Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
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.
[Illustration]
1854.
TO
[Illustration]
This Romance was the last work of Cervantes, the dedication to the
Count de Lemos was written the day after he had received extreme
unction; he died four days after, on the 23rd of April 1616, aged 67.
On that same day in that same year England lost her Shakespeare.[A]
In the Preface to this edition, the Editor says, "Not a few are there
among the wise and learned, who, notwithstanding the well-known merit
of all the works of the famous Spaniard, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra,
and in spite of the oft repeated praises lavished especially upon
the Life and Deeds of Don Quixote de la Mancha, which has ever held
the foremost place in the estimation of the public, yet give the
preference above all to The Troubles of Persiles and Sigismunda, which
I am about to present to the public anew in this edition."