[61.]—Angel de Saavedra, Duque de Rivas (1791-1865) was born at Cordova. He prepared for a military career. By reason of his liberal ideas he was compelled to leave Spain and went to England, France and the Island of Malta. He returned to Spain in 1834 and became a cabinet minister, but was again forced to flee the country. Later he was welcomed back and represented Spain at Naples. He retired from politics and was appointed Director of the Spanish Academy.
See [Introduction], p. xxxvi; Blanco García, I, 129-153; Juan Valera, Florilegio, V, 184-195. His Obras completas, in 5 vols., were published by the Spanish Academy, Madrid, 1854-1855, with introductory essays by Pastor Díaz and Cañete. His works were also published in the Colección de Escritores castellanos, 1894-.
[4.] De... pro = en pro de mi sangre y casa.
[62.—3.] á la que: translate, before which.
[10.] duque de Borbón is the subject of estaba, l. 3.
[18.] Empérador = Charles V.
[64.—8.] Condestable = Velasco, Constable of Spain, who in 1521 defeated the comuneros who had rebelled against the rule of Charles V.
[65.—22.] Y con los que, with whom.
[23.] estrecho stands in antithesis to ancho: for his glory the broad world will be narrow.
[66.—18-19.] Y... leonesa = y un coleto á la leonesa de recamado ante.