TREATING OF THE ADVENTURE WHICH GAVE DON QUIXOTE MORE
UNHAPPINESS THAN ALL THAT HAD HITHERTO BEFALLEN HIM
A few days after Don Quixote had visited the galley, he was riding along
the beach one morning on Rocinante dressed in his armor, when suddenly he
observed coming toward him a knight, also in full regalia, with a shining
moon painted on his shield. As he came close to Don Quixote, he held in
his horse, and spoke to our knight thus: "Illustrious knight, and never
sufficiently extolled Don Quixote of La Mancha, I am the Knight of the
White Moon, whose unheard-of achievements will perhaps recall him to thy
memory. I come to do battle with thee and prove the might of thy arm, to
the end that I make thee acknowledge and confess that my lady, let her be
who she may, is incomparably fairer than thy Dulcinea del Toboso."
And then the Knight of the White Moon went on to say that should he
conquer Don Quixote, the Knight of the Lions must retire to his native
village for a period of one year, and live there in peace and quiet,
away from all knightly endeavors and deeds. Should, however, Don
Quixote turn out to be the victor, he, the challenger, would gladly
forfeit his head, as well as the renown of his many deeds and
conquests, his arms and horse to him. He bade Don Quixote consider
the challenge and give a speedy answer, for he had but that day at his
disposal for the combat.
Don Quixote was taken aback at the audacity and arrogance with which
the knight had stated his demands, particularly when he took into
consideration that he had never in his whole life heard him even
spoken of, much less had he heard of the deeds and victorious combats
he had named. But he accepted the challenge with calm pride on the
conditions the Knight of the White Moon had given, barring the one
which involved transferring his renown to Don Quixote's shoulders in
case of his being vanquished. To our knight that seemed like taking
too great chances, since he had no idea what the nature of the
challenger's deeds might be, and since he was thoroughly satisfied
with his own achievements.
It so happened that the Viceroy had observed the Knight of the White
Moon in conversation with Don Quixote, and thinking that some one had
planned another joke on him, he hastened to Don Antonio's house, and
got him to accompany him to the beach, where they found the two
knights just taking their distance, and about to commence the combat.
Don Antonio was as startled when he saw the other knight as the
Viceroy had been, and neither one could make up his mind whether the
whole thing was a joke, or not, for no one there seemed to know who
the Knight of the White Moon was. However, the two gentlemen at last
decided it could be nothing but a prank, planned by some gentleman for
his own amusement. The Viceroy then turned to the knight and, learning
that the combat was being fought to decide a question of precedence
of beauty, bade them set to if both of them still remained unshaken
and inflexible in their convictions. The two combatants, having
thanked the Viceroy for his permission, separated and again took up
the necessary distance. Their horses wheeled around and the knights
came against each other with all the speed their mounts were capable
of. But the Knight of the White Moon was mounted on a steed that
completely outshone the poor Rocinante, for when they clashed, the
poor hack fell from the mere force of the contact, and Don Quixote
leaped over his head onto earth. At once the unknown knight held his
lance over his visor and threatened him with death unless he confessed
to being vanquished and acknowledged that he would abide by the
conditions of the combat.
In a feeble voice Don Quixote answered him that in spite of his defeat
Dulcinea still was the most beautiful woman in the world, but that now
that his honor had been taken away from him, he might as well die; and
he begged the knight to drive home the blow of his lance. But the
Knight of the White Moon was a generous gentleman. He said he would
not have our hero deny the beauty of his Dulcinea in deference to his
own lady; all that he asked was that Don Quixote return to his village
of La Mancha and give up knight-errantry as he had promised. Don
Quixote rose in a sorry and battered condition and swore that he would
keep his word like a true knight errant; and in the next instant the
mysterious Knight of the White Moon set off toward the city at a quick
canter.
As soon as the unknown knight had left, the Viceroy, Don Antonio and
Sancho hastened to Don Quixote's side. They found him covered with
perspiration and stiff in all his limbs. Rocinante had not yet
stirred, for he, too, was in a deplorable condition. Sancho for once
had lost his speech, and all that had happened to his master in so
short a time seemed to him proof that the enchanters were still
pursuing him. Now that his master for some time to come was to be
confined to their own village, there would be no chance for him to
redeem the promise he had made to his squire. Altogether it seemed to
Sancho a sad state of affairs.
Don Quixote was in such a dilapidated condition that he had to be
carried into the city in a hand-chair which the Viceroy had sent for,
and they all escorted him to the house of Don Antonio.