Hartzenbusch, JUAN EUGENIO

Hartzenbusch, JUAN EUGENIO, a Spanish dramatic poet of German extraction, was born at Madrid, September 6, 1806, studied under the Jesuits, and produced his first book, the drama Amantes de Tcruel, in 1836. His principal works, all published at Madrid, are the drama Doña Mencía (1838), the comedies La Redoma Encantada (1839) and La Visionaria (1840), and the dramatic poems Alfonso el Casto (1841), El Bachiller Mendarias (1842), La Coja y el Encogido (1843), and others. He also published in prose Cuentos y Fabulas (1861), Obras Esecogidas (1865), and Obras de Encargo (1864). His writings are characterised by glowing imagination, vigorous diction, and sonorous versification. Besides his original works he issued good critical editions of the plays of Tirso de Molina, Calderon, and Lope de Vega. During the greater part of his life Hartzenbusch was employed in the national library at Madrid, of which he became director in 1862. He died at Madrid, 3d August 1880.