Paruta, Paul

, a noble Venetian, born in 1540, was made historiographer of the republic in 1579, and |

afterwards was employed in several embassies, was made governor of Brescia, and finally elected a procurator of St. Mark. Such was his character for wisdom, integrity, and zeal for the public welfare, that he was called the Cato of Venice. He died in 1598, at the age of 58. He cultivated the sciences and general literature, and was the author of several works of merit. Among these are: “Delia Perfezione della vita Politica;” “Discorsi Politici,” published by his sons in 1599 “A History of Venice, from 1513 to 1551, with the Addition of an Account of the War of Cyprus:” written also in Italian, but he had begun to write it in Latin, in imitation of the style of Sallust, and had finished four books in that language. A new edition of this history was given by Apostolo Zeno in 1703. ¹