The Enchanted Head and Don Antonio's House — Don Quixote

Don Antonio Moreno hosts Quixote to harmless sport in Barcelona, saying jests that give pain are no jests and no sport is worth anything if it hurts another; he shows him on a balcony in tight chamois while boys stare and cavaliers career, stitches a placard reading This is Don Quixote of La Mancha on his back without his noticing, and Sancho at table defends his eating, recounts Barataria's ten days, and amuses the servants with drolleries.

A Castilian reading the placard calls Quixote mad and says he makes fools of all company; Don Antonio tells him to go and bad luck to you, and the man vows never to advise anyone though he live longer than Methuselah, for to advise this good man is to kick against the pricks.

Don Antonio shows a bronze enchanted head said to answer truly except on Fridays; he swears Quixote to secrecy and passes his hand over jasper and bronze before the trial; after a ladies' dance where Quixote cries Fugite, partes adversae for Dulcinea and Sancho carries him to bed joking that mighty knights are not dancers, the head tells Don Antonio it cannot judge of thoughts, names every person present, answers wives and friends wittily, tells Quixote Montesinos holds something of both dream and truth and that Dulcinea's disenchantment will attain its consummation, and tells Sancho thou shalt govern in thy house, which he calls prophet Perogrullo talk.

Cide Hamete explains the ear-trumpet tube to Don Antonio's nephew below, whose voice passed as in an ear-trumpet, the contrivance lasts ten days until fear of the inquisitors breaks it up and ends the marvel, though Quixote and Sancho still hold it enchanted; Quixote visits Books printed here, praises Light of the Soul, lectures a translator that easy Italian renderings are like Flemish tapestries on the wrong side, finds the Second Part by Tordesillas and says its Martinmas will come to it as to every pig, walks out displeased soon, and Don Antonio arranges to show him the galleys that afternoon while tilting at the ring is planned for six days but deferred.