Pickwick and Quixote 



mais cela n'empeche point le Christianisme d'etre bon pour 

 I'homme, qui est le plus grand des singes." I also took 

 occasion to use " plus bete qu'un philosophe " as an intensa- 

 tive of common folly. 



When dinner was over, the medico appeared again, and 

 the alcalde of the town, and others. We shortly adjourned 

 to the house of the medico^ where he gave us honey from 

 Cuenca, which is celebrated for its bees, and aguardiente. 



By the bye, you know from Baeza, we were aiming across 

 country to Cuenca ; but finding that we should necessarily 

 pass within one day's journey of Don Quixote's country, we 

 thought it a pity to pass it by : so instead of going on by 

 Infantes, San Clemente, and Valverde, as our first plan was, 

 we turned back at Venta Quonada^ towards the great road, 

 which we reached at Manzanares, and now we shall go 

 straight on to Madrid, and leave our ponies there to rest, 

 which they will want very much, while we make expeditions 

 to Cuenca, Toledo, &c., by diligence. 



Ten or twelve more people stepped in, one after another, 

 at the inedico's^ and when we went away accompanied us 

 back to the posada^ where we thanked them, ail for their 

 finura and politica (attention and urbanity), and bade them 

 good night. By the fuss they make with us, and by our 

 having nothing to pay for seeing the dungeon, we argue 

 that this pilgrimage is not very commonly made. 



Next morning, at eight, we started to ride to the Venta 

 Quesada. It was a fine day, and we were in good spirits, 

 talking over our adventures of the day before. There had 

 been a grumbling old woman at the posada^ who reminded 

 us of Mrs. Gummidge in '* David Copperfield " ; and it was 

 a natural transition from the Cervantes of the locality, to our 

 own Cervantes of the present day. 



I have always looked upon Pickwick (which will live as 



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