^6 Life of the celebrated Boftavich* 



negotiations. The republic of Lucca entrufled him with the 

 defence of its interefts in regard to its waters and boundaries, 

 then -under difcufiion with the deputies of Tufcany; and he 

 was fent to Vienna to defend this caufe before the emperor. 

 This bufinefs he brought to a happy conclunon, and thereby 

 rendered an effential fervice to the republic. He travelled a 



freat deal, and vifited moft parts of Europe, and even Turkey, 

 lis Tour to Conftantinople went through two editions, one 

 in Italian in 1762, and a German tranflation in 1772. 



So much merit did not remain free from thofe animofities 

 which ate generally excited by great talents. Some circum- 

 ftanccs which took place at Pans on the part of fome of the 

 literati of that capital, gave him confiderable uneafmefs ; and, 

 as he pofleflcd great ienlibility, they made a greater impreffion 

 on his mind than they perhaps ought to have done. On this 

 account he refolved, in 1783, to leave Paris, and to proceed 

 to Italy, in order to collect and publim his whole works, 

 which appeared at BelTano in 1786, though faid to be printed 

 at Strafburgh, in five quarto volumes, under the title of Opera 

 ad Opticam et AJlronomiam pertinentia. The part relating to 

 nautical aftronomy was translated into German, and published 

 feparately at Leipfic, in 1787, bv Efchenbach. He wrote 

 alfo the principles of the mathematics and philofophy, toge- 

 ther with a treatife on telefcopes, which F. Charles Scherfer 

 tranflated into German and publifhed at Vienna, in ij6$. 



In the year 1786 he went to Milan, and was employed by 

 the emperor Jofeph to fuperintend the meafuring of a degree 

 of the meridian and the conftruction of a map of Lombardy; 

 but a fit of apoplexy, with which he was feized on the 12th 

 of February, put a period to his exiftence in the 76th year 

 of his age. 



Boi'covich was a man much beloved in fociety ; his con- 

 vention was animated and agreeable, and his facility for 

 poetical compofition was fuch, that he could readily dictate 

 verfes in the courfe of converlation with his friends. To the 

 variety, the iirength, and the cultivation of his talents, he 

 added the moft refpectable moral principles, and a deport- 

 ment which rendered the attachment of his friends no lefs 

 lively than their cfteem and reipect. Before we conclude 

 this article it deferves to be remarked, that feveral men of 

 great mathematical genius have been born on the eaftern 

 coaft of the Adriatic : Bofcovich, Pafquich, Vega, Cagnoli, 

 and Bogdanich, were natives of Dalmatia, Carinthia, xYlba- 

 nia, and Croatia, &c. all excellent mathematicians. 



XIV. Account 



