Of the freedom Don Quixote conferred on several unfortunates who against their will were being carried where they had no wish to go.
Cide Hamete Benengeli, the Arab and Manchegan author, relates in this most grave, high-sounding, minute, delightful, and original history that after the discussion between the famous Don Quixote of La Mancha and his squire Sancho Panza which is set down at the end of chapter twenty-one, Don Quixote raised his eyes and saw coming along the road he was following some dozen men on foot strung together by the neck, like beads, on a great iron chain, and all with manacles on their hands. With them there came also two men on horseback and two on foot; those on horseback with wheel-lock muskets, those on foot with javelins and swords, and as soon as Sancho saw them he said:
“That is a chain of galley slaves, on the way to the galleys by force of the king’s orders.”
“How by force?” asked Don Quixote; “is it possible that the king uses force against anyone?”