Part 6 (2/2)

”I have already told thee, Sancho, not to mention those fulling-mills, nor even think of them,” said Don Quixote: ”if thou dost--I say no more, but I vow to mill thy soul for thee!” Sancho held his peace, fearing lest his master should perform his vow, which had struck him all of a heap.

Now the truth of the matter, concerning the helmet, the steed, and the knight which Don Quixote saw, was this. There were two villages in that neighborhood, one of them so small that it had neither shop nor barber, but the other adjoining to it had both; therefore the barber of the larger served also the less, wherein one customer now wanted to be let blood and another to be shaved; to perform which, the barber was now on his way, carrying with him his bra.s.s basin; and it so happened that while upon the road it began to rain, and to save his hat, which was a new one, he clapped the basin on his head, which being lately scoured was seen glittering at the distance of half a league; and he rode on a gray a.s.s, as Sancho had affirmed. Thus Don Quixote took the barber for a knight, his a.s.s for a dapple-gray steed, and his basin for a golden helmet; for whatever he saw was quickly adapted to his knightly extravagances: and when the poor knight drew near, without staying to reason the case with him, he advanced at Rozinante's best speed, and couched his lance, intending to run him through and through; but, when close upon him, without checking the fury of his career, he cried out, ”Defend thyself, caitiff! or instantly surrender what is justly my due.”

The barber, so unexpectedly seeing this phantom advancing upon him, had no other way to avoid the thrust of the lance than to slip down from the a.s.s; and no sooner had he touched the ground than, leaping up nimbler than a roebuck, he scampered over the plain with such speed that the wind could not overtake him. The basin he left on the ground; with which Don Quixote was satisfied, observing that the pagan had acted discreetly, and in imitation of the beaver, which, when closely pursued by the hunters, tears off with his teeth that which it knows by instinct to be the object of pursuit. He ordered Sancho to take up the helmet; who, holding it in his hand, said, ”Before Heaven, the basin is a special one, and is well worth a piece of eight, if it is worth a farthing.”

He then gave it to his master, who immediately placed it upon his head, turning it round in search of the visor; but not finding it he said, ”Doubtless the pagan for whom this famous helmet was originally forged must have had a prodigious head--the worst of it is that one half is wanting.”

When Sancho heard the basin called a helmet, he could not forbear laughing; which, however, he instantly checked on recollecting his master's late choler.

”What dost thou laugh at, Sancho?” said Don Quixote.

”I am laughing,” answered he, ”to think what a huge head the pagan had who owned that helmet, which is for all the world just like a barber's basin.”

”Knowest thou, Sancho, what I conceive to be the case? This famous piece, this enchanted helmet, by some strange accident must have fallen into the possession of one who, ignorant of its true value as a helmet and seeing it to be of the purest gold, hath inconsiderately melted down the one-half for lucre's sake, and of the other half made this, which, as thou sayest, doth indeed look like a barber's basin; but to me, who know what it really is, its transformation is of no importance, for I will have it so repaired in the first town where there is a smith, that it shall not be surpa.s.sed nor even equalled by that which the G.o.d of smiths himself made and forged for the G.o.d of battles. In the mean time I will wear it as I best can, for something is better than nothing; and it will be sufficient to defend me from stones.”

Be brief in thy discourse, for what is prolix cannot be pleasing.

Never stand begging for that which you have the power to take.

There are two kinds of lineages in the world. Some there are who derive their pedigree from princes and monarchs, whom time has gradually reduced until they have ended in a point, like a pyramid; others have had a low origin, and have risen by degrees, until they have become great lords. So that the difference is, that some have been what they now are not, and others are now what they were not before.

A leap from a hedge is better than the prayer of a bishop.

A s.n.a.t.c.h from behind a bush is better than the prayer of good men.

Customs come not all together, neither were they all invented at once.

Who sings in grief procures relief.

Let every one turn himself round, and look at home, and he will find enough to do.

To be grateful for benefits received is the duty of honest men--one of the sins that most offendeth G.o.d is ingrat.i.tude.

Benefits conferred on base-minded people are like drops of water thrown into the sea.

Retreating is not running away, nor is staying wisdom when the danger overbalances the hope; and it is the part of wise men to secure themselves to-day for to-morrow, and not to venture all upon one throw.

The wicked are always ungrateful.

Necessity urges desperate measures.

SONNET.

Know'st thou, O love, the pangs that I sustain, Or, cruel, dost thou view those pangs unmov'd?

Or has some hidden cause its influence proved, By all this sad variety of pain?

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