Francisco Manoel de Nascimento
Encyclopedia
Francisco Manoel de Nascimento (December 21, 1734 – February 25, 1819), Portuguese poet
, better known by the literary name of Filinto Elysio, bestowed on him by the Marqueza de Alorna
, was the reputed son of a Lisbon
boat-owner.
education never obliterated. in addition, he learnt to know the whole range of popular literature (litteratura de cordel) songs, comedies, knightly stories and fairy tales, which were then printed in loose sheets (folhas vol antes) and sold by the blind in the streets of the capital. These circumstances explain the richness of his vocabulary, and joined to an ardent patriotism they fitted him to become the herald of the literary revival known as Romanticism
, which was inaugurated by his distinguished follower Almeida Garrett
.
Nascimento began to write verses at the age of fourteen. He was ordained a priest in 1754, and shortly afterwards became treasurer of the Chagas church in Lisbon. He led a retired life, and devoted his time to the study of the Latin
classics, especially Horace
, and to the society of literary friends, among whom were numbered some cultivated foreign merchants. These men nourished the common ambition to restore Camoens
, then half forgotten, to his rightful place as the king of the Portuguese Parnassus, and they proclaimed the cult of the Quinhentistas, regarding them as the best poetical models, while in philosophy
they accepted the teaching of the French
Encyclopaedists.
Nascimento's first publication was a version of one of Pietro Metastasio's opera
s, and his early work consisted mainly of translations. Though of small volume and merit, it sufficed to arouse the jealousy of his brother bard
s. At this time the Arcadia was working to restore good taste and purify the language of gallicisms, but the members of this society forgot the traditions of their own land in their desire to imitate the classics.
Nascimento and other writers who did not belong to the Arcadia, formed themselves into a rival group, which met at the Ribeira das Nos, and the two bodies attacked one another in rhyme without restraint, until the "war of the poets", as it was called, ended with the collapse of the Arcadia. Nascimento now conceived a strong but platonic affection for D. Maria de Almeida, afterwards Condessa da Ribeira, sister of the famous poetess the Marqueza de Alorna. This lady sang the chansonnettes he wrote for her, and their poetical intercourse drew from him some lyrics of profound emotion.
on the charge of having given vent to heterodox opinions and read the works of modern philosophers who follow natural reason. The tribunal held a secret inquiry, and without giving him an opportunity of defence issued an order for his arrest, which was to take place early in the morning of the 14th of July. He had received a warning, and succeeded in escaping to the house of a French merchant, Verdier, where he lay hid for eleven days, at the end of which his friend the Marquez de Marialva put him on board a French ship which carried him to Havre
.
Nascimento took up his residence in Paris
, and his first years there passed pleasantly enough. Soon, however, his circumstances changed for the worse. He received the news of the confiscation of his property by the Inquisition; and though he strove to support himself by teaching and writing he could hardly make ends meet.
In 1792 his admirer Antonio de Araujo, afterwards Conde de Barca, then Portuguese minister to Holland, offered the poet the hospitality of his house at the Hague
, but neither the country, the people, nor the language were congenial, and when his host went to Paris on a diplomatic mission in 1797 Nascimento accompanied him, and spent the rest of his life in and near the French capital.
as a result of the French invasion finally dashed his hopes. Before this the Conde de Barca had obtained him a commission from the Portuguese government to translate the De Rebus Emanuelis of Jerome Osorio; the assistance of some fellow-countrymen in Paris carried him through his last years, which were cheered by the friendship of his biographer and translator Alexandre Sane and of the Lusophil Ferdinand Dénis. Lamartine addressed an ode to him; he enjoyed the esteem of Chateaubriand; and his admirers at home, who imitated him extensively, were called after him Os Filintistas. Exile and suffering had enlarged his ideas and given him a sense of reality, making his best poems those he wrote between the ages of seventy and eighty-five, and when he died, it was recognized that Portugal had lost her foremost contemporary poet.
and Chateaubriand's Martyrs opened a new world to him, and his contos, or scenes of Portuguese life, have a real romantic flavour; they are the most natural of his compositions, though his noble patriotic odes - those To Neptune speaking to the Portuguese and To the liberty and independence of the United States are the most quoted and admired.
On leaving Portugal, he abandoned the use of rhyme as cramping freedom of thought and expression; nevertheless his highly polished verses are generally robust to hardness and overdone with archaisms. His translations from Latin
, French and Italian, are accurate though harsh, and his renderings of Racine
and the Fables of Lafontaine
entirely lack the simplicity and grace of the originals. But Nascimento's blank verse translation of the Martyrs is in many ways superior to Chateaubriand's prose.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, better known by the literary name of Filinto Elysio, bestowed on him by the Marqueza de Alorna
Marquis of Alorna
Marquis of Alorna was a Portuguese title of nobility granted, in 9 November 1748, by King John V of Portugal, to D. Pedro Miguel de Almeida Portugal e Vasconcelos, 3rd Count of Assumar and 44th viceroy of India....
, was the reputed son of a Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
boat-owner.
Early years
In his early years he acquired a love of national customs and traditions which his humanistHumanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
education never obliterated. in addition, he learnt to know the whole range of popular literature (litteratura de cordel) songs, comedies, knightly stories and fairy tales, which were then printed in loose sheets (folhas vol antes) and sold by the blind in the streets of the capital. These circumstances explain the richness of his vocabulary, and joined to an ardent patriotism they fitted him to become the herald of the literary revival known as Romanticism
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
, which was inaugurated by his distinguished follower Almeida Garrett
Almeida Garrett
João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett, Viscount of Almeida Garrett was a Portuguese poet, playwright, novelist and politician. He is considered to be the introducer of the Romanticism in Portugal, with the epic poem Camões, based on the life of Luís de Camões...
.
Nascimento began to write verses at the age of fourteen. He was ordained a priest in 1754, and shortly afterwards became treasurer of the Chagas church in Lisbon. He led a retired life, and devoted his time to the study of the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
classics, especially Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
, and to the society of literary friends, among whom were numbered some cultivated foreign merchants. These men nourished the common ambition to restore Camoens
Luís de Camões
Luís Vaz de Camões is considered Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of Shakespeare, Vondel, Homer, Virgil and Dante. He wrote a considerable amount of lyrical poetry and drama but is best remembered for his epic work Os Lusíadas...
, then half forgotten, to his rightful place as the king of the Portuguese Parnassus, and they proclaimed the cult of the Quinhentistas, regarding them as the best poetical models, while in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
they accepted the teaching of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Encyclopaedists.
Nascimento's first publication was a version of one of Pietro Metastasio's opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s, and his early work consisted mainly of translations. Though of small volume and merit, it sufficed to arouse the jealousy of his brother bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
s. At this time the Arcadia was working to restore good taste and purify the language of gallicisms, but the members of this society forgot the traditions of their own land in their desire to imitate the classics.
Nascimento and other writers who did not belong to the Arcadia, formed themselves into a rival group, which met at the Ribeira das Nos, and the two bodies attacked one another in rhyme without restraint, until the "war of the poets", as it was called, ended with the collapse of the Arcadia. Nascimento now conceived a strong but platonic affection for D. Maria de Almeida, afterwards Condessa da Ribeira, sister of the famous poetess the Marqueza de Alorna. This lady sang the chansonnettes he wrote for her, and their poetical intercourse drew from him some lyrics of profound emotion.
The Inquisition
This was the happiest epoch of his life, but it did not last long. The accession of D. Maria I. inaugurated an era of reaction against the spirit and reforms of Pombal, and religious succeeded to political intolerance. In June 1778 Nascimento was denounced to the InquisitionInquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
on the charge of having given vent to heterodox opinions and read the works of modern philosophers who follow natural reason. The tribunal held a secret inquiry, and without giving him an opportunity of defence issued an order for his arrest, which was to take place early in the morning of the 14th of July. He had received a warning, and succeeded in escaping to the house of a French merchant, Verdier, where he lay hid for eleven days, at the end of which his friend the Marquez de Marialva put him on board a French ship which carried him to Havre
Havre
Havre may refer to:* Havre, Montana* Havre de Grace, Maryland* Havre , Norway* Havre-Aubert, Magdalen Islands, Quebec, Canada* Havre Boucher, Nova Scotia, Canada...
.
Nascimento took up his residence in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and his first years there passed pleasantly enough. Soon, however, his circumstances changed for the worse. He received the news of the confiscation of his property by the Inquisition; and though he strove to support himself by teaching and writing he could hardly make ends meet.
In 1792 his admirer Antonio de Araujo, afterwards Conde de Barca, then Portuguese minister to Holland, offered the poet the hospitality of his house at the Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, but neither the country, the people, nor the language were congenial, and when his host went to Paris on a diplomatic mission in 1797 Nascimento accompanied him, and spent the rest of his life in and near the French capital.
Return to Portugal
He retained to the end an intense love of country, which made him wish to die in Portugal, and in 1796 a royal decree permitting his return there and ordering the restoration of his goods was issued, but delays occurred in its execution, and the flight of the court to the BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
as a result of the French invasion finally dashed his hopes. Before this the Conde de Barca had obtained him a commission from the Portuguese government to translate the De Rebus Emanuelis of Jerome Osorio; the assistance of some fellow-countrymen in Paris carried him through his last years, which were cheered by the friendship of his biographer and translator Alexandre Sane and of the Lusophil Ferdinand Dénis. Lamartine addressed an ode to him; he enjoyed the esteem of Chateaubriand; and his admirers at home, who imitated him extensively, were called after him Os Filintistas. Exile and suffering had enlarged his ideas and given him a sense of reality, making his best poems those he wrote between the ages of seventy and eighty-five, and when he died, it was recognized that Portugal had lost her foremost contemporary poet.
Poetry
Garrett declared that Nascimento was worth an academy in himself by his knowledge of the language, adding that no poet since Camoens had rendered it such valuable services; but his truest title to fame is that he brought literature once more into touch with the life of the nation. By his life, as by his works, Nascimento links the 18th and 19th centuries, the Neo-Classical period with Romanticism. Wieland's OberonOberon (poem)
Oberon is an epic poem by the German writer Christoph Martin Wieland. It was based on the epic romance Huon de Bordeaux, a French medieval tale. It first appeared in 1780 and went through seven rewrites before its final form was published in 1796...
and Chateaubriand's Martyrs opened a new world to him, and his contos, or scenes of Portuguese life, have a real romantic flavour; they are the most natural of his compositions, though his noble patriotic odes - those To Neptune speaking to the Portuguese and To the liberty and independence of the United States are the most quoted and admired.
On leaving Portugal, he abandoned the use of rhyme as cramping freedom of thought and expression; nevertheless his highly polished verses are generally robust to hardness and overdone with archaisms. His translations from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, French and Italian, are accurate though harsh, and his renderings of Racine
Jean Racine
Jean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
and the Fables of Lafontaine
Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine was the most famous French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his Fables, which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Europe and numerous alternative versions in France, and in French regional...
entirely lack the simplicity and grace of the originals. But Nascimento's blank verse translation of the Martyrs is in many ways superior to Chateaubriand's prose.