Harlan: Moreto’s “El desden” 
55 
CHAPTER XII 
LA DAMA MELINDROSA, Lope de Vega 
La dama melindrosa , or Los melindres de Belisa, is found 
in the ninth Parte of Lope’s works (Madrid, 1617, 1618; 
Barcelona, 1618) and is listed in the Peregrino en su patria 
of 1618. There is a modern suelta in the British Museum. 133 
Puibusque 134 mentions the play with La hermosa fea and 
El perro del hortelano as dealing with the same conflict as El 
desden con el desden, even tho considering the real model of 
the latter to be Los milo.gros del desprecio. 
In the first act of La dama melindrosa 135 Lisarda, mother 
of Belisa and Juan, has just come out of mourning for her 
husband and is reproved by her brother, Tiberio, for her devo- 
tion to her husband’s memory. Eliso, unable to pay Lisarda 
what he owes her, includes in securities sent her two supposed 
servants : Felisardo— under the name of Pedro — who, think- 
ing he has killed a man who was following Celia, his sweet- 
heart, takes refuge at his friend Eliso’s house ; and Celia, who 
assumes the name of Zara. He does this to make Celia and 
Felisardo safe from arrest. Belisa’s servant, Flora, falls in 
love with Felisardo, while Juan is attracted to Celia, causing 
the two to be jealous of each other. Tiberio and Lisarda re- 
monstrate with Belisa, who is a most fault-finding person, try- 
ing to get her to choose a husband among her many suitors, 
but to no avail, as she has innumerable, and foolish, reasons 
for rejecting each one. 
In the second act Belisa, in love with Felisardo, acts on 
Flora’s suggestion that the two servants be branded, by way 
of getting her over her passion for a servant. Lisarda also 
has fallen in love with Felisardo and follows the advice of 
Tiberio to carry out only a fictitious branding, which infuri- 
ates Juan to the point of quarreling with his mother when 
she refuses to send Felisardo away, and swearing that Celia 
shall be his wife. Belisa, uncontrollably in love with 
133 Hugo A. Rennert y Americo Castro, Vida de Lope de Vega, Madrid, 1919, p. 497. 
134 op. cit., Vol. II, p. 230. 
135 Based on the text of the Tesoro del teatro espanol, Ochoa: Paris, (no date) Vol. 
II, pp. 440-478. Also in Biblioteca de autores espanoles, Vol. XXIV, Tomo 1 (Hartz. I 
of Lope) p. 317 seq., as Los melindres de Belisa. 
