The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, Part 20 by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
page 22 of 42 (52%)
page 22 of 42 (52%)
![]() | ![]() |
|
fame that is to be acquired in this present transitory life; a fame that,
however long it may last, must after all end with the world itself, which has its own appointed end. So that, O Sancho, in what we do we must not overpass the bounds which the Christian religion we profess has assigned to us. We have to slay pride in giants, envy by generosity and nobleness of heart, anger by calmness of demeanour and equanimity, gluttony and sloth by the spareness of our diet and the length of our vigils, lust and lewdness by the loyalty we preserve to those whom we have made the mistresses of our thoughts, indolence by traversing the world in all directions seeking opportunities of making ourselves, besides Christians, famous knights. Such, Sancho, are the means by which we reach those extremes of praise that fair fame carries with it." "All that your worship has said so far," said Sancho, "I have understood quite well; but still I would be glad if your worship would dissolve a doubt for me, which has just this minute come into my mind." "Solve, thou meanest, Sancho," said Don Quixote; "say on, in God's name, and I will answer as well as I can." "Tell me, senor," Sancho went on to say, "those Julys or Augusts, and all those venturous knights that you say are now dead--where are they now?" "The heathens," replied Don Quixote, "are, no doubt, in hell; the Christians, if they were good Christians, are either in purgatory or in heaven." "Very good," said Sancho; "but now I want to know--the tombs where the bodies of those great lords are, have they silver lamps before them, or are the walls of their chapels ornamented with crutches, winding-sheets, |
|