The greater part of the possessions of Vasco was lost by his conduct to the Master of Avis.. After the battle, though deprived of all command, he was permitted to retain his estates at Estremoz and Avis, and some property at Alenquer and Lisbon. With the produce of the latter his descendants afterwards purchased lands at Evora and Avis, which turned out to advantage; and which, when Severim de Faria wrote the life of the poet, were called Camoeyras, and were then in their possession.*

Here a circumstance may be stated respecting Vasco Pires de Camoens, which has hitherto escaped the notice of the biographers of the Portuguese bard; and which, coming from respectable authority, is entitled to considerable credit. Sarmiento,+ in his "Memorias

66

para la Historia de la Poesia y Poetas Es"panoles," quotes a manuscript letter which he had discovered, and which had been written by the Marquess of Santillana, who lived near the time of Vasco. This letter had been

Severim de Faria Disc. Var. Vida de Camoens, p. 90.

Nos. 370, 683, &c.

addressed to the constable Dom Pedro, the son of the Duke of Coimbra, and Regent during the minority of Afonso V. Dom Pedro had requested the Marquess to send him a Cancionero, or Collection of his Poems, which was accompanied by this letter, wherein is an account of the poets then known and celebrated. After naming several, he writes "Despues de "ellos vinieron Vasco Perez de Camoés" &c. "After these came Vasco Pires de Camoens" &c. In another part of his work, Sarmiento refers to what he had given as a quotation, and observes, that there could be no doubt if this letter had been known when Faria e Sousa wrote, he would have made mention of it to the credit of Vasco. Neither the description of poems which he wrote, nor the language in which they were composed, were known to Sarmiento, who supposes, that as Vasco was a Gallician, he most probably wrote in the language of that country. He is of opinion the poems of Vasco were contained in a Cancionero, which the Marquess mentions to have been in the possession of his grandmother, Dona Mencia de Cisneros, and which he states

to have been composed of "Canticas Serranas, "Decires Portugueses, y Gallegos," which were much praised at that time.

The descendants of the eldest son of Vasco Pires were of some account, as may be inferred from their marriages into the rich and powerful families, mentioned by Severim de Faria. Ioaō Vaz de Camoens, the second son, was "Vassallo" of the King Afonso V.; a title then of importance; and served that monarch in the wars in Africa and against Castile; in all which he particularly distinguished himself. His residence was in the City of Coimbra,. which place he represented at the Cortes, held during Afonso's minority. He was also Corregedor of that District, an office of which the jurisdiction was very extensive, there being only six similar situations in the kingdom, and they usually filled by Fidalgos of rank.

Ioaō Vaz de Camoens married Ignez Gomes da Silva, bastard daughter of Iorge da Silva, who was the grandson of Diogo Gomes da Silva, whose brother was Alferes-Mór, or Chief Ensign of the King Dom Ioaō I. and possessed many lands. Ioaō Vaz de Camoens was buried

in the Chapel of the Cloister in the Cathedral of Coimbra, wherein a marble monument was erected to his memory. Antaō Vaz de Camoens, the son of Ioaō Vaz, was united to Guimar Vaz da Gama, of the family of the Gamas of Algarve, descended from that of Alemtejo, by whom he had issue, Simao Vaz de Camoens, the father of the poet.

The mother of Luis was Dona Anna de Sa e Macedo, of noble descent; and sprung from the Macedos of Santarem. The residence of the poet's parents was in Lisbon, in the district "da Mouraria," in the parish of San Sebastiaō, where Luis was most probably born; and who, dying a bachelor, the family in this line failed "like an expiring lamp previous to its final extinction, emitting a brighter and more dazzling gleam."*

The period at which Camoens lost his father has not been clearly defined by the biographers of the poet. By some writers, that event is alleged to have occurred during the infancy of his son; and by others a much later time

* Retratos e Elogios dos Varões e Donas Portug. Vid. de Cam,

tune.

has been assigned as the date of this misforAt this day, those arguments can only be adduced, which have been urged in favour of the latter period; and, adding any ideas, which may have arisen from a perusal of the works of the various writers, left with the reader, in order that he may form his own judgment. It is agreed that he was educated for the sea service; that, sailing to India, he lost the ship, of which he was the commander, on the coast of Goa; and that, escaping from the wreck, he died soon afterwards in that city.

Manoel de Faria e Sousa states, in the life which accompanies his Commentaries on the Lusiad, that, when Camoens received the wound which deprived him of the sight of his eye, he was fighting by the side of his father, who commanded one of the Portuguese Vessels. This account has been judged worthy of credit, and has been followed by the latest biographer of the poet, Dom Jozé Maria de Souza. Anxious to obtain every information relating to Camoens, I have been obligingly furnished, since the publication of his work, with the reasons, which induced that writer to