[18.]—Pedro Calderón de la Barca Henao de la Barreda y Riaño (1600-1681) was the greatest representative of the second generation of playwrights in the Siglo de oro. He took some part in the nation's foreign wars, but his life was spent mostly without event at court as the favorite dramatist of the aristocracy. He became a priest in 1651 and was made chaplain of honor to Philip IV in 1663. There are extant over two hundred of his dramatic works, comedias, autos, entremeses, etc. Calderón constructed his plots more carefully than Lope and was stronger in exalted lyric and religious passages; but he was more mannered, more tainted with Gongorism and less skilled in creating characters.
His Comedias are contained in vols. 7, 9, 12 and 14 of the Bibl. de Aut. Esp.; a few of his autos are in vol. 58, and some of his poems are in vols. 14 and 35. Cf. also Poesías inéditas, Madrid, 1881; Menéndez y Pelayo, Calderón y su teatro, Madrid, 1884; R.C. Trench, Calderón, London, 1880.
The sonnet, Estas que fueron..., is found in El príncipe constante, II.
[20.]—Diego Tadeo González (1733-1794) was born at Ciudad-Rodrigo. He entered the order of Augustinians at eighteen, and filled various important offices within the Order during his life. His duties took him to Seville, Salamanca and Madrid. From youth he showed a particular bent for poetry, and Horace and Luis de León were his admiration. He was an intimate friend of Jovellanos, who induced him to forsake light subjects and attempt a didactic poem, Las edades, which was left unfinished. Fray Diego's modest and lovable character and his friendly relations with other men of letters made him an attractive figure. His poems are in vol. 61 of the Bibl. de Aut. Esp. Cf. Introduction, p. xxx.
[11.]— Mirta was a lady with whom the author long corresponded and to whom he addressed many poems. Delio (l. 15) was the name by which Fray Diego González was known among his literary intimates: Jovellanos was called "Jovino"; Meléndez Valdés, "Batilo"; etc.
[21.—4. recogellos] = recogerlos.
[12. á la ave:] a more usual construction would be al ave, although the sound wouhd be approximately the same in either case. See also below in line 24, á la alba.
[22—4. reluciente:], modified by an adverb, here = reluciendo.
[6. recio:] a predicate adjective with the force of an adverb.