** nice, as being a jufl and equitable government j this happened
** in 1412, on the 12th o f July, under the moil ferene Doge Mi-
ehek Steno, of happy memory."
But whatever may have been the true origin o f this city, whether
it was like that o f Rome, or fprung rather from a feries o f
fmall augmentations, it has certainly the beil and moil agreeable
fituation o f any city in Dalmatia ; and, next to Zara, it is alfo
the beil built, and has the greateil number o f noble families,
who are now as far from the barbarous manners o f ancient pb*
rates, as their houfes are unlike the former cottages, or fibice.
It is defended on one fide by a caille fituated on a hill, which
held out againil repeated attacks o f the Turks ; and towards the
fea, upon a narrow channel at the mouth o f the harbour, by another
fort, a noble work o f Sammicbeli, and whofe gate is very
like the celebrated gate o f Verona, by the fame archited. Among
the buildings o f Sibenico, the dome or cathedral, though in the
Ryle o f the barbarous times, merits particular notice, for thé
magnificence o f the fabrick, and much more for its roof, which
is compofed o f large fiat pieces o f marble ccnneded together ;
a work as bold as any other o f a like nature, in the Roman times.
In the xvith centry, the arts and fciences flouriihed in this city
more than in any other o f Dalmatia. It has feveral buildings iri
a good taile o f architecture ; and has produced many eminent
men worthy of particular notice.
O f Men o f Letters who ftourifed at Sib enico, in the xvitb
Century, Painters, &c.
Among the illuftrious men o f Dalmatia, Antonio Veranzio o f
Sibenico deferves, in every refpeCt, the firll place. Scattered
remains
T rzl 3
remains o f this great man are found in many cOtemporary books,
as well as in fome o f »the writers on the affairs o f Hungary
after his time. But none o f them have purpofely wrote the
hiflory o f his life, * which neverthelefs, deferves a diflinguiihed
place, as well among men o f political, as literary merit.
Though I have neither leifure nor abilities to enter upon fuch
a fubjeCt, yet I prefume it will be amuzing to relate fuccinCtly
fuch circumilances o f his life,- !as I had an opportunity o f collecting
from the valuable' papers preferved in the -noble family
o f the counts Draganich -Veranzio.
Antonio Veranzio was born the 29th o f May, 1504, of
Francis, a gentleman o f Sibenico, and of Margherita Statileo,:
a lady o f Trau. H e . palled • the earlieil part o f his youth at
Trau, with his maternal uncles: . but returning to his native
place, he had for preceptor Elio Latimer0, o f whom fome pieces
of latin-poetry, not with oat merit, are preferved among the
papers o f Veranzio. u After he was well grounded in the Greek
and Latin authors, he, was called to Vifprimio by the famous
Bifhop and Ban Pietro Beriflavo o f Trau, who was his uncle by
the mother’s fide, and o f whom he learned the firfl rudiments
of the military: art. But ,this warlike bifhop being barbaroufiy
killed by the,Turks, in: 1520, Giovanni Statileo, a man o f
great authority at the court o f Hungary, and bifhop o f Tran-
filvania, fent for his two nephews, our Antonio, and his brother
Michele. One o f Veranzio’s firfl literary productions feems to
,1V , have
* Bclius, in his Hungaria nova, Vol. I ; and Schmit Archiepifcopi Strigonienjis
compendia dati, gave a flcetch of the life of Veranzio; but both o f them fell into
mi (lakes, and treated their fubject in a dry manner. And Szentivanius believed
that he was bom in Tranfilvaflia,