Poets, Spanish; Spanish poetry -- History and criticism; Spanish poetry -- Translations into English
At Madrid under these circumstances, a fugitive from his father’s
house, he had now passed almost a year, when he came forth before the
public, as we have narrated, on the occasion of Larra’s funeral. How
he had passed those months we are not informed further, than that
he had to submit to every kind of annoyances and privations, which
he surmounted by the firmness of his determination and the elevated
character of his hopes. He had in the interval sent several pieces of
poetry to the different periodicals, by which his name had already
become sufficiently known to a number of those who hailed him on the
14th February as supplying the place of the popular writer they had
lost.
On the following day, Zorrilla could say, like Lord Byron, that he
awoke and found himself famous. The verses on Larra were in every
one’s mouth, and all others that could be obtained of his writing
were eagerly collected. Editors and proprietors of periodicals were
anxious to obtain his cooperation for their works, and his period
of difficulties had passed away. Before the year closed, the first
volume of his poems appeared with an introduction by Pastor Diaz, and
that was so eagerly bought that he was induced to bring out others in
succession, with a prolificness unknown almost even in Spain. Seven
other closely printed volumes of his poems were published, including
several plays, within about three years afterwards, and eight or nine
other volumes have appeared since. His works have been reprinted in
Paris and in various parts of Spanish America, and received everywhere
with unbounded admiration, so as at once to prove him one of the most
favourite poets that Spain has produced.
While he was thus rising to fame and competence, his father, on the
other hand, had fallen into misfortune. A high prerogative lawyer,
he had maintained the doctrines of absolutism, and at length openly
espoused the cause of Don Carlos. On the failure of this prince’s
attempts to gain the throne, the elder Zorrilla, with other adherents,
was proscribed and had his property confiscated. His son had not heard
from him after this event for some years, when he received a letter
from his father from Bayonne, stating that he was in difficulties,
and requesting him to apply to a former friend, whom he named, for
a loan for his assistance. Zorrilla wrote back to say that there
was no occasion to incur an obligation from one not related to him,
and that he himself was happy to have it in his power to send him
the sum required, which he would repeat at stated intervals. This
he accordingly did, until he received his father’s directions to
discontinue it, as not requiring it any more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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