The Author’s Dedication of the Second Part
Cervantes offers his novel to the Count of Lemos, saying
that he is sending Don Quixote back out into the world to “purge
the disgust and nausea caused by another Don Quixote who has been
running about the world masquerading as the Second Part.” Cervantes
says he rejected an offer from the emperor of China to be the rector
of a college of Castilian language in which The History
of Don Quixote would be the primary textbook. Because the
emperor did not send an advance, Cervantes sent his envoy away and
decided to commend his work to the Count of Lemos.
Prologue
Cervantes introduces the Second Part, the account of the
third expedition of Don Quixote, by railing against an author who
has published a false sequel to the First Part of Don Quixote. Cervantes suggests
that if readers run into that author, they should tell him a story
about a man who, using a hollow cane, inflated a dog to the astonishment
of bystanders. The man’s response to his audience’s questioning
was to ask them whether they think it is an easy thing to blow up
a dog.
Cervantes also wants the reader to pass on an anecdote
about a man who carried around a heavy slab that he drops on dogs
in the street. One day, a dog owner beats the man, making him too
afraid to drop slabs on any more dogs. Cervantes suggests the author should
be likewise afraid to publish any more bad books. Cervantes defends
his honor against the personal slights the other author has made,
saying that although he may be poor and a cripple, he has earned
his wounds in battle and is proud of them.
Chapter I
Cervantes tells us that Cide Hamete Benengeli continues
his account of Don Quixote’s adventures by recounting the priest
and the barber’s visit to Don Quixote after a month of not seeing
him. Don Quixote initially seems sane, but when the priest gets
him started talking about chivalry, it becomes clear that Don Quixote
has not given up his intention of being a knight-errant.
Chapter II
Sancho comes to visit Don Quixote to find out when they
will again embark on their quest for adventure, but the niece and
the housekeeper try to keep Sancho out of the house. Don Quixote
orders them to let Sancho in and then asks Sancho about Don Quixote’s reputation
in the village. Sancho tells him that many consider him mad. He
then tells Don Quixote about the publication of a book of their
previous adventures. The book contains so many details that Sancho
marvels that the writer could have learned about all of them. Don
Quixote thinks that the writer is a sage enchanter, but Sancho says
the writer is a Moor whose name is Cide Hamete Aubergine. Sancho
goes to the village to find the student Sampson Carrasco, from whom
he has heard about the book.
Chapter III
While Sancho fetches Sampson, Don Quixote muses that the
Moorish enchanter who wrote the book must either want to tear him down
or exalt him. He laments that the author is a Moor because he does
not believe that Moors ever tell the truth. Sampson arrives and tells
Don Quixote about the book and its author, Cide Hamete Benengeli.
He also mentions that the book has been translated into Christian
tongues. Sampson criticizes the novel for the anecdotal digressions
in which Don Quixote plays no part but says that everyone enjoys
reading the novel nonetheless. He also mentions several textual
inconsistencies regarding the appearance and disappearance of Dapple.
Sancho says he can explain those inconsistencies but runs off with
a stomachache.
