ALGAROTTI, Cots r, w as bon' at Venice, of a re spectable lamily, on the 11th Deceinher, 1712. At the age of 1.1, after his father's death, he was sent to Bo logna, and prosecuted his studies, under the care of Eu stachio Manfredi, and Francis Zanotti. The latter in spired him with a passion fin mathematics mid phy'sic's: ; and such were his talents, and attractive manners, that each of his masters composed a work for his particular improvement. That of Zanotti was a Treatise on op tics, agreeably to the Newtonian theory ; that of Man fredi, a Tract on Chronology, as connected with astto noiny.
Algarotti very early appeared as a poet, and love was the parent of his first compositions ; but lie afterwards confined himself to the graver subjects of philosoph:.. At Bologna, also, he directed his attention to anatomy, medicine, and theology.
While he remained in this city, Rizetti published hi, work De Luminis nfil'ctionibus, in which lie zealously controverted the opinions of Newton. Bologna was di vided into two parties, and the celebrity of this author gained many converts to his doctrines. Algarotti, though very young, stood forth as the champion of New ton, and repeated all his experiments on colours, in the presence .of the whole university, with such success, as to silence his antagonists, and procure for the Newte nian theory a more general reception. The effect of these experiments was seconded by an ingenious dis sertation, wwrittcu in Latin; which he read to the acade my of Bologna, with great applause.
In 1732, he s isited Florence, in company with Za notti, for whom he always entertained the highest af fection and gratitude ; a proof of which he gave, in pub lishing, at his own expense, in Venice, an edition of his friend's poems, and sending every copy to him, accom panied with an elegant dedication to his other precep tor, 'Manfredi. From Florence be went to Rome, and assiduously improved the advantages which that city afforded him, for cultivating the fine arts, in which he quickly became a distinguished connoisseur. it was
here too he put the first hand to the best of all his works, " Il New tonianismc per le Dame.'' These dia logues he had projected some time before; and the mo del which he proposed to himself was the celebrated work of Funtenelle, on the plurality of worlds; but, in spite of the confidence whit h he uniformly discovered in his own powers, he despaired of executing his task successfully, and had entirely abandoned it, till the ur gent and flattering entreaties of his friends at Rome, engaged him to renew his labours. It it as not, how- ever, till several years after, that this work was given to the world ; and, during this interval, every feeling and occupation seem to have been subservient to his desire of rendering it worthy of a high reputation. From Rome Algarotti removed to Paris, where his wit and genius introduced him to many of the distinguished literati of France ; but, in this luxurious city, lie also contracted a love of pleasure, which deeply sullied his character.
We afterwards find hint in England, on an intimate footing wits Lord Harvey, Lady NV. Montague, Mr Pope, lord Burlington, and other celebrated characters. Ile cultivated particularly the friendship of 1\11. Folkes, the PrcSidc111. of the Royal Society, ol which he was ad mitted a Ic flow ; and mat of Mrs Conduit, the niece of Sit Isaac Newton, in whose house he was gratified with an examination ol some manuscripts, and other precious relics of that illustrious philosopher.
Be lore leaving France, Algarotti had visited Voltaire and the Marchioness of Chatellet, at Cirey, and had read to them his dialogues, with which they were highly in terested ; and, on his return to England, he had the gra tification to find, that this circumstance had directed their attention in the most ardent manner to similar subjects. The Marchioness was surrounded with books on geometry and physics ; and Voltaire had already sketched the elements of his work on the Newtonian philosophy.