CRUZ, Sor Juana Inés de la, Mexican poet, b. in San Miguel de Nepantla, near the city of Mexico, 12 Nov., 1651; d. in Mexico, 17 April, 1695. At the age of five she could read, write, and keep accounts, and at the age of eight composed a poem on the holy sacrament. Soon afterward she was sent to the city of Mexico, learned Latin and other branches rapidly, and asked her parents' permission to disguise herself as a student so that she could enter the university. Not being allowed to do this, she continued her studies privately, and her literary accomplishments soon made her famous in Mexico. The vice-queen retained her as one of the ladies of the household. The viceroy, the Marquis de Mancera, wishing to test her learning and intelligence (she being then seventeen years old), invited several theologians, jurists, philosophers, and poets to a meeting, during which she had to answer, unprepared, many questions, and explain several difficult points on various scientific and literary subjects. The manner in which she acquitted herself astonished all present, and greatly increased her reputation. She was much admired in the vice-royal court for her beauty, but refused several proposals of marriage, and entered first the convent of San José, and subsequently that of San Jerónimo, where she finally took the veil. She then devoted herself for twenty-seven years to her religious duties, as well as to her favorite studies, of theology, interpretation of the Scriptures, logic, rhetoric, natural philosophy, mathematics, history, music, and poetry. In 1693 she gave up all studies and exercises unconnected with her religious duties in the convent, and sold her splendid library to help the poor. Two years afterward a terrible scourge desolated the city of Mexico, and Sister Juana Inés, while personally assisting other nuns suffering from the epidemic, became its victim and died. Her remains were buried with extraordinary ceremonies. She was generally known as “The Nun of Mexico,” and was also called “The Tenth Muse.” Her writings, mostly in verse, include “Amor es laberinto,” a classical drama; “Los empeños de una casa,” a comedy; “Ovillejos,” a satirical poem; “El Neptuno alegórico,” and two volumes entitled “Poesías sagradas y profanas.”
CUADRA, Pedro Lucio (kwah'-drah), Chilian
engineer, b. in the city of Santiago, 14 April, 1842.
He studied in the university of his native city, and
when still very young was attached to the scientific
commission that the government appointed to make
a geographical study of the Chilian territory, his
personal efforts assuring the success of the
commission's work. In 1874 the owners of the newly
discovered silver mines at Caracoles, Bolivia, gave
Cuadra the general superintendence of the works,
and in 1876 he was appointed president of the Bank
of Valparaiso. During Pinto's administration
Cuadra was several times offered a portfolio in the
cabinet, but declined it, and in 1882 he accepted
that of finance under President Santa Maria,
distinguishing himself by important reforms. Being
a member of the cabinet that negotiated the treaty
of peace with Spain, he used all his influence in
favor of its negotiation, and King Alfonso XII.
awarded him the Great Cross of Naval Merit. He
was elected senator in 1882 for six years, and was
president of the senate in 1886.
|
CUAUHTEMOTZÍN (kwau-tay-mo-tseen'), which means “Eagle's Eyesight,” sometimes called Cuauhtemoc, Quauhtemotzín, Quauhtemoc, Guatemoc, Guatimoc, or Guatimocín, thirteenth and last Mexican king (eleventh monarch, according to other accounts), b. in 1495; d. in 1524. He was the son of Ahuitzol, and married Tecuichpatzín, a daughter of Motecuhzoma (Moctezuma) and the widow of Cuitlahuatl, his own uncle, whom he succeeded on the throne, being elected and crowned about the end of January, 1521. Cuauhtemotzín at once began to strengthen the defences of the city of Mexico; but Cortes, after several successful battles and subsequent agreements with the natives, besieged the city with a large force of Indian allies and his Spanish troops, and finally Cuauhtemotzín and all his warriors surrendered 13 Aug., 1521). The siege lasted 75 days, and cost the Spaniards over 100 men of the 900 present, their allies losing several thousand, while many thousand Mexicans died fighting or from starvation and disease. Cuauhtemotzín had on one occasion, with the approval of the senate, sacrificed four Spaniards and 4,000 Indians, to obtain favor of the gods. The invaders tortured him to make him tell where his treasures and those of the temples were hidden; and three years afterward he was executed, with the kings of Texcoco and Tlacopan, on suspicion that they had conspired against the Spanish rule. The young emperor endured his torture calmly, and when the Texcoco chief groaned in his death-agony, reproved him, saying, “Do you think I am on a bed of roses?” A monument to Cuauhtemotzín, surmounted by a bronze statue, represented in the illustration, was erected in the city of Mexico in January, 1887.
CUBA, Dionisio Vives, Count of, Spanish
general, b. in the latter part of the 18th century; d. in
1840. He was captain-general of Cuba in 1824,
when all Spanish possessions on the American
continent had become independent. He had then but
few troops under his command, but managed to
maintain order and preserve the island of Cuba
for Spain without troubles or any sort of violence.
In recognition of his valuable services to the mother
country, the government rewarded him with high
honors, among them the title of Count of Cuba.
CUDEQUALA (coo-da-kah'-lah), Araucanian
warrior, b. in the Mariguena valley, Chili, about
1555; d. near Purén, 12 Dec., 1587. While very
young he entered the Araucanian army as a
private, although he was a nobleman, and gradually
won promotion to the grade of general. The
general-in-chief, Dayaucura, gave him command of a
strong army to attack the city of Angol, which he
did without success, but then marched to the city
of Arauco, besieged and entered it. Afterward he
intended to attack Fort Trinidad, this fortress
commanding the passage from Biobio, but a body of
Spanish troops under Francisco Hernandez came
out and defeated Cudequala, who lost an arm and
was otherwise severely wounded. This forced him
to retire to the mountains. He was followed thither
by the lieutenant-governor of Chili, who attempted
an ambuscade, only to be discovered, defeated, and
killed, with fifty of his men, 14 Nov., 1586. On
