Don Quixote Volume 1, Chapter 7

Don Quijote awakes yelling; calls the priest Archbishop Turpin, and makes references to the Twelve Peers, then identifies himself as Reinaldos de Montalban. That night the housekeeper burns all the books in the yard and any left in the room. They wall over the entrance to the library. The priest and barber instruct the housekeeper and niece to tell Don Quijote that a magician has carried away not only the books, but the room itself. The first thing Don Quijote does when he gets up (two days later) is set out for his library. He searches all over the house for the missing room and finally asks the housekeeper where it is. She and the niece tell him that a magician riding a snake said he was angry with the owner of the books, and took the books and library away in a puff of smoke. Don Quijote believes every word and even corrects them on the name of the magician.

For fifteen days, Don Quijote gives no indication to his niece, housekeeper, priest or barber that he has any immediate plans to resume his calling of knight errantry. However, as it turns out, he has been very busy arranging for a squire, pawning and selling things to get money, borrowing a shield and patching up his helmet. He finally convinces Sancho Panza (a poor farmer with a wife and children) to be his squire by promising him things like governorship of an island and generally wearing him down till the poor man gives in.

Topic Tracking: Helmet Imagery 4

They leave one night unseen. Sancho speaks of his future island and has some concerns regarding his wife's suitability for such a position; Don Quijote instructs him not to worry; to leave it all in God's hands, but to retain his ambitions to be a governor. Sancho says that he won't worry since he has such a wise master who knows his squire's capabilities and what is best for him.