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

CHAP. XXII.

Of the famous Adventure of Montesino's Cave, which is in the heart of Mancha, which the valorus Don-Quixote happily accomplished.

THe married couple made wonderfull much of Don••Quixote, obliged thereunto for the willingnesse hee shewed to defend their cause, and with his valor they paralel'd his discretion, accounting him a Cid in Armes, and a Cicero in Eloquence. The good Sancho recreated himself three daies at the Bridegrooms charge, and now knew that Quiteria knew nothing of the faigned wounding, but that it was a trick of Basilius, who hoped for the successe that hath been shewed: true it was, that hee had made some of his loving friends acquainted with his purpose, that they might help him at need, and make good his deceit. They cannot bee called deceits (quoth Don••Quixote) that are done to a virtuous end, and that the marriage of a loving couple was an end most excellent: but by the way, you must know that the greatest opposite that loue hath, is want and continuall necessity; for Love is all mirth, content, and gladsomenesse, and the more, when hee that Loves, enjoyes the thing Loved, against which, Necessity and Poverty are open and declared enemies. All this hee spoke with a purpose to advise Basilius, that hee should leave exercising his youthfull abilities, that although they got him a name, yet they brought no wealth, and that hee should look to lay up something now by lawfull and industrious means, which are never wanting to those that will bee wary and apply themselves: the honest poor man (if so bee the poor man may bee called honest) hath a Jewell of a fair Wo∣man, which if any man bereave him of, dishonors him and kills her: Shee that is fair and honest when her Husband is poor, deserves to bee crowned with Lawrell and triumphant Bayes. Beauty alone attracts the eyes of all that behold it; and the Prince∣ly Eagles and high flying Birds doe stoop to it as to the pleasing Lure: but if extream Necessity bee added to that Beauty, then Kites and Crows will grapple with it, and other ravenous Birds; but shee that is constant against all these assaults, doth well de∣serve to bee her Husbands crown. Mark wise Basilius (proceeds Don-Quixote) it was an opinion of I know not what sage man, that there was but one good woman in the

World; and his advice was, That every man should think that was married, that his Wife was shee, and so hee should bee sure to live contented. I never yet was married, neither have I any thought hitherto that way; notwithstanding, I could bee able to give any man councell herein that should ask it, and how hee should choose his Wife.

First of all I would have him rather respect Fame then Wealth; for the honest woman gets not a good name only with being good, but in appearing so; for your publique loosenesse and libertie doth more prejudice a womans honestie, then her sinning secretly. If you bring her honest to your house, 'tis easie keeping her so and to better her in that goodnesse: but if you bring her dishonest, 'tis hard mending her; for it is not very plyable to passe from one extream into another, I say not impossible; but I hold it to bee very difficult.

Sancho heard all this, and said to himself, This Master of mine, when I speak matters of marrow and substance, is wont to tell me, that I may take a Pulpit in hand, and preach my fine knacks up and down the world; but I may say of him, that when hee once begins to thred his sentences, hee may not only begin to take a Pulpit in hand, but in each finger too, and goe up and down the Market place, and cry, Who buyes my Ware? The Divell take thee for a Knight Errant, how wise he is? On my soul •• thought hee had known only what belonged to his Knight Errantrie; but hee ••naps at all, and there is no boat that hee hath not an oare in. Sancho spoke this somewhat aloud, and his Master over-heard him, and asked, What is that thou art grumbling Sancho? I say nothing, neither doe I grumble (quoth hee) I was only saying to my self, that I would I had heard you before I was married, and perhaps I might now have said, The sound man needs no Physician, Is Teresa so bad Sancho, said Don-Quixote? Not very bad (said Sancho) and yet not very good, at least, not so good as I would have her. Thou do'st ill Sancho (quoth Don-Quixote) to speake ill of thy Wife, who is indeed mother of thy children.

There's no love lost (quoth Sancho;) for shee speaks ill of me too when shee list, especially when shee is jealous; for then the Divell himself will not cope with her. Well, three dayes they stayed with the married couple, where they were welcommed like Princes. Don-Quixote desired the skilfull Parson to provide him a guide that might shew him the way to Montesino's Cave, for hee had a great desire to enter into it, and to see with his own eyes if those wonders that were told of it up & down the Countrey were true. The Parson told him, that a Cousin-german of his, a famous Student, and much addicted to Books of Knighthood should goe with him, who should willingly carry him to the mouth of the Cave, and should shew the famous Lake of Ruydera, telling him hee would bee very good company for him, by reason hee was one that knew how to publish Books, and direct them to great men

By and by the young Student comes me upon an Asse with Foale, with a course packing cloth, or doubled carpet upon his Pack-saddle. Sancho saddled Rozinante, and made ready his Dapple, furnished his Wallets, and carried the Students too, as well provided; and so taking leave and bidding all, God bee with you, they went on, holding their course to Montesino's Cave. By the way Don-Quixote asked the Scholler of what kinde or quality the exercises of his profession and studie were. To which hee answered, that his Profession was Humanity, his Exercises and Studie to make Books for the Presse, which were very beneficiall to himself and no lesse gratefull to the Common-wealth; that one of his Books was intituled, The Book of the Liveries, where are set down seven hundred and three sorts of Liveries, with their Colours, Mot∣to's, and Cyphers, from whence any may bee taken at Festivall times and shews by Courtiers, without begging them from any body, or distilling (as you would say) from their own brains to sute them to their desires and intentions; for I give to the jealous, to the forsaken, to the forgotten, to the absent, the most agreeable, that will fit them as well as their Punks. Another Book I have, which I mean to call the Metamorphosis. or Spanish Ovid, of a new and rare invention: for imitating Ovi•• in it, by way of mocking, I shew who the Giralda of Sevil was, the Angell of the Magdalena, who

was the Pipe of Vecinguerra of Cordova, who the Bulls of Guisando, Sierra Morena, the springs of Leganitos and Lavapies in Madrid [all these severall rarities of Spayne.] not forgetting that of Pioio, that of the gilded Pipe and of the Abbesse, and all this with the Allegories, Metaphors, and Translations, that they delight, suspend and instruct all in a moment. Another book I have, which I call a supply to Polydore Virgil, concer∣ning the invention of things, which is of great reading and study, by reason that I doe verifie many matters of waight that Polydore omitted, and declare them in a very plea∣sing stile; Virgil forgot to tell us who was the first that had a Catarre in the world, and the first that was anoynted for the French-disease, and I set it down presently after I propose it, and Authorize it with at least foure and twenty Writers, that you may see whether I have taken good paines, and whether the said booke may not bee profitable to the World.

Sancho, that was very attentive to the Schollers narration, asked him: Tell mee Sir, so God direct your right hand in the Impression of your Bookes; Can you tell mee? (for I know you can, since you know all) who was the first man that scratcht his head, for I beleeve it was our first father Adam? Yes marry was it (said he) for Adam, no doubt, had both head and haire, and being the first man in the world, would sometimes scratch himselfe. I beleeve it (quoth Sancho) but tell me now, Who was the first Vaul∣ter in the world? Truly Brother (said he) I cannot at present resolve you, I will stu∣dy it when I come to my bookes, and then Ile satisfie you when wee see one another a∣gaine, for I hope this will not bee the last time. Well Sir said Sancho, never trouble your selfe with this, for now I can resolve the doubt: Know, that the first Tumbler in the world was Lucifer, when he was cast out of heaven, and came tumbling downe to hell.

You say true (quoth the Scholler.) And Don-Quixote said; This answere Sancho, is none of thine, thou hast heard some body say so. Peace Sir (quoth Sancho) for if I fall to question and answere, I shall not make an end betweene this and Morning: And to aske foolish Questions, and answere unlikelyhoods, I want no helpe of my Neigh∣bours. Thou hast spoken more Sancho then thou thinkest for (quoth Don••Quixote) for you have some that are most busied in knowing and averring things, whose knowledge and remembrance is not worth a button. All that day they passed in these and other delightfull Discourses, and at night they lodged in a little Village, from whence the Scholler told them they had but two little leagues to Montesinoes Cave, and that if hee meant to enter it, he must be provided of Ropes to tie, and let himselfe downe into the depth. Don••Quixote said, that though it were as deepe as Hell, hee would see whither it reached; so they bought a hundred fathome of cordage, and the next day at two of the clock they came to the Cave, whose mouth is wide and spacious, but full of briers and brambles, and wilde fig-trees, and weeds so intricate and thick, that they altogether blind and dam it up. When they came to it, Sancho and the Schol∣ler alighted, and Don-Quixote; whom they tyed strongly with the cordage, and whil'st they were swathing and binding of him, Sancho said to him; Take heed Sir what you doe doe not bury your selfe alive, and doe not hang your self, like a bottle, to bee cooled in some well; for it neither concernes nor belongs to you, to search this place, worse then a Dungeon.

Binde mee and peace (quoth Don-Quixote) for such an enterprize as this, Sancho was reserved for mee. Then said the Guide, I beseech you Signior Don-Quixote, that you take heede, and looke about you with an hundred eyes, to see what is within; for perhaps you may meete with things that will bee fit for mee to put in my booke of Transformations. He hath his Instrument in his hand (quoth Sancho) that knows how to use it.

This said, and Don-Quixotes binding ended (which was not upon his Harnesse, but upon his arming doublet) hee said. Wee did unadvisedly, in not providing our selves of some small bell, that might have beene tyed with mee to the same cord, by whose sound you might know that I were still toward the bottome and alive; but since there is now no remedy, God bee our good speede, and streight hee kneeled upon his knees,

and made a soft Prayer to God Almighty, desiring his ayde, and to give him good suc∣cesse in that (to see to) dangerous and strange Adventure, and then straight waies hee cried aloud; Oh thou Mistrisse of my Actions and motions, most excellent, peere∣lesse Dulcinea del Toboso if it bee possible, that the prayers and requests of this thy hap∣py Lover come to thine eares, hearken (I beseech thee) by thy unheard of beauty, de∣ny not now unto mee thy favour and protection, which I so much neede: I goe to cast my selfe headlong to a plunge, and sinke my selfe into the Abyssus that presents it selfe to mee, that the World may knowe, that if thou favour mee, there shall bee no∣thing impossible for me to undergoe and end.

And in saying this he came to the mouth, but saw he could not come neer to bee let down, except it were by making way with maine force, or with cutting through; and so laying hand on his Sword, he began to cut and slash the weeds that were at the mouth of the Cave, at whose rushing and noyse, there came out an infinite company of Crowes and Dawes, so thick and so hastily, that they tumbled Don-Quixote on the ground•• and if he had been as superstitious, as good Christian, hee would have taken it for an ill signe, and not have proceeded.

Well, he rose, and seeing the Crowes were all gone, and that there were no other night-byrd, as Bats, that came out amongst the Crowes, Sancho and the Scholer let him down to search the bottom of that fearfull Cave; but Sancho first bestowed his benedi∣ction on him, and making a thousand crosses over him, said; God and the Rock of France, together with the Trinitie of Gaeta guide thee, thou flowre, cream and scum of Knights Errant; [severall places of devotion:] There thou goest, Hackster of the world, Heart of steele, and•• Armes of brasse, God again be thy guide, and deliver thee sound and without skarre to the light of this World which thou leavest, to bury thy selfe in the obscuritie which thou seekest.

The Scholer did (as it were) make the same kinde of wishes and deprecations. Don••Quixote cried out, that they should yet give him more Rope, which they gave by little and little; and when his voyce (that was stopt in the gutters of the Cave) could bee no longer heard, and that they had let downe their hundred fathome of Rope, they were of opinion to hoyst him up againe, since they could give him no more Cord; for all that, they stayed some half an houre, and then beganne easily to draw up the Rope, and without any weight, which made them think Don-Quixote was within, and Sancho beleeving it wept bitterly, and drew up apace, that he might be satisfied; but coming somewhat neere fourescore fathome, they felt a weight, which made them very much rejoyce.

At length when they came to ten, they plainly saw Don-Quixote, to whom Sancho cried out saying; You are well returned Sir, for we thought you had stayed there for breed. But Don-Quixote did not answer a word, but drawing him altogether out, they saw that his eyes were shut, as if he were asleep; they stretcht him on the ground and unbound him, and for all this he awaked not. But they so turned, tos••ed and shaked him, that a pretty while after he came to himself, lazing himself, as if he had wakened out of a great and profound sleep, and looking wildly round about him said; God for∣give you Friends, for you have raysed me from one of the delicatest and pleasingest lives and sights that ever was seen by humane eye: Now at length I perceive, that all the de∣lights of this world doe passe like a shadow or dreame, or wither like a flowre of the field: Oh unhappy Montesino's oh ill wounded Durandarte, of luckless Belerma, oh mournfull Guadiana, and you unfortunate daughters of Ruydera, that shew by your wa∣ters, those your faire eyes wept!

The Schaller and Sancho gave eare to these words which Don-Quixote spake, as if with great paine they came from his very entrailes: They desired him to let them know his meaning, and to tell them what hee had seene in that hellish place. Hellish, call yee it, said Don-Quixote? Well, call it not so, for it deserves not the name, as straight you shall heare: Hee desired them to give him somewhat to eate, for he was exceeding hungry. They laid the Scholers course wrapper upon the greene grasse, and went to the Spence of their Wallets, and all three of them being set like good fellowes, eat their

Bavar and supped all together: The cloth taken up Don-Quixote said, Sit still Ho, let none of you rise, and mark me attentively.