Italian Jesuit, preacher and writer, b. at Cameri, 1 Febreuary,
1693, of a distinguished family from Novara; d. at Bologna, 6
April or 12 May, 1752. He entered the Society in 1710, and
manifested oratorical powers; after teaching classics, he
entered upon a career of preaching, which lasted for almost
twenty years. He first spoke at Venice (1733), and then with
increasing popularity at Rome, Milan, Florence, and Bologna.
Many hailed him as Segneri's successor. Tornielli, however, did
not possess Segneri's vehemence, impassioned logic, and
directness. Brilliant, rather than solid, he lacked originality
and depth; but he had imagination and dramatic feeling. For his
pathos and easy, popular styghe was surnamed the "Metastasio" of
the Italian pulpit. To polished diction he added a refined and
affecting delivery. Shocked by the licentious songs then common,
Tornielli tried to remedy the evil by adapting sacred hymns to
the popular airs. Many criticised him for having thus exposed
the mysteries of religion to ridi