, an Italian author of the last century, was born at Venice, October
, an Italian author of the
last century, was born at Venice, October 4, 1685. He
sludied for eight years in the Jesuits’ college of Bologna,
and on his return to his own country, after a course of civil
and canon law, was created doctor in 1706. He began
then to practise at the bar, where he had considerable success, until he arrived at the twenty-fourth year of his age,
when he suddenly changed his profession, and entered the
order of the Theatins, January 12, 1711. He was some
years after catled to Rome, by the general of the order, and
appointed their secretary; and such was his reputation
among them, that he obtained a dispensation, never before
granted by that society, to confess women, six years before
the time prescribed by their laws. He afterwards devoted
much of his time to preaching, through the principal cities
of Italy. On his return to Venice in 1726, he determined
to settle there, dividing his time between the duties of his
profession, and the study of the best ancient authors, and
those of his own country. His first publications were harangues, panegyrics, and funeral orations, few of which
survived him, but the following works were thought entitled
to more durable fame: 1. A translation of Thuanus “De
re Accipitraria,
” and of Bargee’s “Ixeuticon,
” under the
title of “II Falconiere di Jacopo Aug. Thuano, &c. with
the Latin text and learned notes, Venice, 1735, 4to.
2. A translation of Vaniere’s
” Pryedium rusticum,“entitled
” Delia Possessione di Campagna,“Venice, 1748,
8vo, unluckily taken from the edition of 1706, the translator not being acquainted with that of 1730. He translated
also cardinal de Polignac’s
” Anti-Lucretius,“Verona,
1752, 8vo, and published an improvement of the de la
Crusca dictionary, under the title
” Delia volgare
elocuzione, illustrata, ampliata e facilitata, vol. I. contenente
A. B." Venice, 1740, folio. The bookseller being unsuccessful in the sale, this volume only appeared, but the
author, in 1753, published a prospectus in which he professed to have re-modelled the work, and reduced it from
twelve volumes to six. This, however, still remains in manuscript, with many other works from his pen. Our authority does not mention his death.