The history of the valorovs and wittie-knight-errant, Don-Qvixote, of the Mancha; translated  out of the Spanish [by Thomas Shelton]. London: W. Stansby, 1612. Classmark: Syn.7.61.67

Don Quixote was read, mentioned, imitated and emulated in England from the very years following its publication.

As source, Shelton did not use either of the authorized 1605 editions of the First Part of Cervantes’ masterpiece, but an edition published in Brussels, in the Spanish Netherlands, in 1607. Shelton’s translation of the First Part of the novel was published while Cervantes was still alive.

In English, the adjective quixotic is based on his name and has been used to describe unrealistic idealists since at least the early 18th century. The novel has given English other words as well: Dulcinea, the name of Quixote’s beloved, has come to mean mistress or sweetheart, and rosinante, which is sometimes used to refer to an old, broken-down horse, comes from the name of the hero’s less-than-gallant steed. Don Quixote’s constant reinvention across the centuries has given birth to myths, archetypes, expressions, and comic tropes.

His work has become a classic among English translations for its spirited rendering of the original, but has been faulted by translators such as John Ormsby for being too literal. (“Gustos”, for example, means “delights” or “likings”, but Shelton renders it as “gusts”).