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P _ _ N T _ R . Clue
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. 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. 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.