PINTO, HEITOR. - Portuguese mystical writer, b. at Covilhã about 1528, d. in 1584, knight of the Order of St. John. He studied at Coimbra and at Leuven.
More than to his works in Latin, most of which are commentaries on the sacred books, his name is associated with the *Imagem da Vida Christa*, in eleven dialogues, also called *Diálogos* (first part, Coimbra 1563; 2nd part, Lisbon 1572), a profound work on the most important principles of Christian moral philosophy. Many of these principles, such as those concerning the qualities of the good prince and the consolatory meditations for the hour of death, were drawn upon by other Portuguese mystics of the time.
BIBL.: Eds.: The *Imagem da Vida Christa* has had numerous editions; the most recent is that in four volumes, Lisbon 1940. Studies: F. de Figueiredo, *Os Mysticos*, in *Alma Nova*, 14 (1916), pp. 21-28; M. Alves Correia, Preface, to the cited edition of 1940, I, pp. 1-35.