DORAT, CLAUDE JOSEPH, was born at Paris, December 31,1734. He was educated for the bar, but having is considerable fortune, ho devoted himself entirely to poetry, and produced a number of tragedies, which, though some were successful, drew on him torrents of ridicule from contemporary wits. Ile seems however to have attained some reputation as a writer of the lighter class of poems. lie had is great passion for bringing out splendid editions of his own works, the cost of which consumed his fortune. He died on the 29th of April 1780. The works of Dorat fill twenty volumes, but they are not highly estimated. La /Tarp° will scarcely allow him mediocrity. ' La D6clamation Thratrale; a work on the proper department of actors, is considered his chef-d'oeuvre; but, though it is replete with whole some advice to performers, it is deficient in everything that can be called poetry. His lighter tales in verse are told with nalvet,45 and humour : of these 'Alphonse' enjoys the best reputation, but they are terribly indecent. His dramas are entirely forgotten. The edition of the works of Dorat in twenty volumes is adorned with engravings auperior to most worka of the time; and though we may blame the author for his prodigality, we must not refuse the praise which is due to his taste, considering that these choice engravings were made at his own suggestion.
DO'RlA, ANDREA, was born in 1466 at Oneglia, in the western Riviera of Genoa, of an ancient noble family, to which Oneglia belonged as an imperial fief. Having lost hia parents at an early age, Doris embraced the profession of arms, served under several princes in various parts of Italy, and lastly entered the service of Francis L, who made him commander of his fleet in the Mediterranean. Genoa had been for a long time distracted by factions, which had brought it under the dominion or protection, as it was styled, of the Visconti and Sforza, dukes of Milan. The French having conquered the duchy of Milan, placed a garrison in Genoa, upon condition of respecting the liberties of the citizens, a promise which they kept with the usual faith of conquerors. The citizens were oppressed in various ways, and Doris having remonstrated with the agents of Francis in behalf of hie countrymen, a secret order came for his arrest, just after his nephew and lieutenant, Filippino Doria, had gained an important victory for the French over the imperial fleet near the coast of Naples in 1523. The French were then besieging Naples by laud. Barbezieux, a French naval officer, was sent to Genoa with twelve galleys to seize on the person of Andrea Doria, who, having had intimation of this design, retired into the Gulf of La Spezia, sent for his nephew to join him with the galleys which he had fitted out at his own expense, and offered his servicea to Charles V., who received him with open arms. Doria stipulated with Charles that Genoa, as soon as it was freed from the French, should be restored to its independence under the imperial protection, but no foreign garrison or government should be admitted into It. At the same time he engaged to serve the emperor with twelve galleys, fitted out by himself, which number was afterwarda raised to fifteen, for which Charles agreed to pay him 90,000 ducats a year.
Doris soon after appeared before Genoa with his little squadron, and, being favoured by the inhabitants, he obtained possession of the city, and drove the Frcuch away. It is said that Charles offered him
the sovereignty of Genoa ; but Doria preferred a nobler course. He re-organised the government of the republic, and, in order to extin guish the factions, he named a certain number of families of nobles and citizens, out of which the legislative council was to be chosen annually. New families might be added to the number from time to time. A csignoria; or council of sixteen, with a doge, renewed every two years, composed the executive, and five censors were appointed for five years as guardians of the laws. Doria was appointed censor for life, with the title of 'Father and Liberator of his Country.' He now resumed his naval career as admiral of Charles V., and distin guished himself against the Turks and the Barbary pirates. He escorted Charles V. to the expedition of Tunis in 1535, and con tributed greatly to the taking of the place. In 1533 he joined the Venetian fleet off Corfu, when he lost the opportunity of attacking, with every chance of success, the Turkish armament commanded by the famous Barbarossa. [Bannaeossa.] His conduct on the occasion was attributed to secret inatructiona from the emperor. In 1541 Doria commanded the fleet in the expedition of Charles V. against Algiers, from which be is said to have tried in vain to dissuade the emperor. It turned out as ho had foreseen, and he could only save the emperor with a small part of the army. In his old age Doris retired to Genoa, where he lived in great splendour and reputatiou, the first among his fellow-citizens, respected by all, and consulted upon all matters of importance. Charles V. created him Prince of Melfi and Tarsi in the kingdom of Naples. At the beginning of 1547 his life wag threatened by the conspiracy of Fieschi; his nephew Giannettino was murdered, but Andrea escaped, and Fieschi perished in the attempt. A few months after a fresh conspiracy was formed against him by Giulio Cibo, a Genoese emigrant, who however was discovered and executed. In 1543 some of the ministers of the emperor proposed to build a fortress and introduce a Spanish garrison in Genoa, under the pretence of preventing any new conspiracies, but tho Genoese appealed to Doria, who iuterposed and prevented the execution of the project. In 1552, Doria, then eighty-fivo years old, went to sea again, to attack his old enemies the Turks, who, under Dragut Reis, were ravaging the ooast of Naples. Darin lost some of his galleys, which were surprised by the Turks, but Dragut sailed away for the Levant. In 1556 ho resigned his command to his nephew, Gian Audrey Doris, who was confirmed ae admiral by Philip II. Andrea Dories died in his palace at Genoa, in November 1560, being then ninety-four years of age. He left no issue, and no very large fortune, owing to his splendid way of liviug and generous disposition. The Genoeao paid great honours to his memory, and lamented his death as a public calamity. ' Doria was one of the greatest characters that Italy produced during the middle ages, and one of the few that were fortunate to the last. Several iudividuals of his family have distinguished themselves at various timea in the service of the republio of Genoa. A branch of the Doria family are settled at Rome, with the title of princes.