Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/264

240 240 CASTILIAN LITERATURE. PART I. Torres de iVaharro. The credit of this introduction belongs to Bar- tholomeo Torres de Naharro, often confounded by the Castilian writers themselves with a player of the same name, who flourished half a century later. ^^ Few particulars have been ascertained of his personal history. He was born at Torre, in the province of Estremadura. In the early part of his life he fell into the hands of 'the Algerines, and was finally released from captivity by the exertions of certain benevolent Italians, who generously paid his ransom. He then established his residence in Italy, at the court of Leo the Tenth. Under the genial influence of that patronage, which quickened so many of the seeds of genius to production in every department, he composed his " Propaladia," a work embracing a variety of lyrical and dramatic poetry, first published at Rome, in 1517. Unfortunately, the caustic satire, levelled in some of the higher pieces of this collection at the license of the pontifi- cal, court, brought such obloquy on the head of the author as compelled him to take refuge in Naples, where he remained under the protection of the noble family of Colonna. No further particulars are recorded of him except that he embraced the should have been more charitable, as he has made two blunders him- self in correcting one. Storia Cri- tica de' Teatri, torn. iv. pp. 195J, 193. 43 Andres, confounding Torres de Naiiarro the poet, with Naharro the comedian, who flourished about half a century later, is led into a ludicrous train of errors in contro- verting Cervantes, whose criticism on the actor is perpetually misap- plied by Andres to the poet. Ve- lasquez seems to have confounded them in like manner. Anotiier evi- dence of the extremely superficial acquaintance of the Spanish critics with tiu;ir early drama. Conip. Cervantes, Comediasy Entrcmcses, torn. i. pr61ogo. — Andres, Lette- ratura, torn. v. p. 179. — Velaz- quez, Pocsia Castellana, p. 88.