The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1828-02-21

! had hrs wife MeSSallna, murdered he would
ask The servants why the Empress did not
come INTO supper as usual and many oih-
ers after having been gracouSIy pleased tn
put to death, he next day invited, to the
councils, or to throw dice; and as they
made but small haste Seut messengers to
reprove them for their delay.
| Bishop Burnet was very remarkable in
this: in the days of the great marlborough,
he obtained an interview with him, and
was even asked to dine, but cautioned TO
be on his guard and not commit himself
Among other great company was Prince
Eugene, who see ng dignifed clergyman
! present, asked who he was, and having
heard that he had been at Paris in 1880,
asked now long it was since he left ii.
Burnet futtered, answered with percipita-
con, he could not recollect the year, but
it was at the time that the Countess of
SossouS was imprisoned upon suspicion
Of practising concealed mode of poison
'ng people. This lady happened to be
the mother of Prince Eugene, and both
parties eyes being fixed upon each other,
then only he perceived his mistake, stam-
|'mered, apologised, and retired IN the ut-
most confusion. Upon another occasion,f
the Bishop dining one day with Sarah,
Duchess Of Marlborough, conversation
turned upon the ingratitude of Govern
ment to the Duke who had Just lost his
place. Burnet apply compared him to Bel
isarIus; when her Grace asked what was
the occasion Of his downfall "Oh mad
sm, (says Burnet,) poor Bclisarus had a
shocking birthstone of a wife,"
When the learned SeIden's library was
brought into that Of the Bodleian in 1850,
several pair of spectacles were found in
I he books which Mr.. Selden had forgot
ten.
DR.. Thomas Bishop of Salisbury for
got The day he was to be married, and was
surprised at his servants bringing him in
a new dress. A gnat singing him in the
5 leg, the Doctor stopped and scratched a.
, mother genteman's instead, who stood next.
Joseph Scaliger positively declared, that
he knew 40 hing Of the massacre of St.
, Bartholomew, 'hough it took place all a.
, onn him in Paris. His close studies tc
he Hebrew tongue prevented his hearing
the clash'ng Of arms, the cries Of children
the shiiekS Of women, and the groans OF
j.. men.
, La Fontaine was so absent as TO call &
visit friend whose funeral he had attend
? ed. He was mach surprised at frs, but
, rccollecting himself, said : 1t is true e.
] cough, for was there. - NciaS was Sc
/ b'ent, as to often ask his wants if he
mad bathed or dined.
Mrs. Vesey, lady of great fashion, &
: Il sort Of rival to Mrs. Montauge in hel
day, once acclaimed to lady of quality
! IN public company, against second mar
$ rlage: the lady whom she addressed had
already been twice married and Mr.. We
, sey, WIS her own second husband. When
/ reminded Of this, she exclaimed, Bless
, Inc my dear, ! had quite forgotten it,"
MEMORY.
But let us quote some instances of those
who had a vast though particular reten.
tivene>s of memory. This collection
might have been considerably increased
. bur enough is shown to make people ASH
> med OF their short memories; a thing uni.
versally complained of. We do not go sc
y far as to think the artificial helps which
DR.. Grey, in his 'Memoria Technical OF
Won Feinagle, in his book ANY way useful
the memory is itself unnecessarily burden
. ed by the very aids proposed to assist il,
" Unquestionably, the desire or resolution t.
remember any thing is the completest me
thod of going to work, aided by temper
. ate or abstinent living. But not to digres
further -
Blaise Pascal had so excellent memory
! that he would often say, he never forgo
= any thing he had mind to rsmembc,
u There certainly is a faculty of retaining
that which &c desire, and of discardine
from The memory what is useless.
Strada says that Fracis Suarcz had sucl
memory, that he had all the works 0
st. Augustine by heart; now this saint
works consist of near a score Of volumes o
. folio, and the man is to be wondered at
\ if not ptied, who could so employ his fac
z u,y.
; La Motto once tori fed young autho
' who had been reading a new tragedy t,
3. him, by accusing him Of the plagiarism o
T one entire act, which he repeated to thu
r poet after hearing il bat once read
2 When La Motto had enjoyed his joke, hi
D put all to rights with the unhappy author
y; Jedediab Buxton astonished the Roya
7 Society, whom he called the Volk Of til,