The sun., 1881-12-04


osr spa H ,h.t assr mad W.v.rd before;
ma, seemed q Ss%.% G,SS.;. .ms bore
which Afterwards they rcndered 30 subiims
AZ: 'sGis r,aas s9f, -s s.
wsn, Gsis shs.s he ~,es ifo Of Ips so s~,
Acs ss s.sr "sG dss, SsTs.ns osS s%. %s.s s
shs - my song BE- :, osr ar ss sSSf sssr a%a'sd ala
We will close these citations with Capt. Bur-
toms attempt to reproduce literally his authors
sense and at the same time to approximate" his
spirit by writing in the English OF that Elize-
bethan England which was contemporary with
Camoens. It Ia worth while to examine these
s,ansas with somc care. for few recent pubics.
ton. have called forth such conflicting opin-
ions as the version OF which they form part:
suRros 1880
Tho fsau OF Arms and famed heroic Host
From occidental Lustanian strand.
rsrtd beyond ne - T'gr \. !. ,.D:.l.na. IN. and
VITA NOR. or .s.s a" pp"ni.ed ioree Of mortal ss,d;
s new sspc ,Spcns S 90 hsass IN id. Of pc.
1s Kn' sy ssS .sd ss'sa .,a
and a'S.H"sdl.ss dsson a% IN s% s"s' notorious
Nor lees tn. Liere. who BY deeds meinorious
..s rcrd a: .Sn% SSS % .; tes ras.s
We're mine the genius mine the POETS ART
Now. II IL quite possible that the reader may
not likethe word "memorious." though there 10
Elizabethan authority even for that. and NAV OBJ
ject that such words - "eke." hauRht." and
"Lieges" do not belong to the English OF the
present day. But Capt. Burton's view 10 that
the best way Of realizing the spirit OF given
man ie to recall the epirlt OF his ace. and this
can best be done In q translation By reviving 30
far a. possible the turps OF thought and modes
OF speech Of his English contemporaries. Such
q performance would undoubtedly be a remark
able tour de force. and OF course. Oapt. Burton
would not pretend that II has boon perfectly
done; that he has invariably succeeded Ia
avoiding modern phrases and idioms. Never
theless. II SCENE to US that his diction 10 sum
oienty archaic to place the reader at the Eliza
bethan point OF view from which such a man a.
Cnmoens and euoh q poem a. the Lusiad can
best be understood. To our thinking. there 10
far moro OF the flavor Of the original In his ines
than In the staid. formal nineteenth century
English OF Aubertin. who seems to reooRni1e
scarcely any distinction between the dctton OF
poetry and that OF prose.
Lot us now avail ourselves Of the copious
materials collected BY Capt. Burton 70 indicate
some OF the events In the life story OF the poet.
Cnmoens never mentions his parents. but he 10
known to have been the son OF q Cavallsiro
Fidaleo. or knight gentleman. that Is, a man OF
noble blood. but untitled. He was born at
Lisbon. but whsther In 1874 or In the next year
is undetermined. As an honorable pcor
student" he entered at an early age the Cni-
versity OF Coimbra. where his pa.ernal uncls
was Chancellor. 1t is worth noting that at this
date. whom learning was brought 30 low In
ENGLAND. the students OF Combra held II dis.
crace to converse in any language but Greek
and Latin. Many OF the ladies even at tho court
OF Lisbon. at which Camoens WAS presently
presented. were good classical scholars.
Capt Burton cites the names Of several
brilliant dnnisels who were a. famous for
their knowledge Of Crock and Hebrew 40
for their acquaintance with Latin. and
who yet ns In the case OF Marguerite do valois.
found time enough for the accom- pllshments
and diversions OF their sex. With one OF these
ladies. whose nnme Was Ca.erina. but whose
Identity is doubtful. Camoens fell In love: but
In those days wo9ing and winning maids OF
honor at the court OF Lisbon was attended with
some danger. the dungeon. and In two cases
death. being the penalties. Cauoens was too
young and perhaps too childishly proud OF his
conquest to he prudent. and he was presently
banished to tho Upper Tagus. During his
exile. which seems to have lasted two or three
years. he Is said to havc begun the Lusiads. at
the age OF ninetecn. On his return to Lisbon
ne repeoted MS OUSnTo. WnateVeT IL may nhvo
been. and Caterina's powerful family procured
his second exile this time 20 a surer place.
Ceu.a. in Africa. The ship in which he was con-
veyed was attacked By Moorish pirates in the
Gibraltac Straits. aud Cnmoeus lost one OF his
eyes. inst us his great Spanish contemporary.
Cervantes was not long afterward to lose one Of
hts hands.
During his three years. hanishmsnt In
Africa. Camoens fought Gallantly against the
Moors. and doubtless Witnessed tho lion
hunts which hc describes so vividly In his
great poem. Returning 10 Lisbon in l549.
at the age OF twenty-five. he became in
voved in . brawl with a servant OF tho
palace. and was confined some time In jail.
being finally pnrdoned on consideration OF his
volunteering for service IN the East. II was In
1853 that he landed In India. where for hvs
year. he saw great deal OF active service on
the coasts OF East Africa. Arabia. Hindostan.
Farther India. and China. In 1853 no Was
thrown into Jail at Goa for alleged NAL
versation in office. but. his honor being
thoroughly cleared by a public trial. he
was soon set at liberty. A year afterward he
wns again thrown into Jail. again proved inno-
cent. released. and tempot arily offered high en-
ployment. The cause OF the poets III 1ifficultes In
India is believed to have been the satirlcal verses
which he was constantly scribblinG. and which
not infrequently gave great offence To the au-
thorities. During the sixteen years which
Camoens passed In the East. he seems to have
become familiar with the whole east African
and Asiatic coasts. from Mozambique TO Macao.
with almost all the islands then discovered by
Europeans in the Indian Ocean. and there 10
good ground for believing that he penetrated TO
Japan. In 1870 he returned to Lisbon a pauper
from the land whence so many OF his country
men have brought back fabulous riches. The
Lisbon literati were jealous OF the reputation
he had already acquired. and he was
neglected by tho court The King. Don
Sebastian. gave contemporary French
man. Ronsard. tho Order OF Christ.
and bestowed on q buffoon the cross OF another
order. but Camoens Was not thought worthy OF
such distinctions. Not long after his return. in
the year infamous for the massacre OF 81. Bar
tholomew, Camoens brought OUT the first edi-
ton OF the Luslais. which. unlike some great
poems. Paradise Lost for instance. produced at
once a great sensation. He was i'm med lately
granted a small pension. equivalent TO one hun
dred dollars in our day. and II is said that q
second edition Of his epic was called for in tho