grew towards man I looked after geese, and not hogs. But this, methinks, is nothing to the purpose, for all governors are not descended from kings." "That I grant," replied Don Quixote; "and therefore those who have not the advantage of noble descent should fail not to grace the dignity of the office they bear with gentleness and modesty, which when accompanied with discretion, will silence those murmurs which few situations in life can escape.

Conceal not the meanness of thy family, nor think it disgraceful to be descended from peasants: for, when it is seen that thou art not thyself ashamed, none will endeavor to make thee so; and deem it more meritorious to be a virtuous humble man than a lofty sinner. Infinite is the number of those who, born low of extraction, have risen to the highest dignities, both in church and state; and of this truth I could tire thee with examples.

"Remember, Sancho, if thou takest virtue for the rule of life, and valuest thyself upon acting in all things conformable thereto, thou wilt have no cause to envy lords and princes; for blood is inherited, but virtue is a common property and may be acquired by all; it has, moreover, an intrinsic worth which blood has not. This being so, if peradventure any one of thy kindred visit thee in thy government, do not slight, nor affront him; but receive, cherish, and make much of him, for in so doing thou wilt please God, who allows none of his creatures to be despised; and thou wilt also manifest therein a well-disposed

nature.

"If thou akest thy wife with thee (and it is not well for those who are appointed to governments to be long separated from their families) teach, instruct, and polish her from her natural rudeness: for it often happens that all the consideration a wise governor can acquire is lost by an ill-bred and foolish woman.

"If thou shouldst become a widower (an event which is possible) and thy station entitles thee to a better match, seek not one to serve thee for a hook and angling rod, or a friar's hood to receive alms in, for, believe, me, whatever the judge's wife receives, the husband must account for at the general judg ment, and shali be made to pay four-fold for all that of which he has rendered no account during his life.

Be not under the dominion of thine own will; it is the vice of the ignorant, who vainly presume on their own understanding.

Let the tears of the poor find more compassion, but not more justice, from thee than the applications of the wealthy.

"Be equally solicitous to sift out the truth amidst the presents and promises of the rich, and the signs and entreaties of the poor.

Whenever equity may justly temper the rigor of the law, let not the whole force of it bear upon the delinquent; for it is better that a judge should lean on the side of compassion than severity.

"If, perchance, the scales of justice be not correctly balanced, let the error be imputable to pity, not to gold.

"If, perchance, the cause of thine enemy come before thee, forget thy injuries, and think only on the merits of the case.

"Let not private affection blind; thee in another man's cause; for the errors thou shalt thereby commit are often without remedy, and at the expense both of thy reputation and fortune.

"When a beautiful woman comes before thee to demand justice, consider maturely the nature of her claim, without regarding either her tears or her sighs, unless thou wouldst expose thy judgment to the danger of being lost in the one, and thy integrity in the other.

"Revile not with words him whom thou hast to correct with deeds; the punishment which the unhappy wretch is doomed to suffer is sufficient without the addition of abusive language.

"When the criminal stands before thee, recollect the frail and depraved nature of man, and, as much as thou canst, without injustice to the suffering party, show pity and clemency; for, though the at tributes of God are all equally adorable, yet his mercy is more shining and attractive in our eyes than his justice.

"If, Sancho, thou observest these precepts, thy days will be long and thy fame eternal; thy recom. pense full, and thy felicity unspeakable. Thou shalt marry thy children to thy heart's content, and they and thy grandchildren shall want neither honors nor titles. Beloved by all men, thy days shall pass in peace and tranquility; and when the inevitable period comes, death shall steal on thee in a good and venerable old age, and thy grandchildren's children, with their tender and pious hands, shall close thine eyes.

After having traveled a certain distance, governor Sancho, with all his attendants, arrived at a town which contained not less than a thousand inhabitants, and was one of the most considerable in the duke's territories. He was informed that it was called the island of Barataria, either because Barataria was really its name, or on account of the easy rate in which he had come in possession of it. On his arrival near the gates of the town-for it was surrounded by a wall-the magistrates came out to receive him, the bells rang, and the people gave demon. strations of general joy, and, with much pomp, con ducted him to the great church to give thanks to God. The keys of the town were then delivered to him with certain ceremonies, and he was formally de clared perpetual governor of the island of Barataria. The short thick figure, the garb and deportment of the new governor, held in admiration all who were not in the secret history of his appointment--nay, even those who were so, and they were not a few. As soon as they had brought him out of the church they conducted him to the tribunal of justice, and having placed him in the chair, the duke's steward said to him: "It is an ancient custom here, my lord governor, that he who is appointed to the command

of this far-famed island shall, on his first taking pos session, give answer to some intricate and difficult question, by which the people are enabled to judge of the capacity of their new governor, and thereby determine whether to rejoice or grieve at his arrival.” While the Steward was speaking, Sancho's eyes were fixed upon some large letters written on the wall opposite to his chair; and when the steward had done, he asked him the meaning of those marks on the wall. "Sir," said he, "it is there written on what day your honor took possession of this island; and these are the words of the inscription: 'This day (naming the day of the month and year) Signor Don Sancho Panza took possession of this island: long may he enjoy it!'" "And pray," quoth he, "who is it they call Don Sancho Panza?" "Your lordship," ar.swered the steward; "for no other Panza, except him in the chair, ever came into this island." "Take notice, brother," quoth Sancho, "Don does not belong to me, nor ever did to any of my family. I am called plain Sancho Panza; my father was a Sancho, and my grandfather a Sancho, and they were all Panzas, without any addition of Dons or Donnas. I take it there must be more Dons than pebbles in this island; but enough-God knows my meaning; if my government lasts four days, it shall go hard, but I will clear the island of these vermin, which, by their numbers, must needs be as troublesome as gnats. Now for your question, master steward; and I will answer the best I can, let the people grieve or not grieve."

At this instant two men came into the court; the one appeared to be a country-fellow, and the other a tailor, having a pair of shears in his hand. My lord governor," said the tailor, "we come before your worship by reason this honest man came yesterday to my shop-for, saving your presence, I am a tailor, and, praised be heaven, have passed my examination—and, putting a piece of cloth into my hands, 'Sir,' said he, is there cloth enough here to make me a cap?' Whereupon I, after measuring the piece, answered 'Yes.' Now he, supposing, as I suppose (and, indeed, I was right), that, doubtless, I had a mind to cabbage some of his cloth-grounding his suspicion upon his own knavery, and the bad character of tailors-bid me look at it again, and see if there was not enough for two. I guessed his drift, and told him there was. He, firm in his knavish conception, went on increasing the number of caps, till we came to five caps. Well, the caps I made, and just now he came for them I offered them to him, but he refused to pay me for my work, and now wants me either to return him his cloth, or pay him for it!" "Is all this so, friend?" demanded Sancho. "Yes," answered the other man; “but pray, my lord, make him show the five caps he has made me." "With all my heart," answered the tailor; and, pulling his hand from under his cloak, he showed the five caps on the ends of his fingers and thumb, saying, "Here are the five caps this

honest man would have me make, and, on my soul and conscience, not a shred of the cloth is lett; and as to the workmanship, I am ready to submit it to the view of any inspectors of the trade." All present laughed at the number of the caps, and the novelty of the suit. The governor mused upon the case, and, after a little consideration, he said: "This matter, to my thinking, need not keep us long, but may be settled off-hand; and therefore I pronounce that the tailor lose his labor, and the countryman his cloth, and that the caps be given among the poor prisoners--so there is an end of that." If his sentence on the purse of the herdsman excited the admiration of the bystanders, this provoked their laughter. The commands of the governor were, nevertheless, duly executed.

Two old men next presented themselves before him, the one holding a cane-staff in his hand. "My lord," said he who had no staff, "some time ago I lent this man ten crowns of gold, to oblige and serve him, upon condition he should return them on de mand. I let some time pass without asking for them, being loth to put him to a greater strait to pay me than he was in when I lent them. But at length, thinking it full time to be repaid, I asked him for my money more than once, but to no purpose; he not only refuses payment, but denies the debt, and says I never lent him any such sum, or, if I did, that he had already paid me. I have no witnesses to the loan, nor has he of the payment which he pretends to have made, but which I deny; yet, if he will swear before your worship that he has returned the money, I from this minute acquit him before God and the world." "What say you to this, old gentleman?" quoth Sancho. "I confess, my lord," replied the old fellow, "that he did lend me the money; and if your worship pleases to hold down your wand of justice, since he leaves it to my oath, I will swear I have really and truly returned it to him." The governor accordingly held down his wand, and the old fellow, seeming encumbered with his staff, gave it to his creditor to hold, while he was swearing, and then, taking hold of the cross of the wand, he said it was true indeed the other had lent him ten crowns, but that he had restored them to him, into his own hand; but having, he supposed, forgotten it, he was continually dunning him for them. Upon which his lordship, the governor, demanded of the creditor what he had to say in reply to the solemn declara. tion he had heard. He said that he submitted, and could not doubt that his debtor had said the truth; for he believed him to be an honest man, and a good Christian; and that as the fault must have been in his own memory, he would thenceforward ask him no more for his money. The debtor now took his staff again, and, bowing to the governor, went out of court.

Sancho having observed the defendant take his staff and walk away, and noticing also the resignation of the plaintiff, he began to meditate; and, lay

ing the fore-finger of his right hand upon his forehead, he continued a short time apparently full of thought, and then, raising his head, he ordered the old man with the staff to be called back; and when he had returned, "Honest friend," said the governor, "give me that staff, for I have occasion for it." "With all my heart," answered the old fellow, and delivered it into his hand. Sancho took it, and immediately giving it to the other o'd man, he said, "There, take that, and go about your business, in God's name, for you are now paid." "I paid, my lord!" answered the old man; "what! is this cane worth ten golden crowns?" "Yes," quoth the governor, "or I am the greatest dunce in the world; and it shall now appear whether or not I have a head to govern a whole kingdom." He then ordered the cane to be broken in court; which being done, ten crowns of gold were found within it. All the spectators were struck with admiration, and began to look upon their new governor as a second Solomon. They asked him how he had discovered that the ten crowns were in the cane. He told them that, having observed the defendant give it to the plaintiff to hold, while he took his oath that he had truly restored the money into his own hands, and, that being done, he take his staff again, it came into his head that the money in dispute must be inclosed within it. From this, he added, they might see that it sometimes pleased God to direct the judgments of those who govern, though otherwise little better than blockheads. Besides, he had heard the curate of his parish tell of such another business, which was still in his mind; indeed, he had so special a memory that, were it not that he was so unlucky as to forget all that he chiefly wanted to remember, there would not have been a better in the whole world. The cause being ended, the two old men went away, the one abashed and the other satisfied; and the secretary who minuted down the words, actions, and behavior of Sancho Panza, could not yet determine in his own mind whether he should set him down for wise or simple.

The history relates that Sancho Panza was conducted from the court of justice to a sumptuous palace, where, in a great hall, he found a magnificent entertainment prepared. He no soon oner entered than his ears were saluted by the sound of instruments, and four pages served him with water to wash his hands, which the governor received with becoming gravity. The music having ceased, Sancho now sat down to dinner in a chair of state, placed at the upper end of the table; for there was but one seat, and only one plate and napkin. A personage, who, as it afterwards appeared, was a physician, took his stand at one side of his chair, with a whalebone rod in his hand. They then removed the beautiful white cloth, which covered a variety of fruits and other eatables. Grace was said by one in a student's dress, and a laced bib was placed, by a page, under Sancho's chin. Another, who performed the office of sewer, now set

a plate of fruit before him, but he had scarcely tasted it when, on being touched by the wand-bearer, it was snatched away, and another containing meat instantly supplied its place. Yet, before Sancho could make a beginning, it vanished, like the former, on a signal of the wand. The governor was surprised at this proceeding, and looking around him, asked if this dinner was only to show off their slight of hand. My lord," said the wand-bearer, "your lordship's food must here be watched with the same care as is customary with the governors of other islands. I am a doctor of physic, sir, and my duty, for which I receive a salary, is to attend the governor's health, whereof I am more careful than of my own. I study his constitution night and day, that I may know how to restore him when sick, and therefore think it incumbe on me to pay especial regard to his meals, at which I constantly preside, to see that he eats what is good and salutary, and prevent his touching whatever I imagine may be prejudicial to his health, or offensive to his stomach. It was for that reason, my lord," continued he, "I ordered the dish of fruit to be taken away, as being too watery, and that other dish as being too hot, and over-seasoned with spices, which are apt to provoke thirst: and he that drinks much destroys and consumes the radical moisture, which is the fuel of life." "Well, then," quoth Sancho, "that plate of roast partridges, which seem to me to be very well seasoned, I suppose will do me no manner of harm?" Hold," said the doctor; "my lord governor shall not eat them while I live to prevent it" "Pray, why not?" quoth Sancho. "Because," answered the doctor, "our great master Hippocrates, the north-star and luminary of medicine, says in one of his aphorisms, Omnie saturatio mala, perdicis autem pessima;' which means, 'All repletion is bad, but that from partridges the worst.'" If it be so," quoth Sancho, "pray cast your eye signor doctor, over all these dishes here on the table and see which will do me the most good, or the least harm, and let me eat of it, without whisking it away with your conjuring stick: for, by my soul, and as God shall give me life to enjoy this government, I am dying with hunger; and to deny me food-let signor doctor say what he will-is not the way to lengthen my life, but to cut it short." "Your worship is in the right, my lord governor," answered the physician, "and therefore I am of opinion you should not eat of those stewed rabbits, as being a food that is tough and acute; of that veal, indeed, you might have taken a little, had it been neither roasted nor stewed; but as it is, not a morsel." "What think you, then," said Sancho, "of that huge dish there, smoking hot, which I take to be an ollapodrida?-for, among the many things contained in it, I surely may light upon something both wholesome and toothsome." "Absit," quoth the doctor; "far be such a thought from us. Olla-podrida! there is no worse dish in the world;-leave them to prebends and rectors of colleges, or lusty feeders at

country weddings; but let them not be seen on the tables of governors, where nothing contrary to health and delicacy should be tolerated. Simple medicines are always more estimable and safe, for in them there can be no mistake; whereas, in such as are compounded, all is hazard and uncertainty. Therefore, what I would at present advise my lord governor to eat, in order to corroborate and preserve his health, is about a hundred small rolled-up wafers, with some thin slices of marmalade, that may sit upon the stomach, and help digestion."

Sancho, hearing this, threw himself backward in his chair, and, looking at the doctor from head to foot very seriously, asked him his name, and where he had studied. To which le answered, "My lord governor, my name is Doctor Pedro Rezio de Aguero; I am a native of a place called Tirteafuera, lying between Caraquel and Almoddobar del Campo, on the right hand, and I have taken my doctor's degree in the university of Ossuna." Then hark you," said Sancho, in a rage, “signor Doctor Pedro Rezio de Aguero, native of Titeafuera, lying on the right hand as we go from Caraquel to Almoddobar del Campo, graduate in Ossuna, get out of my sight this instant-or, by the light of heaven, I will take a cudgel, and beginning with your carcase, will so belabor all the physic-mongers in the island, that not one of the tribe shall be left!-I mean of those like yourself, who are ignorant quacks; for those who are learned and wise I shall make much of, and honor as so many angels. I say again, signor Pedro Rezio, begone! or I shall take the chair I sit on, and comb your head with it to some tune; and, if I am called to an account for it when I give up my office, I will prove that I have done a good service, in ridding the world of a bad physician, who is public executioner. Body of me! Give me something to eat, or let them take back their government; for an office that will not find a man in victuals is not worth two beans."

On seeing the governor in such a fury, the doctor would have fled out in the hall, had not the sound of a courier's horn at that instant been heard in the street. "A courier from my lord duke," said the sewer (who had looked out of the window), " and he must certainly have brought dispatches of importance." The courier entered hastily, foaming with sweat, and in great agitation, and, pulling a packet out of his bosom, he delivered it into the governor's hands, and by him it was given to the steward, telling him to read the superscription, which was this: "To Don Sancho Panza, governor of the island of Barataria, to be delivered only to himself, or to his secretary." "Who is my secretary?" said Sancho. "It Is I, my lord," answered one who was present, "for I can read and write, and am, besides, a Biscainer." "With that addition," quoth Sancho, "you may very well be secretary to the emperor himself;-open the packet, and see what it holds." The new secretary did so, and having run his eye over the contents, he

said it was a business which required privacy. Accordingly, Sancho commanded all to retire, excepting the steward and the sewer; and when the hall was cleared, the secretary read the following letter:

“It has just come to my knowledge, signor Don Sancho Panza, that certain enemies of mine intend very soon to make a desperate attack, by night, upon the island under your command; it is necessary, therefore, to be vigilant and alert, that you may not be taken by surprise. I have also received inteli gence, from trusty spies, that four persons in di guise are now in your town, sent thither by the enemy, who, fearful of your great talent, have a design upon your life. Keep a strict watch; be careful who are admitted to you, and eat nothing sent you as a present. I will not fail to send you assistance if you are in want of it. Whatever may be attempted, I have full reliance on your activity and judgmenɩ.

Your friend the DUKE."

"From this place, the 16th of August, at four in the morning."

Sancho was astonished at this information, and the others appeared to be no less so: at length, turning to the steward, "I will tell you," said he, "the first thing to be done, which is to clap doctor Rezlo into a dungeon; for if anybody has a design to kill me, it is he, and that by the lingering and worst of all deaths-starvation." "Be that as it may," said the steward," it is my opinion your honor would do well to eat none of the meat here upon the table, for it was presented by some nuns, and it is a saying, "The devil lurks behind the cross.'' "You are in the right," quoth Sancho, "and for the present give me only a piece of bread and some four pounds of grapes-there can be no poison in them; for, in truth, I cannot live without food, and, if we must keep in readiness for these battles that threaten us, it is fit that we should be well-fed; for the guts uphold the heart, and the heart the belly. Do you, Mr. Secretary, answer the letter of my lord duke, and tell him his commands shall be obeyed throughout most faithfully; and present my dutiful respects to my lady duchess, and beg her not to forget to send a special messenger with my letter and bundle to my wife Teresa Panza, which I shall take as a particular favor, and will be her humble servant to the utmost of my power. And, by the way, you may put in my hearty service to my master Don Quixote de la Mancha, that he may see that I am neither forgetful nor ungrateful; and as to the rest, I leave it to you, as a good secretary and a true Biscainer, to add whatever you please, or that may turn to the best account. Now away with this cloth, and bring me something that may be eaten, and then let these spies, murderers, and enchanters see how they meddle with me or my island."

A page now entered, saying, "Here is a countryman who would speak with your lordship on busias he says, of great importance." "It is very strange," qrath Sancho, "that these men of business

ness,

should be so silly as not to see that this is not a time for such matters. What! we who govern and are judges, belike, are not made of flesh and bones like other men? We are made of marble, stone, forsooth, and have no need of rest or refreshment!-Before God, and upon my conscience, if my government lasts, as I have a glimmering it will not, I shall hamper more than one of these men of business! Well, for this once, tell the fellow to come in:---but first see that he is no spy nor one of my murderers." "He looks, my lord, answered the page, "like a sim. ple fellow; and I am much mistaken if he be not as harmless as a crust of bread." "Your worship need not fear," quoth the steward, "since we are with you." "But now that doctor Pedro Rezio is gone," quoth Sancho, "may I not have something to eat of substance and weight, though it were but a luncheon of bread and an onion?" "At night your honor shall have no cause to complain," quoth the sewer, supper shall make up for the want of dinner." God grant it may," replied Sancho.

The countryman, who was of a goodly presence, then came in, and it might be seen a thousand leagues off that he was an honest, good soul. "Which among you here is the lord governor?" said he. "Who should it be," answered the secretary, "but he who is seated in the chair?" "I humble myself in his presence," quoth the countryman, and kneeling down, he begged for his hand to kiss. Sancho refused it, and commanded him to rise and tell his business. The countryman did so, and said, My lord, I am a husbandman, a native of Miguel Turra, two leagues from Ciudad Real." "What! another Tirieafuera?" quoth Sancho, - say on, brother, for let me tell you, I know Miguel Turra very well; it is not very far from my own village." "The business is this, sir," continued the peasant.

46

By the mercy of God, I was married in peace and in the face of the holy Catholic Roman Church. I have two sons, bred scholars; the youngest studies for bachelor, and the elder for licentiate. I am a widower, for my wife died, or rather, a wicked physician killed her, by purging her when she was with child; and, if it had been God's will that the child had been born and had proved a son, I would have put him to study for doctor, that he might not envy his two brothers, the bachelor and licentiate." "So that if your wife," quoth Sancho, "had not died, or had not been killed, you had not been a widower!" "No, certainly, my lord, answered the peasant. "We are much the nearer,” replied Sancho,—go on, friend; for this is an hour rather for bed than business." "I say then," qucth the countryman, "that my son who is to be the bachelor, fell in love with a damsel in the same village, called Clara Perlerino, daughter of Andres Perlerino, a very rich farmer, which name of Perlerino came not to them by lineal or any other descent, but because all of that race are paralytic; and to mend the name, they call them Perlerinos:indeed, to say the truth, the damsel is like any orien

tal pearl, and, looked at on the right side, seems a very flower of the field; but on the left, not quite so fair, for on that side she wants an eye, which she lost by the small-pox; and though the pits in her face are many and deep, her admirers say they are not pits but graves, wherein the hearts of her lovers are buried. So clean and delicate, too, is she that, to prevent defiling her face, she carries her nose so hooked up that it seems to fly from her mouth: yet for all that she looks charmingly; for she has a large mouth; and, did she not lack half a score or a dozen front teeth and grinders, she might pass and make a figure among the fairest. I say nothing of her lips, for they are so thin that were it the fashion to reel lips, one might make a skein of them; but, being of a different color from what is usual in lips, they have a marvellous appearance, for they are streaked with blue, green, and orange-tawney. Pardon me, good my lord governor, if I paint so minutely the parts of her who is about to become my daughter; for, in truth, I love and admire her more than I can tell." "Paint what you will," quoth Sancho, "for I am mightily taken with the picture; and had I but dined, I would have desired no better dessert." "It shall be always at your service," replied the peasant, “and the time may come when we may be acquainted, though we are not so now; and I assure you, my lord, if I could but paint her genteel air, and the tallness of her person, you would be amazed: but that cannot be, because she is doubled and folded up together in such wise that her knees touch her mouth; yet you may see plainly that, could she but stand upright, her head, for certain, would touch the ceiling. In fine, long ere now would she have given her hand to my bachelor in marriage, but that she cannot stretch it out, it is so shrunk: nevertheless, her long guttered nails show the goodness of its make."

"So far, so good," quoth Sancho; "and now, brother, that you have painted her from head to foot, what is it you would be at? come to the point without so many windings and turnings." "What I desire, my lord," answered the countryman, "is, that your lordship would do me the favor to give me a letter of recommendation to her father, begging his consent to the match, since we are pretty equal in the gifts of fortune and of nature: for, to say the truth, my lord governor, my son is possessed, and scarcely a day passes in which the evil spirits do not torment him three or four times; and, having thereby once fallen into the fire, his face is as shrivelled as a piece of scorched parchment, and his eyes are somewhat bleared and running; but, bless him! he has the temper of an angel; and did he not buffet and belabor himself, he would be a very saint for gentleness." "Would you have anything else, honest friend?" said Sancho. "One thing more I would ask," quoth the peasant, "but that I dare not:-yet out it shall:-come what may, it shall not rot in my breast. I say then, my lord, I could wish your wơ”