Complex sentence: He proceeded to the Royal Marine Academy in Lisbon but instead of studying he pursued love adventures, and for the next five years burnt incense on many altars, while his retentive memory and extraordinary talent for improvisation gained him a host of admirers and turned his head.
Split into simpler sentences: He proceeded to the Royal Marine Academy in Lisbon but instead of studying he pursued love adventures. For the next five years he had many love affairs, and his retentive memory and extraordinary talent for improvisation gained him a host of admirers and turned his head.