LOR 
Cardinal Alexander Falconeri, prefefb of Rome, gave 
him a place in his houfehold. He had now leifure and 
Spirits fufficient to indulge his poetical genius, and no day 
palled in which he did not write verfes. In tbefe he dis¬ 
played an enthufiafm of conception, and elevation of lan¬ 
guage, which diftinguilhed him among his contemporaries. 
They are particularly confpicuous in his pieces entitled 
Capitoli, in which he gives a free courfe to his ardour. 
He has been called the Michael Angelo of Italian poets, 
on account of the boldnefs and energy of his expreffions. 
To excite wonder and admiration he regarded as the pe¬ 
culiar office of poetry, whence he was an affiduous reader 
of the Hebrew prophets, which never failed to infpire him 
with rapture. Among his taftes was a great love for ana¬ 
tomical refearches, in which he was the alfociate of Caje- 
tano Petriolio, an eminent Surgeon in Rome. They con¬ 
jointly made Several new observations, which they meant 
to publilh, but were anticipated by one Chermefius de 
Fulget, who procured them by bribing the bookfeller, and 
added them to his Commentary on the Anatomical Tables 
of Euftachius. With this theft, at leaft, he was charged 
by Lorenzini, in a dialogue entitled ll Car do, which was 
the beginning of a virulent controversy between them. 
After the death of Crefcembini in 1728, our poet was 
chofen his fuccelfor, as prelident or cuftos of the Aca¬ 
demy of Arcadi, but not without much oppolition from 
a party. He.diftinguilhed his prefidentlhip by Several re¬ 
markable acts. He founded five academical colonies in 
the neighbouring towns ; and inftituted a private weekly 
meeting of the Arcadi, at which plays of Plautus or Te¬ 
rence, in the original language, were performed by youths 
trained for the purpofe. Some dialogues of Cicero, and 
the conteft between Ajax and Ulyfies from Ovid, were 
alfo dramatically recited on thefe occafions. Thefe exhi¬ 
bitions were frequented by Several perfons of rank, and 
tvere favoured by pope Clement XII. who often Sent con¬ 
siderable Sums to Lorenzini to defray his expenfes. Af¬ 
ter the death of cardinal Falconeri, he had fallen into ne- 
ceffitous circumftances, from which he was relieved by 
cardinal Borghefe, who entered him among his noble do- 
meftics, and paid him a Salary without requiring any Ser¬ 
vice. He continued his theatrical exhibitions till after 
the death of Clement, when, in 1741, he quitted all oc¬ 
cupations of that kind, and retired to apartments in the 
Borghefe palace, where he applied to letters with more 
affiduity than ever. He wrote both Italian and Latin 
verfes ; and in the latter compofed Some pieces in imita¬ 
tion of the concife and keen liyle of Perfius, but without 
his obfcurity. But his ftudies were efpecially direfted to 
the Sacred writings, and he paraphrafed the book of Job, 
and the Songs of the prophets, in Italian verfe. In the 
mid ft of thefe employments he was Seized with a lingering 
diSorder, of which he died in June 174.3. 
Lorenzini had a commanding perfon, but was negli¬ 
gent in his appearance. He was fond of convivial fociety, 
and jocular; but fufpicious, prone to anger, fomewhat 
turbulent and intriguing. To his friends he was Singu¬ 
larly faithful and liberal; and his houfe was always open 
to young men who were defirous of improvement. He 
was a weighty and perfuafive fpeaker, and often expreffed 
himfelf with great animation. His Italian poems are few 
in number, but of great excellence. His Rime have been 
printed at various places. His Melodrames were printed at 
Rome Separately as they appeared. He alfo publifiied the 
lives of two of the Falconeri family, and fome other pieces. 
Fabroni Vit. Italor. 
LOREN'ZO, a Small ifland in the Pacific Ocean, near 
the coaft of Peru. Lat. 12. 4. S. 
LOREN'ZO, a town of Iftria, and capital of a diftricl: 
nine miles north-north-eaft of Rovigno. Lat. 45.16. N. 
Ion. 13. 52. E. 
LOREN'ZO, a town of South America, in Brafil, and 
government of Fernambuco.—A town of Naples, in Ba- 
filic-ata : nine miles north-eaft of VenoSa.—A town of Na¬ 
ples, in Capitanata : three miles fouth-eaft of Lefina.— 
LOR 667 
A town of Naples, in Calabria Ultra : eight miles weft of 
Bova,—A town of Campagna di Roma, near the fea-coaft : 
eight miles eaft-fouth-eaft of Oftia.—A town of Paraguay : 
270 miles fouth-eaft of Affumption.—A river of Sicily, 
which runs into the fea, on the weft coaft, in lat. 38. N. 
Ion. 12. 40. E.—A town of Mexico, in the province of 
New Bifcay: eighty-five miles north-weft of Parral.—A 
town of Italy, in the Polefine di Rovigo : two miles fouth- 
weft of Rovigo. 
LOREN'ZO (Cape), a cape on the coaft of Peru, in 
the province of Quito, weft of the city of that name. 
Lat. o. 20. S. Ion. 80. 20. W. 
LOREN'ZO de BORUCAS, a town of Mexico, in the 
province of Cofta Rica : fixty-five miles South of Carthago. 
Lat. 9.15. N. Ion. 84. 6. W. 
LOREN'ZO de PECURIES, a town of New Mexico, 
on the Bravo : forty-five miles north of Santa Fe. 
LOREN'ZO el REAL, a town of Spain, in Old Caftile: 
twenty-fix miles South of Segovia. 
LOREN'ZO, in biography. See Medici, vol. xiv. 
LORE'O. See Loredo. 
LORET'TO, a town of the Popedom, in the marqui- 
fate of Ancona; Situated on a hill, about half a league 
from the Adriatic. It is Small, but fortified, yet not of 
Strength fufficient to ftand a fiege. It is the See of a bi- 
fliop, under the pope. The confequence of the place 
arifes from the Santa Cafa, or Holy Houfe, So much vifited 
by pilgrims. This chapel, according to the legend, was 
originally a fmall houfe in Nazareth, inhabited by the 
Virgin Mary, in which file was Saluted by the angel, and 
where fhe bred our Saviour. After their deaths, it was 
held in great veneration by all believers in Jefus; and at 
length confecrated into a chapel, and dedicated to the 
Virgin; upon which occafion St. Luke made that iden¬ 
tical image, which is Still preServed here, and dignified 
with the name of our Lady of Loretto. This fanttified 
edifice was allowed to (ojourn in Galilee as long as that 
diftri£t was inhabited by Chriftians; but, when infidels 
got pofleffion of the country, a band of angels, to fave it 
from pollution, took it in their arms, and conveyed it 
from Nazareth to a caftle in Dalmatia. This fad might 
have been called in queftion by incredulous people, had 
it been performed in a Secret manner; but, that it might 
be manifeft to the moft fliort-fighted Spectator, and evi¬ 
dent to all who were not perfeftly deaf as well as blind, 
a blaze of celeftial light, and a concert of divine mufic, 
accompanied it during the whole journey ; befides, when 
the angels, to reft themfelves, Set it down in a little wood 
near the road, all the trees of the foreft bowed their heads 
to the ground, and continued in that refpectful pofture as 
long as the Sacred chapel remained among them. But, not 
having been entertained with Suitable refpect at the caftle 
above mentioned, the Same indefatigable angels carried it 
over the fea, and placed it in a field belonging to a noble 
lady called Lauretta, from whom the chapel takes its 
name. This field happened unfortunately to be frequented 
at that time by highwaymen and murderers ; a circum- 
ftance with which the angels undoubtedly were not ac¬ 
quainted when they placed it there. After they were 
better informed, they removed it to the top of a hill be¬ 
longing to two brothers, where they imagined it would 
be perfedlly Secure from the dangers of robbery or affaf- 
fination; but the two brothers, the proprietors of the 
ground, being equally enamoured of their new vifitor, be¬ 
came jealous of each other, quarrelled, fought, and fell by 
mutual wounds. After this fatal cataftrophe, the angels 
in waiting finally moved the holy chapel to the eminence 
where it now (lands, and has (food theie40o years, having 
loft all reliffi for travelling. 
Mr. Euftace treats the fubjedl with great liberality and 
good fenfe. In truth, no proteftant can make lighter of 
the legendary tale than he does. At a period when So 
much is Said of the fuperftition and intolerance of the ca¬ 
tholics, we are glad to have fuch an oppofite teftimony as 
the following palTage on this fubjedt affords. “ Every rea- 
3 aer 
