Realizing that Don Quixote is preparing for a third sally, his niece Antonia pleads passionately for him to stay home and not engage in such extravagant activities. "You know so much," she cries, "and yet are so grossly blind of understanding as to fancy a man of your years and infirmity can be strong and valiant . . . and yet what's more odd, that you are a knight, and 'tis well known that poor gentlemen are none." Don Quixote refutes these commonplace, all-too-sensible arguments. "That a young baggage, who scarce knows her bobbins from a bodkin should presume to put in her oar," he begins angrily, and then explains, eloquently and kindly, the character and duties of those professing knight-errantry. It is not necessary to be highborn to have endowments of fine character, pleasant disposition, and bravery, he says. When Sancho arrives, he and Don Quixote closet themselves to make their plans privately.
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