks are tolerated for the pastime of some men which have none other occupation and either ought not or cannot worke even so such books are permitted to bee printed presuming as in truth they ought that no man would be found so simple and ignorant as to hold any of these bookes for a true Historie And if my leisure permitted and that it were a thing requisite for this Auditory I could say many things concerning the subject of bookes of Knighthood to the end that they should bee well contrived and also bee pleasant and profitable to the Readers but I hope somtime to have the commodity to communicate my conceit with those that may redresse it And in the meane while you may beleeve good mine Host what I have said and take to you your books and agree with their truths or leasings as you please and much good may it doe you and I pray God that you halt not in time on the foote that your guest Don-Quixote halteth Not so quoth the In-keeper for I will never bee so wood as to become a Knight Errant for I see well that what was used in the times of these famous Knights is now in no use nor request Sancho came in about the midst of this discourse and rested much confounded and Pensative of that which hee heard them say that Knights Errant were now in no request and that the bookes of Chivalry only conteined follies and lies and purposed with himselfe to see the end of that voyage of his Lords and that if it sorted not the wished successe which hee expected hee resolved to leave him and return home to his wife and children and accustomed labour The Inn-keeper thought to take away his bookes and budget but the Curate withheld him saying Stay a while for I would see what papers are those which are written in so faire a Character The Host tooke them out and gave them to him to read being in number some eight sheetes with a title written in text letters which said The Historie of the curious Impertinent The Curate read two or three lines softly to himselfe and said after
greatnesse of my deserts but now I perceive that to bee true which is commonly said That the wheel of Fortune turns about more swiftly then that of a Mill and that they which were yesterday on the top thereof lie to day all along on the ground I am chiefly grieved for my Wife and Children for whereas they ought and might hope to see their Father come in at his gates made a Governour or Vice-Roy of some Isle or Kingdome they shall now see him return unto them no better then a poor Horse-Boy All which I have urged so much Master Curate only to intimate to your paternitie how you ought to have remorse and make a scruple of conscience of treating my dear Lord as you doe and look to it well that God doe not one day demand at your hands in the other life amends for the prison whereinto you carrie him and that you bee not answerable for all the succours and good deeds which hee would have afforded the World in this time of his Captivitie Snuffe me those candles quoth the Barber hearing him speak so What Sancho art thou also of thy Masters confraternity I swear by the Lord I begin to see that thou art very like to keep him company in the Cage and that thou shalt be as deeply inchanted as he for the portion which thou hast of humour and Chivalry Thou wast in an ill hour begotten with child by his promises and in a worse did the Isle which thou so greatly longest for sink into thy pate I am not with child by any body said Sancho nor am I a man of humour to let any body get me with child no though it were the King himself and although I be poor yet am I a Christian and owe nothing to any one and if I desire Islands others there are that desire worse things and every one is the sonne of his own workes and under the name of a man I may become Pope how much more the Governour of an Island and chiefly seeing my Lord may gaine so many as he may want men to bestow them on and therefore Master Barber you should take heed how you speak for all consists not in trimming of beards and there is some difference between Peter and Peter I say it because all of us know one another and no man shall unperceived put a false Die upon me As concerning my Lords inchantment God knowes the truth and therefore let it rest as it is seeing it is the worse for the stirring in The Barber would not reply unto Sancho lest that with his simplicities he should discover what the Curate and himselfe did labour so much to conceale and the Curate doubting the same had intreated the Canon to prick on a little forward and he would unfold to him the mistery of the encaged Knight with other matters of delight The Canon did so and taking his men along with them was very attentive to all that he rehearsed of the condition life madnesse and fashion of Don-Quixote There did he briefly acquaint him with the originall cause of his distraction and all the progresse of his adventures untill his shutting up in that Cage and their own designe in carrying him home to his Country to try whether they might by any means finde out a remedy for his frenzy The Canon and his men again admired to hear so strange a History as that of Don-Quixote and as soon as the Curate had ended his relation the Canon said Verily Master Curate I doe find by experience that those Books which are instituted of Chivalry or Knighthood are very prejudicicall to wel-governed Common-wealths and although borne away by an idle and curious desire I have read the beginning of almost as many as are imprinted of that subject yet could I never indure my selfe to finish and read any one of them thorow for me thinkes that somewhat more or lesse they all import one thing and this hath no more then that nor the other more then his fellow And in mine opinion this kinde of writing and invention falls within the compasse of the Fables called Milesid which are wandring and idle Tales whose only scope is delight and not instruction quite contrarie to the project of those called Fabulae Apologae which delight and instruct together And though that the principall end of such Books bee recreation yet cannot I perceive how they can yeeld it seeing they bee forced with so many and so proportionlesse untruths For the delight that the minde conceives must proceed from the beautie and conformitie which it sees or contemplates in such things as the sight or imagination represents unto it and all things that are deformed and discordant must produce the contrary effect Now then what beautie can there be or what proportion between the parts and the whole or the whole and the parts in a Book or Fable wherein a Youth of sixteen yeers of age gives a blow to a Gyant as great as a Jewes and with that blow divides him in two as easily as if hee were a pellet of Sugar And when they describe a Battell after that they have told us how there were at least a million of men on the adverse side yet if the Knight of the Book bee against them wee must of force and whether wee will or no understand that the said Knight obtained the Victory through the invincible strength of his Arme. what then shall wee say of the facilitie wherewithall the Inheritrix of a Kingdome or Empire falls between the armes of those Errant and unknown Knights What understanding if it bee not altogether barren or barbarous can delight it self reading how a great Tower full of Knights doth passe thorow the Sea as fast as a Ship with the most prosperous winde And that going to Bed a man is in Lombardie and the next morning findes himself in Prester Iohn's Countrey among the Indians or in some other Region which never was discovered by Ptolomeus nor seen by Marcus Polus And if I should bee answered that the inventers of such Books doe write them as Fables and therefore are not bound unto any respect of circumstances or observation of truth I would reply that an untruth is so much the more pleasing by how much the neerer it resembles a truth and so much the more gratefull by how much the more it is doubtfull and possible For lying Fables must bee suited unto the Readers understanding and so written as that facilitating impossible things levelling untrue things and holding the minde in suspence they may ravish a more delight and entertain such manners as pleasure and wonder may step by step walk together all which things hee that writes not likelihoods shall never bee able to perform And as touching imitation wherein consists the perfection of that which is written I have not seen in any Books of Knight-hood an intire bulk of a Fable so proportioned in all the members thereof as that the middle may answer the beginning
and the end the beginning and middle But rather they have composed them of so many members as it more probably seems that the Authours intended to frame Chimeraes or Monsters then to deliver proportionate figures most harsh in their stile incredible in exploits impudent in love matters absurd in complements prolixe in Battels fond in discourses uncertain and senselesse in voyages and finally devoid of all discretion art and ingenious disposition And therefore they deserve as most idle and frivolous things to bee banished out of all Christian Common-wealths Master Curate did listen to the Canon with very great attention and hee seemed unto him to bee a man of good understanding and that hee had great reason for what hee had alledged and therefore said that in respect they did concur in opinions and that hee had an old grudge to the vanity of such Books hee had likewise fired all Don-Quixotes Library consisting of many Books of that subject And then hee recounted to him the search and inquisition hee had made of them and which hee had condemned and which reserved Whereat the Canon laughed heartily and said that notwithstanding all the evill hee had spoken of such Books yet did hee finde one good in them to wit the subject they offered a good wit to work upon and shew it self in them for they displayed a large and open plaine thorow which the Pen might run without let or incumbrances describing of Ship-wracks Tempests Incounters and Battells delineating a valorous Captain with all the properties required in him as wisedome to frustrate the designes of his enemie eloquence to perswade or disswade his Souldiers ripenesse in advice promptnesse in execution as much valour in attending as in assaulting of an enemie deciphering now a lamentable and tragicall successe then a joyfull and unexpected event there a most beautifull honest and discreet Ladie here a valiant courteous and Christian Knight there an unmeasurable barbarous Braggard here a gentle valourous and wise Prince Representing the goodnesse and loyaltie of Subjects the magnificence and bountie of Lords Sometimes hee may shew himself an Astrologian sometimes a Cosmographer sometimes a Musician sometimes a Statist and sometimes if hee please hee may have occasion to shew himself a Nigromancer There may hee demonstrate the subtiltie of Vlisses the pietie of Encas the valour of Achilles the misfortune of Hector the treachery of Sinon the amitie of Eurialus the liberallitie of Alexander the resolution of Caesar the clemency and truth of Trajanus the fidelitie of Zopirus the prudence of Cato and finally all those parts that make a worthy man perfect one whiles by placing them all in one subject another by distributing them among many and this being done and set out in a pleasing stile and a wittie fashion that approacheth as neer as is possible unto the truth will questionlesse remain a work of many fair draughts which being accomplished will represent such beauty and perfection as shall fully attain to the best end aimed at in all writing that is as I have said joyntly to instruct and delight for the irregularity and liberality of those Books given to the Authour the means to shew himself an Epick Lyrick Tragedian and Comedian with all other things which the most gracefull and pleasant Sciences of Poetry and Oratorie include in themselves for Epicks may bee as well written in Prose as in Verse CHAP. XXI Wherein the Canon prosecutes his Discourse upon Books of Chivalrie and many other things worthy of his wit SIR you say very true quoth the Curate and for this very reason are they which have hitherto invented such Books the more worthy of reprehension because they neither heeded the good discourse the art nor the rules by which they might have guided themselves and by that means have grown as famous for their Prose as bee the two Princes of the Greek and Latine Poetrie for their Verse I have for my part quoth the Canon at least attempted to write a Book of Chivalrie observing therein all the points by me mentioned and in truth I have written above a hundred sheets thereof and to the end that I might trie whether they were correspondent to my estimation I did communicate them both with certain skillfull and wise men that are marvellously affected to that subject and with some ignorant persons that only delight to hear fanatic â—â—â—nventions and I have found in them all a great approbation of my labours yet would I not for all that prosecute the work as well because it seemed unfit for my Profession as also because I finde the number of the ignorant to excede that of the judicious And though more good come to a man by the praise of a few wise men then hurt by the scoffs of a number of fools yet would I not willingly subject my self to the confused judgement of the senselesse vulgar who commonly give themselves most unto the reading of such Books But that which most of all rid my hands yea and my memorie of all desire to end it was this argument drawn from our modern Comedies and thus made to my self If those as well the Fictions as Historicall ones are all or the most part of them notorious Fopperies and things without either head or foot and yet are by the vulgar heard with such delight and held and approved for good and both the Authours that compose them and Actors that represent them say that they must bee such as they bee for to please the Peoples humors and not more conformable to reason or truth and that because those wherein Decorum is observed and the fable followed according to the rules of Art serve onely for three or four discreete men If so many may be found at a Play which doe attend unto them and all the rest of the Auditors remaine fasting by reason they cannot conceive the artificiall contexture thereof therefore is it better for them to gaine good money and meanes by many then bare opinion or applause by a few The very same would bee the end of my Booke after I had used all possible industrie to observe the aforesaid precept and I should remaine only for a neede and as the Taylour that dwels in a corner without trade or estimation And although I have sundry times indeavoured to perswade the Players that their opinion was erronious herein and that they would attract more people and acquire greater fame by acting artificiall Comedies then those irregular and methodicall Playes then used yet are they so wedded to their opinion as no reason can woo nor demonstration winn them from it I remember how dealing upon a day with one of those obstinate fellowes I said unto him Doe not you remember how a few yeers agoe were represented in Spaine three Tragedies written by a famous Poet of our Kingdome which were such as delighted yea and amazed all the auditors as well the learned as the simple the exact as the slight ones and that the Players got more
Mosen Henry of Ramestan in the Citie of Basilea and bore away the Victorie in both the conflicts to his eternall Fame And that there were no such curres as the Adventures and single Combats begunne and ended in Burgundie by the valiant Spanyards Pedro Garba and Guttierre Quixadâ— from whom I my selfe am lineally descended who overcame the Earle of Saint Paules sonnes They may also averre unto mee that Don Fernando de Guevarra went not to seeke Adventures in Germanie where hee fought with Micer George a Knight of the Duke of Austria his House Let them likewise affirme that Suero de Quinonnes of the passage his Justs were but Jests as 〈◊〉 the Enterprize of Mosen Lewis de falses against Don Goncalo de Guzman a Gentleman of Castile with many other renowned Acts done as well by Christian Knights of this Kingdom as of other forraign Lands which are all so authentical true as that I am compell'd to reiterate what I said before which isâ—â— That whosoever denies them is defective of Reason and good Discourse Full of admiration remained the good Canon to heare the composition and medley that Don-Quixote made of truths and fictions together and at the great notice hee had of all things that might any way cocerne his Knighthood Errant and therefore he shaped him this answere I cannot denie Sir Don-Quixote but that some part of that which you have said is true specially touching those Spanish Adventurers of whom you have spoken and will likewise grant you that there were twelve Peeres of France but I will not beleeve that they have accomplished all that which the Archbishop Turpine pine hath left written of them for the bare truth of the affair is that they were certain Noble men chosen out by the Kings of France whom they called Peers because they were all equall in Valour Qualitie and Worth or if they were not it was at least presumed that they were and they were not much unlike the Militarie orders of Saint Iames or Calatrava were in request wherein is presupposed that such as are of the Profession are or ought to bee valorous and well descended Gentlemen and as now they say a Knight of Saint Iohn or Alcantara so in those times they said a Knight of the twelve Peers because they were twelve equalls chosen to bee of that Military Order That there was a Cid and a Bernard of Carpio is also doubtlesse that they have done the Acts recounted of them I beleeve there is very great cause to doubt As touching the pin of the good Earl Pierres and that it is by Babieca his saddle in the Kings Armorie I confesse that my sin hath made me so ignorant or blinde that although I have viewed the Saddle very well yet could I never get a sight of that Pin how great soever you affirm it to be Well it is there without question quoth Don-Quixote and for the greater confirmation thereof they say it is laid up in a case of Neats leather to keep it from rusting That may very well so bee said the Canon yet by the orders that I have received I doe not remember that ever I saw it and although I should grant it to bee there yet doe I not therefore oblige my self to believe the Histories of all the Amadises nor those of the other rabblement of Knights which Books doe mention unto us nor is it reason that so honourable a man adorn'd with so many good parts and indowed with such a wit as you are should beleeve that so many and so strange follies as are written in the raving Books of Chivalraie can bee true CHAP. XXIII Of the discreet contention between Don-Quixote and the Canon with other accidents THat were a Jest indeed quoth Don-Quixote that Books which are printed with the Kings licence and approbation of those to whom their examination was commited and that are read with universall delight and acceptance and celebrated by great and little rich and poor learned and ignorant Plebeyans and Gentlemen and finally by all kinde of persons of what state or condition soever should bee so lying and fabulous specially seeing they have such probability of truth seeing they describe unto us the Father Mother Countrey Kinsfolk Age Town and Acts of such a Knight or Knights and that so exactly point by point and day by day Hold your peace and never speak again such a blasphemie and beleeve me for I doe sincerely councell you what you as a discreet man ought to doe herein and if not read them but once and you shall see what delight you shall receive thereby if not tell me what greater pleasure can there bee then to behold as one would say even here and before our eyes a great Lake of Pitch boyling-hot and many Serpents Snakes Lizarts and other kindes of cruell and dreadfull Beasts swimming a thwart it and in every part of it and that there issues out of the Lake a most lamentable voyce saying O thou Knight whatsoever thou art which doest behold the fearfull Lake if thou desirest to obtain the good concealed under these horrid and black waters show the valour of thy strong brest and throw thy self into the midest of this sable and inflamed liquor for if thou doest not so thou shall not be worthy to discover the great wonders hidden in the seven Castles of the seven Fates which are seated under these gloomie waves And that scarce hath the Knight heard the fearfull voyce when without entring into any new discourses or once considering the danger whereinto hee thrusts himself yea or easing himself of the weight of his ponderous Armour but only commending himself unto God and his Ladie Mistrisse hee plunges into the midest of that burning puddle and when hee neither cares nor knows what may befall him hee findes himself in the midest of flourishing Fields with which the very Elisean Plains can in no sort bee compared There it seems to him that the element is more transparent and that the Sun shines with a cleerer light then in our Orbe There offers it self to his greedie and curious eye a most pleasing Forrest replenished with so green and well-spread Trees as the verdure thereof both joyes and quickens the sight whilest the eares are entertained by the harmonious though artlesse Songs of infinite and enamelled Birds which traverse the intricate boughs of that shadie habitation Here hee discovers a small stream whose fresh waters resembling liquid Cristall slides over the small Sands and white little stones resembling sifted Gold wherein Orientall Pearls are inchaced There hee discerns an artificiall Fountain wrought of motly Jasper and smooth Marble and hard by it another rudely and negligently framed wherein the sundry Cockle-shels with the wreathed white and yellow houses of the Perwinkle and Snail intermingled and placed after a disorderly manner having now and then peeces of cleer Cristall and counterfeit Emeralds mingled among them doe make a work of so gracefull varietie as Art imitating Nature
rob'd her of all that shee carried and leaving her in that Cave was fled away which successe strook us into greater admiration then all the rest for wee could hardly bee induced to beleeve the young gallants continencie but shee did so earnestly protest it as it did not a little comfort her comfortlesse Father who made no reckoning of the Riches hee had lost seeing his Daughter had yet reserved that Jewell which being once gone could never again bee recovered The same day that Leandra appeared shee also vanished out of our sights being conveighed away by her Father and shut up in a Nunnerie at a certain Town not farre off hoping that time would obliterate some part of the bad opinion already conceived of his Daughters facilitie Leandra her youth served to excuse her errour at least with those which gained nothing by her beeing good or ill but such as knew her discretion and great wit did not attribute her sinne to ignorance but rather to her too much lightnesse and the naturall infirmitie of that Sexe which for the most part is inconsiderate and slipperie Leandra being shut up Anselmo's eyes lost their light or at least beheld not any thing that could delight them and mine remained in darknesse without light that could addresse them to any pleasing object in Leandra's absence Our griefs increased our patience diminished wee cursed the Souldiers Ornaments and abhord her Fathers want of looking to her To bee brief Anselmo and my self resolved to abandon the Village and come to this Valley where hee feeding a great flock of Sheep of his own and I as copious a Heard of Goats of mine wee passe our lives among these Trees giving vent to our passions either by singing together the beautifull Leandra's praises or dispraises or by sighing alone and alone communicating our quarrelsome complaints with Heaven Many others of Leandra's Suitors have since by our example come to these intricate Woods where they use our very exercise and they are so many as it seems that this place is converted into the Pastorall Arcadia it is full of Sheepheards and Sheep-Folds and there is no one part thereof wherein the name of the beautifull Leandra resoundeth not There one doth curse her and termeth her humours inconstant and dishonest another condemns her of being so facile and light some one absolves and pardons her another condemns and despises her and celebrates her beautie another execrates her disposition and finally all blame but yet adore her and the raving distraction of them all doth so farre extend it self as some one complains of disdain that never spoke word unto her and some one laments and feels the inraged fits of jealousie though shee never ministred any occasion thereof for as I have said her sinne was known before her desires There is no Clift of a Rock no Bank of a Stream nor Shadow of a Tree without some Sheepheard or other that breaths out his misfortunes to the silent air The Eccho repeats Leandra's name wheresoever it can be formed The Woods resound Leandra The Brooks doe murmur Leandra and Leandra holds us all perplexed and inchanted hoping without hope and fearing without knowledge what wee fear And among all this Flock of frantick men none shews more or lesse judgement then my companion Anselmo who having so many other Titles under which hee might plain him only complains of absence and doth to the sound of a Rebeck which hee handles admirably well sing certain dolefull Verses which fully discover the excellencie of his conceit I follow a more easie and in mine opinion a more certain way to wit I rayle on the lightnesse of Women on their inconstancie double dealing dead promises crack'd trust and the small discretion they shew in placing of their affections and this Sir was the occasion of the words and reasons I lately used to this Goat whom I doe esteem but little because shee is a female although shee bee otherwise the best of all my Heard And this is the Historie which I promised to tell you wherein if I have been prolixe I will bee altogether as large in doing you any service for I have here at hand my Cabine and therein store of fresh Milk and savory Cheese with many sorts of excellent Fruit no lesse agreeable to the sight then pleasing to the taste CHAP. XXV Of the falling out of Don-Quixote and the Goat-heard with the adventure of the disciplinants to which the Knight gave end to his cost THe Goat-heards tale bred a generall delight in all the hearers but specially in the Canon who did very exactly note the manner wherewithall he delivered it as different from the stile or discourse of a rude Goat-heard as approaching to the discretion of a perfect Courtier and therefore he said that the Curate had spoken very judiciously in affirming that the woods bred Learned men all of them made bountifull tenders of their friendship and service to Engenio but he that enlarged himself more then the rest was Don-Quixote who said unto him Certes friend Goat-heard if I were at this time able to undertake any adventure I would presently set forward and fall in hand with it to doe you a good turn and I would take Leandra out of the Monastery wherein without doubt she is restrained against her will in despight of the Lady Abbesse and all those that should take her part and would put her into your hands to the end you might dispose of her at your pleasure yet still observing the Lawes of Knight-hood which command that no man doe any wrong and offer violence unto a Damzell yet I hope in our Lord God that the skill of a malicious inchanter shall not be of such force but that the science of a better meaning wizard shall prevaile against him and whensoever that shall befall I doe promise you my helpe and favour as I am bound by my profession which cheifly consists in asisting the weak and distressed The Goat-heard beheld him and seeing the Knight so ill arrayed and of so evil-favoured a countenance he wondred and questioned the Barber who sate neere to him thus I pray you Sir who is this man of so strange a figure and that speaks so odly Who else should he be answered ehe Barber but the famous Don-Quixote of the Mancha the righter of wrongs the redresser of injuries the protector of Damzels the affrighter of Giants and the overcommer of battels That which you say of this man answered the Goat-heard is very like that which in Books of Chivalry is written of Knights Errant who did all those things which you apply to this man and yet I beleeve that either you jest or else that this Gentlemans head is voyde of braines Thou art a great villaine said Don-Quixote and thou art he whose pate wants braines for mine is fuller then the very very whores that bore thee and saying so and snatching up a loaf of bread that stood by him he raught the Goat-heard so furious a
famous History CHAP XXV Of the Adventure of the Braying and the merry one of the Puppet-man with the memorable soothsaying of the prophesying Ape CHAP XXVI Of the delightfull passage of the Puppet-play and other pleasant matters CHAP XXVII Who Master Peter and his Ape were with the ill successe that Don-Quixote had in the Adventure of the Braying which ended not so well as he would or thought for CHAP XXVIII Of the things that Benengeli relates which he that reades shall know if he read them with attention CHAP XXIX Of the famous Adventure of the Enchanted Barke CHAP XXX What hapned to Don-Quixote with the faire-Huntresse CHAP XXXI That treats of many and great affaires CHAP XXXII Of Don-Quixotes answere to his reprehender with other successes as wise as witty CHAP XXXIII Of the wholesome discourse that passed betwixt the Duchesse and her Damzels with Sancho Panca worthy to be read and noted CHAP XXXIV How notice is given for the dis-inchanting of the peerlesse Dulcinea del Toboso which is one of the most famous Adventures in all this Book CHAP XXXV Where is prosecuted the notice that Don-Quixote had of dis-inchanting Dulcinea with other admirable accidents CHAP XXXVI Of the strange and unimagined Adventure of the afflicted Matron alias the Countesse Trifaldi with a Letter that Sancho Panca wrote to his Wife Teresa Panca CHAP XXXVII Of the prosecution of the famo◠Adventure of the afflicted Matron CHAP XXXVIII The afflicted Matron recounts her ill Errantry CHAP XXXIX Where the Trifaldi prosecutes her stupendious 〈◊〉 memorable History CHAP XL. Of matters that touch and pertain to this Adventure and most memorable History CHAP XLI Of Clavilenos arrivall with the end of this dilated Adventure CHAP XLII Of the advice that Don-Quixote gave Sancho Panca before hee should goe to govern the Island with other matter well digested CHAP XLIII Of the second advice that Don-Quixote gave Sancho Pancha CHAP XLIV How Sancho Panca was carried to his Government and of the strange Adventure that befell Don-Quixote in the Castle CHAP XLV How the grand Sancho Panca took possession of his Island and began to governe CHAP XLVI Of the fearful Low-bell-Cally horror that Don-Quixote received in processe of his Love by the enamoured Altisidora CHAP XLVII How Sancho demeaned himself in his Government CHAP XLVIII What hapned to Don-Quixote with Donna Rodriguez the Dutchesses waiting-woman with other successes worthy to be written and had in eternall remembrance CHAP XLIX What hapned to Sancho in walking the Round in his Island CHAP L. Where is declared who were the Enchanters and Executioners that whipped the Matron pincht and scratcht Don-Quixote with the successe the Page had that carried the Letter to Teresa Panca Sancho's wife CHAP LI. Of Sancho's proceeding in his government with other successes as good as Touch. CHAP LII The Adventure of the second Afflicted or straightned Matron alias Donna Rodriguez CHAP LIII Of the troublesome end and up-shot that Sancho Pancaes Government had CHAP LIV. That treats of matters concerning this Historie and no other CHAP LV. Of matters that befell Sancho by the way and others the best in the World CHAP LVI Of the unmercifull and never seene battell that passed betweene Don-Quixote and the Lackie Tosilos in defence of the Matron Donna Rodriguez Daughter CHAP LVII How Don-Quixote tooke his leave of the Duke and what befell him with the witty wanton Altisidora the Dutcheses Damozell CHAP LVIII Of Adventures that came so thick and threefold on Don-Quixote that they gave no respite one to the other CHAP LIX Of an extraordinary accident that befell Don-Quixote which may be held for an Adventure CHAP LX. What hapned to Don-Quixote going to Barselona CHAP LXI What hapned to Don-Quixote at his entrance into Barselona with other events more true then witty CHAP LXII The Adventure of the Enchanted head with other flim flams that must be recounted CHAP LXIII Of the ill-chance that befell Sancho at his seeing the Gallies with the strange Adventure of the Morisca CHAP LXIV Of an Adventure that most perplext Don-Quixote of any that hitherto befell him CHAP LXV Who the Knight of the white Moone was with Don-Gregorioes liberty and other passages CHAP LXVI That treats of what the Reader shall see and he that hearkens heare CHAP LXVII Of the resolution Don-Quixote had to turn Sheepheard and lead a Country life whilest the promise for his yeer was expired with other accidents truely good and savory CHAP LXVIII Of the Bristled Adventure that befell Don-Quixote CHAP LXIX Of the newest and strangest Adventure that in all the course of this History befell Don-Quixote CHAP LXX Of divers rare things which serve for the better illustration and cleering of this History CHAP LXXI Of what befell Don-Quixote and his Squire Sancho Panca in their travell towards their Village CHAP LXXII How Don-Quixote and Sancho arrived at their Village CHAP LXXIII Of the presages and fore-boadings which hapned to Don-Quixote at the entrance into his Village with other Adventures which serve for grace and ornament unto this famous History and which give credit unto it CHAP LXXIV How Don-Quixote fell sick of the Will hee made and of his death THE SECOND PART OF Don-Quixote CHAP. I. How the Vicar and the Barber passed their time with Don-Quixote touching his infirmity CID Hamet Benengeli tels us in the second part of this History and Don-Quixote his third sally that the Vicar and Barber were almost a whole moneth without seeing him because they would not renew and bring to his remembrance things done and past Notwithstanding they forbore not to visit his Neece and the old woman charging them they should be carefull to cherish him and to give him comforting meats to eat good for his heart and braine from whence in likeli-hood all his ill proceeded They answered that they did so and would doe it with all possible love and care For they perceived that their Master continually gave signes of being in his entire judgment at which the two received great joy and thought they took the right course when they brought him inchanted in the Oxe-Waine as hath been declared in the first part of this so famous as punctuall History So they determined to visit him and make some triall of his amendment which they thought was impossible and agreed not to touch upon any point of Knight Errantry because they would not endanger the ripping up of a sore whose stitches made it yet tender At length they visited him whom they found set up in his bed clad in a Wastecoat of green bayes on his head a red Toledo bonet so dried and withered up as if his flesh had been mommied He welcommed them and they asked him touching his health of it and himself he gave them good account with much judgement and elegant phrase and in processe of discourse they fell into State-matters and manner of Government correcting this abuse and condemning that reforming one custome and rejecting another each