History of Spanish Literature, vol. 2 (of 3)

Name: History of Spanish Literature, vol. 2 (of 3)
Author: Ticknor, George

Ticknor, George

Spanish literature -- History and criticism

_Fuentes._  Of that we’ll say but little. An old mantle,
                And a cloak still older and more spoiled,
                Do vainly struggle from my hose t’ escape.

    _Peralta._  To my mind, they were used to better ends,
                If sewed up for a horse’s blanket, Sir.

    _Fuentes._  But others stuff in plenty of clean straw
                And rushes to make out a shapely form----

    _Peralta._  Proving that they are more or less akin
                To beasts of burden.

    _Fuentes._                       But they wear, at least,
                Such gallant hosiery, that things of taste
                May well be added to fit out their dress.

    _Peralta._  No doubt, the man that dresses thus in straw
                May tastefully put on a saddle too.[27]

  [27]
      _Per._    Señor Fuentes, que mudanza
                Habeis hecho en el calzado,
                Con que andais tan abultado?

      _Fuent._  Señor, calzas á la usanza.

      _Per._    Pense qu’ era verdugado.

      _Fuent._  Pues yo d’ ellas no me corro.
                Que han de ser como las vuesas?
                Hermano, ya no usan d’ esas.

      _Per._    Mas que les hechais de aforro,
                Que aun se paran tan tiesas?

      _Fuent._  D’ eso poco: un sayo viejo
                Y toda una ruin capa,
                Que á esta calza no escapa.

      _Per._    Pues, si van á mi consejo,
                Hecharan una gualdrapa.

      _Fuent._  Y aun otros mandan poner
                Copia de paja y esparto,
                Porque les abulten harto.

      _Per._    Esos deben de tener
                De bestias quizá algun quarto.

      _Fuent._  Pondrase qualquier alhaja
                Por traer calza gallarda.

      _Per._    Cierto yo no sé que aguarda
                Quien va vestido de paja
                De hacerse alguna albarda.

  I do not know that this dialogue is printed anywhere but at the
  end of the edition of the Comedias, 1576. It refers evidently to
  the broad-bottomed stuffed hose, then coming into fashion; such
  as the daughter of Sancho, in her vanity, when she heard her
  father was governor of Barrataria, wanted to see him wear; and
  such as Don Carlos, according to the account of Thuanus, wore,
  when he used to hide in their strange recesses the pistols that
  alarmed Philip II.;--“caligis, quæ amplissimæ de more gentis in
  usu sunt.” They were forbidden by a royal ordinance in 1623. See
  D. Quixote, (Parte II. c. 50), with two amusing stories told in
  the notes of Pellicer, and Thuani Historiarum, Lib. XLI., at the
  beginning.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

History of Spanish Literature, vol. 2 (of 3)

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