FOSCARINI, Marco (1696-1763), doge of Venice, historian, was born January 30, 1696. He was of an illustrious patrician family, and his fine character and superior abilities opened for him at an early age the path of public service and advancement. He rose through the regular stages of office to be cavalière and procuratore of St Mark, and was nominated historiographer of the republic. It was intended that he should take up and continue the story from the point to which it had been brought by Michele Foscarini and the senator Garzoni. But his services were turned into another channel. He was entrusted successively with important embassies to the courts of Vienna, Rome, and Turin, his task being to maintain the strict neutrality of Venice in the wars between the French and the imperialists. During these embassies he drew up, after the manner of Venetian ambassadors, reports of his negotiations and proceedings, and also of his observations of affairs at the various courts. Thus removed from Venice and from access to the public archives, from which the materials of his projected history must have been drawn, it was impossible for him to write it. He undertook, however, to collect materials for a literary history of his country, proposing to treat the subject under two heads, first the useful (or scientific) literature, and secondly the more strictly literary works. In 1752 appeared the first volume of the first division, in four books ∙ and this remains a fragment, no more having been published. Foscarini after his return from Turin was placed at the head of the university of Padua, in the conduct of which he brought about some important reforms. In 1762 he rose to the highest dignity of the state, being elected to succeed Francesco Loredano as doge. Among the other ...