Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/272

248 248 CASTILIAN LITERATURE. PART of poetry may doubtless be considered the Span- ' ish romances, or ballads ; that popular minstrelsy, which, commemorating the picturesque and chival- rous incidents of the age, reflects most faithfully the romantic genius of the people, who gave it ut- terance. The lyric efforts of the period were less successful. There were few elaborate attempts in this field, indeed, by men of decided genius. But the great obstacle may be found in the imperfection of the language and the deficiency of the more exact and finished metrical forms, indispensable to high poetic execution. The whole period, however, comprehending, as it does, the first decided approaches to a regular drama, may be regarded as very important in a lit- erary aspect ; since it exhibits the indigenous pe- culiarities of Castilian literature in all their fresh- ness, and shows to what a degree of excellence it could attain, while untouched hy any foreign influ- ence. The present reign may be regarded as the epoch which divides the ancient from the modern school of Spanish poetry ; in which the language was slowly but steadily undergoing the process of refinement, that " made the knowledge of it," to borrow the words of a contemporary critic, " pass for an elegant accomplishment, even with the cav- aliers and dames of cultivated Italy ; " " and which 57 " Ya en Italia, assi entre Da- hablar Castellano." Didlogo de mas, como entre Caballeros, se las Lenguas, apud Mayans y Sis- tiene por gentileza y galania, saber car, Origenes, torn. ii. p. 4. I have had occasion to advert cliapfer, to the superficial acqnaint- more than once in the course of this ance of the Spanish critics with the