Chapter 80 CHAPTER XXIV. MISSIONS ESSENTIAL TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS GREAT WORK

The translator of this great work said that when he translated the chapter on Montesinos Cave Exploration, he found that the original author Sid Hamed Benengeli wrote the following sentences in the margin: "I cannot believe, nor would I allow myself to believe, that the heroic Don Quixote would have encountered the events described in the previous chapter. His various adventures before that were plausible, but this chapter of adventures in the cave It seems far-fetched, too unreasonable. I can't imagine that, as the most well-deserved nobleman and noblest knight in that era, Don Quixote would deceive people; even if he was killed, he would not deceive people. In addition, I think he can speak so eloquently, this is definitely not nonsense that can be made up in a short time. If this experience is fabricated, I am not responsible, so I don’t care if it is true or not, as written. Readers must Take it seriously and judge for yourself, that's all I can do. I do hear, however, that Don Quixote repented on his deathbed, admitting that he made up the passage, because he felt that there should be a passage like this in the stories about him. experience.” Then, the author got back to business:

The boy was amazed at Sancho's boldness and Don Quixote's patience.He thought that Don Quixote was happy because he saw his wife Dulcinea, even if Dulcinea was enchanted, otherwise Sancho would inevitably suffer flesh and blood for what he said. What Sancho said to his master was really out of line.The boy said to don Quixote: "Master Don Quixote, I feel that I have benefited a lot from this trip with you. I have gained four benefits from it. The first is to know you. I think this is my luck. Second, I know this The situation in the cave of Montesinos, and the changes of the Guadiana and Ruidera rivers, which are very beneficial to my "Ovid in Spain". Third, I know that cards have been used since ancient times. Yes, at least in the time of Emperor Carlomagnio. According to what you said, after Montesinos talked to Durandald for a long time, Durandald woke up and said: "Don't worry, then Just shuffle the cards.” This kind of words must not be learned after he was subdued by magic, but before he was enchanted, in France, that is, the era of Emperor Carlomagne just mentioned. This textual research is of great importance to me. Another book I'm working on, The Supplement to the Ancient Inventions of Virgilio Polidoro, is also very helpful. I feel like I forgot to mention the origin of playing cards in that book, and now I'm including it. It's important, not to mention citations The first is a man as serious and reliable as Durandalde. Fourth, the exact origin of the Guadiana River has been ascertained, which is still unknown."

"You are right," said don Quixote, "but I would like to ask that, though I doubt whether God will grant your publication, if he will, you intend to dedicate your book to For whom?" "All dignitaries who can accept my book offering." The young man said. "There won't be many," said don Quixote, "not that they are unworthy, but because they are unwilling to accept it. They feel no obligation to satisfy the author with the honor due to his work. However, one of my acquaintances The prince can make up for this defect, and he can make up for it so well that even the most generous people would be jealous if I dared to say it. But let's stop here and talk slowly when we have time. Now, let's find a place to spend the night."

"There is a monastery not far from here," said the young man. "There lives a hermit. He is said to have been a soldier. Everyone thinks he is a good Christian, and he is especially well-informed and kind-hearted. He is in the monastery. I spent my own money to build a house next to it. Although the house is small, it can accommodate several guests after all.” "Does the hermit have a hen too?" asked Sancho. "There are very few hermits who do not keep hens," said don Quixote. "The hermits of today are not like those in the deserts of Egypt. They wear palm leaves and eat grass roots. I don't mean to go from one to the other. I just want to show that the hermits nowadays are not as poor as the priests in the past. However, this does not mean that the hermits now are not as kind as the hermits in the past. At least I think they are still kind. If people have become bad, pretend to be kind Better hypocrisy than open sin."

As they were talking, a person walked towards them.The man walked in a hurry, and beat a mule carrying a spear and a halberd with a stick from time to time. When he came to them, he only said hello and hurried past.Don Quixote said to the man: "Good man, please stop. It seems that you are going too fast, and the mule may not be able to bear it." "I can't stop, my lord," said the man. "I've got these weapons I've got to use tomorrow, so I can't stop now. Good-bye. But if you want to know why I'm transporting these things, I'm going to Tonight I will be staying at the inn after the monastery. If you are on your way, come and find me, and I can tell you something new. Good-bye now."

After speaking, before don Quixote asked him what new things he wanted to tell, he hastily urged the mule to leave.Don Quixote felt something strange, and he was always inquisitive about new things, so he ordered to set off immediately, and also to the inn instead of going to the monastery to visit the hermit the boy said. So the three got on their horses and went straight to the inn. When they arrived at the inn, it was almost evening.When passing by the monastery, the young man suggested that Don Quixote go in for a drink.When Sancho heard this, he turned his donkey and ran to the monastery, and Don Quixote and the young man followed.But fate seemed to be against Sancho. The hermit happened to be away from home, and only met a housekeeper for the hermit.The three wanted to buy some expensive things from the caretaker, but the man replied that the master had no expensive things, but if he wanted cheap water, he was more than happy to provide it.

"If it is because of thirst," said Sancho, "there is a well on the road, and I will drink from it to quench my thirst." So they left the monastery and urged their mules to the inn. After walking not far, they found a young man in front of him. He was not walking fast, so he quickly caught up with him.The young man was carrying a sword on his shoulder, and a bundle was carried on the sword. It was estimated that the clothes inside were shorts or fat-leg pants, a short cloak, and a shirt.He was wearing a short velvet coat, some parts of which had been scuffed shiny, and his shirt was exposed. He was wearing silk stockings and square-toed shoes which were popular in Beijing at that time. He was about eighteen or nineteen years old. He had a cheerful face. Face, looks very clever.He hummed Sekidia to relieve his boredom, and when he came to them, he had just finished singing a song.The young man remembered that the lyrics were sung like this:

Joining the army is all because of poverty, Never join the army if you have money. -------- ① It was used to refer to wine at that time. ② It is said that at that time a Duke named Lerma had a big crutch, so he wore a pair of shoes with double toes.As a result, many courtiers followed him, and square-toed shoes were quite popular in the capital for a while. ③Spanish folk music and dance, the lyrics are short poems of four to seven lines. Don Quixote first chatted with the young man.Don Quixote asked him: "Handsome young man, seeing you traveling lightly, where are you going? If you don't mind, we want to know."

The youth replied: "I traveled light because of the heat and poverty. I was going to join the army." "Because of the heat it is all right," said don Quixote, "because of poverty?" "My lord," said the young man, "I have some velvet pantaloons and a short coat in this pack. If I wear them out on the road, I shall have no decent clothes when I go into town, and I have no money to buy any more." Also, for the sake of coolness, I only wear so little clothes, and I will put on all my clothes when I rush to the infantry company twelve kilometers away from here to join the army. There are many horses and horses going to the pier. In Cartagena. I would rather go into the army and serve the king than serve the pauper in the capital."

"Can you get any reward?" asked the young man. "If I serve a big man in Spain, or some noble person, I will definitely get a reward." The young man said, "Serving a nobleman is always beneficial, and there are often second lieutenants or captains in the servants, or other good jobs. But I was not so lucky, and always waited on the so-called heirs to the throne, or people on low incomes, and it cost half their salary to wash a collar. It is a strange thing for a servant to make a lot of money." "You swear by your life, tell me, my friend," asked don Quixote, "that you have not even earned a uniform for all these years you have worked?"

"Two sets were given to me," said the young man, "but, just as a monk returns his cassock and takes back his own before leaving the secular world, so the uniforms are taken away when the attendants return home after completing their service in the court. Yes. The uniforms were only used as a facade." "That's wicked, as the Italians say," said don Quixote; "but you have left the court, full of ambition, and you should be considered lucky. Nothing in the world is better than to serve God first. It is more honorable and beneficial to serve the king and one's master secondly, especially by practicing martial arts. As I have said many times, even if the practice of martial arts is not as profitable as the practice of literature , At least he can win more honor than Congwen. Although literati have established more achievements than samurai, I still feel that samurai has an indescribable feeling compared with literati. I know it is a glorious feeling, far from More than literati. Now I have something to say to you, you have to keep it in your mind, it will be very beneficial to you, and it will lighten your burden. This sentence is to get rid of the worry about possible accidents, because No matter how serious the accident is, at most it is just a death; if the death is well deserved, death is the most noble thing. "The heroic Roman Emperor Caesar was once asked what was the best way to die. He replied that it was better to die suddenly and unexpectedly. Although this sounds like the answer of a pagan who ignores the real existence of God , but quite right, because it spares the suffering of the human heart. If you die in a conflict between two armies, or you are hit by a shell, or blown up by a mine, then what does it matter? It's a death anyway, and it's over .According to Terentius①, it is better to be called a warrior to die in battle than to escape; the more you obey the commander, and the more you carry out the commander's order as much as possible, the more you will gain the reputation of an excellent warrior. You remember Hold on, boy, a good soldier should smell of gunpowder, not scent. When you are old and still doing this honorable mission, even if you are bruised and crippled, you at least feel a little It is such an honor that it will not be ashamed of its own poverty. Besides, orders have been issued on how to relieve the old, weak, sick and disabled soldiers. They drive away, it is not right to treat old, weak and sick soldiers in this way, it will starve them and cause death. I don't want to talk about this now, you come up first and ride on my horse Ass. Let's go to the inn together, and have supper with me. Go on your way tomorrow morning, and may God grant you what you want." -------- ① Terentius was an ancient Roman comedian. The young man did not ride Don Quixote's ass, but he agreed to have dinner with Don Quixote at the inn.Sancho is said to have thought at the time: "God bless my master! He has said so much, and said so well, but when he talked about the Cave of Montesinos, why did he say that he saw so many things that he could not see?" ? Well, we'll see later." In the evening, they arrived at the inn.This time Sancho was a little happy, because his master did not regard the inn as a castle as before, but regarded it as a real inn.As soon as they entered the inn, don Quixote asked the owner who was carrying the spears and halberds.The shopkeeper said he was setting up his mules in the stable.The lad and Sancho also went to take care of their donkeys, and gave Rocinanto the best manger and place in the stable.