BETTINELLI (Kayla* one of the most cele brated Italian literati of the eighteenth century, was born at Mantua, the 18th of July 1718. After studying under the Jesuits in his native city and at Bologna, he entered in 1736 upon the noviciate of this society. He then undertook a new course of study ; and afterwards taught the belles-lettres, from the year 1739 to 1744, at Brescia, where the Car dinal Quirini, Count Mazzuchelli, Count Duranti, and other scholars, formed an illustrious academy. He there began to distinguish himself by some pieces of poetry, composed as scholastic exercises. Being sent to Bologna to pursue his divinity, he continued, at the same time, to cultivate his poetical talent, and wrote also, for the theatre of the college, his tragedy of Jonathan. The number of learned and literary persons collected in this city exceeded by far what he had met with at Brescia. The Institute, re cently founded by the Count Marsigli, the Clemen tine Academy of Design, the School of the astrono mical poet Manfredi, the growing reputation of his ingenious and learned pupils, Zanotti, Algarottl, and others, at this time fixed the attention of the literary world on Bologna. It was in the midst of this so ciety, to which he was admitted, that Bettinelli com pleted his education, and attained the age of thirty. He went in 1748 to Venice, where he became Pro fessor of rhetoric. He left it for various missions, and ieturned to it again often. We may see by his epistles in free verse (or arida), that he was connect ed on friendly terms with all that this city and state could boast most illustrious. He was destined by the Superiors of his order for the oratorical depart ment ; but the weakness of his chest compelled him to relinquish it. The superintendence of the college of nobles at Parma was entrusted to him in 1751; he prin. cipally directed the studies of poetry and history, and the entertainments of the theatre. He remained here eight years, but not without visiting, at inter vals, different cities of Italy, either on the affairs of his order, or for pleasure, or for health, In 1755, he undertook a longer journey, traversed a part of Germany, proceeded as far as Strasburg and Nancy, and returned by way of Germany into Italy ; taking with him two young princes, sons or nephews of the Prince of Hohenloe, who had requested him to take charge of their education.
He made the year following another journey into France, along with the eldest of these two young Princes, and lodged, while at Paris, at the College of Louis.le-Grand. It was during this excursion that he wrote the famous Letters of Virgil, which were published at Venice with his sciolti verses, and those of Frugoni and Algarotti. The opinions, and we may add without much hesitation, the literary heresies, maintained in these letters against the two great luminaries of Italian poetry, and particularly against Dante, created him many enemies, and, What was still more unpleasant to him, embroiled him with Algarotti. Willing to know something more of France than Paris, he made several exeur• sions into Normandy and other provinces; he went ' also into Lorraine, to the court of King Stanislaus; from thence he proceeded to Lyons, and from thence to Geneva. Soon after his arrival he went to visit Voltaire. This celebrated writer sent to his inn an edition of his works, upon which he inscribed this stanza, in allusion to Bettinelli's Letters of Virgil : From Geneva, where he consulted Tronchin the phy sician, Bettinelli proceeded to Marseilles, from thence to Nismes, and returned by Genoa to Italy and Par ma, where he arrived in 1759. The same year, he took a journey to Venice, and afterwards to Verona, where he meant to settle. He resided here till 1767. Having resumed the occupations of preach ing and teaching, he, according to the Chevalier Pin demonti, in his Poesie campestri, converted the youth to God in the church, and to good taste in his own house. He afterwards lived for some years at Mo dena, and he had just been appointed professor of rhetoric there, when, in 1773, the order of Jesuits was abolished in Italy.