[130] The following specimens may be cited. Callistus is discoursing with his servant, concerning his passion for Melibœa.
Ca. Mayor es mi fuego, y menor la piedad de quien agora digo.—Sem. No me engaño que loco està aste mi amo.—Ca. Que estàs murmurando Sempronio?—Sem. No digo nada.—Ca. Di lo que dizes: no temas.—Sem. Digo que como pueda ser mayor el fuego que atormenta un bivo, que el que quemó tal ciudad y tanta multitud de gente?—Ca. Como? yo telo dire: mayor es la llama que dura ochenta años que la que en un dia passa; y mayor la que quema un anima, que la que quemó cien mil cuerpos. Como de la aparencia a la existencia, como de lo vivo a lo pintado; como de la sombra a lo real: tanta differencia ay del fuego que dizes al que me quema. Por cierto si el del purgatorio es tal, mas querria que mi espiritu fuesse con los de los brutos animales, que por medio de aquel yr a la gloria de los santos.—Sem. Algo es lo que digo, a mas ha de yr este hecho: no basta loco, sino hereje.—Ca. No te digo que hables alto quando hablares? Que dizes?—Sem. Digo que nunca Dios quiera tal: que es especie de herejia lo que agora dixiste.—Ca. Porque?—Sem. Porque lo que dizes contradize la Christiana religion.—Ca. Que a mi?—Sem. Tu no eres Christiano?—Ca. Yo Melibieo soy, e a Melibea adoro, e en Melibea creo, e a Melibea amo.
[131] About the same period, the dramatic prose dialogue of Italy was formed in a similar style, but with more histrionic refinement. See vol. ii. of my history of Italian Literature.
[132] The dramatic romance of Callistus and Melibœa, has been translated into several languages as a book of moral instruction. There is an old German translation which appeared at Nurnberg in 1520, entitled the Hurenspiegel. The German philologist, Caspar Barth, translated it into Latin under the title of Pornoboscodidascalus, and styles it, Liber plane divinus. It was published at Frankfort on the Oder, in 1624.
[133] One may become acquainted with these old Spanish chronicles with more facility than formerly; for during the last thirty years the greater part of them have been re-printed. A folio edition of the copious chronicle of Peres de Guzman was printed at Valencia, in the year 1779, with an elegance which proves the patriotic zeal of the editors: the chronicle of Ayala was printed at Madrid in the same year. Literature is indebted for this revival of the fathers of Spanish History, to the efforts of the Historical Academy of Madrid.
[134] It is not many years since this history was first published from the manuscript. It is intitled, Cronica de Don Pedro Niño Conde de Buelna, por Gutierre Diez de Games, su Aferes. La publica D. Eugenio de Llaguno Amirola, &c. Madrid, 1782, in quarto.
[135] He gives the following description of the national character of the French, which derives additional attraction from its antiquated language:—
Los Franceses son noble nacion de gente: son sabios é muy entendidos, é discretos en todas las cosas que pertenescen á buena crianza en cortesia é gentileza. Son muy gentiles en sus traeres, é guarnidos ricamente: traense mucho á lo propio: son francos é dadivosos: aman facer placer á todas las gentes: honran mucho los estrangeros: saben loar, é loan mucho los buenos fechos: non son maliciosos: dan pasada á los enojos: non caloñan á ome de voz nin fecho, salvo si los vá alli mucho de sus honras: son muy corteses é graciosos en su fablar: son muy alegres, toman placer de buena mente, é buscanle. Asi ellos como ellas son muy enamorados, é precianso dello.
[136] That this biographical chronicle was written between the years 1453 and 1460, is proved in the preface to the latest edition, which is entitled, Cronica de Don Alvaro de Luna, &c. La publica con varios apendices Don Josef Miguel de Flores, Secretario perpetuo de la real Academia de la Historia. Madrid, 1784, 4to.
[137] The following is one of his declamatory passages: it is certainly more suited to a philippic than to a biographic work, but it is sufficiently oratorical for the age in which it was produced:—