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P _ _ N T _ R . Clue
HE THEN BEGGED THE BACHELOR, IF HE WERE A POET, TO DO HIM THE FAVOUR OF COMPOSING SOME VERSES FOR HIM CONVEYING THE FAREWELL HE MEANT TO TAKE OF HIS LADY DULCINEA DEL TOBOSO, AND TO SEE THAT A LETTER OF HER NAME WAS PLACED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH LINE, SO THAT, AT THE END OF THE VERSES, "DULCINEA DEL TOBOSO" MIGHT BE READ BY PUTTING TOGETHER THE FIRST LETTERS. "BUT FOR THAT," SAID SANCHO, "THE SQUIRE MUST BE UNMARRIED, AND MUST KNOW, AT ANY RATE, HOW TO HELP AT MASS, AND IF THAT BE SO, WOE IS ME, FOR I AM MARRIED ALREADY AND I DON'T KNOW THE FIRST LETTER OF THE A B C. WHAT WILL BECOME OF ME IF MY MASTER TAKES A FANCY TO BE AN ARCHBISHOP AND NOT AN EMPEROR, AS IS USUAL AND CUSTOMARY WITH KNIGHTS-ERRANT?" 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. 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.