El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-19

r LISBON, Portugal July 19.-Portu-
gals present limitations in educa-
- ton and literature recall the fact
that when the little kingdom on the
west coast of the Iberian peninsula
was a world power. with possessions Of
vast worth and area in two hemis-
pheres, 1t enjoyed a golden age of lit
erature. as well as an age of gold rep
resenting the plundering Of "Ormuz
and Ind" and the peaceful conquest Of
Brain.
Literature Flourfshed.
Before the institution of the inquisi-
ton, which f1ourished at Goa and other
eastern seats of Portuguese power, as
well as at home, letters reached a high
state Of development in the splendid
city OF Lisbon, into which the Porsu-
gese fleets poured a stream Of the
choicest products of the Indian PENN
sula, Cey1on, the Spice islands and 9TH
er lands beyond the content of Africa,
then circumnavigated in boats in
which sailors today would hardly put
TO sea. The fleecy silks from the hand
looms of countries ruled by Hindu
princes, and strange fabrics from the
realms of Malay sultan, were not
more highly priced by the polished
boulevardiers of ancient Lisbon than
the madrigals of Portuguese poets, and
the court was the patron OF literature
in all of its branches.
Luis de Camoens, son Of a ship cap
tain who was lost on the coast of Goa
in 1852, was one of the most gifted
poets of any country or age. He was
educated at the university which
Farmer, Diniz established first at
Lisbon and then moved to Coimbra be-
cause the continuous brawling, OF stu
dents with citizens made Its position
in the capital undesirable All writers
Of the period were esteemed in pro-
portion to their familiarity with clas-
sic literature, and all initiated the
ancients. Camoens was lyricfst who
followed Dante, Petrarch, Aristo and
Tasso as models, but he was inspired
by the amply picturesque history OF
his own country.
A Dramatic Life story.
Hardly less dramatic than the his
tory of his country was the story Of
his life A violent passion for q lady
of the palace, Catharina d Atayada
led him into quarrels that caused him
to be expelled from the court and ex-
lied from Portugal Rendered desper-
ate, he became a. soldier and Joined an
expedition to Morocco. In the midst
of battles he slew Africans and com
posed verses simultaneously. Danger
kindled his genius for writing and hds
sense of the dramatic rendered him a
pattern Of the hero in battle. A Ber-
Der arrow put out one of his eyes, and
he cherished high hopes Of being rein
stated when he came home bearing a
fine battle and q wound of honor.
Failure to be recognized either as
a soldier or a poet drove him to Indfa,
but ne wrote a satire on Portuguese
government in Goa and was promptly
banished to the little Portuguese settle
ment at Cacao, which IS heard of now
and again in the Hong Kong dis
patches to American newspapers when
the Portuguese and the Chinese get into
a dispute over boundary line. He
was next sent to the Maluccas, but a
new viceroy of the east recalled him
from captivity and gave him the
melancholy post of administrator OF the
effects of deceased persons in Macao.
Shipwrecked In China.
: Some time afterward he was ship
wrecked in an adventure off the coast
of Cochin-China, and swame ashore
holding above the waves in one hand
the manuscript of EOS Lusiadas-" The
manuscript was his only property and
was destined to make him famous Re
turning to Goa, he was cast into prison
on the charge of having embezZled
from the dead in Macao. but friends
interfered and he found his way back
to Lisbon, where he dedicated his epic
to the boy king, Sebastian, monarch
who was himself setting out upon an
ill-starred expedition against the Moors
in north Africa, fated to meet herross
death in battle.
When king Sebastian was killed at
Alcasar, the prophecy Of the king OF
Spain. who had cynicauy said that II
Portugal succeeded in Morocco he
would have nephew to be proud Of
and If ii failed he would have coun-
try to be proud Of. was fulfilled The
death of Sebastian ended dynasty and
fell into the hands OF Spain
to remain for 60 years vassal state
After the death Of his royal patron,
Luis de Camoens- got a living by hav-
ing an Indian slave he had picked up
at Goa to beg for him in the streets OF
Lisbon While the Indian eontrived 70
get bread and meat for himself and his
master. de CamOens wrote immortal
lyrics in loft. He died, neglected, in
a pauper hospital How pale is the pa
thetic history Of Thomas Chatterton
compared with that of this brilliant
adventurer scholar and author, IN
whose honor a monument was erected
soon after his death at an enormous