The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-12

who had dared to disregard the classic
al axioms of Aristotle's "Poetics'' and
to insist that literature should not
only express personality and national
ity, but that it should discard a for
eign mold.
In one sense both Cervantes and Lope
de Vega (1562-1635) found the ground
prepared for them. 1t was fertiIized
by the debris of many works. And the
three greatest names of the golden age
of Spanish ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Lope
de Vega and Calderon (1s00-16s1)-
blazed out, not from darkness, but from
the lesser glow Of many inferior lights.
Dante, as Rossetti points out in his re-
markable book, Dante and His Bride
was one Of a group, and his predeces-
sors made the way for him; so Ger
vantes was not the first to cast aside
that Slavish imitation of Italian models
which had so long hurt the vitality Of
Spanish literature. a study OF the his
tory Of Spanish literature win show
that it owes little TO kings 1t was as
much reflection of the national spirit
as the literature Of the Elizabethans
was of national tendencies and aspira-
tions. Kings reprassed, and the inqui-
sition itself-which the state controlled
fought against the secular spirit of
the drama, which the Spaniards loved
with all their hearts. Against the love
of this proud, passionate, religious and
patriotic people for literary and dra-
matte expression, the opposition Of
kings and Of the inquisition was vain
There was never any artagonisIn be-
tween religion and the Spanish liter
airy expressions; there was an antaso-
nisn at times between state eccleSiasti-
cism and the determination Of the Is0-
pie not to submit literary expression
to too rigid a censorship.
Lope de Rueda had written dramas
in the CaStilian speech, and these, in
a theatre quite as rough as the town
hall at Stratford-on-Avon OF Shakes
peare's boyhood, Cervantes had seen
at Madrid. 1t was to this city that he
had been sent by his parents. who were
poor and ambitious, to pick up such
learning as he could. He studied Ovid
and Virgil. Of course, and his precep-
tor, Juan Lopez. who wrote verses and
romanceS that were neither verse nor
prose, encouraged his taste for the lit
erature of the imagination. At 22 he
had no profession and no income. He
wrote the pastoral romance Fllena.
Life and the activities Of life delighted
him. He started off, after the manner
OF his time, for the wander year,
d
Of great length eor him. People wers
kind to poor travelling students in
those days. IF you give to learning"
as the Spanish proverb said, you give
to God" Earlier ST. Francis d Assist
babe his monks not tread on piece OF
written paper, for, as it was the work
of learned man. it might contain the
name of God; and, even If the learned
man who wrote it were a pagan, 1t
might hold the letters that make up
the name of Cod Until he reached
Italy Cervantes was treatef by high
and low-particularly by the low-aS
one of those learned human letters that
might one day add 10 the greater glory
of God. Cardinal Acquarria became
his patron at Rome. Shortly after this
he dropped the pen and took UP the
sword The Turks were threatening
Europe and the African corsairS forced
Spain to be on guard. In 1872 occurred
the battle of Lepanto, IN when Don
Juan of Austria saved Christendom and
in which Cervantes lost part or an arm.
An Algerine pirate seized him on ms
way home For eight years he was
slave. and il is assumed that his pic
turesaue romance. 1.-THE Captives," is
founded on his exile in africa After
1881, when he was ransomed. he wrote
'Galatea." an idyl, a pastoral romance.
almost as sweet GAS You Like 1t" and
quite as moral 1t had a great success.
LOpe de Vega. the ind6faugaole dra-
matist, came into high favor. though
Philip II kept the gloomy eye OF in
tolerance on all things. And CerVantes,
impressed with his own power as
playwright, entered the lists against
him.
This Lope Felix de Vega Carpio was
a native of Madrid. He had been left
while young an orphan without means,
but he was of good blood His educa-
ton was unfinished. Don Geronymo
Manrique, the bishop of Avila and
grand inquisitor, sent him TO Avila TO
complete his education At this UNI
yersity he obtained his baccalaureate
degree. He was for time secretary
to the duke of Alva. He married
fought a duel, almost killed his oppo-
Iant, and, when he was allowed TO re-
turn to Madrid, his wife died. Full OF
national pride, infamed by the treat
ment of Catherine Aragon by the faFh-
er OF Elizabeth, and anxious TO ayenge
that insult to the daughter OF Ferdi-
nand and Isabella, he Joined the span
ish armada He reached Spain after