La censura de la España Primitiva; una aclaración historiografica

Abstract

The publication of La España Primitiva (1738), a work by the academic Huerta y Vega based on a false chronicle forged by José de Pellicer in the previous century, is one of the most ignominious epidodes in Spanish historiography in the Enlightenment. The active participation of the Academies of Language and History in that imposture, supporting the edition of the work and silencing the proofs adduced by Gregorio Mayáns y Siscar, contributed to the Valencian´s resignation from the posittion of royal librarian, brought his return to his native town, and gave rise to the scandalous seizure of this edition of the censure of fictitious histories by Nicolás Antonio. It is known that the Council of Castile also asked for the judgment of Fray Martín Sarmiento (b. Villafranca del Bierzo, León, 1695; d. Madrid, 1772), but most historians argue that the Benedictine preferred to remain silent. These views are doubtless influenced by the opinion of Mayáns, who always believed that Sarmiento had the intention of approving the work but finally abstained in order not to lose reputation. What is certain, however, is that the Benedictine did pass judgment, advising against the publication of La España Primitiva on the grounds that the chronicle on which it was based should be rejected. In this article, these facts are analyzed and the judment of Sarmiento —the original of which is preserved in the Archive of the Monastery of Silos— is published.