Written by Machado de Assis
Edited by Iana Araújo
Translated by Vanessa Guedes
Copyedited by Natalle Moura
Proofread by Lucas Rafael Ferraz

Cato reÂgretÂted goÂing by sea a couple of times when he could have gone by land. The virÂtuÂous RoÂman was right. AmÂphitrite’s afÂfecÂtions are viÂolÂent, someÂtimes even dreadÂful. The deeds on the sea doubled in value beÂcause of this cirÂcumÂstance. And it is also beÂcause of it that plaÂcid souls avoid sailÂing or, to speak more adÂequately, those of prudent and safe spirÂits.
But to exÂplain the proÂverb that says: the work rises unÂderÂneath the feet — goÂing by land is not abÂsoÂlutely safer than by sea, and the story of the iron tracks, howÂever small, tells more than a few sad episÂodes.
AbÂsorbed in these and other reÂflecÂtions was my friend Titus, poet at twenty, no money and no mousÂtache, seated at the rotÂten work desk where a candle glowed siÂlently.
I must move forÂward to the physÂical and moral porÂtrait of my friend Titus.
Titus is not tall or short, which means that he is of meÂdium height. Frankly, such height could be called elÂegÂant in my opinÂion. HavÂing an anÂgelic face, sweet and deep eyes, his nose a dirÂect and leÂgit desÂcendÂant of AlÂcibiÂades, a graÂcious mouth, and wide foreÂhead as the lair of thoughts, Titus could serve as a model to the arts and as a beÂloved obÂject to the fifÂteen or even twenty-year-old sweetÂhearts.
Like medals, and like all things in this world of balÂance, Titus has anÂother side. Oh! Such a sad thing is the other side of the medals! BeÂing a model to the arts from the waist up, Titus is a piÂtiÂful perÂson when it comes to the rest. WonÂderÂfully crooked feet, bowÂlegged, such are the cons that my friend’s perÂson ofÂfers to those who are thrilled by the magÂniÂfiÂcent pros of the face and the head. It seems that nature had diÂvided itÂself to give Titus the best and the worst of it and put him in the miserÂable and disÂconÂsolÂate plight of the peaÂcock, who adÂorns itÂself and conÂtemÂplates raÂdiÂantly, but whose pride is knocked down and fades away when it looks at its legs and feet.
In his morÂals, Titus presents the same doubled asÂpect from the physÂical. He has no adÂdicÂtions but posÂsesses weakÂnesses of charÂacÂter which someÂwhat break the virÂtues that othÂerÂwise digÂniÂfied him. He is good and has the evanÂgelÂical virÂtue of charÂity; he knows, like the diÂvine MasÂter, to break the bread of subÂsistÂence and feed the hungry with the true joy of conÂscience and heart. Moreover, it is not reÂporÂted that he would ever harm the most imÂperÂtinÂent anÂimal, or the most inÂsolent man, two identical things, in the short days of his life. On the conÂtrary, it is said that his pity and good inÂstincts once led him to be alÂmost crushed while tryÂing to save a monÂgrel who was sleepÂing in the street and alÂmost got run over by a car. The monÂgrel saved by Titus beÂcame so fond of him that she never left his side. At the moÂment we are seeÂing him abÂsorbed in vague thoughts, she is lyÂing on the table, serÂiÂous and severe, conÂtemÂplatÂing him.
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Machado de Assis
JoaÂquim Maria Machado de AsÂsis, born on 21 July 1839, is arÂguÂably the most imÂportÂant Brazilian auÂthor of all times. He is conÂsidered by North-AmerÂican critic HarÂold Bloom as the most imÂportÂant black auÂthor of all times. He penned the roÂmances The PosthumÂous MemÂoirs of Brás CuÂbas and Dom CasÂmurro, works that figÂure amongst the most imÂportÂant and inÂfluÂenÂtial of Brazilian litÂerÂatÂure. DurÂing his caÂreer, Machado wrote sevÂeral short storÂies, and in many of them he flirÂted with fantÂastic eleÂments, beÂing one of the earliÂest Brazilian auÂthors to exÂplore the genre.
The Land of ChiÂmeras is one of such storÂies, full of maÂgic and fantÂastic beÂings. It was first reÂleased on NovemÂber 1st, 1862 and Eita! is proud to present its first verÂsion in EngÂlish.
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