XVI. How Lazaro Decided to Marry Again

Lazarillo, in his ongoing adventures, recounts his experiences with fortune and misfortune. Despite his content life at the hermitage, Lazarillo decides to marry again, driven not by necessity but by circumstances that convince him his fortunes might finally be changing. He humorously observes the unpredictability of fate, noting how unqualified men often rise to wealth and status, seemingly blessed by fortune, while the wise and prudent are left in despair. Lazarillo sees himself as a victim of misfortune, perpetually tormented by a cruel fate that now leads him into a peculiar and troubling marriage proposal.

While begging in the city, Lazarillo is invited upstairs at a house, where women, mistaking him for someone else, warmly receive him. As they recognize their error, their laughter turns to mourning upon learning of Father Anselmo’s death. The women, who reveal themselves as Anselmo’s secret family, express outrage at Lazarillo being his heir. Fearing legal reprisal and swayed by the widow’s sorrow, Lazarillo agrees to share the inheritance, ignorant of the true nature of hermits’ supposedly solitary lives. The widow’s family then cunningly entangles Lazarillo into a marriage scheme under the guise of rectifying Anselmo’s oversight.

The narrative transforms into a farcical series of “wedding ceremonies” that lead to Lazarillo’s humiliation and abuse. The absurdity peaks as Lazarillo, seeking to protect himself from physical harm, manages to escape, only to find himself chased by local boys and causing a commotion in a church, mistaken for a devil or a madman. This episode serves not only to highlight Lazarillo’s naïveté and perpetual misfortune but also to satirize societal norms, the institution of marriage, and the hypocrisy within religious circles. Through a blend of humor and tragedy, Lazarillo’s tale portrays the resilience required to navigate the unpredictabilities of life and fortune.