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Indiana University Studies 
CHAPTER XI 
EL FERRO DEL HORTELANO, Lope de Vega 
El perro del hortelano is found in the eleventh Parte of 
Lope’s works, Madrid, 1618; also in the twenty-fifth Parte of 
the Comedias escogidas de los mejores ingenios de Espaha, 
Madrid, 1666. It appears also as a suelta under the title of 
La condesa de B elf lor, attributed to Moreto. 129 
Puibusque 130 includes El perro del hortelano among other 
plays of Lope de Vega “qui offrent des combats analogues” to 
El desden con el desden , altho he says that u Dedain contre 
dedain est ne des Prodigues du dedain”. 
This play 131 finds Diana, Countess of Belflor, very irate with 
her servants, who are unable to find out the identity of a man 
whom she saw leaving her palace, until one of her ladies-in- 
waiting, Anarda, tells her that Marcela has a lover, the secre- 
tary of Diana, Teodoro. Marcela admits this and that the 
man in question was he, whereupon Diana promises to do all 
she can for the two. She, however, is attracted by Teodoro 
herself, and a feeling of jealousy toward Marcela makes her 
like him all the more in spite of the fact that the inequality 
in their stations would prevent marriage. She gives Teodoro 
to understand that he will some day have her favor, which 
arouses his ambition to become Count of Belflor, and speaks 
of Marcela in any but flattering terms, which causes him to 
turn away from Marcela. 
In the second act, just as Teodoro feels sure of Diana, she 
tells him to go tell Ricardo that she has decided in favor of 
his suit, which makes him desperate so that he goes back to 
Marcela. Diana overhears the two speaking of her, after hav- 
ing made up and calling her “fea”, “necia”, and “cuitada”. 132 
Her next step is to write Teodoro a note to ponder over about 
a woman of high rank and a man of low, which again gives 
him hope, to the extent of advising Marcela to marry Fabio, 
who pays her some attention. Teodoro accuses Diana of act- 
129 Barrera, op. cit., p. 431. 
130 op. cit., Vol. II, p. 230. 
131 Based on the text of the Tesoro del Teatro Epanol, Ochoa, Paris, no date, Vol. II, 
pp. 214-247. 
132 El perro. Act II, scene x. 
