Opening material

DON QUIXOTE OF THE MANCHA

[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE TESTING HIS HELMET]

[Illustration]

DON QUIXOTE OF THE MANCHA

RETOLD BY JUDGE PARRY

ILLUSTRATED BY WALTER CRANE

PREFACE

A version of _Don Quixote_ which is appended to Mr. Walter Crane's illustrations needs perhaps no apology, but I desire to state briefly what I have endeavoured to do. No existing abridgment of _Don Quixote_, known to me, gives in simple narrative form the adventures of Knight and Squire, with as much of the wisdom and humour of their discourse as would be within the grasp of the younger generation of readers. This—_The Story of Don Quixote_, as I call it—I have tried to produce. In doing it I have made use of all the English translations, but the basis of this book is Thomas Shelton's translation, the language of which seems to me better to express the humour of Cervantes than any other. Many will consider such a task in the nature of sacrilege or, at the best, verging on the impertinent. With these views I have much sympathy myself. But at least, let it be understood that all I have attempted to do is to tell a well-known story in print, as one who loves it would seek to tell it in words, to those around his own fireside; in the hope that some may gather from this story that there is a vast storehouse of humour and wisdom awaiting them in the book itself.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. An Introduction to that famous gentleman, Don Quixote of the Mancha, 1

II. Of the First Sally that Don Quixote made to seek Adventures, 7

III. Of the Pleasant Manner of the Knighting of Don Quixote, 14