The history of the valorous and vvitty-knight-errant, Don-Quixote, of the Mancha tr. out of the Spanish.

CHAP. XIX.

In which is finished the notable Adventure of the Troopers, and the great ferocitie of our Knight Don-Quixote, and how hee was Inchanted.

WHILEST Don-Quixote said this, the Curate laboured to per∣swade the Troopers, how the Knight was distracted, as they them∣selves might collect by his works and words, & therefore it would bee to no end to prosecute their Designe any farther, seeing that although they did apprehend and carry him away, hee would bee presently delivered againe as a mad-man. To this, hee that had the Warrant made answere, that it concerned him not to deter∣mine whether hee was mad or no, but only to obey and execute his superiours 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 carrie him with you at this time, nor (as I suppose) will hee suffer himself to bee taken. To bee brief, the Curate said so much, and Don-Quixote plaid so many mad pranks, as the Troupers themselves would have proved greater fools then hee, if they had not manifestly discerned his defect of judgement: and therefore they held it to bee the best course to let him alone, yea and bee compounders of Peace and Amity between Sancho Panca 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 con∣tented, yet in some sort satisfied; for they only made them exchange their Pannells, but not their Gyrts or Head-stalls.

As touching Mambrino's Helmet, the Curate did unawares to Don-Quixote, give to the Barber eight ryals by it, and the Barber gave back unto him an acquittance of the receit thereof, and an everlasting release of all actions concerning it. These two dis∣cords which were the most principall, and of most consequence, being thus accorded, it onely rested, that three of Don Lewis his Servingmen would be content to return home, and leave the fourth to accompanie 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 successe unto all: for the Servingmen were content to doe whatsoever their master would have them: whereat Donna Clara was so cheerfull, 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 seccesses of the things she had seen, yet was she interchangably griev∣ed and cheered according to the shews made by the rest, but chiefly by her Spaniard, on whom her eyes were alwaies fixed, and all the affects of her mind depended. The Inkeeper, who did not forget the recompence made by the Curate to the Barber, de∣manded of him Don-Quixotes expences, and satisfaction for the damage he had done to his Wine-baggs, and the losse of his Wine, swearing that neither Rozinante, nor San∣cho his Asse should depart out of the Inne, untill he were payed the very last far∣thing. All was quietly ended by the Curate, and Don Fernando paid the whole sum although the Judge had also most liberally offered to doe it; and all of them remained afterwards in such quietnesse 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 tranquilitie of the Emperour Octavians 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 liberalitie and goodnesse of Don Fernando. Don-Quixote, perceiving himself free and delivered from so many difficulties and brabbles (wherewithall as well hee as his Esquire had been perplexed) held it high time to pro∣secute his commenced voyage, and bring to an end the great Adventure unto which hee was called and chosen: Therefore with resolute determination to depart, hee went and cast himself on his knees before Dorotea, who not permitting him to speak untill he arose, he to obey her stood up & said, It is a common Proverb, beautifull Ladie, That Diligence is the mother of Good-hap; and in many and grave Affairs experience hath shewed, that the sollicitude and sore of the suiter oft brings a doubtfull matter to a certain and happie end: But this truth appears in nothing more cleerly, then in mat∣ters of Warre; wherein celeritie and expedition prevent the Enemies Designes, and obtain the Victory before an Adversary can put himself in defence: All this I say, high and worthie Ladie, because it seems to mee, that our abode in this Castle is nothing profitable, and many therewithall turn so farre to our hindrance, as wee may palpably feel it one day: For who knows but that your enemie the Gyant, hath learned by Spies or other secret intelligence and means how I mean to come and destroy him, and (oportunitie favouring his designes) that hee may have fortified himself in some inexpugnable Castle or Fortresse, against the strength whereof neither mine industrie nor the force of mine invincible Arme can much prevail: wherefore, deer Ladie, let us prevent (as I have said) by our dilligence, and let us presently depart unto the place whereunto wee are called by our good Fortune, which shall bee deferred no longer then I am absent from your Highnesse foe. Here hee held his peace, and did expect, with great gravitie, the beautifull Princesse's answer; who with debonair countenance, and a stile accommodated unto Don-Quixote, returned him this answer: I doe gra∣tifie and thank, Sir Knight, the desire you shew to assist me in this my great need, which denotes very cleerly the great care you have to favour Orphans and distressed Wights; and I beseech God, that your good desires and mine may bee accomplished, to the end

that you may see how there are some thankfull women on earth; as touching my de∣parture, let it bee forthwith; for I have none other will then 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 doe any other thing then that which your wisedome shall ordain. In the name of God (quoth Don-Quixote) seeing that your Highnesse doth so humble your self unto me, I will not lose the occasion of exalting it, and installing it again in the throne of your inheritance. Let our departure bee incontinent; for my desires, and the way, and that which they call the danger that is in delay, doe 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, goe therefore Sancho and saddle Rozinante, and empannell thine Asse, and make ready the Queens Palfrey, and let us take leave of the Constable and those other Lords and depart away from hence in∣stantly.

Then Sancho (who was present at all this) waging of his head said, O my Lord, my Lord, how much more knaverie (be it spoken with the pardon of all honest kerchiefs) is there in the little Village then is talked of? What ill can there bee in any Village, or in all the Cities of the World, able to impaire my credit, thou Villaine? If thou be an∣gry, quoth Sancho, I will hold my tongue, and omit to say that which by the dutie 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 bee not addrest to make mee afraid; for if thou beest trighted, thou doest only like thy selfe; and if I bee devoyd of terror, I also doe that which I ought. It is not that which I meane, quoth Sancho, but that I doe hold for most sure and certaine, that this Ladie which calls her selfe Queene of the great King∣dome of Micomicon, is no more a Queene then my Mother; for if shee were what shee saies, shee would not at every corner and at every turning of a hand bee billing as shee is, with one that is in this good company. Dorotea blushed at Sancho's words; for it was true indeede, that her Spouse Don Fernando would now and then privately steale from her lips some part of the reward which his desires did merit (which Sancho espying, it seemed to him, that that kinde of wanton familiarity was more proper to Curtezans, then becomming the Queene of so great a Kingdome) and yet shee neither could nor would reply unto him, but let him continue his speech, as fol∣loweth. This I doe say good my Lord, quoth hee, to this end; That if after wee have run many waies and courses, and indured bad nights and worse daies, hee that is in this Inn, sporting himselfe, shall come to gather the fruit of our labours; there is no reason to hasten me thus to saddle Rozinante, or empannell the Asse, or make ready the Palfrey seeing it would be better that we stayed still, and that every whore spun, and wee sell to our victuals.

O God, how great was the fury that inflamed Don-Quixote, when he heard his Squire speake so respectlesly! I say it was so great, that with a shaking voice, a faul∣tering tongue, and the fire sparkling out of his eyes, he said, O villanous peasant, rash, unmanerly, ignorant, rude, blasphemous, bold murmurer, and detractor, hast thou presumed to speake such words in my presence, and in that of these noble Ladies? and hast thou dared to entertaine such rash and dishonest surmises into thy confused imagination? Depart out of my sight, thou monster of nature, store-house of un∣truthes, armorie of falshood, sinke of rogerie, inventour of Villainie, publisher of ravings, and the enemy of that decencie which is to be used towards royall persons. Away villaine, and never appear before me, under paine of mine indignation. And saying so he bended his browes, fild up his cheekes, 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 doe, but turne his back, and get him out of his Lords most furious presence. But the dis∣creet Dorotea (who was now so well schooled in Don-Quixotes humour) to mitigate

his yre, 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 with∣out some ground, nor of his good understanding and Christian minde can it be su∣spected, that he would wittingly slander or accuse any body falsely: And therefore we must beleeve, without all doubt, that as in this Castle, as you your selfe have said, Sir Knight, all things are represented, and succeed by manner of inchantment; I say, it might befall, that Sancho may have seene by Diabolicall illusion, that which he saies, he beheld so much to the prejudice of my reputation.

I vow by the omnipotent Iove, quoth Don-Quixote, that your Highnesse 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 bee seen by any other way then that of inchantment; for I know very well the great goodnesse and simpli∣citie of that poor wretch is such, as hee knows not how to invent a lye on any bodie living. It is even so, and so it shall bee, quoth Don Fernando: and therefore, good Sir Don-Quixote, you must pardon him, and reduce him again to the bosome of your good grace: Sicut erat in Principio, and before the like Visions did distract his sense. Don-Quixote answered, that hee did willingly pardon him: And therefore the Curate went for Sancho, who returned very humbly; and kneeling down on his knees, de∣manded his Lords hand, which hee gave unto him; and after that hee had permited him to kisse it, hee gave him his blissing, 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 inchantment. So doe I verily believe, said Sancho, except that of the can∣vassing in the Blanket, which really succeeded by an ordinary and naturall way. Doe 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 injurie. All of them desired greatly to know what that accident of the Blanket was: And then the Inn-keeper recounted it point by point, the flights that Sancho Panca made; whereat they all did laugh not a little; and Sancho would have been ashamed no lesse, if his Lord had not anew perswaded him that it was a meer inchantment: And yet Sancho's madnesse was never so great, as to beleeve that it was not a reall truth verily befaln him, without any colour or mixture of fraud or il∣lusion; but that hee was tossed by persons of Flesh, Blood, and Bone, and not by dreamed and imagined shadows or Spirits, as his Lord beleeved, and so con∣stantly affirmed.

Two dayes were now expired when all that Noble companie had sojourned in the Inn, and then it seeming unto them high time to depart: They devised how (without putting Dorotea 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 Bar∣ber might carry him back as they desired, and indevour 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 Teame of Oxen, to carry him in this order follow∣ing: 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 Lewis his Servants, the Troupers, and the Inn-keeper, did all of them, by Master Cu∣rates direction, cover their faces and disguise themselves, every one as hee might best, so that they might seem to Don-Quixote other people then such as hee had seen in the Castle. And this being done, they entred with very great silence into the place where hee 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 tyed his hands and his feet very strongly, so that when hee started out of his sleep, hee could not stir himself, nor doe any other thing then admire and wonder at those strange shapes that he saw standing before him; and presently hee fell into the conceit which his continuall and distracted imagination had already suggested unto him, beleeving that all those strange figures were the Spirits and shadows of that inchanted Castle, and that hee himself was now without doubt inchanted, seeing hee 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 hee wanted but little to bee sick of his Lords disease, yet for all that hee knew all those counterfeit Ghosts; but hee would not once unfold his lips, untill hee might see the end of that surprizall and imprisonment of his Master; who likewise spoke never a word, but only looked to see what would bee the period of his disgrace: Which was, that bringing him to the Cage, they shut him within, and afterwards nailed the Barrs thereof so well as they could not bee easily broken: They presently mounted him upon their shoulders; and as hee issued out at the chamber door, they heard as dreadfull a voyce as the Barber could devise (not hee of the Pannell•• but the other) which said, O Knight of the sad-Countenance! bee not grieved at the im∣prisonment whereinto thou art led; for so it must bee, that thereby the Adventure, into which thy great Force and Valour have thrust thee, may bee the more spedily ended; and ended it will bee, when the furious Manchegall-Lyon, and the white Tobosian-Dove shall bee united in one; and after they have humbled their lofty Crest unto the soft Yoake of Wedlock, from whose wonderfull consort shall issue to the light of the Orbe, fierce Whelps which shall imitate the raunching paws of their valourous Father: And this shall bee be∣fore the pursuer of the fugitive Nymph doe with his swift and naturall course make two turns in visitation of the glistring Images: And thou, O the most noble and obedient Squire that ever had Sword at a Gyrdle, Beard on a Face, or Dent in a Nose, let it not dis∣may or discontent thee, to see carried away before thy eyes the flowre of all Chivalrie Er∣rant. For very speedily, if it please the framer of the World, thou shalt see thy self so ex∣alted and ennobled, as thou shalt scarce know thy self: Nor shalt thou bee defrauded of the promises made unto thee by thy noble Lord: And I doe assure thee from the wise Men∣tironiana, that thy wages shall bee payed thee, as thou shalt quickly see in effect: And therefore follow the steps of the valorous and inchanted Knight; for it is necessary that thou goe to the place where you both shall stay: And because I am not permitted to say more, farewell; for I doe return I well know whither. Towards the end of this Prophecie hee lifted up his voyce, 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 Prophecie; for hee presently appre∣hended the whole sense thereof, and perceived how hee was promised in marriage his beloved Dulcinea of Toboso, from whose happy womb should salley the whelps (which were his Sonnes) to the eternall glory of the Mancha. And believing all this most firmly, hee elevated his voyce, and breathing forth a great sigh, thus said: O thou, what∣soever thou beest, which hast 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 hee permit me not to perish in this Prison (to which they now doe carrie me) before the accomplishment of so joy∣full 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 inviron me, an ease; and will not esteem this Bed whereon I am laid a hard Field of Battell, but a soft Tick and a most fortunate Lodging. And as concerning the consolation of my Squire Sancho Pança, I trust in his goodnesse and honest proceeding, that hee 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 bee able to be slow on him an Island, or other equivalent thing, as I have promised, his Wages at least cannot bee lost; for in my Testament, which is made already, I have set down what hee is to have, though not conformably to his many good Services, yet according to my possibility. Sancho Panca bowed his head with great reverence, and kissed both his hands (for one alone hee 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.