let us now see the puppet-show; I fancy we shall find something in it worth seeing."-" Something!" said Master Peter; "sir, you shall see a thousand things worth seeing. I tell you, sir, I defy the world to shew such another. I say no more: Operibus credite, et non verbis. But now let us begin, for it grows late, and we have much to do, say, and shew."

Don Quixote and Sancho complied, and went into the room where the show stood, with a good number of small wax-lights glimmering round about, that made it shine gloriously. Master Peter got to his station within, being the man that was to move the puppets; and his boy stood before, to tell what the puppets said, and, with a white wand in his hand, to point at the several figures as they came in and out, and explain the mystery of the show. Then all the audience having taken their places, Don Quixote, Sancho, the scholar, and the page, being preferred to the rest, the boy, who was the mouth of the motion, began a story, that shall be heard or seen by those who will take the pains to read or hear the next chapter.

CHAPTER XXVI.

A pleasant Account of the Puppet-play, with other very good Things truly.

THE Tyrians and the Trojans were all silent; that is, the ears of all the spectators hung on the mouth of the interpreter of the show, when, in the

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first place, they heard a loud flourish of kettle-drums and trumpets within the machine, and then several discharges of artillery; which prelude being soon over, “Gentlemen," cried the boy, raising his voice, we present you here with a true history, taken out of the chronicles of France, and the Spanish ballads, sung even by the boys about the streets, and in every body's mouth; it tells you how Don Gayferos delivered his wife Melisandra, that was a prisoner among the Moors in Spain, in the city of Sansuena, now called Saragossa. Now, gallants, the first figure we present you with is Don Gayferos, playing at tables, according to the ballad:

Now Gayferos the live-long day,

Oh arrant shame, at draughts does play;
And, as at court most husbands do,
Forgets his lady fair and true.'

"Gentlemen, in the next place, mark that personage that peeps out there with a crown on his head, and a sceptre in his hand. It is the Emperor Charlemagne, the fair Melisandra's reputed father, who, vexed at the idleness and negligence of his son-in-law, comes to chide him; and pray, observe with what passion and earnestness he rates him, as if he had a mind to lend him half a dozen sound raps over the pate with his sceptre; nay, some authors do not stick to tell ye he gave him as many, and well laid on too. And after he had told him how his honour lay a-bleeding, till he had delivered his wife out of durance, among many other pithy sayings,Look to it,' quoth he to him as he went,

'I will say no more.' Mind how the emperor turns his back upon him, and how he leaves Don Gayferos nettled, and in the dumps. Now see how he starts up, and, in a rage, dings the tables one way, and whirls the men another; and, calling for his arms with all haste, borrows his cousin-german Orlando's sword, Durindana, who withal offers to go along with him in this difficult adventure; but the valorous enraged knight will not let him, and says, he is able to deliver his wife himself, without his help, though they kept her down in the very centre of the earth. And now he is going to put on his armour, in order to begin his journey.

"Now, gentlemen, cast your eyes upon yon tower; you are to suppose it one of the towers of the castle of Saragossa, now called the Aljaferia. That lady, whom you see in the balcony there, in a Moorish habit, is the peerless Melisandra, that casts many a heavy look towards France, thinking of Paris and her husband, the only comfort in her imprisonment. But now !-silence, gentlemen, pray, silence! here is an accident wholly new, the like perhaps never heard of before. Don't you see that Moor, who comes a-tiptoe, creeping and stealing along, with his finger in his mouth, behind Melisandra? Hear what a smack he gives on her sweet lips, and see how she spits, and wipes her mouth with her white smock-sleeve: see how she takes on, and tears her lovely hair for very madness, as if it were to blame this affront. Next, pray, observe that grave Moor that stands in the open gallery ; that is Marsilius, the king of Sansuena, who, having

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been an eye-witness of the sauciness of the Moor, ordered him immediately to be apprehended, though his kinsman and great favourite; to have two hundred lashes given him; then to be carried through the city, with criers before to proclaim his crime, the rods of justice behind. And look how all this is put in execution sooner almost than the fact is committed; for your Moors, ye must know, don't use any form of indictment as we do, nor yet have they any legal trials.”

"Child, child," said Don Quixote, "go on directly with your story, and don't keep us here with your excursions and ramblings out of the road. I tell you there must be a formal process, and legal trial, to prove matters of fact."-" Boy," said the master from behind the show, "do as the gentleman bids you. Don't run so much upon flourishes, but follow your plain song, without venturing on counter-points, for fear of spoiling all."—" I will, sir," quoth the boy, and so proceeding: "Now, sirs, he that you see there a-horse-back, wrapt up in the Gascoign-cloak, is Don Gayferos himself, whom his wife, now revenged on the Moor for his impudence, seeing from the battlements of the tower, takes him for a stranger, and talks with him as such, according to the ballad,

'Quoth Melisandra, if perchance,

Sir Traveller, you go for France,
For pity's sake, ask when you're there,
For Gayferos, my husband dear."

*

See Notes.

"I omit the rest, not to tire you with a long story. It is sufficient that he makes himself known to her, as you may guess by the joy she shews; and, accordingly, now see how she lets herself down from the balcony, to come at her loving husband, and get behind him; but unhappily, alas! one of the skirts of her gown is caught upon one of the spikes of the balcony, and there she hangs and hovers in the air miserably, without being able to get down. But see how heaven is merciful, and sends relief in the greatest distress! Now Don Gayferos rides up to her, and, not fearing to tear her rich gown, lays hold on it, and at one pull brings her down; and then at one lift sets her astride upon his horse's crupper, bidding her to sit fast, and clap her arms about him, that she might not fall; for the lady Melisandra was not used to that kind of riding.

"Observe now, gallants, how the horse neighs, and shews how proud he is of the burden of his brave master and fair mistress. Look now, how they turn their backs, and leave the city, and gallop it merrily away towards Paris. Peace be with you, for a peerless couple of true lovers! may ye get safe and sound into your own country, without any lett or ill chance in your journey, and live as long as Nestor,

in

peace and quietness among your friends and relations.”—“ Plainness, boy!" cried Master Peter, "none of your flights, I beseech you, for affectation is the devil."-The boy answered nothing, but going on; "Now, sirs," quoth he, "some of those idle people, that love to pry into every thing, happened to spy Melisandra as she was making her es