ROMANTIC FICTION AND POETRY. 243 is the amorous jealousy, and especially the point chapter of honor, so conspicuous on the Spanish theatre ; — '— — and such, too, the moral confusion too often pro- duced by blending the foulest crimes with zeal for religion. ^^ These comedies, moreover, far from blind conformity with the ancients, discovered much of the spirit of independence, and deviated into many of the eccentricities which distinguish the national theatre in later times ; and which the criticism of our own day has so successfully ex- plained and defended on philosophical principles. Naharro's plays were represented, as appears ^°g^'='^'^ '" from his prologue, in Italy, probably not at Rome, which he quitted soon after their publication, but at Naples, which, then forming a part of the Spanish dominions, might more easily furnish an audience capable of comprehending them.^^ It is 47 The following is an example >' tambien servicio a^Dioa.^ of the precious reasoning with porque s*i yo l*a matire which Floristan, in the play above morira christianamente i quoted, reconciles his conscience to yo morire penitente, T; ' J ^ i- -c r c ^ X quando mi suerte Uegare." the murder of his wite Urtea, in ^ Propaiadia, fol. 68. order to gratify the jealousy of his mistress Seraphina. Floristan is "^ Signorelli waxes exceedingly addressing himself to a priest. wroth with Don Bias Nasarre for «tT ~ J -„ „ „„„„. the assertion, that Naharro first "y por mas dano escusar , i t i- • j no lo quiero hora hazer, taught the Italians to write comedy, sino que ea menester. taxing him with downright men- SoVerar 10 Tla° ' °" dacity ; and he stoutly denies the porque lo pueda creer. probability of JNaharro's comedies aue yo bieii me malaria, ever having been performed on the To sfdeTerafi^a "'^'" Italian boards The critic seems que se desesperaria. to be in the nght, as far as regards y Orfea, pues que haria ? ^^iQ influence of the Spanish dramat- ^rc°eo"quT'iro'pures:r = ist ; but he might have been spared sostener la vida uii dia. all doubts respecting their repre- Pues habiando aca entre nos sentation in the country, had he porquTcOT^su^oi'a'muerte consulted the prologue of Naharro se escusaran otras dos : himself, where he asserts the fact de mode que padre vos j jj^ gt explicit manner. Comp. SI llamar me la quereys, _ , ,. '^ ,, j c<- iv a mi raerced me liareys Propaladia, prol., and bignorelli,
