WHICH TREATS OF MANY AND GREAT MATTERS
The reception tendered Don Quixote was arranged in true knight-errant
fashion by the Duke, who had ridden ahead and given full instructions
to the servants. So when Don Quixote arrived, he received a welcome
that surpassed anything he had ever read or dreamt of.
The staircases and the galleries of the court were lined with
servants, who greeted him with the exclamation: "Welcome, flower and
cream of knight-errantry!" At the same time they cast pellets with
scented water over him.
Sancho was taken aback at the sight of all this glory. He had followed
the Duchess, but once in the castle, the absence of his Dapple made
him feel worried. So he turned to one of the duennas, a dignified
woman, named Dona Rodriguez de Grijalba, and asked her whether she
would not favor him by going outside and seeing that his poor little
Dapple was well taken care of. Dona Rodriguez was greatly incensed at
his ordering a duenna of the ducal household to do things of that
sort, and called him a garlic-stuffed scoundrel. Don Quixote,
overhearing their conversation, reprimanded his misbehaving servant,
and Sancho blamed it all on his love for his donkey.
After this, Don Quixote was escorted into a hall the walls of which
were covered with cloth of gold and rich tapestries, and here he was
stripped of his armor by six fair damsels. These maidens could
scarcely control their laughter when they saw him stand there, thin,
emaciated, tall and bony, dressed in his chamois doublet and
tight-fitting breeches. They begged him to permit them to put a clean
shirt on him, but that he refused with many assurances of his modesty,
asking them instead to give it to Sancho. The two were taken to a
room, where Don Quixote, alone with his squire, undressed and put on
the shirt, while he gave Sancho admonitions galore, as to how to
behave, begging him never again to have any quarrels with any
duennas, for that only tended to lessen the respect for the master,
who was always judged by his squire's behavior and actions.
Then Don Quixote returned to the hall, where he was attired in a rich
baldric and a scarlet mantle, with a sword and a gorgeous montera of
green satin. As he passed through the halls and chambers on his way to
the state dining room, he was escorted by the seneschal and twelve
pages; and the sides of each room, as well as the aisles, were lined
with servants in pompous liveries.
Only four covers were laid. Besides Don Quixote and his noble hosts
the confessor of the ducal household, a cold and austere churchman,
occupied a seat at the heavily laden table, to which our knight was
ushered ceremoniously by the Duke himself. But the dinner had not even
begun when Sancho unloosened his tongue and began with his proverbs,
much to the distress and mortification of his master, although to the
great enjoyment of the Duchess. Sancho had been standing by Don
Quixote, staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at everything that was
taking place, for he had never in his life seen anything so sumptuous
and ceremonious. The exchange of courtesies between the Duke and our
Knight, when the latter finally was induced to accept the seat of
honor at the head of the table, impressed the squire considerably; and
it was then he thought the time ripe for the introduction of a story
about this matter of seats. The Duchess told him by all means to let
them hear it, and he began, telling it in the most roundabout way,
with twists and curves, and expeditions here and there to places and
matters that had as much to do with the story as had the proverbs
that he stuffed it with.
Don Quixote was beside himself, and the confessor interrupted the poor
squire impatiently again and again; but on he went. All the while the
Duchess was laughing so heartily that she could scarcely sit up
straight in the chair. And while the Duke engaged himself with Don
Quixote, she carried on a confidential conversation with Sancho, who
told her how he had tricked his master into believing that his Lady
Dulcinea was enchanted, saying she was as much enchanted as his
father.
When the confessor heard the sacrilegious conversation the Duchess was
having with Sancho, discussing giants and enchantments, he severely
reprimanded her and warned her that she would have to answer to God
for whatever this man did and said. Then, addressing the Duke, whom he
had forbidden to read the book about Don Quixote's adventures, he
said: "This Don Simpleton, or whatever his name is, cannot be such a
blockhead as your Excellency would have him, holding out encouragement
to him to go on with his vagaries and follies." And then he turned to
Don Quixote and told him to be on his way, and go home and bring up
his children, if he had any; and he called him a numbskull, and other
names, and a fool for believing that there were knights-errant in the
world and Dulcineas and other such silly things.
Don Quixote sat still and never moved a muscle while the churchman was
speaking, but as soon as he had said all he had to say, he sprang up
from his seat, trembling in his whole body, his face contorted with
rage.