Ortiz, Alonso

Ortiz, Alonso a noted Spanish theologian and historian, was a native of Toledo, and flourished in the early part of the 16th century. He held for some time the canonry of Toledo, and while in this position he was employed by cardinal Ximenes to revise the Mozarabic Liturgy. At his death Ortiz bequeathed his library to the University of Salamanca. He left six:essays, which were collected and published in one volume under the title of De la herida del rey Don Fernando el Catdolco, consolatorio a la princesa de, Portugal; Una oracion a los reyes catolicos (in Spanish and Latin); Dos cartas mensageras a los reyes, una que escribio la ciudad, la otra el cabildo de la iglesia de Toledo; Contra la carta del protonotario' Loena (Seville, 1493, fol.). The most important among them are a treatise, in twenty-seven chapters, addressed to the princess of Portugal, daughter of Isabella, on the death of her husband, and a discourse addressed to Ferdinand and Isabella after the taking of Granada in 1492, in which he rejoices over the event, and expresses also his satisfaction at the cruel expulsion of the Jews and heretics. "These two discourses," says Ticknor, "are written in a pompous style; vet they are not wanting in merit, and the second contains one or two really fine and even touching passages on the peace enjoyed by Spain since its hated enemy had been expelled, heartfelt expressions of the author which found an echo in all the Spaniards." Besides these two treatises, this volume contains an account of an attempt at assassination committed against Ferdinand the Catholic at Barcelona Dec. 7, 1472; two letters from the city and cathedral of Toledo, asking that Granada may not take precedence before Toledo; and an attack against the prothonotary Juan de Lucena, who had ventured to blame the severity of the Inquisition. He wrote also Missale mixtum, secundum regulam beati Isidori, dictum Mozarabes (Toledo, 1500, fol., with a preface): — Breviariumn mixtum secundum regulam beati Isidori, dictum Mozarabes (Toledo, 1502, fol.); these two works are of great value on account of the learned preface and of their scarcity. See Nicolas Antonio, Bibliotheca Hispana nova; Ticknor, History of Spanish Literature, 1:383; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 38:891; Stud. u. Krit. 1868, 3:537; Meth. Qu. Rev. July, 1867, p. 437. (J. N. P.)