FOSCARI, FR.kNCESCO, doge of Venice from 1423 to 1457, a brilliant period of con quest and prosperity to his country, and of unexampled affliction to himself and family. Born about 1370, his aspiring ambition soon tired hitn with passionate eagerness to exalt his reign by the glory o,f conquest, and speedily involved the state in a severe conflict with the dukes of 31ilan; which, however, the loge's great military ability in the end , turned into a source of glory and aggrandizement to Venice. His triumph was embit tered by the successive loss of three sons; and the one who remained to transmit the name,,and succeed to the inheritance of the family, was, in 1445, denounced for having received bribes from the hostile generals, to use his influence with the doge in procuring less rigorous terms. Tried for this grave crime before the tribunal of the ten, and racked cruelly in view of his father, Giacopo Foscari was banished for life, under pain of death should he attempt to revisit his native land. In 1450, the assassination of one of the " Council of Ten,' Hermolao Donati, was imputed, on what seem most unfounded grounds, to Giacopo, who was consequently summoned from his.exile, tried, tortured, and banished a second time on still more rigorous terms to the island of Candia. Grown
reckless through suffering, and longing to see his home and country on any terms, Giacopo petitioned the duke of Milan to intercede in his behalf with the senate, a step which, by Venetian law, was punished as a high crime, and led to the unfortunate Gin cepa being for the third time subjected to torture and renewed banishment, on entering into which he died of grief. The doge had vainly besought permission to resign a dig nity grown loathsome to him, front its imposing the barbarous obligation of witnessing his sans torture; but in the end he was deposed and ordered to vacate the palace in three days. At the age of 87, decrepit from years, and bowed and humilia- ' tion, Francesco F., supported by his venerable brother, descended the giant's staircase, and passed out forever from the ducal palace, the scene of such vain pomp and bitter misery. Pasqual Malapicri was elected in his stead in 1457, and at the first peal of the bells in honor of•his elevation, F. expired from the rupture of a blood-vessel. Byron has written a tragedy on the subject, entitled The Iwo Foscari.