Take, for instance, the closing stanzas of Lauso's song at the beginning of the Fifth Book:-- In this extraordinary agony, The feelings entertained go but for dumb Seeing that love defies, And I am cast in the midst of the fierce fire. Cold water I abhor Were it not for my eyes, Which fire augments and spoils In this amorous forge. I wish not or seek water, Or from annoyance supplicate relief. Begin would all my good, My ills would finish all, If fate should so ordain, That my sincere trust in life, Silenca[112] would assure, Sighs assure it. My eyes do thoroughly me inform Me weeping in this truth. Pen, tongue, will In this inflexible reason me confirm. These examples speak for themselves.[113] Cervantes was not indeed a very great poet; but his verses are often graceful and melodious, and it would have afflicted him sorely to see his lines travestied in this miserable fashion. It is inexplicable that such absolute nonsense should be published. But it is a singular testimony to the public interest in all concerning Cervantes that, in default of anything better, this discreditable version should have been read, and even reprinted. For the present edition a new translation has been prepared. It proceeds on the one sound principle of translating from the original as faithfully as possible, without either omission or addition. The task of rendering the _Galatea_ into English is less trying, and therefore less tempting, than the task of rendering _Don Quixote_ or the _Novelas exemplares_; but the _Galatea_ offers numerous difficulties, and it will be found that these have been very satisfactorily overcome by Dr. Oelsner and Mr. A. Baker Welford. They have the distinction of producing the first really adequate translation of the _Galatea_ in any language. JAS. FITZMAURICE-KELLY. February, 1903. FOOTNOTES: [1] The article on Cervantes in Nicolás Antonio's _Bibliotheca Hispana_ (Roma, 1672), vol. ii., p. 105, is bibliographical rather than biographical. In Antonio's time practically nothing was known concerning the details of Cervantes's life. It is curious that the first writer to attempt a biography of Cervantes was a foreigner--possibly Peter Motteux, whose English translation dates from 1700: a biographical sketch, entitled _An Account of the Author_, was included in the third volume (London, 1703). The following sentences, which I quote from the first volume of the third edition (London, 1712), are not without interest:--