Quirini, Angelo Maria

, a Venetian cardinal, celebrated as an historian, a philologer, and an antiquary, was born in 1684, or, according to some authors, in 1680. He entered very early into an abbey of Benedictines at | Florence, and there studied with so much ardour as to lay in a vast store of literature of every kind, under Salvini, Bellini, and other eminent instructors. The famous Magliabecchi introduced to him all foreigners illustrious for their talents, and it was thus that he became acquainted with sir Isaac Newton and Montfaucon. Not contented with this confined intercourse with the learned, he began to travel in 1710, and went through Germany to Holland, where he conversed with Basnage, Le Clerc, Kuster, Gronovius, and Perizonius. He then crossed into England, where he was honourably received by Bentley, Newton, the two Burnets, Cave, Potter, and others. Passing afterwards into France, he formed an intimate friendship with the amiable and illustrious Fenelon and became known to all the principal literati of that country. - The exact account of the travels of Quirini would contain, in fact, the literary history of Europe at that period. Being raised to the, dignity of cardinal, he waited on Benedict XIII. to thank him for that distinction. “It is not for you,” said that pope, “to thank me for raising you to this elevation, it is rather my part to thank you, for having by your merit reduced me to the necessity of making you a cardinal.” Quirini spread in every part the fame of his learning, and of his liberality. He was admitted into almost all the learned societies of Europe, and in various parts built churches, and contributed largely to other public works. To the library of the Vatican he presented his own collection of. books, which was so extensive as to require the addition of a large room to contain it. What is most extraordinary is, that though a Dominican and a cardinal, he was of a most tolerant disposition, and was every where beloved by the Protestants. He died in the ‘beginning of January 1755.

His works are numerous among them we may notice, 1. “Primordia Corcyrae, ex antiquissimis monumentis illustrata” a book full of erudition and discernment. The best edition is that of Bresse, 1738, 4to. 2. A work on the Lives of certain Bishops of Bresse, eminent for sanctity. 3. “Specimen varia3 Literature, quae in urbe Brixia, ejusque ditione, paulo post incunabula Typographic florebat,” &c. 1739, 4to. 4. An Account of his Travels, full of curious and interesting anecdotes. 5. A collection of his Letters. 6. A sketch of his own life, to the year 1740, Bresse, 1749, 8vo. 7. Cardinal Pole’s Letters, mentioned in our account of that celebrated ecclesiastic. -8. An edition of | the works of St. Ephrem, 1742, 6 vols. fol. in Greek, Syriac, and Latin. With many smaller productions, ¹