HERRERA Tordesillas, Antonio de, a Spanish historian, the son of Roderigo de Tor desilias and Agnes de Herrera, it being the custom of that country to bear the mother’s name, was born in 1565. He was at first secretary to Vespasian de Gonzaga, viceroy of Naples, but was afterwards appointed historiographer of the Indies by [7:11:281] Philip II. who granted him a liberal pension. Whilst he held this office, he wrote his General History of the Indies from 1492 to 1554, in four volumes folio. Of all the Spanish authors, Herrera is the one who has given the most exact and circumstantial recital of the conquest of Mexico and the other events in America. Hence, to use the words of Dr Robertson, his work “furnishes the fullest and most accurate information concerning the conquest of Mexico as well as every other transaction of America. The industry and attention with which he consulted, not only the books, but the original and public records, were so great, and he usually judges of the evidence before him with so much impartiality and candour, that his decades may be ranked among the most judicious and useful historical collections.” His death, which happened at Madrid on the 29th of March 1625, prevented him from occupying the office of secretary of state, to which Philip IV. had just raised him. Besides the work above mentioned, Herrera wrote in Spanish, 1. Description of the West Indies, Madrid, 1601, in folio; 2. History of what passed in England and in Scotland during the forty-four years of the life of Mary Stuart, queen of Scotland, Lisbon, 1590, in 12mo; 3. Five Books of the History of Portugal, and the conquest of the Açores in the years 1581 and 1583, Madrid, 1591, in 4to; 4. History of the affairs of France from the year 1585 until the end of the year 1594, Madrid, 1598, in 4to; 5. History of the world under the reign of Philip II. from the year 1584 until the year 1598, Valladolid, 1606, in three vols. folio; 6. Historical Treatise, Relation, and Discourse, of the Movements which took place in Aragon in the years 1591 and 1592, in 4to; 7. Commentary on the Proceedings of the Spaniards, the French, and the Venetians, in Italy, from the year 1285 until the year 1559, Madrid, 1624, in folio.

Herrera, Ferdinand de, a Spanish poet of the sixteenth century, was born at Seville about the year 1516. He was thoroughly conversant with the Greek, Latin, Italian, and French languages, and also passed for a profound theologian; but he applied himself, in preference, to poetry, and was the first of the four Spanish poets who obtained the surname of divine. Although he had taken holy orders at the age of thirty, all his verses are addressed to a distinguished lady of Andalusia, whom he celebrates under various names; but his love was as pure and platonic as that of Petrarch, whom he endeavoured to imitate, in following the footsteps of Boscan and Garcilaso. Herrera died in his native place about the year 1595. The collection of his poetry, entitled Obrasde Herrera, Seville, 1619, contains sonnets, songs, lyrics, and elegies, full of spirit, grace, and expression; but his style is at times deficient in correctness. Herrera was also the author of, 1. Relacion de la Guerra de Cypre y batalla de Lepanto, Seville, 1572; 2. Vida y Muerte de Thomas Moro, ibid. 1592, translated from the Latin of Stapleton; 3. An edition of the Poems of Garcilaso de la Vega, with interesting notes, Seville, 1580, in 8vo. (a.)