the duchess, "that honest Sancho has his conceits, it is a shrewd sign he is wise; for merry conceits, you know, sir, are not the offspring of a dull brain, and therefore if Sancho be jovial and jocose, I will warrant him also a man of sense." "And a prater, madam," added Don Quixote. "So much the better," said the duke; "for a man that talks well, can never talk too much. But not to lose our time here, come on, Sir Knight of the Woful Figure--" "Knight of the Lions, your highness should say," quoth Sancho: "The Woful Figure is out of date; and so pray let the lions come in play." " Well then," said the duke, "I entreat the Knight of the Lions to vouchsafe us his presence at a castle I have hard by, where he shall find such entertainment as is justly due to so eminent a personage, such honors as the duchess and myself are wont to pay all knights-errant that travel this way."

Sancho having by this got Rozinante ready, and girded the saddle tight, Don Quixote mounted his steed, and the duke a stately horse of his own; and the duchess riding between them both, they moved towards the castle: She desired that Sancho might always attend near her, for she was extremely taken with his notable sayings. Sancho was not hard to be entreated, but crowded in between them, and made a fourth in their conversation, to the great satisfaction both of the duke and duchess, who esteemed themselves very fortunate in having an opportunity to entertain at their castle such a knight-errant and such an erring squire.

CHAPTER XXXI.

WHICH TREATS OF MANY AND GREAT MATTERS.

SANCHO was overjoyed to find himself so much in the duchess's favor, flattering himself that he should fare no worse at her castle, than he had done at Don Diego's and Basil's houses; for he was ever a cordial friend to a plentiful way of living, and therefore never failed to take such opportunities by the foretop wherever he met them. Now the history tells us, that before they got to the castle, the duke rode away from them, to instruct his servants how to behave themselves toward Don Quixote; so that no sooner did the knight come near the gates, but he was met by two of the duke's lackeys or grooms in long vests, like nightgowns, of fine crimson satin. These suddenly took him in their arms, and, lifting him from his horse without any further ceremony, "Go, great and mighty sir," said they, "and help my Lady Duchess down." Thereupon Don Quixote went and offered to do it; and many compliments, and much ceremony passed on both sides but in conclusion, the duchess's earnestness prevailed; for she would not alight from her palfrey but in the arms of her husband, excusing herself from incommoding so great a knight with so insignificant a burden. With that the duke took her down.

:

And now, being entered into a large court-yard, there came two beautiful damsels, who threw a long mantle of fine scarlet over Don Quixote's shoulders.

In an instant the galleries about the court-yard were crowded with men and women, the domestics of the duke, who cried out, "Welcome, welcome, the flower and cream of knight-errantry!" Then most, if not all of them, sprinkled whole bottles of sweet water upon Don Quixote, the duke, and the duchess: All which agreeably surprised the Don, and this was indeed the first day he knew and firmly believed. himself to be a real knight-errant, and that his knighthood was more than fancy; finding himself treated just as he had read the brothers of the order were entertained in former ages.

Sancho was so transported, that he even forsook his beloved Dapple, to keep close to the duchess, and entered the castle with the company: But his conscience flying in his face for leaving that dear companion of his alone, he went to a reverend old waiting-woman, who was one of the duchess's retinue, and whispering her in the ear," Mrs. Gonsalez, or Mrs. pray forsooth may I crave your name?" "Donna Rodriguez de Grijalva is my name," said the old duenna; "what is your business with me, friend?" "Pray now, mistress," quoth Sancho, "do so much as go out at the castle gate, where you will find a dapple ass of mine; see him put into the stable, or else put him in yourself; for poor thing, it is main fearful and timorsome, and cannot abide to be alone in a strange place." "If the master," said she pettishly, "has no more manners than the man, we shall have a fine time on't. Get you gone, you saucy jack! the devil take thee and him that brought you hither to affront me. Go seek somewhere else for ladies to look to your ass, you lolpoop! I would

have you to know, that gentlewomen like me are not used to such drudgeries." "Don't take pepper in your nose at it," replied Sancho; "you need not be so frumpish, mistress. As good as you have done it. I have heard my master say, (and he knows all the histories in the world,) that when Sir Lancelot came out of Britain, damsels looked after him, and waiting-women after his horse. Now, by my troth, whether you believe it or no, I would not swop my ass for Sir Lancelot's horse, I'll tell you that." "I think the fool rides the fellow," quoth the waiting-woman: "hark you, friend, if you be a buffoon, keep your stuff for those chapmen that will bid you fairer. I would not give a fig for all the jests in your budget." "Well enough yet," quoth Sancho, "and a fig for you too, an' you go to that: Adad! should I take thee for a fig, I might be sure of a ripe one! your fig is rotten ripe, forsooth; say no more: if sixty is the game, you are a peep out." "You rascally son of a whore," cried the waitingwoman, in a pelting chafe, "whether I am old or no, heaven best knows; I shall not stand to give an account to such a ragamuffin as thou, thou garliceating stinkard."

She spoke this so loud that the duchess overheard her, and, seeing the woman so altered, and as red as fire, asked what was the matter. "Why, madam," said the waiting-woman, "here is a fellow would have me put his ass in the stable, telling me an idle story of ladies that looked after one Lancelot, and waiting-women after his horse; and because I wont be his ostler, the rakeshame very civilly calls me old." "Old!" said the duchess, "that is an

affront no woman can well bear. You are mistaken, honest Sancho, Rodriguez is very young; and the long veil she wears is more for authority and fashion-sake than upon account of her years." "May there be never a good one in all those I have to live," quoth Sancho, "if I meant her any harm; only I have such a natural love for my ass, an't like your worship, that I thought I could not recommend the poor tit to a more charitable body than this same Madam Rodriguez." "Sancho," said Don Quixote, with a sour look, "does this talk befit this place? Do you know where you are?" Sir," quoth Sancho, "every man must tell his wants, be he where he will. Here I bethought myself of Dapple, and here I spoke of him. Had I called him to mind in the stable, I would there."

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have spoken of him

"Sancho has reason on his side," said the duke, "and nobody ought to chide him for it. But let him take no further care; Dapple shall have as much provender as he will eat, and be used as well as Sancho himself."

These small jars being over, which yielded diversion to all the company except Don Quixote, he was led up a stately staircase, and then into a noble hall, sumptuously hung with rich gold brocade. There his armor was taken off by six young damsels, that served him instead of pages, all of them fully instructed by the duke and duchess how to behave themselves so towards Don Quixote, that he might look on his entertainment as conformable to those which the famous knights-errant received of old.

When he was unarmed he appeared in his close