CHAP. PAGE
I.[The quality and way of living of Don Quixote]1
II.[Which treats of Don Quixote's first sally]5
III.[An account of the pleasant method taken by Don Quixote to be dubbed a knight]8
IV.[What befell the Knight after he had left the inn]12
V.[A further account of our Knight's misfortunes]17
VI.[Of the pleasant and curious scrutiny which the Curate and the Barber made of the library of our ingenious gentleman]20
VII.[Don Quixote's second sally in quest of adventures]24
VIII.[Of the good success which the valorous Don Quixote had in the most terrifying and incredible adventure of the Windmills, with other transactions worthy to be transmitted to posterity]26
IX.[What passed between Don Quixote and the Goatherds]29
X.[A continuation of the story of Marcella]33
XI.[The sage discourse continued; with the adventures of a dead body]47
XII.[Which treats of the grand adventure of Mambrino's helmet, with other things which befell our invincible Knight]57
XIII.[Of what befell Don Quixote in the Sierra Morena, being one of the most extraordinary adventures related in this faithful history]66
XIV.[A continuation of the adventure in the Sierra Morena]72
XV.[Of what happened to Don Quixote's Squire, with the famous device of the Curate and the Barber]84
XVI.[How the Priest and the Barber proceeded in their project; with other things worthy of being related]88
XVII.[Of the new and agreeable adventure that befell the Priest and the Barber, and of the beautiful Dorothea]96
XVIII.[Which treats of the beautiful Dorothea's discretion; with other particulars]102
XIX.[Of the ingenious method pursued to withdraw our enamoured Knight from the rigorous penance which he had imposed on himself]108
XX.[The pleasant dialogue between Don Quixote and his Squire continued; with other adventures]115
XXI.[What befell Don Quixote and his company at the inn]121
XXII.[Of the dreadful battle betwixt Don Quixote and certain Wine-skins]125
XXIII.[Containing an account of many surprising accidents in the inn]127
XXIV.[The history of the famous Princess Micomicona continued; with other pleasant adventures]132
XXV.[A continuation of Don Quixote's curious and excellent discourse upon arms and learning]137
XXVI.[Of occurrences at the inn; and of many other things worthy to be known]139
XXVII.[The agreeable history of the young muleteer; with other strange accidents]141
XXVIII.[A continuation of the extraordinary adventures that happened in the inn]145
XXIX.[In which the dispute concerning Mambrino's helmet is decided; with other adventures that really and truly happened]148
XXX.[The notable adventure of the Holy Brotherhood; with an account of the ferocity of our good Knight, Don Quixote]151
XXXI.[Of the strange and wonderful manner in which Don Quixote de la Mancha was enchanted; with other remarkable occurrences]156
XXXII.[Of the ingenious contest between Don Quixote and the Canon; with other incidents]161
XXXIII.[The Goatherd's narrative]164
XXXIV.[Of the quarrel between Don Quixote and the Goatherd, with the rare adventure of the Disciplinants]167
XXXV.[What passed between the Curate, the Barber, and Don Quixote, concerning his indisposition]172
XXXVI.[Of the memorable quarrel between Sancho Panza and Don Quixote's Niece and Housekeeper; with other pleasant passages]178
XXXVII.[The pleasant discourse between Don Quixote, Sancho Panza, and the bachelor Samson Carrasco]181
XXXVIII.[The discourse continued; also the wise and pleasant dialogue between Sancho Panza and Teresa Panza his wife; together with other passages worthy of happy memory]185
XXXIX.[What passed between Don Quixote, his Niece, and the Housekeeper; being one of the most important chapters in the whole history]189
XL.[Don Quixote's success in his journey to visit the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso]192
XLI.[That gives an account of things which you will know when you have read it]196
XLII.[Wherein is related the stratagem practised by Sancho, of enchanting the Lady Dulcinea; with other events no less ludicrous than true]198
XLIII.[Of the strange adventure which befell the valorous Don Quixote with the cart, or Death's caravan]202
XLIV.[Of the strange adventure which befell the valorous Don Quixote with the brave Knight of the Mirrors]206
XLV.[Wherein is continued the adventure of the Knight of the Wood, with the wise and witty dialogue between the two Squires]210
XLVI.[Continuation again of the adventure of the Knight of the Wood]213
XLVII.[Giving an account of the Knight of the Mirrors and his Squire]220
XLVIII.[Of what befell Don Quixote with a worthy gentleman of La Mancha]223
XLIX.[Where you will find set forth the highest proof that Don Quixote ever gave, or could give, of his courage; with the successful issue of the adventure of the Lions]227
L.[How Don Quixote was entertained at the castle or house of the Knight of the Green Coat, with other extraordinary matters]232
LI.[The adventure of the Shepherd-Lover, and other truly comical passages]235
LII.[An account of rich Camacho's wedding, and what befell poor Basil]239
LIII.[The progress of Camacho's wedding; with other delightful accidents]242
LIV.[An account of the great adventure of Montesinos' cave]247
LV.[Of the wonderful things which the unparalleled Don Quixote declared he had seen in the deep cave of Montesinos, the greatness and impossibility of which make this adventure pass for apocryphal]250
LVI.[Which gives an account of a thousand trifles and stories, as impertinent as necessary to the right understanding of this grand history]256
LVII.[Where you find the grounds of the braying adventures, that of the Puppet-player, and the memorable divining of the fortune-telling Ape]260
LVIII.[A pleasant account of the Puppet-play; with other very good things]266
LIX.[Wherein is shewn Don Quixote's ill success in the braying adventure, which did not end so happily as he desired and expected]271
LX.[Of some things which he that reads shall know, if he reads them with attention]275
LXI.[What happened to Don Quixote with the fair Huntress]278
LXII.[Which treats of many and great matters]281
LXIII.[Don Quixote's answer to his reprover; with other grave and merry accidents]285
LXIV.[Containing ways and means for disenchanting the peerless Dulcinea del Toboso, being one of the most famous adventures in the whole book]291
LXV.[Wherein is contained the information given to Don Quixote how to disenchant Dulcinea; with other wonderful passages]296
LXVI.[Wherein is recorded the wonderful and inconceivable adventure of the afflicted Duenna, or the Countess of Trifaldi; and likewise Sancho Panza's letter to his wife Teresa Panza]299
LXVII.[In which is continued the famous adventure of the afflicted Duenna]303
LXVIII.[Of the account given by the afflicted Duenna of her misfortunes]304
LXIX.[Wherein the Countess Trifaldi continues her stupendous and memorable history]308
LXX.[Which treats of matters relating and appertaining to this adventure, and to this memorable history]309
LXXI.[Of the arrival of Clavileno; with the conclusion of this prolix adventure]313
LXXII.[The instructions which Don Quixote gave to Sancho Panza, before he went to his government; with other well-digested matter]319
LXXIII.[Of the second instruction Don Quixote gave Sancho Panza]322
LXXIV.[How Sancho Panza was carried to his government; and of the strange adventure that befell Don Quixote in the castle]325
LXXV.[How the great Sancho Panza took possession of his island, and in what manner he began to govern]328
LXXVI.[Of a dreadful alarm which Don Quixote experienced]331
LXXVII.[Which gives a further account of Sancho Panza's behaviour in his government]334
LXXVIII.[What happened to Don Quixote with Donna Rodriguez; as also other passages worthy to be recorded]340
LXXIX.[What happened to Sancho Panza as he went the rounds in his island]342
LXXX.[Which narrates the success of the page that carried Sancho's letter to his wife]350
LXXXI.[A continuation of Sancho Panza's government; with other entertaining passages]355
LXXXII.[A relation of the adventures of the second disconsolate or distressed matron, otherwise called Donna Rodriguez; with the letters of Teresa Panza to the Duchess and to her husband]360
LXXXIII.[The toilsome end and conclusion of Sancho Panza's government]364
LXXXIV.[What happened to Sancho by the way; with other matters which you will have no more to do than to see]368
LXXXV.[Which treats of matters that relate to this history, and no other]370
LXXXVI.[Of the extraordinary and unaccountable combat between Don Quixote de la Mancha and the lackey Tosilos, in vindication of the matron Donna Rodriguez's daughter]372
LXXXVII.[How adventures crowded so thick on Don Quixote that they trod upon one another's heels]376
LXXXVIII.[Of an extraordinary accident that happened to Don Quixote, which may well pass for an adventure]383
LXXXIX.[What happened to Don Quixote going to Barcelona]388
XC.[Of what befell Don Quixote at his entrance into Barcelona; with other events more true than ingenious]397
XCI.[Of the adventure of the enchanted head; with other trifling matters that must not be omitted]399
XCII.[Of an unlucky adventure which Don Quixote laid most to heart of any that had yet befallen him]404
XCIII.[Wherein is given an account of the Knight of the White Moon; with other matters]406
XCIV.[How Don Quixote resolved to turn shepherd, and lead a rural life for the year's time he was obliged not to bear arms; with other passages truly good and diverting]410
XCV.[Of the ominous accidents that crossed Don Quixote as he entered his village; with other transactions that illustrate and adorn this memorable history]417
XCVI.[How Don Quixote fell sick, made his last will, and died]420

Preface.

When we reflect upon the great celebrity of the "Life, Exploits, and Adventures of that ingenious Gentleman, Don Quixote de la Mancha," and how his name has become quite proverbial amongst us, it seems strange that so little should be known concerning the great man to whose imagination we are indebted for so amusing and instructive a tale. We cannot better introduce our present edition than by a short sketch of his life, adding a few remarks on the work itself and the present adapted reprint of it.

The obscurity we have alluded to is one which Cervantes shares with many others, some of them the most illustrious authors which the world ever produced. Homer, Hesiod,—names with which the mouths of men have been familiar for centuries,—how little is now known of them! And not only so, but how little was known of them even by those who lived comparatively close upon their own time! How scattered and unsatisfactory are the few particulars which we have of the life of our own poet William Shakspere!

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was born at Alcala de Henares, a town of New Castile, famous for its University, founded by Cardinal Ximenes. He was of gentle birth, both on his father's and mother's side. Rodrigo de Cervantes, his father, was descended from an ancient family of Galicia, of which several branches were settled in some of the principal cities of Spain. His mother's name was Leonora de Cortēnas. We find by the parish register of Santa Maria la Mayor, at Alcala de Henares, that Miguel was baptised in that church on Sunday, the 9th of October, 1547; in which year we may conclude, therefore, that he was born. The discovery of this baptismal register set at rest a dispute which had for some time been going on between seven different cities, each of which claimed the honour of being the native place of our author: these were, besides the one already mentioned, Seville, Madrid, Esquivias, Toledo, Lucena, and Alcazar de San Juan. In this respect we cannot avoid drawing a comparison between the fame of Cervantes and the prince of poets, Homer.

From a child he discovered a great liking for books, which no doubt determined his parents, whose fortune, notwithstanding their good family, was any thing but affluent, to educate him for one of the learned professions, by which alone at that time there was any chance of getting wealth. Miguel, however, did not take to the strict studies proposed to him: not that he was idle; his days were spent in reading books of amusement, such as novels, romances, and poems. It was of the materials afforded by such a pursuit that his fame was afterwards built.

Cervantes continued at Madrid till he was in his twenty-first year, during which time he remained with his learned tutor Juan Lopez de Hoyos. He seems to have been a great favourite with him; for, in a collection of "Luctus," published by Juan on the death of the Queen, we find an elegy and a ballad contributed by the editor's "dear and beloved disciple Miguel de Cervantes." Under the same editorial care Cervantes himself tells us, in his Viage de Parnasso, that he published a pastoral poem of some length, called 'Filena,' besides several ballads, sonnets, canzonets, and other small poems.

Notwithstanding the comparative insignificance of these productions, they probably excited some little attention; for it appears not unlikely that it was to them that Cervantes owed his appointment to an office, which we find him holding, in 1569, at Rome,—that of chamberlain to his eminence the Cardinal Julio Aquaviva, an ecclesiastic of considerable learning. Such an appointment, however, did not suit the active disposition and romantic turn of one so deeply read in the adventures of the old knights, the glory of which he longed to share; from which hope, however, the inactivity and monotony of a court-life could not but exclude him.