Atanagi, Dennis

, a native of Cagli, in the duchy of Urbino, came to Rome in 1532, where he was distinguished for his taste and eloquence; but having a reluctance to any regular profession which might have afforded him an opportunity and means to cultivate literature, he soon fell into extreme poverty. In 1560, however, he became corrector of the press at Venice, and there had like to have been sacrificed to the rage of a student belonging to the university of Padua, who having committed a work to his correction, Atanagi adopted it and published it under his own name. This is theonly incident recorded of this eccentric genius, whom the Italians consider as a very pure writer, and one of their best critics. He published,

1. “Rhetoricorum Aristotelis, necnon paraphrasis Hermogenis tabulae, a D. A. collectos,” Venice, 1553, 4to.

2. “Lettere famigliari di XIII, uomini illustri,” Rome, 1554, 8vo. 3. “Rime di M. Bernardo Cappello,” Venice, 1560, 4to, with a long dedication by the editor. 4. “Sonetti, Canzoni, rime ed egloghe pescatorie di Berardino Rota,” Venice, 1567, 8vo. He also published Rota’s Latin poetry, with a Latin preface, very elegantly written. 5. “Rime e versi Latini di diversi, in morte d' Irene di Spilimbergo,” Venice, 1561, 8vq. 6. “Delle Lettere facete e piacevoli di diversi uomini grandi e chiari e begl’ingegni, raccolte, &c. libroprimo,” Venice, 1561, 8vo. The second volume, in 1574, was published after Atanagi’s death. 7. “II libro degli uomini illustri di Jaio Plinio Cecilio, ridotto in lingua volgare, &c.” Venice, 1562, 8vo. | 8. “De le rime di clivers! nobili poeti Toscani,” Venice, 1565, 2 vols. 8vo, one of the best collections of the kind. The time of Atanagi’s death has not been ascertained, but it is supposed to have happened about 1574. ¹