,
like the head of a big boy.

"Nancy," in a whisper, "put the tongs over the cradle; it's a pity to
tempt the fairies. And, Grannie, I wouldn't lave it alone to go out to
the cow-house--the lil people are shocking bad for changing."

PEDRO CALDERON

(1600-1681)

BY MAURICE FRANCIS EGAN

The reputation of Pedro Calderon de la Barca has suffered in the minds
of English-speaking people from the injudicious comparisons of critics,
as well as from lack of knowledge of his works. To put Calderon, a
master of invention, beside Shakespeare, the master of character, and to
show by analogies that the author of 'Othello' was far superior to the
writer of 'The Physician of His Own Honor,' is unjust to Calderon; and
it is as futile as are the ecstasies of Schultze to the coldness of
Sismondi. Schultze compares Dante with him, and the French critics have
only recently forgiven him for being less classical in form than
Corneille, who in 'Le Cid' gave them all the Spanish poetry they wanted!
Fortunately the student of Calderon need not take opinions. Good
editions of Calderon are easily attainable. The best known are Heil's
(Leipzig, 1827), and that by Harzenbusch (Madrid, 1848). The first
edition, with forewords by Vera Tassis de Villareal, appeared at Madrid
(nine volumes) in 1682-91. Commentaries and translations are numerous in
German and in English; the translations by Denis Florence MacCarthy are
the most satisfactory, Edward Fitzgerald's being too paraphrastic. Dean
Trench added much to our knowledge of Calderon's best work; George
Ticknor in the 'History of Spanish Literature,' and George Henry Lewes
in 'The Spanish Drama,' left us clear estimates of Lope de Vega's great
successor. Shelley's scenes from 'El Magico Prodigioso' are superb.

No analyses can do justice to the dramas, or to the religious plays,
called "_autos_," of Calderon. They must be read; and thanks to the late
Mr. MacCarthy's sympathy and zeal, the finest are easily attainable. As
he left seventy-three _autos_ and one hundred and eight dramas, it is
lucky that the work of sifting the best from the mass of varying merit
has been carefully done. Mr. Ticknor mentions the fact that Calderon
collaborated with other authors in the writing of fourteen other plays.

Calderon was not "the Spanish Shakespeare." "The Spanish Ben Jonson"
would be a happier title, if one feels obliged to compare everything
with something else. But Calderon is as far above Be