_I should like to thank Mr. York Powell of Christ Church for the kind help which he has given me in the difficult task of translation. My aim has been throughout to keep as close to the French text as possible--seeing that the original Portuguese is lost,--aided by the masterly re-translation of Senhor Cordeiro. L’Estrange’s version--‘Five Love Letters from a Nun to a Cavalier,’ London, 1678,--is somewhat free at times, but it has aided me in the Third Letter. I have followed Cordeiro in his re-arrangement of the order of the Letters, the Second and Fourth changing places._ _The historical facts which concern the hero and heroine of these Letters I have given briefly in the Introduction, and a Bibliography and Appendix will be found at the end of the volume. The text of the first French edition of 1669 has been copied in Paris purposely for this work, and will, it is hoped, add much to its interest and value._ _And so I deliver poor Marianna’s passionate Epistles to the consideration of those who can appreciate them and feel for her._ And weeping then she made her moan, ‘The night comes on that knows not morn, When I shall cease to be all alone, To live forgotten and love forlorn.’ EDGAR PRESTAGE. BOWDON, 1892. CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE, ix INTRODUCTION, 3 THE LETTERS, 37 FRENCH TEXT, 111 BIBLIOGRAPHY, 169 APPENDIX, 175 INTRODUCTION Fuyd los deleytes, pues non da deleite Perfecto, nin bueno, nin tan poco sano; A todos engaña su falsso afeyte, Sin sentir mata el su gozo vano. A todos arriedran del bien soberano, Jamas no aplazen que no den tristeza, Aforjan cadenas del sotil Volcano, Con que encarcelan a toda nobleza. _Cancioneiro de Resende._ ‘In 1663,’ says Sainte-Beuve, ‘it became the policy of Louis XIV. to help Portugal against Spain, but the succour which he gave was indirect; subsidies were secretly furnished, the levying of troops was favoured, and a crowd of volunteers hastened there. Between this small army, commanded by Schomberg, and the feeble Spanish troops which disputed the soil with it, there were each summer many marches and counter-marches with but few results, many skirmishes and small fights, and among the latter, perhaps, one victory. Who troubles himself about it now? The curious reader, however, who only looks to his own pleasure, cannot help saying that all this was good, since the “Letters of the Portuguese Nun” grew from it.