Eclipsed Autonomy: Celestial Images and the Free Will Debate in Antonio Mira de Amescua’s Álvaro de Luna Plays
Antonio Mira de Amescua’s two-part Próspera fortuna and Adversa fortuna de don Álvaro de Luna chronicles the rise and fall of Spain’s most iconic privado, Álvaro de Luna. Suspected by medieval chroniclers of controlling Juan II with magic, Luna’s appearance on stage speaks to growing concerns in seventeenth-century Spain over the king’s ability to resist manipulation by powerful courtiers. Rather than using the plays as political commentary, however, Mira frames the institution of privanza within contemporary debates regarding free will, and, in doing so, offers a dramatic rendering of the nature of human autonomy and spiritual bondage.
Rodrigo Calderón : la sombra del valido : privanza, favor y corrupción en la corte de Felipe III
Una de las imagenes mas perdurables asociadas al ocaso del valimiento del duque de Lerma fue la del favorito don Rodrigo Calderon camino del cadalso. Aunque mitificado en la muerte, no habia sido objeto de estudio por parte de los historiadores -mas alla de algunos articulos de indudable relevancia-, pese al atractivo de una trayectoria politica y personal plagada de desaciertos y excesos pero tan singular y meteorica. Marques de Siete Iglesias y conde de la Oliva, capitan de la Guarda Alemana, secretario de camara del rey y embajador extraordinario en los Paises Bajos, don Rodrigo fue uno de los mas poderosos y controvertidos ministros de Felipe III. Su notoria influencia -cimiento de un asombroso patrimonio, amasado no siempre de manera licita- conseguida a fuer de ser un apoyo imprescindible para el duque de Lerma, le permitio erigirse en poco tiempo en el alter ego del valido. Sucumbio, como un faeton destronado del cielo que rimase Quevedo, a la perdida del favor regio de su patron y a las presiones de una oposicion nacida en el propio seno del clan dirigente. Sometido a un largo proceso judicial en 1619, a tormento y privaciones, fue hallado culpable de decenas de delitos y condenado a la pena capital. Su ejecucion publica en la Plaza Mayor de Madrid el 21 de octubre de 1621 fue, en palabras de Andres de Almansa y Mendoza, «el dia mas famoso que ha mirado este siglo».
Study of External Parasites Infesting Carcharhinus Melanopterus Fish From The Red Sea In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Parasitic diseases are harmful and limiting factors in breeding and rearing ornamental fish industry, such as the Monogenea ( Dactylogyrus sp and Erpocotyletiburonis ) and copepod ( Pandarus sinuatus  and Anchistrotostangi ). The copepod and the monogenean are gill parasites found on the shark; CarcharhinusMelanopterus . The primary purpose of this study was to determine the parasitic infections of sharks in red sea in Jeddah. For this purpose, 19 female C. Melanopterus and 14 male C. Melanopterus were first examined for ectoparasites using wet mount under a light microscope. All male sharks had Monogenea and/or copepod in their gill and only 3 females haven’t infections. Then, we aimed to find a combination of copepod and monogenea infection in C. Melanopterus gills. 50% of male and 42% of female were infected by copepod and monogenea. Our findings revealed that the protozoan infections are very common among sharks. Although, no gross pathology was observed among infected shark, but it is likely that in case of any changes in the environment, then parasitic infections could be harmful.