BARAHONA DE SOTO

barahona de soto, luis (1535?-1595), spanish poet, was born about 1535 at lucena (cordova), was educated at granada, and practised as a physician at cordova. his principal poem is the _primera parte de la angelica_ (1586), a continuation of the _orlando furioso_; the second part was long believed to be lost, but fragments of it have been identified in the anonymous _dialogos de la monteria_, first printed in 1890; the _dialogos_ also embody fragments of a poem by barahona entitled _los principios del mundo_, and many graceful lyrics by the same writer have been published by francisco rodriguez marin. cervantes describes barahona as "one of the best poets not only in spain, but in the whole world"; this is friendly hyperbole. nevertheless barahona has high merits: poetic imagination, ingenious fancy, and an exceptional mastery of the methods transplanted to spain from italy. his _angelica_ has been reproduced in facsimile (new york, 1904) by archer m. huntington. see f. rodriguez marin, _luis barahona de solo, estudio biografico, bibliografico, y critico_ (madrid. 1903); _dialogos de la monteria_, edited by f. r. de uhagon (madrid, 1890). (j. f.-k.)