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

CHAP. XXXIX.

Where the Trifaldi prosecutes her stupendious and memorable Hi∣storie.

AT every word that Sancho spoke, the Duchesse was as well pleased as Don-Quixote out of his wits: And commanding him to bee silent, the Afflicted went on, saying; The short and the long was this, after many givings and takings, by reason the Princesse stood ever stifly to her tackling, the Vicar sentenced in Don Clanixo's fa∣vour, whereat the Queen Donna Maguncia Antonomasia's Mother was so full of wrath that some three dayes after wee buried her. Well, Sir Squire (quoth Sancho) it hath been seen e're now, that one that hath been but in a swound, hath been buried, thinking he was dead; & me thinks that Queen Maguncia might but rather have been in a swound, for with life many things are remedied; and the Princesses error was not so great, that shee should so re∣sent it. If shee had married with a Page or any other Servant of her house (as I have heard many have done) the mischance had been irreparable: but to marrie with so worthy a Gentleman, and so understanding as hath been painted out to us, truly, truly, though 'twere an over-sight, yet 'twas not so great as wee think for; for accor∣ding to my Masters rules, here present, who will not let me lye, as Schollers become Bishops, so private Knights (especially if they bee Errant) may become Kings and Em∣perours.

Thou hast reason Sancho (quoth Don-Quixote:) for a Knight Errant, give him but two inches of good fortune, hee is in potentia proxima to bee the greatest Soveraign of the World. But let the Afflicted proceed; for to mee it appears, the bitterest part of her sweet History is behinde. The bitterest, quoth you, said she? Indeed so bitter, that in comparison of this, Treacle and Elicampane is sweet.

The Queen being starke dead, and not in a trance, wee buried her, and scarce had wee covered her with earth, and took our ultimum vale, when Quis talia fando tempe∣ret a lachrimis? the Gyant Malambruno, Maguncia's Cousin Germane, appeared before her Grave upon a wooden Horse, who besides his cruelty was also an Enchanter, who with his Art to revenge his Cousins death, and for Don Clanixo's boldnesse, and for despight of Antonomasia's oversight, enchanted them upon the same Tombe, turn∣ing her into a Brazen Ape, and him into a fearfull Crocodile of unknown metall, and betwixt them both is likewise set a Register of metall, written in the Siriack tongue, which being translated into the Candayan, and now into the Castilian, contains this sentence:

These two bold Lovers shall not recover their naturall form, till the valiant Manchegan come to single ••ombat with me; for the Destinies reserve this unheard of Adventure only for his great valour.

This done hee unsheathed a broad and unwieldly Scimiter, and taking me by the haire of the head, hee made as if hee would have cut my throat, or sheared off my neck at a blow. I was amazed, my voice cleaved to the roof of my mouth; I was troubled ex∣treamly: but I enforced my self as well as I could, and with a dolorous and trembling voyce, I told him such and so many things, as made him suspend the execution of his rigorous punishment.

Finally, hee made all the waiting-women of the Court bee brought before him, which are here present now also, and after hee had exaggerated our faults, and reviled

the conditions of waiting•• women, their wicked wyles, and worse sleights, and laying my fault upon them all, hee said he would not capitally punish us, but with other dila∣ted paines, that might give us a civil and continuate death: and in the very same in∣stant and moment that hee had said this, wee all felt that the Pores of our faces opened, and that all about them wee had prickles, like the pricking of needles; by and by wee clapped our hands to our faces, and found them just as you see them now; with this the Afflicted, and the rest of the waiting-women lifted up their masks which they had on, and shewed their faces all with Beards, some red, some black, some white, and lime smeared; at sight of which the Duke and Duchesse admired; Don-Quixote and Sancho were astonish't, and all the by-standers wonder-strucken, and the Trifaldi proceeded: Thus that Fellon and hard-hearted Malambruno punished us, covering the soft∣nesse and smoothenesse of our Faces with these rough Bristles: Would God hee had beheaded us with his unwildy Scemiter, and not so dimmed the light of our Fa∣ces with these blots that hide us; for, my Masters if wee fall into reckoning, (and that which now I say, I would spake it with mine eyes running a Fountaine of Teares, but the consideration of our misfortunes, and the Seas that hitherto have rayned, have drawne them as dry as eares of Corne, and therefore let mee speake without Teares.) Whither shall a waiting-woman with a Beard goe? What Father or Mo∣ther will take compassion on her? For when her flesh is at the smoothest, and her Face Martyrized with a thousand sorts of slibber-slabbers and Waters, shee can scarce finde any body that will care for her; What shall shee doe then when shee weares a wood upon her face? O Matrons, Companions mine, in an ill time were wee borne, in a lucklesse houre our Fathers begat us: And saying this, shee made shew of dismaying.