BOOKWORM

THE SABATINIS IN PORTUGAL

The Almanaques do Porto for the years 1886-1890 list Anna Trafford Sabatini under ‘music teachers’ for all the years covered; Vincenzo only in 1886. No music school is mentioned. Perhaps Vincenzo was later employed in such an establishment and Anna continued to teach at home. Home in 1886 was Rua do Mirante 9A. 

In 1888 the Sabatinis lived at Rua Cancela Velha 15, a street renamed Rua Guilherme da Costa Carvalho (after the 1974 revolution). This street adjoins the Câmara do Porto, and is in the centre of the city. 

In 1886 the Liceu Particular do Porto, at Rua da Conceição 64, had for its director Jacob Bensabat, teacher of English, French, and Italian (author of ‘teach yourself’ textbooks for these, and possibly co-author of a similar book for German). This liceu was a short walk away from the Rua do Mirante, which may have been a reason to enroll Rafael in it. (It is a strange coincidence that in Columbus the hero rents a lodging from Bensabat the tailor, if we also recall that Vincenzo’s father had a tailoring establishment.) 

However, at present we know nothing for certain about where Rafael studied in Porto.

In his Life of Cesare Borgia, Rafael Sabatini translates a Portuguese proverb as the following couplet:

Soundly Father Thomas preaches;

Don't do as he does, do as he teaches.

which is in the original -

Bem prega frei Tomás, fazei o que ele diz e não o que ele faz.