de, nor account demanded of him; but that if any
shall remain over after he has paid himself what I owe him, the
residue shall be his; it can be but small, and may it do him much
good. And if, when I was mad, I was a party to making him governor of
the island, I would now, in my right senses, give him the government
of a kingdom, were it in my power, for the simplicity of his
disposition and the fidelity of his character deserve it." And turning
to Sancho he said, "Pardon me, my friend, that I have given thee
occasion to appear mad like myself, making thee fall into the error in
which I fell that there have been and are knights-errant in the
world."--"Woe's me!" replied Sancho, all in tears, "do not die, dear
master, but take my counsel, and live on a many years; the maddest
thing a man can do in this life is to let himself die without any more
ado, without being killed by anybody or finished by any other hands
but those of melancholy. See you do not be slothful, but get up from
this bed, and let us be off to the fields in our shepherd's clothing,
as we had agreed. Who knows but behind some bush we may find the Lady
Donna Dulcinea disenchanted, as fine a sight as there is to be seen?
If it is that you will die of vexation at being conquered, lay the
blame upon me, and say that through my not girting Rozinante well,
they overthrew him. Especially as you will have seen in your books of
chivalry that it is a common thing for one knight to overthrow
another, and for him who is conquered to-day to be conqueror
to-morrow."--"It is so," said Samson, "and honest Sancho is very much
to the point in these matters."--"Soft and fair, gentlemen," said Don
Quixote; "never look for birds of this year in the nests of the last:
I was mad, and now I am in my senses; I was Don Quixote de la Mancha,
and I am now (as I said before) Alonso Quixano the Good; may my
repentance and my truth restore me to the same esteem you had for me
before; and so let master scrivener go on.

"Item, I bequeath all my estate without reserve to Antonia Quixana, my
niece here present, having first deducted from such of it as is best
in condition what shall be necessary to discharge the bequests that I
have made; and the first payment that she makes I desire to be that of
the salary due to my housekeeper, for the time that she has served me,
with twenty ducats more for a dress. I appoint Master Curate and
Master Bachelor Samson Carrasco, here present, to be my ex