Bernardo de Balbuena

A Spanish poet, born in Val de Peñas, 1568; died in Porto Rico, 1627. At an early age he was taken by his parents to Mexico, where he received his education. Later he spent twelve years in Jamaica, and then passed the remainder of his days of Bishop of Porto Rico, to which see he was appointed in 1620. He published “La Grandeza Mejicana” in 1604, and in 1608, in Madrid, “Siglo de Oro en las Selvas de Eriphile”, a very learned pastoral romance abounding in beautiful poetic passages. The book, however, contained no description of the scenery or manners of the New World and nothing connected with the history of the times. Possibly for this reason it was not in great demand among Balbuena’s contemporaries. But in 1821 it had the honour of being republished by the Spanish Academy. Another work “El Bernardo ó Victoriade Roncesvalles” was published in Madrid in 1624 (new edition, 1808). It was an epic poem on the subject of Spain’s resistance to the invasion of Charlemagne.