don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第87章

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and　it　will　not　do　to　throw　false　dice　with　me；　and　as　to　the
enchantment　of　my　master；　God　knows　the　truth；　leave　it　as　it　is；　it
only　makes　it　worse　to　stir　it。〃
　　The　barber　did　not　care　to　answer　Sancho　lest　by　his　plain
speaking　he　should　disclose　what　the　curate　and　he　himself　were　trying
so　hard　to　conceal；　and　under　the　same　apprehension　the　curate　had
asked　the　canon　to　ride　on　a　little　in　advance；　so　that　he　might
tell　him　the　mystery　of　this　man　in　the　cage；　and　other　things　that
would　amuse　him。　The　canon　agreed；　and　going　on　ahead　with　his
servants；　listened　with　attention　to　the　account　of　the　character；
life；　madness；　and　ways　of　Don　Quixote；　given　him　by　the　curate；　who
described　to　him　briefly　the　beginning　and　origin　of　his　craze；　and
told　him　the　whole　story　of　his　adventures　up　to　his　being　confined　in
the　cage；　together　with　the　plan　they　had　of　taking　him　home　to　try　if
by　any　means　they　could　discover　a　cure　for　his　madness。　The　canon　and
his　servants　were　surprised　anew　when　they　heard　Don　Quixote's　strange
story；　and　when　it　was　finished　he　said；　〃To　tell　the　truth；　senor
curate；　I　for　my　part　consider　what　they　call　books　of　chivalry　to
be　mischievous　to　the　State；　and　though；　led　by　idle　and　false
taste；　I　have　read　the　beginnings　of　almost　all　that　have　been
printed；　I　never　could　manage　to　read　any　one　of　them　from　beginning
to　end；　for　it　seems　to　me　they　are　all　more　or　less　the　same　thing；
and　one　has　nothing　more　in　it　than　another；　this　no　more　than　that。
And　in　my　opinion　this　sort　of　writing　and　composition　is　of　the
same　species　as　the　fables　they　call　the　Milesian；　nonsensical　tales
that　aim　solely　at　giving　amusement　and　not　instruction；　exactly　the
opposite　of　the　apologue　fables　which　amuse　and　instruct　at　the　same
time。　And　though　it　may　be　the　chief　object　of　such　books　to　amuse；
I　do　not　know　how　they　can　succeed；　when　they　are　so　full　of　such
monstrous　nonsense。　For　the　enjoyment　the　mind　feels　must　come　from
the　beauty　and　harmony　which　it　perceives　or　contemplates　in　the
things　that　the　eye　or　the　imagination　brings　before　it；　and　nothing
that　has　any　ugliness　or　disproportion　about　it　can　give　any　pleasure。
What　beauty；　then；　or　what　proportion　of　the　parts　to　the　whole；　or　of
the　whole　to　the　parts；　can　there　be　in　a　book　or　fable　where　a　lad　of
sixteen　cuts　down　a　giant　as　tall　as　a　tower　and　makes　two　halves　of
him　as　if　he　was　an　almond　cake？　And　when　they　want　to　give　us　a
picture　of　a　battle；　after　having　told　us　that　there　are　a　million
of　combatants　on　the　side　of　the　enemy；　let　the　hero　of　the　book　be
opposed　to　them；　and　we　have　perforce　to　believe；　whether　we　like　it
or　not；　that　the　said　knight　wins　the　victory　by　the　single　might　of
his　strong　arm。　And　then；　what　shall　we　say　of　the　facility　with　which
a　born　queen　or　empress　will　give　herself　over　into　the　arms　of　some
unknown　wandering　knight？　What　mind；　that　is　not　wholly　barbarous
and　uncultured；　can　find　pleasure　in　reading　of　how　a　great　tower　full
of　knights　sails　away　across　the　sea　like　a　ship　with　a　fair　wind；　and
will　be　to…night　in　Lombardy　and　to…morrow　morning　in　the　land　of
Prester　John　of　the　Indies；　or　some　other　that　Ptolemy　never　described
nor　Marco　Polo　saw？　And　if；　in　answer　to　this；　I　am　told　that　the
authors　of　books　of　the　kind　write　them　as　fiction；　and　therefore
are　not　bound　to　regard　niceties　of　truth；　I　would　reply　that
fiction　is　all　the　better　the　more　it　looks　like　truth；　and　gives
the　more　pleasure　the　more　probability　and　possibility　there　is
about　it。　Plots　in　fiction　should　be　wedded　to　the　understanding　of
the　reader；　and　be　constructed　in　such　a　way　that；　reconciling
impossibilities；　smoothing　over　difficulties；　keeping　the　mind　on
the　alert；　they　may　surprise；　interest；　divert；　and　entertain；　so　that
wonder　and　delight　joined　may　keep　pace　one　with　the　other；　all
which　he　will　fail　to　effect　who　shuns　verisimilitude　and　truth　to
nature；　wherein　lies　the　perfection　of　writing。　I　have　never　yet
seen　any　book　of　chivalry　that　puts　together　a　connected　plot　complete
in　all　its　numbers；　so　that　the　middle　agrees　with　the　beginning；
and　the　end　with　the　beginning　and　middle；　on　the　contrary；　they
construct　them　with　such　a　multitude　of　members　that　it　seems　as
though　they　meant　to　produce　a　chimera　or　monster　rather　than　a
well…proportioned　figure。　And　besides　all　this　they　are　harsh　in　their
style；　incredible　in　their　achievements；　licentious　in　their　amours；
uncouth　in　their　courtly　speeches；　prolix　in　their　battles；　silly　in
their　arguments；　absurd　in　their　travels；　and；　in　short；　wanting　in
everything　like　intelligent　art；　for　which　reason　they　deserve　to　be
banished　from　the　Christian　commonwealth　as　a　worthless　breed。〃
　　The　curate　listened　to　him　attentively　and　felt　that　he　was　a　man　of
sound　understanding；　and　that　there　was　good　reason　in　what　he　said；
so　he　told　him　that；　being　of　the　same　opinion　himself；　and　bearing
a　grudge　to　books　of　chivalry；　he　had　burned　all　Don　Quixote's；
which　were　many；　and　gave　him　an　account　of　the　scrutiny　he　had　made
of　them；　and　of　those　he　had　condemned　to　the　flames　and　those　he
had　spared；　with　which　the　canon　was　not　a　little　amused；　adding
that　though　he　had　said　so　much　in　condemnation　of　these　books；
still　he　found　one　good　thing　in　them；　and　that　was　the　opportunity
they　afforded　to　a　gifted　intellect　for　displaying　itself；　for　they
presented　a　wide　and　spacious　field　over　which　the　pen　might　range
freely；　describing　shipwrecks；　tempests；　combats；　battles；
portraying　a　valiant　captain　with　all　the　qualifications　requisite
to　make　one；　showing　him　sagacious　in　foreseeing　the　wiles　of　the
enemy；　eloquent　in　speech　to　encourage　or　restrain　his　soldiers；
ripe　in　counsel；　rapid　in　resolve；　as　bold　in　biding　his　time　as　in
pressing　the　attack；　now　picturing　some　sad　tragic　incident；　now
some　joyful　and　unexpected　event；　here　a　beauteous　lady；　virtuous；
wise；　and　modest；　there　a　Christian　knight；　brave　and　gentle；　here　a
lawless；　barbarous　braggart；　there　a　courteous　prince；　gallant　and
gracious；　setting　forth　the　devotion　and　loyalty　of　vassals；　the
greatness　and　generosity　of　nobles。　〃Or　again；〃　said　he；　〃the　author
may　show　himself　to　be　an　astronomer；　or　a　skilled　cosmographer；　or
musician；　or　one　versed　in　affairs　of　state；　and　sometimes　he　will
have　a　chance　of　coming　forward　as　a　magician　if　he　likes。　He　can
set　forth　the　craftiness　of　Ulysses；　the　piety　of　AEneas；　the　valour
of　Achilles；　the　misfortunes　of　Hector；　the　treachery　of　Sinon；　the
friendship　of　Euryalus；　the　generosity　of　Alexander；　the　boldness　of
Caesar；　the　clemency　and　truth　of　Trajan；　the　fidelity　of　Zopyrus；　the
wisdom　of　Cato；　and　in　short　all　the　faculties　that　serve　to　make　an
illustrious　man　perfect；　now　uniting　them　in　one　individual；　again
distributing　them　among　many；　and　if　this　be　done　with　charm　of
style　and　ingenious　invention；　aiming　at　the　truth　as　much　as
possible；　he　will　assuredly　weave　a　web　of　bright　and　varied　threads
that；　when　finished；　will　display　such　perfection　and　beauty　that　it
will　attain　the　worthiest　object　any　writing　can　seek；　which；　as　I
said　before；　is　to　give　instruction　and　pleasure　combined；　for　the
unrestricted　range　of　these　books　enables　the　author　to　show　his
powers；　epic；　lyric；　tragic；　or　comic；　and　all　the　moods　the　sweet　and
winning　arts　of　poesy　and　oratory　are　capable　of；　for　the　epic　may
be　written　in　prose　just　as　well　as　in　verse。〃

　　CHAPTER　XLVIII
　　IN　WHICH　THE　CANON　PURSUES　THE　SUBJECT　OF　THE　BOOKS　OF　CHIVALRY；
WITH　OTHER　MATTERS　WORTHY　OF　HIS　WIT

　　〃IT　IS　as　you　say；　senor　canon；〃　said　the　curate；　〃and　for　that
reason　those　who　have　hitherto　written　books　of　the　sort　deserve　all
the　more　censure　for　writing　without　paying　any　attention　to　good
taste　or　the　rules　of　art；　by　which　they　might　guide　themselves　and
become　as　famous　in　prose　as　the　two　princes　of　Greek　and　Latin　poetry
are　in　verse。〃
　　〃I　myself；　at　any　rate；〃　said　the　canon；　〃was　once　tempted　to
write　a　book　of　chivalry　in　which　all　the　points　I　have　mentioned　were
to　be　observed；　and　if　I　must　own　the　truth　I　have　more　than　a　hundred
sheets　written；　and　to　try　if　it　came　up　to　my　own　opinion　of　it；　I
showed　them　to　persons　who　were　fond　of　this　kind　of　reading；　to
learned　and　intelligent　men　as　well　as　to　ignorant　people　who　cared
for　nothing　but　the　pleasure　of　listening　to　nonsense；　and　from　all
I　obtained　flattering　approval；　nevertheless　I　proceeded　no　farther
with　it；　as　well　because　it　seemed　to　me　an　occupation　inconsistent
with　my　profession；　as　because　I　perceived　that　the　fools　are　more
numerous　than　the　wise；　and；　though　it　is　better　to　be　praised　by
the　wise　few　than　applauded　by　the　foolish　many；　I　have　no　mind　to
submit　myself　to　the　stupid　judgment　of　the　silly　public；　to　whom
the　reading　of　such　books　falls　for　the　most　part。
　　〃But　what　most　of　all　made　me　hold　my　hand　and　even　abandon　all　idea
of　finishing　it　was　an　argument　I　put　to　myself　taken　from　the　plays
that　are　acted　now…a…days；　which　was　in　this　wise：　if　those　that　are
now　in　vogue；　as　well　those　that　are　pure　invention　as　those　founded
on　history；　are；　all　or　most　of　them；　downright　nonsense　and　things
that　have　neither　head　nor　tail；　and　yet　the　public　listens　to　them
with　delight；　and　regards　and　cries　them　up　as　perfection　when　they
are　so　far　from　it；　and　if　the　authors　who　write　them；　and　the　players
who　act　them；　say　that　this　is　what　they　must　be；　for　the　public　wants
this　and　will　have　nothing　else；　and　that　those　that　go　by　rule　and
work　out　a　plot　according　to　the　laws　of　art　will　only　find　some
half…dozen　intelligent　people　to　understand　them；　while　all　the　rest
remain　blind　to　the　merit　of　their　composition；　and　that　for
themselves　it　is　better　to　get　bread　from　the　many　than　praise　from
the　few；　then　my　book　will　fare　the　same　way；　after　I　have　burnt　off
my　eyebrows　in　trying　to　observe　the　principles　I　have　spoken　of；
and　I　shall　be　'the　tailor　of　the　corner。'　And　though　I　have　sometimes
endeavoured　to　convince　actors　that　they　are　mistaken　in　this　notion
they　have　adopted；　and　that　they　would　attract　more　people；　and　get
more　credit；　by　producing　plays　in　accordance　with　the　rules　of　art；
than　by　absurd　ones；　they　are　so　thoroughly　wedded　to　their　own
opinion　that　no　argument　or　evidence　can　wean　them　from　it。
　　〃I　remember　saying　one　day　to　one　of　these　obstinate　fellows；
'Tell　me；　do　you　not　recollect　that　a　few　years　ago；　there　were
three　tragedies　acted　in　Spain；　written　by　a　famous　poet　of　these
kingdoms；　which　were　such　that　they　filled　all　who　heard　them　with
admiration；　delight；　and　interest；　the　ignorant　as　well　as　the　wise；
the　masses　as　well　as　the　higher　orders；　and　brought　in　more　money
to　the　performers；　these　three　alone；　than　thirty　of　the　best　that
have　been　since　produced？'
　　〃'No　doubt；'　replied　the　actor　in　question；　'you　mean　the
〃Isabella；〃　the　〃Phyllis；〃　and　the　〃Alexandra。〃'
　　〃'Those　are　the　ones　I　mean；'　said　I；　'and　see　if　they　did　not
observe　the　principles　of　art；　and　if；　by　observing　them；　they
failed　to　show　their　superiority　and　please　all　the　world；　so　that　the
fault　does　n