the time of Miranda’s death, it copied the form of Greek tragedies and, the better to acclimatize this, a thoroughly national subject was chosen--the death of Inés--whereas Miranda had gone to Rome and Egypt. As might be expected from Ferreira’s other work the conception was executed with the careful skill of a conscientious craftsman. The drama has unity, the style is purest Portuguese, the chorus sometimes soars into poetry, as in the celebrated passage _Quando amor naceo_. That the same high language is spoken throughout, that, as has often been observed, scenes of dramatic opportunity--a meeting between D. Pedro and his father or Inés--are omitted, merely shows that Ferreira had no dramatic instinct. Perhaps the only dramatic passage--and even so it is of more psychological than dramatic interest--is that in Act III: _Inés._ ‘Ah, woe is me! what ill, what fearful ill dost thou announce?’ _Chorus._ ‘It is thy death.’ _Inés._ ‘_Is my lord dead?_’ Nevertheless, the play was a remarkable achievement, carried out without faltering and with a sustained loftiness worthy of its subject. No one any longer believes that Ferreira copied from the _Nise lastimosa_ by Geronimo Bermudez, published under the pseudonym Antonio da Silva eight years after Ferreira’s death. This is a slightly expanded Spanish translation, closely following the 1587 edition[374] of _Inés de Castro_, which differs considerably from that of 1598. The _Nise laureada_ which accompanied it is perfectly insignificant. Like Miranda, Ferreira wrote, besides one tragedy, two comedies, _Bristo_ and _O Cioso_. There are indications that he had in mind Ferreira de Vasconcellos’ _Eufrosina_ as well as Miranda’s comedies. Bristo soliloquizing is the counterpart of Philtra, and in his dedication of _Bristo_ to Prince João he acknowledges his debt to previous plays.[375] In this comedy, written during some vacation days at Coimbra University, the action is very primitive, but the braggart Annibal and the charlatan Montalvão account for some farcical scenes. His later play, _O Cioso_ (the jealous husband is also handled by Gil Vicente and Prestes), belongs to a higher plane, i. e. to comedy rather than farce, although _Bristo_ is not entirely devoid of character-drawing. _Bristo_ was ‘made public’ (_publicada_) before 1554, but neither play was published till 1622. Both are remarkable for the correctness and concise vigour of their prose.