ApendanttothepictureCervanteshasgivenusofhisfirstplaygoingsmight, nodoubt, havebeenoftenseeninthestreetsofAlcalaatthattime; abright, eager, tawny-hairedboypeeringintoabookshopwherethelatestvolumeslayopentotemptthepublic, wondering, itmaybe, whatthatlittlebookwiththewoodcutoftheblindbeggarandhisboy, thatcalleditself "VidadeLazarillodeTormes, segundaimpresion," couldbeabout; , thesenseoftheincongruousthatwasstrongatfiftywaslivelyatten, andsomesuchreflectionsasthesemayhavebeenthetruegenesisof "DonQuixote."
Forhismoresolideducation, wearetold, , whowasverypoor, shouldhavesenthissontoauniversityahundredandfiftymilesawaywhenhehadoneathisowndoor, wouldbeapuzzle, , ; butevenifithad, andifthedatecorresponded, itwouldprovenothing, astherewereatleasttwootherMiguelsbornaboutthemiddleofthecentury; oneofthem, moreover, aCervantesSaavedra, acousin, nodoubt, whowasasourceofgreatembarrassmenttothebiographers.
, andhehasnowhereleftasinglereminiscenceofstudentlife-forthe "TiaFingida," ifitbehis, isnotone—nothing, noteven "acollegejoke," , aprofessorofhumanitiesandbelles-lettresofsomeeminence, callshimhis "dearandbelovedpupil." ThiswasinalittlecollectionofversesbydifferenthandsonthedeathofIsabeldeValois, secondqueenofPhilipII, publishedbytheprofessorin1569, towhichCervantescontributedfourpieces, includinganelegy, "Lycidas" findsitswayintoavolumeofthissort, ; somuch, atleast, maybesaidforthem.
BythetimethebookappearedhehadleftSpain, and, asfateorderedit, fortwelveyears, , afterwardsCardinal, Acquavivahadbeensentattheendof1568toPhilipIIbythePopeonamission, partlyofcondolence, partlypolitical, andonhisreturntoRome, whichwassomewhatbrusquelyexpeditedbytheKing, hetookCervanteswithhimashiscamarero (chamberlain), theofficehehimselfheldinthePope', butinthesummerof1570heresigneditandenlistedasaprivatesoldierinCaptainDiegoUrbina'scompany, belongingtoDonMigueldeMoncada'sregiment, , whetheritwasdistasteforthecareerbeforehim, , foritwasastirringtime; theevents, however, whichledtothealliancebetweenSpain, Venice, andthePope, againstthecommonenemy, thePorte, andtothevictoryofthecombinedfleetsatLepanto, , inSeptember1571, underthecommandofDonJohnofAustria; butonthemorningofthe7thofOctober, whentheTurkishfleetwassighted, , and, inspiteoftheremonstrancesofhiscomradesandsuperiors, insistedontakinghispost, , theMarquesa, wasinthethickofthefight, andbeforeitwasoverhehadreceivedthreegunshotwounds, , accordingtoNavarrete, hehadaninterviewwiththecommander-in-chief, DonJohn, whowasmakingapersonalinspectionofthewounded, oneresultofwhichwasanadditionofthreecrownstohispay, andanother, apparently, thefriendshipofhisgeneral.
