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CHAP. I.

PART I.-BOOK IV.

of the new and agreeable adventure that happened to the curate and barber in the Brown Mountain.

THRICE happy and fortunate was that age which produced the most audacious knight, Don Quixote de la Mancha, in consequence of whose honourable resolution to restore and revive the lost, and, as it were, buried order of knight errantry, we of these times, barren and unfruitful of sprightly amusements, enjoy the agreeable entertainment, not only of his own true and delightful adventures, but also the intervening episodes, which are no less real, artful, and delicious, than the main history itself, the twisted, reeled, and ravelled thread of which is continued thus:

Just as the curate was ready to offer some consolation to Cardenio, he was prevented by a voice that saluted his ears in these mournful accents: "Would to God I could find a place to serve as a private tomb for this wearisome burden of life, which I bear so much against my inclination! this very spot will yield me what I ask, if I can trust the solitary appearance of these mountains. Alas! how much more agreeable is the company of these rocks and thickets, which give me opportunities of complaining to Heaven, than that of faithless man; since nature hath not created one of whom I could reasonably expect advice in difficulty, comfort in affliction, or remedy in distress!"

This exclamation was distinctly overheard by the priest and his company, who, concluding that the person who spoke must be hard by, arose to make further inquiry, and had not gone twenty paces, when, behind the fragment of a rock, they perceived a boy sitting under an ashtree, in the habit of a peasant, whose face, as he stooped, in order to wash his feet in a brook that murmured by him, they could not then survey. Their approach they managed with softness and silence, while his whole attention was employed in bathing his legs, that seemed two crystal pillars, which had been produced among the pebbles in the rill. They were surprised at the whiteness and beauty of his feet, which they could not believe had been formed to tread the clods, and follow the cattle or plough, as his dress would have seemed to intimate; and the curate, who went foremost, finding himself still unperceived by the youth, made signs to the rest to crouch down, or hide themselves behind a neighbouring rock. This being done, all three stood gazing attentively at the apparition, which was clad in a double-skirted

grey jacket, girt about the middle with a white napkin, and wore breeches and hose of the same cloth, with a grey hunting-cap upon his head; the hose being pulled up to the middle of his leg, which actually seemed of white alabaster. Having washed his delicate feet, he wiped them with a handkerchief, which he took out of his cap, and, in so doing, lifted up his head, shewing to the bye-standers a face of such exquisite beauty, that Cardenio said, in a whisper, to the curate," Since that is not Lu cinda, it can be no earthly, but some celestial being!" The youth, taking off his cap, and shaking his head, a large quantity of hair, that Apollo himself might envy, flowed down upon his shoulders, and discovered to the spectators, that the supposed peasant was no other than a woman, the most delicate and handsome that the curate and barber had ever beheld; or even Cardenio, had he not seen and been acquainted with Lucinda, who alone, as he afterwards owned, could contend with her in beauty. Her golden locks fell down in such length and quantity, as not only covered her shoulders, but also concealed every other part of her body except her feet; and, instead of a comb, she made use of her hands, which, if her feet looked like crystal in the brook, appeared among her hair like moulds of drifted snow. All these circumstances increasing the desire of the bye-standers to know who she was, they resolved to shew themselves, and, at the stir they made in advancing, the beauteous phantom raised her head, and parting her locks with both hands, to see what occasioned the noise she heard, no sooner perceived them than she started up, and, without staying to put on her shoes, or tie up her hair, seized a bundle that lay by her, and betook herself to flight, full of consternation and surprise; but she had not run six yards, when her delicate feet, unable to bear the roughness of the stones, failed under her, and she fell to the ground. This accident being perceived by the other three, they ran to her assistance, and the curate approaching her first, "Stay, madam (said he), whosoever you are; those whom you see have no other design than that of doing you service; therefore, there is no necessity for your attempting such a precipitate flight, which neither your own feet nor our inclination will allow." To this address she made no reply, being quite astonished and confused; but, the priest taking her by the hand, proceeded in this manner: "Madam, though your dress concealed, your hair hath discovered manifest signs, that it must be no slight cause which hath shrouded your beauty in such unworthy disguise, and brought you to this so

litude where it is our fortune to find you; and to offer, if not a certain remedy for your misfortune, at least our best advice; for no griev ance can harass or drive the afflicted to such extremity, while life remains, as to make them shut their ears against that counsel which is given with the most humane and benevolent intention. Wherefore, madam, or sir, or what you please to be, recollect yourself from the confusion in which the sight of us hath thrown you, and tell us the particulars of your good or evil fortune, in full assurance of finding us altogether, or each by himself, disposed to sympathise with your affliction."

While the curate pronounced these words, the disguised damsel stood wrapt in attention, gazing at them all round, without moving her lips, or uttering one syllable, like a country villager gaping at rarities which he had never seen before; but the priest, enforcing what he had said with other arguments to the same effect, she heaved a profound sigh, and broke silence, saying, "Since these solitary mountains have not been able to conceal me, and my loose dishevelled hair allows me not to disguise the truth, it would be in vain for me to feign such things as your reason could not believe, though your courtesy might excuse them. On that supposition I thank you, gentlemen, for your humane offer, which lays me under the obligation of giving you all the satisfaction you desire; though I am afraid that the relation I shall make of my misfortunes will, instead of compassion, excite your disgust; for you will find it impossible either to cure my woes, or teach me to bear them with fortitude; but, nevertheless, that my reputation may not suffer in your opinion, as you have discovered me to be a woman, and a young one, alone, and in this disguise, circumstances which, considered either together or apart, might prejudice my good name in this world, I will freely disclose to you those things which, if possible, I would have willingly concealed."

All this preamble was uttered in a breath by the beautiful apparition, with such volubility of tongue and sweetness of voice, that they admired her good sense as much as her beauty; and, repeating their proffers of service, as well as their entreaties, that she would perform her promise, she, without further importunity, put on her shoes with great modesty, adjusted her hair, and sat down in the midst of her three hearers, upon a seat in the rock, where, after having endeavoured to repress a few tears that started in her eyes, she, with a clear and deliberate voice, began the story of her life in this

manner :

"In this province of Andalusia there is a place from whence a certain duke, one of those who are called grandees of Spain, derives his title: he hath two sons, the eldest of whom is heir to his estate, and, in all appearance, to his

good qualities; but the younger inherits nothing that I know, but the treachery of Vellido and the falsehood of Galalon. To this nobleman my parents are vassals; and, though low in pedigree, so considerable in wealth, that if their descent was equal to their fortune, they would have had nothing more to desire, nor I the mortification of seeing myself in this distress; for I believe my misfortunes proceed from their defect in point of birth, which, though not so mean as to make them ashamed of their origin, is not splendid enough to overthrow my conjecture about the source of my affliction; in short, they are farmers, of a plain honest family, without the least intermixture of Moorish blood, but, as the saying is, old rusty Christians; ay, and so rusty, that by their riches and opulent way of living, they are gradually acquiring the title of gentlefolks, nay, of quality too; though what they prized above all riches and title, was their happiness in having me for their daughter; and therefore, as they had no other child to inherit their estate, and were naturally the most affectionate of parents, I was beloved and indulged by them with the utmost degree of parental fondness. I was the mirror in which they beheld themselves, the staff of their age, and shared with Heaven their whole attention and desires, with which, as they were pure and unblemished, my own perfectly corresponded; and, therefore, I was mistress of their affection as well as their wealth. By my advice they received and dismissed their servants; the tale and account of what was both sowed and reaped passed through my hands. I managed the oil-mills, the vineyards, the herds and the flocks, the bee-hives, and every thing that such a rich farmer as my father may be supposed to possess ; in short, I was steward and mistress, and acted with such care and economy, that I should not find it easy to exaggerate the pleasure and satisfaction which my parents enjoyed. Those parts of the day that remained, after I had given all due attention to the herdsmen, overseers, and other day-labourers, I employed in exercises equally decent and necessary for young women, such as lace-making, needlework, and spinning; and if, at any time, I interrupted these employments, in order to recreate the mind, I entertained myself with some religious book, or diversified my amusement with the harp; being convinced by experience, that music lulls the disordered thought and elevates the dejected spirits. Such was the life I led in my father's house; and, if I have described it too minutely, it is not through ostentation, in order to display our riches, but with a view of manifesting how innocently I forfeited that happy situation, and incurred the misery of my present state. While I passed my time in these occupations, my retirement was such as almost equalled that of a nunnery, being seen by nobody, as I thought, but the servants

of the family; for I went to mass carly in the morning, accompanied by my mother and the maids, and veiled with such reserve, that my eyes scarce beheld the ground on which I trod; yet, nevertheless, I was perceived by those of love, or rather libertinism, which even exceeds the lynx in penetration, and then possessed the faculties of Don Fernando, younger son of the duke whom I have already mentioned."

She no sooner mentioned the name of Don Fernando, than Cardenio changed colour, and began to sweat with such agitation, that the curate and barber perceiving it, were afraid he would be seized with one of those fits of distraction which, as they had heard, assaulted him from time to time: but, after some drops of sweat had burst out upon his skin, he remained quiet, and looking earnestly at the farmer's fair daughter, immediately guessed who she was; while she, without observing the emotions of Cardenio, went on with her story, in these words: "And he no sooner beheld me, than, as he afterwards protested, he deeply felt the power of love, which indeed his behaviour clearly evinced: but, to shorten the account of my misfortune, which is lengthened beyond all comfort, I will pass over in silence the industrious schemes that Don Fernando planned for opportunities of declaring his passion: he bribed every servant in the family, and even made presents and proffers of service to my relations: there was nothing but gayety and rejoicing all day long in our street: and all night, it was impossible to sleep for serenades. The letters, which through an unknown channel came to my hand, were without number, filled with the most amorous flights and professions, and vows and promises in every line; but all these efforts, far from soothing, hardened me against him, as much as if he had been my mortal foe; and all the stratagems he practised, in order to subdue my coyness, had a quite contrary effect; not that I was disgusted at the gallantry of Don Fernando, or enraged at his importunities; for I felt a certain kind of pleasure in being courted and beloved by such a noble cavalier; neither did I take umbrage at seeing myself praised in his letters; for it is my opinion that all women, let them be never so homely, are pleas ed to hear themselves celebrated for beauty; but to all these artifices I opposed my own virtue, together with the repeated advice of my parents, who plainly perceived the passion of Don Fernando; because he himself took no care to conceal it from the world. They assured me, that in my virtue and prudence alone they confided and deposited their own honour and reputation: they bade me consider the inequality between Don Fernando and me, which was a convincing proof that his love, though he himself asserted the contrary, tended more to his own gratification than my advantage; and said, if I could throw any obstruction in his way, to

make him quit his unjust pretensions, I should be married immediately according to my own choice, either to one of the principal persons of our own town, or to some gentleman in the neighbourhood, as I had abundance of lovers, attracted by their wealth, and my reputation. With these assurances, the truth of which I could not doubt, I fortified my integrity, and would never send any reply to Don Fernando, that could, in the most distant manner, flatter him with the hope of accomplishing his wish: but all my reserve, which he ought to have looked upon as the effect of disdain, served only to whet his libidinous appetite, which is the true name of the passion he professed; for, had it been genuine love, you would not now be listening to my story, which I should have had no occasion to recount.

In fine, Don Fernando got notice that my parents intended to bestow me in marriage, that they might deprive him of all hope of possessing me, or, at least, provide me with more guards to protect my virtue; and this piece of news alarmed him so much, that he put in practice an expedient to retard the dreaded match. One night, while I sat in my apartment, attended by my maid only, the doors being all fast locked, that through negligence my virtue might not be in danger, without knowing or comprehending the means of his conveyance, he appeared before me in the midst of this reserve, precaution, solitude, silence, and retreat! At sight of him, I was so much confounded, that the light forsook my eyes, and my tongue denied its office; so that, being deprived of the power of utterance, I could not cry for help, neither, I believe, would he have suffered me to exclaim; for he instantly seized me in his arms, my confusion being such, that I had not strength to defend myself, and began to pour forth such protestations, that I cannot conceive how falsehood is able to ape truth so exactly. The traitor's tears gave credit to his words, and his sighs confirmed the honesty of his intentions. I being a poor young creature, by myself, altogether inexperienced in those affairs, began, I know not how, to believe his false professions; but not so as to be moved to weak compassion, either by his vows or artful sorrow; on the contrary, my first surprise being over, I recollected my dissipated spirits, and with more courage than I thought myself possessed of, said to him, Signor, if, instead of being within your arms, as I now am, I was in the paws of a fierce lion, and my deliverance entirely depended upon my doing or saying any thing prejudicial to my virtue, it would be as impossible for me to comply with these terms, as it is impossible for that which is to lose its existence: wherefore, though you keep my body confined within your arms, I am in full possession of my soul, with all her chaste desires, which are entirely opposite to yours, as you will plainly perceive, if you resolve to proceed in

gratifying your wishes by force. I am your vassal, but not your slave: the nobility of your blood neither has, nor ought to have, the power of dishonouring or despising the lowliness of mine; and my character is as precious to me, though I am but a plebeian farmer's daughter, as your's can be to you, who are a nobleman and cavalier. All your strength shall not effect your purpose; neither am I to be influenced by your riches, deceived by your words, nor melted by your sighs and tears. Any of these expressions in a man, to whom my parents should give me in marriage, would gain my consent and reciprocal inclination; nay, if my honour were safe, I could sacrifice my satisfaction, and voluntarily yield what you, signor, now attempt to obtain by force this I observe, that you may rest assured I will never grant any favour to him who is not my lawful spouse."

"If that be your sole objection, charming Dorothea (for that is the name of this wretched creature), said the perfidious cavalier, behold I here present my hand, in pledge of being yours for ever; and may Heaven, from whom nothing is concealed, together with that image of the Blessed Virgin, bear witness to the sincerity and truth of this declaration."" Cardenio, when she called herself Dorothea, was surprised anew, and confirmed in his first conjecture: but unwilling to interrupt the story, in which he expected to hear the issue of what he already knew, he only said, "Is your name Dorothea, madam? I have heard of one of that name, to whose misfortunes yours bear a great resemblance but pray proceed; the time will come when I shall tell you such things as will equally excite your terror and affliction." Dorothea, surprised at the discourse of Cardenio, as well as at his strange and ragged attire, entreated him, if he knew any thing of her affairs, to communicate it immediately; saying, that if fortune had left her any thing of value, it was the courage to endure any disaster that might befall her; though she was almost certain, that what she had already suffered could admit of no addition. "Madam (replied Cardenio), I would not be the means of impairing that fortitude, by telling you what I know, if my conjecture be right: neither is there any opportunity lost, nor is it of any consequence to you, whether you hear it or not."-"Be that as it will (answered Dorothea), I will go on with the sequel of my story. Don Fernando address ing himself to the image he found in my apartment, invoked the Blessed Virgin to bear witness to our nuptials, and avowed himself my husband with the most binding and solemn oaths; though, before he proceeded so far, I desired him to reflect upon what he was going to do, and consider how much his father might be incensed at his conduct, when he should find him married to the daughter of his own farmer and vassal. I cautioned him against being blinded

with my beauty, such as it was, telling him it would be far from being a sufficient excuse for his error; and begged, if he had any love and regard for me, he would manifest it, in leaving me to a fate more adequate to my rank and circumstances; observing, that such unequal matches were seldom blessed with a long duration of those raptures with which they begin.

"All these reflections I repeated to him, with many more which I do not remember; but they had no effect in diverting him from the prosecution of his purpose; for he was like a man who, in making a bargain, never boggles at the price of the commodity, because he never intends to pay it. At the same time, I held a short conference with my own breast, saying within myself, Neither shall I be the first, who, by marriage, has risen from a low station to rank and grandeur; nor will Don Fernando be the first nobleman whom beauty, or rather blind affection, has induced to share his greatness with a partner of unequal birth. Since therefore, I neither make a new world nor a new custom, it is but reasonable in me to embrace this honour that fortune throws in my way; and although the affection he professes should not survive the accomplishment of his wish, I shall nevertheless, in the sight of God, remain his true and lawful wife. Besides, should I treat him with disdain, I see he is determined to transgress the bounds of duty, and avail himself of force; in which case, I shall be dishonoured and inexcusable in the opinion of those who do not know how innocently I have incurred their censure; for where shall I find arguments to persuade my parents, that this cavalier entered my apartment without my knowledge and consent.

"All these reflections, which my imagination revolved in an instant, began to sway me towards that which (though I little thought so) proved my ruin; especially when aided and enforced by the oaths of Don Fernando, the powers he called to witness, the tears he shed, and, in short, by his genteel carriage and agreeable disposition, accompanied by such marks of real passion, as might have melted any other heart as soft and inexperienced as mine. I called my maid to be a joint evidence with the powers of Heaven: Don Fernando repeated and confirmed his oaths; took other saints to witness his integrity; imprecated a thousand curses on his head, in case he should fail to fulfil his promise; had recourse to sighs and tears again, straining me still closer in his arms, from which he had never released me. By these means, and the departure of my maid, I forfeited that name, and he became a false and finished traitor.

"The morning that succeeded this night of my misfortune did not arrive so soon, I believe, as Don Fernando could have wished; for, when once a man hath satisfied his rage of appetite, his chief inclination is, to quit the scene of his

success. This I observe, because Don Fernan- freezing, it inflamed my heart with such rege do seemed impatient to be gone; and, by the and fury, that I had well nigh run out into the industry of my maid, who had conducted him streets, and published aloud the falsehood and to my chamber, found himself in the street be- treachery he had practised upon me: but my fore day when he took his leave, he told me, rage was restrained for that time, by a plan though not with such violence of rapture as he which I conceived, and actually put in execuexpressed on his first coming, that I might de- tion that very night. I dressed myself in this pend upon his honour, and the sincerity of the garb, which I received from one of the swains oaths he had sworn,' as a further confirmation belonging to the house, to whom I disclosed of which, he took a ring of value from his fin my whole misfortune, entreating him to attend ger, and put it upon mine: in short, he vanish- me to the city, where I understood my advered, leaving me in a situation which I can nei- sary was. After having disapproved of the atther call joyful nor sad. This I know, that I tempt, and blamed my resolution, seeing me remained in a state of confusion and perplexity, determined, he offered to keep me company, as and, as it were, beside myself, on account of he said, to the world's end; that moment I what had happened; but I either wanted packed up my woman's dress in a pillow-case, courage or memory to quarrel with my maid for together with some jewels and money, as a rethe perfidy she had been guilty of, in conduct source in time of need; and, in the dead of that ing Don Fernando to my apartment: indeed, I very night, without giving the least hint to my could not as yet determine whether the adven- perfidious maid, left my father's house, and, acture would redound to my advantage or misfor- companied by my servant, and a thousand tune. I told him, at parting, that now I was strange imaginations, set out for that city on his wife, he might see me any night by the foot, winged with the desire of finding Don same means he had used to procure this first Fernando; and resolved, though I could not interview, until he should think proper to make prevent what was already done, to demand with our marriage public : but, excepting the follow- . what conscience he had done it. ing night, I could never set eyes on him, either in the street or at church, during a whole month, which I spent in the utmost anxiety of expectation, although I knew he was in town, and almost every day employed in the chase, an exercise to which he was greatly addicted. Those were doleful and distracting hours and days to me; for then I began to doubt, and afterwards to disbelieve, the faith of Don Fernando; then was my maid exposed to those rebukes for her presumption, which she had never heard before: then was I obliged to husband my tears, and wear composure on my countenance, that I might not give occasion to my parents to ask the cause of my discontent, and be put to the trouble of inventing falsehoods to deceive them. But all this constraint was banished by an event, the knowledge of which trod down all other respects, put an end to all my prudent measures, and, by destroying my patience, published my misfortune to the world. This was no other than a report that soon after prevailed in our town, by which I learned that Don Fernando was married, in a neighbouring city, to a young lady of exceeding beauty and distinguished birth, though her parents could not give her a portion suitable to such a noble alliance. I understood her name was Lucinda, and that several surprising accidents had happened at their nuptials."

Cardenio hearing Lucinda's name, though he said nothing, shrugged up his shoulders, bit his lips, contracted the skin of his forehead, and discharged from his eyes two fountains of tears: but, notwithstanding, Dorothea continued her story, saying, " This melancholy piece of news no sooner reached my ears, than, instead of

"In two days and a half I arrived at the city, and, inquiring for the house of Lucinda's parents, the first person to whom I put the question, told me more than I desired to hear. He directed me to the house, and related every incident which had happened at his daughter's wedding; a story so public, that it was become the common town-talk. He said, that on the night of their nuptials, after she had pronounced the Yes, by which he became her husband, Lucinda was seized with a violent fit; that, Don Fernando opening her breast to give her fresh air, found in it a paper written with her own hand, importing that she could not lawfully espouse Fernando, being already the wife of Cardenio, who, as the man told me, was one of the principal cavaliers of that town; and that she had now pronounced the fatal Yes, merely because she would not swerve from the obedience she owed to her parents: in short, he said the contents of the paper plainly gave them to understand, that she intended to make away with herself immediately after the ceremony, induced by the reasons which were there contained; and this resolution was confirmed by a poniard which they found concealed in some part of her dress. Don Fernando perceiving, by what happened, that Lucinda had baffled, scorned, and undervalued his addresses, ran to her before she had recovered the use of her senses, and, with the poniard they had found, would have stabbed her to the heart, had he not been prevented by her parents and the rest of the company. It was, moreover, reported, that Don Fernando immediately retired; and that Lucinda continued in a fit till next day. When she recovered from her swoon, she de

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