PAOLI, pii'et-Itt, PAsocaet; (1725-1507). A Corsican patriot, borti at Morosaglia. Ills father, having taken a leading part in the insur rection against the Genoese, was obliged to flee to Naples in 1739. There Paoli received an excellent education. In July, 17:55, he was sum moned to Corsica, and elected Captain-General of the island, and the chief of a democratic government. Ile energetically and successfully applied himself to the reformation of the bar barous laws and customs of the island. and at the same time to the expulsion of the Genoese, who lost, in a short flute, nearly all their strong• holds. The fleet of the Genoese was also defeated and they were obliged to seek help from France. Finally, in 1766. Genoa ceded the island to France. Paoli refused all offers of the French Government. and continued to struggle for the independence of his country, but was defeated by the superior force of the Count de Vaux, and the French became masters of the island. After continuing the vain struggle for a year, Paoli was compelled to take refuge on board a British frigate, in which he sailed for England, where be was well received and granted a pension by the King (1769). Twenty years afterwards the French Revolution of 1789 recalled him to Cor sica as lieutenant-general and military governor.
Subsequently, when the island lweame a depart ment. he was made president of the administra tion and commander of the National Guard. After the execution of Louis XVI. Paoli's attitude toward the Convention changed. With the active sympathy of Englaml, he organized in 1 79:1 a revolt against the Convention. He was pro scribed by that body and made general in-chief and president of the Council by a Couguitit which assembled at Corte. 11e now openly allied him self with Great Britain, and favored the landing of 2000 British troops on the island in 1794, with whose aid he drove out the French. Ile was forced. however. to surrender the island to the English. Disappointed in his hope of being made Viceroy, and finding his influence over the Corsi cans gone. he retired from the island in 1796, and spent the remainder of his life in England, where he died near London. February 5. 18117. In 1869 his body was removed to Corsica and there buried with great honor and solemnity. Th, account of Paoli is found in Boswell's .1 ecmint of Corsica ( Gla sgow. Consult al-n: A trig]; Ilistnire de Pascal Paoli (Pari,:. 1843) ; Bartoli. Histoire de Poseat Paoli (new ed.. Bastia.