Don Quixote

book as Sancho said; and he could not persuade himself that any such history could be in existence, for the blood of the enemies he had

history were in existence, it must necessarily, being the story of a knight-errant, be grandiloquent, lofty, imposing, grand and true. With this he comforted himself somewhat, though it made him uncomfortable to think that the author was a Moor, judging by the title of "Cide;" and that no truth was to be looked for from Moors, as they are all impostors, cheats, and schemers. He was afraid he might have dealt with his love affairs in some indecorous fa

; and of this he gave a sample as soon as he saw Don Quixote, by falling on his knees before him and saying, "Let me kiss your mightiness's hand, Senor Don Quixote of La Mancha, for, by the habit of St. Peter that I wear, though I have no more than the first four orders, your worship is one of the most famous knights-erran

, it is true that there is a history of me, an

is very day. Only ask Portugal, Barcelona, and Valencia, where they have been printed, and moreover there is a report that it is be

nent man is to find himself in his lifetime in print and in type, familiar in people's mouths with a go

uage, and the Christian in his, have taken care to set before us your gallantry, your high courage in encountering dangers, your fortitude in adversity,

ved Sancho here; "nothing more than the lady Dulcin

tion of any importanc

me, senor bachelor, what deeds of mine are

fulling mills; one cries up the description of the two armies that afterwards took the appearance of two droves of sheep; another that of the dead body on its way to be buried at Segovia;

, "does the adventure with the Yanguesans come in, w

d Samson; "he tells all and sets down everything, eve

returned Sancho; "in the air I d

that has not its ups and downs, but more than others such as deal with c

who say they would have been glad if the author had left out some of the countl

uth of the history c

recording events which do not change or affect the truth of a history, if they tend to bring the hero of it into conte

describe or sing things, not as they were, but as they ought to have been; but the historian has to write them down,

e are to be found; for they never took the measure of his worship's shoulders without doing the same for my whole bod

Quixote; "i' faith, you have no want o

gave me," said Sancho, "my weals would not

Quixote, "and don't int

tell all that is said a

r they say, too, that I am one o

esonages, friend Sa

ancho; "if that's to be the way we s

ome who would rather hear you talk than the cleverest in the whole book; though there are some, too, who say you showed yours

somewhat more advanced in life, with the experience that years bring, he wi

be able to govern with the years of Methuselah; the difficulty is that the said island keeps its

or all will be and perhaps better than you thin

s will, there will not be any want of a thousan

at are not to be compared to my shoe-sole; and for all t

on, "but of other governments of an easier kind: th

me wherever it may be most to his service, I may tell you, senor bachelor Samson Carrasco, it has pleased me beyond measure that the author of this history should have spoken of me in such a way that

working miracle

ind how he speaks or writes about people, and not set d

ted in it a novel called 'The Ill-advised Curiosity;' not that it is bad or ill-told, but tha

g has mixed the cabbages an

ight, just as Orbaneja, the painter of Ubeda, used to do, who, when they asked him what he was painting, answered, 'What it may turn out.' Sometimes he would paint a cock in such a fas

l sorts, that the instant they see any lean hack, they say, 'There goes Rocinante.' And those that are most given to reading it are the pages, for there is not a lord's ante-chamber where there is not a 'Don Quixote' to be found; one takes it up if another lays it down; this one

etc,' for by merely setting forth my thoughts, my sighs, my tears, my lofty purposes, my enterprises, he might have made a volume as large, or larger than all the works of El Tostado would make up. In fact, the conclusion I arrive at, senor bachelor, is, that to write histories, or books of any kind, there is need of great judgment and a ripe understanding. To give expression to humour, and write

but it has something good

have acquired and attained a well-deserved reputation by their writings, los

the writer, the more closely are they scrutinised. Men famous for their genius, great poets, illustrious historians, are always, or most commo

y divines who are no good for the pulpit, but excellent i

uando bonus dormitat Homerus, they should remember how long he remained awake to shed the light of his work with as little shade as possible; and perhaps it may be that what they find fault with may be moles, that sometimes hei

me must have pleased f

ancho's Dapple; for it is not stated there, but only to be inferred from what is set down, that he was stolen, and a little farther on we see Sancho mounted on the same ass, without any reappearance of it. They say, too, that he forgot to state what Sancho di

sups of the old stuff it will put me on the thorn of Santa Lucia. I have it at home, and my old woman is waiting for me; after dinner I'll come back, and will answer you and all the wor

ned, a couple of young pigeons were added to the ordinary fare, at dinner they talked chivalry, Carrasco fell in with his hos