Page:The History of the Valorous and Wity Knight-Errant, Don-Quixote of the Mancha.djvu/45

Book I. Occasions and Dangers; which being once happily achieved, might gain him eternal Renown. The poor Soul did already figure himself crown'd, thro' the Valour of his Arm, at lead Emperor of TrapesondaTrebizond [sic]; and led thus by those soothing Thoughts, and born away with the exceeding Delight he found in them, he hasten'd all that he might to effect his urging Desires.

And first of all he caused certain old rusty Arms to be scoured, that belong'd to his Great Graadfather, and lay many Ages neglected and forgotten in a by-corner of his House: He trimmed hem, and dress'd them the best he mought, and then perceiv'd a great defeat they had; for they wanted a Helmet, and had only a plain Morrion: But he by his Industry supply'd that Want, and framed with certain Papers pasted together, a beaver for his Morrion. True it is, that to make tryal whether his pasted Beaver was strong enough, and might abide the Adventure of a Blow, he out with his Sword and gave it a Blow or two, and with the very first did quite undo his whole Week's Labour: The facility wherewithal it was dissolv'd liked him nothing; wherefore to assure himself better the next time from the like Danger, he made it anew, placing certain Iron Bars within it, in so artificial a manner, that he rested at once satisfied, both with his Invention, and also the Solidity of the Work; and without making a second Trial, he deputed and held it in Estimation of a most excellent Beaver. Then did he presently visit his Horse, who tho' he had more Quarters than Pence in a Sixpence, thro' Leanness, and more Faults than Genellas, having nothing on him but Skin and Bone; yet he thought that neither Alexanders Bucephalus nor the Cids Horse Balieca, were in any respect equal to him. He spent four Days in devising him a Name: For (as he reason'd to himself) it was not fit that so famous a Knight's Horse, and chiefly being so good a Beast, should want a known Name; and therefore he endeavour'd to give him such a one, as should both declare what some time he had been, before he pertained to a Knight-Errant, and also what at present he was: For it stood greatly with Reason, seeing his

Rh