Marcela and Grisóstomo in French Garb: Le Meurtre de la fidélité

"El curioso impertinente," the novella that the curate reads to the assembled guests (except for Don Quixote) at Juan Palomeque's Inn over chapters 33 through 35 of Don Quixote I, was translated into French as "Le Curieux impertinent" by Nicolas Baudouin and published—with facing pages in Spanish and French—by Jean Richer in Paris in 1608. This text was followed a year later by Homicido de la fidelidad y defensa del honor (Le Meurtre de la fidélité et la défense de l'honneur) [The Murder of Faithfulness and the Defense of Honor], with no identified translator listed, and also published by Jean Richer in Paris in 1609.¹ This little volume incorporates portions of the Marcela and Grisóstomo episode, to which are added Don Quixote's speech on arms and letters, the knightly story he tells Sancho in chapter 21, and short segments from several other parts of Don Quixote I. There are two copies of this rare manuscript in the United States. One is located in the University of Kansas library, and the other, which I consulted, is housed in the Houghton Library at Harvard, where it is described as "1 p. l., 125 p. 14cm. Title: Mevrtre de la fidelité." As with "El curioso impertinente," the book has Spanish and French on opposite pages, with the French in italics in the body of the text. The first two pages (recto and verso) read as follows:

                                               Recto (1)

HOMICIDIO DE / LA FIDELIDAD / Y / DEFENSA DEL / HONOR.

LE MEURTRE DE / LA FIDELITÉ, / ET / LA DEFENSE DE / L'HONNEUR

Où est racontée la triste, & pitoyable avan / ture du Berger Philidon, & les rai / sons de la belle & chaste Mar / celle accusee de sa mort

Avec un discours de DON QUIXOTE, / De l'excellence des Armes sur / les lettres

A PARIS

PAR IEAN RICHER

1609

                                                Verso (1)

HOMICIDIO DE LA / FIDELIDAD, / Y / LA DEFENSA DEL / HONOR

Donde se cuenta la triste y piadosa / aventura del Pastor Philidon, y / las razones de la Hermosa y casta / Marcela acusada de su muerte.

Con un tratado de DON QUIXOTE / de la eccelencia de las armas / con las letras

El enamorado pastor Philidon apasionado de la casta y hermosa Marcela, / se vio reduzido a tal punto, que desesperado de poder jamás alcanzar, y gozar un dia del fruto de sus

                                                Recto (2)

LE MEURTRE DE / LA FIDELITÉ, / ET / LA DEFENSE DE / L'HONNEUR.

Où est racontée la triste, et pitoyable / adventure du Berger Philidon, & / les raisons de la belle & chaste Mar / celle accusee de sa mort.

Avec un Discours de DON QUIXOTE, / de l'excellence des Armes sur / les lettres.

L'amoureux Berger Philidon passionné de l'amour de la belle, & chaste Marcelle, se treuva reduit à telle extrémité, que desespéré de pouvoir jamais fleschir la cruauté de sa Maitresse, & de jouyr un iour du fruict de ses trauaux, fermant les [...]

                                                Verso (2)

trabajos cerró los ojos al día, y los abrio para dar entrada a la noche de sus esperanças acabadas al acabar de la vida.

(Latin script) Este pastor auía sido en un tiempo passado un rico hidalgo […]²

[THE MURDER OF FAITHFULNESS AND THE DEFENSE OF HONOR. Wherein is told the sad and pitiful adventure of the Shepherd Philidon and the arguments of the beautiful and chaste Marcela accused of his death.

With a speech of Don Quixote on the excellence of Arms over letters.

The loving shepherd Philidon, enthralled by the chaste and beautiful Marcela, was reduced to such straits that in despair of ever being able to reach and enjoy one day the fruits of his travails, shut his eyes to the light of day and opened them to let in the night of his hopes, which ended with the ending of his life.

This shepherd had once been a rich gentleman . . . ]

My interest in this little book relates to the selections made by the transcriber and the attitude they manifest with respect to the text; to aspects of the translation that may further clarify this attitude; to...