FERNANDO DEZT., an eminent Spanish historian, was born at Madrid in the first half of the fifteenth century. Making a fair start, he advanced through life a successful courier, and a favourite of several successive sovereigns. John II. made him one of his pages. Henry IV. gave him several honourable posts. Isabella brought his preferment to a climax by keeping him near her person as her counsellor, secretary, chronicler, and confidential correspondent. It was in this favourable position that Pulgar set himself to describe the events and men of his time. His annals of the reign of Isabella rose to no great degree of excellence. The former part of this work, ending with the events of 1482, is not trustworthy. The latter part, bringing the narratives down to 1490, abandons the easy, picturesque style of a chronicle, to imitate the ancient histories in their lofty speeches and profound philosophical reflections. Much more able was his other work, Clares Varones de Castilla, or lives of forty-six of the most celebrated men of his own age. Catching the spirit of the great classical biographers, he described the knights and gentlemen of Castile with great force and effect. His conception of their characters was earnestly appreciative, his moral reflections were elevated in tone, and his style was dignified and elegant. Pulgar had died about the close of the fifteenth century, before these two productions were published. The Clares Varones appeared along with thirty-two of his letters, in 4to, 1500; and the History was first printed in 1565, under the name of Antonio de Lebrija. The best edition of the latter work is that published at Valencia, fol., 1780. One of the best editions of the former is that of Madrid, 4to, 1775. (See Ticknor's Sp. Lit.)