No More Learning

,

HON. LIBRARIAN TO THE SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY,

_Editor of "Cory's Ancient Fragments," "The Principia Hebraica," etc. , etc. _

LONDON: GEORGE BELL AND SONS, YORK STREET,
COVENT GARDEN.

1877.


"As the mirror of a heart so full of love, courage, generosity, and
patriotism as that of Camoens, The Lusaid can never fail to please us,
whatever place we may assign to it in the records of poetical
genius. "--HALLAM.




[ORIGINAL DEDICATION, 1776. ]


TO THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUGH.

MY LORD,

The first idea of offering my LUSIAD to some distinguished personage,
inspired the earnest wish, that it might be accepted by the illustrious
representative of that family under which my father, for many years,
discharged the duties of a clergyman.

Both the late Duke of BUCCLEUGH, and the Earl of DALKEITH, distinguished
him by particular marks of their favour; and I must have forgotten him,
if I could have wished to offer the first Dedication of my literary
labours to any other than the Duke of BUCCLEUGH.

I am, with the greatest respect,
My Lord,
Your Grace's most devoted
And most obedient humble servant,

WILLIAM JULIUS MICKLE.




EDITOR'S PREFACE.


In undertaking, at the publishers' request, the function of editor of
Mickle's Lusiad, I have compared the translation with the original, and,
in some places, where another translation seemed preferable to, or more
literal than, Mickle's, I have, in addition, given that rendering in a
foot-note. Moreover, I have supplied the arguments to the several
cantos, given a few more explanatory notes, and added a table of
contents.
"The late ingenious translator of the Lusiad," says Lord Strangford,[1]
"has portrayed the character, and narrated the misfortunes of our poet,
in a manner more honourable to his feelings as a man than to his
accuracy in point of biographical detail. It is with diffidence that the
present writer essays to correct his errors; but, as the real
circumstances of the life of Camoens are mostly to be found in his own
minor compositions, with which Mr. Mickle was unacquainted, he trusts
that certain information will atone for his presumption. "

As Lord Strangford professes to have better and more recent sources of
information regarding the illustrious, but unfortunate, bard of
Portugal, I make no apology for presenting to the reader an abstract of
his lordship's memoir. Much further information will be found, however,
in an able article contained in No. 53 of the _Quarterly Review_ for
July, 1822, from the pen, I believe, of the poet Southey. "The family of
Camoens was illustrious," says Lord Strangford, "and originally Spanish.
They were long settled at Cadmon, a castle in Galicia, from which they
probably derived their patronymic appellation. However, there are some
who maintain that their name alluded to a certain wonderful bird,[2]
whose mischievous sagacity discovered and punished the smallest
deviation from conjugal fidelity. A lady of the house of Cadmon, whose
conduct had been rather indiscreet, demanded to be tried by this
extraordinary judge. Her innocence was proved, and, in gratitude to the
being who had restored him to matrimonial felicity, the contented
husband adopted his name. " It would appear that in a dispute between the
families of Cadmon and De Castera, a cavalier of the latter family was
slain. This happened in the fourteenth century. A long train of
persecution followed, to escape which, Ruy de Camoens, having embraced
the cause of Ferdinand, removed with his family into Portugal, about
A. D. 1370.