SILVA, JOÃO MENDES DA: Brazilian poet and attorney; born in Rio
de Janeiro 1656; died at Lisbon Jan. 9, 1736. He took his degree
in law at the University of Coimbra, and, upon his return to
Brazil, married Lourenca Coutinho, who was several times
arraigned by the Inquisition in Portugal for relapsing into
Judaism. She was "reconciled" at an auto celebrated July 9,
1713, and condemned to "carcere a arbitrio" at another auto,
held Oct. 18, 1739, one day before the martyrdom of her youngest
son, Antonio José da Silva. She is said to have died three
months after his execution. João Mendes, after the arrest of his
wife by the spies of the Holy Office, followed her to Portugal,
where he resumed work in his profession, practising law
conjointly with his son Antonio, until the latter was seized and
imprisoned on Aug. 8, 1726. Da Silva was the author of the
following poetical works, now lost (the titles being preserved
by Machado): "Officio da Cruz" (translation in verse); "Fabula
de Leandro e Ero" (in octaves); "Poem