don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第115章

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between　grave　and　gay；　and　his　dress　and　accoutrements　showed　him　to
be　a　man　of　good　condition。　What　he　in　green　thought　of　Don　Quixote　of
La　Mancha　was　that　a　man　of　that　sort　and　shape　he　had　never　yet　seen；
he　marvelled　at　the　length　of　his　hair；　his　lofty　stature；　the
lankness　and　sallowness　of　his　countenance；　his　armour；　his　bearing
and　his　gravity…　a　figure　and　picture　such　as　had　not　been　seen　in
those　regions　for　many　a　long　day。
　　Don　Quixote　saw　very　plainly　the　attention　with　which　the
traveller　was　regarding　him；　and　read　his　curiosity　in　his
astonishment；　and　courteous　as　he　was　and　ready　to　please　everybody；
before　the　other　could　ask　him　any　question　he　anticipated　him　by
saying；　〃The　appearance　I　present　to　your　worship　being　so　strange　and
so　out　of　the　common；　I　should　not　be　surprised　if　it　filled　you
with　wonder；　but　you　will　cease　to　wonder　when　I　tell　you；　as　I　do；
that　I　am　one　of　those　knights　who；　as　people　say；　go　seeking
adventures。　I　have　left　my　home；　I　have　mortgaged　my　estate；　I　have
given　up　my　comforts；　and　committed　myself　to　the　arms　of　Fortune；
to　bear　me　whithersoever　she　may　please。　My　desire　was　to　bring　to
life　again　knight…errantry；　now　dead；　and　for　some　time　past；
stumbling　here；　falling　there；　now　coming　down　headlong；　now　raising
myself　up　again；　I　have　carried　out　a　great　portion　of　my　design；
succouring　widows；　protecting　maidens；　and　giving　aid　to　wives；
orphans；　and　minors；　the　proper　and　natural　duty　of　knights…errant；
and；　therefore；　because　of　my　many　valiant　and　Christian　achievements；
I　have　been　already　found　worthy　to　make　my　way　in　print　to
well…nigh　all；　or　most；　of　the　nations　of　the　earth。　Thirty　thousand
volumes　of　my　history　have　been　printed；　and　it　is　on　the　high…road　to
be　printed　thirty　thousand　thousands　of　times；　if　heaven　does　not
put　a　stop　to　it。　In　short；　to　sum　up　all　in　a　few　words；　or　in　a
single　one；　I　may　tell　you　I　am　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　otherwise
called　'The　Knight　of　the　Rueful　Countenance；'　for　though
self…praise　is　degrading；　I　must　perforce　sound　my　own　sometimes；　that
is　to　say；　when　there　is　no　one　at　hand　to　do　it　for　me。　So　that；
gentle　sir；　neither　this　horse；　nor　this　lance；　nor　this　shield；　nor
this　squire；　nor　all　these　arms　put　together；　nor　the　sallowness　of　my
countenance；　nor　my　gaunt　leanness；　will　henceforth　astonish　you；
now　that　you　know　who　I　am　and　what　profession　I　follow。〃
　　With　these　words　Don　Quixote　held　his　peace；　and；　from　the　time　he
took　to　answer；　the　man　in　green　seemed　to　be　at　a　loss　for　a　reply；
after　a　long　pause；　however；　he　said　to　him；　〃You　were　right　when
you　saw　curiosity　in　my　amazement；　sir　knight；　but　you　have　not
succeeded　in　removing　the　astonishment　I　feel　at　seeing　you；　for
although　you　say；　senor；　that　knowing　who　you　are　ought　to　remove
it；　it　has　not　done　so；　on　the　contrary；　now　that　I　know；　I　am　left
more　amazed　and　astonished　than　before。　What！　is　it　possible　that
there　are　knights…errant　in　the　world　in　these　days；　and　histories
of　real　chivalry　printed？　I　cannot　realise　the　fact　that　there　can
be　anyone　on　earth　now…a…days　who　aids　widows；　or　protects　maidens；　or
defends　wives；　or　succours　orphans；　nor　should　I　believe　it　had　I
not　seen　it　in　your　worship　with　my　own　eyes。　Blessed　be　heaven！　for
by　means　of　this　history　of　your　noble　and　genuine　chivalrous　deeds；
which　you　say　has　been　printed；　the　countless　stories　of　fictitious
knights…errant　with　which　the　world　is　filled；　so　much　to　the　injury
of　morality　and　the　prejudice　and　discredit　of　good　histories；　will
have　been　driven　into　oblivion。〃
　　〃There　is　a　good　deal　to　be　said　on　that　point；〃　said　Don　Quixote；
〃as　to　whether　the　histories　of　the　knights…errant　are　fiction　or
not。〃
　　〃Why；　is　there　anyone　who　doubts　that　those　histories　are　false？〃
said　the　man　in　green。
　　〃I　doubt　it；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　never　mind　that　just　now；　if
our　journey　lasts　long　enough；　I　trust　in　God　I　shall　show　your
worship　that　you　do　wrong　in　going　with　the　stream　of　those　who　regard
it　as　a　matter　of　certainty　that　they　are　not　true。〃
　　From　this　last　observation　of　Don　Quixote's；　the　traveller　began
to　have　a　suspicion　that　he　was　some　crazy　being；　and　was　waiting
him　to　confirm　it　by　something　further；　but　before　they　could　turn
to　any　new　subject　Don　Quixote　begged　him　to　tell　him　who　he　was；
since　he　himself　had　rendered　account　of　his　station　and　life。　To
this；　he　in　the　green　gaban　replied　〃I；　Sir　Knight　of　the　Rueful
Countenance；　am　a　gentleman　by　birth；　native　of　the　village　where；
please　God；　we　are　going　to　dine　today；　I　am　more　than　fairly　well
off；　and　my　name　is　Don　Diego　de　Miranda。　I　pass　my　life　with　my　wife；
children；　and　friends；　my　pursuits　are　hunting　and　fishing；　but　I　keep
neither　hawks　nor　greyhounds；　nothing　but　a　tame　partridge　or　a　bold
ferret　or　two；　I　have　six　dozen　or　so　of　books；　some　in　our　mother
tongue；　some　Latin；　some　of　them　history；　others　devotional；　those
of　chivalry　have　not　as　yet　crossed　the　threshold　of　my　door；　I　am
more　given　to　turning　over　the　profane　than　the　devotional；　so　long　as
they　are　books　of　honest　entertainment　that　charm　by　their　style　and
attract　and　interest　by　the　invention　they　display；　though　of　these
there　are　very　few　in　Spain。　Sometimes　I　dine　with　my　neighbours　and
friends；　and　often　invite　them；　my　entertainments　are　neat　and　well
served　without　stint　of　anything。　I　have　no　taste　for　tattle；　nor　do　I
allow　tattling　in　my　presence；　I　pry　not　into　my　neighbours'　lives；
nor　have　I　lynx…eyes　for　what　others　do。　I　hear　mass　every　day；　I
share　my　substance　with　the　poor；　making　no　display　of　good　works；
lest　I　let　hypocrisy　and　vainglory；　those　enemies　that　subtly　take
possession　of　the　most　watchful　heart；　find　an　entrance　into　mine。　I
strive　to　make　peace　between　those　whom　I　know　to　be　at　variance；　I　am
the　devoted　servant　of　Our　Lady；　and　my　trust　is　ever　in　the
infinite　mercy　of　God　our　Lord。〃
　　Sancho　listened　with　the　greatest　attention　to　the　account　of　the
gentleman's　life　and　occupation；　and　thinking　it　a　good　and　a　holy
life；　and　that　he　who　led　it　ought　to　work　miracles；　he　threw
himself　off　Dapple；　and　running　in　haste　seized　his　right　stirrup
and　kissed　his　foot　again　and　again　with　a　devout　heart　and　almost
with　tears。
　　Seeing　this　the　gentleman　asked　him；　〃What　are　you　about；　brother？
What　are　these　kisses　for？〃
　　〃Let　me　kiss；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　I　think　your　worship　is　the　first
saint　in　the　saddle　I　ever　saw　all　the　days　of　my　life。〃
　　〃I　am　no　saint；〃　replied　the　gentleman；　〃but　a　great　sinner；　but　you
are；　brother；　for　you　must　be　a　good　fellow；　as　your　simplicity
shows。〃
　　Sancho　went　back　and　regained　his　pack…saddle；　having　extracted　a
laugh　from　his　master's　profound　melancholy；　and　excited　fresh
amazement　in　Don　Diego。　Don　Quixote　then　asked　him　how　many　children
he　had；　and　observed　that　one　of　the　things　wherein　the　ancient
philosophers；　who　were　without　the　true　knowledge　of　God；　placed　the
summum　bonum　was　in　the　gifts　of　nature；　in　those　of　fortune；　in
having　many　friends；　and　many　and　good　children。
　　〃I；　Senor　Don　Quixote；〃　answered　the　gentleman；　〃have　one　son；
without　whom；　perhaps；　I　should　count　myself　happier　than　I　am；　not
because　he　is　a　bad　son；　but　because　he　is　not　so　good　as　I　could
wish。　He　is　eighteen　years　of　age；　he　has　been　for　six　at　Salamanca
studying　Latin　and　Greek；　and　when　I　wished　him　to　turn　to　the　study
of　other　sciences　I　found　him　so　wrapped　up　in　that　of　poetry　（if　that
can　be　called　a　science）　that　there　is　no　getting　him　to　take　kindly
to　the　law；　which　I　wished　him　to　study；　or　to　theology；　the　queen
of　them　all。　I　would　like　him　to　be　an　honour　to　his　family；　as　we
live　in　days　when　our　kings　liberally　reward　learning　that　is　virtuous
and　worthy；　for　learning　without　virtue　is　a　pearl　on　a　dunghill。　He
spends　the　whole　day　in　settling　whether　Homer　expressed　himself
correctly　or　not　in　such　and　such　a　line　of　the　Iliad；　whether　Martial
was　indecent　or　not　in　such　and　such　an　epigram；　whether　such　and　such
lines　of　Virgil　are　to　be　understood　in　this　way　or　in　that；　in　short；
all　his　talk　is　of　the　works　of　these　poets；　and　those　of　Horace；
Perseus；　Juvenal；　and　Tibullus；　for　of　the　moderns　in　our　own　language
he　makes　no　great　account；　but　with　all　his　seeming　indifference　to
Spanish　poetry；　just　now　his　thoughts　are　absorbed　in　making　a　gloss
on　four　lines　that　have　been　sent　him　from　Salamanca；　which　I
suspect　are　for　some　poetical　tournament。〃
　　To　all　this　Don　Quixote　said　in　reply；　〃Children；　senor；　are
portions　of　their　parents'　bowels；　and　therefore；　be　they　good　or　bad；
are　to　be　loved　as　we　love　the　souls　that　give　us　life；　it　is　for
the　parents　to　guide　them　from　infancy　in　the　ways　of　virtue；
propriety；　and　worthy　Christian　conduct；　so　that　when　grown　up　they
may　be　the　staff　of　their　parents'　old　age；　and　the　glory　of　their
posterity；　and　to　force　them　to　study　this　or　that　science　I　do　not
think　wise；　though　it　may　be　no　harm　to　persuade　them；　and　when
there　is　no　need　to　study　for　the　sake　of　pane　lucrando；　and　it　is　the
student's　good　fortune　that　heaven　has　given　him　parents　who　provide
him　with　it；　it　would　be　my　advice　to　them　to　let　him　pursue
whatever　science　they　may　see　him　most　inclined　to；　and　though　that　of
poetry　is　less　useful　than　pleasurable；　it　is　not　one　of　those　that
bring　discredit　upon　the　possessor。　Poetry；　gentle　sir；　is；　as　I
take　it；　like　a　tender　young　maiden　of　supreme　beauty；　to　array；
bedeck；　and　adorn　whom　is　the　task　of　several　other　maidens；　who　are
all　the　rest　of　the　sciences；　and　she　must　avail　herself　of　the　help
of　all；　and　all　derive　their　lustre　from　her。　But　this　maiden　will　not
bear　to　be　handled；　nor　dragged　through　the　streets；　nor　exposed
either　at　the　corners　of　the　market…places；　or　in　the　closets　of
palaces。　She　is　the　product　of　an　Alchemy　of　such　virtue　that　he　who
is　able　to　practise　it；　will　turn　her　into　pure　gold　of　inestimable
worth。　He　that　possesses　her　must　keep　her　within　bounds；　not
permitting　her　to　break　out　in　ribald　satires　or　soulless　sonnets。　She
must　on　no　account　be　offered　for　sale；　unless；　indeed；　it　be　in
heroic　poems；　moving　tragedies；　or　sprightly　and　ingenious　comedies。
She　must　not　be　touched　by　the　buffoons；　nor　by　the　ignorant　vulgar；
incapable　of　comprehending　or　appreciating　her　hidden　treasures。　And
do　not　suppose；　senor；　that　I　apply　the　term　vulgar　here　merely　to
plebeians　and　the　lower　orders；　for　everyone　who　is　ignorant；　be　he
lord　or　prince；　may　and　should　be　included　among　the　vulgar。　He；　then；
who　shall　embrace　and　cultivate　poetry　under　the　conditions　I　have
named；　shall　become　famous；　and　his　name　honoured　throughout　all　the
civilised　nations　of　the　earth。　And　with　regard　to　what　you　say；
senor；　of　your　son　having　no　great　opinion　of　Spanish　poetry；　I　am
inclined　to　think　that　he　is　not　quite　right　there；　and　for　this
reason：　the　great　poet　Homer　did　not　write　in　Latin；　because　he　was
a　Greek；　nor　did　Virgil　write　in　Greek；　because　he　was　a　Latin；　in
short；　all　the　ancient　poets　wrote　in　the　language　they　imbibed　with
their　mother's　milk；　and　never　went　in　quest　of　forei