Sátira contra el duque de Medinaceli: Junta de vivos y muertos

John Joseph of Austria, the illegitimate child of Philip IV, is one of the most interesting historical figures of late 17th century Spain. The prince used literature as a powerful political weapon to attack his enemies and to defend himself from the pamphlets written against him. His successor as prime minister was his political enemy, the Duke of Medinaceli, who also suffered from similarly weaponized political rhetoric. The Junta de vivos y muertos is a prime example of political satire of the latter half of the 17th century. In this pamphlet, the enemies of Medinaceli criticize his lineage, his economic measures, and his international policies, all the while defending the government of John Joseph of Austria.