In the same way, the succession of short fictions was continued unbroken, until it ceased with the general decay of Spanish literature at the end of the century. Thus we have, in 1641, “The Various Effects of Love and Fortune,” by Alonso de Alcalá; five stories, such as may be imagined from the fact, that, in each of them, one of the five vowels is entirely omitted;[174]--in 1645, “The Warnings, or Experiences, of Jacinto,” by Villalpando, which may have been taken from his own life, since Jacinto was the first of his own names;[175]--in 1663, “The Festivals of Wit and Entertainments of Taste,” by Andres de Prado;[176]--and, in 1666, a series collected from different authors, by Isidro de Robles,[177] and published under the title of “Wonders of Love.” All these, as their names indicate, belong to one school; and although there is an occasional variety in their individual tones, some of them being humorous and others sentimental, and although some of them have their scenes in Spain and others in Italy or Algiers, still, as the purpose of all was only the lightest amusement, they may all be grouped together and characterized in the mass, as of little value, and as falling off in merit the nearer they approach the period when such fictions ceased in the elder Spanish literature. [174] Alonso de Alcalá y Herrera, “Varios Efetos de Amor,” Lisboa, 1641, 18mo. He was a Portuguese, but was of Spanish origin, and wrote Spanish with purity, as well as Portuguese. (Barbosa, Bib. Lus., fol., Tom. I. p. 26.) Clemencin cites these stories of Alcalá as proof of the richness of the Spanish language. (Ed. Don Quixote, Tom. IV. p. 286.) There is a tale, printed by Guevara, called “Los Tres Hermanos,” in the volume with his “Diablo Cojuelo,” (Madrid, 1733, 12mo,) in which the letter A is omitted; and in 1654 Fernando Jacinto de Zarate published a dull love-story, called “Méritos disponen Premios, Discurso Lírico,” omitting the same vowel;--but the five tales of Alcalá are better done than either. [175] Jacinto de Villalpando, “Escarmientos de Jacinto,” Zaragoza, 1645. He was Marquis of Osera, and published other works in the course of the next ten years after the appearance of the “Jacinto,” one of which, at least, appeared under the name of “Fabio Clymente.” See, _ante_, Vol. II. p. 483. [176] Literally, _Luncheons_ of Wit, etc. “Meriendas del Ingenio y Entretenimientos del Gusto,” Zaragoza, 1663, 8vo. Six tales. [177] Isidro de Robles collected the “Varios Efetos de Amor” (Madrid, 1666, 4to). They were published again, with the five tales of Alcalá, already noted, in 1709, 1719, and 1760;--the number of tales being thus eleven, with three “Sucesos” at the end, published under the title of “Varios Prodigios de Amor.”