Harlan: Moreto’s “El desden” 
87 
CHAPTER XX 
COMEDIA SERAFINA, Bartolome Torres Naharro 
Quoting Martinez de la Rosa, Origines del teatro espanol, 
Klein 169 writes concerning the Comedia Serafina, included in 
the Propaladia of Bartolome de Torres Naharro : 
In des Dieners Lenicio Rath, dass Floristan seine von Serafina vor 
der Ehe mit Orfea verschmahte und jetzt noch in seinem Herzen gehegte 
Liebe verheimlichen mochte, erkennt de la Rosa den Grundzug zu der 
Liebestaktik, die Polilla in Moreto’s El desden con el desden seinem 
Herrn vorsehlagt. Wie denn Naharro’s Lenicio fur das IJrbild zum 
Grazioso der spanischen Comedia zu gelten hat, den Lope de Vega in 
einem an seinen Freund Montalvan gerichteten Prologe als seine Er fin- 
dung in Anspruch nimmt. 170 
This play consists of five acts, preceded by an Introito y 
argumento of 272 eight-syllable lines. Briefly, the first act 
shows Floristan, a Spaniard, having just married an Italian 
woman, Orfea, at his father’s insistence. Dorosla, servant of 
Serafina of Valencia, is sent by the latter to accuse him of 
bigamy, inasmuch as he had asked her to marry him. Floris- 
tan is still in love with Serafina, who had refused him before. 
He gives his servant Lenicio — the gracioso under discussion — 
to understand that he intends to marry Serafina, and the lat- 
ter promises to help him in his difficulties. Four different 
languages are spoken in the play, namely : Spanish, by 
Floristan, Policiano, and Lenicio ; Catalan by Dorosia and 
Serafina ; Latin by Teodoro, a hermit, and his servant, Gom- 
ecio ; and Italian by Orfea and her servant, Bruneta. The 
characters seem to have no difficulty in understanding each 
other. 
When Floristan is wondering what to do, Lenicio says : 
Senor, no te desesperes ; 
Que de todo lo que fundo, 
La peor gente del mundo 
Somos hombres y mujeres. 171 
and, later : 
Mas, 6 sabes como sera? 
Escucha mi parescer. 
169 op. cit., Vol. IX, pp. 37-38. 
170 Libros de antano, Vol. IX, Madrid, 1880, Advertencia preliminar, Manuel Canete. 
171 Comedia, Act I, p. 149. 
