GALIANI, FERnINANDO (1728-87).
An Italian savant, born in Chieti, in the Abruz zi. Philosophy, archolog,y, history, and more especially the science of political economy, were his favorite studies; but he first attracted no tice by a clever squib on the death of the pub lic executioner. This consisted of a collection of essays eulogistic of the deceased, in which the style of the president and leading mem bers of the Neapolitan Academy was admirably imitated. His next publication, Della Moneta, written when he was barely twenty, evinced his great learning and powers of reflection, and must be regarded as a valuable contribution to the science of political economy. In 1751 he visited the chief cities of Italy, and was everywhere honorably received. On his return to Naples he collected a rich assortment of stones and volcanic matter of Vesuvius, which, accom panied by a thesis, lie subsequently presented to the Pope. On one of the stone specimens he en graved the following suggestive inscription: "Beatissime pater, fac ut lapides isti panes fiant," and received, by way of answer, the rich prebend of Amalfi, for which he had previously qualified himself by entering into orders. In
1759 he became secretary to the Neapolitan embassy at Paris. From his sojourn at Paris dates a voluminous correspondence with political, scientific, and literary personages of the day, an edition of which has appeared by Percy and Mau gras (Paris, 1881). In 1767 he visited England, whose social and political institutions he studied deeply. On his return to Paris, lie wrote another treatise on political economy, entitled Dialoghi sul commercio del grand, in which he argues against both the extreme protectionists and the pure free-traders. Being recalled to Naples, he was successively appointed to various posts of trust and importance. He died at Naples in 1787, leaving behind him rare collections of music manuscripts, cameos, etc. Consult: Diodati, Vita dell' abate Ferdinando Galiani (Naples, 1878) ; Mattei, Ga liani ed i suoi tempi (Naples, 1879) ; Contes, lettres et pensees de l'abbe Galiani ( Paris, 1866 ) ; Du Bois-Reymond, Darwin versus Galiani (Ber lin, 1876). Consult also, Brunetibre in Etudes critiques, vol. ii. (Paris, 1889).