PART II - CHAPTER LVII.

by Miguel de Cervantes

　　WHICH TREATS OF HOW DON QUIXOTE TOOK LEAVE OF THE DUKE, AND OF WHATFOLLOWED WITH THE WITTY AND IMPUDENT ALTISIDORA, ONE OF THE DUCHESS'SDAMSELSDon Quixote now felt it right to quit a life of such idleness as he wasleading in the castle; for he fancied that he was making himself sorelymissed by suffering himself to remain shut up and inactive amid thecountless luxuries and enjoyments his hosts lavished upon him as aknight, and he felt too that he would have to render a strict account toheaven of that indolence and seclusion; and so one day he asked the dukeand duchess to grant him permission to take his departure. They gave it,showing at the same time that they were very sorry he was leaving them.The duchess gave his wife's letters to Sancho Panza, who shed tears overthem, saying, "Who would have thought that such grand hopes as the newsof my government bred in my wife Teresa Panza's breast would end in mygoing back now to the vagabond adventures of my master Don Quixote of LaMancha? Still I'm glad to see my Teresa behaved as she ought in sendingthe acorns, for if she had not sent them I'd have been sorry, and she'dhave shown herself ungrateful. It is a comfort to me that they can't callthat present a bribe; for I had got the government already when she sentthem, and it's but reasonable that those who have had a good turn donethem should show their gratitude, if it's only with a trifle. After all Iwent into the government naked, and I come out of it naked; so I can saywith a safe conscience--and that's no small matter--'naked I was born,naked I find myself, I neither lose nor gain.'"Thus did Sancho soliloquise on the day of their departure, as DonQuixote, who had the night before taken leave of the duke and duchess,coming out made his appearance at an early hour in full armour in thecourtyard of the castle. The whole household of the castle were watchinghim from the corridors, and the duke and duchess, too, came out to seehim. Sancho was mounted on his Dapple, with his alforjas, valise, andproven, supremely happy because the duke's majordomo, the same that hadacted the part of the Trifaldi, had given him a little purse with twohundred gold crowns to meet the necessary expenses of the road, but ofthis Don Quixote knew nothing as yet. While all were, as has been said,observing him, suddenly from among the duennas and handmaidens theimpudent and witty Altisidora lifted up her voice and said in pathetictones: Give ear, cruel knight; Draw rein; where's the need Of spurring the flanks Of that ill-broken steed? From what art thou flying? No dragon I am, Not even a sheep, But a tender young lamb. Thou hast jilted a maiden As fair to behold As nymph of Diana Or Venus of old. Bireno, AEneas, what worse shall I call thee? Barabbas go with thee! All evil befall thee! In thy claws, ruthless robber, Thou bearest away The heart of a meek Loving maid for thy prey, Three kerchiefs thou stealest, And garters a pair, From legs than the whitest Of marble more fair; And the sighs that pursue thee Would burn to the ground Two thousand Troy Towns, If so many were found. Bireno, AEneas, what worse shall I call thee? Barabbas go with thee! All evil befall thee! May no bowels of mercy To Sancho be granted, And thy Dulcinea Be left still enchanted, May thy falsehood to me Find its punishment in her, For in my land the just Often pays for the sinner. May thy grandest adventures Discomfitures prove, May thy joys be all dreams, And forgotten thy love. Bireno, AEneas, what worse shall I call thee? Barabbas go with thee! All evil befall thee! May thy name be abhorred For thy conduct to ladies, From London to England, From Seville to Cadiz; May thy cards be unlucky, Thy hands contain ne'er a King, seven, or ace When thou playest primera; When thy corns are cut May it be to the quick; When thy grinders are drawn May the roots of them stick. Bireno, AEneas, what worse shall I call thee? Barabbas go with thee! All evil befall thee! All the while the unhappy Altisidora was bewailing herself in the abovestrain Don Quixote stood staring at her; and without uttering a word inreply to her he turned round to Sancho and said, "Sancho my friend, Iconjure thee by the life of thy forefathers tell me the truth; say, hastthou by any chance taken the three kerchiefs and the garters thislove-sick maid speaks of?"To this Sancho made answer, "The three kerchiefs I have; but the garters,as much as 'over the hills of Ubeda.'"The duchess was amazed at Altisidora's assurance; she knew that she wasbold, lively, and impudent, but not so much so as to venture to make freein this fashion; and not being prepared for the joke, her astonishmentwas all the greater. The duke had a mind to keep up the sport, so hesaid, "It does not seem to me well done in you, sir knight, that afterhaving received the hospitality that has been offered you in this verycastle, you should have ventured to carry off even three kerchiefs, notto say my handmaid's garters. It shows a bad heart and does not tallywith your reputation. Restore her garters, or else I defy you to mortalcombat, for I am not afraid of rascally enchanters changing or alteringmy features as they changed his who encountered you into those of mylacquey, Tosilos.""God forbid," said Don Quixote, "that I should draw my sword against yourillustrious person from which I have received such great favours. Thekerchiefs I will restore, as Sancho says he has them; as to the gartersthat is impossible, for I have not got them, neither has he; and if yourhandmaiden here will look in her hiding-places, depend upon it she willfind them. I have never been a thief, my lord duke, nor do I mean to beso long as I live, if God cease not to have me in his keeping. Thisdamsel by her own confession speaks as one in love, for which I am not toblame, and therefore need not ask pardon, either of her or of yourexcellence, whom I entreat to have a better opinion of me, and once moreto give me leave to pursue my journey.""And may God so prosper it, Senor Don Quixote," said the duchess, "thatwe may always hear good news of your exploits; God speed you; for thelonger you stay, the more you inflame the hearts of the damsels whobehold you; and as for this one of mine, I will so chastise her that shewill not transgress again, either with her eyes or with her words.""One word and no more, O valiant Don Quixote, I ask you to hear," saidAltisidora, "and that is that I beg your pardon about the theft of thegarters; for by God and upon my soul I have got them on, and I havefallen into the same blunder as he did who went looking for his ass beingall the while mounted on it.""Didn't I say so?" said Sancho. "I'm a likely one to hide thefts! Why ifI wanted to deal in them, opportunities came ready enough to me in mygovernment."Don Quixote bowed his head, and saluted the duke and duchess and all thebystanders, and wheeling Rocinante round, Sancho following him on Dapple,he rode out of the castle, shaping his course for Saragossa.