"And I think so too," answered Don Quixote; then passing on to the third

he asked him what he had asked the others, and the man answered very

readily and unconcernedly, "I am going for five years to their ladyships

the gurapas for the want of ten ducats."

"I will give twenty with pleasure to get you out of that trouble," said

Don Quixote.

"That," said the galley slave, "is like a man having money at sea when he

is dying of hunger and has no way of buying what he wants; I say so

because if at the right time I had had those twenty ducats that your

worship now offers me, I would have greased the notary's pen and

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freshened up the attorney's wit with them, so that to-day I should be in

the middle of the plaza of the Zocodover at Toledo, and not on this road

coupled like a greyhound. But God is great; patience--there, that's

enough of it."

Don Quixote passed on to the fourth, a man of venerable aspect with a

white beard falling below his breast, who on hearing himself asked the

reason of his being there began to weep without answering a word, but the

fifth acted as his tongue and said, "This worthy man is going to the

galleys for four years, after having gone the rounds in ceremony and on

horseback."

"That means," said Sancho Panza, "as I take it, to have been exposed to

shame in public."

"Just so," replied the galley slave, "and the offence for which they gave

him that punishment was having been an ear-broker, nay body-broker; I

mean, in short, that this gentleman goes as a pimp, and for having

besides a certain touch of the sorcerer about him."

"If that touch had not been thrown in," said Don Quixote, "he would not

deserve, for mere pimping, to row in the galleys, but rather to command

and be admiral of them; for the office of pimp is no ordinary one, being

the office of persons of discretion, one very necessary in a well-ordered

state, and only to be exercised by persons of good birth; nay, there

ought to be an inspector and overseer of them, as in other offices, and

recognised number, as with the brokers on change; in this way many of the

evils would be avoided which are caused by this office and calling being

in the hands of stupid and ignorant people, such as women more or less

silly, and pages and jesters of little standing and experience, who on

the most urgent occasions, and when ingenuity of contrivance is needed,

let the crumbs freeze on the way to their mouths, and know not which is

their right hand. I should like to go farther, and give reasons to show

that it is advisable to choose those who are to hold so necessary an

office in the state, but this is not the fit place for it; some day I

will expound the matter to some one able to see to and rectify it; all I

say now is, that the additional fact of his being a sorcerer has removed

the sorrow it gave me to see these white hairs and this venerable

countenance in so painful a position on account of his being a pimp;

though I know well there are no sorceries in the world that can move or

compel the will as some simple folk fancy, for our will is free, nor is

there herb or charm that can force it. All that certain silly women and

quacks do is to turn men mad with potions and poisons, pretending that

they have power to cause love, for, as I say, it is an impossibility to

compel the will."




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