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P _ _ N T _ R . Clue
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. "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?" 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. HE COMMENDED, HOWEVER, THE AUTHOR'S WAY OF ENDING HIS BOOK WITH THE PROMISE OF THAT INTERMINABLE ADVENTURE, AND MANY A TIME WAS HE TEMPTED TO TAKE UP HIS PEN AND FINISH IT PROPERLY AS IS THERE PROPOSED, WHICH NO DOUBT HE WOULD HAVE DONE, AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL PIECE OF WORK OF IT TOO, HAD NOT GREATER AND MORE ABSORBING THOUGHTS PREVENTED HIM.