Desconsuelos de los dichosos para que reconozcan los peligros de serlo y sepan prevenirlos

Abstract

This volume offers an unpublished text by Francisco de Quevedo titled Desconsuelos de los dichosos, which harshly criticizes the Count-Duke of Olivares from a neo-Stoic perspective influenced by Seneca. The work, structured as a dialogue between Sense and Reason, warns about the dangers of pride and the inevitable fall of the powerful who ignore divine power. It was dedicated to Don Fadrique de Toledo in August 1633, in Villanueva de los Infantes, where Quevedo wrote other critical works, such as Execración contra los judíos and De los remedios de cualquiera fortuna, the latter thematically complementing <i>Desconsuelos de los fortunateosThis edition includes an introductory study that analyzes the manuscript, confirms Quevedo's authorship and details the relationship of the work with other texts by the author, in addition to a critical apparatus that facilitates the understanding of the text. This writing stands out for its political significance and reflects Quevedo's confrontation with Olivares, a conflict that eventually led the writer to the San Marcos prison where, in the end, he died