[69] “Fizo _assaz buenas_ canciones,” says the Marquis of Santillana, in his antiquated Spanish, speaking of his grandfather. The remaining notices which he gives of the origin of Spanish poetry communicate nothing, in addition to what has been already mentioned, on those things respecting which it is most desirable to be informed. [70] See Velasquez, according to Dieze, page 302. [71] See Sarmiento, page 345. [72] See the observations of Sarmiento, page 352. [73] An extract made from this treatise of the Marquis of Villena by Gregorio Mayans, may be found in the _Origines de la lengua Española_, tom. ii. pag. 321. The whole work probably exists in manuscript in Spanish libraries. [74] Tanto es el provecho, que viene desta dotrina a la vida civil, quitando ocio y ocupando los generosos ingenios en tan honesta investigacion, que las otras naciones desearon y procuraron haver entre si escuela desta dotrina, y por esso fue ampliada por el mundo en diversas partes.--The measure of this sonorous period will not be overlooked. [75] Temporum iniquitate sublimi virtute superata, honorem vitæ ac bonum nomen fallacibus delinimentis omnibus, quæ magnam quamque fortunam velut pedissequi comitantur, præferebat, says, in allusion to him, Nicolas Antonio, who at the same time refers to the Chronicles, from which he had drawn his information respecting the Marquis of Santillana. [76] This elegy is inserted along with other poems by the Marquis in all the editions of the _Cancionero general_, immediately after the spiritual poems. No complete collection of the works of this celebrated man has yet been printed. [77] That the Marquis had read Dante can scarcely be doubted, for he quotes him in this poem:-- Assi conseguimos de aquella manera, Hasta que llegamos en somo del monte, No menos cansados que Dante Acheronte. [78] Thus the two following stanzas are crowded with the names of authors, ancient and modern, with the view of shewing the loss which Spanish literature had sustained by the death of Villena. Perdimos a _Homero_ que mucho honorana este sacro monte do nos habitamos perdimos a _Ovidio_ el que coronamos del arbol laureo que muchos amava Perdimos _Horacio_ que nos invocava en todos exordios de su poesia assi disminuye la nuestra valia que antiguos tiempos tanto prosperava. Perdimos a _Livio_ y a Mantuano _Macrobio_, _Valerio_, _Salustio_, _Magneo_ pues no olvidemos al moral _Agneo_ de quien se loava el pueblo Romano Perdimos a _Julio_ y a _Casaliano_ _Alano_, _Boecio_, _Petrarcha_, _Fulgencio_ Perdimos a _Dante_, _Gaufre_, _Terencio_ _Juvenal_, _Estacio_, y _Quintiliano_. [79] Stanzas, like the following, deserve to be extracted from this work, as they are calculated to shew what might have been expected of the Marquis of Santillana, had he cultivated his talent for poetry under more favourable circumstances.