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〃Trim those lamps there！〃 exclaimed the barber at this； 〃so you
are of the same fraternity as your master； too； Sancho？ By God； I
begin to see that you will have to keep him company in the cage； and
be enchanted like him for having caught some of his humour and
chivalry。 It was an evil hour when you let yourself be got with
child by his promises； and that island you long so much for found
its way into your head。〃
〃I am not with child by anyone；〃 returned Sancho； 〃nor am I a man to
let myself be got with child； if it was by the King himself。 Though
I am poor I am an old Christian； and I owe nothing to nobody； and if I
long for an island； other people long for worse。 Each of us is the son
of his own works； and being a man I may come to be pope； not to say
governor of an island； especially as my master may win so many that he
will not know whom to give them to。 Mind how you talk； master
barber； for shaving is not everything； and there is some difference
between Peter and Peter。 I say this because we all know one another；
and it will not do to throw false dice with me； and as to the
enchantment of my master； God knows the truth； leave it as it is； it
only makes it worse to stir it。〃
The barber did not care to answer Sancho lest by his plain
speaking he should disclose what the curate and he himself were trying
so hard to conceal； and under the same apprehension the curate had
asked the canon to ride on a little in advance； so that he might
tell him the mystery of this man in the cage； and other things that
would amuse him。 The canon agreed； and going on ahead with his
servants； listened with attention to the account of the character；
life； madness； and ways of Don Quixote； given him by the curate； who
described to him briefly the beginning and origin of his craze； and
told him the whole story of his adventures up to his being confined in
the cage； together with the plan they had of taking him home to try if
by any means they could discover a cure for his madness。 The canon and
his servants were surprised anew when they heard Don Quixote's strange
story； and when it was finished he said； 〃To tell the truth； senor
curate； I for my part consider what they call books of chivalry to
be mischievous to the State； and though； led by idle and false
taste； I have read the beginnings of almost all that have been
printed； I never could manage to read any one of them from beginning
to end； for it seems to me they are all more or less the same thing；
and one has nothing more in it than another； this no more than that。
And in my opinion this sort of writing and composition is of the
same species as the fables they call the Milesian； nonsensical tales
that aim solely at giving amusement and not instruction； exactly the
opposite of the apologue fables which amuse and instruct at the same
time。 And though it may be the chief object of such books to amuse；
I do not know how they can succeed； when they are so full of such
monstrous nonsense。 For the enjoyment the mind feels must come from
the beauty and harmony which it perceives or contemplates in the
things that the eye or the imagination brings before it； and nothing
that has any ugliness or disproportion about it can give any pleasure。
What beauty； then； or what proportion of the parts to the whole； or of
the whole to the parts； can there be in a book or fable where a lad of
sixteen cuts down a giant as tall as a tower and makes two halves of
him as if he was an almond cake？ And when they want to give us a
picture of a battle； after having told us that there are a million
of combatants on the side of the enemy； let the hero of the book be
opposed to them； and we have perforce to believe； whether we like it
or not； that the said knight wins the victory by the single might of
his strong arm。 And then； what shall we say of the facility with which
a born queen or empress will give herself over into the arms of some
unknown wandering knight？ What mind； that is not wholly barbarous
and uncultured； can find pleasure in reading of how a great tower full
of knights sails away across the sea like a ship with a fair wind； and
will be to…night in Lombardy and to…morrow morning in the land of
Prester John of the Indies； or some other that Ptolemy never described
nor Marco Polo saw？ And if； in answer to this； I am told that the
authors of books of the kind write them as fiction； and therefore
are not bound to regard niceties of truth； I would reply that
fiction is all the better the more it looks like truth； and gives
the more pleasure the more probability and possibility there is
about it。 Plots in fiction should be wedded to the understanding of
the reader； and be constructed in such a way that； reconciling
impossibilities； smoothing over difficulties； keeping the mind on
the alert； they may surprise； interest； divert； and entertain； so that
wonder and delight joined may keep pace one with the other； all
which he will fail to effect who shuns verisimilitude and truth to
nature； wherein lies the perfection of writing。 I have never yet
seen any book of chivalry that puts together a connected plot complete
in all its numbers； so that the middle agrees with the beginning；
and the end with the beginning and middle； on the contrary； they
construct them with such a multitude of members that it seems as
though they meant to produce a chimera or monster rather than a
well…proportioned figure。 And besides all this they are harsh in their
style； incredible in their achievements； licentious in their amours；
uncouth in their courtly speeches； prolix in their battles； silly in
their arguments； absurd in their travels； and； in short； wanting in
everything like intelligent art； for which reason they deserve to be
banished from the Christian commonwealth as a worthless breed。〃
The curate listened to him attentively and felt that he was a man of
sound understanding； and that there was good reason in what he said；
so he told him that； being of the same opinion himself； and bearing
a grudge to books of chivalry； he had burned all Don Quixote's；
which were many； and gave him an account of the scrutiny he had made
of them； and of those he had condemned to the flames and those he
had spared； with which the canon was not a little amused； adding
that though he had said so much in condemnation of these books；
still he found one good thing in them； and that was the opportunity
they afforded to a gifted intellect for displaying itself； for they
presented a wide and spacious field over which the pen might range
freely； describing shipwrecks； tempests； combats； battles；
portraying a valiant captain with all the qualifications requisite
to make one； showing him sagacious in foreseeing the wiles of the
enemy； eloquent in speech to encourage or restrain his soldiers；
ripe in counsel； rapid in resolve； as bold in biding his time as in
pressing the attack； now picturing some sad tragic incident； now
some joyful and unexpected event； here a beauteous lady； virtuous；
wise； and modest； there a Christian knight； brave and gentle； here a
lawless； barbarous braggart； there a courteous prince； gallant and
gracious； setting forth the devotion and loyalty of vassals； the
greatness and generosity of nobles。 〃Or again；〃 said he； 〃the author
may show himself to be an astronomer； or a skilled cosmographer； or
musician； or one versed in affairs of state； and sometimes he will
have a chance of coming forward as a magician if he likes。 He can
set forth the craftiness of Ulysses； the piety of AEneas； the valour
of Achilles； the misfortunes of Hector； the treachery of Sinon； the
friendship of Euryalus； the generosity of Alexander； the boldness of
Caesar； the clemency and truth of Trajan； the fidelity of Zopyrus； the
wisdom of Cato； and in short all the faculties that serve to make an
illustrious man perfect； now uniting them in one individual； again
distributing them among many； and if this be done with charm of
style and ingenious invention； aiming at the truth as much as
possible； he will assuredly weave a web of bright and varied threads
that； when finished； will display such perfection and beauty that it
will attain the worthiest object any writing can seek； which； as I
said before； is to give instruction and pleasure combined； for the
unrestricted range of these books enables the author to show his
powers； epic； lyric； tragic； or comic； and all the moods the sweet and
winning arts of poesy and oratory are capable of； for the epic may
be written in prose just as well as in verse。〃
CHAPTER XLVIII
IN WHICH THE CANON PURSUES THE SUBJECT OF THE BOOKS OF CHIVALRY；
WITH OTHER MATTERS WORTHY OF HIS WIT
〃IT IS as you say； senor canon；〃 said the curate； 〃and for that
reason those who have hitherto written books of the sort deserve all
the more censure for writing without paying any attention to good
taste or the rules of art； by which they might guide themselves and
become as famous in prose as the two princes of Greek and Latin poetry
are in verse。〃
〃I myself； at any rate；〃 said the canon； 〃was once tempted to
write a book of chivalry in which all the points I have mentioned were
to be observed； and if I must own the tr