but hee would anfwere to none of them ; and onely requested them to give him feme meate, and fuffer him to fleepe, feeing reft was met behoueful for him. All which was done, and the Curate informed himfelfe at large of the labouring man in what fort hee had found Don Quixote; which hee recounted to him, and alfo the follies hee faid,both at his finding and bringing to towne; which did kindle more earneftly the Licenciats defire to doe what he had refolued the next day; which was to call, his friend the Barber M.Nicholas, with whom he came to Don-Quixotes house. CHAP. VI... Of the pleasant and curious fearch made by the Curate andthe Barber,of Don-Quixotes Library. Ho flept yet foundly. The Curate fought for the keyes of the Library, the onely authors of his harme : which the Gentlem.ns Niefe gaue vnto him very willingly. All of them entred into it,and among the reft the olde woman, wherein. they found more then a hundred great volumes, and thofe very well bound, befide the fmall ones. And as foone as the olde woman had feene them, fhe departed very haftily out of the chamber, and eftfoones returned with as great fpeed, with a holy water pot and a fprinckler in her hand, and faid,Hold M.Licenciat and fprinckle this chamber all about,leaft there fhould lurke in it fome one Inchanter of the many which thefe bookcs containe, and bewitch vs in reuiling of the many paines wee meane to infict on there bookes, by banishing them out of this world. The fimplicity of the good olde wo * Las Sergas. pig.73. woman,caufed the Licentiat to laugh: who commanded the Barber to fetch him downe the bookes from their fhelues, one by one, that he night perufe their arguments; for it might happen fome to be found, which in no fort deferued to be chaftifed with fire. No, replyed the Niefe,no, you ought not to pardon any of them, feeing they haue all beene offendors; it is better you throw them all into the bafe court, and there make a pile of them,and then fet them a fire; if not, they may be carried into the yard,and there make a bon-fire of them, and the fmoake will offend no body. The olde woman faid as much,both of them thirfted fo much for the death of thefe innocents, but the Curate would not condifcend thereto, vntill he had first read the titles at the leaft of cueric booke. The first that Mafter Nicholas put into his hands, was that of Amadis of Gaule; which the Curate perufing a while, this comes not to me first of all others, without fome myfterie: for as I haue heard tolde, this is the first booke of Knighthood that euer was printed in Spaine, and all the others haue had their beginning and originall from this; and therefore me thinkes that we must condemne him to the fire, without all remiffion, as the Dogmatizer and head of fo badde a fet.Not fo,fie quoth the Barber, for I haue heard that it is the very beft contriued booke of all thofe ofthat kinde, and therefore he is to be pardoned as the onely complete one of his profeffion. That is true,replied the Curate, and for that reason we doe giue him his life for this time. Let vs fee that other which lies next vnto him. It is, quoth the Barber, The Aduentures of Splandian Amadis of Gaules lawfully begotten fonne: Yet on mine honefty, replyed the Curate,his fathers goodneffe fhall nothing auaile him, take this booke old Mafters, and opening the window throw it downe into the yard, and let it lay the foundation of our heape for the fire we meane to make. She did what what was commaunded with great alacrity, and fo the good Splandian fledde into the yard, to expect with all patience the fire which he was threatned to abide. Forward, quoth the Curate. This that comes now, faid the Barber,is Amadis of Greece, and as I coniecture all those that lie on this fide,areof the famelinage of Amadis.Then let them go all to the yard,quoth the Curate,in exchange of burning Queene Pintiquinestra, and the fheepheard Darinel, with his Eglogues, and the fubtile and intricate Difcourfes of the Author, which are able to intangle the father that ingendred me, if he went in forme of a Knight errant, I am of the fame opinion, quoth the Barber, and I also faid the Niefe. Then fince it is fo, quoth the olde wife, let them come,and to the yard with them all. They were rendred all vp vnto her, which were many in number: wherefore to faue a labour of going vp and downe the flaires,fhe threw them out at the window. What bundle is that, quoth the Curate? This is, anfwered Mafter Nicholas, Don Olinante of Laura. The au thour of that booke, quoth the Curate, compofed likewife The Garden of flowres, & in good footh I can fearce refolue which ofthe two workes is trueft, or to fpeake better, is leffe lying: onely this much I can determine; that this must goe to the yard,being a booke foolish and arrogant. This that followes is Florifmarte of Hircania, quoth the Barber.Is Lord Florifmarte there?then replied the Curate, then by mine honefty hee fhall briefly make his arreft in the yard, in defpite of his wonderfull birth and famous aduentures; for the drouth and harshneffe of his ftile deferues no greater fauour.To the yard with him, and this other, (Good Mafters) with a very good will Sir, quoth olde Mumpfimus; and ftraightway did execute his commaundement with no fmall gladneffe. This is Sir Platyr(quoth the Barber). It is an ancient booke,replyed the Curate, wherein I finde nothing meriting pardon, let him without any replie keepe company with the reft D 4 Forth Forthwith it was done.Then was another book opened, and they faw the title thereof to be The Knight of the Croffe. For the holy title which this booke beareth, quoth the Curate, his ignorance might be pardoned: but it is a common faying: The Dinell lurkes behinde the Croffe: wherefore let it goe to the fire. The Barber taking another booke,faid: this is The Mirror of Knighthood. I know his Worfhip well,quoth the Curate. There goes among thofe bookes I fee the Lord Raynald of Montalban with his friends and companions, all of them greater theeues then "Cacus, and the twelue Peeres of Fraunce,with the true Hiftoriographer Turpin. I am in truth about to condemne them only to exile, for as much as they containe fome part of the famous Poet Matthew Boyardo his inucntion. Out of which the Chriflian Poet Lodonicke Arioffo did likewife weaue his worke, which if I can find among thefe, and that hee fpeakes not his owne natiue tongue, I'le vfe him with no refpect, but if he talke in his owne language, I will put him for honours fake on my head. If that be fo quoth the Barber, I haue him at home in the Italian, but cannot vnderftand him. Neither were it good you should vnderstand him, replied the Curate, and here we would willingly haue excused the good Captaine that tranflated it into Spanish from that labour, or bringing it into Spame if it had pleafed him'elfe. For he hath deprived it of much naturall worth in the tranflation; a fault incident to all thofe that prefume to tranflate Verfes out of one language into another: for though they imploy all their induftry and wit therein,they can neuer arriue to the height of that Primitrue conceit, which they bring with them in their first birth. I fay therefore that this booke, and all the others that may be found in this Library to treate of French affaires be caft and depofited in fome drie Vault, vntill we may determine with more deliberation what we fhoulddoe with them: alwayes excepting Bernardo del Carpio, which must be there among the rcft, and another called Roncefualles; for thefe two comming to my handes, fhall be rendred vp to thofe of the old guardian,and from hers into the fires,without any remiffion. All which was confirmed by the Barber, who did ratifie his fentence, holding it for good and difcreete, because he knew the Curate to be lo vertuous a man, and fo great a friend of the truth,as he would fay nothing contrary to it for all the goods of the world. And then opening another booke, he faw it was Palmerin de Oliua,neere vnto which flood another, intituled Palmerin of England: which the Licenciat perceiuing, faid,let Olina be prefently rent in pieces, and burned in fuch fort, that cuen the very afhes thereof may not be found: and let Palmerin of England be preferued, as a thing rarely delectable,and let fuch another boxe as that which Alexander found among Darius fpoyles, and deputed to keepe Homers workes,be made for it: for goffip this booke hath fufficient authority for two reafons; the firft,because of it felfe it is very good and excellently contriued the other for as much as the report runnes, that a certain difcreete King of Portingal was the author thereof. All the aduentures of the Castle of Miraguarda,are excellent and artificiall. The difcourfes very clecre and courtly, obferuing euermore a decorum in him that fpeakes, with great propriety and conceit, therefore I fay Mafter Nicholas,if you thinke good, this and Amadis de Gaule may be preferued from the fire: and let all the reft without further fearch or regard perish. In the divels name do not fo, gentle goffip(replyed the Barber) for this which I hold now in my hand is the famous Don Belianis: What he? quoth the Curate, the fecond, third, & fourth part thereof haue great necde of fome Ruybarbe to purge his exceffiue choler, and we muft morcouer take out of him all that of the Castell of Fame, and other impertinencics of more confequence. Therefore wee giue them a terminus |
