PART II - CHAPTER LIII.

by Miguel de Cervantes

　　OF THE TROUBLOUS END AND TERMINATION SANCHO PANZA'S GOVERNMENT CAME TOTo fancy that in this life anything belonging to it will remain for everin the same state is an idle fancy; on the contrary, in it everythingseems to go in a circle, I mean round and round. The spring succeeds thesummer, the summer the fall, the fall the autumn, the autumn the winter,and the winter the spring, and so time rolls with never-ceasing wheel.Man's life alone, swifter than time, speeds onward to its end without anyhope of renewal, save it be in that other life which is endless andboundless. Thus saith Cide Hamete the Mahometan philosopher; for thereare many that by the light of nature alone, without the light of faith,have a comprehension of the fleeting nature and instability of thispresent life and the endless duration of that eternal life we hope for;but our author is here speaking of the rapidity with which Sancho'sgovernment came to an end, melted away, disappeared, vanished as it werein smoke and shadow. For as he lay in bed on the night of the seventh dayof his government, sated, not with bread and wine, but with deliveringjudgments and giving opinions and making laws and proclamations, just assleep, in spite of hunger, was beginning to close his eyelids, he heardsuch a noise of bell-ringing and shouting that one would have fancied thewhole island was going to the bottom. He sat up in bed and remainedlistening intently to try if he could make out what could be the cause ofso great an uproar; not only, however, was he unable to discover what itwas, but as countless drums and trumpets now helped to swell the din ofthe bells and shouts, he was more puzzled than ever, and filled with fearand terror; and getting up he put on a pair of slippers because of thedampness of the floor, and without throwing a dressing gown or anythingof the kind over him he rushed out of the door of his room, just in timeto see approaching along a corridor a band of more than twenty personswith lighted torches and naked swords in their hands, all shouting out,"To arms, to arms, senor governor, to arms! The enemy is in the island incountless numbers, and we are lost unless your skill and valour come toour support."Keeping up this noise, tumult, and uproar, they came to where Sanchostood dazed and bewildered by what he saw and heard, and as theyapproached one of them called out to him, "Arm at once, your lordship, ifyou would not have yourself destroyed and the whole island lost.""What have I to do with arming?" said Sancho. "What do I know about armsor supports? Better leave all that to my master Don Quixote, who willsettle it and make all safe in a trice; for I, sinner that I am, God helpme, don't understand these scuffles.""Ah, senor governor," said another, "what slackness of mettle this is!Arm yourself; here are arms for you, offensive and defensive; come out tothe plaza and be our leader and captain; it falls upon you by right, foryou are our governor.""Arm me then, in God's name," said Sancho, and they at once produced twolarge shields they had come provided with, and placed them upon him overhis shirt, without letting him put on anything else, one shield in frontand the other behind, and passing his arms through openings they hadmade, they bound him tight with ropes, so that there he was walled andboarded up as straight as a spindle and unable to bend his knees or stira single step. In his hand they placed a lance, on which he leant to keephimself from falling, and as soon as they had him thus fixed they badehim march forward and lead them on and give them all courage; for withhim for their guide and lamp and morning star, they were sure to bringtheir business to a successful issue."How am I to march, unlucky being that I am?" said Sancho, "when I can'tstir my knee-caps, for these boards I have bound so tight to my bodywon't let me. What you must do is carry me in your arms, and lay meacross or set me upright in some postern, and I'll hold it either withthis lance or with my body.""On, senor governor!" cried another, "it is fear more than the boardsthat keeps you from moving; make haste, stir yourself, for there is notime to lose; the enemy is increasing in numbers, the shouts grow louder,and the danger is pressing."Urged by these exhortations and reproaches the poor governor made anattempt to advance, but fell to the ground with such a crash that hefancied he had broken himself all to pieces. There he lay like a tortoiseenclosed in its shell, or a side of bacon between two kneading-troughs,or a boat bottom up on the beach; nor did the gang of jokers feel anycompassion for him when they saw him down; so far from that,extinguishing their torches they began to shout afresh and to renew thecalls to arms with such energy, trampling on poor Sancho, and slashing athim over the shield with their swords in such a way that, if he had notgathered himself together and made himself small and drawn in his headbetween the shields, it would have fared badly with the poor governor,as, squeezed into that narrow compass, he lay, sweating and sweatingagain, and commending himself with all his heart to God to deliver himfrom his present peril. Some stumbled over him, others fell upon him, andone there was who took up a position on top of him for some time, andfrom thence as if from a watchtower issued orders to the troops, shoutingout, "Here, our side! Here the enemy is thickest! Hold the breach there!Shut that gate! Barricade those ladders! Here with your stink-pots ofpitch and resin, and kettles of boiling oil! Block the streets withfeather beds!" In short, in his ardour he mentioned every little thing,and every implement and engine of war by means of which an assault upon acity is warded off, while the bruised and battered Sancho, who heard andsuffered all, was saying to himself, "O if it would only please the Lordto let the island be lost at once, and I could see myself either dead orout of this torture!" Heaven heard his prayer, and when he least expectedit he heard voices exclaiming, "Victory, victory! The enemy retreatsbeaten! Come, senor governor, get up, and come and enjoy the victory, anddivide the spoils that have been won from the foe by the might of thatinvincible arm.""Lift me up," said the wretched Sancho in a woebegone voice. They helpedhim to rise, and as soon as he was on his feet said, "The enemy I havebeaten you may nail to my forehead; I don't want to divide the spoils ofthe foe, I only beg and entreat some friend, if I have one, to give me asup of wine, for I'm parched with thirst, and wipe me dry, for I'mturning to water."They rubbed him down, fetched him wine and unbound the shields, and heseated himself upon his bed, and with fear, agitation, and fatigue hefainted away. Those who had been concerned in the joke were now sorrythey had pushed it so far; however, the anxiety his fainting away hadcaused them was relieved by his returning to himself. He asked whato'clock it was; they told him it was just daybreak. He said no more, andin silence began to dress himself, while all watched him, waiting to seewhat the haste with which he was putting on his clothes meant.He got himself dressed at last, and then, slowly, for he was sorelybruised and could not go fast, he proceeded to the stable, followed byall who were present, and going up to Dapple embraced him and gave him aloving kiss on the forehead, and said to him, not without tears in hiseyes, "Come along, comrade and friend and partner of my toils andsorrows; when I was with you and had no cares to trouble me exceptmending your harness and feeding your little carcass, happy were myhours, my days, and my years; but since I left you, and mounted thetowers of ambition and pride, a thousand miseries, a thousand troubles,and four thousand anxieties have entered into my soul;" and all the whilehe was speaking in this strain he was fixing the pack-saddle on the ass,without a word from anyone. Then having Dapple saddled, he, with greatpain and difficulty, got up on him, and addressing himself to themajordomo, the secretary, the head-carver, and Pedro Recio the doctor andseveral others who stood by, he said, "Make way, gentlemen, and let me goback to my old freedom; let me go look for my past life, and raise myselfup from this present death. I was not born to be a governor or protectislands or cities from the enemies that choose to attack them. Ploughingand digging, vinedressing and pruning, are more in my way than defendingprovinces or kingdoms. 'Saint Peter is very well at Rome; I mean each ofus is best following the trade he was born to. A reaping-hook fits myhand better than a governor's sceptre; I'd rather have my fill ofgazpacho' than be subject to the misery of a meddling doctor who me withhunger, and I'd rather lie in summer under the shade of an oak, and inwinter wrap myself in a double sheepskin jacket in freedom, than go tobed between holland sheets and dress in sables under the restraint of agovernment. God be with your worships, and tell my lord the duke that'naked I was born, naked I find myself, I neither lose nor gain;' I meanthat without a farthing I came into this government, and without afarthing I go out of it, very different from the way governors commonlyleave other islands. Stand aside and let me go; I have to plaster myself,for I believe every one of my ribs is crushed, thanks to the enemies thathave been trampling over me to-night.""That is unnecessary, senor governor," said Doctor Recio, "for I willgive your worship a draught against falls and bruises that will soon makeyou as sound and strong as ever; and as for your diet I promise yourworship to behave better, and let you eat plentifully of whatever youlike.""You spoke late," said Sancho. "I'd as soon turn Turk as stay any longer.Those jokes won't pass a second time. By God I'd as soon remain in thisgovernment, or take another, even if it was offered me between twoplates, as fly to heaven without wings. I am of the breed of the Panzas,and they are every one of them obstinate, and if they once say 'odds,'odds it must be, no matter if it is evens, in spite of all the world.Here in this stable I leave the ant's wings that lifted me up into theair for the swifts and other birds to eat me, and let's take to levelground and our feet once more; and if they're not shod in pinked shoes ofcordovan, they won't want for rough sandals of hemp; 'every ewe to herlike,' 'and let no one stretch his leg beyond the length of the sheet;'and now let me pass, for it's growing late with me."To this the majordomo said, "Senor governor, we would let your worship gowith all our hearts, though it sorely grieves us to lose you, for yourwit and Christian conduct naturally make us regret you; but it is wellknown that every governor, before he leaves the place where he has beengoverning, is bound first of all to render an account. Let your worshipdo so for the ten days you have held the government, and then you may goand the peace of God go with you.""No one can demand it of me," said Sancho, "but he whom my lord the dukeshall appoint; I am going to meet him, and to him I will render an exactone; besides, when I go forth naked as I do, there is no other proofneeded to show that I have governed like an angel.""By God the great Sancho is right," said Doctor Recio, "and we should lethim go, for the duke will be beyond measure glad to see him."They all agreed to this, and allowed him to go, first offering to bearhim company and furnish him with all he wanted for his own comfort or forthe journey. Sancho said he did not want anything more than a littlebarley for Dapple, and half a cheese and half a loaf for himself; for thedistance being so short there was no occasion for any better or bulkierprovant. They all embraced him, and he with tears embraced all of them,and left them filled with admiration not only at his remarks but at hisfirm and sensible resolution.