 Having won distinction in theology, and been ordained priest, he went to Rome the better to prosecute his studies and soon became a Canon of St. John Lateran.It was then that he wrote the "Trattato sulla pena di morte" (2nd ed., Milan, 1780), the "Discorso sulla giustizia criminale", and "Dell' enormità del duello", which earned for him a distinguished position among the jurists of the eighteenth century and particularly contributed to the reform of the criminal law.It was also probably due to them that he was appointed assessor general of finances and commerce, and inspector of agriculture and he arts.