Page:Modern poets and poetry of Spain.djvu/32

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INTRODUCTION.

much spirit, deserves particular mention. The best of his poems seems an 'Ode on the Death of Cadalso,' by whose side he was present when he received his wound. The Conde further attempted an epic, in twelve cantos, entitled 'Ommiada,' detailing the events in the reign of Abderaman, the last of the Ommiades, which poem was published in two volumes in 1816. For the purpose of assisting him in this work, he had translated several pieces from the Arabic and other eastern languages into Spanish verse, published since at Paris in 1833.

4. Juan Maria Maury, who died in 1846, was another writer of considerable talent. He was sent early in life to France, and completed his education in England, becoming thereby well acquainted with the language and literature of both countries. His principal work is a poem entitled, 'Esvero y Almedora,' in twelve cantos, published at Paris in 1840. It is founded on the adventures of a passage-at-arms, held against all comers, in 1434, at the bridge of Orbiza, near Leon, and contains several interesting scenes spiritedly described. His earliest work was a poem he called 'British Aggression,' published in 1806, the sentiments of which he seems afterwards to have considerably modified. Maury appears to have been a person of very amiable character, and much esteemed by all who knew him, judging by the manner in which Del Rio and others write respecting him. In his latter years he resided almost entirely at Paris, and gained for himself the extraordinary merit of being esteemed also a correct writer of French verse, by his translations of the principal Spanish poets into that language. This work, published in two volumes at Paris in 1826, entitled, 'Espagne Poétique, Choix de Poésies Castellanes depuis Charles Quint jusqu'à nos jours,' is, as the name imports, a selection of Spanish poetry with critical and biographical notices, made with much