QUINTANA, MANUEL JOSE, an eminent Spanish poet and patriot, frequently called "the Spanish Tyrtæus," was born at Madrid in 1772. He was educated at Salamanca, and adopted the profession of the law under the patronage of Jovellanos. But he secretly indulged a preference for letters; and in 1801 he wrote his tragedy of The Duke of Viso, and in 1805 he produced his Pelayo. The former had but little success; but the latter, which had been designed to rouse his countrymen to a resistance of foreign oppression, struck a chord in their hearts which it took a number of years to allay. Meanwhile, in 1802, he had published a thin volume of poems almost entirely lyrical, which rang through the hearts of the half of Spain. He wrote in the same spirit, in 1807, a volume containing the lives of five distinguished Spaniards who had successfully fought the enemies of their country. He at the same time prepared three volumes of selections from the best Spanish poets, accompanying them with critical notices, which were not without occasional Gallicisms, but yet were thoroughly national in spirit, and were unquestionably superior to anything of the kind in the Spanish language. Many years afterwards Quintana added both to the lives and selections. At the outbreak of the revolution of 1808 Quintana devoted all his talents and all his fortune to the service of his country. He wrote Odes to Emancipated Spain; he harangued his countrymen through the journals; he penned the proclamations, manifestoes, and addresses which so honourably distinguish his career as secretary to the Cortes and to the regency; and he had his reward. Ferdinand VII. no sooner gained his freedom from France than, in 1816, on his return to Madrid, a persecution was instituted against the very men who had contributed to his liberation. Quintana was imprisoned in the fortress of Pamplona for six miserable years, without even the use of writing materials. But a change came at last. In 1820 he was raised to greater distinction than he had known before, which he was allowed to enjoy for three years, when another political revolution took from him both place and power. He retired to Estremadura till the king's death, when he was again restored to his old public offices, was created a peer of the realm, and received a crown of laurel from the hands of the present Queen of Spain, whose edu-
Quintanar cation he had superintended. He died at Madrid on the 11th March 1857, aged eighty-four. His funeral was attended by the leading nobility and all the noted men of letters in the Spanish capital.
Quintana's complete works will be found occupying a volume of the Biblioteca de Autores Españoles of Rivadeneyra, by Ferrer del Rio, published in 1852. His Lives of Celebrated Spaniards has been translated into English by Preston.