The second part of the history of the valorous and witty knight-errant, Don Quixote of the Mançha. Written in Spanish by Michael Ceruantes: and now translated into English

CHAP. XLI.

Of Clauileno's arriuall, with the end of this dilated Ad∣uenture.

IT grew now to bee night, and with it the expected time when Clauileno the famous horse should come, whose delay troubled Don Quixote, thinking that Malambruno deferring to send him, argued, that eyther hee was not the Knight for whom the Aduenture was reserued, or that Malambruno durst not come to single combat with him: But looke ye now, when all vnexpected, foure Sauages entred the Garden, cladde all in greene Yuie, bearing vpon their shoulders a great woodden horse: they set him vpon his legges on the ground, and one of them said, Let him that hath the courage, get vp vpon this En∣gine.

Then (quoth Sancho) not I, I haue no courage, I am no

Knight, and the Saluage replied, saying, And let his Squire ride behinde, and let him be assured, that no sword but Malambru∣no's shall offend him, and there is no more to be done, but to turne that pinne, which is vpon the horses necke, and hee will carry them in a moment where Malambruno attends: but lest the height and distance from earth make them light-headed, let them couer their eyes till the horse neigh; a signe that they haue then finisht their voyage. This said, with a slow pace, they mar∣ched out the same way they came.

The Afflicted, as soone as she saw the horse, with very teares in her eyes, she said to Don Quixote; Valorous Knight, Ma∣lambruno hath kept his word, the horse is heere, our beards in∣crease, and each of vs with euery haire of them beseech thee to shaue and sheere vs, since there is no more to be done, but that thou and thy Squire both mount, and begin this your happy new voyage. That will I willingly, said Don Quixote, my La∣dy Trifaldi, without a cushion or spurres, that I may not delay time, so much, Lady, I desire to see you and all these Gentlewo∣men smooth and cleere. Not I (quoth Sancho) neyther willing∣ly nor vnwillingly, and if this shauing cannot be performed without my riding at the Crupper, let my Master seeke some other Squire to follow him, and these Gentlewomen some o∣ther meanes of smoothing themselues; for I am no Hagge that loue to hurry in the Ayre: and what will my Islanders say, when they heare their Gouernour is houering in the winde? Besides, there being three thousand leagues from hence to Candaya, if the horse should be weary, or the Gyant offended, wee might bee these halfe doozen of yeeres ere we returne, and then perhaps there would be neyther Iland nor dry-land in the world to ac∣knowledge me: and since 'tis ordinarily said, that delay breeds danger, and he that will not when he may, &c. these Gentle∣womens beards shall pardon mee, for 'tis good sleeping in a whole skinne, I meane, I am very well at home in this house, where I receiue so much kindnesse, and from whose Owner I hope for so great a good, as to see my selfe a Gouernour.

To which (quoth the Duke) Friend Sancho, the Iland that I promised you, is not moueable, nor fugitiue, it is so deepe roo∣ted

in the earth, that a great many pulls will not root it vp: and since you know, that I know that there is none of these prime kinde of Officers, that payes not some kinde of bribe, some more, some lesse, yours for this Gouernment shall be, that you accompany your Master Don Quixote to end and finish this me∣morable Aduenture, that, whether you returne on Clauileno with the breuity that his speed promiseth, or that your contrary fortune bring and returne you home on foot like a Pilgrime from Inne to Inne, and from Alehouse to Alehouse; at your comming backe, you shall finde the Iland where you left it, and the Ilanders with the same desire to receiue you for their Gouer∣nour, that they haue alwaies had, and my good will shall alwaies bee the same; and doubt not, Signior Sancho, of this, for you should do much wrong (in so doing) to the desire I haue to serue you.

No more, Sir, quoth Sancho, I am a poore Squire, and cannot carry so much courtesie vpon my backe: let my Master get vp, and blindefolde me, and commend me to God Almighty, and tell mee, if, when I mount into this high-flying, I may recom∣mend my selfe to God, or inuoke the Angels that they may fa∣uour me.

To which the Trifaldi answered, You may recommend your selfe to God, or to whom you will; for Malambruno, though he bee an Enchanter, yet hee is a Christian, and performes his Enchantments with much sagacity, and very warily, without meddling with any body. Goe to then (quoth Sancho) God and the holy Trinity of Gaeta helpe me. Since the memorable Aduenture of the Full-mills (quoth Don Quixote) I neuer saw Sancho so fearefull as now, & if I were as superstitious as some, his pusillanimity would tickle my conscience: but harke thee, Sancho, by these Gentles leaues, I will speake a word or two with thee: and carrying Sancho amongst some trees in the gar∣den, taking him by both the hands, he sayd, Thou seest, Bro∣ther Sancho, the large voyage that we are like to haue, and God knowes when wee shall returne from it, nor the leisure that our affaires heereafter will giue vs. I prethee therefore, retire thy selfe to thy chamber, as if thou wentst to look for some necessary for

the way, and giue thy selfe in a trice, of the three thousand and three hundred lashes, in which thou standest engaged, but fiue hundred onely: so that the beginning of a businesse is halfe the ending of it.

Verily (quoth Sancho) I thinke you haue lost your wits, this is Iust: I am going, and thou art crying out in haste for thy mayden-head, I am now going to sit vpon a bare piece of wood, and you would haue my bumme smart. Beleeue mee, you haue no reason, let's now goe for the shauing these Matrons, and when we returne, Ile promise you to come out of debt: let this content you, and I say no more. Don Quixote made answer, Well, with this promise, Sancho, I am in some comfort, and I beleeue thou wilt accomplish it; for though thou beest a foole, a yet I thinke thou art honest.

So now they went to mount Clauileno, and as they were getting vp, Don Quixote sayd, Hud-winke thy selfe, Sancho, and get vp: for hee that sends from so farre off for vs, will not deceiue vs; for hee will get but small glory by it, and though all should succeede contrary to my imagination, yet no malice can obscure the glory of hauing vndergone this Aduen∣ture. Lets goe, Master (quoth Sancho) for the beards & teares of these Gentle-women are nailed in my heart, & I shal not eat a bit, to doe me good, till I see them in their former smoothnesse. Get you vp, Sir, and hud winke you selfe first; for if I must ride be∣hinde you, you must needes get vp first in the saddle.

Tis true indeede, sayd Don Quixote, and taking a hand-ker∣chiefe out of his pocket, he desired the Afflicted to hide his eyes close: & when it was done, he vncouered himselfe again, & said; As I remember, I haue read in Virgil of the Palladium, that horse of Troy, that was of wood, that the Grecians presented to the Goddesse Pallas, with childe with armed Knights, which after were the totall ruine of all Troy, and so it were fit first to try what Clauileno hath in his stomacke.

You neede not (sayd she) for I dare warrant you, and know that Malambruno is neither traytor nor malicious, you may get vp without any feare, and vpon me be it, if you receiue any hurt. But Don Quixote thought, that euery thing thus spoken

to his safety, was a detriment of his valour: so, without more exchanging of words, vp hee got, and tried the pin that easily turned vp and downe: so with his legs at length, without stir∣rups, hee looked like an Image painted in a piece of Flanders Ar∣ras, or wouen in some Roman triumph. Sancho got vp faire and softly, and with a very ill will, and settling himselfe the best hee could vpon the crupper, found it somewhat hard, and nothing soft, and desired the Duke, that if it were possible, hee might haue a cushionet, or for failing, one of the Duchesses cushions of State, or a pillow from one of the Pages beds; for that horses crupper, he sayd, was rather marble then wood.

To this (quoth Trifaldi) Clauileno will suffer no kinde of fur∣niture nor trapping vpon him: you may doe well for your ease, to sit on him woman-wayes, so you will not feele his hardnesse so much. Sancho did so, and saying farewell, hee suffered him∣selfe to be bound about the eyes, and after vncouered himselfe againe, & looking pittifully round about the garden with teares in his eyes, he desired that they would in that dolefull trance ioyne with him each in a Pater-noster, and an Aue Maria, as God might prouide them some to doe them that charitable of∣fice when they should be in the like trance.

To which (quoth Don Quixote) Rascall, are you vpon the Gallowes, trow? or at the last gaspe, that you vse these kinde of supplications? Art thou not, thou soule-lesse cowardly creature, in the same place, where the faire Magalona sate, from whence she descended not to her graue; but to bee Queene of France, if Histories lie not? and am not I by thee? cannot I compare with the valorous Pierrs, that pressed this seat, that I now presse? Hudwinke, hudwinke thy selfe, thou dis-heartned Beast, and let not thy feare come forth of thy mouth, at least in my pre∣sence. Hudwinke mee (quoth Sancho) and since you will not. haue me pray to God, nor recommend me, how can I chuse but be afrayd, lest so me legion of Deuils bee heere, that may carry vs headlong to destruction.

Now they were hudwinked, and Don Quixote perceiuing that all was as it should be, layd hold on the pin, and scarce put his fingers to it, when all the Wayting-women, and as many as

were present, lifted vp their voyces, saying; God be thy speed, Valorous Knight; God be with thee, Vndaunted Squire: now, now you fly in the aire, cutting it with more speede then an ar∣row: now you begin to suspend, and astonish as many as behold you from earth. Hold, hold, valorous Sancho; for now thou goest wauing in the aire, take heede thou fall not; for thy fall will be worse then the bold Youths, that desired to gouerne his father, the Suns, charriot.

Sancho heard all this, and getting close to his Master, hee girt his armes about him, and sayd; Sir, why doe they say we are so high, if wee can heare their voyces? and mee thinkes they talke heere hard by vs. Ne're stand vpon that (quoth Don Quixote) for as these kindes of flying are out of the ordinary course of thousands of leagues, thou mayst heare and see any thing, and doe not presse me so hard; for thou wilt throw me downe: and verily, I know not why thou shouldest thus tremble and bee a∣frayd; for I dare sweare, in all my life, I neuer rode vpon an ea∣sier-paced horse, he goes as if hee neuer mooued from the place. Friend, banish feare; for the businesse goes on successe-fully, and we haue winde at will. Indeede tis true, quoth Sancho: for I haue a winde comes so forcibly on this side of mee, as if I were blowed vpon by a thousand paire of bellowes: and it was true indeede, they were giuing him aire, with a very good paire of bellowes.

This Aduenture was so well contriued by the Duke, the Duchesse, and the Steward, that there was no requisite awan∣ting, to make it perfect. Don Quixote too feeling the breath, sayd: Vndoubtedly, Sancho, wee are now come to the middle Region, where haile, snow,thunder and lightning, and the thun∣der-bolt are ingendred in the third Region, & if we mount long in this manner, we shall quickly be in the Region of fire, and I know not how to vse this Pin, that wee mount not where wee shall be scorcht.

Now they heated their faces with flax set on fire, and easie to be quencht, in a caue a far off: and Sancho, that felt the heat, said▪ Hang me, if •…•…e be not now in that place where the fire is; for a great part of my heard is sindged: Ile vnblind-fold my selfe, Ma∣ster,

and see where-abouts we are, Doe not (quoth Don Qui∣xote) and remember that true tale of the Scholler Toralua, whom the Deuill hoysted a vp into the aire a horse-backe on a reede, with his eyes shut, and in twelue houres hee arriued at Rome, and lighted at the Towre of Nona, which is one of the streets of the City, & saw all the mis-chance, the assault & death of Borbon, and the morrow after returned backe to Madrid, where he related all that he had seene: who also sayd, that as hee went in the aire, the Deuill bid him open his eyes, which he did, and saw himselfe, as he thought, so neere the body of the Moon, that he might haue touched her with his hands, and that he durst not looke toward the earth, for feare to be made giddy. So that, Sancho, there is no vncouering vs; for hee that hath the charge of carrying vs will looke to vs, and peraduenture wee goe dou∣bling of poynts, and mounting on high to fall euen with the Kingdome of Candaya, as doth the Sacar or Hawke vpon the Heron to catch her, mount shee neuer so high; and, though it seeme to vs not halfe an houre, since we parted from the garden, beleeue me, we haue trauelled a great way.

I know not what belongs to it (quoth Sancho) but this I know, that if your Lady Magallanes, or Magalona were plea∣sed with my seat, she was not very tender-breecht. All these dis∣courses of the two most valiant were heard by the Duke and Duchesse, and them in the garden, which gaue them extraordi∣nary content: who willing to make an end of this strange and well-composed Aduenture, clapt fire with some flax at Clauile∣no's taile: and straight the horse, being stuffed with Crackers, flew into the aire, making a strange noyse, and threw Don Quixote and Sancho both on the ground, and sindged. And now all the bearded Squadron of the Matrons vanished out of the garden, and Trifaldi too and all, and they that remained, counterfeited a dead swound, and lay all along vpon the ground.

Don Quixote and Sancho, ill-intreated, rose vp, and loo∣king round about, they wondred to see themselues in the same garden, from whence they had parted, and to see such a company of people layd vpon the ground: and their admirati∣on was the more increased, when on one side of the garden,

they saw a great lance fastned in the ground, and a smooth white piece of parchment hanging at it, with two twisted strings of greene silke, in which the following words were written with letters of gold.

THe famous & valorous Knight, Don Quixote de la Mancha, finisht and ended the Aduenture of the Countesse Trifaldi, o∣therwise called, The Afflicted Matron, and her Company, onely with vndertaking it.

Malambruno is satisfied and contented with all his heart, and now the Wayting-womens chins are smooth and cleane, and the Prin∣ces Don Clanixo and Antonomasia are in their pristine being, and when the Squires whipping shall bee accomplished, the white Pigeon shall be free from the pestiferous Ier-Falcons that persecute her, and in her loued Lullers armes; for so it is ordained by the sage Merlin, Proto-Enchanter of Enchanters.

When Don Quixote had read these letters of the parchment, he vnderstood plainely, that they spoke of the dis-enchanting of Dulcinea, and giuing many thankes to Heauen, that with so little danger he had ended so great an exployt, as reducing the faces of the venerable Wayting-women, to their former smooth∣nesse, that were now gone: he went towards the Duke and the Duchesse, who were not as yet come to themselues, and taking the Duke by the hand, hee sayd; Courage, courage, noble Sir, all's nothing, the Aduenture is now ended, without breaking of barres, as you may plainely see by the writing there in that Register.

The Duke (like one that riseth out of a profound sleepe) by little and little came to himselfe, and in the same Tenor the Du∣chesse, and all they that were downe in the garden, with such shewes of maruell and wonderment, that they did euen seeme to perswade, that those things had happened to them in earnest, which they counterfeited in iest. The Duke read the scrowle with his eyes halfe shut; and straight, with open arme, hee went to imbrace Don Quixote, telling him he was the brauest Knight that euer was. Sancho looked vp and downe for the Afflicted,

to see what manner of face shee had, now shee was dis-bearded, and if shee were so faire, as her gallant presence made shew for: but they told him, that as Clauileno came downe burning in the aire, and lighted on the ground, all the Squadron of Wayting-women with Trifaldi vanished, and now they were shaued and vnfeathered.

The Duchesse asked Sancho, how he did in that long voyage? To which he answered, I, Madam, thought (as my Master told me) we passed by the Region of fire, and I would haue vncoue∣red my selfe a little; but my Master (of whom I asked leaue) would not let me: but I that haue certaine curious itches, and a desire to know what is forbidden me, softly, without being per∣ceiued, drew vp the handkerchiffe that blinded me, a little a∣boue my nose, and there I saw the earth, and me thoughts it was no bigger then a graine of Mustard-seed, and the men that wal∣ked vpon it, somewhat bigger then Hazel-nuts, that you may see how high we were then. To this (sayd the Duchesse) Take heede, friend Sancho, what you say; for it seemes you saw not the earth, but the men that walked on it: for it is plaine, that if the earth shewed no bigger then a graine of Mustard-seede, and euery man like a Hazel-nut, one man alone would couer the whole earth.

Tis true indeede (quoth Sancho) but I looked on one side of it, and saw it all. Looke you, Sancho (quoth the Duchesse) one cannot see all of a thing by one side. I cannot tell what belongs to your seeing. Madam (quoth Sancho) but you must thinke, that since wee flew by Enchantment; by Enchantment, I might see the whole earth and all the men, which way soeuer I looked: and if you beleeue not this, neither will you beleeue, that vncouering my selfe about my eye-browes, I saw my selfe so neere heauen, that betwixt it and me there was not a handfull and a halfe; and I dare sweare, Madam, that 'tis a huge thing: and it hapned that we went that way where the se∣uen Shee-goat-starres were, and in my soule and conscience, I hauing been a Goat-heard in my youth, as soone as I saw them, I had a great desire to passe some time with them; which had I not done, I thought I should haue burst. Well, I come then, and

I take; What doe I do? without giuing notice to any body? no, not to my Master himselfe: faire and softly I lighted from Cla∣uileno, and playd with the Goates that were like white Violets, and such pretty flowers, some three quarters of an houre, and Clauileno moued not a whit all this while.

And while Sancho was playing with the Goats all this while, quoth the Duke, what did Signior Don Quixote? To which (quoth Don Quixote) As all these things are quite out of their naturall course, tis not much that Sancho hath sayd: onely for me, I say, I neither perceiued my selfe higher or lower, neither saw I Heauen, or Earth, or Seas, or Sands. True it is, that I per∣ceiued I passed thorow the middle Region, and came to the fire: but to thinke we passed from thence, I cannot beleeue it; for the Region of fire being betweene the Moone, and Heauen, and the latter Region of the aire, wee could not come to Heauen, where the seuen Goats are, that Sancho talkes of, without bur∣ning our selues: which since wee did not, either Sancho lies or dreames.

I neither lie nor dreame, quoth Sancho; for aske mee the signes of those Goats, and by them you shall see whether I tell true or no. Tell them, Sancho, quoth the Duchesse. Two of them (quoth Sancho) are greene, two bloud-red, two blew, and one mixt-coloured. Heere's a new kinde of Goats (quoth the Duke) in our Region of the earth wee haue no such coloured ones. Oh, you may bee sure (quoth Sancho) there's difference betweene those and these. Tell mee, Sancho (quoth the Duke) did you see amongst those Shee's a any He-goat? No, Sir (quoth Sancho) for I heard say that none passed the hornes of the Moone.

They would aske him no more touching his voyage; for it seemed to them, that Sancho had a clew to carry him all Heauen ouer, and to tell all that passed there, without stirring out of the garden. In conclusion, this was the end of the Aduenture of the Afflicted Matron, that gaue occasion of mirth to the Dukes, not onely for the present; but for their whole life-time, and to Sancho to recount for many ages, if he might liue so long. But Don Quixote whispering Sancho in the eare, told him; Sancho,

since you will haue vs beleeue all that you haue seene in Hea∣uen, I pray beleeue all that I saw in Montesino's Caue, and I say no more.

Notes

• a

  Heere I left cut a line or two of •• dull conceit; so it was no great matter; for in English it could not be expressed.
• a

  A Story be∣leeued in Spaine as Gospell.
• a

  An equiuo∣call question; for in Spaine they vse to call Cuckolds, Ca∣brones, He-goats.