六）骑士的香脂
根据1170年的香颂（chanson，意为歌曲，源于中世纪的法国，是法国世俗歌曲的泛称），西班牙国王巴兰（Balan）和他的儿子斐埃拉布拉（Fierabras）征服了罗马，并偷走了两个装有用于涂抹耶稣尸体的香脂的桶。任何人喝了这种神奇的香脂，包治百病。
西班牙作家塞万提斯（1547-1616）在创作《堂吉柯德》时，通过堂吉柯德之口，为这种香脂写了配方。现将上卷第17章的部分段落翻译如下：
团丁走进来，看到他们正在如此和平地进行对话，感到很惊讶，尽管堂吉柯德全身因为殴打涂满了膏药，躺在那里动弹不得。 团丁转向他，说：“怎么样，好人？”
“如果我是你，说话会更客气些。” 堂吉柯德答， “笨蛋，这是该地区对待游侠骑士的方式吗？”
那个团丁被一个看上去可怜巴巴的人如此不礼貌地对待，大发脾气，举起装满油的灯，朝堂吉柯德头上打了一拳，几乎将他的头打爆了。一切陷入黑暗中，他走了出去，桑乔·潘萨说：“大人，他一定就是那个会魔咒的摩尔人，他把财宝留给了别人，留给我们的只有挨揍和破碎的油灯。“
（The officer came up, and finding them engaged in such a peaceful conversation, stood amazed; though Don Quixote, to be sure, still lay on his back unable to move from pure pummelling and plasters. The officer turned to him and said, "Well, how goes it, good man?"
"I would speak more politely if I were you," replied Don Quixote; "is it the way of this country to address knights-errant in that style, you booby?"
The cuadrillero finding himself so disrespectfully treated by such a sorry-looking individual, lost his temper, and raising the lamp full of oil, smote Don Quixote such a blow with it on the head that he gave him a badly broken pate; then, all being in darkness, he went out, and Sancho Panza said, "That is certainly the enchanted Moor, Senor, and he keeps the treasure for others, and for us only the cuffs and lamp-whacks."）
堂吉柯德答：“这是事实，没必要对这些魔法之类的事物感到烦恼或愤怒。这些东西看不见，很离奇，尽管我们费了老大劲，也找不到人报仇。如果可以的话，桑乔，起来，叫上这个城堡的司令， 向他要一点油、酒、盐和迷迭香，做些疗伤香脂，我确信我现在非常需要它，因为我被那个混蛋弄伤的地方流了很多血。”
桑乔忍着筋骨的剧痛站起来，在黑暗中寻找客栈老板，遇到了那个正打算探听敌情的团丁，便对他说：“大人，不管您是谁，好心帮一点忙，给我们一点迷迭香、油、盐和酒，来医治世界上最好的游侠骑士，他被这间客店里的会魔咒的摩尔人打伤，正躺在床上。”
（"That is the truth," answered Don Quixote, "and there is no use in troubling oneself about these matters of enchantment or being angry or vexed at them, for as they are invisible and visionary we shall find no one on whom to avenge ourselves, do what we may; rise, Sancho, if thou canst, and call the alcaide of this fortress, and get him to give me a little oil, wine, salt, and rosemary to make the salutiferous balsam, for indeed I believe I have great need of it now, because I am losing much blood from the wound that phantom gave me."
Sancho got up with pain enough in his bones, and went after the innkeeper in the dark, and meeting the officer, who was looking to see what had become of his enemy, he said to him, "Senor, whoever you are, do us the favour and kindness to give us a little rosemary, oil, salt, and wine, for it is wanted to cure one of the best knights-errant on earth, who lies on yonder bed wounded by the hands of the enchanted Moor that is in this inn."）
团丁听到他这样说话，断定他神经不正常，既然天快亮了，他打开了客栈的门，叫了店主，告诉他桑乔需要的东西。主人一一给了桑乔，他把这些东西交给了堂吉柯德。堂吉柯德正用手捂着被油灯砸伤的脑瓜呻吟，其实他的头上不过鼓起了几个大包，他却以为在昨晚的厄运中出的汗是从他身上流出的血。简而言之，他把这些东西混合在一起，煮了很长时间，直到他认为完美为止。然后，他又要来一个小瓶盛药，由于客栈里没有小瓶，他决定用一个锡油罐或烧瓶来装，店主送了他一个。他对着烧瓶重复了至少八十次的天主经，说了无数次圣母玛利亚、圣母颂和信经，每念一遍，就划一个十字架。桑乔、客栈老板和团丁都在场盯着，而脚夫却已悄悄去照料他的骡子了。
（ When the officer heard him talk in this way, he took him for a man out of his senses, and as day was now beginning to break, he opened the inn gate, and calling the host, he told him what this good man wanted. The host furnished him with what he required, and Sancho brought it to Don Quixote, who, with his hand to his head, was bewailing the pain of the blow of the lamp, which had done him no more harm than raising a couple of rather large lumps, and what he fancied blood was only the sweat that flowed from him in his sufferings during the late storm. To be brief, he took the materials, of which he made a compound, mixing them all and boiling them a good while until it seemed to him they had come to perfection. He then asked for some vial to pour it into, and as there was not one in the inn, he decided on putting it into a tin oil-bottle or flask of which the host made him a free gift; and over the flask he repeated more than eighty paternosters and as many more ave-marias, salves, and credos, accompanying each word with a cross by way of benediction, at all which there were present Sancho, the innkeeper, and the cuadrillero; for the carrier was now peacefully engaged in attending to the comfort of his mules.）
完成这项仪式后，他急于当场尝试这种充满了优点的珍贵香脂，于是他喝了一夸脱剩在锅里的圣水。刚喝完，他就开始呕吐，把胃里的东西吐的一干二净，呕吐时的痛苦和痉挛使他大汗淋漓，他请大家为他盖好被子，让他一个人呆着。他们照做了，他躺在床上睡了三个多小时，醒来后感到身体极其放松，伤口也不疼了，认为自己已经完全康复了，并真的相信自己制成了斐埃拉布拉香脂。有了这副药，他从此不必害怕任何战斗，不管它们有多危险。
（This being accomplished, he felt anxious to make trial himself, on the spot, of the virtue of this precious balsam, as he considered it, and so he drank near a quart of what could not be put into the flask and remained in the pigskin in which it had been boiled; but scarcely had he done drinking when he began to vomit in such a way that nothing was left in his stomach, and with the pangs and spasms of vomiting he broke into a profuse sweat, on account of which he bade them cover him up and leave him alone. They did so, and he lay sleeping more than three hours, at the end of which he awoke and felt very great bodily relief and so much ease from his bruises that he thought himself quite cured, and verily believed he had hit upon the balsam of Fierabras; and that with this remedy he might thenceforward, without any fear, face any kind of destruction, battle, or combat, however perilous it might be.）
桑乔·潘萨觉得主人的身体好转是个奇迹，恳求堂吉柯德将锅里剩下的香脂都给他，数量还不少。堂吉柯德同意了，然后他以最真诚的好意双手捧着，大口喝下去，喝的不比他的主人少。可怜的桑乔的胃没有他的主人那么娇气，在呕吐之前，他恶心绞痛了半天，大汗淋漓，几乎晕过去，差点以为自己要没命了。发现自己是如此的受折磨，他诅咒香脂以及送给他香脂的那个小偷。
（Sancho Panza, who also regarded the amendment of his master as miraculous, begged him to give him what was left in the pigskin, which was no small quantity. Don Quixote consented, and he, taking it with both hands, in good faith and with a better will, gulped down and drained off very little less than his master. But the fact is, that the stomach of poor Sancho was of necessity not so delicate as that of his master, and so, before vomiting, he was seized with such gripings and retchings, and such sweats and faintness, that verily and truly be believed his last hour had come, and finding himself so racked and tormented he cursed the balsam and the thief that had given it to him.）
唐吉诃德看到他这副模样，就对他说：“桑乔，我认为，这个不幸完全是因为你还没有
被封为骑士。我相信这种药水对不是骑士的那些人没有作用。”
“既然您知道这一点，”桑乔说，“ 为什么还让我喝呢？害我倒了八辈子霉！”
（Don Quixote seeing him in this state said, "It is my belief, Sancho, that this mischief comes of thy not being dubbed a knight, for I am persuaded this liquor cannot be good for those who are not so."
"If your worship knew that," returned Sancho — "woe betide me and all my kindred! — why did you let me taste it?"）
这时香脂开始起作用了，可怜的桑乔上吐下泻的厉害，以致于身下的草皮垫和身上的帆布毯子到最后都不能用了。他拼命出汗，伴随着阵发性的抽搐，不仅他自己，连在场的所有人都以为他要寿终正寝了。足足折腾了大约两个小时，到了最后，不像他的主人，他是如此虚弱和疲惫，几乎站不起来。然而堂吉柯德却感到自己康复了，他渴望马上离开再去冒险。他觉得一直耽搁在这里是个错误，世界上还有需要他的帮助和保护的人。尤其当他拥有香脂所赋予的安全感和信心时，就更是如此。在这种冲动的驱使下，他为罗西南多和桑乔的驴上了鞍，又帮助桑乔穿好衣服，扶他上驴。他骑上马，转身到客店的一角，拿起一根长枪权当长矛。客店里有二十多个人，全都站着看他。店主的女儿也在观察他，堂吉柯德的视线一直没有离开过她，不时发出一声叹息，像是从肺腑深处发出来的。但是他们全都认为这一定是受肋骨疼痛所致，至少那天晚上看见他浑身涂满了药膏的人都是这么想的。
（At this moment the draught took effect, and the poor squire began to discharge both ways at such a rate that the rush mat on which he had thrown himself and the canvas blanket he had covering him were fit for nothing afterwards. He sweated and perspired with such paroxysms and convulsions that not only he himself but all present thought his end had come. This tempest and tribulation lasted about two hours, at the end of which he was left, not like his master, but so weak and exhausted that he could not stand. Don Quixote, however, who, as has been said, felt himself relieved and well, was eager to take his departure at once in quest of adventures, as it seemed to him that all the time he loitered there was a fraud upon the world and those in it who stood in need of his help and protection, all the more when he had the security and confidence his balsam afforded him; and so, urged by this impulse, he saddled Rocinante himself and put the pack-saddle on his squire's beast, whom likewise he helped to dress and mount the ass; after which he mounted his horse and turning to a corner of the inn he laid hold of a pike that stood there, to serve him by way of a lance. All that were in the inn, who were more than twenty persons, stood watching him; the innkeeper's daughter was likewise observing him, and he too never took his eyes off her, and from time to time fetched a sigh that he seemed to pluck up from the depths of his bowels; but they all thought it must be from the pain he felt in his ribs; at any rate they who had seen him plastered the night before thought so.）
这段故事透露出了几个关于迷迭香的信息：迷迭香在古代被用于保存尸体以及宗教的洁净仪式，迷迭香也是一种重要的草药。
堂吉柯德和乔桑服用含有迷迭香的香脂后的种种荒唐情节，是对当时流行的骑士文学的一种莫大讽刺。
