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These days past, when sending Your Excellency my plays, that hadappeared in print before being shown on the stage, I said, if Iremember well, that Don Quixote was putting on his spurs to go andrender homage to Your Excellency. Now I say that "with his spurs,he is on his way." Should he reach destination methinks I shallhave rendered some service to Your Excellency, as from many parts Iam urged to send him off, so as to dispel the loathing and disgustcaused by another Don Quixote who, under the name of Second Part,has run masquerading through the whole world. And he who has shownthe greatest longing for him has been the great Emperor of China,who wrote me a letter in Chinese a month ago and sent it by aspecial courier. He asked me, or to be truthful, he begged me tosend him Don Quixote, for he intended to found a college where theSpanish tongue would be taught, and it was his wish that the bookto be read should be the History of Don Quixote. He also added thatI should go and be the rector of this college. I asked the bearerif His Majesty had afforded a sum in aid of my travel expenses. Heanswered, "No, not even in thought."