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DE ROJAS, FERNANDO: TRANSLATED AND WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY J.M. COHEN; AQUATINTS BY DODIE MASTERMAN The Spanish Bawd: Being the Tragi-Comedy of Calisto and Melibea
London Folio Society 1973. Cloth. Bright blue cloth decorative boards with gilt, red and black designs, no slipcase. Spine gilt title and decorations, black end papers. Light spotting and sunning to spine, tiny spot to edge, small round stain, and spot to rear board. Clean bright text and decorations. Lengthy introduction. 205 pp., 8 vo. Later Folio Society printing. Very Good +. A Medieval Spanish Romeo and Juliet, written during the 15th century, filled with greed, hedonism, ego, and hypocrisy. The story is about the love of Calisto, and Melibea, both of noble families; Calisto enlists the help of two servants to help him gain the love of the chaste and honorable Melibea, and they lead him to the crafty, greedy madam Celestina. The wicked Celestina lies to Melibea to manipulate her to agreeing on with Calisto. As Calisto is climbing a ladder to Melibea's balcony he hears a commotion among his servants Sosia and Tristan. When he turns help them he falls off the ladder and dies. Melibea sees Calisto dead and runs to the highest tower of her house and throws herself to her death. In this translation, the tale begins with an unlucky accident which brings Calisto into the presence of Melibea, whom he desires. The only known work of Fernando de Rojas, born circa 1465, in La Puebla de Montalbán in Castile, now Toledo, Spain. Only a small amount of history is known about de Rojas, except that his parents were Jews who had been forced to convert to Christianity, during the Inquisition. This work is considered one of the finest in Spanish literature, and has been analyzed and translated throughout the centuries. Eight full page reproduced engravings.
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