TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. The book cover was modified by the Transcriber and added to the public domain. The Table of Contents was added by the Transcriber. The numbering of the chapters in the table of contents follows the sequence observed in the original images of the book, which is not successive. In the original book not all the chapters that made up the original work in Spanish had been included. The Translator mentions having taken some "liberties" (sic) (see PREFACE). For instance, in Book 3 and Book 4 of this edition a note by the Translator is included at the end of Chapter V of Book 3 mentioning that "there are here three chapters omitted, Chap. 6, 7, and 8, in order to shorten the Story a little, and not possessing much interest or merit." Note 9 is listed at the end, but is missing in the main text, however not clear if a consequence of the cuts made by the Translator, as footnotes and the Notes listed at the end belong to the Translator. The spelling of Spanish names and places in Spain mentioned in the text has been adjusted to the rules set by the Academia Real Española. A number of words in this book have both hyphenated and non-hyphenated variants. For the words with both variants present the one more used has been kept. Punctuation and other printing errors have been corrected. * * * * * A Castilian of refined manners, a gentleman, true to religion and true to honour, a scholar and a soldier, fought under the banners of Don John of Austria, at Lepanto; lost his arm, and was captured; endured slavery not only with fortitude, but with mirth; and, by the superiority of nature, mastered and overawed his Barbarian owner; finally ransomed, he resumed his native destiny--the awful task of achieving Fame. The world was a drama to him; his own thoughts, in spite of poverty and sickness, perpetuated for him the feelings of youth; he painted only what he knew and had looked into, but he knew and had looked into much indeed; and his imagination was ever at hand to adapt and modify the world of his experience; of delicious love, he fabled, yet with stainless virtue. CERVANTES: _A Lecture, by Coleridge, in 1818_. THE WANDERINGS OF PERSILES AND SIGISMUNDA; A NORTHERN STORY. BY MIGUEL DE CERVANTES SAAVEDRA. [Illustration] LONDON: JOSEPH CUNDALL, 168, NEW BOND STREET. 1854. TO THE HON. EDWARD LYULPH STANLEY, IN MEMORY OF THOSE DAYS WHEN HE AND HIS BROTHER FIRST MADE ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE WONDERFUL ADVENTURES AND TROUBLES OF THE BEAUTIFUL PILGRIMS, THIS WORK