In 1642 Matos studied at the Jesuit school in Bahia, later, in 1650, continuing his studies in Lisbon. Eventually he graduated from the University of Coimbra in 1661 with a degree in Canon Law. That year Matos married Michaela de Andrade,
Matos was promoted quickly, in 1663 he was elected as Colony judge in Alcácer do Sal. He then worked for a charity organization and in 1668, he was conferred to represent Bahia in the Law Court held on January 27th in Lisbon.
Matos continued to practice law throughout the 1670's. His wife died in 1678, leaving behind two children she had given birth to with Matos.
During this time, Matos wrote satirical poetry. Exposing the promiscuous lives of the clergy at that time, also focusing his satire on the wealthy and ruling classes, blacks and whites.
He continued to write more poetry, writing poetry sometimes erotic and pornographic, as well as sacred poems. He was said to have called the people of Bahia, "Infernal rabble."
In the 1680's he married María de Póvoas, they had one son.
In 1685, Matos was accused by the ecclesiastic attorney in Bahia before the Inquisition for hia free lifestyle and for being "a daring "a daring man who had no Christian manners."(1) This accusation of heresy against Jesus Christ was not follow-up because one of the two witnesses supporting the claim died, and the other had moved away.
Due to his biting satire, he was threatened with death by the governor Antonio Luiz Gonçalves da Cámara Coutinho's children. Friends made a plan to capture Matos and send him Angola with no legal right to return to Bahia. This plan was executed against Matos will and the poet settled in Luanda. Once there, Matos became involved in conspiracy, when he favored one political party over another. He composed a farewell to his native Brazil where he compared Brazilians to beasts of burden working to support the Portuguese rascals.(2) He was eventually allowed to return to Brazil, on conditions that he stay far from Bahia and his enemies, refrain from writing satiric verses and refrain from associating with lowlifes. Unfortunately, Matos had contracted a fewer in Africa and died in Recife, at the age of 59.
Some of Matos poetry was collected and published in 1850, after which some of his poetry bgan to be included in anthologies. His complete, unexpurgated works were published in 1968. There has been an increasing amount of study on Matos over the years and he is now considered the most important satiric poet in Portuguese and Brazilian poetry.
1.
http://www2.ufba.br/~gmg/english/en-gregorio.html
2.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/369455/Gregorio-de-Matos-Guerra
