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There is a tradition that Cervantes read some portions of his work to a

select audience at the Duke of Bejar's, which may have helped to make the

book known; but the obvious conclusion is that the First Part of "Don

Quixote" lay on his hands soh to undertake a venture of so novel a character; and so little

faith in it had Francisco Robles of Madrid, to whom at last he sold it,

that he did not care to incur the expense of securing the copyright for

Aragon or Portugal, contenting hi was finished in December, and the book came out with the new

year, 1605 It is often said that "Don Quixote" was at first received

coldly The facts show just the contrary No sooner was it in the hands

of the public than preparations were made to issue pirated editions at

Lisbon and Valencia, and to bring out a second edition with the

additional copyrights for Aragon and Portugal, which he secured in

February

No doubt it was received with so more than coldness by certain

sections of the co

the aristocracy gave it a hearty welcoeneral

were not likely to relish a book that turned their favourite reading into

ridicule and laughed at so athered round Lope as their leader regarded Cervantes as their

common enemy, and it is plain that he was equally obnoxious to the other

clique, the culto poets who had Gongora for their chief Navarrete, who

knew nothing of the letter above mentioned, tries hard to show that the

relations between Cervantes and Lope were of a very friendly sort, as