Sometimes when a father has an ugly, loutish son, the love he bears him so blindfolds his eyes that he does not see his defects, or, rather, takes them for gifts and charms of mind and body, and talks of them to his friends as wit and grace. I, however–for though I pass for the father, I am but the stepfather to "Don Quixote"–have no desire to go with the current of custom, or to implore thee, dearest reader, almost with tears in my eyes, as others do, to pardon or excuse the defects thou wilt perceive in this child of mine. Thou art neither its kinsman nor its friend, thy soul is thine own and thy will as free as any man's, whate'er he be, thou art in thine own house and master of it as much as the king of his taxes and thou knowest the common saying, "Under my cloak I kill the king;" all which exempts and frees thee from every consideration and obligation, and thou canst say what thou wilt of the story without fear of being abused for any ill or rewarded for any good thou mayest say of it. Anonymous
About This Quote

It is well said that “no man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.” It is also well said that “he who loves another has fulfilled his duty towards himself.” We may take these passages as meaning that no one can be truly happy unless he strives to make others happy, for it is only by loving our neighbor that we fulfill our duty to ourselves. Thus “he who loves another has fulfilled his duty towards himself.” Thus also it is clear that “he who loves another has fulfilled his duty towards himself.” And truly, if we do not love our neighbor, we cannot even love ourselves; for what else is there to love but our neighbor?

Source: Don Quixote

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