The oldest known drama in Spanish prob ably came into existence at about the same time as the 'Poema del Cid.' It is a brief mystery play in rather elaborate verse form on the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem, and it seems to derive from a Latin original written in France. But from the 12th century down to the middle of the 15th no other Spanish play has survived; there is, however, unmis takable evidence that pieces both religious and profane in nature were performed during the interval.
The first Spanish poet known to us by name, Gonzalo de Berceo, made his appearance in the first half of the 13th century. Berceo showed his genuine religious devotion by composing in unpretentious verse (quatrains of monorhymed alexandrines, called cauderna via) lengthy lives of saints (Saint Dominick of Silos, Saint lEmilianus, etc.), charming miracles of the Virgin ('Milagros de Nuestra Senora), and kindred works. There is some reason to ascribe to him a voluminous account in cuaderna via of the deeds of Alexander the Great ((Libro de Alexandre' ), which is otherwise anonymous. Anonymous as yet is a poem de Apolonio') on the adventurous career of Apollonius of Tyre. Verse documents of less importance and also of the 13th century in clude a narrative dealing with the Legend of the Good Thief (but improperly called in the manuscripts the (Book of the Three Kings of the East)), a Life of Saint Mary of Egypt de Santa Maria Egipciaqua)), a Debate between Body and Soul, and a Debate between Water and Wine, with which is combined the oldest love song in the language. An adher ence to Gallic sources and models is certain for some if not all of these documents.
It was chiefly through the efforts of Alphon sus X (reigned 1252-84) that Spanish prose composition received its first development. This learned sovereign made his court a centre for scientific and literary activity, and with the co operation of the scholars whom he gathered about him he produced important astronomical, legal and historical compilations. It is a note worthy fact that the king himself gave particu lar attention to the style of the documents thus compiled. Chief among them are the astro nomical tables known since as the Alphonsine Tables; a comprehensive legal digest accom panied by a philosophical and interpretative commentary, the famous 'Siete Partidas' ; and the General' (or (CI-I:mica de Espana') cited above. Following the fashion of the day he wrote his lyric verse in the language of Galicia, a form of Portuguese. After the close
of the reign of Alphonsus and before the end of the century appeared the (Gran Conquista de Ultramar,' which derives in part from William of Tyre's Latin history of Godfrey of Bouillon's crusade and in part from French and Provençal material of a romantic and novel esque nature. Very soon original prose fiction in Spanish became an actuality with the work entitled the (Caballero Cifar,' and in the first half of the 14th century the short story was consciously and carefully elaborated in the framework of tales due to a prince of the royal blood, Juan Manuel (1282-1348), a nephew of Alphonsus X. Inspired by the labors of his uncle, whom he admired greatly, the warrior and statesman Juan Manuel found time not only for the composition of the 50 tales in his (Conde Lucanor,' but also for that of much didactic material, Not the least interesting among prose writings of the 13th and 14th cen turies are certain Spanish versions of senten tious material taken from Arabic; from them seems to date the later widespread use of the proverb by the Spaniard.
The first genuine poet — the verse hitherto produced is not of a transcendent quality— comes to view in the person of the wayward cleric, Juan Ruiz, archpriest of Hita, in the first half of the 14th century. Even in the prison to which he was properly condemned for his misdeeds he continued to write lyrics of a spontaneous and self-revelatory sort. He collected them into what he termed capriciously his 'Book of Good Love' de Buen Amor'). While he narrates some of his own scabrous love affairs, he also displays his knowl edge of Ovidian material and some acquaintance with French works, and he imitates a form of the popular lyric in his mountain-girl songs. The leading work in verse in the latter half of the 14th century is the de Palacio' of Pedro Lopez de Ayala, a versatile man, who became Grand Chancellor of Castile. He served under four kings, and reveals his knowledge of affairs in his prose chronicle of their reigns, a work which is one of links in the series of chronicles stretching from (Cr6nica General' of Alphonsus X down to the appearance of fully elaborated historical works in the age of the Renaissance. The (Rimado de Palacio' is largely satirical in its constitution, inveighing against the vices and defects in all forms of society of his time.