PART II - CHAPTER XLII.

by Miguel de Cervantes

　　OF THE COUNSELS WHICH DON QUIXOTE GAVE SANCHO PANZA BEFORE HE SET OUT TOGOVERN THE ISLAND, TOGETHER WITH OTHER WELL-CONSIDERED MATTERSThe duke and duchess were so well pleased with the successful and drollresult of the adventure of the Distressed One, that they resolved tocarry on the joke, seeing what a fit subject they had to deal with formaking it all pass for reality. So having laid their plans and giveninstructions to their servants and vassals how to behave to Sancho in hisgovernment of the promised island, the next day, that followingClavileno's flight, the duke told Sancho to prepare and get ready to goand be governor, for his islanders were already looking out for him asfor the showers of May.Sancho made him an obeisance, and said, "Ever since I came down fromheaven, and from the top of it beheld the earth, and saw how little itis, the great desire I had to be a governor has been partly cooled in me;for what is there grand in being ruler on a grain of mustard seed, orwhat dignity or authority in governing half a dozen men about as big ashazel nuts; for, so far as I could see, there were no more on the wholeearth? If your lordship would be so good as to give me ever so small abit of heaven, were it no more than half a league, I'd rather have itthan the best island in the world.""Recollect, Sancho," said the duke, "I cannot give a bit of heaven, nonot so much as the breadth of my nail, to anyone; rewards and favours ofthat sort are reserved for God alone. What I can give I give you, andthat is a real, genuine island, compact, well proportioned, anduncommonly fertile and fruitful, where, if you know how to use youropportunities, you may, with the help of the world's riches, gain thoseof heaven.""Well then," said Sancho, "let the island come; and I'll try and be sucha governor, that in spite of scoundrels I'll go to heaven; and it's notfrom any craving to quit my own humble condition or better myself, butfrom the desire I have to try what it tastes like to be a governor.""If you once make trial of it, Sancho," said the duke, "you'll eat yourfingers off after the government, so sweet a thing is it to command andbe obeyed. Depend upon it when your master comes to be emperor (as hewill beyond a doubt from the course his affairs are taking), it will beno easy matter to wrest the dignity from him, and he will be sore andsorry at heart to have been so long without becoming one.""Senor," said Sancho, "it is my belief it's a good thing to be incommand, if it's only over a drove of cattle.""May I be buried with you, Sancho," said the duke, "but you knoweverything; I hope you will make as good a governor as your sagacitypromises; and that is all I have to say; and now remember to-morrow isthe day you must set out for the government of the island, and thisevening they will provide you with the proper attire for you to wear, andall things requisite for your departure.""Let them dress me as they like," said Sancho; "however I'm dressed I'llbe Sancho Panza.""That's true," said the duke; "but one's dress must be suited to theoffice or rank one holds; for it would not do for a jurist to dress likea soldier, or a soldier like a priest. You, Sancho, shall go partly as alawyer, partly as a captain, for, in the island I am giving you, arms areneeded as much as letters, and letters as much as arms.""Of letters I know but little," said Sancho, "for I don't even know the AB C; but it is enough for me to have the Christus in my memory to be agood governor. As for arms, I'll handle those they give me till I drop,and then, God be my help!""With so good a memory," said the duke, "Sancho cannot go wrong inanything."Here Don Quixote joined them; and learning what passed, and how soonSancho was to go to his government, he with the duke's permission tookhim by the hand, and retired to his room with him for the purpose ofgiving him advice as to how he was to demean himself in his office. Assoon as they had entered the chamber he closed the door after him, andalmost by force made Sancho sit down beside him, and in a quiet tone thusaddressed him: "I give infinite thanks to heaven, friend Sancho, that,before I have met with any good luck, fortune has come forward to meetthee. I who counted upon my good fortune to discharge the recompense ofthy services, find myself still waiting for advancement, while thou,before the time, and contrary to all reasonable expectation, seestthyself blessed in the fulfillment of thy desires. Some will bribe, beg,solicit, rise early, entreat, persist, without attaining the object oftheir suit; while another comes, and without knowing why or wherefore,finds himself invested with the place or office so many have sued for;and here it is that the common saying, 'There is good luck as well as badluck in suits,' applies. Thou, who, to my thinking, art beyond all doubta dullard, without early rising or night watching or taking any trouble,with the mere breath of knight-errantry that has breathed upon thee,seest thyself without more ado governor of an island, as though it were amere matter of course. This I say, Sancho, that thou attribute not thefavour thou hast received to thine own merits, but give thanks to heaventhat disposes matters beneficently, and secondly thanks to the greatpower the profession of knight-errantry contains in itself. With a heart,then, inclined to believe what I have said to thee, attend, my son, tothy Cato here who would counsel thee and be thy polestar and guide todirect and pilot thee to a safe haven out of this stormy sea wherein thouart about to ingulf thyself; for offices and great trusts are nothingelse but a mighty gulf of troubles."First of all, my son, thou must fear God, for in the fear of him iswisdom, and being wise thou canst not err in aught."Secondly, thou must keep in view what thou art, striving to knowthyself, the most difficult thing to know that the mind can imagine. Ifthou knowest thyself, it will follow thou wilt not puff thyself up likethe frog that strove to make himself as large as the ox; if thou dost,the recollection of having kept pigs in thine own country will serve asthe ugly feet for the wheel of thy folly.""That's the truth," said Sancho; "but that was when I was a boy;afterwards when I was something more of a man it was geese I kept, notpigs. But to my thinking that has nothing to do with it; for all who aregovernors don't come of a kingly stock.""True," said Don Quixote, "and for that reason those who are not of nobleorigin should take care that the dignity of the office they hold heaccompanied by a gentle suavity, which wisely managed will save them fromthe sneers of malice that no station escapes."Glory in thy humble birth, Sancho, and be not ashamed of saying thou artpeasant-born; for when it is seen thou art not ashamed no one will sethimself to put thee to the blush; and pride thyself rather upon being oneof lowly virtue than a lofty sinner. Countless are they who, born of meanparentage, have risen to the highest dignities, pontifical and imperial,and of the truth of this I could give thee instances enough to wearythee."Remember, Sancho, if thou make virtue thy aim, and take a pride in doingvirtuous actions, thou wilt have no cause to envy those who have princelyand lordly ones, for blood is an inheritance, but virtue an acquisition,and virtue has in itself alone a worth that blood does not possess."This being so, if perchance anyone of thy kinsfolk should come to seethee when thou art in thine island, thou art not to repel or slight him,but on the contrary to welcome him, entertain him, and make much of him;for in so doing thou wilt be approved of heaven (which is not pleasedthat any should despise what it hath made), and wilt comply with the lawsof well-ordered nature."If thou carriest thy wife with thee (and it is not well for those thatadminister governments to be long without their wives), teach andinstruct her, and strive to smooth down her natural roughness; for allthat may be gained by a wise governor may be lost and wasted by a boorishstupid wife."If perchance thou art left a widower--a thing which may happen--and invirtue of thy office seekest a consort of higher degree, choose not oneto serve thee for a hook, or for a fishing-rod, or for the hood of thy'won't have it;' for verily, I tell thee, for all the judge's wifereceives, the husband will be held accountable at the general calling toaccount; where he will have repay in death fourfold, items that in lifehe regarded as naught."Never go by arbitrary law, which is so much favoured by ignorant men whoplume themselves on cleverness."Let the tears of the poor man find with thee more compassion, but notmore justice, than the pleadings of the rich."Strive to lay bare the truth, as well amid the promises and presents ofthe rich man, as amid the sobs and entreaties of the poor."When equity may and should be brought into play, press not the utmostrigour of the law against the guilty; for the reputation of the sternjudge stands not higher than that of the compassionate."If perchance thou permittest the staff of justice to swerve, let it benot by the weight of a gift, but by that of mercy."If it should happen thee to give judgment in the cause of one who isthine enemy, turn thy thoughts away from thy injury and fix them on thejustice of the case."Let not thine own passion blind thee in another man's cause; for theerrors thou wilt thus commit will be most frequently irremediable; or ifnot, only to be remedied at the expense of thy good name and even of thyfortune."If any handsome woman come to seek justice of thee, turn away thine eyesfrom her tears and thine ears from her lamentations, and considerdeliberately the merits of her demand, if thou wouldst not have thyreason swept away by her weeping, and thy rectitude by her sighs."Abuse not by word him whom thou hast to punish in deed, for the pain ofpunishment is enough for the unfortunate without the addition of thineobjurgations."Bear in mind that the culprit who comes under thy jurisdiction is but amiserable man subject to all the propensities of our depraved nature, andso far as may be in thy power show thyself lenient and forbearing; forthough the attributes of God are all equal, to our eyes that of mercy isbrighter and loftier than that of justice."If thou followest these precepts and rules, Sancho, thy days will belong, thy fame eternal, thy reward abundant, thy felicity unutterable;thou wilt marry thy children as thou wouldst; they and thy grandchildrenwill bear titles; thou wilt live in peace and concord with all men; and,when life draws to a close, death will come to thee in calm and ripe oldage, and the light and loving hands of thy great-grandchildren will closethine eyes."What I have thus far addressed to thee are instructions for theadornment of thy mind; listen now to those which tend to that of thebody."