They laid a table for him at the door of the inn for
the sake of the air, and the host brought him a portion
of ill-soaked and worse cooked stockfish, and a piece
of bread as black and mouldy as his own armour; but
a laughable sight it was to see him eating, for having
his helmet on and the beaver up, he could not with
his own hands put anything into his mouth unless some
one else placed it there, and this service one of the
ladies rendered him. But to give him anything
to drink was impossible, or would have been so had
not the landlord bored a reed, and putting one end
in his mouth poured the wine into him through the
other; all which he bore with patience rather than
sever the ribbons of his helmet.
While this was going on there came up to the inn a
sowgelder, who, as he approached, sounded his reed
pipe four or five times, and thereby completely convinced
Don Quixote that he was in some famous castle, and
that they were regaling him with music, and that the
stockfish was trout, the bread the whitest, the wenches
ladies, and the landlord the castellan of the castle;
and consequently he held that his enterprise and sally
had been to some purpose. But still it distressed
him to think he had not been dubbed a knight, for
it was plain to him he could not lawfully engage in
any adventure without receiving the order of knighthood.
WHEREIN IS RELATED THE DROLL WAY IN WHICH DON QUIXOTE HAD HIMSELF DUBBED
A KNIGHT
Harassed by this reflection, he made haste with his
scanty pothouse supper, and having finished it called
the landlord, and shutting himself into the stable
with him, fell on his knees before him, saying, “From
this spot I rise not, valiant knight, until your courtesy
grants me the boon I seek, one that will redound to
your praise and the benefit of the human race.”
The landlord, seeing his guest at his feet and hearing
a speech of this kind, stood staring at him in bewilderment,
not knowing what to do or say, and entreating him
to rise, but all to no purpose until he had agreed
to grant the boon demanded of him. “I looked
for no less, my lord, from your High Magnificence,”
replied Don Quixote, “and I have to tell you
that the boon I have asked and your liberality has
granted is that you shall dub me knight to-morrow morning,
and that to-night I shall watch my arms in the chapel
of this your castle; thus tomorrow, as I have said,
will be accomplished what I so much desire, enabling
me lawfully to roam through all the four quarters of
the world seeking adventures on behalf of those in
distress, as is the duty of chivalry and of knights-errant
like myself, whose ambition is directed to such deeds.”
