PORTA (John Baptista)

, called also in Italy Giovan Batista de la Porta, of Naples, lived about the end of the 16th century, and was famous for his skill in philosophy, mathematics, medicine, natural history, &c, as well as for his indefatigable endeavours to improve and propagate the knowledge of those sciences. With this view, he not only established private schools for particular sciences, but to the ut<*>ost of his power promoted public academies. He had no small share in establishing the academy at Gli Ozioni, at Naples, and had one in his own house, called de Secreti, into which none were admitted members, but such as had made some new discoveries in nature. He died at Pisa, in the kingdom of Naples, in the year 1615.

Porta gave the fullest proof of an extensive genius, and wrote a great many works; the principal of which are as follow:

1. His Natural Magic; a book abounding with curious experiments; but containing nothing of magic, the common acceptation of the word, as he pretends to nothing above the power of nature.

2. Elements of Curve Lines.

3. A Treatise of Distillation.

4. A Treatise of Arithmetic.

5. Concerning Secret Letter-writing.

6. Of Optical Refractions.

7. A Treatise of Fortification.

8. A Treatise of Physiognomy.

Beside some Plays and other pieces os less note.