, , whohadalwaysresistedabsolutismasstrenuouslyastheyhadfoughttheMoors, hadbeendivestedofallpoliticalpower, alikefatehadbefallenthecities, thefreeconstitutionsofCastileandAragonhadbeensweptaway, andtheonlyfunctionthatremainedtotheCorteswasthatofgrantingmoneyattheKing'sdictation.
, likeGarcilasodelaVegaandDiegoHurtadodeMendoza, followedtheItalianwars, hadbroughtbackfromItalytheproductsofthepost-Renaissanceliterature, , PhyllisandChloehadbeenfairlynaturalisedinSpain, -offagainstthis, theoldhistoricalandtraditionalballads, andthetruepastorals, thesongsandballadsofpeasantlife, , perhaps, ofthespreadofprintingwasthefloodofromancesofchivalrythathadcontinuedtopourfromthepresseversinceGarciOrdonezdeMontalvohadresuscitated "AmadisofGaul" atthebeginningofthecentury.
Forayouthfondofreading, solidorlight, , populousuniversitytown, somethingmorethantheenterprisingrivalofSalamanca, andaltogetheraverydifferentplacefromthemelancholy, silent, , butthetownitselfseemstohaveinclinedrathertothehumanitiesandlightliterature, andasaproducerofbooksAlcalawasalreadybeginningtocompetewiththeolderpressesofToledo, Burgos, SalamancaandSeville.
