Lami, John

, an Italian ecclesiastic, and able philologist, was born at Santa-croce, between Pisa and Florence, Feb. 6, 1697. His father, Benedict Lami, a learned physician, died when he was an infant, but this loss was in a great measure supplied by the care which his mother took of his education. After learning with great facility the elements of Greek, Latin, history, and geography, he was placed at the college of Prato, where he studied so hard as to injure his health. Having recovered this in some degree, he pursued his studies at Pisa, and with such success that in 1718 he was unanimously appointed vice-rector. He was afterwards appointed chaplain to the grand duke of Tuscany, professor of ecclesiastical history in the university of Florence, and keeper of the Ricardi library. He | died at Florence, Feb. 6, 1770. He was not more remarkable for learning than for wit. One day at Florence, shewing some Swedish gentlemen the ancient palace of the dukes of Medicis, “There,” said he, “behold the cradle of literature” then, turning to the college of the Jesuits, “and there behold its tomb.” The Jesuits he neither loved nor flattered, and was often engaged in controversies with them. His principal works are, 1. “De recta patrum Nicenorum fide Dissertatio,” Venice, 1730, reprinted with additions at Florence, 1770, 4to. 2. “De recta Christianorum in eo quod mysterium divinse Trinitatis adtinet sententia libri sex,” Florence, 1733, 4to. 3. “De eruditione Ap<~,stolorum liber singularis,” Florence, 173$. A very much enlarged edition of this curious work on the antiquities of the primitive church, was printed in 1766, 4to. 4. “Deliciae eruditorum, seu veterum anecdoton opusculorum collectanea,” Florence, a miscellany published from 1736 to 1769, forming 18 vols. 8vo, in which are many essays from his own pen. 5. “Meursii opera,” Florence, 12 vols. folio. 6. An edition of “Anacreon,” Florence, 1742, 12mo. f. “Memorabilia Italorum eruditione praestantium, quibus vertens sseculum gloriatur,” ibid. 1742, 1748, 2 vols. 8. “Dialogi d’Aniceto Nemesio,” 1742: this was written in defence of his work on the antiquities of the primitive church, in which some of his opponents discovered a tendency towards Socinianism. 9. “Sanctae ecclesiae Florentine monumenta,” Florence, 1758, 3 vols. fol. 10. “Lezioni d’antichita Toscane, e speciaimente dellacittadi Firenze,” ibid. 1766, 2 vols. 4to. ¹