1824.] 
Portugal, about the year 1743. His 
father, a mercer of Lisbon, discerning 
in his son’s character many ingenious 
and original traits of a literary kind, 
which he discovered from his infancy, 
bestowed on him an education well 
adapted to serve the purposes of 
study, and facilitate the acquisition of 
scholastic knowledge. 
The merits of this youth were ac- 
knowledged by all; notwithstanding 
which, from the jealousy of a brother, 
invidious at the prospect of his future 
elevation, his father removed him from 
the college, where he was studying 
with uncommon industry and success, 
and obliged-him to apply himself, in 
some micasure, to the drudgery of a 
mercer’s counter. 
Dias Comes had‘already Said in an 
interesting stock'of instructive mate+ 
rials to form the man of letters, ere his 
father introduced him to the practical 
part of his own business. He was 
laborious in his new undertaking ; but 
found means and opportunities, from 
time to time, to vent his own original 
and excellent ideas upon many impor- 
tant subjects of poetry, written with 
elegance and purity, and considered 
as infinitely above mediocrity. ‘The 
muses breathe a very different spirit 
from that manifested in a counting- 
house ; but it seems that the inquisitive 
mind of Dias Comes was not to be 
fettered. 
He was a curious observer of the an- 
cients; and it was by exploring the 
extensive region of classical literature 
and criticism, that ‘his sources of 
information were multiplied. His 
were not rapid glances, such as are 
made by many modern bards, nor 
would he ever prostitute his muse to 
themes merely popular, like others 
that spread themselves with wild luxu- 
riance over the soil, but keeping him- 
self within bounds, and confined to 
memorable topics, his poetry holds a 
distinguished rank among the literary 
productions of Portugal. 
' The poems which’ he: composed 
{known ‘to be peculiar favourites of the 
Portuguese publie,) were divided into 
three parts, eleyies, odes, and sonnets, 
seven of the first, four of the second, 
and three of the last, accompanied 
with explanatory remarks, ctirious and 
leasing, instructive and learned. The 
cademy of Sciences of Lisbon had 
‘them printed forthe “benefit of the 
author's widow and children in 1799. 
* Dias was employed; alittle previous 
Monty Mac. No, 399, 
Spanish and Portuguese Biography. 
41 
to his decease, on two poems, entitled, 
one ‘The Seasons,’ and the other 
‘fia Henriqueida.” The first, a de- 
scriptive poem, was intended to con- 
tain twenty-four sonnets; six only 
were finished. The subject of the 
second, which is the Conquest of Ceuta, 
contains some striking scenes’ in the 
drama of history, but does not appear 
to harmonize with the peculiar com- 
plexion of the author's genius and 
temper. 
He dréw up, also, two: tragedies, 
under the titles’ of “Electra” and 
““Tphigenia,” of which it was re- 
marked, and with justice, that they 
were inferior to his other compositions. 
His works in prose, three in number, 
do infinite honour to his acute pen, 
political opinions, and the genuine 
Sentiments of his breast. The first, 
crowned in 1792 by the Academy of 
Sciences, affords a descriptive analysis, 
or critical synopsis, of the diversities of 
style in the writings of Sa de Miranda, 
Ferreira, Bernardes, Caminha, and 
Camoens. ‘The second contains’ a 
comparative estimate of the History of 
Don Juan de Castro, by | Freire 
1)’ Andrado, and the Life of Don Paul 
de Lima, by Diego de Couto. The 
third work is] a’ Treatise on Good 
Taste in Poetry. nak . 
iSsaeieab 
M. ABADIA. ° baie ae 
Francis Xavier Abadia was born at 
Valentia, in Spain, in 1774... He com- 
menced his military career as a cadet; 
and, independently of favour or for- 
tuitous circumstances, by superior 
skill in the art of war, blended with al] 
that energy which marks the character 
of an experienced soldier, he rose to 
the rank of lieutenant-general in the 
armies of Spain. this 3 
When violently accused, on some 
occasion, of being favourable to the 
French, he disdained a formal vindica- 
tion of bis character, and therein fur- 
nished an example similar to that 
which the splendid history of Scipio 
affords us, Conscious of the noble, 
generous, disinterested, sentiments by 
which he was actuated, his constant 
object was’ to walk, steadily, in the 
path opened before him, going through 
his’ employments, and discharging his 
duties, so as to be justly entitled to the 
thanks of his country. 
When at the -head of the state- 
major, or staff, of the insurrectional 
army of La Mancha, he retired, with 
the remains of that’ corrs, to Cadiz, 
G where 
