Ah, senor!" said the niece, "your worship had better order these to be burned as well as the others; for it would be no wonder if, after being cured of his chivalry disorder, my uncle, by reading these, took a fancy to turn shepherd and range the woods and fields singing and piping; or, what would be still worse, to turn poet, which they say is an incurable and infectious malady.
In this passage from "Don Quixote of La Mancha," the niece expresses concern about her uncle's potential relapse into his chivalric fantasies. She suggests that the books detailing such adventures should also be burned to prevent him from becoming enchanted once again by their tales. The fear is that, once cured of his delusions of knight-errantry, he might still be drawn to other pursuits like shepherding or, worse, poetry, which she views as a similarly dangerous obsession.
This reflection highlights the niece's practical and protective approach toward her uncle, suggesting that literary influences can have profound effects, leading individuals into new forms of madness. The mention of poetry as an "incurable and infectious malady" underscores the idea that artistic pursuits might be just as perilous as the chivalric fantasies he has been struggling with. In her eyes, it is better to eliminate these books to safeguard his sanity.
