Facciolati, James

, a learned Italian orator and grammarian, was born Jan. 4, 1682, at Toreglia, and studied principally at Padua, where he took his degree of doctor in divinity in 1704, and taught for some time, and afterwards was professor of philosophy for three years. He was then appointed regent of the schools. As the Greek and Latin languages were now his particular department, he bestowed much pains in providing his scholars with suitable assistance, and with that view, reviewed and published new and improved editions of the Lexicons of Calepinus, Nizolius, and Schrevelius. Some years after he was promoted to be logic professor, and in that as well as the former situation, endeavoured to introduce a more correct and useful mode of teaching, and published a work on the subject for the use of his students. In 1739, when the business of teaching metaphysics was united to that of logic, Facciolati was desirous of resigning, that he might return to his original employment; but the magistrates of Padua would by no means allow that their university should be deprived of his name, and therefore, allowing him to retain his title and salary, only wished him to take in hand the history of the university of Padua, which Papadopoli had written, and continue it down to the present time. This appears, from a deficiency of proper records, a very arduous task, yet by dint of perseverance he accomplished it in a manner, which although not perfectly satisfactory, as far as regards the “Fasti Gymnastici,” yet was entirely so in the “Syntagmata.” He wrote also some works in theology and morals, and had the ambition to be thought a | poet, but his biographer Fabroni thinks that in this he was not successful. His principal excellence was as a classical scholar and critic, especially in the Latin, and his high fame procured him an invitation from the king of Portugal to superintend a college for the young nobility at Lisbon, but he excused himself on account of his advanced age. Fabroni mentions a set of china sent to him by this sovereign, which he says was a very acceptable present, and corresponded to the elegant furniture of Facciolati’s house. He had a garden in which he admitted no plants or fruittrees but what were of the most choice and rare kind, and four or five apples from Facciolati’s garden was thought no mean present. In every thing he was liberal to his friends, and most benevolent to the poor. He died in advanced age of the iliac passion, Aug. 27, 1769.

His works were, 1. “Orationes Latinse,” separately published, but collected and printed at Padua in 1744, 8vo, and reprinted with additions in 1767. 2. “Logica? disciplines rudimenta,Venice, 1728, 8vo. 3. “Acroases dialecticae,” first published separately, and afterwards incorporated in a work, entitled “J. Facciolati logica tria complectens, Rudimenta, Institutiones, Acroases undecim,Venice, 1750. 4. “De Vita Cardinalis Cornelii episcopi Patavini.” This life of one of his early patrons appeared in the “Acta Erudit.” Lips. 1722. 5. “Ortografia moderna Italiana,Padua, 1721. 6. “Exercitationes in duas priores Ciceronis orationes,Padua, 1731. 7. “Animadversiones Critics; in I. Litteram Latini Lexici cui titulus Magnum Dictionarium Latino Gallicum,Padua, 1731, 8yo. 8. “Animadversiones criticse in X. Litterarum ejusdem Lexici.” This is in Calogera’s collection of scientific works, vol. XIX. Venice, 1739. 9. “Scholia in libros Ciceronis de officiis, de senectute, &c.Venice, 8vo. 10. Monita Isocratea, Gr. et Lat.“Padua, 1741, 8vo. 11.” De Gymnasio Patavino syntagmata duodecim ex ejusdem Gymnasii fastis excerpta,“ibid. 1750, 8vo, 12.Fasti. Gymnasii Patavini, ab anno 1260 ad annum. 1756,‘Mbid. 1757, 4to. 13. “Sfera e geografia per le scuole de fanciulli.” 14. “Ciceronis Vita Literaria,” ibid. 15. Vita et acta Jesu Christi secundum utramque generationem, divinam ac humanam,“ibid. 1761. 16.” Vita et acta B. Mariae,“ibid. 1764. 17.” Viatica Theologica X. quibus adversus religionis dissidia catholicus viator munitur/’ Padua, 1765. 18. Epistolse Latins CLXXI Jacobi Facciolati, 7 ibid. | 1765. Besides these he was the author of some articles in the literary journals. 1

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Fabroni Vitae Italorum. —Saxii Onomasticon, a curious article, with some original correspondence.