Antonio de Guevara

[1] This pseudo-historical book of incidents and letters from the life of Marcus Aurelius (known in a later expanded edition as Relox des principes) was translated into nearly every language of Europe, including Russian, Swedish, Hungarian, Polish, Armenian, and Romanian.

It was often reprinted in Spanish; and it so speedily attained fame that before the close of the century there were published several translations in Latin, Italian, French, German, Dutch and English.

Guevara, who most certainly had read Il Cortegiano (1518) by Baldassare Castiglione—whom Charles V called the greatest courtier of his age—brought a different aspect to the figure of the courtier: while the latter's work was a 'behavioral' guide, Guevara described the practical aspects of men surrounding a monarch and differentiated their duties from those who were part of religious orders in a famous passage in Chapter 1: En la Religión si se levanta a media noche, es por loar al Señor en el culto Divino; mas en la Corte infinitas veces trasnochan, no por más de cumplir con el mundo.

[5] Pierre Bayle's judgment in his Dictionary Historical and Critical is in many ways representative of a negative view of Guevara's work prevailing during the late Renaissance and Enlightenment periods: Guevara, (Antony de), preacher and historiographer to the emperor Charles V, was born in the province of Alaba in Spain.

He was brought up at court; but after the death of queen Isabella of Castile, he turned a Franciscan friar, and very honourable employments in his order.

He broke the most sacred and essential laws of it, with a boldness that cannot be sufficiently detested; and he shewed that no man was ever so unworthy of the character of Chronicler to Charles V, which was given him.

Book-length studies by Redondo, Ernest Grey, Joseph R. Jones, and Horacio Chiong Rivero have recounted Guevara’s harsh critical reception and made strong cases for his importance.