During a pivotal point in Spanish history, aristocrat María de Guevara (?&;1683) produced two extraordinary essays that appealed for strong leadership, protested political corruption, and demanded the inclusion of women in the court&;s decision making. &;Treaty&; gave Philip IV practical suggestions for fighting the war against Portugal and &;Disenchantments&; counseled the king-to-be, Charles II, on strategies to raise the country&;s status in Europe. This annotated bilingual edition, featuring Nieves Romero-Díaz&;s adroit translation, reproduces Guevara&;s polemics for the first time. Guevara&;s provocative writings call on Spanish women to bear the responsibility equally with men for restoring Spain&;s power in Europe and elsewhere. The collection also includes examples of Guevara&;s shorter writings that exemplify her ability to speak on matters of state, network with dignitaries, and govern family affairs.  Witty, ironic, and rhetorically sophisticated, Guevara&;s essays provide a fresh perspective on the possibilities for women in the public sphere in seventeenth-century Spain.