Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Gasparo, Count Gozzi

GOZZI, Gasparo, Count (1713-1786), eldest brother of Carlo Gozzi, was born 4th December 1713. In 1739 he married the poetess Luise Bergalli, and she undertook the management of the theatre of San Angelo, Venice, ho supplying the performers with dramas chiefly translated from the French. The speculation proved unfortunate, but meantime he had attained a high reputation for his con tributions to the Gazzetta Veneta, and he soon came to be known as one of the ablest critics and purest and most elegant stylists in Italy. For a considerable period he was censor of the press in Venice, and in 1774 he was appointed to reorganize the university system at Padun. He died at Padua, 26th December 1786.

His principal writings are Osucrvatore Veneta Periodico, on the model of the English Spectator, and distinguished by its high moral tone and its light and pleasant satire ; Lcttcre famiyliari, a collec tion of short racy pieces in prose and verse, on subjects of general interest ; Sermoni, poems in blank verse after the manner of Horace ; 11 monclo morale, a personification of human passions with inwoven dialogues in the style of Lucian ; and Giudizio dc/jli antichi poeti sopra la modcrna censura di Dante, a defence of the great poet against the attacks of Bettiiielli. He also translated various works from the French and English, including Marmontel s Tales and Pope s Essay on Criticism. His collected works were published at Venice, 1794-98, in 12 volumes, and several editions have appeared since.