by Lope de Vega
That they, though naked in the midst
Of winter, could defend a battlement
Much better than the hardest steel.
For wine can truly give a man
The extra steel he needs. As for 450
The cheeses and the other smaller gifts,
I'll not describe them; merely say
They are the offerings of all
The love that you deserve. And so,
May they provide good cheer for 455
Your household and yourself!
COMMANDER. My heartfelt thanks! Good councillors,
You may depart!
ALONSO. And you, my lord,
May take your ease. You are most welcome.
If it were possible, we'd turn 460
The reeds and rushes at your door
To purest pearl, though you deserve
Much better still.
COMMANDER. I really do
Believe you, gentlemen. God be with you.
ESTEBAN. Singers, come! The song again! 465
MUSICIANS [sing]. All hail our great COMMANDER,
We welcome him most warmly;
He conquers foreign lands for us,
And overcomes our enemies . . .
[They leave
-18-
COMMANDER. You two, stay!
LAURENCIA. What's your lordship want 470
Of us?
COMMANDER. You were quite cool the other day,
And towards me!
LAURENCIA. Does he mean you,
Pascuala?
PASCUALA. Me? Oh, don't be silly!
COMMANDER. I'm talking to you, my pretty creature,
And to your friend. You belong to me, 475
Do you not?
PASCUALA. We do, my lord, but not
In the way you mean.
COMMANDER. Step inside.
My men are there. Don't be afraid.
LAURENCIA. I shall if the magistrates come too.
One of them's my father, but otherwise . . . 480
COMMANDER. FLORES!
FLORES. Yes, sir?
COMMANDER. Why aren't they doing what
I say?
FLORES. Get in there!
LAURENCIA. Get your hands
Off us!
FLORES. Come on, you stupid girls!
PASCUALA. Whoa now!* For you to lock the stable-door?
FLORES. Inside! He wants to show you all 485
The spoils of war.
COMMANDER [aside, as he exits]. Ortuño, once
Inside, you'll lock them in.
-19-
LAURENCIA. FLORES,
Get out of our way!
ORTUÑO. But you are part
Of all his presents.
PASCUALA. I don't believe it!
Move yourself, or you'll get it!
FLORES. Alright, 490
They are too excitable.
LAURENCIA. Your master's had
Enough flesh for today!
ORTUÑO. It's yours
He fancies most!
LAURENCIA. Let's hope he chokes!
[They leave
FLORES. Wait till we give him this good news!
Imagine what he'll say when we 495
Turn up without them!
ORTUÑO. That's the way
Things are for those who serve. If you want
To get on, put up with it; otherwise,
Best out of it, and quick!
[They leave
Enter KING FERNANDO, QUEEN ISABEL, MANRIQUE, and
ATTENDANTS.
ISABEL. My lord, there must be no delay 500
In this. Alfonso is well placed
And even now prepares his troops.
Before he strikes at us, it's best
We strike at him. If we do not,
The risk is clear.
KING. We can rely 505
On both Navarre and Aragon for our
-20-
Support. When I have managed to control
Castile, our victory will be
Assured.
ISABEL. I know, my lord, all this
Will guarantee our triumph.
MANRIQUE. Your Majesty, 510
Two aldermen who represent
Ciudad Real. Will you see them?
KING. Of course. You'll show them in.
Enter two ALDERMEN from Ciudad Real.
FIRST ALDERMAN. Most Catholic King Fernando,
Whom Heaven has sent from Aragon 515
To be our help and saviour in
Castile, we come as spokesmen from
Ciudad Real to seek in all
Humility your royal favour.
To be your subjects was for us 520
The greatest happiness, but now
We are deprived of that by cruel fate.
Rodrigo Téllez Girón, renowned,
Though still so young, for such great bravery,
And seeKING to enhance his name 525
As Master of Calatrava, attacked
Our city. We fought as best we could;
Resisted him till all our streams
Ran red with our blood. At last
Without the help and good advice
Of Fernán Gómez. And so he has
Possession of the town and we
Will be his vassals soon unless
Your majesty decides to help us. 535
KING. Where is Fernán Gómez?
FIRST ALDERMAN. I think
In Fuente Ovejuna. He is
-21-
Its overlord and has his house
And seat of power there. He rules
The place just as he wishes, denying 540
His subjects any kind of happiness.
KING. Do you have a leader?
SECOND ALDERMAN. We do not,
Your Majesty. Every nobleman
Was captured, hurt, or killed.
ISABEL. Then we
Should not delay. To do so is 545
To give the enemy encouragement
And greater heart. Extremadura* is
The door whereby the King of Portugal
Can now advance and damage us.
KING. Don Manrique, prepare to leave. 550
You'll take two companies and curb
The enemy's excesses. Not
A moment's respite, understand?
The Count of Cabra goes with you.
A man of valour, Córdoba.* 555
The whole world knows how brave he is.
In the circumstances, this is the best
Way forward.
MANRIQUE. A bold decision, my lord.
I'll put an end to their arrogance,
As long as I have breath in me. 560
ISABEL. Your presence there will guarantee
Our triumph.
Exit all. Enter LAURENCIA and FRONDOSO.
LAURENCIA. I had to leave the stream,
My clothes half done, because of you!
You are too bold, FRONDOSO, yet well
You know how people love to talk.* 565
'She fancies him', 'He fancies her',
All over town, their eyes on stalks
-22-
To see if it is true or not.
And since you are . . . well . . . better looKING than
The rest, and dress more smartly, there's not 570
A single person in the place*
Who doesn't think we're as good as spliced
Already, and waiting for the day
When Juan Chamorro, our sacristan,
Stops playing his bassoon to announce 575
Instead our marriage-bans. But they,
As far as I'm concerned, would be
Much better occupied in stocKING up
Their barns with golden grain, their vats
With wine, than harbouring such wild 580
Imaginings. To tell the truth,
I never gave this marriage thing
A second thought.
FRONDO
SO. This coldness* does
Me such an injury, Laurencia,
I risk my life each time I look 585
At you. If you already know
I want to marry you, does my
Good faith deserve such scant reward?
LAURENCIA. There is no other I can give.
FRONDOSO. Does not the state I'm in succeed 590
In moving you at all? Or knowing that,
Because of you, I cannot eat
Or drink or sleep? How can an angel's face*
Contain such coldness? By God, I shall
Go mad!
LAURENCIA. Then see a doctor.
FRONDOSO. But you, 595
LAURENCIA, are my cure. When we
Get married, we'll be like turtle-doves,*
Our little beaks together, maKING sweet
And soothing music.
LAURENCIA. Go tell it to
-23-
My uncle John! You know full well 600
I'm not in love with you, but maybe there's . . .
Well . . . just a little spark . . .
FRONDOSO. Look there!
The Commander!
LAURENCIA. He must be hunting deer.
Hide in the trees!
FRONDOSO. I shall, and burn
With jealousy!
The Commander enters.
COMMANDER. Well who'd have thought 605
That, in pursuit of frightened deer,*
I'd come across much prettier game?
LAURENCIA. I'm having a break from washing clothes.
I'll get back to the stream if you
Don't mind, sir.
COMMANDER. Such coldness, my sweet 610
Laurencia, offends the beauty God
Has given you. It makes of you
A real monster. But if at other times
You've managed to escape my amorous
Requests, this place shall now become 615
Their silent witness. I cannot think
That, since we are alone, you are
So proud as to reject your lord
And master, turning away from me!
Sebastiana, Pedro Redondo's wife, 620
Surrendered willingly, as did
Martin del Pozo's after just
Two days of marriage.
LAURENCIA. Both of them
Had been along that road before,
My lord. They knew exactly how 625
To please you. So God go with you
In the hunt, sir . . . I mean for deer.
-24-
If it weren't for that cross upon
Your chest, I'd take you for the devil, such
Is your pursuit of me!
COMMANDER. Such language is 630
Offensive! I'll put my bow* aside
And let my hands overcome those airs
And graces!
LAURENCIA. What are you doing? Have you
Gone mad?
Enter FRONDOSO, picking up the crossbow.
COMMANDER. Stop struggling!
FRONDOSO. The bow!
Please God I shan't be forced to use it! 635
COMMANDER. Come on! No point resisting!
LAURENCIA. Oh, God,
Please help me!
COMMANDER. We're all alone. No need
To be afraid!
FRONDOSO. Noble COMMANDER, leave her!
Despite my reverence for the Cross,
My anger will not hesitate 640
To make your breast the arrow's target.
COMMANDER. You peasant dog!
FRONDOSO. I don't see any dog, sir.
LAURENCIA, run!
LAURENCIA. FRONDOSO, be careful!
FRONDOSO. Go!
[She leaves
COMMANDER. The man's a fool who leaves his sword
Behind. I left it, thinKING it 645
Would scare my quarry.
-25-
FRONDOSO. I only need
To press the trigger and it's your feet
They'll be tying together.*
COMMANDER. She's gone,
You fool! Give me the bow! Release it!
FRONDOSO. Why?
So you can kill me? Have you forgotten love 650
Is deaf? Where it rules it doesn't listen.
COMMANDER. Am I, a man of worth, to turn
My back upon a peasant? I shall not break
The rules of chivalry!*
FRONDOSO. I don't
Intend to kill you. I know my place. 655
But since I need to stay alive,
I'll keep the crossbow.
[Exit FRONDOSO
COMMANDER. That was, indeed,
A close-run thing! But I shall take
Revenge on him for this, both for
The insult and the interruption. 660
I should have tackled him! That I
Did not adds further to my sense of shame!
[Exit the COMMANDER
-26-
ACT TWO
Enter ESTEBANand FIRST ALDERMAN.*
ESTEBAN. I think it wiser if we do
Not draw upon our stocks of grain.
The year bodes ill, the weather worsens.
Although the others don't agree,
We need to keep the grain we have. 5
FIRST ALDERMAN. That's always been my policy In seeking to govern properly.
ESTEBAN. Then let's approach Fernán Gómez.
I cannot stand these forecasters*
Who, knowing nothing, claim that they 10
Can tell the future, making us
Believe that they alone have access to
God's secrets. They carry on like theologians,
Debating what has and will occur,
But, as for the present, which is 15
What matters most to us, the one who seems
The wisest is the greatest fool.
You'd think the clouds and all the movements of
The stars are their property!
How can they know what's happening 20
Above to worry us to death
With their prophecies? They tell
Us what and when we ought to sow:
Your wheat here, your barley there; your veg,
Your mustard, cucumbers, pumpkins. 25
Ask me, it's them that are pumpkins!
They forecast the death of some great leader;
It happens, yes, but in Transylvania.*
As for wine, they tell us there won't be any,
But the beer's alright -- in Germany! 30
In Gascony all the cherries will freeze,
-27-
In Hircania* tigers will grow on trees!
But sow or not, does it really matter
If we know every year ends in December?
Enter LEONELO, a graduate, and BARRILDO.
LEONELO. No way you'll be teacher's pet today. 35
The others have got there before us.
BARRILDO. How was it in Salamanca?*
LEONELO. So, so.
BARRILDO. You'll know as much as Bartolo,* then.
LEONELO. But not as much as your local barber.
Everything I told you's known 40
To everyone.
BARRILDO. But even so,
You've come back educated.
LEONELO. I've tried
To learn the things that matter.
BARRILDO. There's such
A lot of books these days, everyone thinks
He's an expert.
LEONELO. Which is why I think 45
They know far less. It's not condensed
Enough, you see. Instead of summaries,
It's all long-winded stuff, all froth
That only leads to more confusion.
The experienced reader sees so many books, 50
He ends up driven to distraction.
I don't deny, of course, that printing has
Allowed true genius to emerge,
And furthermore protects great works
> Against the ruthless march of time, 55
Making them known throughout the world.
It was invented by a German,
A certain Gutenberg from Mainz,*
Whose place in history is thus
-28-
Assured. But many men, who were 60
Regarded as important, lost
Their reputation when their works
Appeared in print. As well as this,
There are those so-called experts who
Have published pure rubbish in 65
The guise of wisdom, and those who,
Driven by envy, publish in the name*
Of someone else they hate, merely to harm
His reputation.
BARRILDO. I disagree
With you.
LEONELO. You think it right that fools 70
Should take revenge on men of talent?
BARRILDO. But LEONELO, printing is progress.
LEONELO. For centuries we've done without it.
What's more, this century of ours,
It hasn't given us another Saint Jerome 75
Or an Augustine!
BARRILDO. Let's leave it! Take
A seat! No point in arguing.
Enter JUAN ROJOand another PEASANT.
JUAN ROJO. Believe me, nowadays you'd need
To sell four farms to give a girl
A proper dowry. The people here 80
Can criticize, but really they
Have no idea.
PEASANT. Any news
Of the Commander? Did I say something
I shouldn't?
JUAN ROJO. You heard how he treated
Laurencia!
PEASANT. The man's a beast! 85
I'd have him swing from that olive-tree!
-29-
Enter the COMMANDER, ORTUÑO, and FLORES.