
audiobook
by conde de António Maria José de Melo César e Meneses Sabugosa
A lyrical collage of forgotten loves, jealous hearts and fleeting glories, this work opens a portal to the past where kings, poets and ordinary souls briefly shone before their memories melted like snow. Each vignette sketches a moment—an illicit romance in a royal court, a hero’s tragic downfall, a scholar’s fleeting obsession—capturing the fragile beauty of lives that once burned bright. The author treats history as a series of delicate sculptures, preserving their outlines against the relentless drift of time.
Written in a clear, almost conversational tone, the prose balances poetic flourish with straightforward storytelling, inviting listeners to linger on the echo of long‑gone voices. Though peppered with archaic words, the language never feels forced; instead it enriches the atmosphere of an age where myths and facts intertwine. As the narrative unfolds, you’ll find yourself tracing the silhouettes of vanished figures, feeling the same wonder that comes from watching a snowflake dissolve in the palm of your hand.
Language
pt
Duration
~7 hours (439K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
Portugal: Lisboa Portugalia, 1919.
Credits
The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2022-11-13
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1854–1923
A Portuguese aristocrat, diplomat, and writer, he moved easily between court life and literature, turning history, memoir, and cultural criticism into elegant, readable prose. He is especially remembered as one of the figures linked with the late-19th-century literary circle known as the Vencidos da Vida.
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