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P _ _ N T _ R . Clue
HE FORGOT TO TELL US WHO WAS THE FIRST MAN IN THE WORLD THAT HAD A COLD IN HIS HEAD, AND WHO WAS THE FIRST TO TRY SALIVATION FOR THE FRENCH DISEASE, BUT I GIVE IT ACCURATELY SET FORTH, AND QUOTE MORE THAN FIVE-AND-TWENTY AUTHORS IN PROOF OF IT, SO YOU MAY PERCEIVE I HAVE LABOURED TO GOOD PURPOSE AND THAT THE BOOK WILL BE OF SERVICE TO THE WHOLE WORLD." I HAVE NEVER YET SEEN ANY BOOK OF CHIVALRY THAT PUTS TOGETHER A CONNECTED PLOT COMPLETE IN ALL ITS NUMBERS, SO THAT THE MIDDLE AGREES WITH THE BEGINNING, AND THE END WITH THE BEGINNING AND MIDDLE; ON THE CONTRARY, THEY CONSTRUCT THEM WITH SUCH A MULTITUDE OF MEMBERS THAT IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THEY MEANT TO PRODUCE A CHIMERA OR MONSTER RATHER THAN A WELL-PROPORTIONED FIGURE. ALSO MY BOOK MUST DO WITHOUT SONNETS AT THE BEGINNING, AT LEAST SONNETS WHOSE AUTHORS ARE DUKES, MARQUISES, COUNTS, BISHOPS, LADIES, OR FAMOUS POETS. THOUGH IF I WERE TO ASK TWO OR THREE OBLIGING FRIENDS, I KNOW THEY WOULD GIVE ME THEM, AND SUCH AS THE PRODUCTIONS OF THOSE THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST REPUTATION IN OUR SPAIN COULD NOT EQUAL. OF ALL THIS THERE WILL BE NOTHING IN MY BOOK, FOR I HAVE NOTHING TO QUOTE IN THE MARGIN OR TO NOTE AT THE END, AND STILL LESS DO I KNOW WHAT AUTHORS I FOLLOW IN IT, TO PLACE THEM AT THE BEGINNING, AS ALL DO, UNDER THE LETTERS A, B, C, BEGINNING WITH ARISTOTLE AND ENDING WITH XENOPHON, OR ZOILUS, OR ZEUXIS, THOUGH ONE WAS A SLANDERER AND THE OTHER A PAINTER.