EDITOR'S PREFACE.

IN undertaking, at the publishers' request, the function of editor of Mickle's Lusiad, I have compared the translation with the original, and, in some places, where another translation seemed preferable to, or more literal than, Mickle's, I have, in addition, given that rendering in a foot-note. Moreover, I have supplied the arguments to the several cantos, given a few more explanatory notes, and added a table of contents.

"The late ingenious translator of the Lusiad," says Lord Strangford,* "has portrayed the character, and narrated the misfortunes of our poet, in a manner more honourable to his feelings as a man than to his accuracy in point of biographical detail. It is with diffidence that the present writer essays to correct his errors; but, as the real circumstances of the life of Camoëns are mostly to be found in his own minor compositions, with which Mr. Mickle was unacquainted, he trusts that certain information will atone for his presumption."

As Lord Strangford professes to have better and more recent sources of information regarding the illustrious, but

* Poems of Luis de Camoëns, with Remarks on his Life and Writings. By Lord Viscount Strangford. Fifth edition. London, 1808.

unfortunate, bard of Portugal, I make no apology for presenting to the reader an abstract of his lordship's memoir. Much further information will be found, how ever, in an able article contained in No. 53 of the Quarterly Review for July, 1822, from the pen, I believe, of the poet Southey. "The family of Camoëns was illustrious," says Lord Strangford, "and originally Spanish. They were long settled at Cadmon, a castle in Galicia, from which they probably derived their patronymic appellation. How ever, there are some who maintain that their name alluded to a certain wonderful bird,* whose mischievous sagacity discovered and punished the smallest deviation from conjugal fidelity. A lady of the house of Cadmon, whose con duct had been rather indiscreet, demanded to be tried by this extraordinary judge. Her innocence was proved, and in gratitude to the being who had restored him to matri monial felicity, the contented husband adopted his name." It would appear that in a dispute between the families of Cadmon and De Castera, a cavalier of the latter family was slain. This happened in the fourteenth century. A long train of persecution followed, to escape which, Ru de Camoëns, having embraced the cause of Ferdinand removed with his family into Portugal, about A.D. 1370 His son, Vasco de Camoëns, was highly distinguished by royal favour, and had the honour of being the ancestor of our poet, who descended from him in the fourth generation Luis de Camoëns, the author of the Lusiad, was born at Lisbon about A.D. 1524. His misfortunes began with his birth-he never saw a father's smile-for Simon Vasco Camoëns perished by shipwreck in the very year which

*The Camao. Formerly every well-regulated family in Spai retained one of these terrible attendants. The infidelity of its mis tress was the only circumstance which could deprive it of life. Thi odious distrust of female honour is ever characteristic of a barbaro age.

gave being to his illustrious son. The future poet was sent to the university of Coimbra-then at the height of its fame," and maintained there by the provident care of his surviving parent."

'Love," says Lord Strangford, "is very nearly allied to devotion, and it was in the exercise of the latter, that Camoëns was introduced to the knowledge of the former. In the Church of Christ's Wounds at Lisbon, on 11th April, 1542, Camoëns first beheld Doña Caterina de Atayde, the object of his purest and earliest attachment . . . and it was not long before Camoëns enjoyed an opportunity of declaring his affection, with all the romantic ardour of eighteen and of a poet." The peculiar situation of the lady, as one of the maids of honour to the queen, imposed a restraint upon her admirer which soon became intolerable; and he, for having violated the sanctity of the royal precincts, was in consequence banished from the court. Whatever may have been the nature of his offence, "it furnished a pretext to the young lady's relations for terminating an intercourse which worldly considerations rendered highly imprudent.”

But Love consoled his votary: his mistress, on the morning of his departure, confessed the secret of her longconcealed affection, and the sighs of grief were soon lost n those of mutual delight. The hour of parting was, perhaps, the sweetest of our poet's existence.

Camoëns removed to Santarem, but speedily returned o Lisbon, was a second time detected, and again driven nto exile.*

The voice of Love inspired our poet "with the glorious esolution of conquering the obstacles which fortune had

* The laws of Portugal were peculiarly severe against those who arried on a love-intrigue within the palace: they punished the ffence with death. Joam I. suffered one of his favourites to be urnt alive for it.-Ed.

placed between him and felicity." He obtained permission therefore, to accompany King John III. in an expedition then fitting out against the Moors in Africa. In one the engagements with the enemy our hero had the mis fortune to lose "his right eye, by some splinters from the deck of the vessel in which he was stationed. Many o his most pathetic compositions were written during thi campaign, and the toils of a martial life were sweetene by the recollection of her for whose sake they wer endured. His heroic conduct at length procured his recal to court," but to find, alas, that his mistress was no more.

Disappointed in his hope of obtaining any recognition of his valiant deeds, he now resolved, under the burning sun of India, to seek that independence which his ow country denied. "The last words I uttered," says Camoëns "on board the vessel before leaving, were those of Scipio "Ungrateful country! thou shalt not even possess my bones." "Some," says Lord Strangford, "attribute his departure t a very different cause, and assert that he quitted his nativ shores on account of an intrigue in which he was detecte with the beautiful wife of a Portuguese gentleman. Pe haps," says Lord Strangford, "this story may not be whol unfounded." On his arrival in India he contributed by b bravery to the success of an expedition carried on by th King of Cochin, and his allies, the Portuguese, against th Pimento Islands; and in the following year (1555) accompanied Manuel de Vasconcelos in an expedition the Red Sea. Here he explored the wild regions of Eas Africa, and stored his mind with ideas of scenery, whic afterwards formed some of the most finished pictures ( the Lusiad.

On his return to Goa, Camoëns devoted his who attention to the completion of his poem; but an unfo tunate satire which, under the title of Disparates na Ind or Follies in India, he wrote against the vices and c