Juan de Iriarte

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Juan de Iriarte (1701 in Puerto de la Orotava, now Puerto de la Cruz, Canary Islands - 1771 in Madrid, Spain) was a Spanish writer, French and English translator in the Royal Chancillery, hellenist and latinist, educated from 1713 to 1723 in the Collège Louis-le-Grand of Paris, being thus a fellow escolar of Voltaire, (1694 - 1778), because Voltaire was educated by Jesuits, between 1704 and 1711, also at the Collège Louis-le-Grand, where he learned as Iriarte, Latin and Greek, later in life becoming fluent in Italian, Spanish, and English. Iriarte was learning also in London before 1726. He was a member of the Real Academia Española for 26 years, from 1746 to 1771.

[edit] Biography

He was educated in Paris in 1713 with one of his students being Voltaire. He moved to London and completed a formation for his native island. He later moved to Madrid where he was officially nominated at Biblioteca Real. Aged 28, he edited Regia Matritensis Bibliotheca in 1729, his first catalog published on the contents of the Biblioteca Real. The Bibliotecario Mayor of the institution, Juan de Ferras, managed to get him appointed as a private tutor of the families of the Duque de Béjar, the Duque de Alba and Royal Prince Manuel de Portugal.

We can guess then that he was sent to be educated in France and later to England through the company of Monsieur Hely, former Consul of France in the Canary Islands and the French and English contacts of the very influential Jesuits, Daubenton, Pierre Robinet, and the Scottish Jesuit Priest William Clarke, (deceased 1743), succesive Confessors of King Felipe V of Spain, as well as those of Macanaz.

Father Jesuit Daubenton, former Rector of Strassbourg College, former Confessor of King Louis XIV, as well as of his grandson Felipe V of Spain from 1700 to 1705, and from 1715 to 1723, the King Confessor between 1705 and 1715 Pierre Robinet and Scottish Jesuit Guillermo Clarke, William Clarke, Confessor between 1726 and 1743 whereby he died had many opportunities to "offer advice" on any delicate subjects related with the Spanish Crown.

In particular, Scottish Jesuit Father Guillermo Clarke became the Confessor of King Felipe V of Spain and his second wife Isabel de Farnesio, after 1726, as a reputed confessor of Germanic and Austrian Ambassadors in Madrid.

Juan de Iriarte wrote Gramática latina (Latin Grammar), he was created a convenient official nominator for the first Secretary of State. He also wrote in Diario de los Literatos (1737) and in 1741 was elected member of the Real Academia Española of Languages,. he entered also at the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.

Iriarte also wrote Sobre la imperfección de los diccionarios. and Paleografía griega (Greek Paleography) as well as Bibliotheca graeca (Greek Library) in which he described Greek manuscripts. His other works include Tauromaquia matritensis, sive taurorum ludi, (on Spanish bull fighting), Lista de los Principales Manuscritos de la Librería de los Marqueses de Villena and Sacada de la Hijuela Authentica de los bienes que quedaron por muerte del Marqués Don Andrés Pacheco, en 9 de Octubre de 1748. Por la tarde por mí mismo, it was conserved at the Biblioteca de la Fundación Juan March.

[edit] Works

  • Obras sueltas de don Juan de Iriarte, Madrid, 1774, dos vols.
  • Regia Matritensis Bibliotheca (1729)
  • Sobre la imperfección de los diccionarios, discurso de ingreso en la Real Academia Española de la Lengua, 1747.
  • Colección de refranes castellanos traducidos en metros latinos, 1749.
  • Sobre los verbos reflexivos y recíprocos, 1756.
  • Advertencias sobre la sintaxis castellana, 1755.
  • Gramática latina, 1764.
  • Paleografía griega, 1760.
  • Bibliotheca graeca
  • Tauromaquia matritensis, sive taurorum ludi, Lista de los Principales Manuscritos de la Librería de los Marqueses de Villena. 1725.
  • ''Lista de los Principales Manuscritos de la Librería de los Marqueses de Villena. Sacada de la Hijuela Authentica de los bienes que quedaron por muerte del Marqués Don Andrés Pacheco, en 9 de Octubre de 1748. Por la tarde por mí mismo.