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

CHAP. LV.

Of matters that befell Sancho by the way, and others the best in the World.

SANCHO'S long stay with Ricote was the cause that hee reached not that day to the Dukes Castle, though hee came within half a league of it, where the night took him, somewhat dark and close but being Summer time, it troubled him not much, and therefore hee went out of the way, purposing to rest till the morning: but as ill luck would have it, seeking a place where he might best ac∣commodate himself, hee and Dapple fell into a most dark and deep pit, which was amongst certain ruinous buildings; and as he was falling, hee recommended himself withall his heart to God, thinking hee should not stop till hee came to Hell, but it fell out otherwise; for within a little more then three fathoms length, Dapple felt ground, and hee sate still upon him without any hurt or dammage received.

Hee felt all his body over, and held in his breath to see if hee were sound or pierced any where: but seeing himself well and whole, and in catholike health, hee thought hee could never praise God sufficiently for the favour he had done him: for hee thought verily hee had been beaten into a thousand pieces: hee went likewise groping with his hands about the walls of the pit, to see if it were possible to get out without help; but hee found them all smooth, without any place to lay hold on, which grieved him very much, especially when he heard Dapple cry out tenderly and dolefully, and no marvell: for it was not for wantonnes, he saw himself in a pittifull taking.

Alas (quoth Sancho then ••) and what sodain and unthought of accidents befall men that live in this miserable world? who would have supposed that hee, who yesterday saw himself inthronized Governour of an Island, commanding Servants and Vassals, should to day be buried in a Pit, without any bodies help, without Servant or Vassall comming to succour him?

Here I and my Asse are like to perish with hunger, if so bee that first wee dye not; hee with his bruise, I with grief and anguish: at least I shall not bee so happie as my Master Don-Quixote was when hee descended and went down into that enchanted Cave of Montesinos, where hee found better welcome then if hee had been at his own house; and it seemed hee found the cloth ready layd, and his bed made; there saw hee goodly and pleasant Visions: and here (I beleeve) I shall see nothing but Toads and Snakes: unfortuuate that I am; what is my madnesse and folly come to? My bones will be fetcht out from hence (when it shall please Heaven that I am found) white and smooth, the flesh pickt off, and my trustie Dapples with them; whereupon peradven∣ture it shall bee known who wee are, at least by those that shall take notice that Sancho and the Asse never parted, nor the Asse from Sancho. Again, I say, Unhappy we! our ill fortune would not that wee should dye in our Country and amongst our friends, where, though our misfortune had found no redresse; yet wee should not have wanted pittie, and at last gasp we should have had our eyes closed. Oh companion mine and friend! how ill have I rewarded thy honest service? Pardon me; and desire Fortune in the best manner thou canst, to deliver us from this miserable toyle in which wee are both put; and I here promise to set a Crown of Lawrel on thy head, that thou shalt look like a Poet Lawreat; and I will double thy Provander allowance.

Thus Sancho lamented, and his Asse hearkned to him, without answering a word; such was the strait and anguish in which the poor Scab found himself.

Finally, having passed over the whole night in complaints and lamentations, the day

came on, with whose cleernes••e and splendor Sancho saw that there was no manner of possibility to get out of that well without help, and he began again to lament and make a noyse, to see if any body heard him: but all his crying out was as in a Desart; for in all the Country round about, there was none to hearken to him: and then Dapple lay with his mouth open, and Sancho thought hee had been dead: yet hee so handled the matter, that hee set him upon his leggs; and taking a piece of bread out of his Wallets (which had runne the same fortune with them) hee gave it his Asse, which came not amisse to him; and Sancho said to him, as if hee had understood it, Sorrows great are lessened with meat.

By this hee discovered on the one side of the Pit a great hole, whereat a man might passe thorow, crooking and stooping a little. Sancho drew to it, and squatting down, entred in, and saw that within it was large and spacious, and hee might well discerne it; for by a place that you might call the roof, the Sun-beam entred in, that discovered it all: hee saw likewise that it was enlarged by another spacious concavitie: which when hee saw, he turned back again to his Asse, and with a stone began to pull down the earth of the hole, and in a little while made way for his Asse to goe out, which hee did, and Sancho leading him by the halter went forward along the Cave, to see if he could finde any egresse on the other side; sometimes he went dark long and without light; but never without fear. Lord God! said hee, this that to me is a misfortuue, were to my Master Don-Quixote a famous Adventure; hee would think these profundities and Dungeons were flowery Gardens, and Galiana's Palaces, and hee would hope to get out of this straightnesse and darknesse into some flowry Field: but I unfortunate, ill∣advised, and faint-hearred! think that every moment I shall fall into a deeper profun∣ditie then this former, that will swallow me down-right: 'tis a good ill that comes alone. In this mannar, and in this imagination hee thought he had gone somewhat more then half a league; and at last he discovered a kinde of twy-light, as if it had been day, and, came in at some open place, which seemed to open an entrance to another world.

Here Cid Hamete Benengeli leaves him, and turns again to treat of Don-Quixote, who, jocund and contented expected the prefixed time, for the Combate hee was to performe with the dishonourer of Donna Rodriguez Daughter, and thought to rectifie the wrong and uncouth turn she had done her.

It fell out then that going out one morning to exercise and practise against the Traunce in which e're long hee was to see himself •• fetching up Rozinante with a full Career, he came close to a Caves mouth; that had hee not reined him in hard, it had been impossible but hee must have fallen into it.

Well he stopt him, and fell not in: and comming somewhat neerer, without alight∣ing, lookt into that depth, and beholding of it, heard a great noyse within, and heark∣ning, attentively, he might perceive and understand that he that made it, cryed out, Ho, above there, is there any Christian that hears me? or any charitable Gentleman that will take pittie of a sinner buried alive? of an unhappy ungovern'd Gover∣nour?

Don-Quixote thought he heard Sancho Panca's voice, at which he was in suspence and affrighted: but raising his voyce as high as he could, he said, Who is below there? Who is that cryes out? Who should be here? or who should cry out, they answered, but the weather-beaten Sancho Panca Governour with a Pox to him, for his ill-Erran∣trie of the Island Barataria, Squire sometime to the famous Knight Don-Quixote de la Mancha?

When Don-Quixote heard this, his admiration was doubled, and his astonishment increased, as thinking Sancho Panca might be dead, and that his soul was there doing penance: and carried with this imagination, he said, I conjure thee by all I may, as I am a Catholike Christian, that thou tell me who thou art: and if thou beest a soul in penalty, tell me what thou wilt have me do for thee; for since my profession is to suc∣cour and help the needy of this world, it shall alwaies be so to help and ayd the needie in another world, that cannot help themselves.

Then, said they below, Belike you that speak to mee are my Master Don-Quixote

de la Mancha, and by the Organ of your voice can bee no other.

Don-Quixote I am, quoth hee, that both ayde the living and dead in their neces∣sities. Therefore tell mee, who thou art, for thou amazest mee: for if thou bee Sancho Panca my Squire, and that being dead, the Divell have not seyzed on thee, and by Gods mercy thou bee in Purgatory, our holy Mother the Catholike Romane Church hath sufficient suffrages, to deliver thee from the paine thou endurest, and I with my wealth will sollicite all that I can: and therefore make an end, and tell mee who thou art.

Gods mee, by whose birth so ever you will, Signior Don-Quixote: I swea••e I am your Squire Sancho panca, and I never dyed in all my life; but that having left my Government for matters and causes that must bee told more at leisure; over-night I fell into this Pit, where I lye and Dapple too, who will prove mee to bee no lyar: for hee is here with mee: Will you any more? And it seemed, the Asse understood what Sancho said: for at the instant, hee began to bray so loud, that all the Cave resounded.

A famous witnesse, quoth Don-Quixote, I know this Bray, as if I had brought it forth, and I heare thy voice, my Sancho: Stay, and Ile goe to the Dukes Castle that is here hard by: and I will get some to help thee out of this Pit, into which thy sins have cast thee.

Goe, Sir (quoth Sancho) for Gods love, and returne quickly: for I can no longer endure to bee buried here alive, and I dye for feare. Don-Quixote left him, and went to the Castle to let the Dukes know Sancho's mis-hap: at which they marvelled not a little, though they knew well enough how hee might fall in for the knowledge they had, time out of minde of that Vault: but they could not imagine how hee had left his Government, they knowing nothing of his comming. Finally, they caused Ropes and Cables to bee sent, and with much cost and labour of people, Sancho and Dapple were drawne out of that dismanesse to the sunns light. A Scholler saw him, and said, Thus should all bad Governors come out of their Governments, as this sinner doth out of this profound Abisme, pale dead for hunger, and (as I beleeve) without a crosse to blesse him with.

Sancho heard him, and said, 'Tis eight or ten dayes, Good-man Murmurer, since I began to governe the Island; in all which I never eat bread that kept mee from hunger one houre; in all that time Physicians have persecuted mee, and enemies have bruised my bones: neither have I had leisure to take bribes, or to recover my due; which be∣ing so, I deserved not (in my opinion) to come out in this manner: but man purposeth, and God disposeth: and God best knowes what each man needeth: and let every man fit himselfe to the times, and no man say, Ile drink no more of such a drink: for where wee thinke to fare well, there is oft ill usage, God Almighty knowes my minde, 'tis enough and I say no more, though I could. Bee not angry, Sancho, nor vext with what thou hearest, for so thou shalt never bee in quiet: come with a good conscience, let them say what they will; for to bridle malicious tongues, is as much as to set Gates in the High-way.

If a Governour come rich from his Government, they say hee hath played the Thief: and if poor, that he hath been a weak unable Cox-comb.

I warrant you (quoth Sancho) this bout, they shall rather hold mee to bee a Cox∣bombe then a Thief. With this discourase they went toward the Castle hemmed in with many boyes, and other people; where the Duke and Duchesse were in certaine running Galleries, expecting Don-Quixote and Sancho: who, before hee would goe up to see the Duke, would first accommodate Dapple in the Stable: for hee said hee had had a marvellous ill night on't at their lodging; and so straight hee went up to see his Lords, before whom upon his knees, he said; I, my Lords, because your Greatnesses would needs have it so, without any desert of mine, went to govern your Island, Ba∣rataria; into which, naked I entred, and naked come I out, I neither win nor lose, whether I governed well or ill, here bee witnesses present to say what they please: I have resolved Doubts; sentenced Causes, and have been ready to bee starved: because Master Doctor Pedro Rezio, borne at Tirte a fuera, would have it so that Island and Governourish Physician; enemies set upon us by night: and having put us in great

danger, they of the Island say that they were freed, and got the vict••ry, by the valour of my arme; such health God send them, as they tell truth herein.

In fine, I have summed up all the burdens and the cares that this governing brings with it, and finde by my account, that my shoulders cannot beare them; neither are they a weight for my ribbes, nor Arrowes for my quiver: and therefore, left I should bee cast away in my Government, I have cast it away, and since yesterday morning I left the Island as I found it, with the same streets, houses, and roofes that it had when I came into it.

I have borrowed nothing of no body, nor hoorded up any thing: and though I thought to have made some profitable Ordinances, yet I did not, as fearing they would not be kept, which is as much as if they had never been made.

I left the Island (as I say) without any bodies accompanying mee, but Dapple: I fell into a Pit, went forward in it, untill this morning by the Sunnes light I got out: but not so easily; for if heaven had not provided mee my Master Don-Quixote, there I had stucke till the end of the world.

So that my Lords, Duke and Duchesse, here is Sancho Panca your Governour, that hath onely learnt to know in these ten daies that hee hath govern'd, that hee cares not for governing, not an Island, nay were it the whole world: this presupposed, kissing your Honours hands, imitating boyes play, that cry, Leape thou, and then let mee leape; [Like our Trusse or Faile:] So I leape from the Government, and passe again to my Master Don-Quixotes service: for in fine, though with him I eate my victuals sometimes in fear, yet I have my belly full; and so that be, alls one to mee, that it bee with Carrets, or with Partridge. With this, Sancho ended his tedious discourse: Don-Quixote searing alwayes that hee would blunder out a thousand fopperies: but feeing him end with so few, hee thanked Heaven in his heart: and the Duke embraced Sancho, and said, Hee was sorry in his soule that hee left the Government so quickly: but that hee would cause some Office of lesse trouble, and more profit in his estate to bee given him: the Duchesse likewise embraced him, and commanded hee should bee made much of, for he seemed to be much wearied, and to be worse entreated.