Don Quixote was longer in talking than the supper in finishing, at the end of which one of the goatherds said, “That your worship, señor knight-errant, may say with more truth that we show you hospitality with ready goodwill, we will give you amusement and pleasure by making one of our comrades sing: he will be here before long, and he is a very intelligent youth and deep in love, and what is more he can read and write and play on the rebeck 142 to perfection.”

The goatherd had hardly done speaking, when the notes of the rebeck reached their ears; and shortly after, the player came up, a very good-looking young man of about two-and-twenty. His comrades asked him if he had supped, and on his replying that he had, he who had already made the offer said to him: