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Pedro de Mexía and Spanish Golden Age Historiography

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

Edward James Schuster
Edward James Schuster*
Affiliation:
Loras College
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Extract

Those who study the humanities are continually reminded that great events do not always find historians of commensurate stature to record and interpret them. In this respect, however, Spain's Golden Age was exceptionally privileged. Names such as Pulgar, López de Gómara, Zurita, Mariana, Sandoval, and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza recall an era of diligent, conscientious historical scholarship combined with elegance and grace of expression. Publications in Spain once more have directed attention to this outstanding period of historiography. It will be recalled that in this field the pioneer investigations of Irving, Prescott, and Ticknor have been amply developed by Armstrong, H. Baumgarten, Konrad Häbler, Roger Bigelow Merriman, as well as other American and European scholars. A typical Golden Age historian is Pero (Pedro) de Mexía (1497?-1551), whose historical works are the object of new research.

Type
Research Article
Information
Renaissance News , Volume 13 , Issue 1-Part1 , Spring 1960 , pp. 3 - 6
Copyright
Copyright © Renaissance Society of America 1960

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References

1 Initial publication of heretofore unpublished manuscripts, together with new, revised editions: Fernando del Pulgar, Crónica de los Reyes Católicos, ed. Juan de Mata Carriazo, 2 vols. (Madrid: Espasa Calpe, 1943); Pero de Mexia, Historia del Emperador Carlos V, ed. Mata Carriazo (Madrid: Espasa Calpe, 1945.

2 Historia imperial y cesárea, ‘Prologo al lector':… Y ya que yo no pueda vestir mi historia de otra hermosura, trabajare cierto, y assi lo prometo de escriuir verdaderamente: contentandome con lo que acerca de Cicerõ dize Catullo, que no es meñster ser orador para escriuir historia, que basta no ser mentiroso… Las otras cõdiciones y leyes de la historia en la razon de los tiempos y en la distinctiõ y nombres de las puincias [provincias?], la perspicuydad, las sentencias y consejos, y lo demas tocante al ornato y perfecion della, hazer se ha dello lo que cupiere en la priessa y breuedad he propuesto de saguir, y fue necessaria para abreuiar cosa tan grande, y lo que la flaqueza de mi ingenio y la humildad y llaneza de mi estilo pudiere alcanzar….