The querist repeated again and again what he had said before, andthen Sancho said, "It seems to me I can set the matter right in amoment, and in this way; the man swears that he is going to die uponthe gallows; but if he dies upon it, he has sworn the truth, and bythe law enacted deserves to go free and pass over the bridge; but ifthey don't hang him, then he has sworn falsely, and by the same lawdeserves to be hanged."
"It is as the senor governor says," said the messenger; "and asregards a complete comprehension of the case, there is nothing left todesire or hesitate about."
"Well then I say," said Sancho, "that of this man they should letpass the part that has sworn truly, and hang the part that has lied;and in this way the conditions of the passage will be fully compliedwith."
"But then, senor governor," replied the querist, "the man willhave to be divided into two parts; and if he is divided of course hewill die; and so none of the requirements of the law will be carriedout, and it is absolutely necessary to comply with it."
"Look here, my good sir," said Sancho; "either I'm a numskull orelse there is the same reason for this passenger dying as for hisliving and passing over the bridge; for if the truth saves him thefalsehood equally condemns him; and that being the case it is myopinion you should say to the gentlemen who sent you to me that as thearguments for condemning him and for absolving him are exactlybalanced, they should let him pass freely, as it is always morepraiseworthy to do good than to do evil; this I would give signed withmy name if I knew how to sign; and what I have said in this case isnot out of my own head, but one of the many precepts my master DonQuixote gave me the night before I left to become governor of thisisland, that came into my mind, and it was this, that when there wasany doubt about the justice of a case I should lean to mercy; and itis God's will that I should recollect it now, for it fits this case asif it was made for it."
"That is true," said the majordomo; "and I maintain that Lycurgushimself, who gave laws to the Lacedemonians, could not have pronounceda better decision than the great Panza has given; let the morning'saudience close with this, and I will see that the senor governor hasdinner entirely to his liking."
"That's all I ask for- fair play," said Sancho; "give me mydinner, and then let it rain cases and questions on me, and I'lldespatch them in a twinkling."
The majordomo kept his word, for he felt it against his conscienceto kill so wise a governor by hunger; particularly as he intended tohave done with him that same night, playing off the last joke he wascommissioned to practise upon him.
It came to pass, then, that after he had dined that day, inopposition to the rules and aphorisms of Doctor Tirteafuera, as theywere taking away the cloth there came a courier with a letter from DonQuixote for the governor. Sancho ordered the secretary to read it tohimself, and if there was nothing in it that demanded secrecy toread it aloud. The secretary did so, and after he had skimmed thecontents he said, "It may well be read aloud, for what Senor DonQuixote writes to your worship deserves to be printed or written inletters of gold, and it is as follows."
DON QUIXOTE OF LA MANCHA'S LETTER TO SANCHO PANZA,
GOVERNOR OF THE ISLAND OF BARATARIA.
When I was expecting to hear of thy stupidities and blunders, friendSancho, I have received intelligence of thy displays of good sense,for which I give special thanks to heaven that can raise the poor fromthe dunghill and of fools to make wise men. They tell me thou dostgovern as if thou wert a man, and art a man as if thou wert a beast,so great is the humility wherewith thou dost comport thyself. But Iwould have thee bear in mind, Sancho, that very often it is fittingand necessary for the authority of office to resist the humility ofthe heart; for the seemly array of one who is invested with graveduties should be such as they require and not measured by what his ownhumble tastes may lead him to prefer. Dress well; a stick dressed updoes not look like a stick; I do not say thou shouldst wear trinketsor fine raiment, or that being a judge thou shouldst dress like asoldier, but that thou shouldst array thyself in the apparel thyoffice requires, and that at the same time it be neat and handsome. Towin the good-will of the people thou governest there are two things,among others, that thou must do; one is to be civil to all （this,however, I told thee before）， and the other to take care that foodbe abundant, for there is nothing that vexes the heart of the poormore than hunger and high prices. Make not many proclamations; butthose thou makest take care that they be good ones, and above all thatthey be observed and carried out; for proclamations that are notobserved are the same as if they did not exist; nay, they encouragethe idea that the prince who had the wisdom and authority to make themhad not the power to enforce them; and laws that threaten and arenot enforced come to he like the log, the king of the frogs, thatfrightened them at first, but that in time they despised and mountedupon. Be a father to virtue and a stepfather to vice. Be not alwaysstrict, nor yet always lenient, but observe a mean between these twoextremes, for in that is the aim of wisdom. Visit the gaols, theslaughter-houses, and the market-places; for the presence of thegovernor is of great importance in such places; it comforts theprisoners who are in hopes of a speedy release, it is the bugbear ofthe butchers who have then to give just weight, and it is the terrorof the market-women for the same reason. Let it not be seen thatthou art （even if perchance thou art, which I do not believe）covetous, a follower of women, or a glutton; for when the people andthose that have dealings with thee become aware of thy specialweakness they will bring their batteries to bear upon thee in thatquarter, till they have brought thee down to the depths ofperdition. Consider and reconsider, con and con over again the advicesand the instructions I gave thee before thy departure hence to thygovernment, and thou wilt see that in them, if thou dost followthem, thou hast a help at hand that will lighten for thee the troublesand difficulties that beset governors at every step. Write to thy lordand lady and show thyself grateful to them, for ingratitude is thedaughter of pride, and one of the greatest sins we know of; and he whois grateful to those who have been good to him shows that he will beso to God also who has bestowed and still bestows so many blessingsupon him.
My lady the duchess sent off a messenger with thy suit and anotherpresent to thy wife Teresa Panza; we expect the answer every moment. Ihave been a little indisposed through a certain scratching I came infor, not very much to the benefit of my nose; but it was nothing;for if there are enchanters who maltreat me, there are also some whodefend me. Let me know if the majordomo who is with thee had any sharein the Trifaldi performance, as thou didst suspect; and keep meinformed of everything that happens thee, as the distance is so short;all the more as I am thinking of giving over very shortly this idlelife I am now leading, for I was not born for it. A thing has occurredto me which I am inclined to think will put me out of favour withthe duke and duchess; but though I am sorry for it I do not care,for after all I must obey my calling rather than their pleasure, inaccordance with the common saying, amicus Plato, sed magis amicaveritas. I quote this Latin to thee because I conclude that since thouhast been a governor thou wilt have learned it. Adieu; God keep theefrom being an object of pity to anyone.
Thy friend,
DON QUIXOTE OF LA MANCHA.
Sancho listened to the letter with great attention, and it waspraised and considered wise by all who heard it; he then rose upfrom table, and calling his secretary shut himself in with him inhis own room, and without putting it off any longer set aboutanswering his master Don Quixote at once; and he bade the secretarywrite down what he told him without adding or suppressing anything,which he did, and the answer was to the following effect.
SANCHO PANZA'S LETTER TO DON QUIXOTE OF LA MANCHA.
The pressure of business is so great upon me that I have no timeto scratch my head or even to cut my nails; and I have them so long-God send a remedy for it. I say this, master of my soul, that youmay not be surprised if I have not until now sent you word of how Ifare, well or ill, in this government, in which I am suffering morehunger than when we two were wandering through the woods and wastes.
My lord the duke wrote to me the other day to warn me that certainspies had got into this island to kill me; but up to the present Ihave not found out any except a certain doctor who receives a salaryin this town for killing all the governors that come here; he iscalled Doctor Pedro Recio, and is from Tirteafuera; so you see whata name he has to make me dread dying under his hands. This doctor saysof himself that he does not cure diseases when there are any, butprevents them coming, and the medicines he uses are diet and more dietuntil he brings one down to bare bones; as if leanness was not worsethan fever.
In short he is killing me with hunger, and I am dying myself ofvexation; for when I thought I was coming to this government to get mymeat hot and my drink cool, and take my ease between holland sheets onfeather beds, I find I have come to do penance as if I was a hermit;and as I don't do it willingly I suspect that in the end the devilwill carry me off.