Salazar Francisco Cervantes

Cervantes, SALAZAR FRANCISCO, b. at Toledo, Spain, probably in 1513 or 1514, went to Mexico in 1550, died there in 1575. He deserves mention, especially as one of the first professors of the University of Mexico, established by order of Charles V, and opened formally, January 25, 1553. Cervantes occupied the chair of rhetoric. He wrote several important works on the history of the city of Mexico and the province of New Spain in general. In Spain he was a professor at the University of Osuna. He was a man of solid learning and of considerable influence during his lifetime. Of his numerous writings the “Dialogos Latinos” are best known. They give in three parts a description of the young city of Mexico as it was about 1554, and notes valuable to the historian and archaeologist. Not less interesting is the “Tiunulo Imperial de la gran Ciudad de Mexico“, printed 1560, and reprinted in 1886 by Ycazbalceta in his “Bibliografia”. It refers to the funeral honors celebrated at Mexico on the occasion of the death of Charles V, and gives not only a minute description of the ceremonies, but of the decorations and temporary structures raised for the occasion, with one fairly executed plate. For the customs of the times it is highly valuable. The “Dialogos” were published at Mexico in 1554 in the original Latin, and in 1875 Ycazbalceta republished them in Latin, with an excellent Spanish translation and valuable notes. Cervantes has left several other works, mostly of a theological nature, and it is known that he also wrote a “History of Mexico” which is lost, but was highly praised by those who were able to consult the manuscript.

AD. F. BANDELIER