Cape of Good Hope
Preserved but no longer current.
He is the hero of Camoens's Lusiad (1572), Gama, captain of the venturous band, Of bold emprise, and bom for high command, Whose martial fires, with prudence close allied, Ensured the smiles of fortune on his side.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Cape of Good Hope” mean?
He is the hero of Camoens's Lusiad (1572), Gama, captain of the venturous band, Of bold emprise, and bom for high command, Whose martial fires, with prudence close allied, Ensured the smiles of fortune on his side.
Is “Cape of Good Hope” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.