CAPMANY Y DE MONTPALAU, kip mi-ne e Antonio de, Spanish critic and historian : b. Barcelona, 24 Nov. 1742; d. Cadiz, 14 Nov. 1813. He served in the wars with Portugal in 1762, left the army in 1770 and joined Olavide in his scheme for colonizing and cultivating the Sierra Morena. This en terprise terminated disastrously, and Capmany removed to Madrid, where he was chosen sec retary of the Royal Historical Academy of Spain in 1790, and filled several offices in the gift of the government. He traveled in Italy, Germany, France and England. When the French entered Madrid in 1808 he fled to Se ville, arriving there destitute and in rags. He was chosen a member of the Cortes of Cadiz, in which capacity he made himself conspicuous by his patriotism and active opposition to the new rulers. His works, which enjoy a high reputa tion in Spain, are numerous; among them are historicas sobre la marina, comer cio artes de la antigua ciudad de Barcelona> (4 vols., 1779-92) ; 'Cuestiones criticas sobre
varios puntos de historia, economics, politica y militar> (1807) ; (Teator historico-critico de la elocuencia espatiola) (5 vols., 1786-94) • Dic cionario Frances-Espafiol' (1805) ; de las costumbres mariumas de Barcelona' (2 vols, 1791). Of these, the 'Memorias,> the 'Cues tones> and the contain valuable de tails on the commerce, industry and maritime laws of the Middle Ages. He is equally famed for his philological works, the chief of which are (Discursos analiticos sobre la formacion y perfeccien de las lenguas, y sobre la castellana en particular (1776) and 'Filosofia de la elo cuencia' (1776; London 1812; Gerona 1826). The purity of his language led the Real Acade mia Espafiola to include his name in the 'Cati logo de Autoridades del Idioma.> Consult Sempere y Guarinos, 'Ensayo de una biblioteca espafiola> (6 vols., Madrid 1785-89).