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

CHAP. LXXI.

Of what befell Don-Quixote and his Squire Sancho Pança, in their travell towards their Village.

THe vanquished Knight Errant, Don-Quixote de la Mancha went on his Journey very sad and pensive on the one side, and most glad and buxome on the other: from his being conquered proceeded the cause of his sadnesse; and his gladnesse, in considering the worth and virtue of Sancho, whereof hee gave manifest evidence, in the re∣surrection of Altisidora; although with some scruple hee perswaded himself, that the enamoured Damzell was not verity dead.

Sancho was no whit well pleased, but chafed to himself because Altisidora had not kept promise with him, and given him the Shirts hee expected at her hands. And there∣fore musing and pondring on them, hee said to his Master: By my faith Sir, I am the most unfortunate Physician that may bee found in the world: There bee some Leaches that kill a sick man whom they have under cure, and will neverthelesse bee well paid for their pains. Now all they doe, is but to write a short Bill of certain Medicines, which the Apothecary, and not they, doth afterward compound: Whereas I, clean contrary, to whom the recovery and health of others doth cost many a clod of blood, many a first and bob, many a bitter frump, and many a lash with whips and rods, reap not so much as one poor farthing.

But certainly I promise you, if any diseased or sick body fall into my hands again, before I cure um, He bee very well greased for my pains: For the Abbot liveth sing∣ing, and I cannot think, that the heavens have endowed me with the virtue and know∣ledge I have, to the end I should communicate and impart the same unto others for nothing.

My good friend Sancho (answered Don-Quixote) thou art in the right, and Altisi∣dora hath done very ill, that shee hath not given thee the shirts which shee promised thee, although that virtue and propertie which thou hast, have been given thee gratis, and that in learning and studying it, thou hast not been at a penny charge: neverthelesse the troubles & vexations which thou hast received, and indured in thine own person, are farr more then all the studies that thou couldest have undergone or imployed about. As for mee, I can tell thee, that if thou wouldest have had the full pay for the whip-lashes that thou shouldest give thy self for the dis-enchanting of Dulcinea, thou hast already fully received it: Yet know I not whether the wages or hire will answer the Cure, or recovery; and I would not have it bee an hindrance to the remedy. Mee seems not∣withstanding•• that one shall lose nothing in the tryall. Consider Sancho, what thou wilt have, and forthwith whip thy self, & with thine own hands pay thy self down-right, since thou hast money of mine in thy keeping.

Sancho presently opened his eyes and eares a foot wide at these kinde offers, and took a resolution with a cheerfull heart to whip and lash himself: and therefore said unto his Master: Now is the time my Noble Sir, that I will wholly dispose my self to give you satisfaction, since I shall reap some bene••it by it. The love of my Children and my Wife induceth me to have no regard at all unto the harm or ill that may thereby come unto me.

Tell me then, what will you give me for every stripe or lash? If I were bound to pay thee (replyed Don-Quixote) equivalent to the greatnesse and qualitie of the remedy, the treasure of Venice, and the rich Mines of Peru would not suffice to recompence thee. Look well thy self what thou hast of mine, and value every lash as thou wilt. The whip lashes (quoth Sancho) are in number three thousand three hundred and odd: I have already given my self five, the other remain behinde: Let the five serve to deduct the odd number remaining, and let all bee reduced to three thousand and three hundred: My meaning is, to have for every lash a piece of three blanks (and lesse I will not have should all the world command me the contrary) so that they will amount to three thou∣sand and three hundred pieces of three blanks. The three thousand, make a thousand and five hundred half Ryalls, and they make seven hundred and fifty whole Ryalls; and the three hundred make one hundred and fifty half Ryalls, which amount unto the summe of threescore and fifteen Ryalls, which added unto the seven hundred and fifty, the whole summe amounteth unto eight hundred and five and twenty Ryalls.

I will reckon this summe, and deduct it from that I have of yours in my keeping, and by this means shall enter into my house both rich and well satisfied, albeit well whipt and scourged: for trouts are not caught with nothing; and I say no more.

Oh thrice happy Sancho! oh amiable Sancho! (said Don-Quixote) how am I and Dulcinea bound to serve thee, so long as the Heavens shall bee pleased to give us life? If shee recover her first being, and if it bee impossible to continue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in that state, her misfortune shall prove most fortunate, and my defeat or conquest, a most glorious and happy triumph. Then look Sancho, when thou wil•• begin this discipline, and I will give thee one hundred Ryalls over and above, that so I may binde thee to begin betimes. When (replyed Sancho?) Even this very night. Bee you but pleased, that this night wee meet in the open field, and you shall see mee open, gash, and flay my self.

To bee short, the night came, which Don-Quixote had with all manner of impatience long looked for; to whom it seemed that the wheels of Apollo's Chariot had been broken, and that the day grew longer then it was wont, even as it happeneth unto Lo∣vers, who think that they shall never come to obtain the accomplishment of their desires. At last they entred a grove of delight some Trees, which was somewhat remote, and out of the high-way. After they had taken off the saddle and Pack-saddle of Rozinante and Dapple, they sate down upon the green grasse, and supped with such Victuals as Sancho had in his Wallets.

This good Squire having made of Dapples halter or head-stall a good big whip or scourage, hee went about twenty paces from his Master, and thrust himself among bushes and hedges.

Don-Quixote seeing him martch thus all naked and with so good a courage, began thus to discourse unto him: Take heed, good friend, that thou hack not thy self in pieces, and that the stripes and lashes stay the one anothers leisure; thou must not make such haste in thy Career, that thy winde or breath fail in thy couse. My meaning is, that thou must not lash thy self so hard and fast, that thy life faint before thou come to thy desired number: But to the end that thou lose not thy self for want of a paire of wri∣ting-Tables, more or lesse, I will stand aloof off, and upon these my prayer-beads will number the lashes that thou shalt give thy self. Now the heavens favour thee, as thy good meaning well deserveth.

A good Pay-master (answered Sancho) will never grudge to give wages; I think to curry or so belabour my self, that without endangering my life, my lashes shall bee sen∣sible unto me, and therein must the substance of this miracle consist. And immediately Sancho stripped himself bare from the gyndle upward, and taking the whip in his hand began to rib-baste and lash himself roundly; and Don-Quixote to number the strokes. When Sancho had given himself seven or eight stripes, hee thought hee had killed him∣self; so that pawsing a while, hee said to his Master, that hee was very much deceived, & would therefore appeale, for so much as every whip-lash did in lieu of a peece of three Blanks, deserve half a Ryall.

Make an end my friend Sancho (quoth Don-Quixote) and bee not dismaid; for I will re-double thy pay.

Now by my life then (quoth Sancho) blows shall shore upon me as thick as haile: but the Mountebank and cheating companion, in stead of lashing his shoulders, hee whipped the Trees, and so sighingly groaned at every stroake, that you would have thought his soul had flown out of his body.

Don-Quixote, who was now full of compassion fearing hee would kill himself, and that, through the folly of Sancho, his desires should not bee accomqlished, began thus to say unto him: Friend, I conjure thee, let this businesse end here; this remedy seems to me very hard and sharpe. It shall not bee amisse, that we give time unto Time; for Rome was never built in one day. If I have told right, thou hast already given thy self more then a thousand lashes: it now sufficeth; let me use a homely pharse, That the Asse endure his charge, but not the sur-charge.

No, no, my good Sir (answered Sancho) it shall never bee said of me, Mony well paid, and the Armes broken. I pray you goe but a little aside, and permit me to give my self one thousand stripes more, and then we shall quickly make an end; yea, and wee shall have more left behinde. Since thou art so well disposed (replyed Don-Quixote) I will then withdraw my self, may the heavens assist and recompence thee.

Sancho returned to his task, with such an earnest passion, that the bark of many a Tree fell off, so great was the rigor and fury wherewith hee scourged himself. Now in giving such an exceeding and outragious lash upon a hedge, hee cryed out alowd, Here is the place where Samson shall dye, with all those that are with him.

Don-Quixote ran presently at the sound of that wofull voyce, and at the noyse of that horrible whip-stroak. Then laying fast hold on the halter, which served Sancho in lieu of an Oxe-pizle, he said to him: Friend Sancho, let Fortune never permit that thou, to give me contentment, hazard the losse of thy life, which must serve for the entertain∣ment of thy Wife and Children, I will contain my self within the bounds of the next hope, and will stay untill thou have recovered new strength, to the end, this businesse may be ended to the satisfaction of all parties.

My good Sir (said Sancho) since you will needs have it so, in good time bee it. In the mean while, I beseech you Sir, cast your Cloak upon my shoulders: I am all in a sweat, and I would bee loth to take cold. Our new disciplinants runne the like danger.

Don-Quixote did so, and leaving himself in his doublet, he covered Sancho, who fell a-sleep, and slept untill the Sunne awakned him. They kept on their way so long, that at last they arrived to a place three leagues off, and at last staid at an Inne.

Don-Quixote knew it to bee an Inn, and not a Castle round environed with ditches or trenches, fortified with Towres, with Port-••••llices, and strong Draw-bridges: for since his last defeature, he discerned and distinguished of all things that presented them∣selves unto him with better judgement, as we shall presently declare.

He was lodged in a low chamber, to which certain old-worn curtains of painted Serge served in lieu of Tapistry hangings, as commonly they use in Country Villages. In one of the peeces might bee seen painted by a bungling and unskillfull hand, the rape of Helen, at what time her fond-hardy guest stole her from Menelaus. In another was the History of Dido, and Aeneas; Shee on an high Turret with a sheet, making signe unto her fugitive guest, who on the Sea, carried in a Ship, was running away from her.

Don-Quixote observed in these two stories, that Helen seemed not to bee discontent∣ed with her rape, for so much as shee leared and smiled underhand; whereas beauteous Dido seemed to trickle down tears from her eyes as big as Wall-nuts. Don Quixote in beholding this painted work, said; These two Ladies were exceedingly unfortunate that they were not borne in this age, and I most of all thrice unhappy, that I was not born in theirs; In faith I would so have spoken to these Lordly gallants, as Troy should

not have been burned, nor Carthage destroyed, since that only by putting Parts to death, I should have been the occasion that so many mischiefs would never have hapned.

I hold a wager (quoth Sancho) that e're long there shall bee never a Tipling-house, Tavern, Inne, Hostory, or Barbers Shop, but in them all wee shall see the History of our famous Acts painted: neverthelesse I would with with all my heart, that they might bee drawn by a more cunning and skillfull hand, then by that which hath pourtraid these figures.

Thou hast reason Sancho (answered Don-Quixote:) for this Painter is like unto Or∣banegia, who dwelled at Vbeda, who when hee was demanded what he was Painting, made this answer, That which shall come forth to light: And if perchance hee drew a Cock, hee would write above it, This is a Cock, lest any man should think it to bee a Fox. Now me thinks Sancho, that such ought to bee the Painter or the writer: (for all is one same thing) who hath set forth the History of this new Don-Quixote, because hee hath painted or written that which may come forth to the open light. Hee hath imitated a certain Poet named Mauleon, who the last yeer was at the Court, who sodainly would make answer to whatsoever was demanded him. And as one asked him one day, what these words Deum de Deo signified? Hee answered in Spanish, De donde diere. But omitting all this, tell me Sancho, Hast thou a minde to give thy selfanother touch this night, and wilt thou have it to bee under the roof of a house, or else in the open ayre?

Now I assure you (quoth Sancho) for the stripes and lashes that I intend to give my self, I love them as well in the house as in the open fields: yet with this Proviso, That I would have it to bee amongst Trees; for me thinks that they keepe mee good company, and doe exceedingly help mee to indure and undergoe my travell and pains.

Friend Sancho (said Don-Quixote) that shall not bee: rather reserve them, that you may exercise them when wee shall bee arrived at our Village, whither at the farthest we shall reach the next day after to morrow; and in the mean time thou shalt have reco∣vered new strength.

Sancho answered, that hee might doe what best pleased him; but notwithstanding hee desired to dispatch this businesse in hot blood, and whilest the Mill was going; for dangers consist often in lingring and expectation, and that with prayers unto God, a man must strike with his Mallet; That one, take it, is more worth then two; thou shalt have it: And better is one Sparrow in the hand, then a Vulture flying in the ayre.

Now for Gods sake Sancho (replyed Don-Quixote) let us not alledge so many Pro∣verbs; me thinks thou art still returning unto Sicut erat. I prethee speak plainly, cleerly, and goe not so about the bush with such embroyled speeches, as I have often told thee: and thou shalt see, that one loaf of bread will yeeld thee more then an hundred.

I am so unluckie (quoth Sancho) that I cannot discourse without Proverbs, nor can I alleage a Proverb, that seems not to bee a reason unto me: Neverthelesse, if I can, I will correct my self: and with that they gave over their enterparlie at that time.