六）騎士的香脂
根據1170年的香頌（chanson，意為歌曲，源於中世紀的法國，是法國世俗歌曲的泛稱），西班牙國王巴蘭（Balan）和他的兒子斐埃拉布拉（Fierabras）征服了羅馬，並偷走了兩個裝有用於塗抹耶穌屍體的香脂的桶。任何人喝了這種神奇的香脂，包治百病。
西班牙作家塞萬提斯（1547-1616）在創作《堂吉柯德》時，通過堂吉柯德之口，為這種香脂寫了配方。現將上卷第17章的部分段落翻譯如下：
團丁走進來，看到他們正在如此和平地進行對話，感到很驚訝，盡管堂吉柯德全身因為毆打塗滿了膏藥，躺在那裏動彈不得。 團丁轉向他，說：“怎麽樣，好人？”
“如果我是你，說話會更客氣些。” 堂吉柯德答， “笨蛋，這是該地區對待遊俠騎士的方式嗎？”
那個團丁被一個看上去可憐巴巴的人如此不禮貌地對待，大發脾氣，舉起裝滿油的燈，朝堂吉柯德頭上打了一拳，幾乎將他的頭打爆了。一切陷入黑暗中，他走了出去，桑喬·潘薩說：“大人，他一定就是那個會魔咒的摩爾人，他把財寶留給了別人，留給我們的隻有挨揍和破碎的油燈。“
（The officer came up, and finding them engaged in such a peaceful conversation, stood amazed; though Don Quixote, to be sure, still lay on his back unable to move from pure pummelling and plasters. The officer turned to him and said, "Well, how goes it, good man?"
"I would speak more politely if I were you," replied Don Quixote; "is it the way of this country to address knights-errant in that style, you booby?"
The cuadrillero finding himself so disrespectfully treated by such a sorry-looking individual, lost his temper, and raising the lamp full of oil, smote Don Quixote such a blow with it on the head that he gave him a badly broken pate; then, all being in darkness, he went out, and Sancho Panza said, "That is certainly the enchanted Moor, Senor, and he keeps the treasure for others, and for us only the cuffs and lamp-whacks."）
堂吉柯德答：“這是事實，沒必要對這些魔法之類的事物感到煩惱或憤怒。這些東西看不見，很離奇，盡管我們費了老大勁，也找不到人報仇。如果可以的話，桑喬，起來，叫上這個城堡的司令， 向他要一點油、酒、鹽和迷迭香，做些療傷香脂，我確信我現在非常需要它，因為我被那個混蛋弄傷的地方流了很多血。”
桑喬忍著筋骨的劇痛站起來，在黑暗中尋找客棧老板，遇到了那個正打算探聽敵情的團丁，便對他說：“大人，不管您是誰，好心幫一點忙，給我們一點迷迭香、油、鹽和酒，來醫治世界上最好的遊俠騎士，他被這間客店裏的會魔咒的摩爾人打傷，正躺在床上。”
（"That is the truth," answered Don Quixote, "and there is no use in troubling oneself about these matters of enchantment or being angry or vexed at them, for as they are invisible and visionary we shall find no one on whom to avenge ourselves, do what we may; rise, Sancho, if thou canst, and call the alcaide of this fortress, and get him to give me a little oil, wine, salt, and rosemary to make the salutiferous balsam, for indeed I believe I have great need of it now, because I am losing much blood from the wound that phantom gave me."
Sancho got up with pain enough in his bones, and went after the innkeeper in the dark, and meeting the officer, who was looking to see what had become of his enemy, he said to him, "Senor, whoever you are, do us the favour and kindness to give us a little rosemary, oil, salt, and wine, for it is wanted to cure one of the best knights-errant on earth, who lies on yonder bed wounded by the hands of the enchanted Moor that is in this inn."）
團丁聽到他這樣說話，斷定他神經不正常，既然天快亮了，他打開了客棧的門，叫了店主，告訴他桑喬需要的東西。主人一一給了桑喬，他把這些東西交給了堂吉柯德。堂吉柯德正用手捂著被油燈砸傷的腦瓜呻吟，其實他的頭上不過鼓起了幾個大包，他卻以為在昨晚的厄運中出的汗是從他身上流出的血。簡而言之，他把這些東西混合在一起，煮了很長時間，直到他認為完美為止。然後，他又要來一個小瓶盛藥，由於客棧裏沒有小瓶，他決定用一個錫油罐或燒瓶來裝，店主送了他一個。他對著燒瓶重複了至少八十次的天主經，說了無數次聖母瑪利亞、聖母頌和信經，每念一遍，就劃一個十字架。桑喬、客棧老板和團丁都在場盯著，而腳夫卻已悄悄去照料他的騾子了。
（ When the officer heard him talk in this way, he took him for a man out of his senses, and as day was now beginning to break, he opened the inn gate, and calling the host, he told him what this good man wanted. The host furnished him with what he required, and Sancho brought it to Don Quixote, who, with his hand to his head, was bewailing the pain of the blow of the lamp, which had done him no more harm than raising a couple of rather large lumps, and what he fancied blood was only the sweat that flowed from him in his sufferings during the late storm. To be brief, he took the materials, of which he made a compound, mixing them all and boiling them a good while until it seemed to him they had come to perfection. He then asked for some vial to pour it into, and as there was not one in the inn, he decided on putting it into a tin oil-bottle or flask of which the host made him a free gift; and over the flask he repeated more than eighty paternosters and as many more ave-marias, salves, and credos, accompanying each word with a cross by way of benediction, at all which there were present Sancho, the innkeeper, and the cuadrillero; for the carrier was now peacefully engaged in attending to the comfort of his mules.）
完成這項儀式後，他急於當場嚐試這種充滿了優點的珍貴香脂，於是他喝了一誇脫剩在鍋裏的聖水。剛喝完，他就開始嘔吐，把胃裏的東西吐的一幹二淨，嘔吐時的痛苦和痙攣使他大汗淋漓，他請大家為他蓋好被子，讓他一個人呆著。他們照做了，他躺在床上睡了三個多小時，醒來後感到身體極其放鬆，傷口也不疼了，認為自己已經完全康複了，並真的相信自己製成了斐埃拉布拉香脂。有了這副藥，他從此不必害怕任何戰鬥，不管它們有多危險。
（This being accomplished, he felt anxious to make trial himself, on the spot, of the virtue of this precious balsam, as he considered it, and so he drank near a quart of what could not be put into the flask and remained in the pigskin in which it had been boiled; but scarcely had he done drinking when he began to vomit in such a way that nothing was left in his stomach, and with the pangs and spasms of vomiting he broke into a profuse sweat, on account of which he bade them cover him up and leave him alone. They did so, and he lay sleeping more than three hours, at the end of which he awoke and felt very great bodily relief and so much ease from his bruises that he thought himself quite cured, and verily believed he had hit upon the balsam of Fierabras; and that with this remedy he might thenceforward, without any fear, face any kind of destruction, battle, or combat, however perilous it might be.）
桑喬·潘薩覺得主人的身體好轉是個奇跡，懇求堂吉柯德將鍋裏剩下的香脂都給他，數量還不少。堂吉柯德同意了，然後他以最真誠的好意雙手捧著，大口喝下去，喝的不比他的主人少。可憐的桑喬的胃沒有他的主人那麽嬌氣，在嘔吐之前，他惡心絞痛了半天，大汗淋漓，幾乎暈過去，差點以為自己要沒命了。發現自己是如此的受折磨，他詛咒香脂以及送給他香脂的那個小偷。
（Sancho Panza, who also regarded the amendment of his master as miraculous, begged him to give him what was left in the pigskin, which was no small quantity. Don Quixote consented, and he, taking it with both hands, in good faith and with a better will, gulped down and drained off very little less than his master. But the fact is, that the stomach of poor Sancho was of necessity not so delicate as that of his master, and so, before vomiting, he was seized with such gripings and retchings, and such sweats and faintness, that verily and truly be believed his last hour had come, and finding himself so racked and tormented he cursed the balsam and the thief that had given it to him.）
唐吉訶德看到他這副模樣，就對他說：“桑喬，我認為，這個不幸完全是因為你還沒有
被封為騎士。我相信這種藥水對不是騎士的那些人沒有作用。”
“既然您知道這一點，”桑喬說，“ 為什麽還讓我喝呢？害我倒了八輩子黴！”
（Don Quixote seeing him in this state said, "It is my belief, Sancho, that this mischief comes of thy not being dubbed a knight, for I am persuaded this liquor cannot be good for those who are not so."
"If your worship knew that," returned Sancho — "woe betide me and all my kindred! — why did you let me taste it?"）
這時香脂開始起作用了，可憐的桑喬上吐下瀉的厲害，以致於身下的草皮墊和身上的帆布毯子到最後都不能用了。他拚命出汗，伴隨著陣發性的抽搐，不僅他自己，連在場的所有人都以為他要壽終正寢了。足足折騰了大約兩個小時，到了最後，不像他的主人，他是如此虛弱和疲憊，幾乎站不起來。然而堂吉柯德卻感到自己康複了，他渴望馬上離開再去冒險。他覺得一直耽擱在這裏是個錯誤，世界上還有需要他的幫助和保護的人。尤其當他擁有香脂所賦予的安全感和信心時，就更是如此。在這種衝動的驅使下，他為羅西南多和桑喬的驢上了鞍，又幫助桑喬穿好衣服，扶他上驢。他騎上馬，轉身到客店的一角，拿起一根長槍權當長矛。客店裏有二十多個人，全都站著看他。店主的女兒也在觀察他，堂吉柯德的視線一直沒有離開過她，不時發出一聲歎息，像是從肺腑深處發出來的。但是他們全都認為這一定是受肋骨疼痛所致，至少那天晚上看見他渾身塗滿了藥膏的人都是這麽想的。
（At this moment the draught took effect, and the poor squire began to discharge both ways at such a rate that the rush mat on which he had thrown himself and the canvas blanket he had covering him were fit for nothing afterwards. He sweated and perspired with such paroxysms and convulsions that not only he himself but all present thought his end had come. This tempest and tribulation lasted about two hours, at the end of which he was left, not like his master, but so weak and exhausted that he could not stand. Don Quixote, however, who, as has been said, felt himself relieved and well, was eager to take his departure at once in quest of adventures, as it seemed to him that all the time he loitered there was a fraud upon the world and those in it who stood in need of his help and protection, all the more when he had the security and confidence his balsam afforded him; and so, urged by this impulse, he saddled Rocinante himself and put the pack-saddle on his squire's beast, whom likewise he helped to dress and mount the ass; after which he mounted his horse and turning to a corner of the inn he laid hold of a pike that stood there, to serve him by way of a lance. All that were in the inn, who were more than twenty persons, stood watching him; the innkeeper's daughter was likewise observing him, and he too never took his eyes off her, and from time to time fetched a sigh that he seemed to pluck up from the depths of his bowels; but they all thought it must be from the pain he felt in his ribs; at any rate they who had seen him plastered the night before thought so.）
這段故事透露出了幾個關於迷迭香的信息：迷迭香在古代被用於保存屍體以及宗教的潔淨儀式，迷迭香也是一種重要的草藥。
堂吉柯德和喬桑服用含有迷迭香的香脂後的種種荒唐情節，是對當時流行的騎士文學的一種莫大諷刺。
