296 CALLOGRAPHY. 



of Badoaro, Lollio, and others ; but Italy has produced few orators 

 of distinction. 



The older Spanish poetry, consists chiefly of ballads, or metrical 

 romances, many of which are preserved in the Romancer o General 

 collected by Florez ; but their authors are in many cases unknown. 

 The earliest poem worthy of notice here, is El Poema del Cid, a 

 brief epic and romantic composition, written about 1150, by an 

 unknown hand, and narrating the exploits of Don Rodrigo, called the 

 Cid, who fought against the Moors. The Historia de los Vandos, 

 is a romantic chronicle, in verse, of the Moorish heroes, the Zegris 

 and Abencerrages of Grenada. The Jiraucana, by Ercilla y Zuniga, 

 is an epic poem, of historical value ; describing the subjugation of the 

 Araucanian Indians, and their struggles to regain their independence. 



Of Spanish lyric poetry, a large collection of old songs is con- 

 tained in the Concionero General, collected by Baena and Castillo. 

 The sonnets and songs of Boscan, and the sonnets and eclogues of 

 Garcilaso de la Vega, are highly valued, though partly formed on the 

 Italian model. Montemayor and Miranda, though Portuguese, wrote 

 also some excellent pastorals, in Spanish. The Diana of the former 

 is a pastoral romance. The odes of Herrera, and the canticles of 

 Luis de Leon, are said to be rich in sentiment and diction. The 

 Galatea, of Cervantes, is of a pastoral character ; and the Spaniards 

 have pastorals also by Enzina, and others. La Gaya Ciencia, or 

 the Gay Science, by Villena, is a didactic poem on the art of poetry. 

 El Labyrintho, or Las Trecientas, The Labyrinth, or Three Hun- 

 dred stanzas, by Juan de Mena, is an allegorical picture of human 

 life, in imitation of Dante. The Centiloquio, or Hundred Maxims, 

 by Mendoza of Santillana, is a didactic poem on morals and politics ; 

 and his Doctrinal de Privados, or Manual of Favorites, contains 

 moral lessons for courtiers. 



Spanish dramatic poetry, may be regarded as commencing with 

 the Mingo Rebulgo, a satiric pastoral play ; and the dramatic ro- 

 mance of La Celestina, or Calixtus and Melibcea. The earliest dra- 

 matic performances, were probably the Mysteries, so called, repre- 

 senting scripture scenes, exhibited as religious ceremonies ; and these 

 suggested the Jlutos Sacramentales, or religious dramas, of the later 

 writers. Cervantes wrote nearly thirty dramatic pieces, of which 

 only two now remain. They are Numantia, a tragedy ; and Life 

 in Algiers, a comedy. Lopez de Vega wrote eighteen hundred co- 

 medies, and four hundred religious dramas; of which more than 

 three hundred were printed. Among the best of them, are, La 

 Discreta Venganga, or the Discreet Revenge, and Lo Cierto por lo 

 Dudoso, the Certain for the Doubtful. They are lively and inge- 

 nious ; whereas the one hundred and eighty dramas of Calderon, are 

 said to be monotonous, and to breathe forth the intolerant spirit of the 

 Inquisition. His Devotion to the Cross, and Inflexible Prince, are 

 mentioned as specimens of his style. The tragedy of Rachel, by 

 Garcias de la Huerta, is a later production of superior merit. 



The oldest romance, worthy of notice, in the Spanish language, 

 if we except the tales of the Cid, is said to be that of Amadis de 

 Gaul; a tale of chivalry, supposed to have been written about 1300, 



