The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-05 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY l5, 1855.

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THE QUARTBRLIES.

German, Flemish, and Slavonic) enumerated in his
renowed thesis in the University of Paris. Pre_
cisely as the same review accepts the assertion of
Aulas Gellius about the live-and-twenty languages
spoken by that royal myth Mithridates (the pun
may beforgiven under the provocation of the circum-
stance here particularised), what though the said.
quarter of a hundred tongues are not a jot more
obviously real than those of the " four-and-twenty
blackbirds baked in a pie," and capable of singing
so very dulcetly when placed before another king
than the King of Pontus. Everything reported
about Scaliger, saad Crichton, and Mithridatcs, the
Edinburgh reviewer swallows as, at once, entirely
credible ; but, again and again, without any more
reason than in the instances above' specified, he
writes dubiously and reasons sceptically about the
vast and otherwise universally admitted capacities
of the late Cardinal Mezzofauti. Nay, what does
this very critic himself tell us at one part of his
ingenious and elaborate argument ? What but
thin—

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Saturday.

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this day. •

The Edinbuigh Review. No. CCV. -
Conspicuous among the nine articles in the cur-
rent number of the Edinburgh Review, just pub-
lished, is the paper relating to the extraordinary
and altogether unparalleled genius of the late Car-
dinal Mezzofanti. The contribution is one evi-
dently from the hand of an accomplished critic, if
it nowhere betrays on the part of the writes any
very considerable erudition as a philologist. The
subject of disquisition selected by the reviewer is
precisely of a character the most eminently well
calculated to rouse the attention and excite the
curiosity of every intelligent mind interested in the
more curious and recondite fields of
psychological
investigation. It is nothing less, in fact, than the
minute analysis, as far at least as such a mattercan
well be analysed, of an iutell actual capacity.of such
surpassing magnitude, and of a nature so rare, if
not altogether unparalleled, as to be no other than
an absolute and admitted phenomenon.
That phe-
nomenon, as already intimated, the genius and
career of the Cardinal Guiseppe Gaspardo Mezzo-.
fauti—incomparably the most wonderful linguist
the world ever beheld, whether in recent times or
in the days of antiquity. According to the Edinburgh
Review, the only name of which we have any re-
cord whatsoever, worthy of being brought into
comparison with that of Mezzofanti, is the name
with which that of the latter has been so frequently
associated, the name of the ancient King of Pontus
—the many-tongued Mithridates. But whereas
Mithridates could. speak no less than "twenty-'
two" languages, if we are to believe the assurance
of Pliny, and Solinus, and. Valerius Maximus, or
as many as " twenty-five," if we arelo give credit
to Aulus Gellius, who avers that with a quarter of a
hundred tongues the royal linguist was "thoroughly
conversant" (percalluit)—Mezzofanti could speak—
how many ? Why, astonishing to relate, as many
as " fifty-eight," according to M. Manavit, or
actually no less than "seventy-eight," according
to the Civilta Cattolica. In the accuracy of
these statements, however, as to the number of
different languages perfectly well know- to—read
and spoken by—Cardinal Mezzofanti, the writer in
the Edinburgh is not by any means disposed to
place implicit credence, without first of all subject-
ing them, oue by one, in regular succession, to a
most careful, searching, and, so to speak, even
microscopic examination. Yet after sifting the
various pros mad cons relating to it, how astound-
ing are the scope and amplitude of the reputation
appertaining by right (according even to this moet
sceptical of critics) to Cardinal Mezzofanti ! How
marvellous the lingual capacities of Mezzofanti
were we have been told long ago by Lord Byron.
How many of us have forgotten the passage in the
noble poet's letter to a friend, in which his wonder
is so wonder-fully expressed in regard to that mon-
ster of languages, that walking polyglot, that
Briareus of parts of speech, .of whom he says lie
" ought to have existed at the time of the tower of
Babel as universal interpreter !" Any one who
has lost an exact remembrance of the witty pane-
gyric referred to, will find it given complete at page
47 of the present number of the Edinburgh—and
in the same article passim a variety of kindred
quotations. One •of these, takau from an elaborate
sketch of Mezzofanti penned in 1846 by Guido
Giirres, the son of the celebrated Catholic publicist
and Professor, we must gratify ourselves, and our
readers too we believe, by transcribing. It runs
as follows :

" The authorities already alleged place it beyond all
doubt that he spoke almost all the leading languages
both of the East and West with all but the freedom, the
-precision, and the propriety of an educated native of each
of the countries. It is not alone that the general fact is
2a.ttestel by many of these authorities ; each traveller Las
borne testimony to his perfection in the language of his
own country. Baroness Ulmenstein took him for a
German. niece Volkonski ' would bo very glad if his
son spoke Russian as well ;' Stewart Rose's Smyrniote
declared that might pass for a Greek or Turk
throughout the dominions of the Grand Seignior.' Baron
Von Zach was taken by surprise, and stupefied by his
excellent Magyar. Molbech found him speaking Danish
with almost ent;re correctness ; and Fieck heard him
speak modern Greek to a young man who cam* into the
library, Hebrew with a rabbi or scrittore of the Vatican ;
Russian with a magnate who passed through, Latin and
German with himself, Danish with a young Danish
arcbmelogist, English with the English, Italian with
many !' We have ourselves repeatedly received explicit
and equally precise assurances, not only from French,
Spaniards, Portuguese, and Piles, but from orientals of
every variety of race and of tongue. We must refer to
M. Manavit for a very interesting account of his minute
acquaintance with the various provincial dialects of
France and Spain, and particularly with the Basque
language, which, as we have seen, he proposed to study
with Guido Gorres. Of his familiarity with English
(although Fleck says 'his English was only middling')
the accounts given by the English themselves seem al-
most more marvellous. He astounded' Byron even to
his English. Captain Smyth said 'he spoke it more cor-
rectly than himself.' Lady Morgan could not detect
any trace of accent, although (at that time) he had
never left Bologna.' With Dr. Baines he 'spoke it as
fluently as we do, and with the same accuracy, not only
of grammar, bet of idiom.' And, even as far back as
1817, Stewart Rose attests that, 'during long-repeated
conversations in English he never once misapplied the
sign of a tense, that fearful stumbling to Scotch and
Irish !' We may add, upon our part, the fullest con-
firmation of these statements ; and perhaps we shall best
illustrate them by stating that we have known more
than one instance in which Irish visitors meeting him
for the first time have taken hint for an English eccle-
siastic, mistaking the slight foreign peculiarity which he
retained, for what is called is Ireland, 'the English
accent.'

Notwithstanding, indeed, some most uncalled-for
evidences of unbelief, here and there, as before
vaguely implied, or expressly particularised, the
paper to which we have thus directed attention
as the most fascinating contribution to the pre-
sent number of the Edinburgh, constitutes, after
all, a very splendid and wonderfully merited eulo-
giuma upon the almost inconceivable powers of the
greatest linguist who ever breathed, the illustrious
Guiseppe Gaspardo Mezzofanti. Honour to the
manes of one who, through a long, and holy, and
venerable life, enjoyed a " gift of tongues" veri-
tably Apostolical. In addition to the philological
treatise here mentioned, the Whig Quarterly hag
other papers of a merit by no means inc lnsiderable.
Those relating to "Parliamentary Opposition,"
and to " The War in the Crimea," will just now
Possess an unlooked-for increase of attraction—
read by the light of passing occurrences—at home
the change of Government, and abroad the calami-
ties before Sebastopol. A description given in
another contribution referring to the "Siege of
Rhodes in 1480" has clearly, in the very title of
it, an illustrative reference to the siege now, in.
1855, carried on not far from the no Roads—be-
tween the heights of Inkerman and the port of
Balaklava. A genial notice of Lord Carlisle's
" Diary in Greek Waters," and an agreeable but
superficial review of " Modern French Literature,"
make up—with a biographical chapter on the life
and death of " Charles the Fifth," a sedate parer
on " Private-Bill Legislation," and a readable ar-
gument suggested by " Marsd.on's History of the
Puritans,"—the remaining attractions of our au-
thoritative blue-and-buff contemporary.

" The vastness of the range of languages which he had
mastered borders closely on the incredible ; and, what
appears hardly less marvellous, this enormous store hail
not only not produced any Babel-like confusion in his
head, but, on the contrary, is completely at his com-
mand, so that, without the least effort, and without any
observable interval, he passes irons one realm of lan-
guage to another as lightly as a bird hops from sprig to
sprig. Ile is familiar with all the European languages.
And by this we understand not merely
.the old classical
tongues and the first-class modern odes ; that is to say,
the Greek and Latin, the Italian, French, Spanish,
Portuguese, German, and English; his knowledge em-
braces also the languages of the second class, viz., the
Dutch, the Danish and Swedish, the whole Selavonio
family, the Russian, Polish, Bohemian or Czechish, and
Servian, the . Hungarian, and Turkish, and even those
of the third and fourth class, the Irish, Welsh, Albanian,
Wallachian, Bulgarian, and Illyrian are equally at his
command. Oa my happening to mention that I had
once dabbled a little in Basque, he at once proposed that
we should set about it together. Even the Romani of
the Alps and the Lettish are not unfamiliar to him ;
nay, he has made himself acquit'nted with Lappish,
the language of the wretched nomadic tribes of
Lapland, although he told me he did not know whether
it should be called. Lappish or Lapbandisb. Passing
along to Asia, it is true that he does not claim acquain-
tance with ail the dialects of this vast region with its
desolate steppes, and its fallen, degenerate, and fast
decreasing population • but nevertheless, even here,
there is hardly one of( the 'more prominent language:,
especially those which fall within the circle of Ruropenzi
Intercourse, that has escaped his grasp. Thus he is mas-
ter of all the languages that are classed under the Tudo-
German family : the Sanscrit and Persian, the Koor-
dish, the Armenian, the Georgian,—he is familiar with
all the members of the Semetie family, the Hebrew,
A rabic, Syria; Samaritan, Chaldee, the Sabaic and even
tie Chinese, which he not only reads, but speaks. As
rely,:erds Africa, and its Hamitic races, the re-
cent revival of intercourse with. that country, and
especially with Egypt and Abyssinia, have facilitated
the extension of his acquaintance with its languages
andHe knows the Clopctaien,noEt Abyssinian, Amharic,
iron, niy 0
wn
knowledge
say
whether he has acquired any of the native laneuages of
America, except the Californian ; but I have 'been told
that even while he was in Bologna, lie leernecl some of
these from an ex-Jesuit who had sojourned as a mission-
ary on that continent."—(flistorislt Politische Blattce.

1342.)
ijaatteesrthone' variousthe
the. Edinburgh enume-
racin cording to his impression,
conflicting statemerits of different travellers and
philologists, as to thediversity of languages actually
rratde w,
known to Mezzofanti. Taus—.

" Stewart Roso says that Mezzofanti read twenty and
conversed in eighteen languages
Baron Von Bach ex-
tends
tnoudLn
egbhrer
o: emoakt considersh
not- objection to it in point of
n Molbech says, the number extends to more
thirty-two,
' 13a r living's account an d
dead
exag-
geratedu
Even of hislanguages.' Fleck makes it `some thirty.'
l own account of himself we hare different
vatein
isbeet tl
thoughil ; as
iY
th
reports : thus Lady Morgan says, that Mezzofanti him-
self, when she spoke of his forty languages, smiled at the
exaggeration, though he had gone over the outline of
forty languages.' Mrs. Paget, on the contrary, says
that, with affected humility, he tokl her ' he spoke only
forty or fifty and the Russian traveller states that, in
answer to a question addressed by him to Mezzofanti as
to the number of languages in which he could express
himself, Mezzofanti sent him the name of God written
with his own hand in forty-six languages! To com-
plete the embarrassment, M. Manavit gives a detailed
list of forty-eight languages spoken by the Cardinal ;
while another writer, the author of a sketch which ap-
peared in the Civilta Cattolica, (whom M. Manavit
quoteß, and who states as his authority a conversation
with Mezzofanti in 1846), makes the number no less
than seventy-eight!

The Edinburgh critic, we repeat, regards the fore-
goingtii in .1c i n6.oawpiThgorue srs
no
eon.
tions asto the growth, and cultivation, conflicting
There
is
to statementsou t.Not so do we
iennrteheeivnaesugm. ben stated quite compati
andiithrid a perpetualtes
development of the lingual
Powers of our modern.
Mithridates, and of our more than
l
Mezzofanti. Does the reviewer so entirely forget
that Stewart Rose wrote in 1819, When the wonder
hßaodnielapsede.Upwards of
during
of Bologna was little more than thirty-five, and
that thirty years and more had elapsed before the
statementoftho
~ afterwardscivi
it
a GgyaivtetenliewaaBput forth in the
pages 1" Guiseppe Mez-
zofauti, recollect, was born on the lith of Septem-
ber, in 1774, at Bologna, and died as recently as on
March,seventy-five
altogether
in
the interval—years dedicated by the great linguist
to the perpetual increase and extension of his ex-
traordinary stores of philological knowledge. Why.
1849 at
we learn from the Edinburgh reviewer himself that
it was (p. 63) only towards the close . of his pro-
tracted life that Mezzefanti mastered the Chinese
language, " probably," says the critic, " the most
signal triumph of his career "—and mastered it,
moreover, so completely as to be able to deliver in
that tongue a series of discourses, moral and con-
troversial, to the Chinese students collected to-
gether, at the time, under the roof of the Propa-
ganda. Moreover, ix a previous page (p. 61) the
reviewer has also recorded on the high authority of
the Roman Catholic Bishop Baines, a prelate him-
self I,
of extended learning, and of very varied ac-
complishments, that it was not until late in Mezzo-
fanti's career that, for a freak, ono might almost
call it, in six weeks (without any knowledge of it I
beforehand) his extraordinary intellect grasped and
mastered the Welsh language ! Howbeit, with all
his admitted admiration for the really unexampled
powers of the groat Cardinal, the Ediubm.,7l,
re-
viewer seems at times to have resolved perversely
to discredit the vastness of those powers, merely
fur the sake of appearing loss of an enthusiast and
of a hero-worshipper. Incredulous upon many
p uints in regard to Mcz.:efinti, the critic is never-
theless all-believing in regard to any other linguist
whomsoever. Ex, gr., lie quite- bows down his
judgment to the assertion of Du Btrtas, to wit.;
that Soaliger spoke thirteen languages, as thus
celebrated in ridiculous dogrel :
" Scaligor, merveine do notre age,
Soleil dig savants, qui pane elogauruent
llebau, Grecois, Remain, Espsznol, Allemand,
Fiancoii, Italieu, Nubien; Arabiqle, •
Syrkquo, Persian, Anglois, Chaldaique,"
Again, the Edinburgh reviewer has an implicit
credence in the capacity of the Admirable Crichton
--r-that paragon of fabulous f, c ii o 1 a r 8 h i p —to dispute
in any of the twelve languages (Hebrew, Syriac, Ara-
bic, Greek, Latin, Spanish, Italian, French, English,

(from a sudden seizure, while going her rounds in
the fashionable assemblies in May-fair) of Louisa
Joanna Gaunt, Countess Dowager of Kew. Upon
this unlooked-for occurrence much of the remain-
ing plot of " The Newcomes " may probably be
dependent. Who can possibly av©r that it may
not deprive of a blooming young bride, the high and
eighty Priuoekin, Fergus Angus Malcolm Roy
Earl of Rossmont ,
and Marquis of Farintosh.

Mammon, ; or, the hardships of an Heiress. By
Mrs. Gore. 3 vols. Hurst and Blackett.
" Glories, like glow-worms, far away shine bright,
But looked to near have neither heat nor light,"
is the motfn prefixed io this work, and it exactly
typifies its general purpose and intention. The
object of the authoress is evidently to demonstrate
and exemplify how many and bitter are the troubles
which attend on enormous wealth. Janetta Wool-
ston was indeed a " nameless martyr ;" no pity or
sympathy was given to her sufferings. She was
considered by every one as free from care or an-
noyance, and as likely to be happy and prosperous as
any of the most favoured amongmortals. The secret
truth and hidden reality which lurked amid all
this overpowering grandeur and intruded into her
palace home was widely different. From • her
earliest childhood the young heiress was forced to
give up every pleasure and sacrifice every tie of
kindred and friends at the shrine of her worldly
father's idol, Mammon. In his exclusive homage
to that golden image, John Woolston Wraysbury
gradually shut out all better thoughts and feelings
from his mind. He became so wrapt up in the
idea of his daughter being the richest heiress
in the kingdom' that he neglected every other
consideration that should have influenced his con-
duct towards her. Jarietta herself was a gentle,
unassuming girl, more fitted by nature and disposi-
tion for a simple and humble walk of life than to
be the " cynosure of neighbouring eyes," and the
observeci of all observers. A great deal of skill is
displayed in the representation of Gerald Moly-
neux, or " Old Molyneux," as he was generally
called. Although he was eventually earl, his old
habits and manners remained the same, and not
all the caution and wisdom of his sagacious referee,
"Reuben Howard," could effectually metamorphose
him and convert the reckless man of fashion into a
staid and respectable member of the House of
Peers, a worthy representative of his respected
father and honoured brother, who had commanded
the reverence and homage of all classes, and who
had departed the self same year, the one in the ful-
ness of time, and the ether in the prime of life. The
portion of the story which relates to Lord Dinton and
Bessy Pennington is touching and full of feeling.
It forms an agreeable contrast to the spirit which
pervades the Aronicles of worldly ambition, and
animates the records of fashionable manoeuvres.
"Constancy's the gift•of heaven" was preyed in
thelives of those pure-minded and highly-prineipled
beings, who were at last put asunder by a sudden
and awful death. It was a sad day for all con-
nected with the family, from the highest to the
lowest, when the promised husband of Bessy
Pennington was carried to the grave. The selfish
and overbearing Gerald and Emma Molyneux could
ill replace their gracious and gentle predecessors.
One point in the story is very successfully described,
the constant dread evinced by the crafty Sir John
and his equally cunning sister Emma, of coming
into contact with each other under unpleasant
circumstances. Thus, when in his days of adver-
sity at the " weedy villa" at Hendon, the future
millionnaire was never visited by his sister, who
was then flourishing in aristocratic circles with
small means, but fashionable exterior. The scene
changed ; Emma and her husband were obliged
to retire a little froth their extravagant circle,
while the neglected brother was master of fabulous
wealth. To forgive and forget was not one of the
virtues of the baronet, and he repaid scorn for
scorn, and thought himself the gainer in the con-
flict, when the sudden and premature death of
his brother raised the exiled Molyneux to the rank
of the Earl of Dinton, and enriched him with thou-
sands. Then the subtle relations were puzzled
how to act, but the preference was on the side of
the Dintons. 'They had the highest standing in
society, and were the most accustomed to its
usages. Sir John Wraysbury made the mistake of
thinking that money was the substitute instead
of the auxiliary of everything else in public and
private life. The consequence was that he was
looked upon with contempt by society, and regarded
with distrust by his domestic circle. The know-
ledge that he was master of great wealth at pre-
sent, and the trustee of enormous riches for the
future, was not enough to induce the world to
tolerate overbearing conduct and unrefined man-
ners. While in his private intercourse he made
enemies of friends and strangers of relations, by
cold selfishness and cruel neglect, ho offers a strik-
ing example to all who devote themselves to the
pursuit and increase of worldly gain, unmind-
ful of the more excellent and enduring pos-
sessions that wealth neither gives nor takes
away—the ties of kindred, the bonds of friend-
ship, the respect of their fellow-men, and,
above all, the satisfaction of an approving con-
science. The votary of Mammon forfeited all
claims to these treasures, and felt his life a fitilure,,
and his existence a burden. With all the skill, for
which she is celebrated, the authoress shows forth
such a life in its meanness, its harshness, and its
short-sightedness. The hardships of an heiress,
who possessed such a miardian, may be imagined.
Besides the ehequered career of Sir J ohn, who
migrated through every stage of life, as a poor
man, anal. a millionnaire, there are various claims on
the notice of the reader. Fashionable life is de-
scribed, not in its usual stereotyped monotony, but
new and striking characters emerge from its
chronicles. Reuben Howard is a life-like portrait,
and though no exact prototype may exist, he is
no fancied or imaginary sketch. Emma Molyneux
is another clever delineation, and Roger Farmer
likewise attracts attention. More powerful than
amusing, and more descriptive of people than
illustrative of events, this work is'one that will not
be passed over as ordinary or common-place, but
must belong to the superior and lasting.

Tile Poetical Works of Beattie, Blair, and Falconer.
J. Nichol, Edinburgh.
This is another of Mr. Nichol's handsome series
of the British Poets, which will, when completed,
form a valuable lib:ary edition. Six volumes are
issued during the year to subscribers at the low
price of one guinea, and the catalogue is to include
all the British poets, with the exception, of course,
of those whose works are exclusively copyright.
Milton, Thomson, Young, and Cowper are already
published. Dryden is immediately to follow. The
present volume contains the works of three poets—
James Beattie, the author of the " Minstrel " and
many other well-known pieces, Robert Blair, and
William Falconer. A curious coincidence exists
between. the two last, the reputation of both de-
pending on a single poem—few having heard of any-
thing of Falconer's but his " Shipwreck," and
Blair, we believe, having scarcely written anything
but " The Grave." We must not omit to mention
that Mr. Gilfillan contributes lives of the poets and
critical dissertations, the explanatory notes being
wisely restricted to mere pieces of information in
the margin. The paper and type are both excel-
lent—the latter is indeed unusually distinct—and,
though the size is somewhat cumbersome for ordi-
nary perusal, as a library edition it is without
doubt the handsomest that has appeared for some
time.

A Ramble through Normandy. By G. M. Mus-
grave, M.A. Bogue.
This is an unpretending volume, which does not
narrate any lengthened travels, or describe un-
known countries. Tho author has found enough to
interest himself and his readers in a sketching ex-
cursion through two or three of the numerous
de-
partments
of France. The writer started on his
expedition at the time when the French camp WAS
established at Boulogne, which, of course, he
visited. With this exception the book has no re-
lation to the stirring topics which at present en-
gross so much attention. The writer takes much
interest in architectural and antiquarian topics,
and. gives much information respecting
the life of
William the Conqueror, of whom, naturally, manytraces are still extant in Normandy. Tke illustra-
tions are numerous, and give the reader a good
idea of some of the figures represented. The
varieties of the famous Normandy caps are amusing,
but, sad to relate, these wonderful head-dresses are
falling into disuse. The neglect of them which
now prevails is chiefly attributable to the intro-
duction of cheap conveyances, so that the lower
classes no longer journey about on foot, or on a
horse, as before, and their great height, sometimes
two feet, forbids their entry into an ordinary
vehicle. On high days and holidays, therefore,
when it is absolutely indivonsable to appsar in full
costume, the dames of Normandy often wear a
small cap for travelling, carrying the inconvenient
appendage in the lap.. The author is very favour-
ably disposed towards the French, a sentiment
which, at the present time of cordial amity, will
meet with general recognition. lie affirms his
journey to have been solely in search of archmo-
logy and the picturesque. He is himself quite
satisfied with what he found, and it is-to be hoped
his example will convince his more adventurous
readers, that, should they feel disposed to travel,
they may find much to interest and amuse them in
" A Ramble through Normandy."

The English Cyclopcedia. Bradbury and Evans.
This valuable work has now reached the twenty-
secolid part, continuing the publication of geo-
graphy and natural history, which two sections will