y of Herrera, and which led
Espronceda, a poet of Estremadura, a man of genius, and the author of
several translations from Byron, whom he resembled both in mental and
personal characteristics, to address her an eulogistic sonnet. In 1843,
when she was but twenty years old, a volume of her poems was published
at Madrid, in which were included both that entitled _La Palma_ and the
one I have given in this note. To this volume Hartzenbusch, in his
admiration for her genius, prefaced an introduction.

The task of writing verses in Spanish is not difficult. Rhymes are
readily found, and the language is easily moulded into metrical forms.
Those who have distinguished themselves in this literature have
generally made their first essays in verse. What is remarkable enough,
the men who afterward figured in political life mostly began their
career as the authors of madrigals. A poem introduces the future
statesman to the public, as a speech at a popular meeting introduces the
candidate for political distinctions in this country. I have heard of
but one of the eminent Spanish politicians of the present time, who made
a boast that he was innocent of poetry; and if all that his enemies say
of him be true, it would have been well both for his country and his own
fame, if he had been equally innocent of corrupt practices. The
compositions of Carolina Coronado, even her earliest, do not deserve to
be classed with the productions of which I have spoken, and which are
simply the effect of inclination and facility. They possess the _mens
divinior_.

In 1852 a collection of poems of Carolina Coronado was brought out at
Madrid, including those which were first published. The subjects are of
larger variety than those which prompted her earlier productions; some
of them are of a religious cast, others refer to political matters. One
of them, which appears among the "Improvisations," is an energetic
protest against erecting a new amphitheatre for bull-fights. The spirit
in all her poetry is humane and friendly to the best interests of
mankind.

Her writings in prose must not be overlooked. Among them is a novel
entitled _Sigea_, founded on the adventures of Camoens; another entitled
_Jarilla_, a beautiful story, full of pictures of rural life in
Estremadura, which deserves, if it could find a competent translator, to
be transferred to our language. Besides these there are two other novels
from her pen, _Paquita_ and _La Luz del Tejo_. A fe