The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes / His Fortunes & Adversities; with a Notice of the Mendoza Family, a Short Life of the Author, Don Diego Hurtado De Mendoza, a Notice of the Work, and Some Remarks on the Character of Lazarillo de Tormes

by Anonymous

By nature deck’d and well arrayed

She looked like some bright Summer Queen;

And not a common village maid

Of Finojosa’s frontier green.

But the chief poetical work of the Marquis of Santillana was the Comedieta de Ponza, founded on the story of a great sea-fight, near the island of Ponza, in 1435, between the Aragon fleet and the Genoese. At the request of King Juan II. he also made a collection of proverbs for his son Enrique IV. This was the earliest collection of proverbs made in modern times.

Children of the
Marquis of
Santillana.The noble poet married Catalina Suarez de Figueroa, daughter of Don Lorenzo Suarez de Figueroa, Lord of Feria and Zafra. The Marquis died in 1454, leaving ten children:—

1. Don Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, first Duke of Infantado.

2. Don Pedro Laso de Mendoza, married to Ines Carillo, Lady of Mondejar. They had two daughters:—

1. Maria, married to the second Count of Tendilla.

2. Catalina, married to Luis de la Cerda, Duke of Medina Celi.