Antonio De Capmany Y Montpalau, a Spanish writer, born in Barcelona, Nov. 24, 1742, died in Cadiz, Nov. 14, 1813. He served in the wars with Portugal in 1762, left the army in 1770, and joined Olavide in his scheme for colonizing and cultivating the Sierra Morena with Catalans. This enterprise terminated disastrously, and Capmany removed to Madrid. He was chosen secretary of the royal historical academy in 1790, filled several offices in the gift of the government, and travelled in Italy, Germany, France, and England. When the French entered Madrid in 1808, he fled to Seville, and joined the insurrection in defence of Spanish independence. He was chosen a member of the cortes of Cadiz, in which capacity he made himself conspicuous by his patriotism and active opposition to the usurpers. His works, which enjoy a high reputation in Spain, are numerous; among them are Me-morias historical sobre la marina, comercio y artes de la antigua ciudad de Barcelona (3 vols. 4to); Cuestiones criticas sobre varios pun-tos de historia, economica, politica y militar; Teatro historico-critico de la elocuencia espa-flola; and Diccionario frances-espaflol. His work on Barcelona contains valuable details upon the commerce, industry, and maritime law of the middle ages.