Camoens - The Lyrics part 1 - Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890)

24 LYRICKS OF CAMOENS.24 Petrus Crinitus : "De Poetis Latinis," etc., Libri I I.(Florence, 1505). He composed Carmina and many otherworks duly catalogued by Grasse, Part III. pp. 754-878.25Manoel de Faria y Sousa, the Arc Ii- Commentator, whowill often be mentioned (Appendix I.), was scandalised by theevident faultiness of the Editio Prmceps. With incrediblediligence and immense labour he collated the various copies ofCamoens' Works ("Camoens: his Life and his Lusiads," I.107). Throughout his four folios he constantly alludes to hisCommentary on the Redondilhas (roundels), Glosas andVoltas. The manuscript must have been well known in theearly part of this century; the Didot edition (Paris, 1815) mentionsit as "existing in the Library of the R. Convent, Na. Sa.da Gra9a of Lisbon," and indeed the Editor, by favour of theLibrarian, had leave to copy from it (Vol. IV., Prolog p. vi.)Report says that when Monastic Orders were abolished, theMSS. in three vols. found their way to the Central Depot, SamFrancisco da Cidade. At my request a friend, D. EduardoVanzeller, made inquiries for these papers which I am anxiousto have published:unfortunately the search failed, and we findreason to fear a final disappearance. I cannot but blame theCommittee of Management for the Camoens Centenary (1880) :a vast mass of matter, mostly rubbish, was printed, whilstnothing was done to rescue from oblivion the valuable legacyleft by the Arch- Commentator. *17The {< Court " is Lisbon in Portugal, Madrid in Spain.* F. y S. died in the house of the Marquess de Montebello,Madrid, and the autopsy showed liver-disease. The learnedViscount Juromenha writes that the library of the Duke deVilla Hermosa (Madrid) may contain, and in fact he has heardthat it does contain, certain MSS. of the Arch-Commentator.He justly observes "quern quer vai" ; but the venerable Editorhas not yet found an opportunity.