Right Noble: My Lords 66 Translations, as says a witty Spaniard, are, in respect of their originals, like the knotty wrong-sides of arras-hangings: but by his wit's leave, as the fair outside could ill be seen, without help of the knots within; no more can the fame of a well-deserving author be far spread, withont the labour of a translation. This made me, for the present Spanish author's sake, venture to make him speak English, and to do a public good by publishing the moral examples contained in the present tragical discourses. Now, that I presume to offer my weak endeavours to the view and protection of your Lordships, I shall no way despair of a pardon; since the world, that takes notice of your noble goodness, the first and best of your honoured titles, gives me assurance, that, though a stranger rather than an intruder, I shall be esteemed To your Honors both, A devoted Servant, LEONARD DIGGES." Gentle Reader "To the Reader. "I present to thy view six exemplary discourses of Gerardo, the unfortunate Spaniard, written originally by Don Goncalo de Cespides, a Spanish Gentleman, who in the time of five years of his imprisonment, under the borrowed name of Gerardo, personates himself in his own misfortunes: and so partly with truth, partly with fiction, makes up a first and second part. Something there may be in the weaving and contexture of the work that may give thee delight: sure am, thou shalt find profit in it, especially, if thou be such as hath in any way been subject to wanton lust and loose affection. The best is, if the work fall short of expectation, let the author's credit look to it; for a Translator hath no commission to better, suffice he come near, his original. Some of the verses in the Spanish copy, I have purposely left out, as being, in my judgment, unworthy to be ranked with the prose; others I have altered to make them more suitable to an English reader. One bye-discourse I have left out, as superstitiously smelling of papistical miracles, in which I have no belief. To forestall thee no longer, begin and read; and though I undergo thy hard censure, I will not be so uncharitable as not to bid thee Farewell." "The Tragick Poeme to the Reader. Thou that art taken with a female smile; The adventures of Gerardo, who may well enough pass for the original of Don Juan, occupy a small quarto volume of nearly 500 pages, and consist of a series of love intrigues, ending for the most part tragically. Many episodes are inserted in the "weaving and contexture" of the work, in accordance with the fashion of that age and country, so well known to all readers of Cervantes. The whole fabric is not devoid of interest; some of the adventures are well conceived and, as far as may be judged from a translation, not ill described. We cannot however afford room for an intire story, and must content ourselves with offering as a specimen of the prose, a short extract from the commencement of the narrative. "My name, worthy friend, is Gerardo: the great and famous village of Madrid, most worthy mansion of our Catholic monarchs, my loved country, the common general mother of different people and remote nations. Near her high-rear'd walls, by whose ruins her ancient strength is yet seen, is the house of my ancestors, ennobled as well by their births as its own antiquity; there was I born, there first bred. It were needless to enlarge my discourse, by recounting the tender exercises of my infancy, therefore I will begin from my years of fifteen; which accomplished, I was forced to obey my father, by accompanying him to one of the best places of government in Castile, which his majesty had then newly bestowed upon him. My elder brother, Leoncio, went also with us, a valiant youth of towardly hopes. All of us were most jocund, with our father's new fortunes; our journey was short, for in four days we arrived, where, according to custom, we were solemnly welcomed. My father took possession of the government, and to the general satisfaction went on in his Triennium. "This was the famous city of Talbora, one of the best and most populous in the kingdom of Toledo; whose situation is fructified with the silver streams of the gold-bearing Tagus, and makes it one of the most pleasant and delightful upon all its banks: the inhabi tants are loving, courteous and affable; particularly the gentry, of the best qualified houses in Spain, most worthy pillars of so ancient a foundation. "Here, methought, I was ever at home with friends of mine own age and rank. Our exercises for the most part were riding, running at bulks, at the ring, masks, barriers, and the like, with which, delighting the multitude, we made ourselves cunning practitioners. In the field, hawking and hunting were our sports, for both which that country is plentifully provided.— These and others, that took up our whole time, were my chief delights, to a heart yet untouched with love's flames; which made me as contented, as free; as satisfied in myself, as by others envied.. Yet not long could I so boast, not long was I so joyful; how soon from a freeman, became I a bond-slave; from merry to melancholy; from tractable to the contrary; from, happy to unfortunate! Sooner than I could wish, dear Leriano, shall you hear the change. Amongst many other shews and triumphs we usually had, one drew near, appointed by our city in honour and commemoration of the blessed Virgin Mary's happy nuptials. When an infinite number of common people, and a great concourse of gentry resort thither, as well from the court and the city of Ovila, as the imperial Toledo, and other parts of the kingdom. The wished day came on, being the six and twentieth of April, duskish and cloudy, a season natural to that climate; or belike Phoebus knew his beams might be well spared, where so many, and so beauteous lights would appear. We were two and thirty gentlemen, that in several colours entered the market-place myself pe formed the office of stickler between my father and my brother Leoncio, The sport began, the bulls were let loose and chased, the whole solemnity, to the general good liking and applause of the spectators, ended in a well ordered skirmish of canes, there having happened no disaster or mischance at all, save mine, which, considering the state it hath now brought me to, was the greatest that could arrive. "At my first passing over the place on horseback, my careless eyes chanced to glance at a bay-window, where certain gentlewomen strangers were placed, and paused a little as being attracted, no less by the novelty, than the goodly presence. Back I went with some other friends and gentlemen, that I might re-enjoy a fuller sight of those beauties, and fair and softly, as prancingly as our horses could pace, we drew near, passing to and fro, with more turnings and windings than doth a poor prisoner in a loathsome dungeon. Neither had we, think I, 'till this time quitted the place, had not the gentlewomen seeing all ended, raised themselves up to go down to their coaches that attended them beneath. Here my foundation failed, and from this instant began the ruin of my fired Troy. "One there was amongst those ladies, that 'till the present still masked, discovered so rare a beauty in so young a body, that we were all suddenly astonished. Methought unaccustomed to such brunts, the fair creature even tore and parted my heart, to make it part of her tender own." Pp. 12, 13, 14, 15. |