But the doctor, his eyes alight with scientific conviction, gently pushed her away. He entered the Green House, shut the door behind him, and set about the business of curing himself. The chroniclers state, however, that he died seventeen months later as insane as ever. Some even venture the opinion that he was the only madman (in the vulgar or non-Bacamartian sense) ever committed to the asylum. But this opinion should not be taken seriously. It was based on remarks attributed to Father Lopes—doubtless erroneously, for, as everybody knew, the priest liked and admired the alienist. In any case, the people of Itaguai buried the mortal remains of Simão Bacamarte with great pomp and solemnity.

Notes

[1] A play on words, for espiritual means both “spiritual” and “pertaining to the mind.”

[2] “The pest raised his mouth from his savage repast.” Father Lopes substituted seccatore, “pest,” for Dante’s peccator, “sinner.” Count Ugolino, the sinner, was gnawing the head of another sinner. Inferno, Canto XXXIII.

Illuminations for The Alienist by Machado de Assis

Title page

Machado de Assis’ Rio de Janeiro

A Historical Sketch of the City
By James William Wells

The city of S. Sebastiao de Rio de janeiro, the capital of the Empire of Brazil, is situated on the south-western side of the bay of the same name, near its entrance, in Lat. 2’2° 53’ 51” South and Long. 43° 7’ 6” West of Greenwich, and is therefore just within the Tropic of Capricorn.

The Indian names of the bay were “Guanabara” and “Nyterõi”—the latter meaning “hidden water.” There is a great diversity of opinion as to the first discovery of the bay, the honor being commonly accorded to Martim Affonso de Souza, who entered it on April 30th, 1531. It is certain, however, that several navigators had visited it previously, among who were Solis, Magellan and Sebastian Cabot. According to the most-trustworthy authorities the honor belongs to the Portuguese navigator André Goncalves, who entered the bay on January 1st, 1502, while exploring the coast of the “Terra de Santa Cruz” (Land of the Holy Cross), in the service of D. Manuel, King of Portugal. Believing that he had entered the mouth of a great river, he gave it the name Rio de Janeiro (River of January). Goncalves attempted no settlement, and pursued his voyage farther to the south after a brief delay in the harbor.

Although the honor of discovering the bay belongs to the Portuguese, the French made the first settlement. On November I0th, 1555, two vessels, under the command of Nicholas Durand Villegagnon, which left Havre de Grace on the 12th of July preceding, entered the bay with the intention of founding a colony of French Huguenots in the new world. The venture was made under the protection of Admiral Gaspar de Coligny, and was entrusted to the care and guidance of Villegagnon, who bore the reputation of being a brave and trust worthy officer. The first landing was on the small rocky island at the entrance to the bay Villegagnon.