Vulgar words in The Exemplary Novels of Cervantes (Page 1)

This book at a glance

ass x 24
blockhead x 3
buffoon x 3
make love x 2
            

Page 1

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,422   ~   ~   ~

you by whom the expectations of the bold pretender are fulfilled, while the hopes of the modest labourer are destroyed; you who abundantly sustain the shameless Buffoon, while the worthy sage is left to die of hunger; I bid you farewell."

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,464   ~   ~   ~

I had long tête-à-têtes with her, in which I made love with all my might: I bragged, bounced, swaggered, offered, promised, and made all the demonstrations I thought necessary to work myself into her good graces; but as she was accustomed to such offers and protestations, she listened to them with an attentive, but apparently far from credulous ear.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,769   ~   ~   ~

As soon as I was set free, I ran to him, and gambolled all round him, without venturing to lay my paws on him; for I bethought me of that ass in Æsop's Fables, who was ass enough to think of fondling his master in the same manner as his favourite lap-dog, and was well basted for his pains.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,776   ~   ~   ~

For there is something or other in my nature which makes me feel greatly shocked when I see a cavalier make a buffoon of himself, and taking pride in being able to play at thimblerig, and in dancing the chacona to perfection, I know a cavalier who boasted, that he had, at the request of a sacristan, cut out thirty-two paper ornaments, to stick upon the black cloth over a monument; and he was so proud of his performance that he took his friends to see it, as though he were showing them pennons and trophies taken from the enemy, and hung over the tombs of his forefathers.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,049   ~   ~   ~

Among them were four of my late master's ruffian friends; one of them was the drummer, who had been a catchpole and a great buffoon, as drummers frequently are.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,051   ~   ~   ~

For in spite of the proverb, a blockhead at home is a blockhead all the world over, you must agree with me that travelling and sojourning among various people makes men wise.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,122   ~   ~   ~

It was reported that she turned men into brutes, and that she made an ass of a sacristan, and used him really and truly in that form for six years.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,142   ~   ~   ~

I wish it was as easy as it was for the golden ass of Apuleius, who had only to eat a rose for his restoration; but yours depends upon the actions of others, and not upon your own efforts.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,228   ~   ~   ~

Now, what an enormous absurdity it would be to believe that Camacha could change human beings into brutes, or that the sacristan served her for years under the form of an ass.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,261   ~   ~   ~

A gipsy, for instance, related one day in my presence how he had swindled a countryman as you shall hear: The gipsy had an ass with a docked tail, and he fitted a false tail to the stump so well that it seemed quite natural.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,263   ~   ~   ~

Having pocketed the money, he told the countryman that if he wanted another ass, own brother to the one he had bought, and every bit as good, he might have it a bargain.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,267   ~   ~   ~

The bargain was soon made; the purchaser went into his house to fetch the money to pay for the second ass, and there he discovered the loss of the first.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,269   ~   ~   ~

The gipsy brought forward as witness the man who had received the alcabala [63] on the first transaction, and who swore that he had sold the countryman an ass with a very bushy tail, quite different from the second one; and an alguazil, who was present, took the gipsy's part so strongly that the countryman was forced to pay for the ass twice over.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,337   ~   ~   ~

The comedy was such that to me, who am but an ass in such matters, it seemed as though Satan himself had composed it for the utter ruin and perdition of the poet; and I actually shivered with vexation to see the solitude in which his audience had left him.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,570   ~   ~   ~

Go your ways, Contreras, for a tiresome blockhead, as you always were."

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,918   ~   ~   ~

Accordingly they struck their tents, and departed, offering Andrew an ass to ride; but he chose rather to travel on foot, and serve as attendant to Preciosa, who rode triumphantly another ass, rejoicing in her gallant esquire; whilst he was equally delighted at finding himself close to her whom he had made the mistress of his freedom.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,025   ~   ~   ~

He was a smart fellow, and with the help of a famous ass of mine he used to keep all the tanks overflowing, and make a lake of the house.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,051   ~   ~   ~

Whether it was for this reason, or that fate ordained it so, it happened that as he was riding down a steep and narrow lane, he ran against another water-carrier's ass, which was coming, laden, up-hill; and, as his own was fresh and lively and in good condition, the poor, half-starved, jaded brute that was toiling up hill, was knocked down, the pitchers were broken, and the water spilled.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,052   ~   ~   ~

The driver of the fallen ass, enraged by this disaster, immediately flew upon the offender, and pommelled him soundly before poor Lope well knew where he was.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,062   ~   ~   ~

The alguazil took him out of their hands, delivered him and his ass into those of his followers, had the wounded man laid like a sack upon his own ass, and marched them all off to prison attended by such a crowd that they could hardly make way through the streets.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,088   ~   ~   ~

His intention was to buy an ass, and to do business as a water carrier on his own account as long as they remained in Toledo.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,129   ~   ~   ~

I'll tell you what you shall do; only stay this night in the inn, and to-morrow you shall buy yourself an ass, find a lodging, and so secure yourself from the importunities of Argüello, whilst I remain exposed to those of the Gallegan, and to the fire of my Costanza's eyes."

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,182   ~   ~   ~

"I have already told you, friend," replied Tomas, "that you may do as you please-either go on your pilgrimage, or buy an ass and turn water-carrier as you proposed."

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,185   ~   ~   ~

They then went to sleep till daylight, when they rose; Tomas Pedro went to give out oats, and Lope set off to the cattle-market to buy an ass.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,189   ~   ~   ~

Surprised and annoyed, he went off with them to his wife, but before he read them to her, he called Costanza into the room, and peremptorily commanded her to declare whether Tomas Pedro, the hostler, had over made love to her, or addressed any improper language to her, or any that gave token of his being partial to her.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,238   ~   ~   ~

Whilst these things were happening in the posada, Asturiano was going about the market in search of an ass.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,240   ~   ~   ~

But though the pace was good enough, Lope was not satisfied with the size, for he wanted an ass big and strong enough to carry himself and the water vessels, whether they were full or empty.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,247   ~   ~   ~

The bystanders congratulated him on his purchase, and on his entrance into the business, assuring him that he had bought an exceedingly lucky ass, for the man who had sold him had, in less than a year, without over-working himself, made enough to buy two suits of clothes, over and above his own keep, and that of the ass, and the sixteen ducats, with which he intended to return to his native place, where a marriage had been arranged with a half kinswoman of his.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,485   ~   ~   ~

Carriazo has three sons, who, without inheriting their father's tastes, or caring to know whether or not there are any such things as tunny fisheries in the world, are all pursuing their studies at Salamanca; whilst their father never sees a water-carrier's ass but he thinks of the one he drove in Toledo, and is not without apprehension that, when he least expects it, his ears shall be saluted with some squib having for its burden, "Give us the tail, Asturiano!

Page 1