GOZZI, COUNT OASPARO, a writer of some distinction in the Italian literatuto of the 18th century, was born at 'Venice, December 4, 1715. He was educated In a college at Murano, but instead of applying himself to the more serious parts of study, he indulged hie natural turn for light literature, and works of taste. So great indeed were his indolence and easiness of temper, and his aversion to what looked like business, that notwithstanding his patrimonial property was at first very considerable, he enfferod it to go entirely to wreck, leaving himself no other resource than his pen. He had consequently many struggles to encounter, nor were his misfortunes much lightened by his marriage with Lnigia Bergalli, a lady of considerable literary attainments, but his senior by ten years, and not altogether so amiable in domestic life as in her poetical effusions. She was however a woman of talent, and beside, many original dramas and comedies, she made a translation of Terence in blank verse, and likewise one of Racine; betides which she displayed some proficiency in We may therefore credit his biographers when they tell us that he sincerely regretted her loss, notwithstanding the various vexations she had caused him; and morn especially as she had borne him a numerous offspring.
His already shattered fortune bed, in the meanwhile, been almost totally dilapidated by his wife's undertaking the management of the theatre San Angelo at Venice; whereby ho was reduced to such extremity, that he was compelled to mako a subsistence by translating for booksellers, and other literary occupation ; and is said not only to have *stated Foecarini in his 'Storia della Letteratura Veneziana,' but to have been the chief author of the work, filling up the outline, which was all that had been furnished by the other. At length, after haying toiled with his pen till more than sixty years of age, fortune showed herself all at once more propitious ; for on tho suppression of the order of Jesuits he was entrusted, in 1774, with drawing up a plan for the new public schools, of which he was appointed prefect, with a handsome salary. Being afterwards commissioned to re-establish the
University of Padua, he removed to that city, and there spent the remainder of his days in comparative affluence and leisure, although a great sufferer from many painful attacks and greet bodily infirmities. lie died December 25, 1786, aged seventy-three, and was buried in the church of S. Antonio at Padua.
Among his original works, which were first published in a collected form by the Abbate Dalmistro, in 1818, In sixteen volumes, the most popular are his 'Sermon!' and the • Osservatore Veneto,' a series of periodicalpapers, admirable as well for the elegance of their style, as for their playful well-directed satire, sod the sound moral instructions they convey : Co that they have obtained for their author the title of the • Italian Addison.' It Las indeed been objected by Ugoni and other critic, that Cozzi was too fond of dressing up his subjects iu the form of allegorical narrative, yet many of them display much Invention and great Ingenuity; and the dialogues after the manner of Lucian, of whom he wail a great admirer—such as that between Ulysses and who have been transformed by Circe into animals—are replete with acuteness and satire. lie was a no less enthusiaatio ad mirer of Dante than of Lucian, as is proved by his ' Difesa di Dante.' Among various other work. translated by him are the' Daphnis and Chloe' of Longue, the 'Table of Ceber,' Pope's • Essay on Criticism,' Fleury. ' Ecclesiastical Illatory,' and Marniontel's 'Tales.'