Chapter XLII
The Duke and Duchess, pleased with Don Quixote’s and Sancho’s reaction
to the encounter with the Countess Trifaldi, send Sancho to his
governorship right away. Sancho says he would rather have a piece
of the sky than an isle, but the Duke says he can provide him only
with an isle. The Duke and Duchess dress Sancho up and pack him
off to a town, which he believes is an isle. Don Quixote gives Sancho
advice on how to rule and reminds him never to be ashamed of his
humble background. He also tells Sancho never to worry about injuring
himself when confronting an enemy, to marry only a woman who will
not take bribes, and to have pity and leniency on criminals.
Chapter XLIII
Don Quixote warns Sancho to refrain from eating garlic
and onions, since only peasants eat such things; to walk slowly
and speak deliberately; to eat little; not to drink too much; not
to belch; and not to use so many proverbs. Don Quixote laments Sancho’s illiteracy,
but Sancho says he will prevent anyone from discovering this deficiency
by pretending that his writing hand has been paralyzed. Sancho asks
if Don Quixote thinks he will make a good governor, since he would
rather just be Sancho than imperil his soul as a bad governor. Don
Quixote assures him that he will be an excellent governor precisely
because of this attitude.
Chapter XLIV
Cervantes interjects that “the real original history”
claims that Cide Hamete Benengeli wrote this chapter in the form
of a complaint addressed to himself for having written such a dry
story and for not including as many digressions as he did in the
First Part.
As he leaves for his governorship, Sancho mentions to
Don Quixote that one of the stewards accompanying him looks and
sounds exactly like the Countess Trifaldi, but Don Quixote dismisses
Sancho’s implication. After a sorrowful good-bye, Sancho sets out.
Seeing that Don Quixote misses Sancho, the Duchess remarks that
she has many maids who would gladly help cure Don Quixote’s melancholy.
Don Quixote refuses her offer and goes straight to bed after dinner,
insisting on being alone to keep himself from temptation. Don Quixote
hears two women under his window arguing about whether one of them,
named Altisidora, should sing a ballad to the man she loves. Altisidora
does sing the ballad, and Don Quixote concludes that she loves him.
He laments his fate that no woman can see him and not fall in love.
Meanwhile, Cervantes tells us that Sancho wishes to begin governing
and awaits us.
Chapter XLV
The townspeople receive Sancho and set him up on the governor’s chair,
where they have written a proclamation that Don Sancho Panza took
governorship on a certain date. Sancho has the proclamation read
to him and then requests that no one call him “Don,” since he is
not a Don. He judges a series of cases, each involving some form
of trickery, that the townspeople bring before him. Sancho resolves
each case with wit and wisdom, impressing the town with his governing
abilities.
Chapter XLVI
In the morning, Don Quixote passes Altisidora, who pretends
to faint. He asks a servant to put a lute in his room that night
so that he may disclose, in ballad form, his love for Dulcinea.
Eager to play a trick on Don Quixote, Altisidora tells the Duke
and Duchess about Don Quixote’s plan. They all listen to his ballad
to Dulcinea that night. As Don Quixote sings, one of the servants
lowers a rope with bells on it and a bag of cats with bells on their
tails onto the balcony above Don Quixote’s window. The bells and
the cats make a terrible noise, frightening Don Qui-xote and all
those in the house. In the commotion, a couple of cats get into
Don Quixote’s room, and one of them jumps onto his face, bites his
nose, and claws him. The Duke, who has rushed up to the room to
see what is the matter, removes the cat. Altisidora tries to woo
Don Quixote as she bandages his face.
