The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register., 1824-07-22
From the Ctpiosities Of Liteuinrc.
SINGULAR MEMORIES.

be thought by many readers apocryphal.
When Murctus was at Rome (savs SCaIi-
gary by way of parcntles;s must observe,
the relator and the auditor were the two first
scholars in Europe There came ono day to
the palace of the French ambassador, "a
Florentine ola very ill favourcd countcnancc
and whose eyes were continually declined on
the ground 1t was said that he possessed
in wonderful degree, an Artificial Memory.
To give proof of his powers, he begged
the company who were numerous, to scat
themselves regularly, that he might net be
disturbed; and that they would order to be
written down to the number offtty thousand
.uordS !: assuring them that if they pronounc-
I'd them ditinctly, and afterwards they were
read slowly, he would repeat every word
without hesitation. This was done. They
would only have troubled him with few :
but he insisted they should proceed. The
secretary of the ambassador was cmploye ed
full two hours i'll writing the most singular
words the company could select and amongst
them was cardinal Pcleve, who gaze him
Polysylla,les in the best and longest manner
ot our LeXicographer.-Eh Florcntinc to
the astonishment of the audience, rccited
them without the smallest omission and this
he did, beginning sometimes at this end and
sometimes at the middle. He said that his
artificial memory had caused him totally to
forget his natural one.
Jedcdiah BuXton's singular memory ap-
pears to have been of different cast he
could only count words, &c. for which he
went to the play, he is said to have cnumcrat-
ed the 7roras of Garrick and the steps Of the
dancers; but he had not like this man, any
one who could be capable of contradicting
him.
The memory Of the great Dagueseau,
Chancellor of France, was extremely Singu-
lar. Such were his rctentve powers. accord
ing to NJ. Thomas, that it was sufficient to
have read once attcntivcly, any poem of
tolerablc length, to recite it correctly. II
was in this manner he possessed most of the
Greek poetry. At the age Of eighty, man
Of letters having quoted an epiyram Of Mar
tial incorrectly, he Immediately rccitcd the
whole; confessing that he had not read this
author since the age o. 10 years Some
times he even retained what had only been
read tohim. Boilcau one day recitcd Satire
he had just composed. Daguesscau toll him
coldly, thath knew the piece perfectly We'll;
and to convince him of it repeated it entire.
The satarist, as may be supposed, was tu-
riously agitatcd i but finished however in adj
!nring the felicity of his memory
A strange anecdotc is recorded Of Fuller,
the author of The Worthless of England
To prove the singular tenaciousncss of his
memory he undertook oncci in passing to and
fro from Temple Bar to the frthcst end OF
Cheapside, to tell at his return every sign
as it stood in order on both sides of the way,
repeating them either backwards or for
wards; and he did it cXacly' 1t is also
noticed of him, that he could repeat five
hundred strange words after twice hearing.
and could make use OF a sermon verbatim ii
he once heard it.
Magliabcchi had singular memory. To
put it to proof Il gentleman lent Il Ms.
Sometime after it was returned, he came to
rim with a melancholy face, to inform him
that it was lost. Magliahcchi was not so
much concerned, for he repeated exactly eve
ry word OF the MS. which it is said, he per-
fcctly retained. 1t is also said that when he
quoted any author in conversation, he alsc
mentioned the volume and page.
Calvin had very faitful memory. 1t
said that he never forgot any thing he wished
toretain. And whenever he was interrupted
in his studies, he could resume the thread q
his work without being told where he hat
left it unRniscd
Thomas Dcmpster, learned Scotchmal
ofthe seventeenth century, declared he ncv
er knew what it was to forget. 1t is probable
he did not speak truth: if he did, Ire must b,
the eight wonder of the world, for he hat
read fourteen hours every day. But with al
ms memory he could not remember to writ
with elegance; so that he never was favor
itc.
Ignatius, polished Italian, was also dis
tngnished for his fine memory. One da,
when he was haranguing his audience h
had nearly finished when the Pope's Nunci
entered. He recommended his discours
and repeated it exactly only he hcightcnt
the diction and displayed more eloquen,
than the first time. The Venetian senate
used to consult him and he always answc
ed their intcrrogatories without hay ing r
course to his books.
Ubbo Emmus, profess of Gronin gucn, h;
aprodigious momory difficult to be crcdite
It is related of him that he would readily al
swer any questions in history, without mistal
ing the minutest circumstance in the tim
place or persons. He ever remember,
the figure, situation, and magnitude of IL
towns and tortresse the position of the river
and high ways the heights of the mountain
&c.
This little sketch will be sufficient; it cou
however be augmented. Bayle observes tn
memory is the first thing that dies in men
letters.
The following curious observations
memory, find in the Bibliotheque Ralsont
an Amsterdam Literary journal, which "