Notes on Jeronima de Burgos in the Life and Work of Lope de Vega

THE preservation of a considerable part of Lope de Vega's corre1 spondence with the Duke of Sessa has made the dramatist's amorous life one of the best-documented aspects of his biography. With the aid of letters to Sessa from 1613 to 1629} biographers have been able to piece together many details in the Phoenixis extramarital aSairs with Jerbnima de Burgos (la senora Serarda), Lucis de Saleedo (la Loca)} and Marta de Nevares (Amarilis). Several unresolved problems do remain, however. One of the most intriguing is that of a mysterious siren who, according to the postulations of biographers,l entered Lope's life during the perlod in which he was transferring his principal affections from Jerbnima de Burgos to Lucia de Salcedo. The circumstances of this shadowy Sgure's appearance are the followng: On June 9 1615, Lope writes from Toledo to the Duke of Sessa and, among other thingsX explains to his protector the reason for a recent departure from Madrid. He states: Respondo a la cuenta que me pide de mis pensamientosa no sin alguna sospecha de los que engendrb en su pecho la malicia de aquel buen hombre. Yo, senor excelentisimo llegue aquI huyendo de las ocasiones en que la lengua de una mujer favorecida infame puede poner un hombre de mi hibito;2 y respondiendo tambidn a la objecion ticita de que no se huye bien del peligro [i.e., el amor] acercindose a dl, . . . digo que, siendo, como fue, testimomoy no le puede correr mi conciencia, aunque no quede libre mi reputacibn . . . (Amesua III, l8>90).3 Lope continues defending his chastity with such vehemence that it is obnous that he is qliite on the defensive in the matter. He sub

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