OF THE STRANGE ADVENTURE WHICH THE VALIANT DON QUIXOTE HAD WITH THE CAR

OR CART OF "THE CORTES OF DEATH"

Dejected beyond measure did Don Quixote pursue his journey, turning over

in his mind the cruel trick the enchanters had played him in changing his

lady Dulcinea into the vile shape of the village lass, nor could he think

of any way of restoring her to her original form; and these reflections

so absorbed him, that without being aware of it he let go Rocinante's

bridle, and he, perceiving the liberty that was granted him, stopped at

every step to crop the fresh grass with which the plain abounded.

Sancho recalled him from his reverie. "Melancholy, senor," said he, "was

made, not for beasts, but for men; but if men give way to it overmuch

they turn to beasts; control yourself, your worship; be yourself again;

gather up Rocinante's reins; cheer up, rouse yourself and show that

gallant spirit that knights-errant ought to have. What the devil is this?

What weakness is this? Are we here or in France? The devil fly away with

all the Dulcineas in the world; for the well-being of a single

knight-errant is of more consequence than all the enchantments and

transformations on earth."

"Hush, Sancho," said Don Quixote in a weak and faint voice, "hush and

utter no blasphemies against that enchanted lady; for I alone am to blame

for her misfortune and hard fate; her calamity has come of the hatred the

wicked bear me."

"So say I," returned Sancho; "his heart rend in twain, I trow, who saw

her once, to see her now."

"Thou mayest well say that, Sancho," replied Don Quixote, "as thou sawest

her in the full perfection of her beauty; for the enchantment does not go

so far as to pervert thy vision or hide her loveliness from thee; against

me alone and against my eyes is the strength of its venom directed.

Nevertheless, there is one thing which has occurred to me, and that is

that thou didst ill describe her beauty to me, for, as well as I

recollect, thou saidst that her eyes were pearls; but eyes that are like

pearls are rather the eyes of a sea-bream than of a lady, and I am

persuaded that Dulcinea's must be green emeralds, full and soft, with two

rainbows for eyebrows; take away those pearls from her eyes and transfer

them to her teeth; for beyond a doubt, Sancho, thou hast taken the one

for the other, the eyes for the teeth."

"Very likely," said Sancho; "for her beauty bewildered me as much as her

ugliness did your worship; but let us leave it all to God, who alone

knows what is to happen in this vale of tears, in this evil world of

ours, where there is hardly a thing to be found without some mixture of

wickedness, roguery, and rascality. But one thing, senor, troubles me

more than all the rest, and that is thinking what is to be done when your

worship conquers some giant, or some other knight, and orders him to go

and present himself before the beauty of the lady Dulcinea. Where is this

poor giant, or this poor wretch of a vanquished knight, to find her? I

think I can see them wandering all over El Toboso, looking like noddies,

and asking for my lady Dulcinea; and even if they meet her in the middle

of the street they won't know her any more than they would my father."




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