Page:The History of the Valorous and Wity Knight-Errant, Don-Quixote of the Mancha. Volume three.djvu/39

Rh had a broad beard and black, an equal countenance betwixt mild and stem, a man of small discourse, slow to anger, and soon appeased; and, just as I have delineated Amadis, I might in my judgment paint and decipher out as many knights-errant as are in all the histories of the world; for, by apprehending they were such as their histories report them, by their exploits they did and their qualities, their features, colours, and statures may in good philosophy be guessed at." "How big, dear Master Don Quixote," quoth the barber, "might giant Morgante be?" "Touching giants," quoth Don Quixote, "there be different opinions whether there have been any or no in the world; but the holy Scripture, which cannot err a jot in the truth, doth show us plainly that there were, telling us the story of that huge Philistine Golias, that was seven cubits and a half high, which is an unmeasurable greatness. Besides, in the Isle of Sicilia there have been found shank-bones and shoulder-bones so great that their bigness showed their owners to have been giants, and as huge as high towers, which geometry will make good. But, for all this, I cannot easily tell you how big Morgante was, though I suppose he was not very tall; to which opinion I incline, because I find in his history, where there is particular mention made of his acts, that many times he lay under a roof; and therefore, since he found an house that would hold him, 'tis plain he could not be of extraordinary bigness." "'Tis true," quoth the vicar, who, delighting to hear him talk so wildly, asked him what he thought of the faces of Renaldo of Mont-alban, Don Roldan, and the rest of the twelve peers of France, who were all knights-errant." For Renaldo," quoth Don Quixote, "I dare boldly say, he was broad-faced, his complexion high, quick and full-eyed, very exceptions and extremely