Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors and misprints have been corrected.
Text in Italics is indicated between _underscores_.
Text in Small Capitals has been replaced by regular uppercase text.
Blank pages present in the printed original have been deleted in the
e-text version.
* * * * *
DON QUIXOTE
OF THE MANCHA
[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE TESTING HIS HELMET]
[Illustration]
DON QUIXOTE
OF THE MANCHA
RETOLD
BY
JUDGE
PARRY
ILLUSTRATED
BY
WALTER
CRANE
NEW YORK
JOHN LANE COMPANY
1919
PREFACE
A version of _Don Quixote_ which is appended to Mr. Walter Crane's
illustrations needs perhaps no apology, but I desire to state briefly
what I have endeavoured to do. No existing abridgment of _Don Quixote_,
known to me, gives in simple narrative form the adventures of Knight
and Squire, with as much of the wisdom and humour of their discourse
as would be within the grasp of the younger generation of readers.
This—_The Story of Don Quixote_, as I call it—I have tried to
produce. In doing it I have made use of all the English translations,
but the basis of this book is Thomas Shelton's translation, the
language of which seems to me better to express the humour of Cervantes
than any other. Many will consider such a task in the nature of
sacrilege or, at the best, verging on the impertinent. With these views
I have much sympathy myself. But at least, let it be understood that
all I have attempted to do is to tell a well-known story in print, as
one who loves it would seek to tell it in words, to those around his
own fireside; in the hope that some may gather from this story that
there is a vast storehouse of humour and wisdom awaiting them in the
book itself.
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I. An Introduction to that famous gentleman, Don
Quixote of the Mancha, 1
II. Of the First Sally that Don Quixote made to
seek Adventures, 7
III. Of the Pleasant Manner of the Knighting of Don
Quixote, 14
IV. Of what befell our Knight when he left the Inn, 21
V. How Don Quixote returned home, and what happened
to his Library, and how he sallied
forth a second time to seek Adventures, 30
VI. Of the dreadful and never-to-be-imagined Adventure
of the Windmills, and of the fearful
Battle which the gallant Biscayan fought
with Don Quixote, 38
VII. Of what passed between Don Quixote and the
Goatherds, and of the unfortunate Adventure
with the Yanguesian Carriers, 48
VIII. How Don Quixote arrived at an Inn which he
imagined to be a Castle, and there cured
himself and Sancho with the Balsam of
Fierabras, 58
IX. How Sancho paid the Reckoning at the Inn
which Don Quixote supposed was a Castle, 68
X. Of the Adventure of the Two Armies, 75
XI. Of a wonderful Adventure which Don Quixote
went through without peril to himself or
Sancho, 83
XII. The great Adventure and rich Winning of the
Helmet of Mambrino, 92
XIII. How Don Quixote set at liberty many poor
Wretches who were being taken to a
Place to which they had no wish to go, 98
XIV. Of what befell Don Quixote in the Brown
Mountains, 108
XV. The Story of Cardenio, 118
XVI. Of the Strange Adventures that happened to
the Knight of the Mancha in the Brown
Mountains, and of the Penance he did
there in imitation of Beltenebros, 126
XVII. Of Sancho's Journey to the Lady Dulcinea, 136
XVIII. The Story of Cardenio continued, 143
XIX. The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don
Fernando, 152
XX. Of the pleasant Plan they carried out to persuade
Don Quixote not to continue his
Penance, 160
XXI. Of the Journey to the Inn, 168
XXII. The Story Sancho Panza told his Master of
his Visit to the Lady Dulcinea, 177
XXIII. What happened during their further Journey
towards the Inn, 184
XXIV. Of the extraordinary Battle which Don
Quixote waged with what he took to
be a Giant, 191
XXV. Which treats of other rare Adventures which
happened at the Inn, 198
XXVI. Wherein is continued the History of the
famous Princess Micomicona, 205
XXVII. Of the strange Enchantment of the Unfortunate
Knight, 212
XXVIII. Wherein is continued the wonderful Adventures
at the Inn, 220
XXIX. Wherein is finally decided the Dispute about
Mambrino's Helmet and the Pannel, 227
XXX. In which is finished the notable Adventures
of our good Knight, 236
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FULL PAGES
TITLE-PAGE.
DON QUIXOTE TESTING HIS VISOR, _Frontispiece_
DON QUIXOTE KNIGHTED BY THE INNKEEPER, _facing page_ 14
THE WINDMILLS, " 38
THE GOATHERDS, " 48
THE TOSSING OF SANCHO, " 68
THE HELMET OF MAMBRINO, " 92
MEETING CARDENIO, " 108
DON QUIXOTE'S PENANCE, " 126
MEETING DOROTHEA, " 160
THE WINE-SKINS, " 191
DON QUIXOTE'S ENCHANTMENT, " 212
HALF PAGES
PAGE
DON QUIXOTE WATCHING HIS ARMOUR, 7
DON QUIXOTE TO THE RESCUE OF ANDREW, 21
THE DESTRUCTION OF DON QUIXOTE'S LIBRARY, 30
THE MANNER OF DON QUIXOTE'S TRAVEL TO THE INN, 58
OF THE ADVENTURE OF THE TWO ARMIES, 75
OF A WONDERFUL ADVENTURE, 83
DON QUIXOTE FREES THE GALLEY SLAVES, 98
THE STORY OF CARDENIO, 118
THE CURATE AND THE BARBER IN DISGUISE, 136
THE STORY OF CARDENIO CONTINUED, 143
THE DISCOVERY OF DOROTHEA, 152
SANCHO PANZA RECOVERS HIS DAPPLE, 168
SANCHO'S STORY OF HIS VISIT TO THE LADY
DULCINEA, 177
ANDREW SALUTES DON QUIXOTE, 184
OF THE RARE ADVENTURES AT THE INN, 198
DON QUIXOTE ADDRESSING DOROTHEA, 205
THE DISPUTED POMMEL, 220
DON QUIXOTE ARRESTED, 227
THE MANNER OF DON QUIXOTE'S RETURN HOME, 236
CHAPTER I
An Introduction to that famous gentleman,
Don Quixote of the Mancha
This is the story that Miguel de Cervantes, Spaniard, published in
1605, which the world has been reading again and again ever since.
Once upon a time there lived in a certain village in a province of
Spain called the Mancha, a gentleman named Quixada or Queseda—for
indeed historians differ about this—whose house was full of old
lances, halberds, and such other armours and weapons. He was, besides,
the owner of an ancient target or shield, a raw-boned steed, and a
swift greyhound. His pot consisted daily of common meats, some lentils
on Fridays, and perhaps a roast pigeon for Sunday's dinner. His dress
was a black suit with velvet breeches, and slippers of the same colour,
which he kept for holidays, and a suit of homespun which he wore on
week-days.
On the purchase of these few things he spent the small rents that came
to him every year. He had in his house a woman-servant of about some
forty years old, a Niece not yet twenty, and a lad that served him
both in field and at home, and could saddle his horse or manage a
pruning-hook.
The master himself was about fifty years old, a strong, hard-featured
man with a withered face. He was an early riser, and had once been very
fond of hunting. But now for a great portion of the year he applied
himself wholly to reading the old books of Knighthood, and this with
such keen delight that he forgot all about the pleasures of the chase,
and neglected all household matters. His mania and folly grew to such a
pitch that he sold many acres of his lands to buy books of the exploits
and adventures of the Knights of old. These he took for true and
correct histories, and when his friends the Curate of the village, or
Mr. Nicholas the worthy Barber of the town, came to see him, he would
dispute with them as to which of the Knights of romance had done the
greatest deeds.
So eagerly did he plunge into the reading of these books that he many
times spent whole days and nights poring over them; and in the end,
through little sleep and much reading, his brain became tired, and he
fairly lost his wits. His fancy was filled with those things that he
read, of enchantments, quarrels, battles, challenges, wounds, wooings,
loves, tempests, and other impossible follies, and those romantic tales
so firmly took hold of him that he believed no history to be so certain
and sincere as they were.
Finally, his wit being extinguished, he was seized with one of the
strangest whims that ever madman stumbled on in this world, for it
seemed to him right and necessary that he himself should become a
Knight Errant, and ride through the world in arms to seek adventures
and practise in person all that he had read about the Knights of
old. Therefore he resolved that he would make a name for himself by
revenging the injuries of others, and courting all manner of dangers
and difficulties, until in the end he should be rewarded for his valour
in arms by the crown of some mighty Empire. And first of all he caused
certain old rusty arms that belonged to his great-grandfather, and
had lain for many years neglected and forgotten in a by-corner of his
house, to be brought out and well scoured. He trimmed them and dressed
them as well as he could, and then saw that they had something wanting,
for instead of a proper helmet they had only a morion or headpiece,
like a steel bonnet without any visor. This his industry supplied, for
he made a visor for his helmet by patching and pasting certain papers
together, and this pasteboard fitted to the morion gave it all the
appearance of a real helmet. Then, to make sure that it was strong
enough, he out with his sword and gave it a blow or two, and with the
very first did quite undo that which had cost him a week to make. He
did not at all approve the ease with which it was destroyed, and to
make things better he placed certain iron bars within it, in such a
manner that made him feel sure it was now sound and strong, without
putting it to a second trial.
He next visited his horse, who though he had more corners than a
Spanish _real_ or shilling, which in those days was anything but
round, and had nothing on him but skin and bone, yet he seemed to
him a better steed than Bucephalus, the noble animal that carried
Alexander the Great when he went to battle. He spent four days
inventing a name for his horse, saying to himself that it was not fit
that so famous a Knight's horse, and so good a beast, should want a
known name. Therefore he tried to find a name that should both give
people some notion of what he had been before he was the steed of a
Knight Errant, and also what he now was; for, seeing that his lord and
master was going to change his calling, it was only right that his
horse should have a new name, famous and high-sounding, and worthy
of his new position in life. And after having chosen, made up, put
aside, and thrown over any number of names as not coming up to his
idea, he finally hit upon Rozinante, a name in his opinion sublime and
well-sounding, expressing in a word what he had been when he was a
simple carriage horse, and what was expected of him in his new dignity.
The name being thus given to his horse, he made up his mind to give
himself a name also, and in that thought laboured another eight days.
Finally he determined to call himself Don Quixote, which has made
people think that his name was Quixada and not Queseda, as others
have said; and remembering that the great Knights of olden time were
not satisfied with a mere dry name, but added to it the name of their
kingdom or country, so he like a good Knight added to his own that also
of his province, and called himself Don Quixote of the Mancha, whereby
he declared his birthplace and did honour to his country by taking it
for his surname.
His armour being scoured, his morion transformed into a helmet, his
horse named, and himself furnished with a new name, he considered that
now he wanted nothing but a lady on whom he might bestow his service
and affection. 'For,' he said to himself, remembering what he had
read in the books of knightly adventures, 'if I should by good hap
encounter with some Giant, as Knights Errant ordinarily do, and if I
should overthrow him with one blow to the ground, or cut him with a
stroke in two halves, or finally overcome and make him yield to me, it
would be only right and proper that I should have some lady to whom I
might present him. Then would he, entering my sweet lady's presence,
say unto her with a humble and submissive voice: "Madam, I am the
Giant Caraculiambro, Lord of the Island called Malindrania, whom the
never-too-much-praised Knight Don Quixote of the Mancha hath overcome
in single combat. He hath commanded me to present myself to your
greatness, that it may please your Highness to dispose of me according
to your liking."'
You may believe that the heart of the Knight danced for joy when he
made that grand speech, and he was even more pleased when he had found
out one whom he might call his lady. For, they say, there lived in the
next village to his own a hale, buxom country wench with whom he was
sometime in love, though for the matter of that she had never known
of it or taken any notice of him whatever. She was called Aldonca
Lorenso, and her he thought fittest to honour as the lady of his fancy.
Then he began to search about in his mind for a name that should not
vary too much from her own, but should at the same time show people
that she was a Princess or lady of quality. Thus it was that he called
her Dulcinea of Toboso, a name sufficiently strange, romantic, and
musical for the lady of so brave a Knight. And now, having taken to
himself both armour, horse, and lady fair, he was ready to go forth and
seek adventures.
[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE WATCHING HIS ARMOUR]