BOCAGE, MANUEL MARIA BARBOSA DE (1765 1805), Portuguese poet, was a native of Setubal. He entered the army at 14, transferring to the navy at 16. At the royal marine academy in Lisbon, however, he spent his time in love affairs and in society, where his skill in improvisation made him a great favourite. After some years spent in India and China he re turned to Portugal, which was then enduring a severe reaction under the formidable intendant of police, Manique, who was de termined to suppress Voltaireanism and the importation or dis cussion of liberal ideas. Bocage was imprisoned in 1797 on account of some anti-religious verses, but soon recovered his liberty. He was a member of the literary society called New Arcadia, where he had but one serious rival, Jose Agostinho de Macedo. He died on the eve of the French invasion. Perhaps his best work is to be found in the sonnets addressed to D. Maria Leite, an old friend who visited and consoled him on his death bed. Bocage employed every variety of lyric and made his mark in all.
The best editions of his collected works are those of I. F. da Silva, with a biographical and literary study by Rebello da Silva, in 6 vols. (1853), and of Theophilo Braga, in 8 vols. (1875-76). See also I. F. da Silva, Diccionario Bibliographico Portuguez, vol. vi. pp. 45-53, and vol. xvi. pp. 260-264 ; T. Braga, Bocage, sue vida e epoca litteraria (1902).