"What giants?"They returned to the road they had set out with, leading to Puerto
Lapice, and at three in the afternoon they came in sight of it. "Here,
brother Sancho Panza," said Don Quixote when he saw it, "we may
plunge
our hands up to the elbows in what they call adventures; but observe,
even shouldst thou see me in the greatest danger in the world, thou
must not put a hand to thy sword in my defence, unless indeed thou
perceivest that those who assail me are rabble or base folk; for in
that case thou mayest very properly aid me; but if they be knights it
is on no account permitted or allowed thee by the laws of knighthood to
help me until thou hast been dubbed a knight." While they were thus talking there appeared on the road two friars of
the order of St. Benedict, mounted on two dromedaries, for not less
tall were the two mules they rode on. They wore travelling spectacles
and carried sunshades; and behind them came a coach attended by four
or
five persons on horseback and two muleteers on foot. In the coach there
139
was, as afterwards appeared, a Biscay lady on her way to Seville, where
her husband was about to take passage for the Indies with an
appointment of high honour. The friars, though going the same road,
were not in her company; but the moment Don Quixote perceived them
he
said to his squire, "Either I am mistaken, or this is going to be the
most famous adventure that has ever been seen, for those black bodies
we see there must be, and doubtless are, magicians who are carrying off
some stolen princess in that coach, and with all my might I must undo
this wrong."At this point they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that
there are on that plain, and as soon as Don Quixote saw them he said to
his squire, "Fortune is arranging matters for us better than we could
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have shaped our desires ourselves, for look there, friend Sancho Panza,
where thirty or more monstrous giants present themselves, all of whom I
mean to engage in battle and slay, and with whose spoils we shall begin
to make our fortunes; for this is righteous warfare, and it is God's
good service to sweep so evil a breed from off the face of the earth." said Sancho Panza. So saying, he gave the spur to his steed Rocinante, heedless of the
cries his squire Sancho sent after him, warning him that most certainly
they were windmills and not giants he was going to attack. He, however,
was so positive they were giants that he neither heard the cries of
Sancho, nor perceived, near as he was, what they were, but made at them
shouting, "Fly not, cowards and vile beings, for a single knight
attacks you."A slight breeze at this moment sprang up, and the great sails began to
move, seeing which Don Quixote exclaimed, "Though ye flourish more
arms
than the giant Briareus, ye have to reckon with me." So saying, and commending himself with all his heart to his lady
Dulcinea, imploring her to support him in such a peril, with lance in
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rest and covered by his buckler, he charged at Rocinante's fullest
gallop and fell upon the first mill that stood in front of him; but as
he drove his lance-point into the sail the wind whirled it round with
such force that it shivered the lance to pieces, sweeping with it horse
and rider, who went rolling over on the plain, in a sorry condition. Sancho hastened to his assistance as fast as his ass could go, and when
he came up found him unable to move, with such a shock had Rocinante
fallen with him. said Sancho, "did I not tell your worship to mind what
you were about, for they were only windmills?The
muleteers, who had no idea of a joke and did not understand all this
about battles and spoils, seeing that Don Quixote was some distance off
talking to the travellers in the coach, fell upon Sancho, knocked him
down, and leaving hardly a hair in his beard, belaboured him with kicks
and left him stretched breathless and senseless on the ground; and
without any more delay helped the friar to mount, who, trembling,
terrified, and pale, as soon as he found himself in the saddle, spurred
after his companion, who was standing at a distance looking on,
watching the result of the onslaught; then, not caring to wait for the
end of the affair just begun, they pursued their journey making more
crosses than if they had the devil after them.With this permission Sancho settled himself as
comfortably as he could on his beast, and taking out of the alforjas
what he had stowed away in them, he jogged along behind his master
munching deliberately, and from time to time taking a pull at the bota
with a relish that the thirstiest tapster in Malaga might have envied;
and while he went on in this way, gulping down draught after draught,
he never gave a thought to any of the promises his master had made him,
nor did he rate it as hardship but rather as recreation going in quest
of adventures, however dangerous they might be. Finally they passed the
night among some trees, from one of which Don Quixote plucked a dry
branch to serve him after a fashion as a lance, and fixed on it the
head he had removed from the broken one."Hush, friend Sancho," replied Don Quixote, "the fortunes of war more
than any other are liable to frequent fluctuations; and moreover I
think, and it is the truth, that that same sage Friston who carried off
my study and books, has turned these giants into mills in order to rob
me of the glory of vanquishing them, such is the enmity he bears me;
but in the end his wicked arts will avail but little against my good
sword."So saying, he advanced and posted himself in the middle of the road
along which the friars were coming, and as soon as he thought they had
come near enough to hear what he said, he cried aloud, "Devilish and
unnatural beings, release instantly the highborn princesses whom you
are carrying off by force in this coach, else prepare to meet a speedy
death as the just punishment of your evil deeds." The friars drew rein and stood wondering at the appearance of Don
Quixote as well as at his words, to which they replied, "Senor
Caballero, we are not devilish or unnatural, but two brothers of St.
Benedict following our road, nor do we know whether or not there are
any captive princesses coming in this coach."I
mention this because from the first oak I see I mean to rend such
another branch, large and stout like that, with which I am determined
and resolved to do such deeds that thou mayest deem thyself very
fortunate in being found worthy to come and see them, and be an
eyewitness of things that will with difficulty be believed." For my part, I
confess I must complain however small the ache may be; unless this rule
about not complaining extends to the squires of knights-errant also."Don Quixote was, as has been said, speaking to the lady in the coach:
"Your beauty, lady mine," said he, "may now dispose of your person as
may be most in accordance with your pleasure, for the pride of your
ravishers lies prostrate on the ground through this strong arm of mine;
and lest you should be pining to know the name of your deliverer, know
that I am called Don Quixote of La Mancha, knight-errant and
adventurer, and captive to the peerless and beautiful lady Dulcinea del
Toboso: and in return for the service you have received of me I ask no
more than that you should return to El Toboso, and on my behalf present
yourself before that lady and tell her what I have done to set you
free."Don Quixote understood him quite well, and answered him very quietly,
"If thou wert a knight, as thou art none, I should have already
chastised thy folly and rashness, miserable creature." To which the
Biscayan returned, "I no gentleman!--I swear to God thou liest as I am
Christian: if thou droppest lance and drawest sword, soon shalt thou
see thou art carrying water to the cat: Biscayan on land, hidalgo at
sea, hidalgo at the devil, and look, if thou sayest otherwise thou
liest."and no one could have
made any mistake about it but one who had something of the same kind
in
his head." For all that, he
was much grieved at the loss of his lance, and saying so to his squire,
he added, "I remember having read how a Spanish knight, Diego Perez
de
Vargas by name, having broken his sword in battle, tore from an oak a
ponderous bough or branch, and with it did such things that day, and
pounded so many Moors, that he got the surname of Machuca, and he
and
his descendants from that day forth were called Vargas y Machuca."Most certainly, senor," replied Sancho, "your worship shall be fully
obeyed in this matter; all the more as of myself I am peaceful and no
friend to mixing in strife and quarrels: it is true that as regards the
defence of my own person I shall not give much heed to those laws, for
laws human and divine allow each one to defend himself against any
assailant whatever.""No soft words with me, for I know you, lying rabble," said Don
Quixote, and without waiting for a reply he spurred Rocinante and with
levelled lance charged the first friar with such fury and
determination, that, if the friar had not flung himself off the mule,
he would have brought him to the ground against his will, and sore
wounded, if not killed outright.c08c.jpg (301K)
136
Full Size
"God order it as he may," said Sancho Panza, and helping him to rise
got him up again on Rocinante, whose shoulder was half out; and then,
discussing the late adventure, they followed the road to Puerto Lapice,
for there, said Don Quixote, they could not fail to find adventures in
abundance and variety, as it was a great thoroughfare."It is easy to see," replied Don Quixote, "that thou art not used to
this business of adventures; those are giants; and if thou art afraid,
away with thee out of this and betake thyself to prayer while I engage
them in fierce and unequal combat."The
lady in the coach, amazed and terrified at what she saw, ordered the
coachman to draw aside a little, and set herself to watch this severe
struggle, in the course of which the Biscayan smote Don Quixote a
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mighty stroke on the shoulder over the top of his buckler, which, given
to one without armour, would have cleft him to the waist.All that night Don Quixote
lay
awake thinking of his lady Dulcinea, in order to conform to what he had
read in his books, how many a night in the forests and deserts knights
used to lie sleepless supported by the memory of their mistresses."'"You will see presently," said Agrajes,'" replied Don Quixote; and
throwing his lance on the ground he drew his sword, braced his buckler
on his arm, and attacked the Biscayan, bent upon taking his life.Not
so did Sancho Panza spend it, for having his stomach full of something
stronger than chicory water he made but one sleep of it, and, if his
master had not called him, neither the rays of the sun beating on his
face nor all the cheery notes of the birds welcoming the approach of
day would have had power to waken him."Look, senor;
those are friars of St. Benedict, and the coach plainly belongs to some
travellers: I tell you to mind well what you are about and don't let
the devil mislead you." What I say is the truth, as
thou shalt see presently.""I have told thee already, Sancho," replied Don Quixote, "that on the
subject of adventures thou knowest little.