"Try that bone on another dog," said the landlord; "as if I did not know

how many make five, and where my shoe pinches me; don't think to feed me

with pap, for by God I am no fool. It is a good joke for your worship to

try and persuade me that everything these good books say is nonsense and

lies, and they printed by the license of the Lords of the Royal Council,

as if they were people who would allow such a lot of lies to be printed

all together, and so many battles and enchantments that they take away

one's senses."

"I have told you, friend," said the curate, "that this is done to divert

our idle thoughts; and as in well-ordered states games of chess, fives,

and billiards are allowed for the diversion of those who do not care, or

are not obliged, or are unable to work, so books of this kind are allowed

to be printed, on the supposition that, what indeed is the truth, there

can be nobody so ignorant as to take any of them for true stories; and if

it were permitted me now, and the present company desired it, I could say

something about the qualities books of chivalry should possess to be good

ones, that would be to the advantage and even to the taste of some; but I

hope the time will come when I can communicate my ideas to some one who

may be able to mend matters; and in the meantime, senor landlord, believe

what I have said, and take your books, and make up your mind about their

truth or falsehood, and much good may they do you; and God grant you may

not fall lame of the same foot your guest Don Quixote halts on."

"No fear of that," returned the landlord; "I shall not be so mad as to

make a knight-errant of myself; for I see well enough that things are not

now as they used to be in those days, when they say those famous knights

roamed about the world."

Sancho had made his appearance in the middle of this conversation, and he

was very much troubled and cast down by what he heard said about

knights-errant being now no longer in vogue, and all books of chivalry

being folly and lies; and he resolved in his heart to wait and see what

came of this journey of his master's, and if it did not turn out as

happily as his master expected, he determined to leave him and go back to

his wife and children and his ordinary labour.




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