Luís de Sousa
Encyclopedia
Frei Luís de Sousa (1555 – 5 May 1632), Portuguese
monk
and prose-writer, was born at Santarém
, a member of the noble family of Sousa Coutinho.
. A year Later Manuel de Sousa Coutinho was ransomed, and landing on the coast of Aragon
passed through Valencia
, where he made the acquaintance of the poet Jaime Falcão, who seems to have inspired him with a taste for study and a quiet life.
The national disasters and family troubles increased his desire, which was confirmed when he returned to Portugal after the Battle of Ksar El Kebir and had the sorrow of witnessing the Spanish invasion and the loss of his country's independence. Between 1584 and 1586 he married a noble lady, Dona Magdalena de Vilhena, widow of Dom John of Portugal, the son of the poet Dom Manuel of Portugal, to whom Camões
had dedicated his seventh ode.
, on the Tagus
opposite Lisbon
, he divided his time between domestic affairs, literary studies and his military duties as colonel of a regiment. His patriotic dislike of an alien rule grew stronger as he saw Portugal exploited by her powerful partner, and it was ultimately brought to a head in 1599. In that year, to escape the pest that devastated Lisbon, the governors of the kingdom for Philip II decided to move their quarters to his residence; thereupon, finding his protest against this arbitrary resolution unheeded, he set fire to his house, and to escape the consequences of his courageous act had to leave Portugal.
, he not only escaped any penalty, owing no doubt to his position and influence at the Spanish court, but was able to pursue his literary studies in peace and to publish the works of his friend Jaime Falcão (Madrid, 1600).
Nothing is known of how he passed the next thirteen years, though there is a tradition that, at the instance of a brother resident in Panama
, who held out the prospect of large commercial gains, he spent some time in America. It is said that fortune was unpropitious, and that this, together with the news of the death of his only child, Dona Anna de Noronha, caused his return home about 1604.
In 1613 he and his wife agreed to a separation, and he took the Dominican
habit in the convent of Benfica, while Dona Magdalena entered the convent of the Sacramento at Alcantara. According to an old writer, the motive for their act was the news, brought by a pilgrim from Palestine that Dona Magdalena's first husband had survived the battle of Ksar El Kebir, in which he was supposed to have fallen, and still lived; Almeida Garrett
has immortalized the legend in his 1843 play Frei Luís de Sousa. The story, however, deserves no credit, and a more natural explanation is that the pair took their resolution to leave the world for the cloister from motives of piety, though in the case of Manuel the captivity of his country and the loss of his daughter may have been contributory causes.
, Dom Frei Bartholomew of the Martyrs, the task of writing these books was confided to Frei Luís. The Life of the Archbishop appeared in 1619, and the first part of the Chronicle of St Dominic in 1623, while the second and third parts appeared posthumously in 1662 and 1678; in addition he wrote, by order of the government, the Annals of D. John III., which were published by Alexandre Herculano
in 1846. After a life of about nineteen years spent in religion, he died on May 5, 1632, in Benfica
, Lisbon
, leaving behind him a memory of strict observance and personal holiness.
The Chronicle of St Dominic and the Life of the Archbishop have the defect of most monastic writings—they relate for the most part only the good, and exaggerate it without scruple, and they admit all sorts of prodigies, so long as these tend to increase devotion. Briefly, these books are panegyric
s, written for edification, and are not histories at all in the critical sense of the word. Their order and arrangement, however, are admirable, and the lucid, polished style, purity of diction, and simple, vivid descriptions, entitle Frei Luís de Sousa to rank as a great prose-writer. His metaphor
s are well chosen, and he employs on appropriate occasions familiar terms and locutions, and makes full use of those charming diminutives in which the Portuguese language is rich. His prose is characterized by elegance, sweetness and strength, and is remarkably free from the affectations and false rhetoric that characterized the age.
poet. There are many editions of the Life of the Archbishop, and it appeared in French (Paris, 1663, 1679 and 1825), in Italian (1727–1728), in Spanish (Madrid, 1645 and 1727) and in English (London, 1890). The História de S. Domingos may be read in a modern edition (6 vols, Lisbon, 1866).
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...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
and prose-writer, was born at Santarém
Santarém, Portugal
Santarém is a city in the Santarém Municipality in Portugal. The city itself has a population of 28,760 and the entire municipality has 64,124 inhabitants.It is the capital of Santarém District....
, a member of the noble family of Sousa Coutinho.
Capture and release
In 1576 he broke off his studies at Coimbra University to join the order of Malta, and shortly afterwards was captured at sea by Moorish pirates and taken prisoner to Argel, where he met CervantesMiguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written...
. A year Later Manuel de Sousa Coutinho was ransomed, and landing on the coast of Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
passed through Valencia
Valencia (city in Spain)
Valencia or València is the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 809,267 in 2010. It is the 15th-most populous municipality in the European Union...
, where he made the acquaintance of the poet Jaime Falcão, who seems to have inspired him with a taste for study and a quiet life.
The national disasters and family troubles increased his desire, which was confirmed when he returned to Portugal after the Battle of Ksar El Kebir and had the sorrow of witnessing the Spanish invasion and the loss of his country's independence. Between 1584 and 1586 he married a noble lady, Dona Magdalena de Vilhena, widow of Dom John of Portugal, the son of the poet Dom Manuel of Portugal, to whom Camões
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...
had dedicated his seventh ode.
In Portugal
Settling at AlmadaAlmada
Almada is a municipality in Portugal, covering an area of 70.2 km² located on the southern margin of the Tagus River. Its municipal population in 2008 was 164,844 inhabitants; the urbanized center had a population of 102,357.The seat is the city of Almada....
, on the Tagus
Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
opposite 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...
, he divided his time between domestic affairs, literary studies and his military duties as colonel of a regiment. His patriotic dislike of an alien rule grew stronger as he saw Portugal exploited by her powerful partner, and it was ultimately brought to a head in 1599. In that year, to escape the pest that devastated Lisbon, the governors of the kingdom for Philip II decided to move their quarters to his residence; thereupon, finding his protest against this arbitrary resolution unheeded, he set fire to his house, and to escape the consequences of his courageous act had to leave Portugal.
To Madrid
Going to MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, he not only escaped any penalty, owing no doubt to his position and influence at the Spanish court, but was able to pursue his literary studies in peace and to publish the works of his friend Jaime Falcão (Madrid, 1600).
Nothing is known of how he passed the next thirteen years, though there is a tradition that, at the instance of a brother resident in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, who held out the prospect of large commercial gains, he spent some time in America. It is said that fortune was unpropitious, and that this, together with the news of the death of his only child, Dona Anna de Noronha, caused his return home about 1604.
In 1613 he and his wife agreed to a separation, and he took the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
habit in the convent of Benfica, while Dona Magdalena entered the convent of the Sacramento at Alcantara. According to an old writer, the motive for their act was the news, brought by a pilgrim from Palestine that Dona Magdalena's first husband had survived the battle of Ksar El Kebir, in which he was supposed to have fallen, and still lived; 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...
has immortalized the legend in his 1843 play Frei Luís de Sousa. The story, however, deserves no credit, and a more natural explanation is that the pair took their resolution to leave the world for the cloister from motives of piety, though in the case of Manuel the captivity of his country and the loss of his daughter may have been contributory causes.
Writing
He made his profession on September 8, 1614, and took the name by which he is known as a writer, Frei Luís de Sousa. In 1616, on the death of Frei Luís Cacegas, another notable Dominican who had collected materials for a history of the order and for a life of the famous archbishop of BragaBraga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
, Dom Frei Bartholomew of the Martyrs, the task of writing these books was confided to Frei Luís. The Life of the Archbishop appeared in 1619, and the first part of the Chronicle of St Dominic in 1623, while the second and third parts appeared posthumously in 1662 and 1678; in addition he wrote, by order of the government, the Annals of D. John III., which were published by Alexandre Herculano
Alexandre Herculano
Alexandre Herculano de Carvalho e Araújo , was a Portuguese novelist and historian.-Early life:...
in 1846. After a life of about nineteen years spent in religion, he died on May 5, 1632, in Benfica
Benfica (Lisbon)
Benfica is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Lisbon. It has a population of 38,523 inhabitants and a total area of 7.94 km².The biggest park of Lisbon, Monsanto Forest Park, is located in Benfica.-20th century:...
, 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...
, leaving behind him a memory of strict observance and personal holiness.
The Chronicle of St Dominic and the Life of the Archbishop have the defect of most monastic writings—they relate for the most part only the good, and exaggerate it without scruple, and they admit all sorts of prodigies, so long as these tend to increase devotion. Briefly, these books are panegyric
Panegyric
A panegyric is a formal public speech, or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing, a generally highly studied and discriminating eulogy, not expected to be critical. It is derived from the Greek πανηγυρικός meaning "a speech fit for a general assembly"...
s, written for edification, and are not histories at all in the critical sense of the word. Their order and arrangement, however, are admirable, and the lucid, polished style, purity of diction, and simple, vivid descriptions, entitle Frei Luís de Sousa to rank as a great prose-writer. His metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
s are well chosen, and he employs on appropriate occasions familiar terms and locutions, and makes full use of those charming diminutives in which the Portuguese language is rich. His prose is characterized by elegance, sweetness and strength, and is remarkably free from the affectations and false rhetoric that characterized the age.
Poetry
In addition to his other gifts, Frei Luís de Sousa was a good LatinLatin
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...
poet. There are many editions of the Life of the Archbishop, and it appeared in French (Paris, 1663, 1679 and 1825), in Italian (1727–1728), in Spanish (Madrid, 1645 and 1727) and in English (London, 1890). The História de S. Domingos may be read in a modern edition (6 vols, Lisbon, 1866).
Authorities
- Obras de D. Francisco Alexandre Lobo, ii. 6f 171
- Innocencio da Silva, Diccionario bibliographico portuguez, v. 327, xvi. 72
- Dr Sousa Viterbo, Manoel de Sousa Coulinho (Lisbon, I902).