GIIERRAZZI, F. D., a patriotic Italian statesman and brilliant writer, was b. at Leg horn in 1805, and, educated for the legal profession, won a great reputation among his countrymen by his political fictions, which are said to have exercised an immense influ ence on contemporary Italian events by their exalted strain of patriotic enthusiasm and abhorrence of despotism. Guerrazzi's own words are, "lie wrote a book when impo tent to fight a battle." On the eve of the definite breach between the people and the grand duke of Tuscany, in 1819, Guerrazzi was induced to accept office in the ministry. On the flight of the grand duke he was proclaimed member of the provisional govern ment, and subsequently dictator. During this crisis of the state lie energetically refused his adhesion to " the substitution of republicanism for monarchy;" and preserved the strict autonomy of Tuscany until the return of the grand ducal rule, when he was immediately seized and imprisoned on the ground of having neglected due measures of repression when the revolution first gathered strength during his ministry. His
defense, entitled Apologia della vita Politica di F. D. Guerrazzi, or "Justification of the Political Career of F. D. Guerrazzi," is a masterpiece. After an imprisonment of three yearn, lie waa condemned for life to the' galleys, but was subsequently permitted to select rjorsica as the refuge of his perpetual banishment. Restored to liberty and action by later events, Guerrazzi sat in the parliament of Turin in 1862 and 1865. Ile died in Sept., 1873.
His chief, works of fiction are L'Assedio di Firenze (the siege of Florence). a magnifi cent historical novel, treating of the downfall of the republic of Florence; La Battaglia di Benevento, remarkable for exquisite expression and beautiful poetic imagery; Beatrice Cenci; Isabella Orsini; L'Asino; and various other writings, which have run through innumerable editions and translations.