The History of Don Quixote de la Mancha Part 26

A while after came two of the officers, bringing a person along with them. "My lord governor," said one of them, "we have brought here one that is dressed like a man, yet is no man, but a woman, and no ugly one neither." Thereupon they lifted up to her eyes two or three lanterns, and by their light discovered the face of a woman about sixteen years of age, beautiful to admiration, with her hair put up in a network caul of gold and green silk. Sancho was surprised at her beauty, and asked her who she was, whither she was going, and upon what account she had put on such a dress. "Sir," said she, casting her eyes on the ground with a decent bashfulness, "I cannot tell you before so many people what I have so much reason to wish may be kept a secret. Only this one thing I do a.s.sure you, I am no thief, nor evil-minded person, but an unhappy maid, whom the force of jealousy has constrained to transgress the laws of decorum." The steward hearing this, "My lord governor," said he, "be pleased to order your attendants to retire, that the gentlewoman may more freely tell her mind." The governor did accordingly; and all the company removed to a distance, except the steward, the gentleman-waiter, and the secretary; and then the young lady thus proceeded:

"I am the daughter of Pedro Perez Mazorca, farmer of the wool in this town, who comes very often to my father's house." "This will hardly pa.s.s, madam," said the steward; "for I know Pedro Perez very well, and he has neither son nor daughter; besides, you tell us he is your father, and yet that he comes very often to your father's house." "I observed as much," said Sancho. "Indeed, gentlemen," said she, "I am now so troubled in mind, that I know not what I say; but the truth is, I am the daughter of Diego de la Llana, whom I suppose you all know."

"Now this may pa.s.s," said the steward; "for I know Diego de la Llana, who is a very considerable gentleman, has a good estate, and a son and a daughter. But since his wife died, n.o.body in this town can say he ever saw that daughter; for he keeps her so close, that he hardly suffers the sun to look on her; though indeed the common report is, that she is an extraordinary beauty." "You say very true, sir,"

replied the young lady; "and I am that very daughter. As for my beauty, if fame has given you a wrong character of it, you will now be undeceived, since you have seen my face;" and with this she burst out into tears. The secretary, perceiving this, whispered the gentleman-waiter in the ear: "Sure," said he, "some extraordinary matter must have happened to this poor young lady, since it could oblige one of her quality to come out of doors in this disguise."

"That is without question," answered the other; "for her tears, too, confirm the suspicion." Sancho comforted her with the best reasons he could think on, and bid her not be afraid, but tell them what had befallen her.

"You must know, gentlemen," said she, "that it is now ten years that my father has kept me close--ever since my mother died. We have a small chapel in the house, where we hear ma.s.s; and in all that time I have seen nothing but the sun by day, and the moon and stars by night; neither do I know what streets, squares, market-places, and churches are; no, nor men, except my father, my brother, and that Pedro Perez the wool-farmer, whom I at first would have pa.s.sed upon you for my father. This confinement (not being allowed to stir abroad, though but to go to church) has made me uneasy this great while, and made me long to see the world, or at least the town where I was born, which I thought was no unlawful or unseemly desire. When I heard them talk of feasts, prizes, acting of plays, and other public sports, I asked my brother, who is a year younger than I, what they meant by those things, and a world of others, which I have not seen; and he informed me as well as he could; but that made me but the more eager to be satisfied by my own eyes. In short, I begged of my brother--I wish I never had done it----" And here she relapsed into tears. The steward perceiving it, "Come, madam," said he, "pray proceed, and make an end of telling us what has happened to you; for your words and your tears keep us all in suspense." "I have but few more words to add," answered she, "but many more tears to shed; for they are commonly the fruit of such imprudent desires."

Thereupon, with broken sobs and half-fetched sighs, "Sir," said she, "all my misfortune is, that I desired my brother to lend me some of his clothes, and that he would take me out some night or other to see all the town, while our father was asleep. Importuned by my entreaties, he consented; and, having lent me his clothes, he put on mine, which fit him as if they had been made for him. So this very night, about an hour ago, we got out; and being guided by my father's footboy, and our own unruly desires, we took a ramble over the whole town; and as we were going home, we perceived a great number of people coming our way; whereupon said my brother, 'Sister, this is certainly the watch; follow me, and let us not only run, but fly as fast as we can; for if we should be known, it will be the worse for us.' With that, he fell a-running as fast as if he had wings to his feet. I fell a-running too; but was so frightened, that I fell down before I had gone half-a-dozen steps; and then a man overtook me, and brought me before you and this crowd of people, by whom, to my shame, I am taken for an ill creature--a bold, indiscreet night-walker." All this was afterwards confirmed by her brother, who was now brought by some of the watch, one of whom had at last overtaken him, after he had left his sister. He had nothing on but a very rich petticoat, and a blue damask manteau, with a gold galloon; his head without any ornament but his own hair, that hung down in natural curls like so many rings of gold. The governor, the steward, and the gentleman-waiter took him aside; and after they had examined him apart, why he had put on that dress, he gave the same answer his sister had done, and with no less bashfulness and concern; much to the satisfaction of the gentleman-waiter, who was much smitten with the young lady's charms.

As for the governor, after he had heard the whole matter, "Truly, gentlefolks," said he, "here is a little piece of childish folly; and to give an account of this wild frolic and slip of youth, there needed not all these sighs and tears, nor those hems, and ha's, and long excuses. Could not you, without any more ado, have said our names are so and so, and we stole out of our father's house for an hour or two, only to ramble about the town, and satisfy a little curiosity; and there had been an end of the story, without all this weeping and wailing?" "You say very well," said the young damsel; "but you may imagine that, in the trouble and fright I was in, I could not behave myself as I should have done." "Well," said Sancho, "there is no harm done; go along with us, and we will see you home to your father's; perhaps you may not yet be missed. But have a care how you gad abroad to see fas.h.i.+ons another time. Do not be too venturesome; an honest maid should be still at home, as if she had one leg broken. A hen and a woman are lost by rambling; and she that longs to see, longs also to be seen. I need say no more."

The young gentleman thanked the governor for his civility, and then went home under his conduct. Being come to the house, the young spark threw a little stone against one of the iron-barred windows; and presently a maid-servant, who sat up for them, came down, opened the door, and let him and his sister in.

The governor, with his company, then continued his rounds, talking all the way as they went of the genteel carriage and beauty of the brother and sister, and the great desire these poor children had to see the world by night.

As for the gentleman-waiter, he was so pa.s.sionately in love, that he resolved to go the next day and demand her of her father in marriage, not doubting but the old gentleman would comply with him, as he was one of the duke's princ.i.p.al servants. On the other side, Sancho had a great mind to strike a match between the young man and his daughter Sanchica; and he resolved to bring it about as soon as possible--believing no man's son could think himself too good for a governor's daughter.

CHAPTER Lx.x.x.

_Which narrates the success of the page that carried Sancho's letter to his wife._

The d.u.c.h.ess, having a great desire to continue the merriment which Don Quixote's extravagances afforded them, the page that acted the part of Dulcinea in the wood was despatched away to Teresa Panza with a letter from her husband (for Sancho, having his head full of his government, had quite forgotten to do it); and at the same time the d.u.c.h.ess sent another from herself, with a large costly string of coral as a present.

Now the page was a sharp and ingenious lad; and being very desirous to please his lord and lady, made the best of his way to Sancho's village. When he came near the place, he saw a company of females was.h.i.+ng at a brook, and asked them whether they could inform him if there lived not in that town a woman whose name was Teresa Panza, wife to one Sancho Panza, squire to a knight called Don Quixote de la Mancha? He had no sooner asked the question, than a young girl that was was.h.i.+ng among the rest stood up: "Teresa Panza is my mother,"

quoth she; "that gaffer Sancho is my own father, and that same knight our master." "Well, then, damsel," said the page, "pray go along with me, and bring me to your mother; for I have a letter and a token here for her from your father." "That I will, with all my heart, sir," said the girl, who seemed to be about fourteen years of age; and with that, leaving the clothes she was was.h.i.+ng to one of her companions, without staying to dress her head or put on her shoes, away she sprung before the page's horse, barelegged, and with her hair about her ears. "Come along, if it please you," quoth she; "our house is hard by; it is but just as you come into the town; and my mother is at home, but brimful of sorrow, poor soul; for she has not heard from my father, I do not know how long." "Well," said the page, "I bring her tidings that will cheer her heart, I warrant her." At last, what with leaping, running, and jumping, the girl being come to the house, "Mother, mother," cried she, as loud as she could, before she went in, "come out, mother--come out; here is a gentleman has brought letters from my father!" At that summons, out came the mother, spinning a lock of coa.r.s.e flax, with a russet petticoat about her, a waistcoat of the same, and her smock hanging loose about it. Take her otherwise, she was none of the oldest, but looked somewhat turned of forty--strong-built, sinewy, hale, vigorous, and in good case. "What is the matter, girl?" quoth she, seeing her daughter with the page; "what gentleman is that?" "A servant of your ladys.h.i.+p's, my Lady Teresa Panza," answered the page; and at the same time alighting, and throwing himself at her feet, "My n.o.ble Lady Donna Teresa," said he, "permit me the honour to kiss your ladys.h.i.+p's hand, as you are the wife of my Lord Don Sancho Panza, governor of the island of Barataria." "Alack-a-day!" quoth Teresa, "what do you do? I am none of your court-dames; but a poor, silly, country body, a ploughman's daughter,--the wife, indeed, of a squire-errant, but no governor." "Your ladys.h.i.+p," replied the page, "is the most worthy wife of a thrice-worthy governor; and for proof of what I say, be pleased to receive this letter and this present." With that, he took out of his pocket a string of coral beads, set in gold, and putting it about her neck, "This letter," said he, "is from his honour the governor; and another that I have for you, together with these beads, are from her grace the lady d.u.c.h.ess, who sends me now to your ladys.h.i.+p."

Teresa stood amazed, and her daughter was transported. "Now," quoth the young baggage, "if our master, Don Quixote, be not at the bottom of this. He has given my father that same government or earldom he has promised him so many times." "You say right," answered the page; "it is for the Lord Don Quixote's sake that the Lord Sancho is now governor of the island of Barataria." "Good sir," quoth Teresa, "read it me, if it like your wors.h.i.+p; for though I can spin, I cannot read a jot." "Nor I neither," cried Sanchica; "but do but stay a little, and I will go fetch one that shall, either the bachelor Sampson Carrasco, or our parson himself, who will come with all their hearts to hear the news of my father." "You may spare yourself the trouble," said the page; "for though I cannot spin, yet I can read; and I will read it to you." With that he read the letter, which is now omitted, because it has been inserted before. That done, he pulled out another from the d.u.c.h.ess, which runs as follows:

"FRIEND TERESA,

"Your husband Sancho's good parts, his wit and honesty, obliged me to desire the duke, my husband, to bestow on him the government of one of his islands. I am informed he is as sharp as a hawk in his office, for which I am very glad, as well as my lord duke, and return Heaven many thanks that I have not been deceived in making choice of him for that preferment; for you must know, Signora Teresa, it is a difficult thing to meet with a good governor in this world.

"I have sent you, my dear friend, a string of coral beads, set in gold; I could wish they were oriental pearls for your sake; but a small token may not hinder a great one. The time will come when we shall be better acquainted; and when we have conversed together, who knows what may come to pa.s.s?

"I understand you have fine large acorns in your town; pray send me a dozen or two of them; I shall set a greater value upon them as coming from your hands. And pray let me have a good long letter, to let me know how you do; and if you have occasion for any thing, it is but ask and have.

"Your loving friend,

"THE d.u.c.h.eSS.

"From this castle."

"Ah!" quoth Teresa, when she had heard the letter, "what a good lady is this! not a bit of pride in her! Let me be buried with such ladies, and not with such proud madams as we have in our town; who, because they are gentlefolks, forsooth, think the wind must not blow on them, but come flaunting to church as stately as if they were queens. It seems they think it scorn to look upon a poor countrywoman. But, la you! here is a good lady, who, though she be a d.u.c.h.ess, calls me her friend, and uses me as if I were as high as herself. Well, may I see her as high as the highest steeple in the whole country! As for the acorns she writes for, I will send her good ladys.h.i.+p a whole peck, and such swinging acorns, that every body shall come to admire them far and near. And now, Sanchica, see that the gentleman be made welcome, and want for nothing. Take care of his horse. Run to the stable; get some eggs; cut some bacon: he shall fare like a prince. The rare news he has brought me, and his good looks, deserve no less. Meanwhile, I must run and tell my neighbours the news. Our good curate, too, shall know it, and Mr. Nicholas the barber; for they have all along been thy father's friends." "Ay, do, mother," said the daughter; "but, hark you, you must give me half the beads; for, I daresay, the great lady knows better things than to give them all to you." "It is all thy own, child," cried the mother; "but let me wear it a few days about my neck, for thou canst not think how it rejoices the very heart of me."

"You will rejoice more presently," said the page, "when you see what I have got in my portmanteau; a fine suit of green cloth, which the governor wore but one day a-hunting, and has here sent to my Lady Sanchica."

Presently, away ran Teresa, with the beads about her neck, and the letters in her hand, all the while playing with her fingers on the papers, as if they had been a timbrel; and meeting, by chance, the curate and the bachelor Carrasco, she fell a-dancing and frisking about. "Faith and troth," cried she, "we are all made now. We have got a little thing called a 'government.' And now, let the proudest of them all toss up her nose at me, and I will give her as good as she brings. I will make her know her distance." "How now, Teresa?" said the curate; "what mad fit is this? what papers are these in your hand?" "No mad fit at all," answered Teresa; "but these are letters from d.u.c.h.esses and governors, and these beads about my neck are right coral, the Ave-marias I mean, and the Paternosters are of beaten gold; and I am a governor's lady, I a.s.sure you." "Verily," said the curate, "there is no understanding you, Teresa; we do not know what you mean."

"There is what will clear the riddle," quoth Teresa; and with that she gave them the letters. Thereupon, the curate having read them aloud, that Sampson Carrasco might also be informed, they both stood and looked on one another, and were more at a loss than before. The bachelor asked her who brought the letter? Teresa told them it was a sweet, handsome, young man, as fine as anything; and that he had brought her another present worth twice as much. The curate took the string of beads from her neck, and finding that it was a thing of value, he could not conceive the meaning of all this. "I cannot tell,"

cried he, "what to think of this business. I am convinced these beads are right coral and gold; but again, here is a d.u.c.h.ess sends to beg a dozen or two of acorns." "Crack that nut if you can," said Sampson Carrasco. "But come, let us go to see the messenger, and probably he will clear our doubts."

Thereupon, going with Teresa, they found the page sifting a little corn for his horse, and Sanchica cutting a rasher of bacon, to be fried with eggs, for his dinner. They both liked the page's mien and his garb; and after the usual compliments, Sampson desired him to tell them some news of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza; for though they had read a letter from the latter to his wife, and another from the d.u.c.h.ess, they were no better than riddles to them; nor could they imagine how Sancho should come by a government, especially of an island, well knowing that all the islands in the Mediterranean, or the greatest part of them, were the king's.

"Gentlemen," answered the page, "it is a certain truth, that Signor Sancho Panza is a governor, but whether it be of an island or not, I do not pretend to determine; but this I can a.s.sure you, that he commands in a town that has above a thousand inhabitants. And as for my lady d.u.c.h.ess's sending to a countrywoman for a few acorns, that is no such wonder, for she is so free from pride, that I have known her send to borrow a comb of one of her neighbours. You must know, our ladies of Arragon, though they are as n.o.ble as those of Castile, do not stand so much upon formalities and punctilios, neither do they take so much state upon them, but treat people with more familiarity."

The curate and the bachelor plainly perceived that the page spoke jestingly; but yet the costly string of beads, and the hunting suit, which by this time Teresa had let them see, confounded them again.

"Then, sir, you a.s.sure us still," said Carrasco, "that Sancho is really a governor, and that a d.u.c.h.ess sends these presents and letters upon his account; for though we see the things, and read the letters, we can scarce prevail with ourselves to believe it, but are apt to run into our friend Don Quixote's opinion, and look on all this as the effect of some enchantment; so that I could find in my heart to feel and try whether you are merely a visionary messenger or a real creature of flesh and blood."

"For my part, gentlemen," answered the page, "all I can tell you is, that I am really the messenger I appear to be; that the Lord Sancho Panza is actually a governor; and that the duke and the d.u.c.h.ess, to whom I belong, are able to give, and have given him that government; where, I am credibly informed, he behaves himself most worthily. Now if there be any enchantment in the matter, I leave you to examine that; for I know no more of the business." "That may be," said the bachelor, "but yet _dubitat Augustinus_." "You may doubt if you please," replied the page, "but I have told you the truth, which will always prevail over falsehood, and rise uppermost, as oil does above water. But if you will _operibus credere, et non verbis_, let one of you go along with me, and you shall see with your eyes, what you will not believe by the help of your ears." "I will go with all my heart,"

quoth Sanchica; "take me up behind ye, sir; I have a great mind to see my father." "The daughters of governors," said the page, "must not travel thus unattended, but in coaches or litters, and with a handsome train of servants." "Oh," quoth Sanchica, "I can go a journey as well on an a.s.s as in one of your coaches. I am none of your tender squeamish things, not I." "Peace, chicken," quoth the mother, "thou dost not know what thou sayest; the gentleman is in the right: times are altered. When it was plain Sancho, it was plain Sanchica; but now he is a governor, thou art a lady: I cannot well tell whether I am right or no." "My Lady Teresa says more than she is aware of," said the page. "But now," continued he, "give me a mouthful to eat as soon as you can, for I must go back this afternoon." "Be pleased then, sir," said the curate, "to go with me, and partake of a slender meal at my house, for my neighbour Teresa is more willing than able to entertain so good a guest." The page excused himself a while, but at last complied, being persuaded it would be much for the better; and the curate, on his side, was glad of his company, to have an opportunity to inform himself at large about Don Quixote and his proceedings. The bachelor proffered Teresa to write her answers to her letters; but as she looked upon him to be somewhat waggish, she would not permit him to be of her counsel; so she gave a roll and a couple of eggs to a young acolyte of the church who could write, and he wrote two letters for her,--one to her husband, and the other to the d.u.c.h.ess, all of her own inditing; and perhaps not the worst in this famous history, as hereafter may be seen.

CHAPTER Lx.x.xI.

_A continuation of Sancho Panza's government; with other entertaining pa.s.sages._

The morning of that day arose which succeeded the governor's round, the remainder of which the gentleman-waiter spent not in sleep, but in the pleasing thoughts of the lovely face and charming grace of the disguised maiden; on the other side, the steward bestowed that time in writing to his lord and lady what Sancho did and said; wondering no less at his actions than at his expressions, both which displayed a strange intermixture of discretion and simplicity.

At last the lord governor was pleased to rise; and by Dr. Pedro Rezio's order, they brought him for his breakfast a little conserve and a draught of fair water, which he would have exchanged with all his heart for a good luncheon of bread and a bunch of grapes; but seeing he could not help himself, he was forced to make the best of a bad market, and seem to be content, though sorely against his will and appet.i.te; for the doctor made him believe that to eat but little, and that which was dainty, enlivened the spirits and sharpened the wit, and consequently such a sort of diet was most proper for persons in authority and weighty employments, wherein there is less need of the strength of the body than that of the mind. This sophistry served to famish Sancho, who, however, hungry as he was, by the strength of his slender breakfast, failed not to give audience that day; and the first that came before him was a stranger, who put the following case to him, the stewards and the rest of the attendants being present:

"My lord," said he, "a large river divides in two parts one and the same lords.h.i.+p. I beg your honour to lend me your attention, for it is a case of great importance and some difficulty. Upon this river there is a bridge, at the one end of which there stands a gallows, and a kind of court of justice, where four judges used to sit for the execution of a certain law made by the lord of the land and river, which runs thus:

"'Whoever intends to pa.s.s from one end of this bridge to the other, must first, upon his oath, declare whither he goes, and what his business is. If he swear truth, he may go on; but if he swear false, he shall be hanged, and die without remission upon the gibbet at the end of the bridge.'

"After due promulgation of this law, many people, notwithstanding its severity, adventured to go over this bridge, and as it appeared they swore true, the judges permitted them to pa.s.s unmolested. It happened one day that a certain pa.s.senger being sworn, declared, that by the oath he had taken, he was come to die upon that gallows, and that was all his business.

"This put the judges to a nonplus; 'for,' said they, 'if we let this man pa.s.s freely, he is forsworn, and according to the letter of the law, he ought to die; if we hang him, he has sworn truth, seeing he swore he was to die on that gibbet; and then by the same law we should let him pa.s.s.'

"Now your lords.h.i.+p's judgment is desired what the judges ought to do with this man: for they are still at a stand, not knowing what to determine in this case; and having been informed of your sharp wit, and great capacity in resolving difficult questions, they sent me to beseech your lords.h.i.+p, in their names, to give your opinion in so intricate and knotty a case."

"To deal plainly with you," answered Sancho, "those wors.h.i.+pful judges that sent you hither might as well have spared themselves the trouble; for I am more inclined to bluntness, I a.s.sure you, than sharpness: however, let me hear your question once more, that I may thoroughly understand it, and perhaps I may at last hit the nail upon the head."

The man repeated the question again; and when he had done, "Hark, honest man," said Sancho, "either I am a very dunce, or there is as much reason to put this same person you talk of to death, as to let him live and pa.s.s the bridge; for if the truth saves him, the lie condemns him. Now I would have you tell those gentlemen that sent you, since there is as much reason to bring him off as to condemn him, that they even let him go free; for it is always more commendable to do good than hurt. Nor do I speak this of my own head; but I remember one precept, among many others, that my master Don Quixote gave me the night before I came to govern this island, which was, that when the scale of justice is even, or a case is doubtful, we should prefer mercy before rigour; and it has pleased G.o.d I should call it to mind so luckily at this juncture."

"For my part," said the steward, "this judgment seems to me so equitable, that I do not believe Lycurgus himself, who gave the laws to the Lacedaemonians, could ever have decided the matter better than the great Sancho has done. And now, sir, sure there is enough done for this morning; be pleased to adjourn the court, and I will give order that your Excellency may dine to your heart's content." "Well said,"

cried Sancho; "that is all I want, and then a clear stage and no favour. Feed me well, and then ply me with cases and questions thick and threefold; you shall see me untwist them, and lay them open as clear as the sun."

Sancho having plentifully dined that day, in spite of all the aphorisms of Dr. Tirteafuera, when the cloth was removed, in came an express with a letter from Don Quixote to the governor. Sancho ordered the secretary to read it to himself, and if there was nothing in it for secret perusal, then to read it aloud. The secretary having first run it over accordingly, "My lord," said he, "the letter may not only be publicly read, but deserves to be engraved in characters of gold; and thus it is:"

_Don Quixote de la Mancha to Sancho Panza, Governor of the Island of Barataria._