Abstract:

This article uses love letters to investigate matters of intimacy and affection in extramarital affairs. Two women committed adultery with a missionary and a governor in Spanish San Antonio. Their missives reveal how they circumvented restrictions and carved out a space for love outside their marital beds. The drama that unfolded after a political vendetta terminated the relationships exposes this community’s posture regarding “illicit” sexual liaisons. It confirms that in this frontier region local customs allowed greater tolerance concerning expected gender roles and behavior when compared to other areas of Spanish America. These missives, preserved as evidentiary material in the trials, also reveal important clues about access to literacy and the networks that assisted letter writers in sustaining their extramarital unions.

摘要：

本文以情书考察婚外情中的亲昵情事。两名妇女在西班牙圣安东尼奥与一名传教士和一名州长通奸。他们的信件揭示了他们如何规避限制并在婚床外开辟出一个爱的空间。在政治仇杀终止关系后展开的戏剧暴露了这个社区对“非法”性关系的态度。它证实，与西属美洲的其他地区相比，在这个边境地区，当地习俗对预期的性别角色和行为有更大的容忍度。这些信件在审判中作为证据材料保存下来，还揭示了有关识字机会和帮助写信人维持婚外结合的网络的重要线索。