by Lope de Vega
COMMANDER. God be with you all!
ALDERMAN. My good lord!
COMMANDER. I beg you, do not rise!*
ALDERMAN. But let
Your lordship sit as usual.
The rest of us are better standing. 90
COMMANDER. I insist, you must be seated.
ESTEBAN. It falls
To noblemen to grant true honour. Those
Who have no honour cannot grant it.
COMMANDER. Come now, sit! There are matters to discuss.
ESTEBAN. Did your lordship see the greyhound?* 95
COMMANDER. My men were quite amazed to see
How fleet of foot it was.
ESTEBAN. In truth,
An amazing creature. As fast
As any runaway thief or coward's tongue.
COMMANDER. I'd like to have you set it on 100
A hare* that keeps escaping me.
ESTEBAN. It shall be done. Where is it?
COMMANDER. There!
Your daughter!
ESTEBAN. My daughter? You think
She merits being chased by you?
COMMANDER. She needs a talking to!
ESTEBAN. But why? 105
COMMANDER. She persists in annoying me.
One of the other women here,
The wife of someone in this square,
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And quite important, saw how taken I was
With her and let herself be taken. 110
ESTEBAN. Then she did wrong. And you, my lord,
Do wrong in speaking quite so freely.
COMMANDER. Oh, what an eloquent peasant you are!
Flores! Arrange for him to have
A copy of Aristotle's Politics.* 115
He has to read it.
ESTEBAN. This town, my lord,
Is happy to be governed by you.
But there are people of great worth
In Fuente Ovejuna.
LEONELO. Was there ever
Such scant respect?
COMMANDER. Alderman, have I 120
Said something to upset you?
ALDERMAN. You speak
Unjustly. To speak of us like that
Is to deny us honour.
COMMANDER. You believe
You have honour?* You'll be claiming next
You are knights of Calatrava! 125
ALDERMAN. There are doubtless some who wear the Cross You place upon their breast whose blood
Is far less pure* than ours.
COMMANDER. You think
My blood makes yours more impure?
ALDERMAN. Bad deeds have never cleansed, my lord. 130
They merely stain.
COMMANDER. At all events,
I honour your women.
MAGISTRATE. Your words
Dishonour them, your actions even more.
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COMMANDER. Such tedious peasant values! Thank God
For cities! There at least a man 135
Of quality enjoys himself
Without hindrance. Why, married men
Are glad to see their wives favoured.
ESTEBAN. I'm sure they aren't. You are saying this
To put us off our guard. God lives 140
In cities too, and punishment
Can come with even greater speed.
COMMANDER. Away with you!
MAGISTRATE. How dare he speak to us
Like this!
COMMANDER. Get out of the square! All of you!
ESTEBAN. We are going.
COMMANDER. And show more respect! 145
FLORES. Please, sir, calm down!
COMMANDER. They intend to hatch
Some plot behind my back!
ORTUÑO. Patience, sir!
COMMANDER. I can't believe I am so patient!
Go back to your houses . . . separately!
LEONELO. Heavens, can you endure this? 150
ESTEBAN. I'm going this way.
[Exit PEASANTS
COMMANDER. What can one say
Of such people?
ORTUÑO. You never hide
The fact you can't be bothered listening
When they complain.
COMMANDER. Are they my equals?
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FLORES. It's not a question of being equal, sir. 155
COMMANDER. And the peasant who stole my bow!
Is he to go unpunished?
FLORES. I think
I saw him at Laurencia's door
Last night, or at the very least
Someone whose cloak looked just like his. 160
I gave him a present -- from ear
To ear -- to mark the occasion.
COMMANDER. Where is the fellow now?
FLORES. I'm told
He's around, sir.
COMMANDER. He has a nerve!
Still here after trying to kill me! 165
FLORES. We'll get him soon, like a bird in a snare
Or a fish on a hook.
COMMANDER. Before my sword
Granada and Córdoba* both tremble,
Yet this boy, this peasant, dares point
An arrow at my breast! The world 170
Has gone mad, Flores.
FLORES. The power of love,
My lord. But since he let you live,
You're in his debt.
COMMANDER. I've controlled myself,
ORTUÑO. If I had not, this town
In two short hours would have been 175
Reduced to ashes. Until the time
Is ripe, I shall rein in my longing for
Revenge. What did Pascuala* have
To say?
FLORES. She says she's soon to be married.
COMMANDER. And does she plan to settle her account? 180
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FLORES. She says you can have it in cash, sir.
COMMANDER. And Olalla?
ORTUÑO. An amusing answer.
COMMANDER. She's a spirited creature.
ORTUÑO. She says
Her fiancé's on his guard, because
You send her messages and visit her 185
So often with your servants. But when
He's looking the other way, she'll let
You enter.
COMMANDER. Excellent! But the yokel's careful?
ORTUÑO. He is, but his head's in the clouds.
COMMANDER. And what about Inés?
FLORES. Which one? 190
COMMANDER. Antón's wife.
FLORES. You can have her any time.
I spoke to her in the stable-yard.
It's the back way in with her!
COMMANDER. I love
These easy women well and pay them ill.
Ah, Flores, if they only knew 195
Their true worth!
FLORES. A woman's coolness makes
For better satisfaction. She yields
Too soon, it spoils anticipation.
There are some, as Aristotle* says,
Who long for men as matter longs 200
For form. But where's the surprise
In that?
COMMANDER. A man who's driven mad
By passion cannot complain if she
Yields quickly, even though he then
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Has little time for her. The things 205
We long for, easily obtained,
Are easily forgotten.
Enter CIMBRANOS, a soldier.
CIMBRANOS. Is
The Commander here?
ORTUÑO. He stands before you.
CIMBRANOS. Fernán Gómez, bravest of men.
Remove at once this cap of green, 210
This cloak, and in their place put on
Your shining helmet, your suit of armour.
The Master of Santiago,* aided by
The Count of Cabra, both of them
Supporting Isabella's cause, 215
Surround Ciudad Real and thus
Girón. We run the risk of losing what
For Calatrava has cost us so
Much blood. From high upon the battlements
Torchlights illuminate the lions 220
And castles of Castile, the bars
Of Aragon.* And though the King
Of Portugal supports Girón,
He will do well if he survives
To see Almagro. Ride out, my Lord. 225
The very sight of you will make
Them turn and seek the safety of Castile.
COMMANDER. We'll hear no more. ORTUÑO, let
The trumpet sound in the square at once.
What soldiers do we have?
ORTUÑO. Some fifty, sir. 230
COMMANDER. Let all of them be mounted.
CIMBRANOS. Unless
You hurry, Castile will take Ciudad Real.
COMMANDER. I promise you, it will not fall!
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Exit all. Enter MENGO, and LAURENCIAand PASCUALArunning.
PASCUALA. Mengo, stay with us!
MENGO. But why so frightened here?
LAURENCIA. It's safest if we go to town 235
Together, when there aren't any men,
In case we meet him.
MENGO. The devil's* ruining
Our lives!
LAURENCIA. He gives us no peace by night
Or day.
MENGO. If only a bolt from Heaven
Would strike this madman!
LAURENCIA. More beast 240
Than madman! Foul pestilence poisoning
Our village.
MENGO. I'm told Frondoso, in this
Meadow, to save you from him, aimed
An arrow at his black heart.
LAURENCIA. I hated men,
As you well know, but since that day 245
I see them differently. Frondoso was
So brave. And yet he could pay dearly
For that.
MENGO. It's best he gets away
From here.
LAURENCIA. I've told him so, as fond
Of him as I've become. But when 250
I try to speak to him, it puts
Him in a furious temper, even though
The Commander's sworn to hang him upside down.
PASCUALA. Let's hope that someone strangles him!
MENGO. I'd rather see him stoned to death. 255
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I swear to God, if I let loose
The stone I carry in my sling,*
You'd hear the crack as it split his skull
In two. That Roman Sabalus
Wasn't half as vicious.
LAURENCIA. I think you must 260
Mean Heliogabalus.* He was a real beast.
MENGO. Sabalus, Gabalus, whatever!
I'm no historian. But he was nothing
Compared with this one. Nothing in
The whole of Nature can compare 265
With Fernán Gómez.
PASCUALA. True enough.
He has the nature of a tigress.
Enter JACINTA.
JACINTA. My friends, you have to help me, please!
LAURENCIA. Jacinta, what's the matter?
PASCUALA. You know
We are your friends.
JACINTA. The Commander's servants . . . 270
They're on their way to Ciudad Real.
Armed less with noble steel than with
Their vile and sordid wickedness,
They plan to take me to him!
LAURENCIA. In that
Case, God be with you! If he's going 275
To take advantage of you, I dread
To think what he'd do to me!
[She leaves
PASCUALA. And since
I'm not a man, Jacinta, I
Can't help you, either.
[She leaves
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MENGO. But I am,
And I will. Come here, stand close to me! 280
JACINTA. Do you have any weapons to defend us?
MENGO. The first God made.
JACINTA. You mean you don't?
MENGO. These stones, Jacinta. Lots of them!
Enter FLORES and ORTUÑO.
FLORES. Did you think you could run away
From us?
JACINTA. Mengo, I'm done for!
MENGO. Gentlemen, 285
We are poor peasants!
ORTUÑO. Are you
Intending to defend the girl?
MENGO. I'm asking you to leave her be.
She's a relative. It's my duty to
Protect her.
FLORES. Kill him!
MENGO. I swear to God, 290
Provoke me and I'll use my sling!
It's your life that will be lost!
Enter the COMMANDER and CIMBRANOS.
COMMANDER. What's going on? You get me to dismount
For this?
FLORES. These village scum defy us!
You'd do well to raze their village to 295
The ground. They are nothing but trouble.
MENGO. My lord, I beg you. Punish these men
For what they try to do to us.
In your name they would take this girl
Away with them, despite the fact 300
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She's married and has honourable parents.
I ask for leave to take her home.
COMMANDER. I give them leave to take revenge
On you. Hand over the sling at once!
MENGO. My lord!
COMMANDER. Flores, Ortuño, Cimbranos, 305
Use it to tie his hands.
MENGO. Is this
How you defend her honour?
COMMANDER. Who
Does Fuente Ovejuna and its rabble think
I am?
MENGO. But how have I or any of
The villagers offended you? 310
FLORES. Is he to die?
COMMANDER. Don't tarnish your swords
On him! They'll find more honourable tasks
Ahead.
ORTUÑO. What, then?
COMMANDER. He shall be flogged!
That oak tree there! Tie him fast, remove
His clothes, and use these reins!
MENGO. My lord, 315
Have pity! You are a noble man.
COMMANDER. Beat him, until the studs fly free
From their stitching!
MENGO. Oh, Heavens, will you
Allow such cruel deeds to go
Unpunished?
[Exit MENGO and the SERVANTS
COMMANDER. Well now, my pretty peasant,
320
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Why run away? Would you prefer
A yokel to a man of my
Great rank?
JACINTA. They offended my honour.
To take me for yourself is not
The way to give it back to me. 325
COMMANDER. To take you for myself?
JACINTA. My father is
An honourable man. Not of
Such noble birth as you, my lord,
But nobler in his deeds and actions.
COMMANDER. You think these peasant insults will 330
Dispel my anger? Come!
JACINTA. Come where?
COMMANDER. With me!
JACINTA. Consider this well, my lord.
COMMANDER. I consider it ill for you, my dear.
You shan't be mine. You shall become
My soldiers' baggage.*
JACINTA. As long as I 335
Have life, there's no one in the world
Can do me wrong.
COMMANDER. Get moving!
JACINTA. Have pity!
COMMANDER. You'll find none here!
JACINTA. I call on Heaven
To punish your cruelty!
[They carry her off. All exit*
Enter LAURENCIA and FRONDOSO.
LAURENCIA. You know how dangerous it is, 340
And yet you dare to come here.
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FRONDOSO. Which
goes
To show how fond of you I am.
I was up there on the hill. I saw
The Commander leave. My faith in you
Got rid of all my fear. Let's hope 345
He never comes back and rots in Hell!
LAURENCIA. No point in cursing him. They say
The one you want to die lives longest.
FRONDOSO. Then let him live a thousand years
And die the quickest! Laurencia, I want 350
To know if you care for me at all;
If the loyalty I've shown has made
Me in the least deserving. The town
Already sees the two of us as one
And cannot understand why we 355
Are not. Why not forget all past
Disdain? I'm asking you to marry me?
LAURENCIA. Then you and all the village too
Had better know . . . that I agree.
FRONDOSO. I kiss your feet* for such a favour. 360
I promise you it gives my life
New meaning.
LAURENCIA. All right, enough of that.
The thing you have to do is ask
My father. Oh, look! He's coming with
My uncle. Don't worry, Frondoso! 365
I'll be your wife, no problem.
FRONDOSO. I place my trust in God.
She hides. Enter ESTEBAN the magistrate
and the ALDERMAN.*
ESTEBAN. The way that he behaved upset
The entire crowd. His actions were
Outrageous. No one is surprised 370
By his excesses. And now Jacinta's made
To suffer for it.
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ALDERMAN. The Catholic Kings* --
The people call them that already --
Will soon have Spain obedient to their laws.