ASSEMANI, the surname of three learned Maronite Syrians, who flourished in Italy in the last century. The eldest, and the most learned of the three, Giuseppe Simone, was born at Tripoli in Syria, in 1687. Having been sent to Rome to receive a classical education, he soon distinguished himself by his learning and industry, and was chosen by Pope Clement XI. to go and visit the convents of Egypt and Syria, in search of ancient MSS. with which to enrich the library of the Vatican. He executed his commission with great success, and in reward for his services was made archbishop of Tyre, and librarian of the Vatican. His principal work is his Bibliotheca Orientalis Clementino-Vaticana, in 4 folio volumes, 1719–28, which contains valuable biographical notices of Syrian Christian authors. He also published, in 6 vols. fol. (Lat., Greek, and Syriac), 1732–34, the works of St Ephraem, a Syrian father of the Church. He died at Rome in 1768 at the age of 80. Stefano Evedio, his nephew, was created bishop of Apamea, and succeeded his uncle as librarian. He also published two folio volumes of Oriental Catalogues of Vatican MSS. and other archaeological works of merit. Simone, the grand-nephew of Giuseppe, born at Tripoli in 1752, was long professor of Oriental languages in the University of Padua, where he died in 1821. He is best known by his masterly de-
Assembly. tection of the literary imposture of Vella, a pretended history of the Saracens in Sicily, which was confirmed by the German Hager.