Author: Luiz da Silva, Nicolau
Biography:
LUIZ DA SILVA, Nicolau (1723-87: WBIS)
Nicola (or Nicolau) Luis (or Luiz) da Silva was a Portuguese playwright, the author mainly of comedies, some original and some adapted from Goldoni or Molière. But he was obscure enough that even Robert Southey (q.v.), who had a large collection of works in Portuguese and about Portugal, could not identify him when the translator John Adamson (q.v.) sent him an enquiry in 1808. (Southey suggested that it might be a pseudonym.) Adamson followed up the enquiry with a copy of his book and Southey, while thanking him, rather ungraciously told him that he had mistranslated Xarifalte and made mistakes in the accents on certain proper names. Luiz remains an obscure figure; no reliable information has been found about his origins or career. The story of Inez de Castro was well known from Camoens (q.v.). (WBIS; WorldCat; Robert Southey, Life and Correspondence [1850], 3:158-62)
Other Names:
- Nicola Luiz
- Nicola Luis