Bigoteras and the Date of Lope's El cuerdo en su casa

same speech changes to "Reyes míos," and later to "Señores míos" (BAE, 54:252). Of the dramatists examined, Moreto is the one who makes the greatest use of this type of humor. El poder de la amistad Modín interrupts a speech to his master on matters of love, to say: Señores, ayuda pido, porque ésta es causa de todos (BAE, 39:36.) Two examples (BAE, 39:389) occur in Yo por vos, y vos por otro, but they are not notable; and there is one, equally unimportant , in El defenser de su agravio (BAE, 39: 502). He really goes to town in two plays, Trampa adelante and El parecido en la corte. In the first there are seven occurrences (BAE, 39:146, 149, 157, 162, 163 [two], 165). In El parecido en la corte he invents a new use for this device when he employs it to introduce the principal character to the audience : Señores, este caballero mozo, que hoy se apea en esta villa, es, por que vean su quimera, Don Fernando de Ribera, de los guapos de Sevilla. (BAE, 39:311.) There are six more examples in this play (BAE, 39:314, 317, 323 [two], 325 [doubtful], 329). In these two plays Moreto establishes a world record, which will probably stand for all time. P.S.: There is no indication that Raymond Hitchcock knew anything about Spanish drama. Bigoteras and the Date of Lope's El cuerdo en su casa William E. Wilson, University of Washington An interesting feature of Spanish life during the early part of the seventeenth century was the growing tendency toward the bizarre in fashions. The popularity of elaborate collars (cuellos escarolados and lechuguillas ) and the polvos azules used to color them evoked many satirical comments from writers of the period, and attempts were made to ban these articles by governmental decrees.1 Perhaps the most ludicrous fashion of all was the use oí bigoteras, a device made of leather, silk or paper which was worn by dandies in the seclusion of their home to curl the mustache and make the ends point upward.2 Frequent caustic allusions, of which the following are typical, indicate the grotesqueness of this contrivance: Belisa. ¿Con gabán? Es cierto caso que tendría bigotera. Finea. No la nombres, que me espanto de ver los hombres con ella; y hay muchos tan confiados, que a la ventana se ponen, que es como asomarse un macho.3 Hay mil tontos marquesotes, con cuidados de mujer, que nacieron para ser mártires de sus bigotes. Mil, que a bestias los condeno, porque ellos a dormir van con freno, y ellas están toda la noche sin freno.4 Prin.Di, ¿qué es bigotera? Gonz.Es obra nueva en España; es como un freno con que a los braquillos quiebran el hocico. Sólo hay en los hombres diferencia, que debajo las narices, sobre los labios le llevan: y en el tal bigoterado, quien nunca lo ha visto, piensa que es alguna cuchillada que toma de oreja a oreja.5 The date of the introduction of bigoteras has never been ascertained, but even a close approximation will be of help in the general problem of chronology.6 The indications are that they, like polvos azules, first appeared in Spain shortly after 1611. Professor Ruth 29 Lee Kennedy calls attention to the fact that polvos azules are not mentioned in the sumptuary decrees of 1611. Covarrubias does not list the expression in his dictionary, nor is it found in Cervantes' works where one might logically expect to find it had it been in vogue.7 Bigoteras likewise are neither listed nor mentioned in these documents and works. The first plays by Lope or attributed to him in which we find reference to bigoteras are given below, with the dates ascribed by Morley and Bruerton.8 El cuerdo en su casa91606-12 (probably 1606-08) El amor secreto hasta celos101612-15 (probably 1614) El hombre por su palabra111612-15 (probably 1614-15) La vengadora de las mujeres121613-20 (probably 1615-20) Los peligros de la ausencia131613-20 (probably 1615-18) Pobreza no es vileza141613-22 (probably...