, one of the most eminent Italian scholars of the last century, was
, one of the most
eminent Italian scholars of the last century, was born at
Mantua, July 18, 1718. After having studied among the
Jesuits in his own country and at Bologna, he entered that
society as a noviciate in 1736. He then commenced a
new course of studies, including the belles lettres, from
1739 to 1744, at Brescia, where cardinal Quirini, count
Mazzuchelli, count Duranti, and other learned men, formed an illustrious academy, and there he became first noticed by some poetical compositions for scholastic exercises. When sent to Bologna to pursue his theological
course, he continued to court his muse, and wrote for the
theatre of the college, his tragedy of “Jonathas.
” The
number of literary characters in this city surpashed that
which he had found at Brescia. The Institute recently
founded by count Marsigli, the Clementine academy of
design, the school of the astronomical poet Manfredi, and
the growing reputation of his learned and ingenious pupils
Zanotti, Algarotti, &c. contributed to fix the attention of
the literary world on Bologna. In this society Bettinelli
completed his education, and attained the age of thirty.
In 1748, he went to Venice to teach rhetoric, and was frequently employed in a similar manner in other places. His
superiors intended him for a display of his oratorical
talents, but the weakness of his lungs obliged him to decline this. In 1751, he was appointed director of the college of nobles at Parma, and remained here superintending "their poetical and historical studies for eight years,
occasionally visiting the principal vines of Italy, on business, or for health. In 1755, ne travelled through part of
Germany, to Strasburgh and Nancy, and returned through
Germany to Italy, bringing with him two young princes,
the sons or nephews of the prince of Hohenlohe, who had
intrusted him with their education. The following year
he took a trip to France with the eldest of these princes,
and resided at Paris, in the college of Louis-le-Grand. It
was during this trip that he wrote the celebrated letters of
Virgil which were printed at Venice with those of Frugoni
and Algarotti. The opinions, and we may add, the literary
heresies, very ingeniously urged in these letters against
the reputation of the two great luminaries of Italian poetry,
and especially against Dante, created him many enemies,
and what gave him most uneasiness, involved him with
Algarotti. (See Algarotii). From Paris he made several excursions into Normandy, Lorraine, &c. and paid a
visit to Voltaire. From Geneva he went to Marseilles, &c.
and arrived at Parma in 1759. The same year he went to
Verona, where he resided until 1767, and resumed his
offices of preaching and education. He was afterwards
for some years at Modena, and when the order of the Jesuits
was suppressed, he was appointed professor of rhetoric.
On his return to his own country, he applied to his literary
pursuits with fresh ardour, and published many works, and
having regretted that he had published so much without
writing any thing to please the fair sex, doubtless owing
to his ecclesiastical character, he afterwards endeavoured
to make up for this. in some respect by publishing his correspondence between two ladies, his letters to Lesbia, and
lastly, his twenty-four dialogues on love. These he published in 1796, when the war raged in all parts of Italy,
and when the siege of Mantua by the French obliged him
to leave it. He then removed to Verona, but in 1797,
after the surrender of Mantua, he returned again, and
although now almost in his eightieth year, resumed his
literary labours with his accustomed spirit. In 1799, he
began a new edition of his works, which was completed at
Venice in 1801, in 24 vols. 12mo. He still preserved his
usual gaiety and health at the age of ninety, until Sept. 13,
1805, when he died after fifteen days illness, with the
firmness, says his biographer, of a philosopher and a Christian.