DURÂO, Jose de SantaRitt a, a Brazilian poet, was born at Marianna, in the province of Minas Geraes, in 1737, and died at Lisbon in 1784. He studied at Coimbra, in Portugal, graduated as a doctor of divinity, became a member of the Augustinian order of friars, and obtained a great reputation as a preacher. Having irritated the minister Pombal by his defence of the Jesuits, he retired from Portugal; and, after being imprisoned in Spain as a spy, found his way to Italy, where he became acquainted with Alfieri, Pindemonte, Casti, and other literary men of the time. On his return to Portugal he delivered the opening address at the university of Coimbra for the year 1778; but soon after retired to the cloisters of a Gratian convent. At the time of his death he taught in the little college belonging to that order in Lisbon. His principal poem, entitled Cαramwrτι, poema epico do descubrimento da Bahia, appeared at Lisbon in 1781, but proved at first a total failure. Its value has gradually been recognized, and it now ranks as one of the best poems in Brazilian literature— remarkable especially for its fine descriptions of scenery and native life in South America. The historic institute of Rio de Janeiro offered a prize to the author of the best essay on the legend of Caramuru; and the successful competitor published a new edition of Duräo’s poem. There are two French translations, one of which appeared in 1829 in 3 vols. 8vo.

See Adolfo de Varnhagen, Epicos Brαzilieros, 1845; Pereira da Silva, Os Varoes illustres do Brasil, 1858; Wolf, Le Brésil littéraire, Berlin, 1863.