Page:The History of the Valorous and Wity Knight-Errant, Don-Quixote of the Mancha.djvu/153

Book III. enter before. And having travel'd in it about the space of two Hours, without finding of her, they arriv'd to a pleasant Meadow, enrich'd with abundance of flourishing Grass, near unto which runs a delightful and refreshing Stream, which did invite, yea constrain them thereby to pals over the Heat of the Day, which did then begin to enter with great Fervour and Vehemency.

Don Quixote and Sancho alighted, and leaving the Ass and Rozinante to the spaciousness of these Plains to feed on the plenty of Grass that was there, they ransack'd their Wallet, where, without any Ceremony, the Master and Man did eat, with good accord and fellowship, what they found therein. Sancho had neglected to tie Rozinante sure, that he knew him to be so sobber and little wanton, as all the Mares of the Pasture of Cordova could not make him to think the least sinister Thought: But Fortune did ordain, or rather the Devil, who sleeps not at all Hours, that a Troop of Galician Mares, belonging to certain Yanguesian Carriers, did feed up and down in the same Valley, which Carriers are wontwant [sic] with their Beasts to pass over the Heats and Places situated near unto Grass and Water. And that wherein Don Quixote happened to be was very fit for their Purpose. It therefore befel, that Rozinante took a certain Desire to solace himself with the Lady-Mares; and therefore, as he had smelt them, abandoning his natural Pace and Custom, without taking leave of his Master, he began a little swift Trot, and went to communicate his Necessities to them; but they, who, as it seem'd, had more Desire to feed than to solace them, entertained him with their Heels and Teeth, in such a sort as they broke all his Girts, and left him in his naked Hair, having overthrown the Saddle. But that which sorely grieved him most: was, that the Carriers perceived the Violence that was offer'd by him to their Mares, repaired presently to their Succour with Clubs and Truncheons, and did so belabour him, as they fairly laid him along. Now in this Season Don Quixote and Sancho (which beheld the bombasting of Rozi-