Feniza, or The Ingenious Maid (c. 1664)

Feniza, or The Ingenious Maid, a free adaptation of Lope de Vega’s La discreta enamorada (1606), is one of several English plays from the Carolean period heavily influenced by Spanish comedias de capa y espada. Set in Madrid, this comedy follows the witty Feniza, who lives under the watchful eye of her outwardly pious aunt, Beliza. Feniza falls for the young cavalier Luzindo, but her plans take an unexpected turn when his father, Colonel Bernardo, asks for her hand.

Long considered anonymous, Feniza is here attributed to George Digby, Second Earl of Bristol, based on new evidence presented by the editor. Preserved in a single manuscript (MS 583) held at the University of Chicago Library, this is the first-ever critical edition of Feniza. The edition offers a fully annotated text and an introduction that examines its Spanish source, its adaptation to the Carolean stage, the distinctive features of the Feniza manuscript, and the evidence supporting its attribution to Digby.