[49] The merit of the Amadis was not overlooked by Cervantes. In the judgment passed on Don Quixote’s library, the Curate wishes to condemn this work first of all to the flames, because, being the parent of all the books of knight-errantry in Spain, it was therefore the great cause of Don Quixote’s malady; but the Barber, or rather Cervantes, speaking in that character, says, “No, friend; for I have heard it remarked that the Amadis is the _best book_ of the kind ever written; it ought therefore to be spared as a _peculiar specimen_ of art.” Whoever may be desirous of making the Amadis re-appear in a state capable of being relished in the present times, must, above all things, take care to preserve the ingenuous simplicity of the stile, or the work will be wholly disfigured. [50] The titles of all the collections of romances need not be given here. A considerable part of them may be found in Velasquez, with additions by Dieze, (p. 442, &c.) and Blankenburg’s Zusätzen zu Sulzer’s Wörterbuche. I have before me several collections, which contain some of the oldest romances I am acquainted with. The best of these collections is entitled: _Cancionero de Romances, en que estan recopilados la mayor parte de los Romances Castellanos, que hasta agora se han compuesto._ Nuevamento corregido _y añadido en muchos partes. Anvers_ 1555, 8vo. In the well known _Romancero general_ none of the pieces which derive their materials from knight-errantry romances are to be found. [51] The following romance, derived from that work, gives an artless description of the sufferings of Amadis on the barren rock. En la selva esta Amadis el _leal enamorado_ tal vida estava haziendo qual nunca hizo Christiano cilicio trae vestido a sus carnes apretado con diciplinas destruye su cuerpo muy delicado llagado de las heridas y en su señora pensando no ce canoce en su gesto segun lo trae delgado de ayunos y d’abstinencias andava debilitado la barva trae crecida deste mundo se ha apartado las rodillas tiene en tierra y en su coraçon echado con gran humildad os pide perdon si avia errado al alto dios poderoso por testigo ha publicado y acordado se le avia del amor suyo passado que assi le derribo de su sentido y estado con estas grandes passiones amortecido ha quedado el mas leal amador que en el mundo fue hallado. [52] According to Sarmiento (p. 228,) it is usual to say, _Este no vale las coplas de Calainos_. But it is not therefore to be inferred, that the ancient romance of that name is the worst of the kind.