Don Quixote - Book 1 Chapter 6

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CHAPTER VI

Of The Diverting And Important Scrutiny Which The Curate And The Barber Made In The Library Of Our Ingenious Gentleman

Previous (Chapter V)
Don Quixote
Next (Chapter VII)

He was still sleeping; so the curate asked the niece for the keys of the room where the books, the authors of all the mischief, were, and right willingly she gave them. They all went in, the housekeeper with them, and found more than a hundred volumes of big books very well bound, and some other small ones. The moment the housekeeper saw them she turned about and ran out of the room, and came back immediately with a saucer of holy water and a sprinkler, saying, "Here, your worship, senor licentiate, sprinkle this room; don't leave any magician of the many there are in these books to bewitch us in revenge for our design of banishing them from the world."

The simplicity of the housekeeper made the licentiate laugh, and he directed the barber to give him the books one by one to see what they were about, as there might be some to be found among them that did not deserve the penalty of fire.

"No," said the niece, "there is no reason for showing mercy to any of them; they have every one of them done mischief; better fling them out of the window into the court and make a pile of them and set fire to them; or else carry them into the yard, and there a bonfire can be made without the smoke giving any annoyance." The housekeeper said the same, so eager were they both for the slaughter of those innocents, but the curate would not agree to it without first reading at any rate the titles.

The first that Master Nicholas put into his hand was "The four books of Amadis of Gaul." "This seems a mysterious thing," said the curate, "for, as I have heard say, this was the first book of chivalry printed in Spain, and from this all the others derive their birth and origin; so it seems to me that we ought inexorably to condemn it to the flames as the founder of so vile a sect."

"Nay, sir," said the barber, "I too, have heard say that this is the best of all the books of this kind that have been written, and so, as something singular in its line, it ought to be pardoned."

"True," said the curate; "and for that reason let its life be spared for the present. Let us see that other which is next to it."

"It is," said the barber, "the 'Sergas de Esplandian,' the lawful son of Amadis of Gaul."

"Then verily," said the curate, "the merit of the father must not be put down to the account of the son. Take it, mistress housekeeper; open the window and fling it into the yard and lay the foundation of the pile for the bonfire we are to make."

The housekeeper obeyed with great satisfaction, and the worthy "Esplandian" went flying into the yard to await with all patience the fire that was in store for him.

"Proceed," said the curate.

"This that comes next," said the barber, "is 'Amadis of Greece,' and, indeed, I believe all those on this side are of the same Amadis lineage."

"Then to the yard with the whole of them," said the curate; "for to have the burning of Queen Pintiquiniestra, and the shepherd Darinel and his eclogues, and the bedevilled and involved discourses of his author, I would burn with them the father who begot me if he were going about in the guise of a knight-errant."

"I am of the same mind," said the barber.

"And so am I," added the niece.

"In that case," said the housekeeper, "here, into the yard with them!"

They were handed to her, and as there were many of them, she spared herself the staircase, and flung them down out of the window.

"Who is that tub there?" said the curate.

"This," said the barber, "is 'Don Olivante de Laura.'"

"The author of that book," said the curate, "was the same that wrote 'The Garden of Flowers,' and truly there is no deciding which of the two books is the more truthful, or, to put it better, the less lying; all I can say is, send this one into the yard for a swaggering fool."

"This that follows is 'Florismarte of Hircania,'" said the barber.

"Senor Florismarte here?" said the curate; "then by my faith he must take up his quarters in the yard, in spite of his marvellous birth and visionary adventures, for the stiffness and dryness of his style deserve nothing else; into the yard with him and the other, mistress housekeeper."

"With all my heart, senor," said she, and executed the order with great delight.

"This," said the barber, "is The Knight Platir.'"

"An old book that," said the curate, "but I find no reason for clemency in it; send it after the others without appeal;" which was done.

Another book was opened, and they saw it was entitled, "The Knight of the Cross."

"For the sake of the holy name this book has," said the curate, "its ignorance might be excused; but then, they say, 'behind the cross there's the devil; to the fire with it."

Taking down another book, the barber said, "This is 'The Mirror of Chivalry.'"

"I know his worship," said the curate; "that is where Senor Reinaldos of Montalvan figures with his friends and comrades, greater thieves than Cacus, and the Twelve Peers of France with the veracious historian Turpin; however, I am not for condemning them to more than perpetual banishment, because, at any rate, they have some share in the invention of the famous Matteo Boiardo, whence too the Christian poet Ludovico Ariosto wove his web, to whom, if I find him here, and speaking any language but his own, I shall show no respect whatever; but if he speaks his own tongue I will put him upon my head."

"Well, I have him in Italian," said the barber, "but I do not understand him."

"Nor would it be well that you should understand him," said the curate, "and on that score we might have excused the Captain if he had not brought him into Spain and turned him into Castilian. He robbed him of a great deal of his natural force, and so do all those who try to turn books written in verse into another language, for, with all the pains they take and all the cleverness they show, they never can reach the level of the originals as they were first produced. In short, I say that this book, and all that may be found treating of those French affairs, should be thrown into or deposited in some dry well, until after more consideration it is settled what is to be done with them; excepting always one 'Bernardo del Carpio' that is going about, and another called 'Roncesvalles;' for these, if they come into my hands, shall pass at once into those of the housekeeper, and from hers into the fire without any reprieve."

To all this the barber gave his assent, and looked upon it as right and proper, being persuaded that the curate was so staunch 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 works 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. All the adventures at the Castle of Miraguarda 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.'"

"Well," said the curate, "that and the second, third, and fourth parts all stand in need of a little rhubarb to purge their excess of bile, and they must be cleared of all that stuff about the Castle of Fame and other greater affectations, to which end let them be allowed the over-seas term, and, according as they mend, so shall mercy or justice be meted out to them; and in the mean time, gossip, do you keep them in your house and let no one read them."

"With all my heart," said the barber; and not caring to tire himself with reading more books of chivalry, he told the housekeeper to take all the big ones and throw them into the yard. It was not said to one dull or deaf, but to one who enjoyed burning them more than weaving the broadest and finest web that could be; and seizing about eight at a time, she flung them out of the window.

In carrying so many together she let one fall at the feet of the barber, who took it up, curious to know whose it was, and found it said, "History of the Famous Knight, Tirante el Blanco."

"God bless me!" said the curate with a shout, "'Tirante el Blanco' here! Hand it over, gossip, for in it I reckon I have found a treasury of enjoyment and a mine of recreation. Here is Don Kyrieleison of Montalvan, a valiant knight, and his brother Thomas of Montalvan, and the knight Fonseca, with the battle the bold Tirante fought with the mastiff, and the witticisms of the damsel Placerdemivida, and the loves and wiles of the widow Reposada, and the empress in love with the squire Hipolito--in truth, gossip, by right of its style it is the best book in the world. Here knights eat and sleep, and die in their beds, and make their wills before dying, and a great deal more of which there is nothing in all the other books. Nevertheless, I say he who wrote it, for deliberately composing such fooleries, deserves to be sent to the galleys for life. Take it home with you and read it, and you will see that what I have said is true."

"As you will," said the barber; "but what are we to do with these little books that are left?"

"These must be, not chivalry, but poetry," said the curate; and opening one he saw it was the "Diana" of Jorge de Montemayor, and, supposing all the others to be of the same sort, "these," he said, "do not deserve to be burned like the others, for they neither do nor can do the mischief the books of chivalry have done, being books of entertainment that can hurt no one."

"Ah, senor!" said the niece, "your worship had better order these to be burned as well as the others; for it would be no wonder if, after being cured of his chivalry disorder, my uncle, by reading these, took a fancy to turn shepherd and range the woods and fields singing and piping; or, what would be still worse, to turn poet, which they say is an incurable and infectious malady."

"The damsel is right," said the curate, "and it will be well to put this stumbling-block and temptation out of our friend's way. To begin, then, with the 'Diana' of Montemayor. I am of opinion it should not be burned, but that it should be cleared of all that about the sage Felicia and the magic water, and of almost all the longer pieces of verse: let it keep, and welcome, its prose and the honour of being the first of books of the kind."

"This that comes next," said the barber, "is the 'Diana,' entitled the 'Second Part, by the Salamancan,' and this other has the same title, and its author is Gil Polo."

"As for that of the Salamancan," replied the curate, "let it go to swell the number of the condemned in the yard, and let Gil Polo's be preserved as if it came from Apollo himself: but get on, gossip, and make haste, for it is growing late."

"This book," said the barber, opening another, "is the ten books of the 'Fortune of Love,' written by Antonio de Lofraso, a Sardinian poet."

"By the orders I have received," said the curate, "since Apollo has been Apollo, and the Muses have been Muses, and poets have been poets, so droll and absurd a book as this has never been written, and in its way it is the best and the most singular of all of this species that have as yet appeared, and he who has not read it may be sure he has never read what is delightful. Give it here, gossip, for I make more account of having found it than if they had given me a cassock of Florence stuff."

He put it aside with extreme satisfaction, and the barber went on, "These that come next are 'The Shepherd of Iberia,' 'Nymphs of Henares,' and 'The Enlightenment of Jealousy.'"

"Then all we have to do," said the curate, "is to hand them over to the secular arm of the housekeeper, and ask me not why, or we shall never have done."

"This next is the 'Pastor de Filida.'"

"No Pastor that," said the curate, "but a highly polished courtier; let it be preserved as a precious jewel."

"This large one here," said the barber, "is called 'The Treasury of various Poems.'"

"If there were not so many of them," said the curate, "they would be more relished: this book must be weeded and cleansed of certain vulgarities which it has with its excellences; let it be preserved because the author is a friend of mine, and out of respect for other more heroic and loftier works that he has written."

"This," continued the barber, "is the 'Cancionero' of Lopez de Maldonado."

"The author of that book, too," said the curate, "is a great friend of mine, and his verses from his own mouth are the admiration of all who hear them, for such is the sweetness of his voice that he enchants when he chants them: it gives rather too much of its eclogues, but what is good was never yet plentiful: let it be kept with those that have been set apart. But what book is that next it?"

"The 'Galatea' of Miguel de Cervantes," said the barber.

"That Cervantes has been for many years a great friend of mine, and to my knowledge he has had more experience in reverses than in verses. His book has some good invention in it, it presents us with something but brings nothing to a conclusion: we must wait for the Second Part it promises: perhaps with amendment it may succeed in winning the full measure of grace that is now denied it; and in the mean time do you, senor gossip, keep it shut up in your own quarters."

"Very good," said the barber; "and here come three together, the 'Araucana' of Don Alonso de Ercilla, the 'Austriada' of Juan Rufo, Justice of Cordova, and the 'Montserrate' of Christobal de Virues, the Valencian poet."

"These three books," said the curate, "are the best that have been written in Castilian in heroic verse, and they may compare with the most famous of Italy; let them be preserved as the richest treasures of poetry that Spain possesses."

The curate was tired and would not look into any more books, and so he decided that, "contents uncertified," all the rest should be burned; but just then the barber held open one, called "The Tears of Angelica."

"I should have shed tears myself," said the curate when he heard the title, "had I ordered that book to be burned, for its author was one of the famous poets of the world, not to say of Spain, and was very happy in the translation of some of Ovid's fables."

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Don Quixote
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(thing) by SwapNodesQuixote (2.5 y) (print) ? (I like it!) Tue Aug 28 2001 at 23:20:40

CAP�TULO VI.

Del donoso y grande escrutinio que el cura y el barbero hicieron en la librer�a de nuestro ingenioso hidalgo

El cual a�n todav�a dorm�a. Pidi� las llaves, a la sobrina, del aposento donde estaban los libros, autores del da�o, y ella se las dio de muy buena gana. Entraron dentro todos, y la ama con ellos, y hallaron m�s de cien cuerpos de libros grandes, muy bien encuadernados, y otros peque�os; y, as� como el ama los vio, volvi�se a salir del aposento con gran priesa, y torn� luego con una escudilla de agua bendita y un hisopo, y dijo:

-Tome vuestra merced, se�or licenciado: roc�e este aposento, no est� aqu� alg�n encantador de los muchos que tienen estos libros, y nos encanten, en pena de las que les queremos dar ech�ndolos del mundo.

Caus� risa al licenciado la simplicidad del ama, y mand� al barbero que le fuese dando de aquellos libros uno a uno, para ver de qu� trataban, pues pod�a ser hallar algunos que no mereciesen castigo de fuego.

-No -dijo la sobrina-, no hay para qu� perdonar a ninguno, porque todos han sido los da�adores; mejor ser� arrojarlos por las ventanas al patio, y hacer un rimero dellos y pegarles fuego; y si no, llevarlos al corral, y all� se har� la hoguera, y no ofender� el humo.

Lo mismo dijo el ama: tal era la gana que las dos ten�an de la muerte de aquellos inocentes; mas el cura no vino en ello sin primero leer siquiera los t�tulos. Y el primero que maese Nicol�s le dio en las manos fue Los cuatro de Amad�s de Gaula, y dijo el cura:

-Parece cosa de misterio �sta; porque, seg�n he o�do decir, este libro fue el primero de caballer�as que se imprimi� en Espa�a, y todos los dem�s han tomado principio y origen d�ste; y as�, me parece que, como a dogmatizador de una secta tan mala, le debemos, sin escusa alguna, condenar al fuego.

-No, se�or -dijo el barbero-, que tambi�n he o�do decir que es el mejor de todos los libros que de este g�nero se han compuesto; y as�, como a �nico en su arte, se debe perdonar.

-As� es verdad -dijo el cura-, y por esa raz�n se le otorga la vida por ahora. Veamos esotro que est� junto a �l.

-Es -dijo el barbero- las Sergas de Esplandi�n, hijo leg�timo de Amad�s de Gaula.

-Pues, en verdad -dijo el cura- que no le ha de valer al hijo la bondad del padre. Tomad, se�ora ama: abrid esa ventana y echadle al corral, y d� principio al mont�n de la hoguera que se ha de hacer.

H�zolo as� el ama con mucho contento, y el bueno de Esplandi�n fue volando al corral, esperando con toda paciencia el fuego que le amenazaba.

-Adelante -dijo el cura.

-Este que viene -dijo el barbero- es Amad�s de Grecia; y aun todos los deste lado, a lo que creo, son del mesmo linaje de Amad�s.

-Pues vayan todos al corral -dijo el cura-; que, a trueco de quemar a la reina Pintiquiniestra, y al pastor Darinel, y a sus �glogas, y a las endiabladas y revueltas razones de su autor, quemar� con ellos al padre que me engendr�, si anduviera en figura de caballero andante.

-De ese parecer soy yo -dijo el barbero.

-Y aun yo -a�adi� la sobrina.

-Pues as� es -dijo el ama-, vengan, y al corral con ellos.

Di�ronselos, que eran muchos, y ella ahorr� la escalera y dio con ellos por la ventana abajo.

-�Qui�n es ese tonel? -dijo el cura.

-�ste es -respondi� el barbero- Don Olivante de Laura.

-El autor de ese libro -dijo el cura- fue el mesmo que compuso a Jard�n de flores; y en verdad que no sepa determinar cu�l de los dos libros es m�s verdadero, o, por decir mejor, menos mentiroso; s�lo s� decir que �ste ir� al corral por disparatado y arrogante.

-�ste que se sigue es Florimorte de Hircania -dijo el barbero.

-�Ah� est� el se�or Florimorte? -replic� el cura-. Pues a fe que ha de parar presto en el corral, a pesar de su estra�o nacimiento y sonadas aventuras; que no da lugar a otra cosa la dureza y sequedad de su estilo. Al corral con �l y con esotro, se�ora ama.

-Que me place, se�or m�o -respond�a ella; y con mucha alegr�a ejecutaba lo que le era mandado.

-�ste es El Caballero Platir -dijo el barbero.

-Antiguo libro es �ste -dijo el cura-, y no hallo en �l cosa que merezca venia. Acompa�e a los dem�s sin r�plica.

Y as� fue hecho. Abri�se otro libro y vieron que ten�a por t�tulo El Caballero de la Cruz.

-Por nombre tan santo como este libro tiene, se pod�a perdonar su ignorancia; mas tambi�n se suele decir: "tras la cruz est� el diablo"; vaya al fuego.

Tomando el barbero otro libro, dijo:

-�ste es Espejo de caballer�as.

-Ya conozco a su merced -dijo el cura-. Ah� anda el se�or Reinaldos de Montalb�n con sus amigos y compa�eros, m�s ladrones que Caco, y los doce Pares, con el verdadero historiador Turp�n; y en verdad que estoy por condenarlos no m�s que a destierro perpetuo, siquiera porque tienen parte de la invenci�n del famoso Mateo Boyardo, de donde tambi�n teji� su tela el cristiano poeta Ludovico Ariosto; al cual, si aqu� le hallo, y que habla en otra lengua que la suya, no le guardar� respeto alguno; pero si habla en su idioma, le pondr� sobre mi cabeza.

-Pues yo le tengo en italiano -dijo el barbero-, mas no le entiendo.

-Ni aun fuera bien que vos le entendi�rades -respondi� el cura-, y aqu� le perdon�ramos al se�or capit�n que no le hubiera tra�do a Espa�a y hecho castellano; que le quit� mucho de su natural valor, y lo mesmo har�n todos aquellos que los libros de verso quisieren volver en otra lengua: que, por mucho cuidado que pongan y habilidad que muestren, jam�s llegar�n al punto que ellos tienen en su primer nacimiento. Digo, en efeto, que este libro, y todos los que se hallaren que tratan destas cosas de Francia, se echen y depositen en un pozo seco, hasta que con m�s acuerdo se vea lo que se ha de hacer dellos, ecetuando a un Bernardo del Carpio que anda por ah� y a otro llamado Roncesvalles; que �stos, en llegando a mis manos, han de estar en las del ama, y dellas en las del fuego, sin remisi�n alguna.

Todo lo confirm� el barbero, y lo tuvo por bien y por cosa muy acertada, por entender que era el cura tan buen cristiano y tan amigo de la verdad, que no dir�a otra cosa por todas las del mundo. Y, abriendo otro libro, vio que era Palmer�n de Oliva, y junto a �l estaba otro que se llamaba Palmer�n de Ingalaterra; lo cual visto por el licenciado, dijo:

-Esa oliva se haga luego rajas y se queme, que aun no queden della las cenizas; y esa palma de Ingalaterra se guarde y se conserve como a cosa �nica, y se haga para ello otra caja como la que hall� Alejandro en los despojos de Dario, que la diput� para guardar en ella las obras del poeta Homero. Este libro, se�or compadre, tiene autoridad por dos cosas: la una, porque �l por s� es muy bueno, y la otra, porque es fama que le compuso un discreto rey de Portugal. Todas las aventuras del castillo de Miraguarda son bon�simas y de grande artificio; las razones, cortesanas y claras, que guardan y miran el decoro del que habla con mucha propriedad y entendimiento. Digo, pues, salvo vuestro buen parecer, se�or maese Nicol�s, que �ste y Amad�s de Gaula queden libres del fuego, y todos los dem�s, sin hacer m�s cala y cata, perezcan.

-No, se�or compadre -replic� el barbero-; que �ste que aqu� tengo es el afamado Don Belian�s.

-Pues �se -replic� el cura-, con la segunda, tercera y cuarta parte, tienen necesidad de un poco de ruibarbo para purgar la demasiada c�lera suya, y es menester quitarles todo aquello del castillo de la Fama y otras impertinencias de m�s importancia, para lo cual se les da t�rmino ultramarino, y como se enmendaren, as� se usar� con ellos de misericordia o de justicia; y en tanto, tenedlos vos, compadre, en vuestra casa, mas no los dej�is leer a ninguno.

-Que me place -respondi� el barbero.

Y, sin querer cansarse m�s en leer libros de caballer�as, mand� al ama que tomase todos los grandes y diese con ellos en el corral. No se dijo a tonta ni a sorda, sino a quien ten�a m�s gana de quemallos que de echar una tela, por grande y delgada que fuera; y, asiendo casi ocho de una vez, los arroj� por la ventana. Por tomar muchos juntos, se le cay� uno a los pies del barbero, que le tom� gana de ver de qui�n era, y vio que dec�a: Historia del famoso caballero Tirante el Blanco.

-�V�lame Dios! -dijo el cura, dando una gran voz-. �Que aqu� est� Tirante el Blanco! D�dmele ac�, compadre; que hago cuenta que he hallado en �l un tesoro de contento y una mina de pasatiempos. Aqu� est� don Quirieleis�n de Montalb�n, valeroso caballero, y su hermano Tom�s de Montalb�n, y el caballero Fonseca, con la batalla que el valiente de Tirante hizo con el alano, y las agudezas de la doncella Placerdemivida, con los amores y embustes de la viuda Reposada, y la se�ora Emperatriz, enamorada de Hip�lito, su escudero. D�goos verdad, se�or compadre, que, por su estilo, es �ste el mejor libro del mundo: aqu� comen los caballeros, y duermen, y mueren en sus camas, y hacen testamento antes de su muerte, con estas cosas de que todos los dem�s libros deste g�nero carecen. Con todo eso, os digo que merec�a el que le compuso, pues no hizo tantas necedades de industria, que le echaran a galeras por todos los d�as de su vida. Llevadle a casa y leedle, y ver�is que es verdad cuanto d�l os he dicho.

-As� ser� -respondi� el barbero-; pero, �qu� haremos destos peque�os libros que quedan?

-�stos -dijo el cura- no deben de ser de caballer�as, sino de poes�a.

Y abriendo uno, vio que era La Diana, de Jorge de Montemayor, y dijo, creyendo que todos los dem�s eran del mesmo g�nero:

-�stos no merecen ser quemados, como los dem�s, porque no hacen ni har�n el da�o que los de caballer�as han hecho; que son libros de entendimiento, sin perjuicio de tercero.

-�Ay se�or! -dijo la sobrina-, bien los puede vuestra merced mandar quemar, como a los dem�s, porque no ser�a mucho que, habiendo sanado mi se�or t�o de la enfermedad caballeresca, leyendo �stos, se le antojase de hacerse pastor y andarse por los bosques y prados cantando y ta�endo; y, lo que ser�a peor, hacerse poeta; que, seg�n dicen, es enfermedad incurable y pegadiza.

-Verdad dice esta doncella -dijo el cura-, y ser� bien quitarle a nuestro amigo este tropiezo y ocasi�n delante. Y, pues comenzamos por La Diana de Montemayor, soy de parecer que no se queme, sino que se le quite todo aquello que trata de la sabia Felicia y de la agua encantada, y casi todos los versos mayores, y qu�desele en hora buena la prosa, y la honra de ser primero en semejantes libros.

-�ste que se sigue -dijo el barbero- es La Diana llamada segunda del Salmantino; y �ste, otro que tiene el mesmo nombre, cuyo autor es Gil Polo.

-Pues la del Salmantino -respondi� el cura-, acompa�e y acreciente el n�mero de los condenados al corral, y la de Gil Polo se guarde como si fuera del mesmo Apolo; y pase adelante, se�or compadre, y d�monos prisa, que se va haciendo tarde.

-Este libro es -dijo el barbero, abriendo otro- Los diez libros de Fortuna de Amor, compuestos por Antonio de Lofraso, poeta sardo.

-Por las �rdenes que receb� -dijo el cura-, que, desde que Apolo fue Apolo, y las musas musas, y los poetas poetas, tan gracioso ni tan disparatado libro como �se no se ha compuesto, y que, por su camino, es el mejor y el m�s �nico de cuantos deste g�nero han salido a la luz del mundo; y el que no le ha le�do puede hacer cuenta que no ha le�do jam�s cosa de gusto. D�dmele ac�, compadre, que precio m�s haberle hallado que si me dieran una sotana de raja de Florencia.

P�sole aparte con grand�simo gusto, y el barbero prosigui� diciendo:

-Estos que se siguen son El Pastor de Iberia, Ninfas de Henares y Desenga�os de celos.

-Pues no hay m�s que hacer -dijo el cura-, sino entregarlos al brazo seglar del ama; y no se me pregunte el porqu�, que ser�a nunca acabar.

-Este que viene es El Pastor de F�lida.

-No es �se pastor -dijo el cura-, sino muy discreto cortesano; gu�rdese como joya preciosa.

-Este grande que aqu� viene se intitula -dijo el barbero- Tesoro de varias poes�as.

-Como ellas no fueran tantas -dijo el cura-, fueran m�s estimadas; menester es que este libro se escarde y limpie de algunas bajezas que entre sus grandezas tiene. Gu�rdese, porque su autor es amigo m�o, y por respeto de otras m�s heroicas y levantadas obras que ha escrito.

-�ste es -sigui� el barbero- El Cancionero de L�pez Maldonado.

-Tambi�n el autor de ese libro -replic� el cura- es grande amigo m�o, y sus versos en su boca admiran a quien los oye; y tal es la suavidad de la voz con que los canta, que encanta. Algo largo es en las �glogas, pero nunca lo bueno fue mucho: gu�rdese con los escogidos. Pero, �qu� libro es ese que est� junto a �l?

-La Galatea, de Miguel de Cervantes -dijo el barbero.

-Muchos a�os ha que es grande amigo m�o ese Cervantes, y s� que es m�s versado en desdichas que en versos. Su libro tiene algo de buena invenci�n; propone algo, y no concluye nada: es menester esperar la segunda parte que promete; quiz� con la emienda alcanzar� del todo la misericordia que ahora se le niega; y, entre tanto que esto se ve, tenedle recluso en vuestra posada, se�or compadre.

-Que me place -respondi� el barbero-. Y aqu� vienen tres, todos juntos: La Araucana, de don Alonso de Ercilla; La Austr�ada, de Juan Rufo, jurado de C�rdoba, y El Monserrato, de Crist�bal de Viru�s, poeta valenciano.

-Todos esos tres libros -dijo el cura- son los mejores que, en verso heroico, en lengua castellana est�n escritos, y pueden competir con los m�s famosos de Italia: gu�rdense como las m�s ricas prendas de poes�a que tiene Espa�a.

Cans�se el cura de ver m�s libros; y as�, a carga cerrada, quiso que todos los dem�s se quemasen; pero ya ten�a abierto uno el barbero, que se llamaba Las l�grimas de Ang�lica.

-Llor�ralas yo -dijo el cura en oyendo el nombre- si tal libro hubiera mandado quemar; porque su autor fue uno de los famosos poetas del mundo, no s�lo de Espa�a, y fue felic�simo en la traduci�n de algunas f�bulas de Ovidio.

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Don Quixote - Book 1 Chapter 7	Don Quixote - Book 1 Chapter 5	Don Quixote	Don Quixote - Book 2 Chapter 51
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