The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-08-05
THE AUTHOR OF DON OUIxOTE
Nv.--CEnvANTEs AND THE GOLDEN
AGE OF SPANISH LITERArUHE.
by MAURICE FRANKLIN EGAN. LII d.
tuOpyrisht 1900, BY Seymour Eaton.)


by MAURICE FRANKLIN EGAN, LII. d.
Miguel dc Cervantes Saavedra was born al
Alcala de Henares in tho year is47; he died
~ the same year as Shakespeare--1ei6. lie
appeared at a fortunate time: the Spaniards
land Spanish literature was much mere in
nuenced by the tastes and preiudices OF the
people than by the rigid rules Of m aristo-
cratic sroup-were weary Of the constant int
tation of italian models. There had even
been one or two who had dared TO disregard
the CLASSICAL axioms OF Arstoue's .Poetiss''
and to insist that a literature should not only
express personality and nationality. but that
1t should discard foreign mold
In one sense both Cervantes and Lope do
Vega (iSe2-ie35) found the ground prepared for
them 1t was fertilised by the debris OF many
works. And the three greatest names of the
golden age OF Spanish literature cervantes.
Lope de Vega and Caideron (16c0-i6sl) --blazed
out, not from darkness, but from the lesser
glow of many inferior lights. Dante. as Ros-
setti roints out in his remarkable book,
Dante and His Bride was one of group.
and his predecessors made the way for him
70 cervantes was not the frst to cast aside
that slavish imitation OF italian models which
had go long hurt the vitality of Spanish lit
eraturs.
~
A study OF the history OF Spanish literature
will show that It owes little to kings. 1t was
as much a reflection of the national spirit as
the literature OF the Elzabethans was OF ma
tional tendencies and aspirations Kings re-
pressed, and the inquisition itself--which the
~ A.. tha w n
spirit CT the drama. which the spaniards
loved with all their hearts. Against the love
Of this proud, passionate. religious and pa
triotic people for literary and dramatic OK
preston. the opposition OF kings and OF the
inquisition was vain. There was never any
antagonism between religion and the Spanish
literary expression: there was an antagonism
al times between state ecclesinsticlsm and the
determination OF the people not to submt lit
erary expression to too rigid censorship.
Lopc de Rueda had written dramas in the
Castiian speech, and these, in O theater quito
rs rough ns the town hall at Stratford-on-
Avon of shakespeare's boyhood. Ceryantes
had seen at Madrid. 1t was to this city that
re had been sent by hts parents. who were
poor and ambitious. to pick up such learning
as he could. He studied Ovid and Virgil, of
course and his preceptor, Juan Lopez. who
wrote verses and romances that were neither
verse nor prose. encouraged his taste FER the
literature of the Imagination. Al % lie had
no profession and no income. He wrote the
pastoral romance "FIlena." Life and the
activities OF life delighted him. He started
off, after the manner OF his time for the
wander year." which was to prove won
n. III ~
were kind to poor travelling students in those
days. III you give to learning" as the
spanish proverb said. you give to Cod
Earlier St. Francis dAsssi babe his monks
not tread on piece OF written paper. for,
az 1t was the work of learned man. II
might contain the name OF God; and, even II
the learned man who wrote It were pagan
1t might hold the letters that make UP the
name OF God
Untn he reached Italy Cervautes was treat
ed by high and low--particularly by the low
as one OF those learned human letters that
might one day add to the greater glory oi
God. Cardinal Acquarria became his patron
at Rome. Shortly after this he dropped the
pen and took UP the sword. The Turks were
forced Spain to be on guard. In 1872 occurred
the battle OF Lepanto. In which Don Juan
Of Austria saved Chrlstendom and in which
Cervantes lost part OF an arm. An Algcrine
pirate seized him on his way home. For eigh,
years he was slave. and it is assumed that
his picturesque romance. THE Captises," Is
founded on his exile in Africa After 1851,
when he was ransomed, he wrote "Galatea."
an idyl, a pastoral romance. almost as sweet
as "AJ You Like IT. and quito as moral.
II had great success. Lope dc Vega, the
ndefatigable dramatist, came into high fPvor,
though Philip II kept the gloomy eye OF in.
tolerance on all things And Cervantes. i'm
pressed with his own power as playwright.
entered the lists against him.
This Lope Felix de Vega Carpio was a ma
tive OF Madrid lie had been left while young
an orphan without means. but he was o;
good blood His education was unfinished
Don Geronymo Manrique, the bishop OF tyila
aud grand inqusltor. sent him TO Avila TO
complete his education. At this uni ,ersity
he obtained his baccalaureate degree. lio
was for time secretary to the duke Of Alys.
He married, fought duel. almost killed HE
opponent and, when he was allowed to return
.
pride. inilamed by the treatment OF Catherine
Aragcn by the father Of Elizabeth, and
anxious to svenge that insult to the daughter
OF Ferdinand and Isabella. he Joined the
Spanish armada. He reashed Spain after the
wreck OF SPANS hopes and married again.
After a period OF great happiness his second
wife died He became a priest and devoted
himself entirely to the composition of poetry.
~
His dramas caught the taste Of the Spanish
people. They adored him; he could not walk
in the streets OF Madrid without being sur
rounded by crowds of admirers. Pope Ur.
ban VIII made him a doctor OF theology
and knight OF Malta; honors OF all sorts
were showered upon him. Managers OF
theaters fought for his pieces while he was
writing them. They could hardly walt ultil
the sheets were dry. He was not Of the
classical school; he was as romantic aud
untrammeled as Shakespeare; and Racine,
Corneille, or that most stringent OF critics,
Voltaire. could have no sympathy with him.
The people paid. he said; It was bis
business to please the people, He vas al
ways poetic. no matter how hastily he wrote,
and for this reason the poetic Spanish
loved him According 70 his own tesu-
mony," Herr Bouterwek says, "he wrote
on an average OF Ave sheets day; It has,
therefore, been computed that the number OF