Don Quixote promised to follow his advice scrupulously, and it was

arranged forthwith that he should watch his armour in a large yard at one

side of the inn; so, collecting it all together, Don Quixote placed it on

a trough that stood by the side of a well, and bracing his buckler on his

arm he grasped his lance and began with a stately air to march up and

down in front of the trough, and as he began his march night began to

fall.

The landlord told all the people who were in the inn about the craze of

his guest, the watching of the armour, and the dubbing ceremony he

contemplated. Full of wonder at so strange a form of madness, they

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flocked to see it from a distance, and observed with what composure he

sometimes paced up and down, or sometimes, leaning on his lance, gazed on

his armour without taking his eyes off it for ever so long; and as the

night closed in with a light from the moon so brilliant that it might vie

with his that lent it, everything the novice knight did was plainly seen

by all.

Meanwhile one of the carriers who were in the inn thought fit to water

his team, and it was necessary to remove Don Quixote's armour as it lay

on the trough; but he seeing the other approach hailed him in a loud

voice, "O thou, whoever thou art, rash knight that comest to lay hands on

the armour of the most valorous errant that ever girt on sword, have a

care what thou dost; touch it not unless thou wouldst lay down thy life

as the penalty of thy rashness." The carrier gave no heed to these words

(and he would have done better to heed them if he had been heedful of his

health), but seizing it by the straps flung the armour some distance from

him. Seeing this, Don Quixote raised his eyes to heaven, and fixing his

thoughts, apparently, upon his lady Dulcinea, exclaimed, "Aid me, lady

mine, in this the first encounter that presents itself to this breast

which thou holdest in subjection; let not thy favour and protection fail

me in this first jeopardy;" and, with these words and others to the same

purpose, dropping his buckler he lifted his lance with both hands and

with it smote such a blow on the carrier's head that he stretched him on

the ground, so stunned that had he followed it up with a second there

would have been no need of a surgeon to cure him. This done, he picked up

his armour and returned to his beat with the same serenity as before.




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