History of Spanish Literature, vol. 3 (of 3)Ticknor, George
History
History of Spanish Literature, vol. 3 (of 3)
Ticknor, George
Spanish literature -- History and criticism
In 1772 Cadahalso published his “Eruditos á la Violeta,” or Fashionable
Learning, to which, from its considerable success, he added a
supplement the same year. The original work is a pleasant satire on
the superficial scholarship of his times, and is thrown into the form
of directions how to teach the whole circle of human knowledge in a
course of lectures, that shall just fill the seven days of the week;
the supplement giving a few further illustrations of the same subject,
and some of the results of such teachings on the unhappy scholars who
had been its victims. This, with a volume of poems printed the next
year, and containing several careful translations from the ancients,
a few satirical trifles after the manner of Quevedo, and a good many
Anacreontic songs and tales in the manner of Villegas, are all of his
works that were published during his lifetime.
But after his death there was found among his papers a collection of
letters, supposed to have been written by a person connected with an
embassy to Spain from Morocco, and addressed to his friends at home.
They belong to the large family of works of fiction, begun by Marana’s
“Turkish Spy,” and are commonly set down as imitations of Montesquieu’s
“Persian Letters,” but, in fact, show a nearer relationship with
Goldsmith’s “Citizen of the World.” The whole work, however, is more
occupied with literary discussions and temporary satire, than either
of those just referred to; and therefore, though it is written in a
pure and pleasant style, with wit and good sense, it has been far from
obtaining a place, like theirs, in the general regard of the world.
Still, like the rest of his posthumous works, which comprise a few more
compositions in prose satire and a few more poems, the best of which
are in the old short verses always so popular in Spain, “The Moorish
Letters” of Cadahalso have been often reprinted, and probably are not
destined to be forgotten.[346]
[346] His “Eruditos á la Violeta,” and his poetry, “Ocios de mi
Juventud,” were printed at Madrid, 1772 and 1773, 4to, under the
assumed name of Joseph Vasquez. An edition of his Works, with an
excellent Life by Navarrete, appeared at Madrid, in 1818, in 3
tom. 12mo, and has been reprinted more than once since. For the
contemporary opinion of Cadahalso, see Sempere, _loc. cit._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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