dor arrived, and, seeing her dangerous wound, ordered her to confess. She revealed the secret of her sex to the priest, and was taken to the house of the treasurer Alcedo. After many more adventures, mostly personal encounters, she met Bishop Agustin de Carvajal, to whom she related the story of her life, telling him she was willing to submit to examination by a committee of matrons, adding that she still preserved her purity. It was proved by the declarations of the matrons that she had spoken the truth. Catalina lived in a convent in 1620-'2, then travelled to New Granada, and sailed for Spain, arriving in Cadiz, 1 Dec., 1624. Her fame had preceded her, and crowds thronged the streets with cries of “Long life to valor!” “Long live the ensign-nun!” In Madrid she presented an account of her services to King Philip IV., who granted her a pension for life of 800 crowns. Catalina set out for Barcelona, but before arriving there was robbed. From Barcelona she went to Genoa, and thence to Rome, where the pope, Urbano VIII., granted her an audience, and, having heard the narrative of her adventures, gave her absolution for all the crimes she might have committed, with permission to dress in male attire for the rest of her life. She next went to Naples, and thence to Spain, remaining in Seville until 1630, in which year she embarked again for Havana, and thence for Mexico, as ensign in the fleet commanded by Capt. de Echazarreta. In Mexico she made a long campaign, and, as usual, distinguished herself by her bravery in battle, and after some years retired from the service, bought a string of pack-mules, and began trade between the city of Mexico and Vera Cruz. A certain rich merchant commissioned her to take a young lady from Jalapa. Catalina, enchanted with the beauty of the young lady, grew very fond of her; but when they reached Mexico a nobleman became enamored of the girl, and, although Catalina offered to place $3,000 at interest in her name, and give her half her pension, if she would become a nun, the young lady married the nobleman. Unable to endure the absence of her beloved friend, Catalina went to the house of the latter, where she was well received; but as she repeated her visits too often, the lady, jealous of her reputation, persuaded her husband to forbid Catalina the house. At this the latter almost lost her reason, and challenged the husband, who declined to measure swords with a woman. A short time afterward the husband was defending himself against three men who had attacked him, when Catalina took up his defence and vanquished them. In 1650, on her way to Vera Cruz, she fell ill at Cuitaxtla, and in a few days expired, and was buried at Orizaba. Archbishop Palafox, of Mexico, caused a eulogistic epitaph to be inscribed on her tomb in 1651. The memorial presented by her to King Philip IV. is referred to on page 135 of the book published by Don Joaquin Maria Ferrer, and was accompanied by a certification of Don Luis de Cespedes Feria, governor of Paraguay, of Don Francisco Perez de Navarrete, of Don Juan Cortes de Monroy, governor of Veraguas, and of Gen. Don Juan Recio de Leon. The king and the pope called her Ensign Doña Catalina Erauzo. Don Pedro de la Valle, in a work on his voyages (1630), says he knew her in Rome, and that in that city Francesco Crecencio executed a portrait of her. The history of her life, written by herself, was published in Mexico in 1653. The Rev. Nicholas Renteria in 1693 gave a succinct account of her life. The poet Juan Perez de Montalban wrote a drama entitled “La Monja Alférez” (“The Ensign-Nun”), which was represented in Lima and in Seville at the beginning of the present century. Don Candido M. Trigueros wrote a poem on Doña Catalina Erauzo (Seville, 1784). Gil Gonzalez Davila, in his life of Philip III., gives a succinct account of Doña Catalina. He mentions that he met her at an inn in the dress of a soldier, and that he saw her wounds, and the documents that proved her services. Joaquin M. Ferrer published her history (Paris, 1829), taken from her memoirs. In 1630 Pacheco made a full-length portrait of her from the following description: “She is tall, for a woman; her eyes are large, black, and brilliant; her lips red and full; her nose rather short, the nostrils dilated; her neck is short; her figure, neither good nor bad; her hair short, and anointed with pomade, according to the fashion. Her gait is light and elegant; her manners natural; her hands alone are feminine, but rather in gestures than in form. There is a light brown down on the upper lip.”
ERBEN, Peter, organist, b. in Philadelphia,
Pa., in 1771; d. in New York city in 1863. After
the death of his father, who was one of the early
German settlers in Pennsylvania, he removed to
New York, where he became an organ-builder, and
was also organist in Trinity parish from 1807 till
1839. — His son, Henry, b. in New York city in
1801; d. there in May, 1883, was also an
organ-builder. — Peter's grandson, Henry, b. in New York
city, entered the navy as midshipman in 1848, and
was retired as rear-admiral in September, 1894.
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ERCILLA Y ZÚÑIGA, Alonso de (er-theel'-ya), Spanish poet, b. in Madrid, 7 Aug., 1533; d. there about 1595. He was the third son of Fortun Garcia, lord of Torre de Ercilla, and Leonor de Zuñiga, a noble lady in the service of Empress Isabella, wife of Charles V. In early youth he was a page to the Prince of Asturias, afterward Philip II., and in 1554 accompanied Philip to England on the occasion of the latter's marriage to Queen Mary. While he was in London news was received of the rebellion of the Araucanians, a brave nation of Chili, and Ercilla at once joined the expedition against them under Alderete. He highly distinguished himself in the campaign that followed, taking part in seven battles and many other fierce encounters. He afterward accompanied Hurtado de Mendoza to the conquest of Chiloe, near the straits of Magellan, and with ten followers, on 28 Feb., 1558, penetrated inland to a point that had been reached by no other Europeans, leaving a statement of that fact in verse, cut in the bark of a tree. After taking possession of those regions in the name of the Spanish monarch, he returned to the city of Imperial, and, being suspected of joining in a mutiny, was condemned to be beheaded, but was reprieved and afterward exiled. While at Lima he heard of the rebellion and cruelties of Lope de Aguirre in Venezuela, and
