The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Botta, Vincenzo

BOTTA. I. Vincenzo, an Italian scholar, born at Cavaller Maggiore, in Piedmont, Nov. 11, 1818. He was professor of philosophy in the royal and national colleges of Turin, and in 1849 became a member of the Sardinian parliament. With Dr. Paroli he prepared a valuable work on public education in Germany (Pubblico insegnamento in Germania), which was published at the expense of the Italian government. Two parts of it were written by M. Botta and the third part by Dr. Paroli. Subsequently he settled in the United States, where he was naturalized, and has been for several years professor of Italian in the university of New York. His writings include La questiona Americana (1861), “Discourse on the Life of Count Cavour” (1862), and “Dante, as Philosopher, Patriot, and Statesman”(1865). II. Anne Charlotte Lynch, wife of the preceding, an American poetess, born at Bennington, Vt. Her father belonged to the association of United Irishmen, participated at the age of 16 years in the rebellion of 1798, was by reason of his youth offered pardon if he would swear allegiance to the British government, refused, was imprisoned for four years, and then, being banished for life, settled in the United States. Miss Lynch was educated in Albany. In 1841 she published in Providence the “Rhode Island Book,” a selection of prose and verse from the writers of that state. She soon after removed to New York, where her house became a resort of persons connected with literature and the arts. A collection of her poems was published in 1849, illustrated by eminent artists. Her principal prose work is a “Handbook of Universal Literature” (New York, 1860; 3d ed., 1873). She was married to Prof. Botta in 1855.