“Very good,” said the barber; “and here come three together, the Araucana of Don Alonso de Ercilla, the Austriada of Juan Rufo, Justice of Cordova, and the Montserrate of Christobal de Virues, the Valencian poet.” 102

“These three books,” said the curate, “are the best that have been written in Castilian in heroic verse, and they may compare with the most famous of Italy; let them be preserved as the richest treasures of poetry that Spain possesses.”

The curate was tired and would not look into any more books, and so he decided that, “contents uncertified,” all the rest should be burned; but just then the barber held open one, called The Tears of Angelica .