CAMOES, ki-mon'esh, or CAMOENS, Luiz Vaz de, Portuguese poet: b. Lisbon probably 1524, or 1525; d. there 1579. His father, Simon Vaz de Camoes, was a ship captain, who perished by shipwreck on the coast of Goa about 1552. Card:les studied at Coim bra, of which his uncle, Dom Bento de CamOes became chancellor in 1539, the year of Luis' entrance to the university. At that time writers were esteemed in proportion as they imitated the ancients. Camoes was inspired by the his tory of his country, and by the manners of his age. His lyric poems, like the works of Dante, Petrarch, Ariosto and Tasso, belong to the literature formed under the influence of Chris tianity. After the completion of his studies he returned to Lisbon, where he fell deeply in love with a lady of the palace, Catharina d'Atayada. Violent passions are often joined with great talents — Camoes had both. He was exiled to Santarem on account of disputes in which his love for Catharina involved him. From despair he became a soldier, and served in the fleet which the Portuguese sent against Morocco. He composed poetry in the midst of battles, and as danger kindled his genius, so genius animated his courage. An arrow de: prived him of his right eye before Ceuta. He hoped that his wounds would receive a recom pense, though his talents were not appreciated; but envy opposed his claims. Full of indigna tion at seeing himself neglected, he embarked in 1553 for India. His powerful imagination was excited by the heroic deeds of his countrymen in this quarter, and although he had much reason to complain of them, he could not resist the desire of celebrating their glory in an epic. But this vivacity of mind, essential to the poet, is not easily united with the moderation which a dependent condition demands. Cam6es was displeased with the abuses of the government in India, and wrote a satire, which caused his banishment to Macao. Soon after he was re moved to the Moluccas, but after three years of captivity a new viceroy recalled the decree of banishment against him, and appointed him administrator of the effects of deceased per sons at Macao. His chief poem, the 'Lusiad,' was composed partly during the period of his captivity, and partly while he held the office of administrator. Cam6es was at last recalled from his banishment. At the mouth of the river Mekon, in Cochin-China, he was ship wrecked, and saved himself by swimming— holding in one hand above the water the manu script of his poem, the only treasure which he rescued from the waves. In Goa he en countered new persecutions; was confined in prison for alleged embezzlement of funds en trusted to him during his tenure of office at Macao, and not allowed, until his friends be came responsible for him, to embark and return to Lisbon in 1569. King Sebastian, yet hardly past the age of childhood, took an interest in He accepted the dedication of his epic (which appeared in two editions, varying both in the text and the orthography, in 1572), and being on the point of embarking on his expedition against the Moors in Africa, felt more sensibly than others the genius of the poet, who, like him, loved dangers if they led to glory. But Sebastian was killed in a battle before Alcacar in 1578, and with him the royal family became extinct, and Portugal lost her independence. Every source of assistance, as well as every hope of Cam6es, was destroyed by this event. So great was his poetry that
at night a slave, whom he had brought with him from India, begged in the streets in order to support the life of his master. In this misery he yet wrote lyric poems, some of which contain the most moving complaints. This hero of Portuguese literature, the ornament of his country and Europe, died in a hospital, neg lected. In 15% a splendid monument was erected to his memory. Vasco da Gama's ex pedition to India is the subject of his great poem. The parts of it which are best known are the episode of Ines de Castro, and the ap pearance of Adamastor who, by means of his power over the storms, aims to stop Gama's voyage when he is about to double the Cape. In conformity to the taste of the time, Camoes united in this poem a narrative of the Portu guese history with the splendor of poetic de scription, and Christianity with mythological fables. He pleased himself with tracing the descent of the Portuguese from the Romans, of whom Mars and Venus are considered the progenitors and protectors. Since fable ascribes to Bacchus the first conquest of India, it was natural to represent him as jealous of the undertaking of the Portuguese. If the imitation of the works of classical antiquity has been of any disadvantage to the 'Lusiad,> the injury consists, perhaps, in a diminution of the originality which one expects in a work in which India and Africa are described by an eye-witness. The general interest of the poem consists principally in the patriotic feeling which pervades it. The national glory of the Portu guese appears here in every form which inven tion can lend to it, and therefore the country men of Cam6es must naturally admire this poem more than foreigners. Some critics pro nounce the a more powerful and pure historical painting than Tasso's 'Jerusalem Delivered.' A valuable edition of the 'Lusiad' (Os Lusiadas, etc.) was published by Joze Maria de Souza-Botelho (Paris 1817). It has been translated into English by Fanshaw, Mickle and Duff; by J. J. Aubertin (with Portuguese text), and by Sir R. F. Burton (with 'Life of Camoes, Commentary,) etc.; 6 vols., London 1881). The works of Camoes, besides the (Lusiad,) consist of sonnets, songs, odes, elegies, eclogues, redondillas, epigrams, satires, letters and three dramas, 'Amphitryon,) after Plautus, 'King Seleucus' and the 'Love of Philodemus.> The most complete edition of Cam6es' works is that of the Visconde de Juromenha (6 vols., Lisbon 1860-69) ; also the small handy edition of Theophile Braga (3 vols. Oporto 1874) and the edition by Carl von Reinhardstoettner (Strassburg 1874). Con sult also Viscount Strangford, 'Poems from the Portuguese of Luis de Camoens, with Re marks on his Life and Writings, Notes, (6th ed., London 1810): and Branco, Camillo Castello, 'Manual bibliographico portuguez' (Oporto 1878); Da Silva, I. F., 'Diccionario bibliographico portuguez> (Vol. V, Lisbon 1860), and also Vols. XIV and XV (Vols. VII and VIII of the continuation of Brito Aranha; Lisbon 1886-88). These volumes are devoted exclusively to Camoes and his works, and are profusely illustrated. Consult Adamson, 'Mem oirs of the Life and Writings of Luis De Camoes) (London 1820); Braga, 'Historia de (3 vols., Oporto 1873-75); Castello Branco, 'Luis de Camoes) (Oporto 1880); Storck, 'Luis de CamOens Leben> (Paderborn 1890), the best biography of Camoes so far published. See LUSIAD, THE.