Antonio Enríquez Gómez
Encyclopedia
Antonio Enríquez Gómez Spanish
dramatist, poet
and novelist of Portuguese
-Jewish origin, was known in the early part of his career as Enríque Enríquez de Paz. Furthermore, certain of his works feature the alternate spelling, Antonio Henrique Gómez
Born at Segovia
, he entered the army, obtained a captaincy, was suspected of heresy, fled to France about 1636, assumed the name of Antonio Enríquez Gómez, and became major-domo to Louis XIII
, to whom he dedicated Luis dado de Dios 4 Anna (Paris, 1645).
Some twelve years later he removed to Amsterdam
, avowed his conversion to Judaism
, and was burned in effigy at Seville
on April 14, 1660. He is supposed to have returned to France, and to have died there in the following year. Three of his plays, El Gran Cardenal de España, don Gil de Albornoz, and the two parts of Fernán Mendez Pinto (based on the life of the Portuguese explorer Fernão Mendes Pinto
) were received with great applause at Madrid
about 1629; in 1635 he contributed a sonnet
to Montalbán
's collection of posthumous panegyric
s on Lope de Vega
, to whose dramatic school Enríquez Gómez belonged.
The Academias morales de las Musas, consisting of four plays (including A lo que obliga el honor, which recalls Calderón
's Medico de su honra) was published at Bordeaux in 1642; La Torre de Babilonia, containing the two parts of Fernán Mendez Pinto, appeared at Rouen in 1647; and in the preface to his poem, Sansón Nazareno (Rouen, 1656), Enríquez Gómez gives the titles of sixteen other plays issued, as he alleges, at Seville. There is no foundation for the theory that he wrote the plays ascribed to Fernando de Zárate.
His dramatic works, though effective on the stage, are disfigured by extravagant incidents and preciosity of diction. The latter defect is likewise observable in the mingled prose and verse of La Culpa del primer peregrino (Rouen, 1644) and the dialogues entitled Politico Angelica (Rouen, 1647). Enríquez Gómez is best represented by El Siglo Pitagórico y Vida de don Gregorio Guadana (Rouen, 1644), a striking picaresque novel in prose and verse which is still reprinted.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
dramatist, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and novelist of Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
-Jewish origin, was known in the early part of his career as Enríque Enríquez de Paz. Furthermore, certain of his works feature the alternate spelling, Antonio Henrique Gómez
Born at Segovia
Segovia
Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of Segovia Province in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated north of Madrid, 30 minutes by high speed train. The municipality counts some 55,500 inhabitants.-Etymology:...
, he entered the army, obtained a captaincy, was suspected of heresy, fled to France about 1636, assumed the name of Antonio Enríquez Gómez, and became major-domo to Louis XIII
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
, to whom he dedicated Luis dado de Dios 4 Anna (Paris, 1645).
Some twelve years later he removed to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, avowed his conversion to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and was burned in effigy at Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
on April 14, 1660. He is supposed to have returned to France, and to have died there in the following year. Three of his plays, El Gran Cardenal de España, don Gil de Albornoz, and the two parts of Fernán Mendez Pinto (based on the life of the Portuguese explorer Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto was a Portuguese explorer and writer. His exploits are known through the posthumous publication of his memoir Pilgrimage in 1614, an autobiographical work whose truthfulness is nearly impossible to assess...
) were received with great applause at Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
about 1629; in 1635 he contributed a sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
to Montalbán
Juan Pérez de Montalbán
Juan Pérez de Montalbán , Spanish Catholic priest, dramatist, poet and novelist, was born at Madrid.At the age of eighteen he became a licentiate in theology, was ordained priest in 1625 and appointed notary to the Inquisition...
's collection of posthumous panegyric
Panegyric
A panegyric is a formal public speech, or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing, a generally highly studied and discriminating eulogy, not expected to be critical. It is derived from the Greek πανηγυρικός meaning "a speech fit for a general assembly"...
s on Lope de Vega
Lope de Vega
Félix Arturo Lope de Vega y Carpio was a Spanish playwright and poet. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Century Baroque literature...
, to whose dramatic school Enríquez Gómez belonged.
The Academias morales de las Musas, consisting of four plays (including A lo que obliga el honor, which recalls Calderón
Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Pedro Calderón de la Barca y Barreda González de Henao Ruiz de Blasco y Riaño usually referred as Pedro Calderón de la Barca , was a dramatist, poet and writer of the Spanish Golden Age. During certain periods of his life he was also a soldier and a Roman Catholic priest...
's Medico de su honra) was published at Bordeaux in 1642; La Torre de Babilonia, containing the two parts of Fernán Mendez Pinto, appeared at Rouen in 1647; and in the preface to his poem, Sansón Nazareno (Rouen, 1656), Enríquez Gómez gives the titles of sixteen other plays issued, as he alleges, at Seville. There is no foundation for the theory that he wrote the plays ascribed to Fernando de Zárate.
His dramatic works, though effective on the stage, are disfigured by extravagant incidents and preciosity of diction. The latter defect is likewise observable in the mingled prose and verse of La Culpa del primer peregrino (Rouen, 1644) and the dialogues entitled Politico Angelica (Rouen, 1647). Enríquez Gómez is best represented by El Siglo Pitagórico y Vida de don Gregorio Guadana (Rouen, 1644), a striking picaresque novel in prose and verse which is still reprinted.
Publications
- J. Amador de los Rios, Estudios históricos, politicos, y literarios sobre los judios de España (Madrid, 1848)