Francisco Javier Alegre
Encyclopedia
Francisco Xavier Alegre (November 12, 1729 – August 16, 1788) was a Jesuit
scholar, translator
, and historian
of New Spain.
, New Spain
. He studied philosophy in the Royal College of San Ignacio in Puebla
, then canon and civil law in Mexico City
and theology in Angelópolis. On March 19, 1747 he entered the novitiate with the Company of Jesus (Jesuits) in Tepozotlán. According to his own account, he learned Italian
, Greek
, Hebrew
and Náhuatl. He was able to preach in Náhuatl. He was a dedicated scholar of theology, history, mathematics, and especially
classical literature.
He later taught grammar in Mexico City, and during those years he learned French
. For reasons of health he returned to Veracruz, where he taught for two years. He then returned to Mexico City to take an examination in theology, and there he was ordained a priest.
His health was still poor. He was sent to Havana
, where he taught rhetoric and philosophy for seven years.
On leaving Havana, he went to Mérida
, to the Jesuit college there. He took over the work on the Historia de la provincia begun by Father Francisco de Florencia (1620–1695). He continued work on this history when he moved to the Royal College and Seminary of San Ildefonso in Mexico City. In less than three years, he finished the Historia de la Compañía de Jesús en Nueva España. This work was on the point of being published when the Jesuits were expelled from the Spanish dominions, on July 25, 1767. When he left New Spain, the manuscript and his sources remained behind.
Alegre died of apoplexy near Bologna
, Italy
, in 1788. Some of his works remained unpublished at his death.
His literary works included Alexandrias, a short epic poem about the conquest of Tyre by Alexander the Great (1775) and a Latin eclogue entitled Nysus. He also published a Latin translation of the Iliad
, at Bologna in 1776 and, after revisions, at Rome in 1788. He translated the first three cantos of Nicolas Boileau's L'Art poétique into Spanish.
He left quite a number of shorter works, mostly translations of classics. Among them are the "Alexandriadas" (1773, Italy
), the "Iliad
" in Latin
(Rome
, 1788), "Homeri Batrachiomachia" in Latin (Mexico, 1789), together with fragments of Horace
and a good translation into Spanish of the first three cantos of the "Art Poétique" of Boileau
.
But the work for which he is especially noted is his History of the Society of Jesus in New Spain (ed. Carlos María Bustamante, Mexico, 1841). Although composed at a time when the order was persecuted in Spanish colonies, and often with great rigor, the tone of this most valuable work, indispensable for the study of the colonial history of Mexico and of many of its Indian tribes, is, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia
"dignified and free from attacks upon Spain and the Spaniards.".
He published Carta geográfica del hemisferio mexicano, which introduced some information about New Spain previously unknown to European scholars.
In 1889, Joaquín García Icazbaleta published his lyrical works under the title Opúsculos inéditos latinos y castellanos del P. Francisco Xavier Alegre (Unedited Latin and Spanish tracts of Father Francisco Xavier Alegre). His Latin writing style was pure and classical, comparing well with theologians of the Renaissance.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
scholar, translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
, and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
of New Spain.
Life
Alegre was born in VeracruzVeracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
. He studied philosophy in the Royal College of San Ignacio in Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
, then canon and civil law in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
and theology in Angelópolis. On March 19, 1747 he entered the novitiate with the Company of Jesus (Jesuits) in Tepozotlán. According to his own account, he learned Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
and Náhuatl. He was able to preach in Náhuatl. He was a dedicated scholar of theology, history, mathematics, and especially
classical literature.
He later taught grammar in Mexico City, and during those years he learned French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. For reasons of health he returned to Veracruz, where he taught for two years. He then returned to Mexico City to take an examination in theology, and there he was ordained a priest.
His health was still poor. He was sent to Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, where he taught rhetoric and philosophy for seven years.
On leaving Havana, he went to Mérida
Mérida, Yucatán
Mérida is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatán and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is located in the northwest part of the state, about from the Gulf of Mexico coast...
, to the Jesuit college there. He took over the work on the Historia de la provincia begun by Father Francisco de Florencia (1620–1695). He continued work on this history when he moved to the Royal College and Seminary of San Ildefonso in Mexico City. In less than three years, he finished the Historia de la Compañía de Jesús en Nueva España. This work was on the point of being published when the Jesuits were expelled from the Spanish dominions, on July 25, 1767. When he left New Spain, the manuscript and his sources remained behind.
Alegre died of apoplexy near Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, in 1788. Some of his works remained unpublished at his death.
Works
In exile, he established himself in Bologna, Italy, and there he rewrote his Historia from memory, in the form of a compendium. It was published in Mexico in 1841-1842. He also wrote 18 books, published together under the title Instituciones teológicas.His literary works included Alexandrias, a short epic poem about the conquest of Tyre by Alexander the Great (1775) and a Latin eclogue entitled Nysus. He also published a Latin translation of the Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
, at Bologna in 1776 and, after revisions, at Rome in 1788. He translated the first three cantos of Nicolas Boileau's L'Art poétique into Spanish.
He left quite a number of shorter works, mostly translations of classics. Among them are the "Alexandriadas" (1773, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
), the "Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
" in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
(Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, 1788), "Homeri Batrachiomachia" in Latin (Mexico, 1789), together with fragments of Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
and a good translation into Spanish of the first three cantos of the "Art Poétique" of Boileau
Boileau
Boileau can refer to:Persons:*Boileau-Narcejac, pen name of Pierre Boileau and Pierre Ayraud, also known as Thomas Narcejac, French writers of police stories*Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, 17th century French writer...
.
But the work for which he is especially noted is his History of the Society of Jesus in New Spain (ed. Carlos María Bustamante, Mexico, 1841). Although composed at a time when the order was persecuted in Spanish colonies, and often with great rigor, the tone of this most valuable work, indispensable for the study of the colonial history of Mexico and of many of its Indian tribes, is, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
"dignified and free from attacks upon Spain and the Spaniards.".
He published Carta geográfica del hemisferio mexicano, which introduced some information about New Spain previously unknown to European scholars.
In 1889, Joaquín García Icazbaleta published his lyrical works under the title Opúsculos inéditos latinos y castellanos del P. Francisco Xavier Alegre (Unedited Latin and Spanish tracts of Father Francisco Xavier Alegre). His Latin writing style was pure and classical, comparing well with theologians of the Renaissance.