MONTESINO, AMBROSIO. – Franciscan, preacher, and writer, born at Huete (the year is unknown), died probably at Madrid on 29 January 1514. The scant biographical information known derives from his works. He was at Cifuentes in July and at Huete in November 1499, at Granada in 1501, and at the convent of S. Giovanni de los Reyes (Toledo) in May 1512; on 30 July of the same year he was created titular bishop of Sarda; he died auxiliary bishop to Cardinal Cisneros and was buried at Huete.
His first writing belongs to popular religious poetry: Coplas sobre diversos devociónes y mysterios de nuestra santa fe católica (Toledo, ca. 1485; the only known copy is held by the British Museum and was reproduced in facsimile by H. Thomas, London 1936). From 1499 to 1501, commissioned by the Catholic Monarchs, M. devoted himself to translating the Vita Christi of Landolfo di Sassonia (4 vols., 1502–1503); one of the finest works in the Castilian language of the period, it exerted a considerable influence on the religious literature of Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries; among other things, it served as spiritual nourishment for s. Teresa and b. Giovanni d’Avila and was greatly appreciated by preachers. For the latter, M. prepared a revision of an ancient version of the epistles for the liturgical year: Epistolas y evangelios, por todo el año, con sus doctrinas y sermones (Toledo 1512), which was reprinted several times. M.’s activity in verse is largely documented by the Cancionero (there 1508, reprinted in vol. XXXV of the Biblioteca del Rivadeneyra); it reveals not so much the mystical poet as the preacher, who employs metrical expression for devotional and moralizing exhortations, although artistically felicitous passages are not lacking.
(from J. Dubelon, Portraits en médaille, Paris 1976, inv. 37)
MONTESQUIEU, CHARLES-LOUIS DE SECONDAT, Baron of – Medal by Jean Dassier (18th century).