road at his own leisure; he carried a sword over his shoulder that supported a bundle of clothes, which seemed to consist of trowsers, a cloak, and shirt; for he wore a velvet jacket with some slips of satin, and the shirt hanging out; he had silk stockings, and square-toed shoes, in the court fashion: his age seemed to be about eighteen or nineteen; he had a sprightly countenance, and an agility in his person; he amused himself in singing couplets to beguile the fatigue in travelling, and when they overtook him, had just finished one, which the student remembered to have run in this strain :

To the wars my necessity drags me away,
But, if I had money, at home I would stay.

The first who accosted him was Don Quixote, saying, "You travel very light, young gentle man; pray, good now, whither may you be going?" To this interrogation the youth replied, "I travel so light on account of poverty and the heat of the weather; and I am going to the wars."-" The heat may be a very good reason (resumed the knight); but how should poverty be the cause of your travelling in that man ner?"-" Signor (answered the youth), I carry in this bundle a pair of velvet trunk breeches, fellows to this jacket, which if I wear out in the country, they will do me no credit in town, and I have not wherewithal to purchase a rein forcement: for this reason, therefore, and the benefit of the free air, I travel as you see me, until I get up with some companies of foot, which are quartered at a town about twelve leagues from hence; there I shall inlist among them, and there will not be wanting some baggage-waggon, in which I may proceed to the place of embarkation, which they say is to be Carthagena: and I would much rather have the king for my lord and master, and serve him in his wars, than be the lacquey of some scoundrel at court.' "And have you obtained any post?" said the scholar. "Had I served a grandee of Spain, or some person of quality (replied the youth), I should certainly have got something of that kind; for this is the advantage of being in good service, that a man is frequently preferred from the back of his master's chair to a pair of colours, a company, or some handsome provision: but it was my unhappy fate to be always in the service of poor idle rascals, or foreigners, who give such a miserable and consumptive allowance of board-wages, that one half was expended in the starching of a ruff; and it would be looked upon as a miracle if any such page-adventurer should obtain a tolerable provision."-" And pray, friend (said Don Quixote), is it possible, that during all the years you have been in service, you never had a

livery?"-" Yes (answered the page), I have had two; but as he who quits a convent before he professes is stripped of his habit, and obliged to resume his own clothes, so was I served by my masters, who, after having transacted the business that brought them to court, returned to their own homes, and took back the liveries which they had given me out of mere ostentation."

"A very scandalous espilorcheria* indeed, as the Italians call it (said Don Quixote); but notwithstanding, you may think yourself very happy in having left the court with such a laudable intention; for there is nothing upon earth more productive of honour and profit, next to the service of God, than the service of the king, our natural lord and master; especially in the exercise of arms, by which more honour, if not more wealth, is acquired than by learning itself; for, as I have divers and sundry times observed, although a greater number of families has been raised by learning than by arms, yet those founded upon arms rise, I don't know how, above their fellows, with a kind of natural splendour, by which all others are outshone: and what I am now going to say, I desire you will lay up in your remembrance, for it will be of much comfort and utility to you in the midst of all your sufferings: never entertain a thought of what adversity may happen, for the worst is death; and provided it comes with honour, it is the greatest happiness to die. Julius Cæsar, that valiant emperor of Rome, being asked which was the most agreeable death, answered, That which is sudden, unexpect→ ed, and unforeseen;' and though this reply savoured of the Pagan, ignorant of the knowledge of the true God, nevertheless, with regard to his being freed from the pangs of human infirmity, he said well: for, supposing you should be slain in the first action or skirmish, either by a cannon-ball or the explosion of a mine, what does it signify? we must all die, and there is an end of the whole; and, according to Terence, a dead soldier who falls in battle makes a much nobler appearance than one who lives by running away: the good soldier acquires reputation in proportion to the obedience he pays to his captain, or those who have a right to command him; and pray take notice, child, a soldier had much better smell of gunpowder than of civet; and if old age overtake you in that noble employment, though you should be covered over with wounds, paralytic, or lame, it can never overtake you without such honour as poverty cannot diminish; especially now that provision is to be made for the maintenance and relief of old disabled soldiers; for it is not reasonable that they should be treated like negro slaves, to whom, when they are old and incapable of ser

vice, their masters often give their freedom, driving them from their houses, and, under the title of liberty, leaving them still slaves to hunger, which nothing but death can dispel. This is all I have to say at present; therefore get up, and ride behind me to the inn, where I shall treat you with a supper, and in the morning you may pursue your journey, which I pray God may be as fortunate as your intention is good."

The page excused himself from riding behind the knight, though he embraced his invitation to supper at the inn; and Sancho said within himself, "Lord comfort thee for a master! Is it possible that a man who can utter so many good things, should affirm that he has seen all that impossible nonsense which he has told of the cave of Montesinos? But time is the trier of all things."

In such discourse they arrived at the inn just as it grew dark, and Sancho was not a little re joiced to find that his master took it to be a real inn, and not a castle, according to his usual whims. They had scarce entered when Don Quixote inquired of the landlord about the man with the lances and halberts, and understood he was in the stable providing for the ac commodation of his beast, an example which was followed by the student and Sancho, who preferred Rozinante to the best manger and stall of the whole stable.

CHAP. VIII.

In which is set forth the braying adventure, and the diverting achievement of the puppets, with the memorable responses of the divining ape.

Don Quixote would not stay till his bread was baked, as the saying is, so impatient was he to hear and know the strange tidings that were promised by the arms-carrier, in quest of whom he forthwith went to the place where the landlord said he was; and having found him, desired he would by all means gratify him with a circumstantial account of those things he had mentioned on the road. "The account of my strange tidings (answered the man), I shall give when I am more at leisure, and not at work as I am at present: if your worship will give me time to take care of my beast, I will tell you such things as you will be surprised to hear." They shall not be delayed on that account (said the knight), for I myself will lend you a helping hand." He accordingly winnowed the corn and cleaned the manger, so that the man, induced by his humility, could do no less than grant his request with good-will: sitting down, therefore, in a hollow of the wall, close by Don Quixote, who, with the scholar, page, Sancho Panza, and the innkeeper, composed his coun

66

cil and audience, he began to relate what fol lows:

“You must know, gentlemen, that in a village at the distance of four leagues and a half from this inn, it came to pass that a certain alderman, through the craft and malice of a servant wench, which I have not time to explain, lost an ass; and though the said alder man used all possible means to find him, he found it impossible to succeed: fifteen days had the ass been missing, according to public fame and report, when the owner was in the marketplace accosted by another alderman of the same town, who said, Hansel me for my good news, neighbour; your beast has appeared.'

That I will, neighbour, and heartily (answered the other); but let us know where he has appeared.'- Upon the mountain (replied the finder); I saw him this morning without pack-saddle or any sort of furniture, and so lean, that it was piteous to behold him. I would have driven him before me and brought him home; but he is so wild and shy, that when I went near him he took to his heels and ran into the most concealed part of the moun tain: if you choose it, we two will go in quest of him: stay till I house my own beast, and I'll return presently. I shall be much obliged to you (said he of the strayed ass); and shall endeavour to repay you in the same coin.' With these very circumstances, and in the selfsame manner as that I relate the affair to you, it is told and related by all those who have entered into the true spirit of the case.

"In conclusion, the two aldermen walked hand in hand to the mountain, and coming to the place and spot where they expected to find the ass, they found him not; nor could they get one glimpse of him, although they searched all about over and over. Perceiving that he was not likely to appear, Heark ye, neighbour (said the alderman who had seen him), there is a contrivance come into my head, by which we shall certainly discover this animal, even though he should be concealed in the bowels of the earth, much more if he is in this mountain; and that is this, I have a marvellous knack at braying, and if you have any turn that way, you may conclude the business is done. Any turn, neighbour! (cried the other); by the Lord I will not yield in point of braying to the best man alive, not even to an identical ass. We shall see presently (answered the second alderman); for my intention is, that you should go to one side of the mountain, and I to the other, so as to walk round it quite, and every now and then you shall bray and I will bray; and it cannot be but that the ass will hear and answer, if he is on this mountain.' To this proposal the owner replied, Neighbour, it is an excellent scheme, and worthy your great genius.' So parting, according to agreement, it came to pass that both brayed almost at the same time, and each being

deceived by the other's braying, ran forward in hopes of finding the ass; when perceiving their mistake, Neighbour (said the loser), is it pos sible that was not my ass which brayed just now?' No; it was I,' answered the other. Agad, then (cried the owner), there is not the least difference in point of braying between you and an ass! for in my life did I never hear or see such a resemblance.'- That compliment and approbation (answered the contriver), would be much better bestowed upon yourself than upon me, neighbour; for, by the God that made me, you would give two heats of advantage to the biggest and best brayer in Christendom; for the sound you produce is deep, sono rous, within proper time and compass, and the falls frequent and sharp; in a word, I own my self overcome, and yield you the palm and banner of that rare talent. By the mass! (said the owner), I will from henceforward have a higher opinion of my own ability, and believe I know something, since I really possess such a gift; for although I always thought I brayed tolerably well, I never imagined I excelled so much as you say I do.'-' I therefore tell you (replied the other), that many rare talents are lost in this world; and that they are ill bestow =ed upon those who cannot turn them to advantage.'Our's (said the owner), except in such cases as this that we have now in hand, can be but of little service, and even in this, God grant it may turn to account.'

"After these mutual compliments they parted a second time, and began to bray again; but still they were deceived, and met as before, un #til, by way of counter signal, from which they might know one another, they agreed to bray twice in a breath: accordingly they doubled their brayings, and encompassed the whole mountain, without being favoured with the least answer or sign from the strayed ass; and, in deed, no wonder the poor unfortunate animal did not answer, for they found him in the remotest part of the wood, almost devoured by the wolves. The owner seeing him in this plight, I marvelled much (said he), that he did not answer, for had he been alive and heard you, he must have brayed again, else he had been no ass; but as I have had the pleasure of hearing you bray so melodiously, neighbour, I think my trouble well bestowed, even although I have found him dead.' It is in good hands, neighbour (replied the other), for in chanting the clerk is not a whit inferior to the curate.'

"Having made these mutual remarks, they returned to the village, equally hoarse and disconsolate, and recounted to their friends, neighbours, and acquaintance, what had happened to them in their searching for the ass, extolling one another to the skies for the talent of braying, so that every circumstance of the story was related among the neighbouring villages; and the devil, who is never at rest, but always

glad of an opportunity to sow discord and scatter quarrels, raising lies in the wind, and huge chimeras from little or no foundation, so ordered matters, that the people of the other villages, when they saw any person belonging to our town, began to bray, as if to hit him in the teeth with the braying of our aldermen. The story was taken up by the boys, which was all one as if it had fallen into the hands and mouths of all the devils in hell; and the braying was circulated from one town to another in such a manner, that the natives of the village of Braywick are as well known and distinguished as a blackamoor from a Spaniard; and this joke has become so serious, that our townsmen have frequently gone forth in arms and regular order to give battle to the jokers, without any regard to king or rook, or fear or shame; I believe, that to-morrow or next day the men of Braywick will take the field once more against the people of another village within two leagues of us, who are our chief persecutors; and that we may be well provided for the occasion, I have purchased the lances and halberts you have seen. Now these are the strange tidings which I said I would relate; and if you do not think them so, I have no other worth your hearing."

Thus the honest man concluded his story; and at that instant came into the house a man clothed in a doublet, breeches, and hose of shamoy leather, who said with a loud voice, “So ho, Mr. Landlord, have you got any lodging for the fortune-telling ape, and the puppet-show of the deliverance of Melisendra?""Odds bodikins! (cried the innkeeper), Master Peter here! we shall have rare doings i'faith." We forgot to observe, that the left eye and half of the cheek of this Master Peter were covered with a patch of green silk, from whence it was supposed all that side of the face laboured under some infirmity. Be that as it will, the innkeeper proceeded, saying, "Welcome, good Master Peter; but where is the ape and the puppet-show? for I see neither." They are at hand (answered the owner of the shamoysuit); but I came before, to know whether or not we could have lodging?"" The Duke d'Alva himself should be turned out to make room for Master Peter (said the landlord); bring hither your ape and your show, for there is company in the house that will pay for a sight of them."

"In good time then (replied the wearer of the patch): I will lower the price, and think myself well paid if they defray the expense of my lodging; meanwhile, I'll go and lead hither the cart that contains my puppets and my ape."

So saying, he went out, and Don Quixote inquiring who this Master Peter was with the puppet-show and ape, the landlord replied, "This is a famous puppet-showman, who has long travelled through La Mancha and Arragon, representing the story of Melisendra, who was de livered by the famous Don Gayferos, one of the

this wonderful talent of the ape, and accordingly to my notion, the same Master Peter, its owner, must certainly have made a secret or express pact with the devil."-"Nay, if it be the devil's pack (answered Sancho), it must be a very dirty pack; but what signifies such a pack to Mas ter Peter ?"-" Sancho (replied the knight), you do not understand my meaning: what I would say is, that he must certainly have made some concert with the devil, who hath infused this talent into the ape, by which he gains his livelihood; and when he becomes rich, he must yield him his soul, which is the aim of that universal enemy of mankind; and what confirms me in this opinion is, that the ape answers no questions but such as regard the past and present time: now the devil's understanding reaches no farther; what is to come he knows only by conjecture, and that not always; for it is the attribute of God alone to know times and seasons : to him there is neither past nor future, but all things are ever present to his eyes. This being the case, as doubtless it is, the ape certainly speaks from the inspiration of the devil; and I am surprised it hath not been accused and examined by the holy office, which would soon discover by virtue of whom it presumes to divine; for surely this ape is no asstrologer; nor did he or his master ever raise, or were capable of raising, those figures called judicial, which are now so common in Spain, that every pitiful little hussy, page, and even cobbler, has the impudence to raise an horoscope, as readily as a knave of trumps, from the ground, ruining and disgracing, by their ignorance and falsities, the wonderful truth of that noble science. One lady I myself knew, who having inquired of one of those pretenders, whether a little bitch she had would have puppies, how many, and of what colour they would be? Mr Astrologer, after having raised his figure, replied, that the bitch would bring forth three puppies, one of a green, another of carnation, and the third of a mixed colour, provided the bitch would take the dog between the hours of eleven and twelve at noon or night, on Saturday or Monday. Notwithstanding this prediction, the bitch died in three days of a surfeit; and yet Mr Figure-caster was still esteemed in the place a most infallible astrologer, as almost all those fellows are."-" Nevertheless (answered Sancho), I wish your worship would desire Master Peter to ask his ape, if what happened to his worship in the cave of Montesinos is really true: as for my own part, begging your worship's pardon, I cannot for the blood of me help thinking it was all a flam and a lie, or at least no better than a dream."-" It may be so (replied Don Quixote): but I will take thy advice; for, truly, I myself have some sort of scruples about the matter."

Here he was interrupted by the arrival of Mr

VOL. III.

Peter, who came to tell him that the show was ready, and invite him to come and see it; for it would be well worth his trouble. Then the knight imparted his sentiments, desiring he would ask the ape whether or not certain incidents that happened in the cave of Montesinos were dreams or realities; for to him the whole seemed to be a mixture of both. Master Peter, without answering one word, went and brought the ape into the presence of Don Quixote and Sancho, and thus accosted it: "Look ye, Mr Ape, this knight wants to know whether certain things that happened to him in a place called the cave of Montesinos be true or false." Then making the usual signal, the creature leaped upon his left shoulder, and seemingly whispered something in his ear. In consequence of this communication, "The ape (said Master Peter), declares, that part of what your worship saw and underwent in that same cave is false, and part is likely to be true; and this, and nothing else, is all he knows touching that interrogation; but if your worship desires to be further informed, he will next Friday answer all the questions you can ask; at present his virtue has left him and will not return till Friday, as I have already observed."-" Signor (said Sancho to his master), did not I always affirm your worship should never make me believe that all, or even the half of those accidents you pretended to have met with in the cave was true?"، The event will shew (answered Don Quixote); for there is nothing that time, the discoverer of all things, will not bring to light, even though it should be hidden in the bowels of the earth. Let that suffice for the present; and now we will go and see the puppet-show of honest Master Peter, which I really believe will be productive of some novelty."" Of some! (cried Master Peter): my show is productive of sixty thousand. Why, I tell your worship, Signor Don Quixote, there is nothing equal to it in the whole world; but operibus credite et non verbis: let us begin presently, for it grows late, and we have a great deal to do, to say, and to shew."

In consequence of this request, Don Quixote and Sancho repaired to the place where the puppet-show was set up, and set forth with a great number of little wax-lights, which made a most resplendent appearance. Master Peter withdrew within the curtain, in order to play the figures of the piece; and on the outside sat a boy, who was his servant, to interpret and explain the mysteries of the show, holding a wand, with which he pointed out the puppets as they entered. All the people of the inn being seated, some fronting the stage, and Don Quixote, with Sancho, the page, and the scholar, accommodated with the best places, the drugoman began to pronounce that which will be heard and seen by those who will take the trouble to read or peruse the following chapter, 20