第 111 页

When eleven o'clock came, Don Quixote found a guitar in his chamber;he tried it, opened the window, and perceived that some persons werewalking in the garden; and having passed his fingers over the frets ofthe guitar and tuned it as well as he could, he spat and cleared hischest, and then with a voice a little hoarse but full-toned, he sangthe following ballad, which he had himself that day composed:

Mighty Love the hearts of maidens

Doth unsettle and perplex,

And the instrument he uses

Most of all is idleness.

Sewing, stitching, any labour,

Having always work to do,

To the poison Love instilleth

Is the antidote most sure.

And to proper-minded maidens

Who desire the matron's name

Modesty's a marriage portion,

Modesty their highest praise.

Men of prudence and discretion,

Courtiers gay and gallant knights,

With the wanton damsels dally,

But the modest take to wife.

There are passions, transient, fleeting,

Loves in hostelries declar'd,

Sunrise loves, with sunset ended,

When the guest hath gone his way.

Love that springs up swift and sudden,

Here to-day, to-morrow flown,

Passes, leaves no trace behind it,

Leaves no image on the soul.

Painting that is laid on painting

Maketh no display or show;

Where one beauty's in possession

There no other can take hold.

Dulcinea del Toboso

Painted on my heart I wear;

Never from its tablets, never,

Can her image be eras'd.

The quality of all in lovers

Most esteemed is constancy;

'T is by this that love works wonders,

This exalts them to the skies.

Don Quixote had got so far with his song, to which the duke, theduchess, Altisidora, and nearly the whole household of the castle werelistening, when all of a sudden from a gallery above that wasexactly over his window they let down a cord with more than ahundred bells attached to it, and immediately after that dischargeda great sack full of cats, which also had bells of smaller size tiedto their tails. Such was the din of the bells and the squalling of thecats, that though the duke and duchess were the contrivers of the jokethey were startled by it, while Don Quixote stood paralysed with fear;and as luck would have it, two or three of the cats made their wayin through the grating of his chamber, and flying from one side to theother, made it seem as if there was a legion of devils at large in it.They extinguished the candles that were burning in the room, andrushed about seeking some way of escape; the cord with the large bellsnever ceased rising and falling; and most of the people of the castle,not knowing what was really the matter, were at their wits' end withastonishment. Don Quixote sprang to his feet, and drawing his sword,began making passes at the grating, shouting out, "Avaunt, malignantenchanters! avaunt, ye witchcraft-working rabble! I am Don Quixoteof La Mancha, against whom your evil machinations avail not nor haveany power." And turning upon the cats that were running about theroom, he made several cuts at them. They dashed at the grating andescaped by it, save one that, finding itself hard pressed by theslashes of Don Quixote's sword, flew at his face and held on to hisnose tooth and nail, with the pain of which he began to shout hisloudest. The duke and duchess hearing this, and guessing what itwas, ran with all haste to his room, and as the poor gentleman wasstriving with all his might to detach the cat from his face, theyopened the door with a master-key and went in with lights andwitnessed the unequal combat. The duke ran forward to part thecombatants, but Don Quixote cried out aloud, "Let no one take him fromme; leave me hand to hand with this demon, this wizard, thisenchanter; I will teach him, I myself, who Don Quixote of La Manchais." The cat, however, never minding these threats, snarled and heldon; but at last the duke pulled it off and flung it out of the window.Don Quixote was left with a face as full of holes as a sieve and anose not in very good condition, and greatly vexed that they did notlet him finish the battle he had been so stoutly fighting with thatvillain of an enchanter. They sent for some oil of John's wort, andAltisidora herself with her own fair hands bandaged all the woundedparts; and as she did so she said to him in a low voice. "All thesemishaps have befallen thee, hardhearted knight, for the sin of thyinsensibility and obstinacy; and God grant thy squire Sancho mayforget to whip himself, so that that dearly beloved Dulcinea ofthine may never be released from her enchantment, that thou mayestnever come to her bed, at least while I who adore thee am alive."

To all this Don Quixote made no answer except to heave deep sighs,and then stretched himself on his bed, thanking the duke and duchessfor their kindness, not because he stood in any fear of thatbell-ringing rabble of enchanters in cat shape, but because herecognised their good intentions in coming to his rescue. The duke andduchess left him to repose and withdrew greatly grieved at theunfortunate result of the joke; as they never thought the adventurewould have fallen so heavy on Don Quixote or cost him so dear, forit cost him five days of confinement to his bed, during which he hadanother adventure, pleasanter than the late one, which hischronicler will not relate just now in order that he may turn hisattention to Sancho Panza, who was proceeding with great diligence anddrollery in his government.

CHAPTER XLVII

WHEREIN IS CONTINUED THE ACCOUNT OF HOW SANCHO PANZA CONDUCTEDHIMSELF IN HIS GOVERNMENT

THE history says that from the justice court they carried Sanchoto a sumptuous palace, where in a spacious chamber there was a tablelaid out with royal magnificence. The clarions sounded as Sanchoentered the room, and four pages came forward to present him withwater for his hands, which Sancho received with great dignity. Themusic ceased, and Sancho seated himself at the head of the table,for there was only that seat placed, and no more than one coverlaid. A personage, who it appeared afterwards was a physician,placed himself standing by his side with a whalebone wand in his hand.They then lifted up a fine white cloth covering fruit and a greatvariety of dishes of different sorts; one who looked like a studentsaid grace, and a page put a laced bib on Sancho, while another whoplayed the part of head carver placed a dish of fruit before him.But hardly had he tasted a morsel when the man with the wand touchedthe plate with it, and they took it away from before him with theutmost celerity. The carver, however, brought him another dish, andSancho proceeded to try it; but before he could get at it, not tosay taste it, already the wand had touched it and a page had carriedit off with the same promptitude as the fruit. Sancho seeing thiswas puzzled, and looking from one to another asked if this dinnerwas to be eaten after the fashion of a jugglery trick.

To this he with the wand replied, "It is not to be eaten, senorgovernor, except as is usual and customary in other islands wherethere are governors. I, senor, am a physician, and I am paid asalary in this island to serve its governors as such, and I have amuch greater regard for their health than for my own, studying day andnight and making myself acquainted with the governor's constitution,in order to be able to cure him when he falls sick. The chief thingI have to do is to attend at his dinners and suppers and allow himto eat what appears to me to be fit for him, and keep from him whatI think will do him harm and be injurious to his stomach; andtherefore I ordered that plate of fruit to be removed as being toomoist, and that other dish I ordered to he removed as being too hotand containing many spices that stimulate thirst; for he who drinksmuch kills and consumes the radical moisture wherein life consists."

"Well then," said Sancho, "that dish of roast partridges therethat seems so savoury will not do me any harm."

To this the physician replied, "Of those my lord the governorshall not eat so long as I live."

"Why so?" said Sancho.

"Because," replied the doctor, "our master Hippocrates, the polestarand beacon of medicine, says in one of his aphorisms omnis saturatiomala, perdicis autem pessima, which means 'all repletion is bad, butthat of partridge is the worst of all."

"In that case," said Sancho, "let senor doctor see among thedishes that are on the table what will do me most good and least harm,and let me eat it, without tapping it with his stick; for by thelife of the governor, and so may God suffer me to enjoy it, but I'mdying of hunger; and in spite of the doctor and all he may say, todeny me food is the way to take my life instead of prolonging it."

"Your worship is right, senor governor," said the physician; "andtherefore your worship, I consider, should not eat of those stewedrabbits there, because it is a furry kind of food; if that veal werenot roasted and served with pickles, you might try it; but it is outof the question."

"That big dish that is smoking farther off," said Sancho, "seemsto me to be an olla podrida, and out of the diversity of things insuch ollas, I can't fail to light upon something tasty and good forme."

"Absit," said the doctor; "far from us be any such base thought!There is nothing in the world less nourishing than an olla podrida; tocanons, or rectors of colleges, or peasants' weddings with yourollas podridas, but let us have none of them on the tables ofgovernors, where everything that is present should be delicate andrefined; and the reason is, that always, everywhere and byeverybody, simple medicines are more esteemed than compound ones,for we cannot go wrong in those that are simple, while in the compoundwe may, by merely altering the quantity of the things composingthem. But what I am of opinion the governor should cat now in order topreserve and fortify his health is a hundred or so of wafer cakesand a few thin slices of conserve of quinces, which will settle hisstomach and help his digestion."

Sancho on hearing this threw himself back in his chair andsurveyed the doctor steadily, and in a solemn tone asked him whathis name was and where he had studied.

He replied, "My name, senor governor, is Doctor Pedro Recio deAguero I am a native of a place called Tirteafuera which liesbetween Caracuel and Almodovar del Campo, on the right-hand side,and I have the degree of doctor from the university of Osuna."

To which Sancho, glowing all over with rage, returned, "Then letDoctor Pedro Recio de Malaguero, native of Tirteafuera, a place that'son the right-hand side as we go from Caracuel to Almodovar delCampo, graduate of Osuna, get out of my presence at once; or I swearby the sun I'll take a cudgel, and by dint of blows, beginning withhim, I'll not leave a doctor in the whole island; at least of thoseI know to be ignorant; for as to learned, wise, sensible physicians,them I will reverence and honour as divine persons. Once more I saylet Pedro Recio get out of this or I'll take this chair I am sittingon and break it over his head. And if they call me to account forit, I'll clear myself by saying I served God in killing a baddoctor- a general executioner. And now give me something to eat, orelse take your government; for a trade that does not feed its masteris not worth two beans."

The doctor was dismayed when he saw the governor in such apassion, and he would have made a Tirteafuera out of the room but thatthe same instant a post-horn sounded in the street; and the carverputting his head out of the window turned round and said, "It's acourier from my lord the duke, no doubt with some despatch ofimportance."

The courier came in all sweating and flurried, and taking a paperfrom his bosom, placed it in the governor's hands. Sancho handed it tothe majordomo and bade him read the superscription, which ran thus: ToDon Sancho Panza, Governor of the Island of Barataria, into his ownhands or those of his secretary. Sancho when he heard this said,"Which of you is my secretary?" "I am, senor," said one of thosepresent, "for I can read and write, and am a Biscayan." "With thataddition," said Sancho, "you might be secretary to the emperorhimself; open this paper and see what it says." The new-born secretaryobeyed, and having read the contents said the matter was one to bediscussed in private. Sancho ordered the chamber to be cleared, themajordomo and the carver only remaining; so the doctor and theothers withdrew, and then the secretary read the letter, which wasas follows:

It has come to my knowledge, Senor Don Sancho Panza, that certainenemies of mine and of the island are about to make a furious attackupon it some night, I know not when. It behoves you to be on the alertand keep watch, that they surprise you not. I also know by trustworthyspies that four persons have entered the town in disguise in orderto take your life, because they stand in dread of your great capacity;keep your eyes open and take heed who approaches you to address you,and eat nothing that is presented to you. I will take care to send youaid if you find yourself in difficulty, but in all things you will actas may be expected of your judgment. From this place, the Sixteenth ofAugust, at four in the morning.

Your friend,

THE DUKE

Sancho was astonished, and those who stood by made believe to beso too, and turning to the majordomo he said to him, "What we have gotto do first, and it must be done at once, is to put Doctor Recio inthe lock-up; for if anyone wants to kill me it is he, and by a slowdeath and the worst of all, which is hunger."

"Likewise," said the carver, "it is my opinion your worship shouldnot eat anything that is on this table, for the whole was a presentfrom some nuns; and as they say, 'behind the cross there's thedevil.'"

"I don't deny it," said Sancho; "so for the present give me apiece of bread and four pounds or so of grapes; no poison can comein them; for the fact is I can't go on without eating; and if we areto be prepared for these battles that are threatening us we must bewell provisioned; for it is the tripes that carry the heart and notthe heart the tripes. And you, secretary, answer my lord the dukeand tell him that all his commands shall be obeyed to the letter, ashe directs; and say from me to my lady the duchess that I kiss herhands, and that I beg of her not to forget to send my letter andbundle to my wife Teresa Panza by a messenger; and I will take it as agreat favour and will not fail to serve her in all that may lie withinmy power; and as you are about it you may enclose a kiss of the handto my master Don Quixote that he may see I am grateful bread; and as agood secretary and a good Biscayan you may add whatever you like andwhatever will come in best; and now take away this cloth and give mesomething to eat, and I'll be ready to meet all the spies andassassins and enchanters that may come against me or my island."