During a pivotal point in Spanish history, aristocrat Maria de Guevara (?-1683) produced two extraordinary essays that appealed for strong leadership, protested political corruption, and demanded the inclusion of women in the court's decision making. "Treaty" gave Philip IV practical suggestions for fighting the war against Portugal and "Disenchantments" counseled the king-to-be, Charles II, on strategies to raise the country's status in Europe. This annotated bilingual edition, featuring Nieves Romero-Diaz's adroit translation, reproduces Guevara's polemics for the first time.
Guevara's...