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However, the Spanish critics usually narrow the class to include only the dramas of Lope which deal with the lower strata of social life and make the error of classing the Moza de Cántaro among them.

And through it all the peninsula was rent by civil discord. Spain sank to the lowest level of inefficiency and corruption, and was forced to drink the bitter dregs of humiliation and despair. But from her travail there came a new birth. With the expulsion of Isabel II in 1868, Spain entered upon a new life.

They are the beatification, in 1620, of San Isidro and his canonization, two years later, with their accompanying poet "jousts," at both of which Lope presided and assumed a leading rôle.

In front of the stage and around the walls were benches, those in the latter position rising in tiers. On the left hand and on a level with the ground was the cazuela or women's gallery. The ground to the rear of the benches in front of the stage was open and formed the "standing-room" of the theater.

The décima consists of ten octosyllabic verses, of which generally the first rimes with the fourth and fifth, the second with the third, the sixth with the seventh and tenth, and the eighth with the ninth.

While a Familiar of the Inquisition the true Lope wrote love-letters for the loose-living Duque de Sessa, till at last his confessor threatened to deny him absolution. Nor is this all: his intrigue with Marta de Navares Santoyo, wife of Roque Hernández de Ayala, was notorious."

With the exception of the stage, a part of the benches and the aposentos, the whole was in the open air and unprotected from the weather. In such unpretentious places the masterpieces of Lope de Vega and of many of his successors were presented. With this environment in mind we shall proceed to a brief review of the dramatic works of el Fénix de los ingenios.

Philip himself was weak and pleasure-loving, but has never been regarded as perverse, and Olivares was ambitious and longed to rule Spain as the great Cardinal was ruling France. To achieve this end he isolated the monarch from every possible rival and kept him occupied with all sorts of diversions.

In the Proceso de Lope de Vega por libelos contra unos Cómicos, it is shown that the poet, having broken with "Filis," circulated slanderous verses written against her father, Jerónimo Velázquez, and his family. The author was tried and sentenced to two years' banishment from Castile and eight more from within five leagues of the city of Madrid.

There is constant repetition of common words and expressions, so that comparatively long lessons may be assigned and the pupil may be enabled to acquire an extensive knowledge of useful every-day Spanish and become familiar with the structure of the Spanish sentence at an earlier period than has been possible heretofore.