Guerras do Alecrim e Manjerona

The action takes place in Sintra, specifically on the estate of Dom Lançarote. His two nieces, D. Nise (from the Kingdom of Marjoram) and Dona Clóris (from Rosemary), appear with their faces covered, accompanied by the maid Sevadilha, pursued by the dowry‑hunters Dom Fuas and D. Gil Vaz and by the servant Semicúpio. After many declarations of love and compliments, the girls give in and promise to see them again, allowing the servant Semicúpio to discover their address. They offer each suitor a sprig of marjoram and one of rosemary; Sevadilha also offers a marigold to the servant who follows them. He informs his impoverished and hungry masters that the girls they courted are none other than their neighbours, the wealthy nieces of Dom Lançarote, who made a fortune from mines, and that the old man keeps the house so tightly closed and guarded that it would be better to give up the enterprise. Both, however, place their hopes in the servant’s cunning.

Fagundes, another servant of Dom Lançarote, looking for the two girls, ends up revealing to D. Fuas that one of the nieces will marry a rich cousin who will come the following day to choose one of them, while the other will go to a convent. He promises her a reward in exchange for a meeting with Nise. Fagundes tells him to appear at night under the kitchen, where she will tell him what to do: “Dona Nise shall be yours, despite her uncle’s caution and the fiancé’s caresses.” The nephew Tibúrcio arrives, showing his miserliness. Taking an interest in the maid, he is scandalised that the uncle allows the girls to feed the rivalry between the two groups of Rosemary and Marjoram, to which the uncle replies that as long as it costs no money, he sees no reason why not.

Semicúpio sets his plan in motion and feigns a sudden indisposition, which a bucket of ice‑cold water thrown by Fagundes calms down. Dom Lançarote, seeing the servant shivering with cold, asks Sevadilha to cover him with her cloak. Everyone then leaves except the maid, to whom Semicúpio sings, plucking the marigold, his oracle of love. Clóris appears and asks Semicúpio what his master’s profession is, to which he replies that his master will have the profession of a corpse when he dies, but for now he possesses many assets, including an estate so large that it takes twenty‑four hours to walk all around it. Enchanted, Nise sends word to Dom Gil Vaz to be patient and persistent, for she will be his.

Semicúpio departs, carrying Dom Lançarote’s cloak: “If opportunity makes the thief, then I shall be one so as not to miss the opportunity.” Dom Lançarote is furious with Sevadilha for letting the cloak be stolen, threatening to tear her cape in the hilarious duet “Foolish girl, careless.” Meanwhile, Semicúpio, “Caesar of go‑betweens,” brings good news to Dom Gil Vaz. They see Dom Fuas going to meet Nise, climbing the ladder thrown down by Fagundes and giving the password “marjoram.” They decide to seize the opportunity. Dom Gil Vaz manages to enter, but Fagundes ends up throwing Semicúpio down the ladder, taking the ladder with her. Dom Fuas is astonished to find another hooded man and demands an explanation from Dona Nise, who claims to know nothing. They quarrel. Meanwhile, Dom Gil Vaz convinces Fagundes to fetch Clóris, swearing eternal love.

Sevadilha, flustered, warns Clóris that the old man is waking up and the intruders must leave immediately. However, the ladder has been removed, the door is locked, and the key is under the uncle’s pillow. Dom Lançarote calls Fagundes and Sevadilha. Faced with the imminent discovery of the intruders, Semicúpio raises the alarm that the house is on fire. Everyone rushes outside, and Semicúpio, with the two masters, offers to put out the fire, a gesture for which Dom Lançarote is very grateful.

Meanwhile, Fagundes tries to bring Dom Fuas into the house, hidden inside a chest. However, the chest is so heavy that she asks Semicúpio for help, who sees an opportunity to also introduce Dom Gil Vaz, making him get into the same chest. Tibúrcio courts Sevadilha, who drives him away. Dom Lançarote complains about her indecision, and both sit down next to the chest while he tries to entice her by listing his dowry. The chest, bouncing, ends up knocking them to the ground. Everyone flees in fear of what it might contain, leaving only Dona Nise, eager finally to meet Dom Gil Vaz. However, the first to come out of the chest is Dom Fuas; Dom Gil Vaz, full of jealousy, declares Nise unfaithful. She leaves with Fagundes.

Clóris looks for Dom Fuas, but Dom Gil Vaz, thinking it is Nise, continues to insult her. As everything is in darkness, the two friends, thinking each other enemies, duel but hit nothing. Meanwhile, Dom Lançarote and Tibúrcio try to muster the courage to open the chest, but being both very fearful, Semicúpio takes the opportunity to set them against each other, slapping each one and making each think he was struck by the other. Nise comes to meet Dom Gil Vaz but finds Dom Fuas and asks him to help her see Clóris. She tells her to wait in the alcove. Meanwhile, Dom Gil Vaz comes out of the chest and again accuses Nise of infidelity; tired of being insulted, she leaves.

After the situation is clarified, Dom Lançarote sends for his nieces so that Tibúrcio can finally choose one of them. But Semicúpio appears with his masters disguised as women and claims that this gentleman has committed to marrying his two daughters. Scandalised, Dom Lançarote throws Tibúrcio out of the house. He suffers such a nervous colic that he thinks he is dying, and who appears to treat him is, of course, Semicúpio: “If there is no natural philosophy, why shouldn’t there be medicine?… What doesn’t kill you makes you fat… Each man is master of his own life and can heal himself as he wishes…” Fagundes sows, and we reap…