8vo, (149 x 105 mm). 16 ff., 112 pp. Contemporary limp vellum, spine lettered in ink, small stains and a little worn, lacking ties. Occasional foxing, working to upper margin occasionally affecting a letter or two, overall very good.

“Assi confundidos los sexos, se han introducido los hombres en los estrados. I al tiempo que las Senoras van dexando las almohadas, por los taburetes, por tomar de asiento las almohadas. Dexaron las espadas por unos espadines, que parecen escarbadientes. Aquí se descubre bien su mujeril inclinación… Verdaderamente, que no hai hombres. I dicen bien, que ya no hai hombres, todos son hembras”.

In the introduction, Haro de San Clemente criticizes women's fashion trends, noting that their attire increasingly reveals their bodies, “we now see them almost bare”. He likewise condemns contemporary male fashions of the time, stating: “Men, who by Spanish tradition were once more respectful and venerable, are now so effeminate” (“Los hombres, que por tragedia Español se hacian mas respetosos, y venerables, están hoy tan afeminados”). He disapproves of the wigs worn by men, some of whom shave their heads to wear them, incurring great expenses for their acquisition and maintenance. Haro believes that the sexes are becoming confused: women are adopting the attitudes and clothing of men, while men are taking on the appearance and mannerisms of women. He writes: “They abandoned swords for little rapiers that resemble toothpicks. Their womanly inclination is revealed, or rather, their effeminate nature, for it seems they abandoned the sword because it is ‘she,’ and took up the little rapier because it is ‘he’…” (“Dejaron las espadas por unos espadines, que parece escarbadientes Aqui se descubre bien su mujeril inclinacion, ó por mejor decir, su afeminado natural, pues parece, que han dejado la espada por ser ella; y han tomado el espadin por ser él…”). His criticism continues, with reproaches aimed at men who use facial powder and wear tricorn hats. He portrays Chichisveo (cicisbeism) as a devil's temptation that must be eradicated from Spain.

The work is then divided into three parts: woman's nature, the danger she represents, and the opportunities (occasions) that place man in peril.

In the first part, ‘What is woman, and what are her properties?’ Haro asserts that a woman belongs in the household, though without authority over it. According to Haro, her duties are to serve the man and obey a man’s commands. He presents a historical overview of women who held power and, in his view, caused great harm, citing figures such as Joanna, Queen of Naples, Cleopatra, and Laodice, among others. He argues that chichisveo is dangerous because it can lead to adultery, especially since women of the upper class live in idleness and thus are more exposed to temptation, unlike “common and poor people,” who are so burdened with work that they have no time for such distractions.

The second part addresses the circumstances in which meetings between women and their gallants occur: the “occasion” or opportunity. Haro contends that husbands who permit chichisveo often neglect their wives, leaving them entertained by other men, thus exposing them to danger.

The third and final part addresses danger, and what it consists of: “From woman arises the occasion, and from the occasion and the woman, the danger” (“De la mujer nace la ocasión, y de la ocasion, y la mujer el peligro.”). Haro de San Clemente argues that men who act as chichisveros expose themselves to peril, as the woman places temptation before them. He even mentions friars who serve in this role, thereby violating their vow of holy poverty, since by accompanying women of high society, they partake in the same pleasures, fine meals, and luxuries.

According to OCLC we locate copies at Princeton, University of Wisconsin, and University of Seville (a later edition, of 1754).

Aguilar Piñal IV 2884. Palau 112322.