". . . there is no remembrance which time will not efface, nor no pain to which death will not put a period." "Thank you for nothing!" quoth Sancho; "what worse can befall us, than to have only death to trust to? Were our afflictions to be cured with a plaister or two, a man might have some patience, but for aught I see, all the salves in an hospital won't set us on our best legs again."

This passage from Don Quixote captures the contrasting philosophies of Don Quixote and his squire, Sancho Panza. Don Quixote attempts to comfort Sancho by suggesting that time and death can alleviate all suffering. His words reflect a stoic acceptance of life's hardships, suggesting that they are transient and ultimately insignificant in the grand scheme of life. In stark contrast, Sancho's response is grounded in pragmatism and frustration. He dismisses Don Quixote's philosophical musings with a biting retort, emphasizing the immediate and tangible pain they are experiencing. Sancho's reliance on practical solutions, like "a plaister or two," underscores his down-to-earth nature and highlights the gap between the idealism of his master and his own realism. This exchange underscores their relationship's dynamic and the novel's exploration of idealism versus reality.