{"product_id":"2940013536104","title":"DON QUIXOTE","description":"Read an excerpt\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSOME COMMENDATORY VERSES\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eURGANDA THE UNKNOWN\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo the book of Don Quixote of la Mancha\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If to be welcomed by the good,\u003cbr\u003e   O Book! thou make thy steady aim,\u003cbr\u003e No empty chatterer will dare\u003cbr\u003e   To question or dispute thy claim.\u003cbr\u003e But if perchance thou hast a mind\u003cbr\u003e   To win of idiots approbation,\u003cbr\u003e Lost labour will be thy reward,\u003cbr\u003e   Though they'll pretend appreciation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They say a goodly shade he finds\u003cbr\u003e   Who shelters 'neath a goodly tree;\u003cbr\u003e And such a one thy kindly star\u003cbr\u003e   In Bejar bath provided thee:\u003cbr\u003e A royal tree whose spreading boughs\u003cbr\u003e   A show of princely fruit display;\u003cbr\u003e A tree that bears a noble Duke,\u003cbr\u003e   The Alexander of his day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Of a Manchegan gentleman\u003cbr\u003e   Thy purpose is to tell the story,\u003cbr\u003e Relating how he lost his wits\u003cbr\u003e   O'er idle tales of love and glory,\u003cbr\u003e Of \"ladies, arms, and cavaliers:\"\u003cbr\u003e   A new Orlando Furioso-\u003cbr\u003e Innamorato, rather—who\u003cbr\u003e   Won Dulcinea del Toboso.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Put no vain emblems on thy shield;\u003cbr\u003e   All figures—that is bragging play.\u003cbr\u003e A modest dedication make,\u003cbr\u003e   And give no scoffer room to say,\u003cbr\u003e \"What! Alvaro de Luna here?\u003cbr\u003e   Or is it Hannibal again?\u003cbr\u003e Or does King Francis at Madrid\u003cbr\u003e   Once more of destiny complain?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Since Heaven it hath not pleased on thee\u003cbr\u003e   Deep erudition to bestow,\u003cbr\u003e Or black Latino's gift of tongues,\u003cbr\u003e   No Latin let thy pages show.\u003cbr\u003e Ape not philosophy or wit,\u003cbr\u003e   Lest one who cannot comprehend,\u003cbr\u003e Make a wry face at thee and ask,\u003cbr\u003e   \"Why offer flowers to me, my friend?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Be not a meddler; no affair\u003cbr\u003e   Of thine the life thy neighbours lead:\u003cbr\u003e Be prudent; oft the random jest\u003cbr\u003e   Recoils upon the jester's head.\u003cbr\u003e Thy constant labour let it be\u003cbr\u003e   To earn thyself an honest name,\u003cbr\u003e For fooleries preserved in print\u003cbr\u003e   Are perpetuity of shame.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A further counsel bear in mind:\u003cbr\u003e   If that thy roof be made of glass,\u003cbr\u003e It shows small wit to pick up stones\u003cbr\u003e   To pelt the people as they pass.\u003cbr\u003e Win the attention of the wise,\u003cbr\u003e   And give the thinker food for thought;\u003cbr\u003e Whoso indites frivolities,\u003cbr\u003e   Will but by simpletons be sought.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e My wish would be simply to present it to thee plain and unadorned, without any embellishment of preface or uncountable muster of customary sonnets, epigrams, and eulogies, such as are commonly put at the beginning of books. For I can tell thee, though composing it cost me some labour, I found none greater than the making of this Preface thou art now reading. Many times did I take up my pen to write it, and many did I lay it down again, not knowing what to write. One of these times, as I was pondering with the paper before me, a pen in my ear, my elbow on the desk, and my cheek in my hand, thinking of what I should say, there came in unexpectedly a certain lively, clever friend of mine, who, seeing me so deep in thought, asked the reason; to which I, making no mystery of it, answered that I was thinking of the Preface I had to make for the story of \"Don Quixote,\" which so troubled me that I had a mind not to make any at all, nor even publish the achievements of so noble a knight.","brand":"Del Williams Media","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47079512211696,"sku":"2940013536104","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013536104_p0.jpg?v=1763582091","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013536104","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}