went on but the Boyes and all manner of people pressed so thick to read the scrowl that Don-Antonio was forced to take it off from him as if hee had done something else The night came on and they returned home where was a Revels of women for Don Antonio's Wife that was well-bred mirthfull fair and discreet invited other shee-friends of hers to come and welcome her new Guest and to make merry with his strange madnesse Some of them came and they had a Royall supper and the Revels began about ten a clock at night Among these Dames there were two of a notable waggish disposition and great scoffers and though honest yet they strained their carriage that their tricks might the better delight without irksomenesse these were so eager to take Don-Quixote out to Dance that they wearied not only his body but his minde likewise 't was a goodly sight to see his shape long lank lean his visage pale the whole man shut up in his apparel ungraceful unweildy The Damzels wooed him as it were by stealth and he by stealth disdained them as fast but seeing himself much pressed by their courtings he lifed up his voyce and said Fugite partes advâ—rsae and leave me oh unwelcome imaginations to my quiet Get you farther off with your wishes Ladies for shee that is the Ladie of mine the peerlesse Dulcinea del Toboso will have none but hers subject and conquer me and so saying hee sate him down in the midest of the Hall upon the ground bruised and broken with his dancing exercise Don Antonio made him bee taken up in mens armes and carried to Bed the first that laid hold on him was Sancho saying In the name of God what meant you Master mine to Dance Think you that all that are valiant must bee Dancers and all Knights Errant Skip-jacks I say if you think so you are deceived you have some that will rather kill Gyants then fetch a caper if you were to frisk I would save you that labour for I can doe it like a Ier-Falcon but in your dancing I cannot work a stitch With this and such like discourse Sancho made the Revellers laugh and laid his Master to Bed laying clothes enough on him that hee might sweat out the cold hee had taken by dancing The next day Don Antonio thought fit to try the enchanted Head and so with Don Quixote Sancho and others his friends and the two Gentlewomen that had so laboured Don-Quixote in the Dance that staid all night with Don Antonio's Wife hee locked himself in the Room where the head was hee told them its propertie enjoyhing them to silence and hee said to them That this was the first time in which hee meant to make proof of the virtue of the Enchanted head and except his two friends no living creature else knew the trick of that Enchantment and if Don Antonio had not discovered it to them they also would have faln into the same admiration that the rest did for it was not otherwise possible the fabrick of it being so curious and cunning The first that came to the Heads hearing was Don Antonio himself who spoke softly but so that hee might be heard by all Tell me Head by the virtue that is contained in thee What think I now And the Head answered not moving the lips with a lowd and distinct voyce that all the by-standers might hear this reason I judge not of thoughts Which when they all heard they were astonisht and the more seeing neither in all the Roome nor any where about the Table there was not any humane creature to answer How many here be there of us quoth Don Antonio again And answer was made him in the same tenour voyce There are thou and thy Wife with two of thy hee-hee-friends and two of her shee-friends and a famous Knight called Don-Quixote de la Mancha and a Squire of his that hight Sancho Panca I marry Sir here was the wondring a-fresh here was every ones hair standing on end with pure horror And Don Antonio getting him aside from the Head said 'T is enough now for me to know that I was not deceived by him that sold thee me sage Head talking Head answering Head admired Head â— Come another now and ask what hee will and as your women for the most part are hastiest and most inquisitive the first that came was one of Don Antonio's Wives friends and her demand was this Tell me Head What shall I doe to make my self fair The answer was Bee honest I have done said shee Straight came her other companion and said I would fain know Head whether my Husband love me or no. And the answer was Thou shalt know by his usage The Married woman stood by saying The question might have been spared for good usage is the best signe of affection Then came one of Don Antonio's friends and asked Who am I The answere was Thou knowest I aske thee not that said the Gentleman but whether thou know me I doe it was answered Thou art Don Pedro Noris No more O Head â— let this suffice to make me know thou knowest all And so stepping aside the other friend came and asked Tell me Head What desires hath my eldest son I have told you it was answered That I judge not of thoughts yet let me tell you your sonne desires to bury you That quoth the Gentleman I know well and dayly perceive but I have done Don Antonio's Wife came next and said Head I know not what to ask thee I would only fain know of thee If I shall long enjoy my dear Husband And the answer was Thou shalt for his health and spare dyet promise him many yeers which many shorten by distempers Now came Don-Quixote and said Tell me thou that answerest Was it true or a dream that as I recount befell me in Montesino's Cave Shall Sancho my Squires whipping bee accomplisht Shall Dulcinea bee dis-enchanted For that of the Cave quoth the Answerer there is much to bee said it partakes of all Sancho's whipping shall bee prolonged but Dulcinea's dis-enchanting shall come to a reall end I desire no more said Don-Quixote for so Dulcinea bee disenchanted I make account all my good fortunes come upon me at a clap Sancho was the last Demander and his question was this Head shall I haply have another Government Shall I bee free from this penurious Squires life Shall I see my Wife and Children again To which it was answered him In thy house thou shalt Govern whither if thou return thou shalt see thy Wife and Children and leaving thy Service thou shalt leave being a Squire Very good quoth Sancho this I could have told before my self and my Fathers Horse could have said no more Beast quoth Don-Quixote what answer wouldest thou have Is it not enough that the answers this Head gives thee are correspondent to thy questions 'T is true said Sancho but I would have known more And now the questions and answers
Love be courteous as some men say By thy humanity I must collect My hopes hows'ever thou dost use delay Shall reap at last the good I doe expect If many services bee of esteeme Or pow'r to render a hard heart benign Such things I did for thee as make mee deems I have the match gain'd and thou shalt be mine For if at any time thou hast tane heed Thou more then once might'st view how I was clad To honour thee on Mondaies with the Weed Which worn on Sondaies got mee credit had For Love and Brav'ry still themselves consort Because they both shoote ever at one end Which made mee when I did to thee resort Still to bee neat and fine I did contend Here I omit the daunces I have done And Musicks I have at thy Window given When thou didst at Cock-crow listen alone And seem'dst hearing my voice to be in Heav'n I doe not eke the praises here recount Which of thy beauty I so oft have said Which though they all were true were likewise wont To make thee Enuious me for spight upbraid When to Teresa shee of Berrocal I of thy worths discourse did somtime shape Good God! quoth shee you seem an Angels thrall And yet for Idoll you adore an Ape Shee to her Bugles thanks may give and chains False haires and other shifts that shee doth use To mend her beauty with a thousand pains And guiles which might loves very self abuse Wroth at her words I gave her streight the lie Which did her and her Cousin so offend As mee to fight hee challeng'd presently And well thou know'st of our debate the end I meane not thee to purchase at a clap Nor to that end doe I thy favour sue Thereby thine honour either to intrap Or thee perswade to take courses undue The Church hath bands which doe so surely hold As no silk string for strength comes to them neer To thrust thy neck once in the yoake bee bold And see if I to follow thee will fear If thou wilt not here solemnly I Vow By holliest Saint enwrapt in precious Shrine Never to leave those hils where I dwell now If 't bee not to become a Capucine Here the Goat-heard ended his Ditty and although Don-Quixote intreated him to sing somwhat else yet would not Sancho Panca consent to it who was at that time better disposed to sleep then to heare Musick and therefore said to his Master you had better provide your self of a place wherein to sleep this night then to heare Music for the labour that these good men indure all the day long doth not permit that they likewise spend the night in singing I understand thee well enough Sancho answered Don-Quixote nor did I thinke lesse but that thy manifold visitations of the wine-bottle would rather desire to bee recompenced with sleepe then with Music. The Wine liked us all well quoth Sancho I doe not denie it replyed Don-Quixote but goe thou and lay thee downe where thou pleasest for it becomes much more men of my profession to watch then to sleepe Yet notwithstanding it will not bee amisse to lay somwhat againe to mine eare for it grieves mee very much One of the Goat-heards beholding the hurt bad him bee of good cheere for hee would apply a remedy that should cure it easily And taking some Rosemary leaves of many that grew thereabouts hee hewed them and after mixed a little salt among them and applyed this Medecine to the eare hee bound it up well with a cloth assuring him that he needed to use no other Medecine as it proved after in effect CHAP. IV. Of that which one of the Goat-heards recounted to those that were with Don-Quixote ABOUT this time arived another youth one of those that brought them provision from the Village who said Companions doe not you know what passeth in the Village How can wee know it beeing absent saies another of them Then wit quoth the youth that the famous Sheepheard and Student Chrisostome died this morning and they murmur that hee died for love of that divellish lasse Mareela William the rich his daughter shee that goes up and down these Plaines and Hills among us in the habit of a Sheepheardesse Dost thou mean Marcela quoth one of them Even her I say answered the other and the jest is that hee hath commanded in his Testament that hee bee buried in the fields as if he were a Moor and that it be at the foot of the Rock where the Fountain stands of the Cork-Tree For that according to same and as they say he himself affirmed was the place wherein he viewed her first And he hath likewise commanded such other things to be done as the ancienter sort of the Village doe not allow nor think fit to be performed for they seem to be ceremonies of the Gentils To all which objections his great friend Ambrosio the Student who likewise apparelled himself like a Sheepheard at once with him answers that all shall be accomplished without omission of any thing as Chrysostome hath ordeyned and all the Village is in an uproar about this affair and yet it is said that what Ambrosio and all the other Sheepheards his friends doe pretend shall in fine be done and to morrow morning they will come to the place I have named to burie him with great pomp and as I suppose it will be a thing worthy the seeing at leastwise I will not omit to goe and behold it although I were sure that I could not return the same day to the Village We will all doe the same quoth the Goat-heards and will draw Lots who shall tarry here to keep all our Heards Thou saist well Peter quoth one of them although that labour may be excused for I mean to stay behinde for you all which you must not attribute to any virtue or little curiosity in me but rather to the fork that prickt my foot the other day and makes me unable to travell from hence We doe thank thee notwithstanding quoth Peter for thy good will And Don-Quixote who heard all their discourse intreated Peter to tell him who that dead man was and what the Sheepheardesse of whom they spoak Peter made answer that what he knew of the affair was that the dead person was a rich Gentleman of a certain Village seated among those mountains who had studied many yeers in Salamanca and after returned home to his house with the opinion to be a very wise and learned man But principally it was reported of him that he was skillfull in Astronomie and all that which passed above in heaven in the Sunne and the Moon for he would tell us most punctually the clips of the Sunne and the Moon Friend quoth Don-Quixote the darkning of these two greater Luminaries is called an Eclipse and not a Clipse But Peter stopping not at those trifles did prosecute his History saying he did also Prognosticate when the yeer would be abundant or Estill Thou wouldest say Sterril
not to fear any punishment should bee inflicted on him forthe crime Finally Camilaes beautie and worths assisted by the occasion whih the ignorant Husband had thrust into his fists did wholy runine and overthrow Lotâ—ario his loyaltie and therefore without regarding any other thing then that to whih his pleasure conducted him about a three dayes after Anselmo's departure wâ—â—ch time hee had spent in a continuall battell and resistance of his contending thoâ—ghts he began to sollicite Camila with such trouble of the Spirits and so amorous woâ—ds as shee was strucken almost beside her self with wonder and made him no other ansver but arising from the Table flung away in a furie into her chamber But yet for ill this drynesse Lothario his hope which is wont evermore to bee borne at once wiâ— Love was nothing dismayed but rather accounted the more of Camila who perâ—eiving that in Lothario which shee never durst before to imagine knew not what sheâ— might doe but it seeming unto her to bee a thing neither secure nor honest to givâ— him occasion or leisure to speak unto him again determined to send one unto her Husband Anselmo the very same night as indeed shee did with a Letter to recall him home to her house The subject of her Letter was this CHAP. VII Wherein is prosecuted the Historie of the Curious-Impertinent EVen as it is commonly said That an Armie seems not well without a Generall or a Castle without a Constable So doe I affirm That it is much more indecent to see a young married Woman without her Husband when hee is not justly deteined away by necessarie Affairs I finde my self so ill-disposed in your absence and so impatient and impotent to indure it longer as if you doe not speedily return I shall bee constrained to return back unto my Father although I should leave your house without any keeping For the guard you appointed for me if it bee so that hee may deserve that title looks more I believe to his own pleasure then to that which concerns you therefore seeing you have wit enough I will say no more nor ought I to say more in reason Anselmo received the Letter and by it understood that Lothario had begun the enterprize and that Camila had answered to him according as he had hoped And marvellous glad at the news hee answered his wife by word of mouth That shee should not remove in any wise from her house for hee would return with all speed Camila was greatly admired at his answer which struck her into a greater perplexitie then shee was at the first being afraid to stay at home and also to goe to her Father For by staying shee indangers her honesty by going shee should transgresse her Husbands command At last shee resolved to doe that which was worst which was to remain at home and not to shun Lothario's presence lest shee should give her Servants occaâ—ion of suspiâ—ion and now shee was grieved to have written what shee did to her Husbâ—nd fearfull lest hee should think that Lothario had noted in her some token of lightnâ—sse which might have moved him to lose the respect which otherwise was due unto â—er But confident in her innocencie shee cast her hopes in God and her good thouâ—hts wherewithall shee thought to resist all Lothario's words and by holding her silent â—ithout making him any answer without giving any further account of the matter tâ— her Husband lest thereby shee might plunge him in new difficulties and contention â—ich his friend and did therefore bethink her how shee might excuse Lothario to Anselmo when hee should demand the occasion that moved her to write unto himthat Letter With these more honest then profitable or discreet resolutions shee gave eare thâ— second day to Lothario who charged her with such resolution as her constancie began to stagger and her honesty had enough to doe recurring to her eyes to containe them lest they should give any demonstration of the amorous compassion which Lotharioes words and teares had stirred in her brest Lothario noted all this and it inflamed him the more Finally hee thought that it was requisite the time and leisure which Anselâ—oes absence afforded him to lay closer siege to that Fortresse and so hee assaulted her presumptuously with the prayses of her beautie for there is nothing which with such facilitie doth rend and raze to the ground the proudly-crested Turrets of womens vanitie then the same vanitie being dilated on by the tongue of adulation and flatterie To bee briefe hee did with all diligence undermine the Rock of her integritie with so warlike Engines as although Camila were made of brasse yet would shee bee overthrown for Lothario wept intreated promised flattered persisted and fained so feelingly and with such tokens of truth as traversing Cameliaes care of her honour hee came in the end to triumph over that which was least suspected and hee most desired for she rendred her selfe even Camelia rendred her selfe But what wonder if Lotharioes amitie could not stand on foote A cleere example plainly demonstrating that the amorous passion is only vanquished by shuning it and that no body ought to adventure to wrestle with so strong an Adversarie for heavenly forces are necessarie for him that would confront the violence of that passion although humane None but Leonela knew the weakenesse of her Ladie for from her the two bad friends and new lovers could not conceale the matter nor yet would Lothario discover to Camila her husbands pretence or that he had given him wittingly the oportunity whereby he arived to that passe because she should not imagine that he had gotten her lightly and by chance and did not purposely sollicite her A few dayes after Anselmo arrived to his house and did not perceive what wanted therein to wit that which it had lost and he most esteemed From thence he went to see his friend Lothario whom he found at home and embracing one another he demanded of him the news of his life or of his death The news which I can give thee friend Anselmo quoth Lothario are that thou hast a wife who may deservedly be the example and garland of all good women The words that I spoke unto her were spent on the ayre my proffers contemned and my gifts repulsed and besides she hath mock't mee notably for certain fained teares that I did shead In resolution even as Camila is the pattern of all beauty so is she a treasury wherein modesty resides courtesie and warinesse dwell and all the other vertues that may beautifie an honourable woman or make her fortunate Therefore friend take back thy money for here it is ready and I never had occasion to imploy it for Camila's integrity cannot bee subdued with so base things as are gifts and promises And Anselmo content thy selfe now with the proofes made already without attempting to make any farther tryall And seeing thou hast past over the Sea of difficulties and suspicions with a drie foot
thousand millions more are like to be if Heaven permit Lastly to shut up all in a word I am Don-Quixote de la Mancha otherwise called The Knight of the Sorrowfull Countenance And though one should not praise himself yet I must needs doe it that is there being none present that may doe it for me so that kinde Gentle-man neither this horse this lance nor this shield nor this Squire nor all these armes together nor the palenesse of my face nor my slender macilency ought henceforward to admire you you knowing now who I am and the profession I maintaine This sayd Don-Quixote was silent and hee with the greene Coat was a great while ere he could answer as if hee could not hit upon 't but after some pause hee sayd You were in the right Sir Knight in knowing by my suspension my desire but yet you have not quite remooved my admiration which was caused with seeing you for although that as you say Sir that to know who you are might make me leave wondring it is otherwise rather since now I know it I am in more suspence and wonderment And is it possible that at this day there bee Knights Errant in the world and that there bee true Histories of Knighthood printed I cannot perswade my self that any now favor widows defend Damzels honour married Women or succour Orphans and I should never have beleeved it if I had not in you beheld it with mine eyes Blessed bee Heavens for with this History you speak of which is printed of your true and lofty Chivalrie those innumerable falsities of fained Knights Errant will bee forgotten which the world was full of so hurtfull to good education and prejudiciall to true Stories There is much to bee spoken quoth Don-Quixote whether the Histories of Knights Errant were fained or true Why is there any that doubts said hee in the Green that they bee not false I doe said Don-Quixote and let it suffice for if our Journey last I hope in God to let you see that you have done ill to bee led with the stream of them that hold they are not true At this last speech of Don-Quixote the Traveller suspected hee was some Ideot and expected when some others of his might confirm it but before they should bee diverted with any other discourse Don-Quixote desired to know who hee was since hee had imparted to him his condition and life Hee in the Green made answer I Sir Knighs of the Sorrowfull Countenance am a Gentleman borne in a Town where God willing wee shall dine to day I am well to live my name is Don Diego de Miranda I spend my life with my Wife and Children and Friends my sports are Hunting and Fishing but I have neither Hawk nor Gray-Hounds only a tame Cock-Partridge or a murthering Ferret some six dozen of Books some Spanish some Latin some History others Devotion Your Books of Knighthood have not yet entred the threshold of my door I doe more turn over your Prophane Books then Religious if they bee for honest recreation such as may delight for their language and admire and supend for their invention although in Spain there bee few of these Sometimes I dine with my neighbours and friends and other whiles invite them My Meals are neat and handsome and nothing scarce I neither love to back-bite my self nor to hear others doe it I search not into other mens lives or am a Lynce to other mens actions I heare every day a Masse part my Goods with the Poor without making a muster of my good Deeds that I may not give way to hypocrisie and vain-glory to enter into my heart enemies that easily seize upon the wariest brest I strive to make Peace between such as are at Ods I am devoted to our blessed Lady and alwaies trust in Gods infinite Mercy Sancho was most attentive to this relation of the life and entertainments of this Gentleman which seeming to him to be good and holy and that he that led it worked miracles hee flung himself from Dapple and in great haste laid hold of his right stirrop and with the tears in his eyes often kissed his feet which being seen by the Gentleman he asked him What doe you Brother Wherefore be these kisses Let me kisse quoth Sancho for me thinks your Worship is the first Saint that in all the dayes of my life I ever saw a horse-back I am no Saint said hee but a great Sinner you indeed brother are and a good Soul as your simplicitie shews you to bee Sancho went again to recover his Pack-saddle having as it were brought into the Market-place his Masters laughter out of a profound melancholy and caused a new admiration in Don Diego Don-Quixote asked him how many sonnes hee had who told him that one of the things in which the Philosophers Summum Bonum did consist who wanted the true knowledge of God was in the goods of Nature in those of Fortune in having many Friends and many and virtuous Children I Sir Don-Quixote answered the Gentleman have a son whom if I had not perhaps you would judge me more happy then I am not that he is so bad but because not so good as I would have him he is about eighteen yeers of age sixe of which he hath spent in Salamenca learning the tongues Greeke and Latine and when I had a purpose that he should fall to other Sciences I found him so besotted with Poesy and that Science if so it may be called that it is not possible to make him look upon the Law which I would have him study nor Divinity the Queen of all Sciences I would he were the Crown of all his linage since wee live in an age wherein our King doth highly reward good learning for learning without goodnesse is like a pearle cast in a Swines-snout all the day long he spends in his Critiscismes whether Homer said well or ill in such a verse of his Iliads whether Martial were bawdie or no in such an Epigram whether such or such a verse in Virgil ought to be understood this way or that way Indeed all his delight is in these aforesaid Poets and in Horace Persius Iuvenal and Tibullus but of modern writers he makes small account yet for all the grudg he beares to modern Poesie he is mad upon your catches and your glossing upon four verses which were sent him from Salamanca and that I think is his true study To all which Don-Quixote answered Children Sir are peeces of the very entrails of their Parents so let them bee good or bad they must love them as wee must love our spirits that give us life It concernes their Parents to direct them from their infancie in the paths of virtue of good manners and good and Christian exercises that when they come to yeeres they may bee the staffe of their age and the glory of their posteritie and I hold it not so proper to force them to study this or that
needs goe on my way Farewell But if you will know why I carry them I shall lodge to night in the Vente above the Hermitage Ventes places in Spain in barren unpeopled parts for lodging like our beggerly Alehouses upon the high-waies and if you goe that way there you shall have mee and I will tell you wonders and so once more Farewell So the Mule pricked on so fast that Don Quixote had no leisure to aske him what wonders they were and as hee was curious and alwaies desirous of novelties hee tooke order that they should presently goe and passe that night in the Vente without touching at the Hermitage where the Scholer would have stayed that night So all three of them mounted went toward the Vente whither they reached somewhat before it grew darke and the Scholer invited Don-Quixote to drinke a sup by the way at the Hermitage which as soone as Sancho heard hee made haste with Dapple as did Don-Quixote and the Scholer likewise but as Sanchoes ill-luck would have it the Hermite was not at home as was told them by the under-Hermit they asked him whether hee had any of the deerer sort of wine who answered his Master had none but if they would have any cheape water hee would give it them with a good will If my thirst would be quench'd with water we might have had Wels to drinke at by the way Ah Camachoes marriage and Don Diegoes plenty how oft shall I misse you Now they left the Hermitage and spurred toward the Vente and a little before them they overtooke a youth that went not very fast before them so they overtooke him he had a sword upon his shoulder and upon it as it seemed a bundle of cloathes as breeches and cloake and a shirt for hee wore a velvet jerkin that had some kinde of remainder of Sattin and his shirt hung out his stockins were of silke and his shooes square at toe after the Court fashion he was about eighteene yeeres of age and active of body to see to to passe the tediousnesse of the way he went singing short peeces of Songs and as they came neer him he made an end of one which the Scholer they say learnt by heart and it was this To the Warres I goe for necessitie At home would I tarry if I had Monie Don-Quixote was the first that spoke to him saying You goe very naked Sir Gallant And whither a Gods-name Let 's know if it be your pleasure to tell us To which the Youth answered Heat and Poverty are the causes that I walke so light and my journey is to the Wars Why for poverty quoth Don-Quixote for heat it may well be Sir said the Youth I carry in this bundle a payre of slops fellowes to this Jerkin if I weare um by the way I shall doe my self no credit with them when I come to any Town and I have no money to buy others with so as well for this as to aire my selfe I goe till I can overtake certaine Companies of Foote which are not above twelve leagues from hence where I shall get mee a place and shall not want carriages to travell in till I come to our imbarking place which they say must bee in Cartagina and I had rather have the King to my Master and serve him then any beggerly-Courtier And pray tell mee have you any extraordinary pay said the Scholer Had I served any Grandee or man of qualitie said the Youth no doubt I should for that comes by your serving good Masters that out of the Scullary men come to bee Livetenants or Captaines or to have some good pay but I alwaies had the ill-luck to serve your shag-rags and up-starts whose alowance was so bare and short that one halfe of it still was spent in starching me a Ruffe and it is a miracle that one ventring Page amongst a hundred should ever get any reasonable Fortune But tell mee friend quoth Don-Quixote is it possible that in all the time you served you never got a Livery Two said the Page but as he that goes out of a Monastery before he professeth hath his habit taken from him and his clothes given him back so my Masters returned me mine when they had ended their businesses for which they came to the Court and returned to their own homes and with-held their Liveries which they had only shewed for ostentation A notable Espilooherio Cullionry as saith your Italian quoth Don-Quixote for all that thinke your selfe happy that you are come from the Court with so good an intention for there is nothing in the world better nor more profitableâ— then to serve God first and next your Prince and naturall Master especially in the practise of Armes by which if not more wealth yet at least more honour is obtained then by Learning as I have said many times That though Learning hath raysed more Houses then Armes yet your Sword-men have a kinde of I know not what advantage above Scholers with a kind of splendor that doth advantage them over all And beare in your minde what I shall now tell you which shall bee much for your good and much lighten you in your travells that is not to think upon adversity for the worst that can come is death which if it be a good death the best fortune of all is to die Iulius Caesar that brave Romane Emperour being asked Which was the best death answered A suddain one and unthought of and though hee answered like a Gentile and void of the knowledge of the true God yet hee said well to save humane feeling a labour for say you should bee slain in the first skirmish either with Canon shot or blown up with a mine what matter is it All is but dying and there 's an end And as Terence sayes A Souldier slain in the Field shews better then alive and safe in flight and so much the more famous is a good Souldier by how much hee obeyes his Captains and those that may command him and mark childe it is better for a Souldier to smell of his Gun-powder then of Civet and when old age comes upon you in this honourable exercise though you bee full of scars maimed or lame at least you shall not bee without honour which poverty cannot diminish and besides there is order taken now That old and maimed Souldiers may bee relieved neither are they dealt withall like those mens Negars that when they are old and can doe their Masters no service they under colour of making them free turn them out of doors and make themslaves to hunger from which nothing can free them but death Hee describes the right subtil and cruel nature of his damned Country-men and for this time I will say no more to you but only get up behinde me till you come to the Vente and there you shall sup with me and to morrow take your Journey which God speed as your desires deserve The Page accepted not of his invitement
were ended but not the admiration in which all remained but Don Antonio's friends that knew the conceit Which Cid Hamete Benehgeli would forthwith declare not to hold the world in suspence to think that some Witch or extraordinary mysterie was enclosed in the said Head And thus saith hee That Don Antonio Moreno in imitation of another Head which hee saw in Madrid framed by a Carver caused this to bee made in his house to entertain the simple and make them wonder at it and the Fabrick was in this manner The Table it self was of wood painted and varnished over like Jasper and the foot on which it stood was of the same with four Eagles claws standing out to uphold it the better The Head that shewed like the Medall or picture of a Romane Emperour and of brasse colour was all hollow and so was the Table too to which it was so cunningly joyned that there was no appearance of it the foot of the Table was likewise hollow that answered to the brest and neck of the head and all this answered to another Chamber that was under the Room where the Head was and thorow all this hollownesse of the foot the table brest and neck of the Medall there went a tinne pipe made fit to them that could not bee perceived Hee that was to Answere set his Mouth to the Pipe in the Chamber underneathe Answering to this upper Roome so that the Voice ascended and descended as through a Trunke so cleerely and distinctly as it was hardly possible to make discovery of the juggling A Nephew of Don Antonio's a Scholler a good witty and discreet youth was the answerer who having notice from his Uncle of those that were to enter the Roome it was easie for him to answer suddenly and punctually to their first questions and to the rest he answered by discreet conjectures Moreover Cid Hamete saies that this marvelous Engine lasted for some ten or twelve daies but when it was divulged up and downe the Citie that Don Antonio had an Enchanted Head in his House that answered to all questions fearing lest it should come to the notice of the waking Centinels of our Faith Having acquainted those Inquisitors with the businesse they commanded him to make away with it lest it should scandalize the ignorant vulgar But yet in Don-Quixote and Sanchoes opinion the Head was still Enchaâ—ted and answering but indeed not altogether so much to Sanchoes satisfaction The gallants of the City to please Don Antonio and for Don-Quixotes better hospitalitie and on purpose that his madnesse might make the more generall sport appointed a runing at the Ring about a sixe dayes after which was broken off upon an occasion that after hapned Don-Quixote had a minde to walke round about the City on foote fearing that if hee went â— Horsehack the Boyes would persecute him So hee and Sancho with two servants of Don Antonioes went a walking It happened that as they passed through one Streete Don-Quixote looked up and saw written upon a Doore in great Letters Here are Bookes printed which did please him very wonderfully for till then hee had never seene any Presse and hee much desired to know the manner of it In he went with all his retinue where he saw in one place drawing of sheets in another Correcting in this Composing in that mending Finaly all the Machine that is usuall in great Presses Don-Quixote came to one of the Boxes and asked what they had in hand there the workemen told him he wondred and passed farther To another he came and asked one that was in it what he was doing The workman answered Sir This Gentleman you see and he shewed him a good comely proper man and somewhat ancient hath translated an Italian Booke into Spanish and I am composing of it here to bee Printed What is the name of it quoth Don-Quixote To which said the Author Sir it is called Le Bagatele to wit in Spanish The Trifle and though it beare but a mean name yet it contains in it many great and substantiall matters I understand a little Italian said Don Quixote and dare venter upon a Stanzo of Ariostoes But tell mee Signior mine not that I would examine your skill but only for Curiositie Have you ever found set downe in all your writing the word Pinnata Yes often quoth the Author and how translate you it said Don-Quixote How should I translate it said the Author but in saying Potage pot Body of me said Don-Quixote and how forward are you in the Italian Idiome I le lay a good wager that where the Italian sayes Piaccie you translate it Please and where Pin you say more and Su is above and Giu beneath Yes indeed doe I said the Author for these be their proper significations I dare sweare quoth Don-Quixote you are not knowne to the world which is alwaies backward in rewarding flourishing wits and laudable industrie Oh what a company of rare abilities are lost in the world What witts cubbed up What Virtues contemned but for all that mee thinkes this translating from one language into another except it be out of the Queenes of Tongues Greeke and Latine is just like looking upon the wrong side of Arras hangings that although the Pictures bee seene yet they are full of thred-ends that darken them and they are not seene with the plainnesse and smoothnesse as on the other side and the translating out of easie languages argues neither wit nor elocution no more then doth the coppying from out of one Paper into another yet I inferr not from this that translating is not a laudable exercise for a man may bee far worse employed and in things lesse profitable I except amongst Translators our two famous ones the one Doctor Christoval de Figneroa in his Pastor fido and the other Don Iohn de Xaurigni in his Amyntas where they haply leave it doubtfull which is the Translation or Originall But tell mee Sir Print you this Book upon your owne charge or sell you your licence to some Booke-binder Vpon mine owne said the Author and I thinke to get a thousand crownes by it at least with this first impression for there will bee two thousand Copies and they will vent at three shillings apiece roundly You understand the matter well said Don-Quixote it seemes you know not the passages of Printers and the correspondencies they have betwixt one and the other I promise you that when you have two thousand Copies lying by you you 'le bee so troubled as passeth and the rather if the booke bee but a little dull and not conceited all thorow Why would you have mee quoth the Author let a Booke-seller have my Licence that would give mee but a halfe-penny a Sheet and that thinkes hee doth mee a kindnes in it too I print not my workes to get fame in the world for I am by them well known in it I must have profit for without that fame is not worth a rush God send you