Page:The History of the Valorous and Wity Knight-Errant, Don-Quixote of the Mancha.djvu/106

62 him a little aside; And he continuing still his Laughter, said, There is written here on this Margin these Words: This Dulcinea of Toboso, so many times spoken of in this History had the best Hand for powdering of Pork, of any Woman in all the Mancha. When I heard it make mention of Dulcinea of Toboso, I rested amaz'd, and suspended, and imagin'd forthwith that those Quires contain'd the History of Don Quixote. With this Conceit I hasten'd him to read the Beginning, which he did, and translating the Arabick into Spanish in a trice, he said that it begun thus: The History of Don Quixote of the Mancha, written by Cyd Hamet Benengeli, an Arabical Historiographer. Much Discretion was requisite to dissemble the Content of Mind I conceiv'd, when I heard the Title of the Book; and preventing the Squire, I bought all the Boy's Scrolls and Papers for a Real: and had he been of Discretion, or known my Desire, he might have promis'd himself easily, and also born away with him, more than six Reals for his Merchandise. I departed after with the Moor to the Cloyster of the great Church, and I requested him to turn me all the Arabick Sheets that treated of Don Quixote into Spanish, without adding or taking away any thing from them, and I would pay him what he would desire for his Pains. He demanded Fifty pounds of Raisins and Three Bushels of Wheat, and promis'd to translate them speedily, well, and faithfully: But I, to hasten the Matter more, lest I should lose such an unexpected and welcome Treasure, brought him to my House, where he translated all the Work in less than a Month and a half, even in the manner that it is here recounted.

There was painted in the first Quire, very naturally, the Battle betwixt Don Quixote and the Biscaine, even in the same manner that the History relateth it, with their Swords lifted aloft; the one cover'd with his Buckler, the other with his Cushion: And the Biscaine's Mule was deliver'd so naturally, as a Man might perceive it was hired, altho' he stood farther off than: the shoot of a Cross-bow. The Biscaine had a Title

written