so positive that they were two armies, that Sancho firmly believed him at last.  “Well, sir,” quoth the squire, “what are we to do, I beseech you?”—­“What shall we do,” replied Don Quixote, “but assist the weaker and injured side? for know, Sancho, that the army which now moves towards us is commanded by the great Alifanfaron, emperor of the vast island of Taprobana; the other that advances behind us is his enemy, the king of the Garamantians, Pentapolin with the naked arm, so called because he always enters into the battle with his right arm bare.”—­“Pray, sir,” quoth Sancho, “why are these two great men going together by the ears?”—­“The occasion of their quarrel is this,” answered Don Quixote:  “Alifanfaron, a strong Pagan, is in love with Pentapolin’s daughter, a very beautiful lady and a Christian; now her father refuses to give her in marriage to the heathen prince, unless he abjure his false belief and embrace the Christian religion.”—­“Burn my beard,” said Sancho, “if Pentapolin be not in the right on it; I will stand by him, and help him all I may.”—­“I commend thy resolution,” replied Don Quixote, “it is not only lawful, but requisite; for there is no need of being a knight to fight in such battles.”—­“I guessed as much,” quoth Sancho; “but where shall we leave my ass in the meantime, that I may be sure to find him again after the battle; for I fancy you never heard of any man that ever charged upon such a beast.”—­“It is true,” answered Don Quixote, “and therefore I would have thee turn him loose, though thou wert sure never to find him again; for we shall have so many horses after we have got the day that even Rozinante himself will be in danger of being changed for another.”

Then mounting to the top of a hillock, whence they might have seen both the flocks, had not the dust obstructed their sight, “Look yonder, Sancho!” cried Don Quixote; “that knight whom thou seest in the gilded arms, bearing in his shield a crowned lion couchant at the feet of a lady, is the valiant Laurcalco, lord of the silver bridge.  He in the armor powdered with flowers of gold, bearing three crows argent in a field azure, is the formidable Micocolembo, the great duke of Quiracia.  That other, of a gigantic size, that marches on his right, is the undaunted Brandabarbaran of Boliche, sovereign of the three Arabias; he is arrayed in a serpent’s skin, and carries instead of a shield a huge gate, which they say belonged to the temple which Samson pulled down at his death, when he revenged himself upon his enemies.  But cast thy eyes on this side, Sancho, and at the head of the other army see the victorious Timonel of Carcaiona, prince of New Biscay, whose armor is quartered azure, vert, or, and argent, and who bears in his shield a cat or, in a field gules, with these four letters, MIAU, for a motto, being the beginning of his mistress’s name, the beautiful Miaulina, daughter to Alfeniquen, duke of Algarva.  That other monstrous load upon the back of yonder wild horse,