Harlan: Moreto’s “El desden” 
49 
CHAPTER X 
EL DESDEN VENGADO, Lope de Vega 
El desden v eng ado was published first in the Parte diez y 
sets d,e Comedias nuevas y escogidas de los mejores ingenios 
de Espana, Madrid, 1662. It is here attributed to Rojas 
Zorrilla, but the existence of the autographed manuscript in 
the Osuna collection, “con fecha de 4 de Agosto de 1617”, es- 
tablishes the play as Lope de Vega’s. 126 
Sehora Michaelis Vasconcellos 127 gives El desden v eng ado 
as “sobre el mismo asunto” as El desden con el desden, altho 
she attributes the play to Rojas. 
The first act of El desden vengado 128 finds Celia interested in 
her many suitors only for what she can get from them. Among 
these latter are Roberto, Feniso, and Lucindo, the latter a 
count and loyal follower of Rugero, king of Naples. Lucindo 
receives less favor from Celia than the others because he is 
lacking in worldly goods. The king takes Tomin, Lucindo’s 
servant, into his confidence, and at his suggestion gives him 
4,000 escudos for Lucindo, who, turning them over to Celia 
and receiving her favor immediately, thinks she loves him, 
altho Tomin warns him that it is all milagros del dinero. 
Celia’s father, Evandro, is anxious for her to make a choice 
of her suitors for a husband. 
The king knows that Lisena’s love is unrequited and that 
someone loves Lucindo whom he does not love. He does not, 
however, know for sure that Lucindo is the object of Lisena’s 
love, until Leonardo, Lucindo’s friend, has the king hide while 
he tells Lisena that Lucindo has been thrown from a horse and 
killed. She then reveals her love for him, not caring who 
knows it, and the king hears her, comes out and offers his love 
again, which she rejects in her grief. Leonardo tells the king 
that her grief will not last. He sends for Lucindo and asks 
him to remain in hiding for six days, the reason to be learned 
later. The king offers Lisena the title to the Principado de 
126 Barrera, op. cit., pp. 484-452. 
127 op. cit., p. 258. 
128 Based oi the text of Obras de Lope de Vega Carpio, publicadas por la Real 
Academia Espaiiola, Madrid, 1918, Tomo XV, Comedias novelescas, pp. 309-438. 
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