CESARO'TTI, MELCHIORRE, born at Padua in May 1730, studied in the seminary of that city, and showed from his early youth a great taste for learning, and especially for philological studies. Struck by the peculiarity and novelty of the style of Ossian's poems recently published by Macpherson, Cesarotti in 1762 translated Ossian into Italian blank verse : the translation is a fine specimen of Italian versification, being harmonious and fluent, and in many parts highly poetical. Cesarotti broke through the tameness into which Italian poetry had sunk for more than a century before him, and gave the example of a new style and a bolder flight of imagination. He however was not of a mind likely to be restrained within rational bounds. Born in a country then stationary in learning, and brought up among writers tame and timid in their investigations, Cesarotti seems to have determined on breaking through all the boundaries of language, taste, and composition, and attempting to effect a complete revolution in literature. His language is full of neologisms, and he had the hardihood to assert his preference of Ossian's poems to those of Homer. lie attempted a version, er, as he called it, a reform of the Iliad,' which he styled 'La Morte di Ettore,' in which ho took such liberties with his text, that it may be considered as a parody rather than a transla tion. A caricature appeared at Romo, represeutiug the head of lIomer placed on the shoulders of a French dandy, with the legend Trans lation of Homer.' The Saggio della Filoeofia dells Lingue applicata ella Lingua Italians,' Padua, 1785, is perhaps Cesarotti's hest critical and philosophical work. In it he contends for the necessity of the written language keeping Feu with the progress of ideas, inventions, eirrovcrie., and new wants and habits. Count Oaleen1 Nepione wrote, chiefs' In reply to Ceserottl, his work, 'Dell' 1.71?0 • del Pregi della Linen. Italians,' to which Cesarotti snawered by his ' Ilischiarimenti Aroloretici bolts alcune Toorie Prelimit:lark a sul Fraocorisolo; The wt tals of this controversy may prove interesting to thou who wish to form a clear ides' of the dispute. concerning language, which hare
formed a considerable port on of the Italian literature of our age. Cooretti was appointed by the Venetian senate to the chair of Greek and Hebrew In the university of Psdus. In his tpiality of to the academy of Padua, ha wrote, from 1730 till 1798, 'linemen' Aosdetul-be; in shish he gave at the end of every year en abstract of the memoirs read by the members of that body; and also ' Elogi dl alcune Acadesnicl; among which the moat interesting is that of Abate Glint. the author of the '7.00logie Adrian/ca.' The ' Eplato!eel*); or 'T -luminous correspondence of Craarotti, was published In 0 role. 8vo, Florrook 1511. In 1507 Ceserotii went to Milan, to deprecate the wrath of Napoleon against his countrymen of Padua, who had shown some disposition to mint the conqueror. Napoleon, who was a great admirer of C4 sarottl's ' received him in e very friendly manner, ma le him e knight of the iron cretin, and bestowed a pension upon him. Cesaretti In return set about writing the praises of his patron io a poetical composition, full of allegories and metaphysical abstractions, which be styled 'Pronea; the object of which is to show that Napoleon was the envoy of Providence. The ' Pronto' was a still-born work, and Its name is now only remembered among the many specimens of the flattery and servility of the Italian literary men in Napoleon'. time. lie also translated several orations of Demosthenes, Isocrates, el'ochinea, Lyda., and other Greek writers, and also Juvenal. His envoya and dissertations are numerous. Ceserotti died November 4, ]SOS. His works were collected and published in 42 vole. 8vo, Pisa, 1509; the editors of the 'Unsaid Italtani' published a selection of them in 4 rola. 8ers. Milan, 1820.