PREFACE. 



Lorenzo, but Balthazar Gracian, a Jefuit of 

 Aragon, who flourifhed during the firft half of 

 the feventeenth century, when the cultivated 

 ftyle took pofTeflion of Spanifh profe, and rofe 

 to its greatefl confideration."^^ It is a colledlion 

 of fhort, wife apothegms and maxims for the con- 

 dud: of life, fometimes illuftrated by ftories of 

 valour, or prowefs, or magnanimity, of the old 

 Caftilian heroes who figure in *^ Count Lucanor." 

 The book, though now no longer read, muft have 

 been very popular at one time, for there exift two 

 or three later Englifh veriions of it, without, 

 however, the nervous concentration of ftyle and 

 idiomatic didlion that charaderize the tranfla- 

 tion fent forth to the world under Walton's 

 aufpices. 



The two Letters publifhed in 1680 under the 



* Ticknor's Hijiory of Spanifr? Literature (Lond. 1849), 

 vol. iii. p. 177. 



title 



^i^l ^P^i ^^J (l^^J '^^; 1^^ 



