Journeys Through Bookland Volume Vii Part 46

"As thou art in such a willing mood," said Don Quixote, "may heaven aid thee; lay on and I'll retire."

Sancho returned to his task with so much resolution that he soon had the bark stripped off several trees, such was the severity with which he whipped himself; and one time, raising his voice, and giving a beech a tremendous lash, he cried out, "Here dies Samson, and all with him!"

At the sound of his piteous cry and of the stroke of the cruel lash, Don Quixote ran to him at once, and seizing the twisted halter, said to him:

"Heaven forbid, Sancho my friend, that to please me thou shouldst lose thy life, which is needed for the support of thy wife and children; let Dulcinea wait for a better opportunity, and I will have patience until thou hast gained fresh strength so as to finish off this business to the satisfaction of everybody."

"As your wors.h.i.+p will have it so, senor," said Sancho, "so be it; but throw your cloak over my shoulders, for I'm sweating and I don't want to take cold; it's a risk that novice disciplinants run."

Don Quixote obeyed, and stripping himself covered Sancho, who slept until the sun woke him; they then resumed their journey, which for the time being they brought to an end at a village that lay three leagues farther on.

FOOTNOTES:

[433-1] The _olla_ is the national dish of Spain, and is a stew composed of beef, bacon, sausage, chick-peas and cabbage, with any other meat or vegetables which may be on hand.

[434-2] A _morion_ is a helmet without visor or beaver for protecting the face.

[435-3] Alexander the Great was so fond of his horse Bucephalus that when it died in India during Alexander's sojourn there, he founded a city which he called Bucephalia, in honor of the steed.

[435-4] The Cid was the greatest of Spanish heroes.

[436-5] _Rocin_ is, in Spanish, a horse used for labor, as distinguished from one kept for pleasure or for personal use; _ante_ means _before_.

Thus the name Rocinante meant that the horse had formerly been a hack, or work horse.

[436-6] Amadis de Gaul was the hero of one of the most celebrated romances of chivalry.

[438-1] When Don Quixote first set out on his quest of adventures, he was unattended. Having been forced, however, to return to his native town, he persuaded a peasant, Sancho Panza by name, to go with him and serve as his squire. While Sancho was a hard-headed, practical man, he was carried away by Don Quixote's promises of reward, and in time, through listening constantly to the Don's conversation, he became almost as mad as his master.

[440-2] Briareus was a famous giant of ancient mythology, who had fifty heads and one hundred arms.

[440-3] By _sage_ is here meant an enchanter or magician.

[441-1] Don Quixote and Sancho had remained in terror through an entire night, fancying from the noise they heard that they were near some terrible danger. In the morning they found that this noise proceeded from some fulling mills in the neighborhood.

[442-2] Mambrino was a Moorish king, mentioned in some of the romantic poems which _Don Quixote_ is intended to burlesque. He possessed an enchanted golden helmet which rendered the wearer invulnerable, and which was naturally much sought after by all the knights. Rinaldo finally obtained possession of it. Don Quixote, whose helmet had been destroyed, had sworn that he would lead a life of particular hards.h.i.+p until he had made himself master of the wonderful helmet.

[445-3] The _piece of eight_ is equal to about one dollar of American money. The _maravedi_ is a small copper coin, of the value of three mills in American money.

[446-4] The _G.o.d of smithies_ was the old Greek and Roman G.o.d Hephaestus, or Vulcan; the _G.o.d of battles_ was Mars.

[446-5] _Martino_ is a blunder of Sancho's for _Mambrino_.

[448-1] This was a gentlemanly person whom Don Quixote had met on the road a short time before.

[462-1] In certain rivers of Spain, floating mills, moored in mid-stream, were common.

[467-1] This was the wicked enchanter who had caused the beards to grow.

[468-2] This was the leader of the sorrowful bearded ladies.

[468-3] The duke had promised to bestow on Sancho the government of an island.

[469-4] The name of the "Distressed One."

[472-5] This was Phaeton, whose story is told in Volume II.

[476-6] Don Quixote and Sancho Panza had been persuaded that Dulcinea del Toboso, Don Quixote's lady, was under enchantment, from which she could not be released until Sancho had given himself three thousand three hundred lashes.

[478-7] The "seven she-goats" were the Pleiades.