The Exemplary Novels of CervantesCervantes Saavedra, Miguel de
General
The Exemplary Novels of Cervantes
Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de
Spanish fiction -- Translations into English
The maniac Bodaja was one day passing through the Ropery at Salamanca,
when a woman who was working there accosted him, and said, "By my soul,
Señor Doctor, I am sorry for your misfortune, but what shall I do for
you, since, try as I may, I cannot weep?" To which Rodaja, fixedly
regarding her, gravely replied, "_Filiæ Jerusalem, plorate super vos et
super filios vestros_." The husband of the ropeworker was standing by,
and comprehending the reply, he said to Rodaja, "Brother Glasscase, for
so they tell me you are to be called, you have more of the rogue than
the fool in you!" "You are not called on to give me an obolus," rejoined
Rodaja, "for I have not a grain of the fool about me!" One day that he
was passing near a house well known as the resort of thieves and other
disorderly persons, he saw several of the inhabitants assembled round
the door, and called out, "See, here you have baggage belonging to the
army of Satan, and it is lodged in the house of hell accordingly."
A man once asked him what advice he should give to a friend whose wife
had left him for another, and who was in great sorrow for her loss. "You
shall bid him thank God," replied Rodaja, "for the favour he has
obtained, in that his enemy is removed from his house."
"Then you would not have him go seek her?" inquired the other.
"Let him not even think of doing so," returned Rodaja, "for if he find
her, what will he have gained but the perpetual evidence of his
dishonour?"
"And what shall I do to keep peace with my own wife?" inquired the same
person.
"Give her all that she can need or rightfully claim," said the maniac,
"and let her be mistress of every person and thing thy house contains,
but take care that she be not mistress of thyself."
A boy one day said to him, "Señor Glasscase, I have a mind to run away
from my father, and leave my home for ever, because he beats me." "I
would have thee beware, boy," replied Rodaja; "the stripes given by a
father are no dishonour to the son, and may save him from those of the
hangman, which are indeed a disgrace."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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