comers； who was； in fact； a canon of Toledo and master of the others
who accompanied him； observing the regular order of the procession；
the cart； the officers； Sancho； Rocinante； the curate and the
barber； and above all Don Quixote caged and confined； could not help
asking what was the meaning of carrying the man in that fashion；
though； from the badges of the officers； he already concluded that
he must be some desperate highwayman or other malefactor whose
punishment fell within the jurisdiction of the Holy Brotherhood。 One
of the officers to whom he had put the question； replied； 〃Let the
gentleman himself tell you the meaning of his going this way； senor；
for we do not know。〃
Don Quixote overheard the conversation and said； 〃Haply；
gentlemen； you are versed and learned in matters of errant chivalry？
Because if you are I will tell you my misfortunes； if not； there is no
good in my giving myself the trouble of relating them；〃 but here the
curate and the barber； seeing that the travellers were engaged in
conversation with Don Quixote； came forward； in order to answer in
such a way as to save their stratagem from being discovered。
The canon； replying to Don Quixote； said； 〃In truth； brother； I know
more about books of chivalry than I do about Villalpando's elements of
logic； so if that be all； you may safely tell me what you please。〃
〃In God's name； then； senor；〃 replied Don Quixote； 〃if that be so； I
would have you know that I am held enchanted in this cage by the
envy and fraud of wicked enchanters； for virtue is more persecuted
by the wicked than loved by the good。 I am a knight…errant； and not
one of those whose names Fame has never thought of immortalising in
her record； but of those who； in defiance and in spite of envy itself；
and all the magicians that Persia； or Brahmans that India； or
Gymnosophists that Ethiopia ever produced； will place their names in
the temple of immortality； to serve as examples and patterns for
ages to come； whereby knights…errant may see the footsteps in which
they must tread if they would attain the summit and crowning point
of honour in arms。〃
〃What Senor Don Quixote of La Mancha says；〃 observed the curate； 〃is
the truth； for he goes enchanted in this cart； not from any fault or
sins of his； but because of the malevolence of those to whom virtue is
odious and valour hateful。 This； senor； is the Knight of the Rueful
Countenance； if you have ever heard him named； whose valiant
achievements and mighty deeds shall be written on lasting brass and
imperishable marble； notwithstanding all the efforts of envy to
obscure them and malice to hide them。〃
When the canon heard both the prisoner and the man who was at
liberty talk in such a strain he was ready to cross himself in his
astonishment； and could not make out what had befallen him； and all
his attendants were in the same state of amazement。
At this point Sancho Panza； who had drawn near to hear the
conversation； said； in order to make everything plain； 〃Well； sirs；
you may like or dislike what I am going to say； but the fact of the
matter is； my master； Don Quixote； is just as much enchanted as my
mother。 He is in his full senses； he eats and he drinks； and he has
his calls like other men and as he had yesterday； before they caged
him。 And if that's the case； what do they mean by wanting me to
believe that he is enchanted？ For I have heard many a one say that
enchanted people neither eat； nor sleep； nor talk； and my master； if
you don't stop him； will talk more than thirty lawyers。〃 Then
turning to the curate he exclaimed； 〃Ah； senor curate； senor curate！
do you think I don't know you？ Do you think I don't guess and see
the drift of these new enchantments？ Well then； I can tell you I
know you； for all your face is covered； and I can tell you I am up
to you； however you may hide your tricks。 After all； where envy reigns
virtue cannot live； and where there is niggardliness there can be no
liberality。 Ill betide the devil！ if it had not been for your
worship my master would be married to the Princess Micomicona this
minute； and I should be a count at least； for no less was to be
expected； as well from the goodness of my master； him of the Rueful
Countenance； as from the greatness of my services。 But I see now how
true it is what they say in these parts； that the wheel of fortune
turns faster than a mill…wheel； and that those who were up yesterday
are down to…day。 I am sorry for my wife and children； for when they
might fairly and reasonably expect to see their father return to
them a governor or viceroy of some island or kingdom； they will see
him come back a horse…boy。 I have said all this； senor curate； only to
urge your paternity to lay to your conscience your ill…treatment of my
master； and have a care that God does not call you to account in
another life for making a prisoner of him in this way； and charge
against you all the succours and good deeds that my lord Don Quixote
leaves undone while he is shut up。
〃Trim those lamps there！〃 exclaimed the barber at this； 〃so you
are of the same fraternity as your master； too； Sancho？ By God； I
begin to see that you will have to keep him company in the cage； and
be enchanted like him for having caught some of his humour and
chivalry。 It was an evil hour when you let yourself be got with
child by his promises； and that island you long so much for found
its way into your head。〃
〃I am not with child by anyone；〃 returned Sancho； 〃nor am I a man to
let myself be got with child； if it was by the King himself。 Though
I am poor I am an old Christian； and I owe nothing to nobody； and if I
long for an island； other people long for worse。 Each of us is the son
of his own works； and being a man I may come to be pope； not to say
governor of an island； especially as my master may win so many that he
will not know whom to give them to。 Mind how you talk； master
barber； for shaving is not everything； and there is some difference
between Peter and Peter。 I say this because we all know one another；
and it will not do to throw false dice with me； and as to the
enchantment of my master； God knows the truth； leave it as it is； it
only makes it worse to stir it。〃
The barber did not care to answer Sancho lest by his plain
speaking he should disclose what the curate and he himself were trying
so hard to conceal； and under the same apprehension the curate had
asked the canon to ride on a little in advance； so that he might
tell him the mystery of this man in the cage； and other things that
would amuse him。 The canon agreed； and going on ahead with his
servants； listened with attention to the account of the character；
life； madness； and ways of Don Quixote； given him by the curate； who
described to him briefly the beginning and origin of his craze； and
told him the whole story of his adventures up to his being confined in
the cage； together with the plan they had of taking him home to try if
by any means they could discover a cure for his madness。 The canon and
his servants were surprised anew when they heard Don Quixote's strange
story； and when it was finished he said； 〃To tell the truth； senor
curate； I for my part consider what they call books of chivalry to
be mischievous to the State； and though； led by idle and false
taste； I have read the beginnings of almost all that have been
printed； I never could manage to read any one of them from beginning
to end； for it seems to me they are all more or less the same thing；
and one has nothing more in it than another； this no more than that。
And in my opinion this sort of writing and composition is of the
same species as the fables they call the Milesian； nonsensical tales
that aim solely at giving amusement and not instruction； exactly the
opposite of the apologue fables which amuse and instruct at the same
time。 And though it may be the chief object of such books to amuse；
I do not know how they can succeed； when they are so full of such
monstrous nonsense。 For the enjoyment the mind feels must come from
the beauty and harmony which it perceives or contemplates in the
things that the eye or the imagination brings before it； and nothing
that has any ugliness or disproportion about it can give any pleasure。
What beauty； then； or what proportion of the parts to the whole； or of
the whole to the parts； can there be in a book or fable where a lad of
sixteen cuts down a giant as tall as a tower and makes two halves of
him as if he was an almond cake？ And when they want to give us a
picture of a battle； after having told us that there are a million
of combatants on the side of the enemy； let the hero of the book be
opposed to them； and we have perforce to believe； whether we like it
or not； that the said knight wins the victory by the single might of
his strong arm。 And then； what shall we say of the facility with which
a born queen or empress will give herself over into the arms of some
unknown wandering knight？ What mind； that is not wholly barbarous
and uncultured； can find pleasure in reading of how a great tower full
of knights sails away across the sea like a ship with a fair wind； and
will be to…night in Lombardy and to…morrow morning in the land of
Prester John of the Indies； or some other that Ptolemy never described
nor Marco Polo saw？ And if； in answer to this； I am told that the
authors of books of the kind write them as fiction； and therefore
are not bound to regard niceties of truth； I would reply that
fiction is all the better the more it looks like truth； and gives
the more pleasure the more probability and possibility there is
about it。 Plots in fiction should be wedded to the understanding of
the reader； and be constructed in such a way that； reconciling
impossibilities； smoothing over difficulties； keeping the mind on
the alert； they may surprise； interest； divert； and entertain； so that
wonder and delight joined may keep pace one with the other； all
which he will fail to effect who shuns verisimilitude and truth to
nature； wherein lies the perfection of writing。 I have never yet
seen any book of chivalry that puts together a connected plot complete
in all its numbers； so that the middle agrees with the beginning；