MORATIN, NICOLAS FERNANDEZ DE, 1737-80; b. Madrid; a friend of 3.1ontiano, the restorer of classical tragedy in Spain. Following the example of Montiano and Luzan, he attempted to reform the drama, and to purge it of romanticism. In 1762 he pub lished three discourses against the older drama, under the title of Desengahos al atro Espaitol. In these discourses he bitterly attacked the old characteristic Autos Saeramcn tales, which were suppressed by the government in 1765. In the same year that the dis courses appeared he wrote a comedy, La .Pentimetra, in the French manner: neither this. nor his tradgedy L'IlereCia, was represented, on account of the strong prejudice then pre vailing in Spain against French innovations. In 1770 he succeeded in having his tragedy of Hormesinda produced on the stage, and it was favorably received. He wrote but one more tragedy, Guzman el Buene, which was never performed. Before this, he
had turned his talents in the direction in which he was to do his best work, and had published, in 1764. a collection of verses called El Poeta. This was followed the next year by Diana-, a didactic poem on the chase. His most important wcrk, a historical epic called Las Ndves de Cortes Destruidas, appeared the same year. Moratin at first practiced law, but M'aS afterward made professor of poetry in the imperial college at Madrid. He formed a club, which met at Madrid and considered the productions of contemporary literature. He was on intimate terms with the chief scholars and authors of Spain.—Cadnhalso, Ayala, Montiano, the botanist Ortega, and Fajardo, the translator of Buffon. His posthumous works were published by his son Leandro, in 1821.