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Tracks of a Rolling Stone-Part36_Henry J.Coke(1827-1916)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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From Quesada we rode to Argamasilla del Alba, where Cervantes

was imprisoned, and where the First Part of Don Quixote was



written.

In his Life of Cervantes, Don Gregorio Mayano throws some



doubt upon this. Speaking of the attacks of his

contemporary, the 'Aragonian,' Don Gregorio writes (I give



Ozell's translation): 'As for this scandalous fellow's

saying that Cervantes wrote his First Part of "Don Quixote"



in a prison, and that that might make it so dull and

incorrect, Cervantes did not think fit to give any answer



concerning his being imprisoned, perhaps to avoid giving

offence to the ministers of justice; for certainly his



imprisonment must not have been ignominious, since Cervantes

himself voluntarily mentions it in his Preface to the First



Part of "Don Quixote."'

This reasoning, however, does not seem conclusive; for the



only reference to the subject in the preface is as follows:

'What could my sterile and uncultivated genius produce but



the history of a child, meagre, adust, and whimsical, full of

various wild imaginations never thought of before; like one



you may suppose born in a prison, where every inconvenience

keeps its residence, and every dismal sound its habitation?'



We took up our quarters in the little town at the 'Posada de

la Mina.' While our OLLA was being prepared; we asked the



hostess whether she had ever heard of the celebrated Don

Miguel de Cervantes, who had been imprisoned there? (I will



quote Cayley).

'No, Senores; I think I have heard of one Cervantes, but he



does not live here at present.'

'Do you know anything of Don Quixote?'



'Oh, yes. He was a great CABALLERO, who lived here some

years ago. His house is over the way, on the other side of



the PLAZA, with the arms over the door. The father of the

Alcalde is the oldest man in the PUEBLO; perhaps he may



remember him.'

We were amused at his hero's fame outliving that of the



author. But is it not so with others - the writers of the

Book of Job, of the Pentateuch, and perhaps, too, of the



'Iliad,' if not of the 'Odyssey'?

But, to let Cayley speak:



'While we were undressing to go to bed, three gentlemen were

announced and shown in. We begged them to be seated. . . .



We sat opposite on the ends of our respective beds to hear

what they might have to communicate. A venerable old man



opened the conference.

'"We have understood, gentlemen, that you have come hither



seeking for information respecting the famous Don Quixote,

and we have come to give you such information as we may; but,



perhaps you will understand me better if I speak in Latin."

'"We have learnt the Latin at our schools, but are more



accustomed to converse in Castilian; pray proceed."

'"I am the Medico of the place, an old man, as you see; and



what little I know has reached me by tradition. It is

reported that Cervantes was paying his addresses to a young



lady, whose name was Quijana or Quijada. The Alcalde,

disapproving of the suit, put him into a dungeon under his



house, and kept him there a year. Once he escaped and fled,

but he was taken in Toboso, and brought back. Cervantes



wrote 'Don Quixote' as a satire on the Alcalde, who was a

very proud man, full of chivalresque ideas. You can see the



dungeon to-morrow; but you should see the BATANES (water-

mills) of the Guadiana, whose 'golpear' so terrified Sancho



Panza. They are at about three leagues distance."'

The old gentleman added that he was proud to receive



strangers who came to do honour to the memory of his

illustrious townsman; and hoped we would visit him next day,



on our return from the fulling-mills, when he would have the

pleasure of conducting us to the house of the Quijanas, in



the cellars of which Cervantes was confined.

To the BATANES we went next morning. Their historical



importance entitles them to an accuratedescription. None

could be more lucid than that of my companion. 'These



clumsy, ancient machines are composed of a couple of huge




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