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DON QUIXOTE AND THE WINDMILLS.

MIGUEL DE CERVANTES. EXTRACTS.

As Don Quixote and Sancho Panza were riding, they perceived some thirty or forty windmills on the plain. As soon as Don Quixote spied them, he said to his squire:

"Fortune disposes our affairs better than we ourselves could have desired; look yonder, friend Sancho Panza, where you may discern somewhat more than thirty monstrous giants, with whom I intend to fight, and take away all their lives; with whose spoils we will begin to enrich ourselves; for it is lawful war, and doing God service to take so wicked a generation from off the face of the earth."

"What giants?" said Sancho Panza.

"Those you see yonder," answered his master," with those long arms; for some of them are wont to have them of the length of almost two leagues."

"Consider, sir," answered Sancho, "that those which appear yonder are not giants, but windmills; and what seem to be arms are the sails which are whirled about by the wind and make the millstone go."

"One may easily see," answered Don Quixote, "that you are not versed in the business of adventures; they are giants, and if you are afraid, stand aside and pray, whilst I engage them in a firm and unequal combat."

So saying, he clapped spurs to his horse without minding the cries his squire sent after him. He went on, crying out aloud:

"Fly not yet, ye cowards and vile caitiffs, for it is a single knight who assaults you!"

Now the wind rose a little, and the great sails began to move, which Don Quixote perceiving, he said, “Well, though you should move more arms than Briareus, you shall pay for it."

So saying, he rushed on as fast as his horse could carry him, and attacked the first mill before him; running his lance into the sail, the wind whirled it about with so much violence that it broke the lance to shivers, dragging horse and rider after it, and tumbling them over and over on the plain in very evil plight. Sancho Panza hastened to his assistance as fast as his donkey could carry him, and when he came up to him, he found him not able to stir-so violent was the blow he had received in falling.

"God save me!" quoth Sancho; "did I not warn you to have a care of what you did, for that they were nothing but windmills?"

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Peace, friend Sancho," answered Don Quixote, “for matters of war are of all others most subject to continual mutations. Now I verily believe that the wizard who stole away my books has metamorphosed these giants into windmills on purpose to deprive me of the glory of vanquishing them; but his wicked arts will avail little against the goodness of my sword."

"God grant it!" answered Sancho Panza; and helping him to rise, he mounted him again upon his horse, who was half shoulder-slipped.

EPIGRAM WRITTEN ON THE BED-CHAMBER DOOR OF CHARLES II.

EARL OF ROCHESTER.

HERE lies our mutton-loving king,

Whose word no one relies on,

Who never said a foolish thing
And never did a wise one!

THE FAN-DRILL.

JOSEPH ADDISON. EXTRACTS.

MR. SPECTATOR: Women are armed with fans as men with swords, and sometimes do more execution with them. To the end, therefore, that ladies may be entire mistresses of the weapons which they bear, I have erected an academy for the training up of young women in the exercise of the fan, according to the most fashionable airs and motions that are now practised at court. The ladies who carry fans under me are drawn up twice a day in my great hall, where they are instructed in the use of their arms, and exercised by the following words of command: "Handle your fans!— Unfurl your fans! - Discharge your fans! - Ground your fans! Recover your fans! - Flutter your fans!"

By the right observation of these few plain words of command, a woman of tolerable genius, who will apply herself diligently to her exercise for the space of but onehalf year, shall be able to give her fan all the graces that can possibly enter into that modish little machine.

NATURE.

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