at the news of don quixotes arrival sancho panzas wife camerunning, for 射 by this time knew that her husband had gone away withhim as his squire, and on seeing sancho, the first thing 射 asked himwas if the ass was well. sancho replied that he was, better than hismaster was.


    "thanks be to god," said 射, "for being so good to me; but now tellme, my friend, what have you made by your squirings? what gown haveyou brought me back? what shoes for your children?"


    "i bring nothing of that sort, wife," said sancho; "though i bringother things of more consequence and value."


    "i am very d of that," returned his wife; "show me these thingsof more value and consequence, my friend; for i want to see them tocheer my heart that has been so sad and heavy all these ages thatyou have been away."


    "i will show them to you at home, wife," said sancho; "be contentfor the present; for if it please god that we should again go on ourtravels in search of adventures, you will soon see me a count, orgovernor of an ind, and that not one of those everyday ones, butthe best that is to be had."


    "heaven grant it, husband," said 射, "for indeed we have need ofit. but tell me, whats this about inds, for i dont understandit?"


    "honey is not for the mouth of the ass," returned sancho; "all ingood time thou shalt see, wife- nay, thou wilt be surprised to hearthyself called yourdyship by all thy vassals."


    "what are you talking about, sancho, with yourdyships, inds,and vassals?" returned teresa panza- for so sanchos wife wascalled, though they were not rtions, for in man插 it iscustomary for wives to take their husbands surnames.


    "dont be in such a hurry to know all this, teresa," said sancho;"it is enough that i am telling you the truth, so shut your mouth. buti may tell you this much by the way, that there is nothing in theworld more delightful than to be a person of consideration, squireto a knight-errant, and a seeker of adventures. to be sure most ofthose one finds do not end as pleasantly as one could wish, for out ofa hundred, ny-nine will turn out cross and contrary. i know itby experience, for out of some i came nketed, and out of othersbboured. still, for all that, it is a fine thing to be on thelook-out for what may happen, crossing mountains, searching woods,climbing rocks, visiting castles, putting up at inns, all at freequarters, and devil take the maravedi to pay."


    while this conversation passed between sancho panza and his wife,don quixotes housekeeper and niece took him in and undressed himandid him in his old bed. he eyed them askance, and could notmake out where he was. the curate 插rged his niece to be very carefulto make her unclefortable and to keep a watch over him lest heshould make his escape from them again, telling her what they had beenobliged to do to bring him home. on this the pair once more liftedup their voices and renewed their maledictions upon the books ofchivalry, and implored heaven to plunge the authors of such lies andnonsense into the midst of the bottomless pit. they were, in short,kept in anxiety and dread lest their uncle and master should give themthe slip the moment he found himself somewhat better, and as theyfeared so it fell out.


    but the author of this history, though he has devoted research andindustry to the discovery of the deeds achieved by don quixote inhis third sally, has been unable to obtain any informationrespecting them, at any rate derived from authentic documents;tradition has merely preserved in the memory of man插 the factthat don quixote, the third time he sallied forth from his home,betook himself to saragossa, where he was present at some famousjousts which came off in that city, and that he had adventures thereworthy of his valour and high intelligence. of his end and death hecould learn no particrs, nor would he have ascertained it orknown of it, if good fortune had not produced an old physician for himwho had in his possession a leaden box, which, ording to hisount, had been discovered among the crumbling foundations of anancient hermitage that was being rebuilt; in which box were foundcertain parchment manuscripts in gothic 插racter, but in castilianverse, containing many of his achievements, and setting forth thebeauty of dulcinea, the form of rocinante, the fidelity of sanchopanza, and the burial of don quixote himself, together with sundryepitaphs and eulogies on his life and 插racter; but all that could beread and deciphered were those which the trustworthy author of thisnew and unparalleled history here presents. and the said author asksof those that shall read it nothing in return for the vast toilwhich it has cost him in examining and searching the mancheganarchives in order to bring it to light, save that they give him thesame credit that people of sense give to the books of chivalry thatpervade the world and are so popr; for with this he will considerhimself amply paid and fully satisfied, and will be encouraged to seekout and produce other histories, if not as truthful, at least equal ininvention and not less entertaining. the first words written on theparchment found in the leaden box were these:


    the academicians of


    argamasi, a vige of


    la man插,


    on the life and death


    of don quixote of man插,


    hoc scripserunt


    monicongo, academician of argamasi,


    on the tomb of don quixote


    epitaph


    the scatterbrain that gave man插 more


    rich spoils than jasons; who a point so keen


    had to his wit, and happier far had been


    if his wits weathercock a blunter bore;


    the arm renowned far as gaetas shore,


    cathay, and all thends that lie between;


    the muse discreet and terrible in mien


    as ever wrote on brass in days of yore;


    he who surpassed the amadises all,


    and who as naught the gors ounted,


    supported by his love and gantry:


    who made the belianises sing small,


    and sought renown on rocinante mounted;


    here, underneath this cold stone, doth he lie.


    paniaguado,


    academician of argamasi,


    inudem dulcineae del toboso


    so


    射, whose full features may be here descried,


    high-bosomed, with a bearing of disdain,


    is dulcinea, 射 for whom in vain


    the great don quixote of man插 sighed.


    for her, tobosos queen, from side to side


    he traversed the grim sierra, the 插mpaign


    of aranjuez, and montiels famous in:


    on rocinante oft a weary ride.


    malignants, cruel destiny,


    pursued them both, the fair manchegan dame,


    and the unconquered star of chivalry.


    nor youth nor beauty saved her from the im


    of death; he paid loves bitter penalty,


    and left the marble to preserve his name.


    caprichoso, a most acute academician


    of argamasi, in praise of rocinante,


    steed of don quixote of man插


    so


    on that proud throne of diamantine 射en,


    which the blood-reeking feet of mars degrade,


    the mad manchegans banner now hath been


    by him in all its bravery disyed.


    there hath he hung his arms and tren插nt de


    wherewith, achieving deeds till now unseen,


    he ys,ys low, cleaves, hews; but art hath made


    a novel style for our new pdin.


    if amadis be the proud boast of gaul,


    if by his progeny the fame of greece


    through all the regions of the earth be spread,


    great quixote crowned in grim bellonas hall


    to-day exalts man插 over these,


    and above greece or gaul 射 holds her head.


    nor ends his glory here, for his good steed


    doth bridor and bayard far exceed;


    as mettled steedspared with rocinante,


    the reputation they have won is scanty.


    budor, academician of argamasi,


    on sancho panza


    so


    the worthy sancho panza here you see;


    a great soul once was in that body small,


    nor was there squire upon this earthly ball


    so in and simple, or of guile so free.


    within an ace of being count was he,


    and would have been but for the spite and gall


    of this vile age, mean and illiberal,


    that cannot even let a donkey be.


    for mounted on an ass (excuse the word),


    by rocinantes side this gentle squire


    was wont his wandering master to attend.


    delusive hopes that lure themon herd


    with promises of ease, the hearts desire,


    in shadows, dreams, and smoke ye always end.


    cachidiablo,


    academician of argamasi,


    on the tomb of don quixote


    epitaph


    the knight lies here below,


    ill-errant and bruised sore,


    whom rocinante bore


    in his wanderings to and fro.


    by the side of the knight isid


    stolid man sancho too,


    than whom a squire more true


    </br>

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