don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第55章

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the　world；　and　no　such　exploits　or　nonsense　ever　happened　anywhere。〃
　　〃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。
　　The　landlord　was　carrying　away　the　valise　and　the　books；　but　the
curate　said　to　him；　〃Wait；　I　want　to　see　what　those　papers　are　that
are　written　in　such　a　good　hand。〃　The　landlord　taking　them　out
handed　them　to　him　to　read；　and　he　perceived　they　were　a　work　of　about
eight　sheets　of　manuscript；　with；　in　large　letters　at　the　beginning；
the　title　of　〃Novel　of　the　Ill…advised　Curiosity。〃　The　curate　read
three　or　four　lines　to　himself；　and　said；　〃I　must　say　the　title　of
this　novel　does　not　seem　to　me　a　bad　one；　and　I　feel　an　inclination　to
read　it　all。〃　To　which　the　landlord　replied；　〃Then　your　reverence　will
do　well　to　read　it；　for　I　can　tell　you　that　some　guests　who　have
read　it　here　have　been　much　pleased　with　it；　and　have　begged　it　of
me　very　earnestly；　but　I　would　not　give　it；　meaning　to　return　it　to
the　person　who　forgot　the　valise；　books；　and　papers　here；　for　maybe　he
will　return　here　some　time　or　other；　and　though　I　know　I　shall　miss
the　books；　faith　I　mean　to　return　them；　for　though　I　am　an
innkeeper；　still　I　am　a　Christian。〃
　　〃You　are　very　right；　friend；〃　said　the　curate；　〃but　for　all　that；　if
the　novel　pleases　me　you　must　let　me　copy　it。〃
　　〃With　all　my　heart；〃　replied　the　host。
　　While　they　were　talking　Cardenio　had　taken　up　the　novel　and　begun　to
read　it；　and　forming　the　same　opinion　of　it　as　the　curate；　he　begged
him　to　read　it　so　that　they　might　all　hear　it。
　　〃I　would　read　it；〃　said　the　curate；　〃if　the　time　would　not　be　better
spent　in　sleeping。〃
　　〃It　will　be　rest　enough　for　me；〃　said　Dorothea；　〃to　while　away　the
time　by　listening　to　some　tale；　for　my　spirits　are　not　yet　tranquil
enough　to　let　me　sleep　when　it　would　be　seasonable。〃
　　〃Well　then；　in　that　case；〃　said　the　curate；　〃I　will　read　it；　if　it
were　only　out　of　curiosity；　perhaps　it　may　contain　something
pleasant。〃
　　Master　Nicholas　added　his　entreaties　to　the　same　effect；　and
Sancho　too；　seeing　which；　and　considering　that　he　would　give
pleasure　to　all；　and　receive　it　himself；　the　curate　said；　〃Well
then；　attend　to　me　everyone；　for　the　novel　begins　thus。〃

　　CHAPTER　XXXIII
　　IN　WHICH　IS　RELATED　THE　NOVEL　OF　〃THE　ILL…ADVISED　CURIOSITY〃

　　IN　Florence；　a　rich　and　famous　city　of　Italy　in　the　province
called　Tuscany；　there　lived　two　gentlemen　of　wealth　and　quality；
Anselmo　and　Lothario；　such　great　friends　that　by　way　of　distinction
they　were　called　by　all　that　knew　them　〃The　Two　Friends。〃　They　were
unmarried；　young；　of　the　same　age　and　of　the　same　tastes；　which　was
enough　to　account　for　the　reciprocal　friendship　between　them。　Anselmo；
it　is　true；　was　somewhat　more　inclined　to　seek　pleasure　in　love　than
Lothario；　for　whom　the　pleasures　of　the　chase　had　more　attraction；　but
on　occasion　Anselmo　would　forego　his　own　tastes　to　yield　to　those　of
Lothario；　and　Lothario　would　surrender　his　to　fall　in　with　those　of
Anselmo；　and　in　this　way　their　inclinations　kept　pace　one　with　the
other　with　a　concord　so　perfect　that　the　best　regulated　clock　could
not　surpass　it。
　　Anselmo　was　deep　in　love　with　a　high…born　and　beautiful　maiden　of
the　same　city；　the　daughter　of　parents　so　estimable；　and　so
estimable　herself；　that　he　resolved；　with　the　approval　of　his　friend
Lothario；　without　whom　he　did　nothing；　to　ask　her　of　them　in　marriage；
and　did　so；　Lothario　being　the　bearer　of　the　demand；　and　conducting
the　negotiation　so　much　to　the　satisfaction　of　his　friend　that　in　a
short　time　he　was　in　possession　of　the　object　of　his　desires；　and
Camilla　so　happy　in　having　won　Anselmo　for　her　husband；　that　she
gave　thanks　unceasingly　to　heaven　and　to　Lothario；　by　whose　means　such
good　fortune　had　fallen　to　her。　The　first　few　days；　those　of　a　wedding
being　usually　days　of　merry…making；　Lothario　frequented　his　friend
Anselmo's　house　as　he　had　been　wont；　striving　to　do　honour　to　him
and　to　the　occasion；　and　to　gratify　him　in　every　way　he　could；　but
when　the　wedding　days　were　over　and　the　succession　of　visits　and
congratulations　had　slackened；　he　began　purposely　to　leave　off　going
to　the　house　of　Anselmo；　for　it　seemed　to　him；　as　it　naturally　would
to　all　men　of　sense；　that　friends'　houses　ought　not　to　be　visited
after　marriage　with　the　same　frequency　as　in　their　masters'　bachelor
days：　because；　though　true　and　genuine　friendship　cannot　and　should
not　be　in　any　way　suspicious；　still　a　married　man's　honour　is　a
thing　of　such　delicacy　that　it　is　held　liable　to　injury　from　brothers；
much　more　from　friends。　Anselmo　remarked　the　cessation　of　Lothario's
visits；　and　complained　of　it　to　him；　saying　that　if　he　had　known
that　marriage　was　to　keep　him　from　enjoying　his　society　as　he　used；　he
would　have　never　married；　and　that；　if　by　the　thorough　harmony　that
subsisted　between　them　while　he　was　a　bachelor　they　had　earned　such
a　sweet　name　as　that　of　〃The　Two　Friends；〃　he　should　not　allow　a　title
so　rare　and　so　delightful　to　be　lost　through　a　needless　anxiety　to　act
circumspectly；　and　so　he　entreated　him；　if　such　a　phrase　was　allowable
between　them；　to　be　once　more　master　of　his　house　and　to　come　in　and
go　out　as　formerly；　assuring　him　that　his　wife　Camilla　had　no　other
desire　or　inclination　than　that　which　he　would　wish　her　to　have；　and
that　knowing　how　sincerely　they　loved　one　another　she　was　grieved　to
see　such　coldness　in　him。
　　To　all　this　and　much　more　that　Anselmo　said　to　Lothario　to
persuade　him　to　come　to　his　house　as　he　had　been　in　the　habit　of
doing；　Lothario　replied　with　so　much　prudence；　sense；　and　judgment；
that　Anselmo　was　satisfied　of　his　friend's　good　intentions；　and　it　was
agreed　that　on　two　days　in　the　week；　and　on　holidays；　Lothario
should　come　to　dine　with　him；　but　though　this　arrangement　was　made
between　them　Lothario　resolved　to　observe　it　no　further　than　he
considered　to　be　in　accordance　with　the　honour　of　his　friend；　whose
good　name　was　more　to　him　than　his　own。　He　said；　and　justly；　that　a
married　man　upon　whom　heaven　had　bestowed　a　beautiful　wife　should
consider　as　carefully　what　friends　he　brought　to　his　house　as　what
female　friends　his　wife　associated　with；　for　what　cannot　be　done　or
arranged　in　the　market…place；　in　church；　at　public　festivals　or　at
stations　（opportunities　that　husbands　cannot　always　deny　their　wives）；
may　be　easily　managed　in　the　house　of　the　female　friend　or　relative　in
whom　most　confidence　is　reposed。　Lothario　said；　too；　that　every
married　man　should　have　some　friend　who　would　point　out　to　him　any
negligence　he　might　be　guilty　of　in　his　conduct；　for　it　will　sometimes
happen　that　owing　to　the　deep　affection　the　husband　bears　his　wife
either　he　does　not　caution　her；　or；　not　to　vex　her；　refrains　from
telling　her　to　do　or　not　to　do　certain　things；　doing　or　avoiding　which
may　be　a　matter　of　honour　or　reproach　to　him；　and　errors　of　this
kind　he　could　easily　correct　if　warned　by　a　friend。　But　where　is
such　a　friend　to　be　found　as　Lothario　would　have；　so　judicious；　so
loyal；　and　so　true？
　　Of　a　truth　I　know　not；　Lothario　alone　was　such　a　one；　for　with　the
utmost　care　and　vigilance　he　watched　over　the　honour　of　his　friend；
and　strove　to　diminish；　cut　down；　and　reduce　the　number　of　days　for
going　to　his　house　according　to　their　agreement；　lest　the　visits　of
a　young　man；　wealthy；　high…born；　and　with　the　attractions　he　was
conscious　of　possessing；　at　the　house　of　a　woman　so　beautiful　as
Camilla；　should　be　regarded　with　suspicion　by　the　inquisitive　and
malicious　eyes　of　the　idle　public。　For　though　his　integrity　and
reputation　might　bridle　slanderous　tongues；　still　he　was　unwilling
to　hazard　either　his　own　good　name　or　that　of　his　friend；　and　for　this
reason　most　of　the　days　agreed　upon　he　devoted　to　some　other
business　which　he　pretended　was　unavoidable；　so　that　a　great　portion
of　the　day　was　taken　up　with　complaints　on　one　side　and　excuses　on　the
other。　It　happened；　however；　that　on　one　occasion　when　the　two　were
strolling　together　outside　the　city；　Anselmo　addressed　the　following
words　to　Lothario。
　　〃Thou　mayest　suppose；　Lothario　my　friend；　that　I　am　unable　to　give
sufficient　thanks　for　the　favours　God　has　rendered　me　in　making　me　the
son　of　such　parents　as　mine　were；　and　bestowing　upon　me　with　no
niggard　hand　what　are　called　the　gifts　of　nature　as　well　as　those　of
fortune；　and　above　all　for　what　he　has　done　in　giving　me　thee　for　a
friend　and　Camilla　for　a　wife…　two　treasures　that　I　value；　if　not　as
highly　as　I　ought；　at　least　as　highly　as　I　am　able。　And　yet；　with
all　these　good　things；　which　are　commonly　all　that　men　need　to
enable　them　to　live　happily；　I　am　the　most　discontented　and
dissatisfied　man　in　the　whole　world；　for；　I　know　not　how　long　since；　I
have　been　harassed　and　oppressed　by　a　desire　so　strange　and　so
unusual；　that　I　wonder　at　myself　and　blame　and　chide　myself　when　I
am　alone；　and　strive　to　stifle　it　and　hide　it　from　my　own　thoughts；
and　with　no　better　success　than　if　I　were　endeavouring　deliberately　to
publish　it　to　a