Mexican literature has always been noted for the number and excellence of its historians, and three, Gama, Veytia and Clavijero, add lustre to the 18th century. To their industry, nearsightedness, power of discrimination and perspicuity of style we owe much of our knowl edge of the history of New Spain.
Nineteenth Century.— Jose Joaquin Fernan dez de Lizardi (1771-1817) forms the bridge between the last of the schools that grew up, flourished and declined under the patronage of the Spanish Crown and the new school whiek came into being with the success of the rem lution which made of Mexico an independent nation. He is the most pronounced herald of independence and the keenest thinker of his day. For this reason he is universally knows wherever the Spanish language is spoken as °El Pensador Mexican' (The Mexican Thinker). 'El Periquillo Sarmiento,' his mos: famous work, is as well known in Spain as in Mexico. It has been published many times and is now looked upon as a classic in the Sponge tongue. In vain the critics have pointed out in many faults in style, its Mexicanisms and is careless use of words. It is so true to nature, so full of compassion and understanding, ye withal so humorous, so sprightly, so connixics1 that it appeals directly to the universal human heart. The (Periquillo) analyzes character and actions and presents the reader with iimnmer able charming pictures which he instinctively feels are true. Lizardi was a publicist in the broad sense of the word, and he has left in numerable articles of all kinds and treating oi a great variety of subjects. Next to 'Pen quillo' his most popular works are his 'Fables' and his 'Sad Nights.' Among the successors of Lizardi are Man uel Carpio (1791-1860) and Manuel Ednank de Gorostiza (1789-1851), two names whid have shed lustre on Mexican literature. Ca: pio displays a wide range of sympathies: ai! his descriptive poetry is considered the equal of any written in Mexico. He is the first and beg epic poet of his country and his lyrics have the true lyrical swing. Gorostiza led the way a the production of modern drama in Mexick He was the first to enter the field which was successfully filled, later on, by the many da matists who have won laurels for Mexican El erature since the overthrow of Spanish damp nation in 1821. His subjects are always full interest and wide in range; his plots are a fully constructed and his dramas have the broad human sympathy which ever appeals c. mankind. He has successfully blended larity of style with depth of thought and ken analysis. Three other dramatists belong to than period, Juan Menceslao Barquera (1779-18401. Anastasio Ochoa (1783-1833) and Franciscr Ortega (1793-1849). Of these Ortega is the best. Both he and Barquera were jounsalisa of note and saw many sides of life, which de! both reflect in their dramas. Being journalises they were also naturally political writers, )kid of great power and influence. Ortega wrote heroic odes, love poems, sacred songs, sonne fables, epigrams and stories of a political as His dramatic works are a drama: 'The Mysteries of the Print-shop,' a comedy. and 'Freedom of Mexico,' a Among Barquera's successful dramas, all 0: which were produced in the capital, are 'The Seducer,' 'Triumph of Educa tion,' 'The Proxy's 'The Orphan Girl of TIalnepantla> and 'Don Alfonso.' Manuel Sanchez de • Tagle shares with Lizardi the honor of forming tilt connecting link between Mexican literary activ ity under Spanish rule and the revolutionan literature that followed. He is noted for nal uralness, simplicity and regularity of metric forms. He is fond of the ideal, the mystical, he is poetically religious and he looks upon the actions of men and the deity alike as ruled by an inexorable destiny, which recalls the Latin fates. His plots are simple in construction and development and he is free from affectation and the excessive poetical adornment which dis tinguish the preceding age. Jose Joaquin Pe sado (1801-61), Jose M. Heredia (1803-39) and Manuel Alpuche (1804-41), contemporaries of Tagle, and very active during the stirring years that followed the establishment of the re public, paved the way for singers more dis tinctively Mexican in sentiment, subject and treatment. Of these the greatest is Pesado, who, in his day, enjoyed, in the mother country, the reputation of being new star on the horizon of Mexican literature Among his admirers were the Spanish poets Zorilla, Martinez de la Rosa and Herreras. Purity of language, care ful choice of words and expressions, vividness of thought and classical restraint are character istics of Pesado's work. But it is with Jesus Diaz (1809-46) and Fernando Calderon (1809 45) that the real spirit of Mexico, as a new na tion, begins to manifest itself. To Calderon is
due the honor of creating for Mexico a na tional drama. He often went afield for his subjects when he might have found better at home; yet, inasmuch as he pointed out the way which others subsequently followed, his work is of great importance in any review of Mexican literature. Among his dramas are (Reinaldo and Enna"' dinad 'Modern Politics,' 'Ramiro Count of Lu cena,' 'Infigenia,' and Virginia,' (None of the Three,' 'The Tournament,' 'Anne Boleyn' and Ignacio Rodri guez Galvin (1816-42), a lyric and dramatic poet of great power, imagination and passion ate utterance, has left two dramas distinctly Mexican, (Munoz> and 'The Private Secretary to the Viceroy.' From the days of the revolution against Spain to the present, the literary life of Mex ico has been wonderfully active and varied. To the vanguard who breathed the breath of life into this national literary activity belong lose M. Esteva (1818-98), Ignacio Ramirez (1818 79), Guillermo Prieto (1818-94), Manuel Payno (1822-89), Jose T. Cuellar (1823-93). Augus tin Rivera (1824-1913), Joaquin Garcia Icaz balceta (1825-94), Antonio Garcia Cubas (1832-96), Jose M. Vigil (1829-1908), Jose M. Roa Barcena (1827-1906), Isabel Prieto de Lan dazuri (1833-76), Ramon Aldama (1832-92), Ig nacio M. Altamirano (1834-93), Eduardo Ruiz (1832-1906), Vicente Riva Palacio (1832-96), Luis G. Ortiz (1835-94), Melisio Morales (1838—) and Rosas Moreno (1838-83). Es teva gave a distinctly national note to his work and painted truthfully and with consid erable humor, pathos and vividness, the cus toms, habits and peculiarities of the Mexican people, with whom he was very popular. Ramirez and Prieto, though very far apart in many respects, may be classed together on ac count of the unity of their aims and the strong influence they had over the Republican party and democratic Mexico. They were both fire brands of the revolution that finally swept away all the privileges of the Catholic Church, confiscated and nationalized its property and drove the French out of Mexico. Both were noted orators and their poetry takes a decidedly oratorical caste. Ramirez plays so successfully upon all the strings of the human heart that his admiring countrymen call him eThe Necro mancer.° Prieto is the master spirit of re publicanism in Mexico. His is the loudest, sur est, most-compelling voice crying out in be half of the people during the long struggle against privileges, entrenched abuses and foreign intervention. He had a way of going right to the hearts of the people whose idol he was; and for whom he was the first to form tradi tions of national glory. He summoned them out of the darkness of their internecine struv gle and bade them listen to the voice of their mother-land. He called up the Mexican heroes of the past and crowned those of his own age with laurels of glory. Possessed of the true poetical fires, he set the nation aflame in an age when the passions of men were easily stirred. He was lyrical poet, romancer, politi cal writer and chronicler. His best-known work is 'El Romancero NacionaL> Payno was political writer, biographer, historian and novel ist. He was very prolific. His best novel is The Devil's Scarf Pin> and his history of the war between Mexico and the United States is a good presentation of the Mexican side of the question. Cuellar, an excellent comedy writer and novelist, was very successful on the stage. Among his dramatic pieces are 'The Art of Love,' 'Old Man Chacim,' 'Poor Boys,' 'Griefs and Sacrifices' and and Figura.' Among his novels and stories are 'Salad and Chicken,' 'Gobina,' Maids,' who are Just so' and 'Gabriel the Locksmith.' Many of his most successful stories appeared in the Lantern Series.' Isabel Prieto and Aldema were also successful and popular dramatists. The latter, who was poet, journalist and political writer, and in. dined strongly to the melodramatic, has left numerous dramas, of which the most popular are Noble Heart,' to Vengeance' and 'Head and Heart." Isabel Prieto is the most noted woman dramatist of Mexico; she is also an excellent lyrical poet. Among her dramas are are the Worst,' Flow ers,' 'A School for Sisters-in law,' and Tinsel,' (A Type of the Day, (Thorns of Sin,' (A Woman's Heart,' and Seraphim,' 'Carnival Night,' 'Sin and Penitence,' 'A Lily Among Thorns' and An el of the Hearth.' Jose M. Roa Barcena is the best short-story writer of Mexico and much of his work has been translated into French, Italian and Eng lish. He also wrote several novels. His (Leg ends of Mexico' and his of the American Invasion' are well and carefully written. His short stories display a saving sense of humor, keen analysis of character and excellent constructive ability.