[391] Bartolomeo Facio was a native of Spezia, a sea-port in the Genoese territory. The most curious inquirers into the history of literature have not yet been able to ascertain the precise period of his birth. From many passages however which occur in his works it appears, that he was indebted for instruction in the Latin and Greek languages to Guarino Veronese, whom he frequently mentions in terms of affectionate esteem. Facio was one of the numerous assemblage of scholars that rendered illustrious the court of Alfonso, king of Naples, by whom he was treated with distinguished honour. During his residence at Naples, the jealousy of rivalship betrayed him into a violent quarrel with Lorenzo Valla, against whom he composed four invectives. The following list of his other works is extracted from his life, prefixed by Mehus to an edition of his treatise _De Viris illustribus_, published at Florence, _an._ 1745. 1. _De bello Veneto Clodiano ad Joannem Jacobum Spinulam Liber. Lugd. 1568._ 2. _Aliud parvi temporis bellum Venetum_ was printed together with the former. 3. _De humanæ vitæ felicitate ad Alphonsum Arragonum et Siciliæ regem. Hanoviæ, typis Vechelianis, 1611. Post epitomen Felini Sandei de Regibus Siciliæ, &c._ 4. _De excellentiâ et præstantiâ hominis._ This work, which is erroneously ascribed to Pius II., was printed together with the preceding treatise, _Hanoviæ, 1611_. 5. _De rebus gestis ab Alphonso primo Neapolitanorum rege Commentariorum, Libri x. Lugduni, 1560, apud hæredes Sebastiani Gryphii, in 4to._—_Ibidem, 1562 & 1566._ The seven first books of this work were also published, _Mantuæ, anno 1563, a Francisco Philopono_. It has also been reprinted in various collections of Italian history. 6. _Arriani de rebus gestis Alexandri, Libri viii. Latine redditi. Basileæ, 1539. in fo. a Roberto Winter._ _Pisauri, 1508._ _Lugduni, 1552._ 7. _Epistolæ._ Several of Facio’s epistles are subjoined by Mehus to his edition of the treatise _De Viris illus_. It is justly observed by Tiraboschi, that Facio’s style is much more elegant than that of any of his contemporaries. _Mehi vita Bartolomei Facii._—_Tiraboschi Storia della Letter. Ital. tom. vi. p. ii. p. 80._ [392] _Facii Opera, p. 99, 100, 101._ [393] _Ton. Tr. vol. ii. p. 110._ [394] _Apostolo Zeno Dissert. Voss. tom. ii. p. 2._ [395] _Ibid, p. 4._ [396] _Ibid._ [397] _Hodius de Græcis Illus. p. 104._ [398] Valla, in his _Antidotus_, tells a ridiculous story of a pugilistic contest which on occasion of this quarrel took place between Poggio and George of Trebisond in Pompey’s theatre. This story was related as a fact in the first edition of this work; but, on further reflection, I agree in opinion with my Italian translator, that it is a fiction. See _Tonelli, vol. ii. p. 114._ [399] _Bandini Catalogus Biblioth. Laur. tom. iii. p. 438._