r Chronik Ayalas," in
_Geschichte von Spanien_ (Berlin, 1902), vol. v. pp. 510-532.

AYALA Y HERRERA, ADELARDO LOPEZ DE (1828-1879), Spanish writer and
politician, was born at Guadalcanal on the 1st of May 1828, and at a very
early age began writing for the theatre of his native town. The titles of
these juvenile performances, which were played by amateurs, were _Salga por
donde saliere_, _Me voy a Sevilla_ and _La Corona y el Punal._ As
travelling companies never visited Guadalcanal, and as ladies took no part
in the representations, these three plays were written for men only. Ayala
persuaded his sister to appear as the heroine of his comedy, _La primera
Dama_, and the innovation, if it scandalized some of his townsmen,
permitted him to develop his talent more freely. In his twentieth year he
matriculated at the university of Seville, but his career as a student was
undistinguished. In Seville he made acquaintance with Garcia Gutierrez, who
is reported to have encouraged his dramatic ambitions and to have given him
the benefit of his own experience as a playwright. Early in 1850 Ayala
removed his name from the university books, and settled in Madrid with the
purpose of becoming a professional dramatist. Though he had no friends and
no influence, he speedily found an opening. A four-act play in verse, _Un
Hombre de Estado_, was accepted by the managers of the Teatro Espanol, was
given on the 25th of January 1851, and proved a remarkable success.
Henceforward Ayala's position and popularity were secure. Within a
twelvemonth he became more widely known by his _Castigo y Perdon_, and by a
more humorous effort, _Los dos Guzmanes_; and shortly afterwards he was
appointed by the _Moderado_ government to a post in the home office, which
he lost in 1854 on the accession to power of the Liberal party. In 1854 he
produced _Rioja_, perhaps the most admired and the most admirable of all
his works, and from 1854 to 1856 he took an active part in the political
campaign carried on in the journal _El Padre Cobos_. A _zarzuela_, entitled
_Guerta a muerte_, for which Emilio Arrieta composed the music, belongs to
1855, and to the same collaboration is due _El Agente de Matrimonios_. At
about this date Ayala passed over from the Moderates to the Progressives,
and this political manoeuvre had its effect upon the fate of his plays. The
performances of _Los Comuneros_ were attended by members of the different
parties; the utterances of the dif