JOHN DE**, a celebrated Portuguese historian, born about 1496. He was educated at the court of King Emanuel, among the princes of the blood, and made great progress in Latin and Greek. The Infant John, to whom he attached himself and became preceptor, having succeeded the king his father in 1521, De Barros obtained a place in this prince's household; and, in 1522, he was made governor of St George del Mina, on the coast of Guinea. Three years after, the king having recalled him to court, made him treasurer of the Indies; and this post inspired him with the thought of writing the well-known and valuable history entitled *Asia Portuguesa*, for which purpose he retired to Pompas, where he died in 1571. His work is divided into decades, the first of which he published in 1552, the second in 1553, and the third in 1563; but the fourth decade was not published till the year 1615, when it appeared by order of King Philip III, who caused the manuscript to be purchased from the heirs of De Barros. Several authors have continued the work, so that it extends to twelve decades. A handsome edition of the original work, and its continuations, was published at Lisbon in 1774, in 11 vols. Svo.