DON PEDRO

See also:

• LOPEZ, CARLOS ANTONIO (1790-1862)

LOPEZ DE

See also:

• DON PEDRO LOPEZ DE AYALA (1332–1407)

AYALA (1332–1407)  , Spanish states-man, historian and poet, was born at Vittoria in 1332 . He first came into prominence at the court of Peter the Cruel, whose cause he finally deserted; he greatly distinguished himself in subsequent campaigns, during which he was twice made prisoner, by the Black Prince at Najera (1367) and by the Portuguese at Aljubarrota (1385) . A favourite of Henry II. and John I. of Castile, he was made grand chancellor of the realm by Henry III. in 1398 . A brave officer and an able diplomat, Ayala was one of the most cultivated Spaniards of his time, at once historian, translator and poet . Of his many works the most important are his chronicles of the four kings of Castile during whose reigns he lived; they give a generally accurate account of scenes and events, most of which he had witnessed; he also wrote a long satirical and didactic poem, interesting as a picture of his personal experiences and of contemporary morality . The first part of his chronicle, covering only the reign of Peter the Cruel, was printed at Seville in 1495; the first complete edition was printed in 1779–1780 in the collection of CrOnicas Espanolas, under the auspices of the Spanish Royal Academy of History . Ayala died at'Calahorra in 1407 . See Rafael Floranes, " Vida literaria de Pedro Lopez de Ayala," in the Documentos ineditos para la hisloria de Espana, vols. xix. and xx . ; F . W . Schirrmacher, ".Tiber die Glaubwiirdigkeit der Chronik Ayalas," in Geschichte von Spanien (Berlin, 1902), vol . V. pp .

510-532 .