the housekeeper, and from hers into the fire without any reprieve."[1]
To all this the barber gave his assent, and looked upon it as right and proper, being persuaded that the curate was so stanch to the Faith and loyal to the Truth that he would not for the world say anything opposed to them. Opening another book he saw it was "Palmerin de Oliva," and beside it was another called "Palmerin of England," seeing which the licentiate said, "Let the Olive be made firewood of at once and burned until no ashes even are left; and let that Palm of England be kept and preserved as a thing that stands alone, and let such another case be made for it as that which Alexander found among the spoils of Darius and set aside for the safe keeping of the words of the poet Homer. This book, gossip, is of authority for two reasons, first because it is very good, and secondly because it is said to have been written by a wise and witty king of Portugal.[2] All the adventures at the Castle of Miraguarda[3] are excellent and of admirable contrivance, and the language is polished and clear, studying and observing the style befitting the speaker with propriety and judgment. So then, provided it seems good to you, Master Nicholas, I say let this and 'Amadis of Gaul' be remitted the penalty of fire, and as for all the rest, let them perish without further question or query."
"Nay, gossip," said the barber, "for this that I have here is the famous 'Don Belianis.'"[4]
- ↑ The condemned books are the History of the deeds of Bernardo del Carpio, by Augustin Alonso of Salamanca (Toledo, 1585); and the Famous Battle of Roncesvalles, by Francisco Garrido de Villena (Valencia, 1555).
- ↑ Palmerin de Oliva, the founder of the Palmerin Series of Romances, was first printed at Salamanca in 1511. It is said to have been written by a lady of Augustobriga (i.e. Burgos, according to some, but more probably Cindad Rodrigo), but nothing certain is known of the author. Palmerin de Inglaterra, like Amadis, was until lately supposed to be, as Cervantes supposed it, of Portuguese origin; but the question was settled a few years ago by Vincente Salvá, who discovered a Toledo edition of 1547, twenty years earlier than the Portuguese edition on which the claims of Francisco de Moraes, or of John II, rested. An acrostic gives the name of the author, Luis Hurtado.
- ↑ Miraguarda is not the name of the Castle, but of the lady who lived in it, and whose charms were the cause of the adventures.
- ↑ Belianis de Grecia, already mentioned in the first chapter as one of Don Quixote's special studies.
