DON QUIXOTE

 Volume II. 

 Part 39. 

 by Miguel de Cervantes

 Translated by John Ormsby

CHAPTER LXIII. 

OF THE MISHAP THAT BEFELL SANCHO PANZA THROUGH THE VISIT TO THE GALLEYS, AND THE STRANGE ADVENTURE OF THE FAIR MORISCO

Profound were Don Quixote's reflections on the reply of the enchantedhead, not one of them, however, hitting on the secret of the trick, butall concentrated on the promise, which he regarded as a certainty, ofDulcinea's disenchantment. This he turned over in his mind again andagain with great satisfaction, fully persuaded that he would shortly seeits fulfillment; and as for Sancho, though, as has been said, he hatedbeing a governor, still he had a longing to be giving orders and findinghimself obeyed once more; this is the misfortune that being in authority, even in jest, brings with it. 

To resume; that afternoon their host Don Antonio Moreno and his twofriends, with Don Quixote and Sancho, went to the galleys. The commandanthad been already made aware of his good fortune in seeing two such famouspersons as Don Quixote and Sancho, and the instant they came to the shoreall the galleys struck their awnings and the clarions rang out. A skiffcovered with rich carpets and cushions of crimson velvet was immediatelylowered into the water, and as Don Quixote stepped on board of it, theleading galley fired her gangway gun, and the other galleys did the same;and as he mounted the starboard ladder the whole crew saluted him (as isthe custom when a personage of distinction comes on board a galley) byexclaiming "Hu, hu, hu, " three times. The general, for so we shall callhim, a Valencian gentleman of rank, gave him his hand and embraced him, saying, "I shall mark this day with a white stone as one of the happiestI can expect to enjoy in my lifetime, since I have seen Senor Don Quixoteof La Mancha, pattern and image wherein we see contained and condensedall that is worthy in knight-errantry. "

Don Quixote delighted beyond measure with such a lordly reception, replied to him in words no less courteous. All then proceeded to thepoop, which was very handsomely decorated, and seated themselves on thebulwark benches; the boatswain passed along the gangway and piped allhands to strip, which they did in an instant. Sancho, seeing such anumber of men stripped to the skin, was taken aback, and still more whenhe saw them spread the awning so briskly that it seemed to him as if allthe devils were at work at it; but all this was cakes and fancy bread towhat I am going to tell now. Sancho was seated on the captain's stage, close to the aftermost rower on the right-hand side. He, previouslyinstructed in what he was to do, laid hold of Sancho, hoisting him up inhis arms, and the whole crew, who were standing ready, beginning on theright, proceeded to pass him on, whirling him along from hand to hand andfrom bench to bench with such rapidity that it took the sight out of poorSancho's eyes, and he made quite sure that the devils themselves wereflying away with him; nor did they leave off with him until they had senthim back along the left side and deposited him on the poop; and the poorfellow was left bruised and breathless and all in a sweat, and unable tocomprehend what it was that had happened to him. 

Don Quixote when he saw Sancho's flight without wings asked the generalif this was a usual ceremony with those who came on board the galleys forthe first time; for, if so, as he had no intention of adopting them as aprofession, he had no mind to perform such feats of agility, and ifanyone offered to lay hold of him to whirl him about, he vowed to God hewould kick his soul out; and as he said this he stood up and clapped hishand upon his sword. At this instant they struck the awning and loweredthe yard with a prodigious rattle. Sancho thought heaven was coming offits hinges and going to fall on his head, and full of terror he ducked itand buried it between his knees; nor were Don Quixote's knees altogetherunder control, for he too shook a little, squeezed his shoulders togetherand lost colour. The crew then hoisted the yard with the same rapidityand clatter as when they lowered it, all the while keeping silence asthough they had neither voice nor breath. The boatswain gave the signalto weigh anchor, and leaping upon the middle of the gangway began to layon to the shoulders of the crew with his courbash or whip, and to haulout gradually to sea. 

When Sancho saw so many red feet (for such he took the oars to be) movingall together, he said to himself, "It's these that are the real chantedthings, and not the ones my master talks of. What can those wretches havedone to be so whipped; and how does that one man who goes along therewhistling dare to whip so many? I declare this is hell, or at leastpurgatory!"

Don Quixote, observing how attentively Sancho regarded what was going on, said to him, "Ah, Sancho my friend, how quickly and cheaply might youfinish off the disenchantment of Dulcinea, if you would strip to thewaist and take your place among those gentlemen! Amid the pain andsufferings of so many you would not feel your own much; and moreoverperhaps the sage Merlin would allow each of these lashes, being laid onwith a good hand, to count for ten of those which you must give yourselfat last. "

The general was about to ask what these lashes were, and what wasDulcinea's disenchantment, when a sailor exclaimed, "Monjui signals thatthere is an oared vessel off the coast to the west. "

On hearing this the general sprang upon the gangway crying, "Now then, mysons, don't let her give us the slip! It must be some Algerine corsairbrigantine that the watchtower signals to us. " The three othersimmediately came alongside the chief galley to receive their orders. Thegeneral ordered two to put out to sea while he with the other kept inshore, so that in this way the vessel could not escape them. The crewsplied the oars driving the galleys so furiously that they seemed to fly. The two that had put out to sea, after a couple of miles sighted a vesselwhich, so far as they could make out, they judged to be one of fourteenor fifteen banks, and so she proved. As soon as the vessel discovered thegalleys she went about with the object and in the hope of making herescape by her speed; but the attempt failed, for the chief galley was oneof the fastest vessels afloat, and overhauled her so rapidly that they onboard the brigantine saw clearly there was no possibility of escaping, and the rais therefore would have had them drop their oars and givethemselves up so as not to provoke the captain in command of our galleysto anger. But chance, directing things otherwise, so ordered it that justas the chief galley came close enough for those on board the vessel tohear the shouts from her calling on them to surrender, two Toraquis, thatis to say two Turks, both drunken, that with a dozen more were on boardthe brigantine, discharged their muskets, killing two of the soldiersthat lined the sides of our vessel. Seeing this the general swore hewould not leave one of those he found on board the vessel alive, but ashe bore down furiously upon her she slipped away from him underneath theoars. The galley shot a good way ahead; those on board the vessel sawtheir case was desperate, and while the galley was coming about they madesail, and by sailing and rowing once more tried to sheer off; but theiractivity did not do them as much good as their rashness did them harm, for the galley coming up with them in a little more than half a milethrew her oars over them and took the whole of them alive. The other twogalleys now joined company and all four returned with the prize to thebeach, where a vast multitude stood waiting for them, eager to see whatthey brought back. The general anchored close in, and perceived that theviceroy of the city was on the shore. He ordered the skiff to push off tofetch him, and the yard to be lowered for the purpose of hangingforthwith the rais and the rest of the men taken on board the vessel, about six-and-thirty in number, all smart fellows and most of themTurkish musketeers. He asked which was the rais of the brigantine, andwas answered in Spanish by one of the prisoners (who afterwards proved tobe a Spanish renegade), "This young man, senor that you see here is ourrais, " and he pointed to one of the handsomest and most gallant-lookingyouths that could be imagined. He did not seem to be twenty years of age. 

"Tell me, dog, " said the general, "what led thee to kill my soldiers, when thou sawest it was impossible for thee to escape? Is that the way tobehave to chief galleys? Knowest thou not that rashness is not valour?Faint prospects of success should make men bold, but not rash. "

The rais was about to reply, but the general could not at that momentlisten to him, as he had to hasten to receive the viceroy, who was nowcoming on board the galley, and with him certain of his attendants andsome of the people. 

"You have had a good chase, senor general, " said the viceroy. 

"Your excellency shall soon see how good, by the game strung up to thisyard, " replied the general. 

"How so?" returned the viceroy. 

"Because, " said the general, "against all law, reason, and usages of warthey have killed on my hands two of the best soldiers on board thesegalleys, and I have sworn to hang every man that I have taken, but aboveall this youth who is the rais of the brigantine, " and he pointed to himas he stood with his hands already bound and the rope round his neck, ready for death. 

The viceroy looked at him, and seeing him so well-favoured, so graceful, and so submissive, he felt a desire to spare his life, the comeliness ofthe youth furnishing him at once with a letter of recommendation. Hetherefore questioned him, saying, "Tell me, rais, art thou Turk, Moor, orrenegade?"

To which the youth replied, also in Spanish, "I am neither Turk, norMoor, nor renegade. "

"What art thou, then?" said the viceroy. 

"A Christian woman, " replied the youth. 

"A woman and a Christian, in such a dress and in such circumstances! Itis more marvellous than credible, " said the viceroy. 

"Suspend the execution of the sentence, " said the youth; "your vengeancewill not lose much by waiting while I tell you the story of my life. "

What heart could be so hard as not to be softened by these words, at anyrate so far as to listen to what the unhappy youth had to say? Thegeneral bade him say what he pleased, but not to expect pardon for hisflagrant offence. With this permission the youth began in these words. 

"Born of Morisco parents, I am of that nation, more unhappy than wise, upon which of late a sea of woes has poured down. In the course of ourmisfortune I was carried to Barbary by two uncles of mine, for it was invain that I declared I was a Christian, as in fact I am, and not a merepretended one, or outwardly, but a true Catholic Christian. It availed menothing with those charged with our sad expatriation to protest this, norwould my uncles believe it; on the contrary, they treated it as anuntruth and a subterfuge set up to enable me to remain behind in the landof my birth; and so, more by force than of my own will, they took me withthem. I had a Christian mother, and a father who was a man of sound senseand a Christian too; I imbibed the Catholic faith with my mother's milk, I was well brought up, and neither in word nor in deed did I, I think, show any sign of being a Morisco. To accompany these virtues, for such Ihold them, my beauty, if I possess any, grew with my growth; and great aswas the seclusion in which I lived it was not so great but that a younggentleman, Don Gaspar Gregorio by name, eldest son of a gentleman who islord of a village near ours, contrived to find opportunities of seeingme. How he saw me, how we met, how his heart was lost to me, and mine notkept from him, would take too long to tell, especially at a moment when Iam in dread of the cruel cord that threatens me interposing betweentongue and throat; I will only say, therefore, that Don Gregorio chose toaccompany me in our banishment. He joined company with the Moriscoes whowere going forth from other villages, for he knew their language verywell, and on the voyage he struck up a friendship with my two uncles whowere carrying me with them; for my father, like a wise and far-sightedman, as soon as he heard the first edict for our expulsion, quitted thevillage and departed in quest of some refuge for us abroad. He lefthidden and buried, at a spot of which I alone have knowledge, a largequantity of pearls and precious stones of great value, together with asum of money in gold cruzadoes and doubloons. He charged me on no accountto touch the treasure, if by any chance they expelled us before hisreturn. I obeyed him, and with my uncles, as I have said, and others ofour kindred and neighbours, passed over to Barbary, and the place wherewe took up our abode was Algiers, much the same as if we had taken it upin hell itself. The king heard of my beauty, and report told him of mywealth, which was in some degree fortunate for me. He summoned me beforehim, and asked me what part of Spain I came from, and what money andjewels I had. I mentioned the place, and told him the jewels and moneywere buried there; but that they might easily be recovered if I myselfwent back for them. All this I told him, in dread lest my beauty and nothis own covetousness should influence him. While he was engaged inconversation with me, they brought him word that in company with me wasone of the handsomest and most graceful youths that could be imagined. Iknew at once that they were speaking of Don Gaspar Gregorio, whosecomeliness surpasses the most highly vaunted beauty. I was troubled whenI thought of the danger he was in, for among those barbarous Turks a fairyouth is more esteemed than a woman, be she ever so beautiful. The kingimmediately ordered him to be brought before him that he might see him, and asked me if what they said about the youth was true. I then, almostas if inspired by heaven, told him it was, but that I would have him toknow it was not a man, but a woman like myself, and I entreated him toallow me to go and dress her in the attire proper to her, so that herbeauty might be seen to perfection, and that she might present herselfbefore him with less embarrassment. He bade me go by all means, and saidthat the next day we should discuss the plan to be adopted for my returnto Spain to carry away the hidden treasure. I saw Don Gaspar, I told himthe danger he was in if he let it be seen he was a man, I dressed him asa Moorish woman, and that same afternoon I brought him before the king, who was charmed when he saw him, and resolved to keep the damsel and makea present of her to the Grand Signor; and to avoid the risk she might runamong the women of his seraglio, and distrustful of himself, he commandedher to be placed in the house of some Moorish ladies of rank who wouldprotect and attend to her; and thither he was taken at once. What we bothsuffered (for I cannot deny that I love him) may be left to theimagination of those who are separated if they love one another dearly. The king then arranged that I should return to Spain in this brigantine, and that two Turks, those who killed your soldiers, should accompany me. There also came with me this Spanish renegade"--and here she pointed tohim who had first spoken--"whom I know to be secretly a Christian, and tobe more desirous of being left in Spain than of returning to Barbary. Therest of the crew of the brigantine are Moors and Turks, who merely serveas rowers. The two Turks, greedy and insolent, instead of obeying theorders we had to land me and this renegade in Christian dress (with whichwe came provided) on the first Spanish ground we came to, chose to runalong the coast and make some prize if they could, fearing that if theyput us ashore first, we might, in case of some accident befalling us, make it known that the brigantine was at sea, and thus, if there happenedto be any galleys on the coast, they might be taken. We sighted thisshore last night, and knowing nothing of these galleys, we werediscovered, and the result was what you have seen. To sum up, there isDon Gregorio in woman's dress, among women, in imminent danger of hislife; and here am I, with hands bound, in expectation, or rather indread, of losing my life, of which I am already weary. Here, sirs, endsmy sad story, as true as it is unhappy; all I ask of you is to allow meto die like a Christian, for, as I have already said, I am not to becharged with the offence of which those of my nation are guilty;" and shestood silent, her eyes filled with moving tears, accompanied by plentyfrom the bystanders. The viceroy, touched with compassion, went up to herwithout speaking and untied the cord that bound the hands of the Moorishgirl. 

But all the while the Morisco Christian was telling her strange story, anelderly pilgrim, who had come on board of the galley at the same time asthe viceroy, kept his eyes fixed upon her; and the instant she ceasedspeaking he threw himself at her feet, and embracing them said in a voicebroken by sobs and sighs, "O Ana Felix, my unhappy daughter, I am thyfather Ricote, come back to look for thee, unable to live without thee, my soul that thou art!"

At these words of his, Sancho opened his eyes and raised his head, whichhe had been holding down, brooding over his unlucky excursion; andlooking at the pilgrim he recognised in him that same Ricote he met theday he quitted his government, and felt satisfied that this was hisdaughter. She being now unbound embraced her father, mingling her tearswith his, while he addressing the general and the viceroy said, "This, sirs, is my daughter, more unhappy in her adventures than in her name. She is Ana Felix, surnamed Ricote, celebrated as much for her own beautyas for my wealth. I quitted my native land in search of some shelter orrefuge for us abroad, and having found one in Germany I returned in thispilgrim's dress, in the company of some other German pilgrims, to seek mydaughter and take up a large quantity of treasure I had left buried. Mydaughter I did not find, the treasure I found and have with me; and now, in this strange roundabout way you have seen, I find the treasure thatmore than all makes me rich, my beloved daughter. If our innocence andher tears and mine can with strict justice open the door to clemency, extend it to us, for we never had any intention of injuring you, nor dowe sympathise with the aims of our people, who have been justlybanished. "

"I know Ricote well, " said Sancho at this, "and I know too that what hesays about Ana Felix being his daughter is true; but as to those otherparticulars about going and coming, and having good or bad intentions, Isay nothing. "

While all present stood amazed at this strange occurrence the generalsaid, "At any rate your tears will not allow me to keep my oath; live, fair Ana Felix, all the years that heaven has allotted you; but theserash insolent fellows must pay the penalty of the crime they havecommitted;" and with that he gave orders to have the two Turks who hadkilled his two soldiers hanged at once at the yard-arm. The viceroy, however, begged him earnestly not to hang them, as their behavioursavoured rather of madness than of bravado. The general yielded to theviceroy's request, for revenge is not easily taken in cold blood. Theythen tried to devise some scheme for rescuing Don Gaspar Gregorio fromthe danger in which he had been left. Ricote offered for that object morethan two thousand ducats that he had in pearls and gems; they proposedseveral plans, but none so good as that suggested by the renegade alreadymentioned, who offered to return to Algiers in a small vessel of aboutsix banks, manned by Christian rowers, as he knew where, how, and when hecould and should land, nor was he ignorant of the house in which DonGaspar was staying. The general and the viceroy had some hesitation aboutplacing confidence in the renegade and entrusting him with the Christianswho were to row, but Ana Felix said she could answer for him, and herfather offered to go and pay the ransom of the Christians if by anychance they should not be forthcoming. This, then, being agreed upon, theviceroy landed, and Don Antonio Moreno took the fair Morisco and herfather home with him, the viceroy charging him to give them the bestreception and welcome in his power, while on his own part he offered allthat house contained for their entertainment; so great was the good-willand kindliness the beauty of Ana Felix had infused into his heart. 

CHAPTER LXIV. 

TREATING OF THE ADVENTURE WHICH GAVE DON QUIXOTE MORE UNHAPPINESS THANALL THAT HAD HITHERTO BEFALLEN HIM

The wife of Don Antonio Moreno, so the history says, was extremely happyto see Ana Felix in her house. She welcomed her with great kindness, charmed as well by her beauty as by her intelligence; for in bothrespects the fair Morisco was richly endowed, and all the people of thecity flocked to see her as though they had been summoned by the ringingof the bells. 

Don Quixote told Don Antonio that the plan adopted for releasing DonGregorio was not a good one, for its risks were greater than itsadvantages, and that it would be better to land himself with his arms andhorse in Barbary; for he would carry him off in spite of the wholeMoorish host, as Don Gaiferos carried off his wife Melisendra. 

"Remember, your worship, " observed Sancho on hearing him say so, "SenorDon Gaiferos carried off his wife from the mainland, and took her toFrance by land; but in this case, if by chance we carry off Don Gregorio, we have no way of bringing him to Spain, for there's the sea between. "

"There's a remedy for everything except death, " said Don Quixote; "ifthey bring the vessel close to the shore we shall be able to get on boardthough all the world strive to prevent us. "

"Your worship hits it off mighty well and mighty easy, " said Sancho; "but'it's a long step from saying to doing;' and I hold to the renegade, forhe seems to me an honest good-hearted fellow. "

Don Antonio then said that if the renegade did not prove successful, theexpedient of the great Don Quixote's expedition to Barbary should beadopted. Two days afterwards the renegade put to sea in a light vessel ofsix oars a-side manned by a stout crew, and two days later the galleysmade sail eastward, the general having begged the viceroy to let him knowall about the release of Don Gregorio and about Ana Felix, and theviceroy promised to do as he requested. 

One morning as Don Quixote went out for a stroll along the beach, arrayedin full armour (for, as he often said, that was "his only gear, his onlyrest the fray, " and he never was without it for a moment), he saw comingtowards him a knight, also in full armour, with a shining moon painted onhis shield, who, on approaching sufficiently near to be heard, said in aloud voice, addressing himself to Don Quixote, "Illustrious knight, andnever sufficiently extolled Don Quixote of La Mancha, I am the Knight ofthe White Moon, whose unheard-of achievements will perhaps have recalledhim to thy memory. I come to do battle with thee and prove the might ofthy arm, to the end that I make thee acknowledge and confess that mylady, let her be who she may, is incomparably fairer than thy Dulcineadel Toboso. If thou dost acknowledge this fairly and openly, thou shaltescape death and save me the trouble of inflicting it upon thee; if thoufightest and I vanquish thee, I demand no other satisfaction than that, laying aside arms and abstaining from going in quest of adventures, thouwithdraw and betake thyself to thine own village for the space of a year, and live there without putting hand to sword, in peace and quiet andbeneficial repose, the same being needful for the increase of thysubstance and the salvation of thy soul; and if thou dost vanquish me, myhead shall be at thy disposal, my arms and horse thy spoils, and therenown of my deeds transferred and added to thine. Consider which will bethy best course, and give me thy answer speedily, for this day is all thetime I have for the despatch of this business. "

Don Quixote was amazed and astonished, as well at the Knight of the WhiteMoon's arrogance, as at his reason for delivering the defiance, and withcalm dignity he answered him, "Knight of the White Moon, of whoseachievements I have never heard until now, I will venture to swear youhave never seen the illustrious Dulcinea; for had you seen her I know youwould have taken care not to venture yourself upon this issue, becausethe sight would have removed all doubt from your mind that there ever hasbeen or can be a beauty to be compared with hers; and so, not saying youlie, but merely that you are not correct in what you state, I accept yourchallenge, with the conditions you have proposed, and at once, that theday you have fixed may not expire; and from your conditions I except onlythat of the renown of your achievements being transferred to me, for Iknow not of what sort they are nor what they may amount to; I amsatisfied with my own, such as they be. Take, therefore, the side of thefield you choose, and I will do the same; and to whom God shall give itmay Saint Peter add his blessing. "

The Knight of the White Moon had been seen from the city, and it was toldthe viceroy how he was in conversation with Don Quixote. The viceroy, fancying it must be some fresh adventure got up by Don Antonio Moreno orsome other gentleman of the city, hurried out at once to the beachaccompanied by Don Antonio and several other gentlemen, just as DonQuixote was wheeling Rocinante round in order to take up the necessarydistance. The viceroy upon this, seeing that the pair of them wereevidently preparing to come to the charge, put himself between them, asking them what it was that led them to engage in combat all of a suddenin this way. The Knight of the White Moon replied that it was a questionof precedence of beauty; and briefly told him what he had said to DonQuixote, and how the conditions of the defiance agreed upon on both sideshad been accepted. The viceroy went over to Don Antonio, and asked in alow voice did he know who the Knight of the White Moon was, or was itsome joke they were playing on Don Quixote. Don Antonio replied that heneither knew who he was nor whether the defiance was in joke or inearnest. This answer left the viceroy in a state of perplexity, notknowing whether he ought to let the combat go on or not; but unable topersuade himself that it was anything but a joke he fell back, saying, "If there be no other way out of it, gallant knights, except to confessor die, and Don Quixote is inflexible, and your worship of the White Moonstill more so, in God's hand be it, and fall on. "

He of the White Moon thanked the viceroy in courteous and well-chosenwords for the permission he gave them, and so did Don Quixote, who then, commending himself with all his heart to heaven and to his Dulcinea, aswas his custom on the eve of any combat that awaited him, proceeded totake a little more distance, as he saw his antagonist was doing the same;then, without blast of trumpet or other warlike instrument to give themthe signal to charge, both at the same instant wheeled their horses; andhe of the White Moon, being the swifter, met Don Quixote after havingtraversed two-thirds of the course, and there encountered him with suchviolence that, without touching him with his lance (for he held it high, to all appearance purposely), he hurled Don Quixote and Rocinante to theearth, a perilous fall. He sprang upon him at once, and placing the lanceover his visor said to him, "You are vanquished, sir knight, nay deadunless you admit the conditions of our defiance. "

Don Quixote, bruised and stupefied, without raising his visor said in aweak feeble voice as if he were speaking out of a tomb, "Dulcinea delToboso is the fairest woman in the world, and I the most unfortunateknight on earth; it is not fitting that this truth should suffer by myfeebleness; drive your lance home, sir knight, and take my life, sinceyou have taken away my honour. "

"That will I not, in sooth, " said he of the White Moon; "live the fame ofthe lady Dulcinea's beauty undimmed as ever; all I require is that thegreat Don Quixote retire to his own home for a year, or for so long atime as shall by me be enjoined upon him, as we agreed before engaging inthis combat. "

The viceroy, Don Antonio, and several others who were present heard allthis, and heard too how Don Quixote replied that so long as nothing inprejudice of Dulcinea was demanded of him, he would observe all the restlike a true and loyal knight. The engagement given, he of the White Moonwheeled about, and making obeisance to the viceroy with a movement of thehead, rode away into the city at a half gallop. The viceroy bade DonAntonio hasten after him, and by some means or other find out who he was. They raised Don Quixote up and uncovered his face, and found him pale andbathed with sweat. 

Rocinante from the mere hard measure he had received lay unable to stirfor the present. Sancho, wholly dejected and woebegone, knew not what tosay or do. He fancied that all was a dream, that the whole business was apiece of enchantment. Here was his master defeated, and bound not to takeup arms for a year. He saw the light of the glory of his achievementsobscured; the hopes of the promises lately made him swept away like smokebefore the wind; Rocinante, he feared, was crippled for life, and hismaster's bones out of joint; for if he were only shaken out of hismadness it would be no small luck. In the end they carried him into thecity in a hand-chair which the viceroy sent for, and thither the viceroyhimself returned, cager to ascertain who this Knight of the White Moonwas who had left Don Quixote in such a sad plight. 

CHAPTER LXV. 

WHEREIN IS MADE KNOWN WHO THE KNIGHT OF THE WHITE MOON WAS; LIKEWISE DONGREGORIO'S RELEASE, AND OTHER EVENTS

Don Antonia Moreno followed the Knight of the White Moon, and a number ofboys followed him too, nay pursued him, until they had him fairly housedin a hostel in the heart of the city. Don Antonio, eager to make hisacquaintance, entered also; a squire came out to meet him and remove hisarmour, and he shut himself into a lower room, still attended by DonAntonio, whose bread would not bake until he had found out who he was. Heof the White Moon, seeing then that the gentleman would not leave him, said, "I know very well, senor, what you have come for; it is to find outwho I am; and as there is no reason why I should conceal it from you, while my servant here is taking off my armour I will tell you the truestate of the case, without leaving out anything. You must know, senor, that I am called the bachelor Samson Carrasco. I am of the same villageas Don Quixote of La Mancha, whose craze and folly make all of us whoknow him feel pity for him, and I am one of those who have felt it most;and persuaded that his chance of recovery lay in quiet and keeping athome and in his own house, I hit upon a device for keeping him there. Three months ago, therefore, I went out to meet him as a knight-errant, under the assumed name of the Knight of the Mirrors, intending to engagehim in combat and overcome him without hurting him, making it thecondition of our combat that the vanquished should be at the disposal ofthe victor. What I meant to demand of him (for I regarded him asvanquished already) was that he should return to his own village, and notleave it for a whole year, by which time he might be cured. But fateordered it otherwise, for he vanquished me and unhorsed me, and so myplan failed. He went his way, and I came back conquered, covered withshame, and sorely bruised by my fall, which was a particularly dangerousone. But this did not quench my desire to meet him again and overcomehim, as you have seen to-day. And as he is so scrupulous in hisobservance of the laws of knight-errantry, he will, no doubt, in order tokeep his word, obey the injunction I have laid upon him. This, senor, ishow the matter stands, and I have nothing more to tell you. I implore ofyou not to betray me, or tell Don Quixote who I am; so that my honestendeavours may be successful, and that a man of excellent wits--were heonly rid of the fooleries of chivalry--may get them back again. "

"O senor, " said Don Antonio, "may God forgive you the wrong you have donethe whole world in trying to bring the most amusing madman in it back tohis senses. Do you not see, senor, that the gain by Don Quixote's sanitycan never equal the enjoyment his crazes give? But my belief is that allthe senor bachelor's pains will be of no avail to bring a man sohopelessly cracked to his senses again; and if it were not uncharitable, I would say may Don Quixote never be cured, for by his recovery we losenot only his own drolleries, but his squire Sancho Panza's too, any oneof which is enough to turn melancholy itself into merriment. However, I'll hold my peace and say nothing to him, and we'll see whether I amright in my suspicion that Senor Carrasco's efforts will be fruitless. "

The bachelor replied that at all events the affair promised well, and hehoped for a happy result from it; and putting his services at DonAntonio's commands he took his leave of him; and having had his armourpacked at once upon a mule, he rode away from the city the same day onthe horse he rode to battle, and returned to his own country withoutmeeting any adventure calling for record in this veracious history. 

Don Antonio reported to the viceroy what Carrasco told him, and theviceroy was not very well pleased to hear it, for with Don Quixote'sretirement there was an end to the amusement of all who knew anything ofhis mad doings. 

Six days did Don Quixote keep his bed, dejected, melancholy, moody andout of sorts, brooding over the unhappy event of his defeat. Sanchostrove to comfort him, and among other things he said to him, "Hold upyour head, senor, and be of good cheer if you can, and give thanks toheaven that if you have had a tumble to the ground you have not come offwith a broken rib; and, as you know that 'where they give they take, ' andthat 'there are not always fletches where there are pegs, ' a fig for thedoctor, for there's no need of him to cure this ailment. Let us go home, and give over going about in search of adventures in strange lands andplaces; rightly looked at, it is I that am the greater loser, though itis your worship that has had the worse usage. With the government I gaveup all wish to be a governor again, but I did not give up all longing tobe a count; and that will never come to pass if your worship gives upbecoming a king by renouncing the calling of chivalry; and so my hopesare going to turn into smoke. "

"Peace, Sancho, " said Don Quixote; "thou seest my suspension andretirement is not to exceed a year; I shall soon return to my honouredcalling, and I shall not be at a loss for a kingdom to win and a countyto bestow on thee. "

"May God hear it and sin be deaf, " said Sancho; "I have always heard saythat 'a good hope is better than a bad holding. "

As they were talking Don Antonio came in looking extremely pleased andexclaiming, "Reward me for my good news, Senor Don Quixote! Don Gregorioand the renegade who went for him have come ashore--ashore do I say? Theyare by this time in the viceroy's house, and will be here immediately. "

Don Quixote cheered up a little and said, "Of a truth I am almost readyto say I should have been glad had it turned out just the other way, forit would have obliged me to cross over to Barbary, where by the might ofmy arm I should have restored to liberty, not only Don Gregorio, but allthe Christian captives there are in Barbary. But what am I saying, miserable being that I am? Am I not he that has been conquered? Am I nothe that has been overthrown? Am I not he who must not take up arms for ayear? Then what am I making professions for; what am I bragging about;when it is fitter for me to handle the distaff than the sword?"

"No more of that, senor, " said Sancho; "'let the hen live, even though itbe with her pip; 'today for thee and to-morrow for me;' in these affairsof encounters and whacks one must not mind them, for he that falls to-daymay get up to-morrow; unless indeed he chooses to lie in bed, I meangives way to weakness and does not pluck up fresh spirit for freshbattles; let your worship get up now to receive Don Gregorio; for thehousehold seems to be in a bustle, and no doubt he has come by thistime;" and so it proved, for as soon as Don Gregorio and the renegade hadgiven the viceroy an account of the voyage out and home, Don Gregorio, eager to see Ana Felix, came with the renegade to Don Antonio's house. When they carried him away from Algiers he was in woman's dress; on boardthe vessel, however, he exchanged it for that of a captive who escapedwith him; but in whatever dress he might be he looked like one to beloved and served and esteemed, for he was surpassingly well-favoured, andto judge by appearances some seventeen or eighteen years of age. Ricoteand his daughter came out to welcome him, the father with tears, thedaughter with bashfulness. They did not embrace each other, for wherethere is deep love there will never be overmuch boldness. Seen side byside, the comeliness of Don Gregorio and the beauty of Ana Felix were theadmiration of all who were present. It was silence that spoke for thelovers at that moment, and their eyes were the tongues that declaredtheir pure and happy feelings. The renegade explained the measures andmeans he had adopted to rescue Don Gregorio, and Don Gregorio at no greatlength, but in a few words, in which he showed that his intelligence wasin advance of his years, described the peril and embarrassment he foundhimself in among the women with whom he had sojourned. To conclude, Ricote liberally recompensed and rewarded as well the renegade as the menwho had rowed; and the renegade effected his readmission into the body ofthe Church and was reconciled with it, and from a rotten limb became bypenance and repentance a clean and sound one. 

Two days later the viceroy discussed with Don Antonio the steps theyshould take to enable Ana Felix and her father to stay in Spain, for itseemed to them there could be no objection to a daughter who was so gooda Christian and a father to all appearance so well disposed remainingthere. Don Antonio offered to arrange the matter at the capital, whitherhe was compelled to go on some other business, hinting that many adifficult affair was settled there with the help of favour and bribes. 

"Nay, " said Ricote, who was present during the conversation, "it will notdo to rely upon favour or bribes, because with the great Don Bernardinode Velasco, Conde de Salazar, to whom his Majesty has entrusted ourexpulsion, neither entreaties nor promises, bribes nor appeals tocompassion, are of any use; for though it is true he mingles mercy withjustice, still, seeing that the whole body of our nation is tainted andcorrupt, he applies to it the cautery that burns rather than the salvethat soothes; and thus, by prudence, sagacity, care and the fear heinspires, he has borne on his mighty shoulders the weight of this greatpolicy and carried it into effect, all our schemes and plots, importunities and wiles, being ineffectual to blind his Argus eyes, everon the watch lest one of us should remain behind in concealment, and likea hidden root come in course of time to sprout and bear poisonous fruitin Spain, now cleansed, and relieved of the fear in which our vastnumbers kept it. Heroic resolve of the great Philip the Third, andunparalleled wisdom to have entrusted it to the said Don Bernardino deVelasco!"

"At any rate, " said Don Antonio, "when I am there I will make allpossible efforts, and let heaven do as pleases it best; Don Gregorio willcome with me to relieve the anxiety which his parents must be sufferingon account of his absence; Ana Felix will remain in my house with mywife, or in a monastery; and I know the viceroy will be glad that theworthy Ricote should stay with him until we see what terms I can make. "

The viceroy agreed to all that was proposed; but Don Gregorio on learningwhat had passed declared he could not and would not on any account leaveAna Felix; however, as it was his purpose to go and see his parents anddevise some way of returning for her, he fell in with the proposedarrangement. Ana Felix remained with Don Antonio's wife, and Ricote inthe viceroy's house. 

The day for Don Antonio's departure came; and two days later that for DonQuixote's and Sancho's, for Don Quixote's fall did not suffer him to takethe road sooner. There were tears and sighs, swoonings and sobs, at theparting between Don Gregorio and Ana Felix. Ricote offered Don Gregorio athousand crowns if he would have them, but he would not take any savefive which Don Antonio lent him and he promised to repay at the capital. So the two of them took their departure, and Don Quixote and Sanchoafterwards, as has been already said, Don Quixote without his armour andin travelling gear, and Sancho on foot, Dapple being loaded with thearmour. 

CHAPTER LXVI. 

WHICH TREATS OF WHAT HE WHO READS WILL SEE, OR WHAT HE WHO HAS IT READ TOHIM WILL HEAR

As he left Barcelona, Don Quixote turned gaze upon the spot where he hadfallen. "Here Troy was, " said he; "here my ill-luck, not my cowardice, robbed me of all the glory I had won; here Fortune made me the victim ofher caprices; here the lustre of my achievements was dimmed; here, in aword, fell my happiness never to rise again. "

"Senor, " said Sancho on hearing this, "it is the part of brave hearts tobe patient in adversity just as much as to be glad in prosperity; I judgeby myself, for, if when I was a governor I was glad, now that I am asquire and on foot I am not sad; and I have heard say that she whomcommonly they call Fortune is a drunken whimsical jade, and, what ismore, blind, and therefore neither sees what she does, nor knows whom shecasts down or whom she sets up. "

"Thou art a great philosopher, Sancho, " said Don Quixote; "thou speakestvery sensibly; I know not who taught thee. But I can tell thee there isno such thing as Fortune in the world, nor does anything which takesplace there, be it good or bad, come about by chance, but by the specialpreordination of heaven; and hence the common saying that 'each of us isthe maker of his own Fortune. ' I have been that of mine; but not with theproper amount of prudence, and my self-confidence has therefore made mepay dearly; for I ought to have reflected that Rocinante's feeblestrength could not resist the mighty bulk of the Knight of the WhiteMoon's horse. In a word, I ventured it, I did my best, I was overthrown, but though I lost my honour I did not lose nor can I lose the virtue ofkeeping my word. When I was a knight-errant, daring and valiant, Isupported my achievements by hand and deed, and now that I am a humblesquire I will support my words by keeping the promise I have given. Forward then, Sancho my friend, let us go to keep the year of thenovitiate in our own country, and in that seclusion we shall pick upfresh strength to return to the by me never-forgotten calling of arms. "

"Senor, " returned Sancho, "travelling on foot is not such a pleasantthing that it makes me feel disposed or tempted to make long marches. Letus leave this armour hung up on some tree, instead of some one that hasbeen hanged; and then with me on Dapple's back and my feet off the groundwe will arrange the stages as your worship pleases to measure them out;but to suppose that I am going to travel on foot, and make long ones, isto suppose nonsense. "

"Thou sayest well, Sancho, " said Don Quixote; "let my armour be hung upfor a trophy, and under it or round it we will carve on the trees whatwas inscribed on the trophy of Roland's armour--

These let none moveWho dareth not his might with Roland prove. "

"That's the very thing, " said Sancho; "and if it was not that we shouldfeel the want of Rocinante on the road, it would be as well to leave himhung up too. "

"And yet, I had rather not have either him or the armour hung up, " saidDon Quixote, "that it may not be said, 'for good service a bad return. '"

"Your worship is right, " said Sancho; "for, as sensible people hold, 'thefault of the ass must not be laid on the pack-saddle;' and, as in thisaffair the fault is your worship's, punish yourself and don't let youranger break out against the already battered and bloody armour, or themeekness of Rocinante, or the tenderness of my feet, trying to make themtravel more than is reasonable. "

In converse of this sort the whole of that day went by, as did the foursucceeding ones, without anything occurring to interrupt their journey, but on the fifth as they entered a village they found a great number ofpeople at the door of an inn enjoying themselves, as it was a holiday. Upon Don Quixote's approach a peasant called out, "One of these twogentlemen who come here, and who don't know the parties, will tell uswhat we ought to do about our wager. "

"That I will, certainly, " said Don Quixote, "and according to the rightsof the case, if I can manage to understand it. "

"Well, here it is, worthy sir, " said the peasant; "a man of this villagewho is so fat that he weighs twenty stone challenged another, a neighbourof his, who does not weigh more than nine, to run a race. The agreementwas that they were to run a distance of a hundred paces with equalweights; and when the challenger was asked how the weights were to beequalised he said that the other, as he weighed nine stone, should puteleven in iron on his back, and that in this way the twenty stone of thethin man would equal the twenty stone of the fat one. "

"Not at all, " exclaimed Sancho at once, before Don Quixote could answer;"it's for me, that only a few days ago left off being a governor and ajudge, as all the world knows, to settle these doubtful questions andgive an opinion in disputes of all sorts. "

"Answer in God's name, Sancho my friend, " said Don Quixote, "for I am notfit to give crumbs to a cat, my wits are so confused and upset. "

With this permission Sancho said to the peasants who stood clusteredround him, waiting with open mouths for the decision to come from his, "Brothers, what the fat man requires is not in reason, nor has it ashadow of justice in it; because, if it be true, as they say, that thechallenged may choose the weapons, the other has no right to choose suchas will prevent and keep him from winning. My decision, therefore, isthat the fat challenger prune, peel, thin, trim and correct himself, andtake eleven stone of his flesh off his body, here or there, as hepleases, and as suits him best; and being in this way reduced to ninestone weight, he will make himself equal and even with nine stone of hisopponent, and they will be able to run on equal terms. "

"By all that's good, " said one of the peasants as he heard Sancho'sdecision, "but the gentleman has spoken like a saint, and given judgmentlike a canon! But I'll be bound the fat man won't part with an ounce ofhis flesh, not to say eleven stone. "

"The best plan will be for them not to run, " said another, "so thatneither the thin man break down under the weight, nor the fat one striphimself of his flesh; let half the wager be spent in wine, and let's takethese gentlemen to the tavern where there's the best, and 'over me be thecloak when it rains. "

"I thank you, sirs, " said Don Quixote; "but I cannot stop for an instant, for sad thoughts and unhappy circumstances force me to seem discourteousand to travel apace;" and spurring Rocinante he pushed on, leaving themwondering at what they had seen and heard, at his own strange figure andat the shrewdness of his servant, for such they took Sancho to be; andanother of them observed, "If the servant is so clever, what must themaster be? I'll bet, if they are going to Salamanca to study, they'llcome to be alcaldes of the Court in a trice; for it's a mere joke--onlyto read and read, and have interest and good luck; and before a man knowswhere he is he finds himself with a staff in his hand or a mitre on hishead. "

That night master and man passed out in the fields in the open air, andthe next day as they were pursuing their journey they saw coming towardsthem a man on foot with alforjas at the neck and a javelin or spikedstaff in his hand, the very cut of a foot courier; who, as soon as hecame close to Don Quixote, increased his pace and half running came up tohim, and embracing his right thigh, for he could reach no higher, exclaimed with evident pleasure, "O Senor Don Quixote of La Mancha, whathappiness it will be to the heart of my lord the duke when he knows yourworship is coming back to his castle, for he is still there with my ladythe duchess!"

"I do not recognise you, friend, " said Don Quixote, "nor do I know whoyou are, unless you tell me. "

"I am Tosilos, my lord the duke's lacquey, Senor Don Quixote, " repliedthe courier; "he who refused to fight your worship about marrying thedaughter of Dona Rodriguez. "

"God bless me!" exclaimed Don Quixote; "is it possible that you are theone whom mine enemies the enchanters changed into the lacquey you speakof in order to rob me of the honour of that battle?"

"Nonsense, good sir!" said the messenger; "there was no enchantment ortransformation at all; I entered the lists just as much lacquey Tosilosas I came out of them lacquey Tosilos. I thought to marry withoutfighting, for the girl had taken my fancy; but my scheme had a verydifferent result, for as soon as your worship had left the castle my lordthe duke had a hundred strokes of the stick given me for having actedcontrary to the orders he gave me before engaging in the combat; and theend of the whole affair is that the girl has become a nun, and DonaRodriguez has gone back to Castile, and I am now on my way to Barcelonawith a packet of letters for the viceroy which my master is sending him. If your worship would like a drop, sound though warm, I have a gourd herefull of the best, and some scraps of Tronchon cheese that will serve as aprovocative and wakener of your thirst if so be it is asleep. "

"I take the offer, " said Sancho; "no more compliments about it; pour out, good Tosilos, in spite of all the enchanters in the Indies. "

"Thou art indeed the greatest glutton in the world, Sancho, " said DonQuixote, "and the greatest booby on earth, not to be able to see thatthis courier is enchanted and this Tosilos a sham one; stop with him andtake thy fill; I will go on slowly and wait for thee to come up with me. "

The lacquey laughed, unsheathed his gourd, unwalletted his scraps, andtaking out a small loaf of bread he and Sancho seated themselves on thegreen grass, and in peace and good fellowship finished off the contentsof the alforjas down to the bottom, so resolutely that they licked thewrapper of the letters, merely because it smelt of cheese. 

Said Tosilos to Sancho, "Beyond a doubt, Sancho my friend, this master ofthine ought to be a madman. "

"Ought!" said Sancho; "he owes no man anything; he pays for everything, particularly when the coin is madness. I see it plain enough, and I tellhim so plain enough; but what's the use? especially now that it is allover with him, for here he is beaten by the Knight of the White Moon. "

Tosilos begged him to explain what had happened him, but Sancho repliedthat it would not be good manners to leave his master waiting for him;and that some other day if they met there would be time enough for that;and then getting up, after shaking his doublet and brushing the crumbsout of his beard, he drove Dapple on before him, and bidding adieu toTosilos left him and rejoined his master, who was waiting for him underthe shade of a tree.