"Tilting at Windmills"
Just then they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that rise from that plain. And no sooner did Don Quixote see them that he said to his squire, "Fortune is guiding our affairs better than we ourselves could have wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, thirty or forty hulking giants? I intend to do battle with them and slay them. With their spoils we shall begin to be rich for this is a righteous war and the removal of so foul a brood from off the face of the earth is a service God will bless."
"What giants?" asked Sancho Patra.
"Those you see over there," replied his master, "with their long arms. Some of them have arms well nigh two leagues in length."
"Take care, sir," cried Sancho. "Those over there are not giants but windmills. Those things that seem to be their arms are sails which, when they are whirled around by the wind, turn the millstone."
"It is clear," replied Don Quixote, "that you are not experienced in adventures. Those are giants and if you are afraid turn aside and pray whilst I enter a fierce and unequal battle with them."
Uttering these words he clapped spurs to Rosenantes, his steed, without heeding the cries of his squire Sancho who warned him that he was not going to attack giants but windmills. But so convinced was he that they were giants that he neither heard his squire's shouts nor did he notice what they were though he was very near them.
Instead he rushed on shouting in a loud voice, "Fly not, cowards and vile caitliffs. One knight alone attacks you." At that moment a slight breeze arose and the great sails began to move. When Don Quixote saw this he shouted again, "Although you flourish more arms than the giant Brarias, you shall pay for it."
Saying this and commending himself most devoutly to his lady Dulcenia whom he begged to help him in his peril, he covered himself with his buckler, couched his lance, charged at them with Rosenantes in a full gallop and rammed the first mill in his way. He ran his lance into the sail but the wind twisted it with such violence that it shivered the lance in pieces and dragged both rider and horse after it rolling them over and over on the ground sorely damaged.
"God help us!" cried Sancho. "Did I not tell you, sir, to mind what you are doing for those are only windmills? Nobody could have mistaken them unless he had windmills for brains."
"Hold your piece, good Sancho," replied Don Quixote. "The affairs of war are above all others subject to continual change. Moreover I am convinced that the truth is that the magician Frustalt, the one who robbed me of my study in books, has changed those giants into windmills to deprive me of the glory of victory just as the enmity he bears against me. But in the end his evil arts will be of little avail against my doty sword."
"God's will be done," said Sancho. "I'll believe all your worship says, but straighten yourself a bit in the saddle for you seem to be leaning over on one side which must be from the bruises you received in your fall."
The next day while they were thus talking, two friars of the order of St. Benedict appeared on the road mounted on mules big enough to be dromedaries. They wore dust masks with spectacles and carried sun shades. After them came a coach accompanied by four or five horsemen and two grooms on foot. In the coach it was learned afterwards was a misgayin' lady on her way to meet her husband in Seville.
As soon as Don Quixote saw them he said to his squire, "Either I am deceived or this will be the most famous adventure ever seen. For those black bulky objects over there must surely be enchanters who are abducting in that coach a princess. I must redress this wrong with all my might."
"This will be worse than the windmill," said Sancho. "Take heed, sir, that these are monks and that coach must belong to some traveler. Take heed what you are doing."
"Don't let the devil lead you astray. I have told you before, Sancho," answered Don Quixote, "that you know precious little about adventures. I am telling you the truth and you will now see for yourself."
With these words he advanced into the middle of the road by which the monks were to pass. When they had come near enough to hear him he cried out in a loud voice, "Monstrous spawn of Satan, release this instant the noble princess that you have carried away in that coach under duress. If not, prepare to meet swift death as just chatisement for your evil deeds." The monks reigned in their mules and stood bewildered both by the appearance of Don Quixote as well as by his words.
They then answered, "Sir knight, we are neither monstrous nor satanic, but two monks of the order of St. Benedict. Why, we do not know whether there are any princesses being carried by force or not."
"None of those soft words for me. I know you well, accursed knaves," answered Don Quixote. Then without waiting for any further answer he spurred out Rosenantes, couched his lance and attacked the first monk with such ferocity that if the later had not let himself fall from the mule he would have toppled him on the ground against his will and would have wounded, perhaps even killed him. The second monk, when he saw the way his companion fared, clapped his spurs into the fine towering mule and began to speed away over the plain faster than the wind itself.
That is an interesting portion of Don Quixote as he attacks the windmills. This is very much like something that is being practiced in Christianity. To be very honest with you, this is the first time I've ever read through some of this material and it's kind of fun, isn't it? I'd like to read the whole thing.
We laugh at Don Quixote because, on this magnificent, divine quest (at least in his own mind) he assaults windmills as if they were dragons and gets himself injured in the process. And not just injured, but he charges at monks as if they were demons. Here's a person who is filled with godly desire, ambition, desire to do well, desire to defend the name of God and to fight his battles properly, but he's actually jousting with chimeras, beasties that don't exist. And consequently, he ends up wasting a lot of his time.
I'm concerned about similar kinds of things that I see in Christianity because, as I mentioned earlier and if you've listen to the show for any length of time, I'm deeply committed to making a credible defense for historical Christianity and the Christian world view in the marketplace of ideas. Part of my concern is that this kind of defense and this kind of representation is not often well made, not only in the marketplace to non-Christians, but to each other as well. Sometimes we end up charging off after windmills, as it were, fighting battles where there is no battle.
There is more but I quit here
Good one Deb ;D ;D
I'll be back need to find one of my books, top shelve........"Oh Honey"...............
?? 1971?
?? 1971?
