326 Seram politico, abuso emendado, &c. por Felix da Castanheira Turacem. Lisb. 1704, in 4to. Some of the certificates of the Censors, which are printed with this work, are dated in 1695. In old Portuguese the word Politico, signifies all that belongs to polite manners. Hence Rodriguez Lobo’s works are entitled, Obras politicas, see page 227. Seram or seraõ properly signifies the place where an evening party, for some period, regularly assembles.—Felix de Castanheira’s name does not occur in Machado’s dictionary of learned men.
327 Escrevo entre o rasteiro, et o empolado, que saõ o Scilla, et Charibdes no vasto mar da locuçaõ: algumas vezes me detenho a fazer aquada no esprayado da digressão; mas faço quanto posso por naõ perder de vista o difficil porto da clareza; com alguma me vou explicando, sed libera nos à metaphora.
328 The following passage, which will serve as an example, is the description of the fair Isabella, an intelligent young lady, who sustains a principal character in these evening parties.
Acompanhavaõ na mesma quinta duas primas, et huma irmã à fermosa Isabel, belleza tam adorada nos curtos limites de Villa Franca, como applaudida nas melhores escolas de Lisboa: contava vinte Primaveras, tam filhas de seu rosto, que segundo os numerava por flores, parece, que tirava os annos das faces; entendimento sem aquelles estrondos que levando as mulheres a cõpositoras, lhe estragaõ o patrimonio de sezudas: vicio introduzido em as Damas, que se passaõ da almofada à escola, et do estrado à academia: como se natureza se deixasse vencer da industria, ou como se no governo de hum recato, naõ tivera harto que fazer hum entendimento. Era Isabel sezuda sem as affectaçoens de soberba; retirada sem os melindres de presumida; &c.
329 The discourse is not satirical, and notwithstanding the trivial nature of the subject, it recommends itself by style and diction. It commences thus:—
Nam ha mais dificil palestra que o do entendimento. Nos encontros de Marte, se he varonil o animo, sempre sahe victorioso o pulso:—nas contendas de Minerva, inda quando he claro o entendimento, se nevoa tal vez o discurso. Naquelles atè com as cegueiras triunfa a colera; nestas, inda com as perspicacias desatina a agudeza. Nunca pasmou o animo o Alexandre no mais subito assalto do inimigo, et suspendeo-se à vista do enlaçado labyrinto, que se lhe offereceo no templo; porque o primeiro pertencia ao braço, o segundo ao engenho. Monarca era Alexandre, naõ menos entendido, que valeroso, et para que se visse quanto mais difficuldades encontrava o juizo, que o valor, antes se resolveo a romper em huma temeridade, que a aconselhar huma resolução. Cortou he huma golpe o difficultoso laço: acabou a espada, o que temeo a agudeza.
330 To the honour of Portugal this book has been frequently reprinted. Its title is simply as follows:—Vida de Dom Joaõ de Castro, quarto Viso-Rey da India, por Jacinto Freire de Andrada.
Barbaso Machado’s catalogue states that the first edition appeared in folio in the year 1651. A neat pocket edition in octavo was published by a Lisbon bookseller in Paris in the year 1759. The work was translated into English in the seventeenth century by Henry Herringman, and shortly afterwards a latin translation was executed by the Italian Jesuit Del Rosso, who in reference to Andrada’s historical style, not injudiciously observes: Elegantiam sectatur, sed non ieiunam; acumen, sed minime illiberale. To men of education, wishing to learn the Portuguese language, there is no book that I would more strongly recommend than this excellent biography.
331 The following are his own words:—
Outros queriam que me valesse do estrepito de vozes novas, a que chamam Cultura, deixando a estrada limpa, por caminhos fragosos, et trocando com estimaçam pueril, o que he melhor, pelo que mais se usa. Mas como nam determiney lisongear a gostos estragados, quiz antes com a singeleza da verdade servir ao applauso dos melhores, que à fama popular, et errada.
332 Escreverei a vida de Dom Joaõ de Castro, varaõ ainda mayor que seu nome, mayor que suas victorias; cujas noticias saõ hoje no Oriente, de pays a filhos, hum livro successivo, conservandose a fama de suas obras sempre viva; et nòs ajudaremos o pregaõ universal de sua gloria cõ este pequeno brádo: porque duraõ as memorias menos nas tradiçoens, que nos escritos.
333 One passage must be quoted as a specimen of Portuguese classical prose: it relates to the conquest of an Indian garrison.
Entràraõ os nossos de envolta com os Mouros a Cidade, onde os miseraveis se detinhaõ presos do amor, et lagrimas das mulheres, et filhos, que acompanhavaõ ja com piedade inutil, mais como testimanhas de seu sangue, que defensores d’elle; taes houve, que abraçadas com os maridos se deixavaõ trespassar de nossas lanças, inventando os miseraveis nova dor, como remedio novo; dos nossos soldados, huns as roubavaõ, outras as defendiaõ; quaes seguiaõ os affectos do tempo, que os da natureza. Algumas d’estas mulheres com desesperado amor se metiaõ por entre as esquadras armadas a buscar os seus mortos, mostrando animo para perder as vidas; lastimosas nas feridas alheas, sem lastima nas suas.
334 The following is the commencement of a speech of Coge Cofar to the Turkish soldiers, who had followed him to India.
Companheiros, et amigos, nam vos ensinarey a temer, nem a desprezar esses poucos Portugueses, que d’entro d’aquelles muros estais vendo encerrados, porque nã chegaõ a ser mais que homens, inda que saõ soldados. Em todo o Oriente atègora os acompanhou, ou servio a fortuna, et a fama das primeiras victorias lhes facilitou as outras. Com hum limitado poder fazem guerra ao mundo, nam podendo naturalmente durar hum Imperio sem forças, sustentado na opiniaõ, ou fraqueza dos que lhes saõ sugeitos. Apenas tem quinhentos homens naquella fortaleza, os mais d’elles soldados de presidio, que sempre custumaõ ser os pobres, ou os inuteis; por terra naõ podem ter soccorro, os do màr lhes tem cerrado o inverno.
335 A good account of the mode in which the Portuguese language was disfigured by the introduction of French words and phrases, may be found in the fourth volume of the Memorias de Litteratura Portugueza, (Lisb. 1793,) in a treatise by Antonio de Naves Pereira, on the language of the best Portuguese writers of the sixteenth century. These Memorias must, in the course of the present work, be more particularly noticed.
336 Even a learned Portuguese, well acquainted with the literature of his country, of whom I made enquiries respecting the fate of the Academia Portugueza, could give me no further information than that the institution was no longer in existence.
337 The Memorias da Academia Real das Sciencias de Lisboa, in which that academy exhibits its labours for the advancement of knowledge, more particularly of the mathematical and physical sciences, are totally distinct from the Memorias de Litteratura Portugueza, which have been published by that academy since the year 1792. These last Memorias consist partly of philological and critical treatises on the Portuguese language and literature, and partly investigations relating to the ancient history and constitution of Portugal. The singular union of two departments so essentially distinct, arose out of the French idea of littérature, which had been adopted in Portugal. The worthy members of the academy well might, as indeed they intimately did, find it difficult to determine what was to be called literature. To reconcile all opinions, therefore, they included under that title national history. Germans, however, are by no means entitled to make this mistake, a subject of reproach, while they continue to employ the comprehensive word literature to designate merely the knowledge of books.—I have seen as yet only six volumes of the Memorias de Litteratura Portugueza. The sixth was published in the year 1796.
338 Barbosa Machado, in his dictionary of learned men, gives a catalogue of the writings of the Count da Ericeyra, including those which remained unprinted up to the year 1747. None of these unprinted works have, it seems, been submitted to the press since that period, though they comprise a whole collection of the minor Obras Poeticas of the author, together with several prose works, on subjects of general utility; as for example, a Methodo dos Estudos (Plan of Study.)
339 Henriqueida, poema heroico, &c. composto pelo illustrissimo e excellentissimo Conde da Ericeyra D. Francisco Xavier de Menezes, &c. (including all the titles of the Count), Lisboa occidental, 1741, in 4to. The distinction of Lisboa oriental and Lisboa occidental is founded on an ecclesiastical division of the city.
341 The poem commences thus:—
343 The following is part of the picturesque description of Henry’s entrance into the sybil’s cave.
347 For example, in the first canto where Henry is compared to an eagle:—
348 Thus, in the following stanza, where Henry, whose astonishment is to be described, is first compared to a frozen stream; then he is himself called a stream rich in virtues, and finally he is denominated a statue of fire and snow.
349 Lest it should appear that in this collection of examples justice had not been rendered to Ericeyra, three more stanzas, from the last canto of his poem, are here transcribed. The following passage is from the description of the last combat between Henry and Ali, his Moorish enemy.
350 The author introduces his plays of wit in a song to the miraculous image of Senhor Jesus de Pedra, (Lord Jesus of Stone), which was celebrated for its power of exciting in sinners a feeling of bitter repentance:—
351 Here are two of the most intelligible; the first is on a barber who has an evil tongue:—
The following is addressed to an old man who paints his eyebrows:—
352 His sonnet on a rose growing over the grave of a lady, deserves to be transcribed:—
353 For this little notice I am indebted to the verbal information of a literary Portuguese, through whose means I could have obtained from Lisbon, the name of this Hebrew dramatist, had the recording it been an object of importance.
354 I have seen two of these collections. The oldest, printed in the year 1746, is entitled, Operas Portuguezas que se representaram nos theatros publicos desta Corte, &c. It contains eight dramas in two octavo volumes. The latest collection is entitled Theatro comico Portuguez, ou Collecçaõ das Operas Portuguezas que se representaram, &c. in two octavo volumes, fourth edition, Lisbon, 1787. As to any merit which may be discovered in these collections they are nearly equal.
355 To shew that no injustice is done to the author, it will be sufficient to quote some of the witticisms, by which Æsop distinguishes himself in the first act:—
Zeno. Donde Esopo vás? Tu naõ ouves? Com quem fallo eu?
Esop. He comigo?
Zen. Sim.
Esop. Eu naõ me chamo Esopo Vaz, sou Esopo só, nú, e espurio como minha mãi me pario.
Zen. Aonde hias, entremetido?
Esop. Se eu fora entremetido perguntára a Vossa Mercé para que nos traz hoje a esta grande feira.
Zen. Para vender-vos a todos tres, pois todos tres sois intoleraveis pelas vossas manhas, porque tu és hum bebado, e tu hum ladraõ.
Esop. Visto isso, quem comprar a este sendo ladraõ, comprao siza, e tudo. E eu, Senhor, quaes saõ as minhas habilidades, ou virtudes?
Zen. Saõ boas; primeiramente mexiriqueiro, e bacharel.
Esop. Se eu fora Bacharel soubera Direito; seu eu soubera. Direito eu me endereitára, e naõ fora corcovado; naõ he por ahi que vai o gato ás filhozes; tem mais de que se accuse? &c.
356 The following is the commencement of the trial of wit:—
Xant. Está com subtileza. Ora dize-me; como te chamaõ?
Esop. A mim chamaõ-me como me querem chamar; naõ ha meia hora que huns me chamáraõ Poeta, e outros carcunda.
Xant. Pergunto o teu nome.
Esop. Eu, Senhor, com perdaõ de Vossa Mercé chamo-me Esopo.
Xant. Donde nasceste?
Esop. Do ventre de minha mãi.
Xant. Naõ me entendes? Em que lugar nasceste?
Esop. Tambem naõ me disse minha mãi se me pario em lugar alto, ou baixo; mas cuido que foi ahi a algures ao pé de alguma cousa.
Periand. Ennio, o escravo tem atacado ao Filosofo nosso Mestre.
Xant. Ou és mui simples, ou mui velhaco; pergunto-te, de donde és natural?
Esop. A’ que d’El Rei, Senhor, eu sou legitimo, naõ sou natural.
Xant. Valha-te Deos; aonde he a tua patria?
Esop. Isso he outra cousa; sou de donde me vai bem, que ahi he a minha terra.
357 The commencement of this duet will serve as a specimen of the verse of these operas.
358 Obras de Claudio Manoel da Costa, &c. Coimbra 1768, in 8vo. The preface in which this amiable author unaffectedly communicates some notices respecting himself, is a very instructive contribution to the history of Portuguese poetry.
359 The following may serve as a specimen of the modern style of the Portuguese sonnet:—
360 For example:—
361 One of Da Costa’s epicedios on the death of a friend commences thus:—
362 Tornou innocentes os genios; restituio ao mundo a justiça, says Da Costa, in allusion to the dreaded Pombal; for this minister’s rigid system of judicial reform rendered him at first an object of terror.
363 For example, the poet says to his lyre, which he proposes to abandon:—
364 For example, in this passage:—
365 The following, which is the shortest of Da Costa’s cantatas, may be transcribed here, as a thing perfect in its kind:—
366 Odes de Q. Horatio Flacco, &c. Lisb. 1781.
367 Satyras de Sulpicia, &c. Lisb. 1786.
368 Cartas de Ovidio, chamadas Heroides, &c. Lisb. 1789.
369 Comedias de Terencio, &c. Lisb. 1788.
370 Arminio, ou Alemanha Libertada, trad. de Aleman do Baron Schönaich. Lisb. 1791.
371 Lisboa reedificada, poema epico, por Miguel Mauricio Ramalho. Lisb. 1784.
372 Satyras e Elegias, por Miguel do Couto Guerreiro. Lisb. 1786.
373 Sonho, poema heroico, por Luis Rafael Soyé. Lisb. 1786.
374 Triumpho da Innocencia, poema epico, por José Anastasio da Costa. Lisb. 1785.
375 Lusitania transformada, por F. Alvares do Oriente. Lisb. 1781.
376 Gaticanea, &c. por J. J. de Carvalho. Lisb. 1781.
377 Obras poeticas de Pedro Antonio Correa Garçaõ. Lisb. 1778, in 8vo. Some of the poems in this collection seem to have been written about the middle of the eighteenth century. I have not been able to gather any particulars respecting the life of Garçaõ.
378 For example, in the Ode to Winter, which begins thus:—
379 The following passage will afford a specimen of this and also of the didactic character of Garçaõ’s odes:—
381 It commences thus:—
382 The commencement of this dythirambic deserves, on account of its literary singularity, to be transcribed here:—
383 It is not easy to select a passage as a specimen; but the following, in which Garçaõ speaks of Portuguese poetry, may be quoted on account of its auxiliary interest.