(JOVIUS), PAUL, was born in 14S3, of a noble family of Como, and studied in the universities of Padua and Pavia. He was intended by his relatives for the medical profession, which how ever ho forsook to devote himself to literature; and he studied the Roman classics, with a view to form his style in that language. Having repaired to Rome, soon after the election of Leo X., ho found means to be introduced to him, and from that moment the pope became his patron. lie was attached to the suite of Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, afterwards Clement VII., and followed him in various missions. He remained at the court of Rome after Clement ascended the papal throne, and witnessed the pillage of that city by the Imperial troops. After the restoration of peace, Clement bestowed on him the bishopric of Nocera, where lie never resided, but entrusted the charge of his see to a coadjutor. Ile was present at the famous conference of Bologna between Charles V. and Clement VII., in 1530, and was favourably noticed by the emperor, who gave him a circumstantial account of his expedition to Tunis, to be Inserted in the history which Giovio was then writing. When Paul Ill. became pope, Giovio fell into a sort of disgrace, that pope being zealous concerning ecclesiastical dia. cipline, in which the Bishop of Nocera was a latitudinarian, both in his conduct and writings. (See his Lettere.) Ho was accused by satirical poets of every sort of licentiousness, and was also charged with infidelity and atheism. There was malignity as well as exagge ration in this, but Giovio was greatly deficient both in clerical modesty and piety. On withdrawing to his native Como, he built himself a delightful country residence, which he fancied, though erroneously, to be on the site of one of Pliny's villas. Here he collected a museum and a gallery of portraits of the most distinguished man of his own and former ages. He spent his time partly at his villa and partly in visiting various courts of Italy, in which ha was received with marked attention. He was himself a courtier by
temper and habit; his conversation was humorous, and ho had always some flattery ready for the great. Berni, in his `Orlando; has potirtrayed Giovio under the name of Feradotto, at the court of King Gradasso. Iu one of his visits to Florence Giovio was seized with a violent fit of the govt, of which he died in December 1552, and was buried in the church of St. Lorenzo, where a statue was raised to hia memory. He died rich, for he enjoyed several ecclesiastical bene fices, besidea pensions and presents from various princes.
Giovio left the following works :-1, ' Histories eel Temporis,' 2 vols. fol., 1550. This history, like the rest of Giovio's works, is not to be trusted implicitly, for the author's pen was always at the service of his patrons and friends. 2, 'Illustrium Virorum foL 1551: a work superior both for truth and eloquence to the first. In it the author draws the portraits of Leo X., Adrian VI., Cardinal Prospero Colonna. the Marquis Pescara, Gonsalvo of Cordova, and Duke Alfonso I. of Ferrara. 3, 'Libellee de Piscibus Romanis.' He wrote in Italian : 4, 'Commentario della Cose dei Turchi.' 5, 'Dialogo delle Imprese,' which is a treatise on the devices or symbols adopted by the knights in the times of chivalry, and which were the origin of our coats of arms or heraldic signs. A collection of Letters of Giovio was published after his death, 'Lettere Volgari,' 8vo, Venice, 1560. Some of his facetious epistles are found in the collection of Atanagi, Venice, 1561. His letters contain much literary and historical infor mation concerning that age, and are worthy of perusal One of his descendants, who died in our time, Count Giovan Battista Giovio, has written a copious panegyrical notice of Paolo Giovio.