xviii
The Lusiads.
The text of the Poem is immediately followed by the 79 estancias desprezadas, or stanzas, which, omitted by Camoens, were printed from manuscripts after his death. Of these 632 lines many were rejected for special reasons, and not a few deserve translation: they are here offered to the public for the first time.
Thus my Commentary falls naturally into IV. Chapters.
Chap. I. Biographical; with three Sections: § 1. Essay on the Life of Camoens; § 2. Camoens the Man; and, § 3. Camoens the Poet.
Chap. II. Bibliographical; with five Sections: § 1. On translating The Lusiads; § 2. English translators, with specimens; § 3. Notices of English translators; § 4. Minor partial and miscellaneous English translations; and, § 5. The present version.
Chap. III. Historical and Chronological; with four sections: § 1. Portugal before the reign of D. Joam II.; § 2. D.D. Joam III. and Manoel; § 3. The reign of D. Joam III.; and, § 4. The Annals of his Country till the death of Camoens.
Chap. IV. Geographical; with four sections: § 1. Preliminary; § 2. The Voyage of Da Gama; § 3. The Travels and Campaigns of Camoens in the nearer East; and, § 4. In the further East. I make no apology for the length of this topographical essay; the subject has been much neglected by modern commentators.
