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The Fourth BookChapter XIX.
Chapter XIX.
In Which Is Finished the Notable Adventure of the Troopers, and the Great
Ferocity of Our Knight, Don Quixote, and How He Was Enchanted
Whilst Don Quixote said this, the curate laboured to persuade the
troopers how the knight was distracted, as they themselves might collect by
his works and words, and therefore it would be to no end to prosecute their
design any further, seeing that although they did apprehend and carry him away
he would be presently delivered again as a madman. To this, he that had the
warrant made answer, that it concerned him not to determine whether he was mad
or no, but only to obey and execute his superior`s command; and that being
once prisoner, they might deliver him three hundred times and if it were their
good pleasure. `For all that,` quoth the curate, `you may not carry him with
you at this time; nor, as I suppose, will he suffer himself to be taken.` To
be brief, the curate said so much, and Don Quixote played so many mad pranks,
as the troopers themselves would have proved greater fools than he if they had
not manifestly discerned his defect of judgment; and therefore they held it to
be the best course to let him alone, yea, and be compounders of peace and
amity between Sancho Panza and the barber, which still continued their most
rancorous and deadly contention. Finally, they, as the officers of justice,
did mediate the cause, and were arbiters thereof in such sort, as both the
parties remained, though not wholly contented, yet in some sort satisfied, for
they only made them exchange their pannels, but not their girths or
headstalls.
As touching Mambrino`s helmet, the curate did unawares to Don Quixote
give to the barber eight reals by it, and the barber gave back unto him an
acquittance of the receipt thereof, an everlasting release of all actions
concerning it. These two discords, which were the most principal and of most
consequence, being thus accorded, it only rested that three of Don Louis his
serving - men would be content to return home, and leave the fourth to
accompany his master whither Don Fernando pleased to carry him. And as good
hap and better fortune had already begun to break lances, and facilitate
difficulties, in the favour of the lovers and worthy persons of the inn, so
did it resolve to proceed forward, and give a prosperous success unto all; for
the serving - men were content to do whatsoever their master would have them:
whereat Donna Clara was so cheerful, as no one beheld her face in that season
but might read therein the inward contentment of her mind. Zoraida, although
she did not very well understand all the successes of the things she had seen,
yet was she interchangeably grieved and cheered according to the shows made by
the rest, but chiefly by her Spaniard, on whom her eyes were always fixed, and
all the affects of her mind depended. The innkeeper, who did not forget the
recompense made by the curate to the barber, demanded of him Don Quixote`s
expenses, and satisfaction for the damage he had done to his winebags, and the
loss of his wine, swearing that neither Rozinante nor Sancho his ass should
depart out of the inn until he here paid the very last farthing. All was
quietly ended by the curate; and Don Fernando paid the whole sum, although the
judge had also most liberally offered to do it; and all of them remained
afterwards in such quietness and peace, as the inn did no longer resemble the
discorded camp of Agramante, as Don Quixote termed it, but rather enjoyed the
very peace and tranquillity of the Emperor Octavian`s time; for all which the
common opinion was, that thanks were justly due to the sincere proceeding and
great eloquence of master curate, and to the incomparable liberality and
goodness of Don Fernando. Don Quixote, perceiving himself free, and delivered
from so many difficulties and brabbles wherewithal as well he as his esquire
had been perplexed, held it high time to prosecute his commenced voyage, and
bring to an end the great adventure unto which he was called and chosen.
Therefore, with resolute determination to depart, he went and cast himself on
his knees before Dorothea, who, not permitting him to speak until he arose, he
to obey her stood up, and said, `It is a common proverb, beautiful lady, that
"diligence is the mother of good hap"; and in many and grave affairs
experience hath showed that the solicitude and sore of the suitor oft brings a
doubtful matter to a certain and happy end; but this truth appears in nothing
more clearly than in matters of war, wherein celerity and expedition prevent
the enemy`s designs, and obtain the victory before an adversary can put
himself in defence. All this I say, high and worthy lady, because it seems to
me that our abode in this castle is nothing profitable, and may therewithal
turn so far to our hindrance as we may palpably feel it one day; for who knows
but that your enemy, the giant, hath learned by spies, or other secret
intelligence and means, how I mean to come and destroy him, and (opportunity
favouring his designs) that he may have fortified himself in some inexpugnable
castle or fortress, against the strength whereof neither mine industry nor the
force of mine invincible arm can much prevail. Wherefore, dear lady, let us
prevent, as I have said, by our diligence, and let us presently depart unto
the place whereunto we are called by our good fortune, which shall be deferred
no longer than I am absent from your highness` foe.` Here he held his peace,
and did expect, with great gravity, the beautiful princess` answer, who, with
debonnaire countenance, and a style accommodated unto Don Quixote, returned
him this answer: `I do gratify and thank, sir knight, the desire you show to
assist me in this my great need, which denotes very clearly the great care you
have to favour orphans and disressed wights; and I beseech God that your good
desires and mine may be accomplished, to the end that you may see how there
are some thankful women on earth. As touching my departure, let it be
forthwith, for I have none other will than that which is yours; therefore you
may dispose of me at your own pleasure; for she that hath once committed the
defence of her person unto you, and hath put into your hands the restitution
of her estate, ought not to seek to do any other thing than that which your
wisdom shall ordain.` `In the name of God,` quoth Don Quixote, `seeing that
your highness doth so humble yourself unto me, I will not lose the occasion of
exalting it, and installing it again in the throne of your inheritance. Let
our departure be incontinent; for my desires, and the way, and that which they
call the danger that is in delay, do spur me on. And seeing that Heaven never
created, nor hell ever beheld, any man that could affright me or make a coward
of me, go therefore, Sancho, and saddle Rozinante, and empannel thine ass, and
make ready the queen`s palfrey, and let us take leave of the constable and
those other lords, and depart away from hence instantly.`
Then Sancho, who was present at all this, wagging of his head said, `O my
lord, my lord! how much more knavery (be it spoken with the pardon of all
honest kerchiefs) is there in the little village than is talked of!" `What ill
can there be in any village, or in all the cities of the world, able to impair
my credit, thou villain?` `If thou be angry,` quoth Sancho, `I will hold my
tongue, and omit to say that which, by the duty of a good squire and of an
honest servant, I am bound to tell you.` `Say what thou wilt,` quoth Don
Quixote, `so thy words be not addressed to make me afraid; for if thou beest
frighted, thou dost only like thyself; and if I be devoid of terror, I also do
that which I ought.` `It is not that which I mean,` quoth Sancho, `but that I
do hold, for most sure and certain, that this lady which calls herself queen
of the great kingdom of Micomicon, is no more a queen than my mother; for if
she were what she says, she would not, at every corner and at every turning of
a hand, be billing as she is with one that is in this good company.` Dorothea
blushed at Sancho`s words; for it was true, indeed, that her spouse, Don
Fernando, would now and then privately steal from her lips some part of the
reward which his desires did merit (which Sancho espying, it seemed to him
that that kind of wanton familiarity was more proper to courtesans than
becoming the queen of so great a kingdom), and yet she neither could nor would
reply unto him, but let him continue his speech, as followeth: `This I do say,
good my lord` quoth he, `to this end: that if, after we have run many ways and
courses, and endured bad nights and worse days, he that is in this inn
sporting himself, shall come to gather the fruit of our labours, there is no
reason to hasten me thus to saddle Rozinante, or empannel the ass, or make
ready the palfrey, seeing it would be better that we stayed still, and that
every whore spun, and we fell to our victuals.`
O God! how great was the fury that inflamed Don Quixote when he heard his
squire speak so respectlessly! I say it was so great that, with a shaking
voice, a faltering tongue, and the fire sparkling out of his eyes, he said, `O
villanous peasant! rash, unmannerly, ignorant, rude, blasphemous, bold
murmurer and detractor! hast thou presumed to speak such words in my presence,
and in that of these noble ladies? and hast thou dared to entertain such rash
and dishonest surmises into thy confused imagination? Depart out of my sight,
thou monster of nature, storehouse of untruths, armoury of falsehood, sink of
roguery, inventor of villany, publisher of ravings, and the enemy of that
decency which is to be used towards royal persons! Away, villain! and never
appear before me, under pain of mine indignation!` And, saying so, he bended
his brows, filled up his cheeks, looked about him on every side, and struck a
great blow with his right foot on the ground - all manifest tokens of the rage
which inwardly fretted him. At which words and furious gestures, poor Sancho
remained so greatly affrighted, as he could have wished in that instant that
the earth, opening under his feet, would swallow him up, and knew not what to
do, but turn his back, and get him out of his lord`s most furious presence.
But the discreet Dorothea, who was now so well schooled in Don Quixote`s
humour, to mitigate his ire, said unto him, `Be not offended, good Sir Knight
of the Sad Face, at the idle words which your good squire hath spoken; for
perhaps he hath not said them without some ground; nor of his good
understanding and Christian mind can it be suspected that he would wittingly
slander or accuse anybody falsely; and therefore we must believe, without all
doubt, that is in this castle, as you yourself have said, sir knight, all
things are represented, and succeed by manner of enchantment; I say it might
befall that Sancho may have seen, by diabolical illusion, that which he says
he beheld, so much to the prejudice of my reputation.`
`I vow by the omnipotent Jove,` quoth Don Quixote, `that your highness
hath hit the very prick, and that some wicked vision appeared to this sinner,
my man Sancho, that made him to see that which otherwise were impossible to be
seen by any other way than that of enchantment; for I know very well the great
goodness and simplicity of that poor wretch is such as he knows not how to
invent a lie on anybody living.` `It is even so, and so it shall be,` quoth
Don Fernando; `and therefore, good sir Don Quixote, you must pardon him, and
reduce him again to the bosom of your good grace, sicut erat in principio, and
before the like visions did distract his sense,` Don Quixote answered that he
did willingly pardon him. And therefore the curate went for Sancho, who
returned very humbly, and, kneeling down on his knees, demanded his lord`s
hand, which he gave unto him; and after that he had permitted him to kiss it,
he gave him his blessing, saying,`Now thou shalt finally know, Sancho, that
which I have told thee divers times, how that all the things of this castle
are made by way of enchantment.` `So do I verily believe,` said Sancho,
`except that of the canvassing in the blanket, which really succeeded by an
ordinary and natural way.` `Do not believe that,` said Don Quixote; `for if it
were so, I would both then, and also now, have taken a dire revenge; but
neither then nor now could I ever see any on whom I might revenge that thine
injury.` All of them desired greatly to know what that accident of the blanket
was; and then the innkeeper recounted it, point by point, the flights that
Sancho Panza made, whereat they all did laugh not a little; and Sancho would
have been ashamed no less, if his lord had not anew persuaded him that it was
a mere enchantment. And yet Sancho`s madness was never so great as to believe
that it was not a real truth verily befallen him, without any colour or
mixture of fraud or illusion, but that he was tossed by persons of flesh,
good, and bone, and not by dreamed and imagined shadows or spirits, as his
lord believed, and so constantly affirmed.
Two days were now expired when all that noble company had sojourned in
the inn; and then, it seeming unto them high time to depart, they devised how,
without putting Dorothea and Don Fernando to the pains to turn back with Don
Quixote to his village, under pretence of restoring the Queen Micomicona, the
curate and barber might carry him back as they desired, and endeavour to have
him cured of his folly in his own house. And their invention was this: they
agreed with one, who by chance passed by that way with a team fox oxen, to
carry him in this order following: They made a thing like a cage, of timber,
so big as that Don Quixote might sit or lie in it at his ease; and presently
after, Don Fernando and his fellows, with Don Louis his servants, the
troopers, and the innkeeper, did all of them, by master curate`s direction,
cover their faces, and disguise themselves, every one as he might best, so
that they might seem to Don Quixote other people than such as he had seen in
the castle. And this being done, they entered with very great silence into the
place where he slept, and took his rest after the related conflicts; and,
approaching him who slept securely, not fearing any such accident, and laying
hold on him very strongly, they tied his hands and his feet very strongly, so
that when he started out of his sleep he could not stir himself, nor do any
other thing than admire and wonder at those strange shapes that he saw
standing before him; and presently he fell into the conceit which his
continual and distracted imagination had already suggested unto him, believing
that all those strange figures were the spirits and shadows of that enchanted
castle, and that he himself was now without doubt enchanted, seeing he could
neither move nor defend himself. All this succeeded just as the curate, who
plotted the jest, made full account it would. Only Sancho, among all those
that were present, was in his right sense and shape; and although he wanted
but little to be sick of his lord`s disease, yet for all that he knew all
those counterfeit ghosts; but he would not once unfold his lips, until he
might see the end of that surprisal and imprisonment of his master; who
likewise spoke never a word, but only looked to see what would be the period
of his disgrace; which was that, bringing him to the cage, they shut him
within, and afterwards nailed the bars thereof so well as they could not be
easily broken. They presently mounted him upon their shoulders; and as he
issued out at the chamber door, they heard as dreadful a voice as the barber
could devise (not he of the pannel, but the other), which said, `O Knight of
the Sad Countenance! be not grieved at the imprisonment whereinto thou art
led; for so it must be, that thereby the adventure, into which thy great force
and valour hath thrust thee, may be the more speedily ended; and ended it will
be when the furious Manchegan lion and the white Tobosian dove shall be united
in one; and after they have humbled their lofty crest unto the soft yoke of
wedlock, from whose wonderful comfort shall issue to the light of the on
fierce whelps, which shall imitate the raunching paws of their valorous
father. And this shall be before the pursuer of the fugitive nymph do, with
his swift and natural course, make two turns in visitation of the glittering
images. And thou, O the most noble and obedient squire that ever had sword at
a girdle, beard on a face, or dent in a nose! let it not dismay or discontent
thee to see carried away before thy eyes the flower of all chivalry - errant;
for very speedily, if it please the Framer of the world, thou shalt see
thyself so exalted and ennobled as thou shalt scarce know thyself. Nor shalt
thou be defrauded of the promises made unto thee by thy noble lord; and I do
assure thee, from the wise Mentironiana, that thy wages shall be paid thee, as
thou shalt quickly see in effect. And therefore follow the steps of the
valorous and enchanted knight; for it is necessary that thou go to the place
where you both shall stay. And because I am not permitted to say more,
farewell; for I do return, I well know whither.` Towards the end of this
prophecy he lifted up his voice, and afterwards lessened it, with so slender
an accent that even those which were acquainted with the jest almost believed
what they had heard.
Don Quixote was very much comforted by the prophecy; for he presently
apprehended the whole sense thereof, and perceived how he was promised in
marriage his beloved Dulcinea of Toboso, from whose happy womb should sally
the whelps, which were his sons, to the eternal glory of the Mancha. And,
believing all this most firmly, he elevated his voice, and, breathing forth a
great sigh, thus said: `O thou, whatsoever thou beest, which hath
prognosticated so great good to me, I desire thee to request, in my name, the
wise man who hath charge to record mine acts, that he permit me not to perish
in this prison, to which they now do carry me, before the accomplishment of so
joyful and incomparable promises as now have been made unto me; for, so that
this may befall, I will account the pains of my prison a glory, and the chains
that environ me an ease; and will not esteem this bed whereon I am laid a hard
field of battle, but a soft tick and a most fortunate lodging. And, as
concerning the consolation of my squire Sancho Panza, I trust in his goodness
and honest proceeding, that he will not abandon me in good or bad fortune; for
though it should fall out, through his or my hard hap, that I shall not be
able to bestow on him an island, or other equivalent thing, as I have
promised, his wages at least cannot be lost; for in my testament, which is
made already, I have set down what he is to have, though not conformably to
his many good services, yet according to my possibility.` Sancho Panza bowed
his head with great reverence, and kissed both his hands, for one alone he
could not, by reason they were bound together; and presently those visions did
lift up the cage and accommodate it on the team of oxen.
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