The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-05-14

Pagunini Was in all respects a very singu-
lar being,and an Interesting subject TO study
His talents were by no means confined
to his wonderful powers as a musician. On
other subjects he was well informed, acute,
and con'crsibe. oI bland and gentle man.
ners, and in society perfectly well All
this contrasted strangely with the dark, mys-
terious stories which were bfui,ed about.
touching some passages in his early life. But
outward sembance aud external department
are treachcrous as quicksands, when taken
as guides by which to sound the real depths
Of human character. Lord Byron remarks
that his pocket was once picked b, the civil
est gentleman he ever conyersed with, and
that by far the mildest individual of his ac
quantance was the remo!selrss Ali Pacha OF
1anina. The expressive lineaments of Pag
anini told powerful tale Of passion which
lad been fearfuly excited, which might be
reused again from temporary sumber, or
were exhausted by indulgence and premn-
ture decay, leaving deep burrows to mark
their intensity. Like the generality OF his
countrymen, he looked much older than he
was. 1t is by no means unusual to encoun-
Ter wel-developed Italian, whiskered to
the eyebrows, and "bearded like the pard,'
who tells you, to your utter astonshmen,.
that he is scarcely seventeen, when you have
set him down from his appearance as, at
least, fve-and.tLirty.
The following extract from Colonel Mont.
gomery MaSwell's book of Military Remin.
iscences, entitled My Adventures" dated
Genoa, February 22d, 1915, supplies the
earliest record which has been given to the
public respecting Paganini, and affords au.
tbentic evidence that some of the mysterious
tales which heralded his coming were moi
without foundation. lie could scarcely have
been a. this time thirty years of age. Talk.
ing of music, have become acquainted with
the most outre, most extravagant, and strang.
est character ] ever bsLeld or heard, in the
musical line. He has just been emancipated
from durance vile, where he has been for
long time incarcerated on suspicion of MUIR
der. His long figure, long neck, long face
and long forehead his hollow and deadly
pale cheek, large black eye, hooked nosc,
and jet black hair, which is long, and more
than half hiding his expressive Jewish face
all these rendered him the most extraord-
nary person ever beheld. There is some
thing scriptural in the tout ensemble of the
strange physiognomy of this uncouth and
uneartbly figure. No; that as in times OF
old, he plays, as Holy Writ tells us, on
ten-stnnged instrument, on the contrary,
he brings the most powerful, the most won.
derful, and the most heart-rending tones
from one string. HIS name is Paganini; he
is very improvident and very poor. The
D-s, and the lmpressario of the theatre got
up concert for him the other night, which
was well attended, and on which occasion he
electrified the audience. He is native Of
Genoa, and if were judge of violin play
ing would pronounce him the most surpri-
sing performer in the world !"
That Paganini was either innocent of The
charge for which he suffered the incarcera-
tion Colonel Maxwell mentions. or that it
could not be proved against him, may be
reasonably inferred from the fact !ha. he es-
capped the gallies or the executioner. In
Italy, there was then, par excellence, (what.
ever they may be now,) law for the rich.
and another for the poor. As he was without
money, and unable to buy immunity, il is |
to suppose he was entitled to it |
from innocence. A nobleman, with few |
zecchini, was in little danger of the law,