which were published at first in a series of articles in the Giornale Arcadico, and afterwards in a separate volume at Rome in 1821, are full of accurate remarks on the private and public history of the Roman families. To the same class of writings belongs a very learned disertazione bearing the title—"Delia Gente Arria Romana e di un nuovo denaro di Marco Arrio Secondo," edited at Milan in 1817 by his friend, the distinguished antiquarian Giovanni Labus. But the monumental work by which the name of Borghesi is chiefly recommended, is the illustration of the "Fasti Consolari Capitolini," to which, ever since the discovery of the new fragments of the consular tables in the Foro Romano in 1816-17, he has constantly devoted his attention, and all the resources of his learning. He himself narrates in the introduction to the "Fasti Consolari," how, as soon as the first news of the discovery reached him in his native place, he felt himself irresistibly attracted again to Rome; how he assisted there with feverish expectation at the progress of the excavations; how he welcomed with enthusiasm every new fragment of marble, every broken name or inscription digged out of the ground.—(V. Nuovi fram. dei Fasti Cons. Capit., Milano, 1818: Parte Prima.)
Borghesi has proved throughout his life as good a citizen as he has shown himself a superior man in science. In the intervals of his residence in his native province, he unceasingly promoted public instruction and education. He founded the Academia Savignanese, and the small town which gave him birth became for a time a noble centre of literature. Monti, Perticari, and other like men, used to meet there with Borghesi, and to adorn the place with all the graces of intellectual and domestic refinement. After the revolution of 1821, and the fall of Italian hopes in those days, Borghesi sought for a tranquil abode in the republic of San Marino, and has ever since resided there, daily enriching with his liberal contributions the patrimony of antiquarian knowledge. Though famous throughout Europe, and often invited to fill chairs and other posts of distinction in Italy and abroad, he never allowed himself to be removed from his modest station in the small republic; and he has served it as a magistrate with the same devotion which he bestowed on the pursuits of learning. Many of his writings are to be found, besides the above-quoted publications, in the records of the scientific Academy of Turin, in the annals of the Institut Archæologique, in those of the Roman Academy of Archæology, and in the Neapolitan Bulletin. The military, religious, municipal, and political institutions of the Romans, were, through these labours, cleared from many obscurities, and the science of archæology brought to bear on the improvement of historical truth. In his conversation, as well as in his writings, he often excited the greatest admiration by his display of accurate and vivid knowledge concerning every detail of ancient life. A man of exquisite virtue and modesty, faithful in his friendships, generous towards all, and born to be a great citizen, had heaven granted him the blessing of a free country, still, in spite of his private and humble condition, a living testimony of what genius and goodness, happily combined together, may do even in adverse times for the improvement of the noblest gifts of mankind.—A. S., O.
BORGHESI, Diomede, born of a patrician family at Siena, towards the middle of the fifteenth century. His buoyant spirits and restless disposition drew on him the animadversion of powerful enemies, who succeeded in having him expelled from his native place. For more than twenty years, as appears from his familiar letters, he wandered about from place to place through Lombardy. Whilst he was in Mantua he studied philosophy under Scipione, afterwards Cardinal Gonzaga. Many of his works have been published at Padua, in which city he lived for many years. It seems, however, that in 1573, through the intercession of Elena Boccali, a lady with whom he corresponded on literary and scientific matters, he obtained leave to return to Siena, where he was inscribed on the rolls of the academy of Gl'Intronati under the name of "Lo Svegliato." Soon after he left Siena, and revisited many cities of Lombardy and Rome. The grand duke of Tuscany appointed him to a newly-erected professorship of Italian language and literature in the city of Siena, where he published the third part of his "Lettere Discorsive," in which he gives sound instructions on style and language, showing a consummate knowledge of philology, and displaying a wonderful classic erudition. He published also five volumes of rhymes, many orations, and a treatise on the Tuscan language. He was considered a very elegant orator, and, according to Girolamo Gigli, he contributed many articles to the first edition of the celebrated dictionary of La Crusca, published many years after Borghesi's death, which happened at Siena in 1598.—A. C. M.
BORGHESI, Ippolito, a Neapolitan painter, and scholar of Francesco Curia. His most considerable work was an "Assumption of the Virgin" for an altarpiece at Perugia.—W. T.
BORGHINI, Raffaello, a dramatic author who flourished towards the middle of the sixteenth century. Having resolved to abandon the muses, he was dissuaded from that determination by Baccio Valois, a literary man of great merit, and he therefore continued his literary pursuits, applying himself particularly to the dramatic art. He is the author of many sonnets and canzones, and of plays, both in verse and prose; amongst which "La Diana Pietosa," a pastoral play in verse, is highly appreciated. The date of his death is not recorded by any of his numerous biographers.—A. C. M.
BORGHINI, Vincenzo, was born of a noble family at Florence in 1515. He entered the Benedictine convent of Santa Maria in the year 1531, and was instructed in philosophy by the celebrated Francesco Varini the elder. He also applied himself to the study of Greek and Latin, and in 1538 was appointed professor of grammar. In a very short time he reached the highest dignities of his order, and was honoured with many distinctions by the duke of Tuscany, Cosimo de Medici, who elected him prior of the hospital of Santa Maria degl' Innocenti in Florence. Unwilling to abandon the care of the poor, whom he daily visited and relieved in the hospital, he refused the archbishoprics of Florence and Pisa, offered him by Cosimo and Alexander de Medici. His reputation for learning was so universally admitted, that by order of Alexander de Medici his likeness was painted in one of the galleries of the ducal palace, amongst the most conspicuous men of Florence. He has left two volumes of dissertations on the ancient history of Tuscany and its antiquities, so much esteemed that Tiraboschi says, that "Florence got more information about its antiquities and history from Borghini than from any other of its numerous historiographers." A skilful architect and draughtsman, he was appointed by Cosimo director of the Florentine drawing academy, and furnished many designs, still preserved in the ducal library. He refused the highest dignities of the church, and devoted most of his time to works of charity. He died on the 15th of August, 1580.—A. C. M.
BORGIA, Cæsar, an Italian prelate and warrior, died 12th March, 1507. He was the second of five children, whom Cardinal Rodrigo, afterwards Pope Alexander VI., had by his mistress Vanozza. He was at first destined for the church, and, while yet a child, was nominated archbishop of Pampeluna. He was then sent to Pisa to pursue those studies which were thought necessary to qualify him for his future career. He laboured diligently for a time, and manifested great energy in the pursuit of knowledge, and a rare ability and taste in the composition of the theological theses which were assigned to him. His father having soon after been called to the papal chair under the title of Alexander VI., Cæsar was made archbishop of Valencia, and subsequently, in 1493, was advanced to the rank of cardinal. The ambition of Cæsar, however, lay in another direction, and was not to be satisfied with ecclesiastical preferments and dignified inactivity. He envied the secular honours bestowed on his elder brother, the duke of Gandia, whom he now resolved to put to death, in order to open up to himself the much-coveted succession. Another motive for this horrible crime has been attributed to him by historians. It is said that the duke was his rival in an incestuous amour with their sister Lucrezia; and one evening, on retiring together from her house, the duke was assassinated, and his dead body thrown into the Tiber, where it was found next morning. Public opinion, which persistently attributed this murder to Cæsar, was corroborated by the suspicious interference of the pope to prevent investigation. Cæsar now hastened to divest himself of the purple; and his father entering into his views, agreed to his being secularized, and conferred on him the duchies of Candia and Benevento, and the counties of Terracina and Ponte-Corvo. His ambitious views continuing to expand, he contemplated the erection of these territories into a kingdom, and for this purpose sought the hand of one of the daughters of the king of Naples. Her father, however, refused to sanction this
