Page:The History of the Valorous and Wity Knight-Errant, Don-Quixote of the Mancha.djvu/46

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6
The History of
Book I.

Lord and Master chang'd his Estate and Vocation, that he should alter likewise his Denomination, and get a new one, that was famous and altisonant, as becomed the new Order and Exercise which he now profess'd: And therefore, after many other Names which he framed, blotted out, rejected, added, undid and turned again to frame in his Memory and Imagination, he finally concluded to name him † Rozinante, a Name in his Opinion lofty, full, and significant of what he had been when he was a plain Jade, before he was exalted to his new Dignity; being, as he thought, the best carriage Beast of the World The Name being thus given to his Horse, and so to his Mind, he resolv'd to give himself a Name also, and in that Thought he laoour'd other eight Days; and in conclusion call'd himself Don Quixote; whence (as is laid) the Authors of this most true History deduce, that he was undoubtedly named Quixada and not Quesada, as others would have it. And remembring that the valorous Amadis was not satisfied only with the dry Name of Amadis but added thereunto the Name of his Kingdom and Country, to render his own more undoubted, terming himself Amadis de Gaule; so he, like a good Knight, would add to his own, that also of his Province, and call himself Don Quixote of the Mancha; wherewith it appeared, that he very lively declared his Lineage and Country, which he did honour by taking it for his Surname.

His Armour being scoured, his Morrion transformed into an Helmet, his Horse named, and himself confirmed with a new Name also; he forthwith bethought himself, that now he wanted nothing but a Lady, on whom he might bestow his Service and Affection; for the Knight-Errant that is Loveless resembles a Tree that wants Leaves and Fruit, or a Body without a Soul:


A Horse of Labour or Carriage, in Spanish, is called Rozin, and the word Ante signifies Before; so that Rozinante is a Horse that sometime was of Carriage.

And