LOBO, Francisco Rodrigues, Portuguese author: b. Leiria, about 1575; d. about 1627. Nothing is known of his life beyond the fact that he came of a wealthy family; that he studied at the University of Coimbra where he took the degree of licentiate about 1600; and that he lived at ease near his birthplace, writing pastoral and other verse. His first volume of verse, (1596), was writ ten in Spanish, but thereafter he wrote in his native Portuguese, with the exception of his last work, a rhymed welcome to Philip III in 1623. In his day Spanish was the language of Portuguese high society and Lobo rendered an important service to his native land by writing in Portuguese at the critical period in the his tory of that language during the Spanish domi nation of Portugal. 'Primavera.) a novel, ap peared in 1601, and was continued in Pas tor Peregrino,) in 1608, and (0 Desengauado,) in 1614. Although considered his best prose they are dull for the modern reader, for whom their only relieving features are the pastoral songs or serranilhas. In his eclogues he
lowed Camoens closely and they are poor imitations at best. His redondilhas are infi nitely superior, due perhaps to his reliance upon true national inspiration. His (COrte na Al deia' contains an interesting series of philo sophic and literary discussions in the form of dialogues. Lobo also wrote an epic in 20 can tos, Condestable de Portugal) (1610), but it falls far below the level of his other works. Lobo ranks as one of the leading authors of Portugal because of the purity and elegance of his style. His works went through several editions in the 17th and 18th centuries—a remarkable feat for Portugal. An edition of his works appeared at Lisbon in one volume in 1723, and a less complete edition there in four volumes (1774). Consult Bouterwek, F., of Portuguese Literature) (London 1823) and la Silva, I.• F., (Diccionario biblio graphic° (Vols. III, IX, Lisbon 1859; 1870).