BECCARI'A, CESARE BONSSANA, a political and philanthropic writer, was b. at Milan, 1735 or 1738. The opinions of the French encyclopedists, especially those of Montes quieu, had the greatest influence in the formation of his principles and sentiments. The work which most favorably exhibits, the character and genius of Beccaria is his Trattato del Deliui e delle Pene (Treatise on Crimes and Punishments), first published in 1764, in which lie against the severities and abuses of criminal law, especially capital pun ishment and torture. The work was extremely popular, and was translated. had several European languages. It is marked by eloquence, sensibility, and lively power of imagin ation. Kant unfairly accuses the author of an affected humanity,.though it must be ad mitted that the German philosopher has exposed the invalidity of sonic of the arguments brought forward. On the whole, however. the work of Beccaria is acknoorledged to
have done great good, and the subsequent reforms in the penal code of European nations have generally taken the direction he has pointed out. He was among the first to advo cate the beneficial influence of education in lessening crime. This naturally brought. upon him the hatred of the priesthood, who, according to their usual formula of perse cution, accused him of impiety; but their malice was frustrated by the efforts of count Firtnian, the Austrian g9veruor of Lombardy, a man of liberal and enlightened senti ments. In 1768, Beccaria was appointed professor of political philosophy at Milan, add achieved great success as a lecturer. He died of apoplexy in Nov., 1793. In the course of his life he published several works.