fortune should direct me to the knight who was to be
our deliverer, he would send him a steed--not like the vicious
jades let out for hire, for it should be that very wooden
horse upon which PETER of Provence carried off the fair
MAGALONA.... MALAMBRUNO, by his art, has now got possession
of him, and by this means posts about to every port of the
world."

"Hoodwink thyself, _Sancho_," said _Don Quixote_, "and get
up.... And supposing the success of the adventure should not
be equal to our hopes, yet of the glory of so brave an attempt
no malice can deprive us.... The whole company raised their
voices at once, calling out, 'Speed you well, valorous
Knight! heaven guide thee, undaunted Squire! Now you fly
aloft!'"--_Adventures of Don Quixote_.]

Yes, "Speed you well, most valorous Knight!
Heaven guide you!"--and sound sense inspire you!
Small marvel that our land's black blight
Of want and misery should fire you,
Or any man whose heart will mourn
More for wrecked lives than broken crockery.
This picture is not shaped in scorn,
Nor meant in mockery.

La Mancha's Knight, though brave, was blind,
Squire _Sancho_ just a trifle credulous,
But our dear Don was nobly kind,
And in the cause of suffering sedulous.
If, mounting MALAMBRUNO's steed,
He showed more sanguine than sagacious,
He was not moved by huckster greed,
Or pride edacious.

But "with what bridle is he led?
And with what halter is he guided?"
Asked _Sancho_, rubbing his clown's head.
So they who have the least derided
Your plan for floating "the submerged,"
Colossal, costly, wide extending,
Feel some few questions may be urged,
Without offending.

Benevolence the crupper mounts,
His arms, like _Sancho's_, from behind fold;
But it would seem, from all accounts,
He, like _Don Quixote's_ Squire, rides blindfold;
It may be to most glorious ends,
It may be to disastrous spillings.
Sense fain would know before it spends
Its hard-earned shillings.

If all were genuine that is Big,
If all were sound that's well intended,
_Quixote's_ wild jaunt and _Sancho's_ jig
Would very differently have ended.
Zeal boldly mounts the Magic Horse,
Charity on behind holds tightly,
Who will not wish them skill and force
To guide it rightly?

But Human Life's a comple