Where the identity of the Knight of the Mirrors and his squire is revealed and made known.
DON QUIXOTE WAS EXTREMELY happy, proud, and swelled-up for having achieved a victory over such a brave knight as he thought him of the Mirrors to be, from whose chivalric promise he hoped to find out if the enchantment of his lady persisted, since the vanquished knight was obliged to return and relate what had transpired between the two of them, otherwise he’d be stripped of his knighthood. But don Quixote was thinking one thing, and he of the Mirrors was thinking something else entirely, since his only thought was to find someplace to have plasters applied, as has been said.
The history says that when the bachelor Sansón Carrasco advised don Quixote to return to his curtailed chivalry, it was only after he’d had a secret meeting with the priest and barber about how they could make sure don Quixote would stay calmly at home and not be moved to go out on further ill-advised adventures. What was determined by common vote of all, and particularly the persuasion of Carrasco, was that they should encourage don Quixote to go out again, because stopping him seemed impossible, and that Sansón would follow him disguised as a knight errant. He would then do battle with him, since a pretext would be easy to find, and vanquish him—thinking it would be very easy—and they would have made a pact and agreement that the conquered one would be at the mercy of the victor; thus with don Quixote defeated, the bachelor knight would command him to go to his town and home and not leave for two years, or until he was told otherwise. It was very clear that the conquered don Quixote would do what he was commanded without question, so as not to contravene and break the laws of chivalry, and it might be that during the time of his forced retirement, he would forget his foolishness, or there would be an opportunity to find a reasonable cure for his madness.
Carrasco accepted the idea, and Tomé Cecial, friend and neighbor of Sancho Panza, and a jovial and lively fellow, volunteered to be his squire. Sansón put on the armor already described and Tomé Cecial put the false nose over his own, as already mentioned, so he wouldn’t be recognized by his friend when they saw each other, and they followed the same trail as don Quixote and almost found themselves involved in the adventure of the Cart of Death. They finally met them in the forest where everything happened that the careful reader has learned, and if it weren’t for don Quixote’s outlandish thoughts, where he was deluded into believing that the bachelor was not the bachelor, the señor bachelor would have forever been prevented from being graduated as a licenciado, «not finding nests where he expected to find birds».
Tomé Cecial, who saw how badly their plan had turned out, and the sorry ending to their journey, said to the bachelor: “Surely, señor Sansón Carrasco, we got what was coming to us. It’s easy enough to plan and take on an undertaking, but most of the time it’s hard to succeed in it. Don Quixote is crazy and we’re sane, yet he’s on the road sound and laughing, and your grace is beaten up and sad. Let’s ponder this—who is crazier: the person who can’t help it or the person who goes crazy of his free will?”
To which Sansón answered: “The difference between these two crazy people is that he who is crazy by nature will always be that way, and he who has chosen to be can stop being so whenever he wants.”
“That being so,” said Tomé Cecial, “I was crazy of my free will when I agreed to be your grace’s squire, and with that same free will I want to stop being one and go home.”
“Do what you want,” responded Sansón, “but if you think I’ll go home before I’ve thrashed don Quixote you’re very wrong. And it’s not my vow anymore to try to find him so that he’ll recover his sanity, but rather for revenge. The great pain in my ribs won’t allow me to have a more charitable thought.”
They talked about this until they got to a town where by chance there was a bonesetter who mended the unfortunate Sansón. Tomé Cecial turned back and left him, and Sansón stayed behind to plan his vengeance. The history will speak of him again at the right time, but for the time being it must share don Quixote’s joy.
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