| "Don Quixote insisted that the boat had been sent by magic to fetch him to some great knight" | [Frontispiece] |
| FACING PAGE | |
| "Slashing right and left, dreaming that he had encountered the giant enemy" | [94] |
| "He prayed that he should not be left to perish in the cage" | [132] |
| "With each lash he gave out the most heartrending cries" | [334] |
THE STORY OF DON QUIXOTE
VOLUME I
CHAPTER I
Which Treats of the Character and Pursuits of the Famous Gentleman, Don Quixote of La Mancha
NEARLY four hundred years ago, there lived in the village of La Mancha in Spain an old gentleman of few worldly possessions but many books, who was given to a hardy and adventurous way of life, and who beguiled his spare time by reading the many tales of chivalry and knighthood that were in his possession.