The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-01-15
MAGLIABECHrs pRoDIGIoUs MEMORY

Magliabechi was born at Florence, on the
low and mean rank, that they were well sat
isfed when they had got him into the service
of man who sold greens. He had never
learned to read, and yet he was perpetually
porting over the leaves Of old books that were
used as waste paper in his masters shop.
A bookseller who lived in the neighborhood,
and who had often observed this, and knew the
boy could not read, asked him what he meant
by looking 50 much at the printed paper. He
said that he did not know how it was, but that
he loved it of all things that he was very I'M
easy in the business he was in, and should be
the happiest creature in the world, if he could
live with him, who had always so many books
about him. The bookseller was pleased with
his answer, and at last told him that, if his
master was willing to part with him, he would
take him.
Young Magliabechi was highly delighted,
and the more SO when his master, at the book
sellers request gave him leave 10 60 He
went, therefore, directly to his new and much
desired business, and had not been long in it,
before he could find any book that was asked
for as readily as the bookseller himself Some
time after this he learned to read, and from
this this time forth, whenever he could find a
moments leisure, he was found with book in
his hand.
He seems never to have applied himself to
any particular study. An inclination for read
ing was his ruling passion, and prodigious
memory his great talent He read every book
almost indifferently, as they happened to come
into his hands and that with surprising
quickness, and yet retained not only the sense,
but often all the words, and the very manner
of spelling.
His extraordinary application and talents
sptn MID -. s5sdiE. Z Ea-2--,, -, ,yI.-.
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Dukes librarian. He was by them introduced
into the conversations of the learned, and made
known at Court and he began to be looked
upon everywhere as a prodigy PARTICULAR y for
vast and unbOunded memory
II is said that there was a trial made of the
force of his memory, which, if true, is very
amazing. A gentleman of Florence, who had
written a piece which was to be printed lent
the manuscript to Magliabechi, and some time
after it had been returned, went to him, with
melancholy face, and pretended to have met
with most unhappy accident, by which he
said, he had lost bis manuscript. The author
work. and entreated Magliabechi to try to rec
ollect as much Of it as he possibly could, and
write it down. Magliabechi assured him he
would, and, on setting about it, wrote down the
whole manuscript, without missing word
By treasuring up everything he read in so
strange manner or at least the subject and
all the principal parts of the books he ran over,
his head became, at last, as one of his acquaint-
anees expressed himself "a universal index
both of titles and matter"
By this time Maglabechi was grown so ia
nous for the vast extent of his reading and his
amazing retention of what he read, that it be-
gan to grow common among the learned to
consult him when they were writing on any
subject Thus for instance, if a priest was
composing panegyric on particular saint,
Maghabechi would, on his applying to him. in
form him what writer's had spoken fayorably
of the saint, and in what part of their works
the Communications were to be found--ln some
cases to the number of above one hundred au-
thors He would tell him not only who had
treated of his subject expressly, but also who
had only touched upon it accidentally, in wri-
ting upon other subjects; both which he did
with the greatest exactness naming the author,
the book, the words, and often the very number
of the pages in which they We're inserted. He
did this often, readily, and so exactly, that
he came at last to be looked upon almost as an
oracle.
- Latterly, he read the title-pages only; then
dipped here and there into the preface, dedica-
ton, and advertisements if there were any, and
then cast his eyes ON each of the divisions and
different sections chapters Of the book and
thus he conceived the matter almost as CON-
pletely as if he had read it at full length.
Magliabechi had local memory too, of the
places where every book stood as in his mas
ter's shop at first, and in the Pitt, and several
other libraries, afterwards and seems to have
carried this even farther than to the collection
of books with which he was personally ac-
quainted. One day the great Duke sent for
him, after he was his librarian, to ask him
whether he could procure for him a book that
was particularly scarce. "No, sir" answered
Magliabechi, ait is impossible for there is but
one in the world that is in the Grand Seignor's
library at Constantnople, and is the seventh
book, on the seventh shelf on the right hand
as you 60 in"
Although Magliabechi lived so sedentary
life and studied so intensely, he arrived to
good old age He died in his eighty-irst year,
on July IA, TIA. By his will he left very
fine library, of his own collection, for the use
of the public, with fund to maintain it and
the surplus, if any, to be given to the poor,
He was not an ecclesiastic, but chose never
to marry; and was negligent, even to slovenli-
ness, in his dress. His appearance was such as
must have been far from engaging the affec-
tons of lady; and his face, in particular,
Judging from the representations OF him IN
busts, medals, and portraits, would have rather
prejudiced his snit than advanced it. He re-
ceiyed his friends, and those who came to
consult with him on any points of literature
in civil and obliging manner though, in gen.
eral. he had almost the air of a savage, and
even affected 1t.
In his manner of living he affected the char
acter Of Diogenes; three hard eggs and
draught or two of water were his more usual
repast. When any one went to see him. he
was found lollng in sort of fixed wooden
cradle, in the middle Of his study, with null
titude of books-some thrown in heaps, and
others scattered about the foor-all round
him and this his cradle, or bed, attached to
the nearest pile of books by number Of cob
webs At tho entrance of visitors, he was ac-
customed to call out to them not to hurt his
spiders.
Thus lived and died Maglabech in the
midst of public applause, and with such an af-
uence, for all the latter part Of his life, very
few persons have ever procured by their knowl-
edge or learning
His vast knowledge of books induced Cosmo
Ill to do him the honor of making him his IL
brarian and what,a happiness it must have
been to Magliabech, who delighted in nothing
so much AS reading, to have the command of
such u collection of books as that in the great
Dukes palace, He was also very conversant
with the books in the Lorenzo library, and had
the keeping of those of Leopoldo and Francesca
Maria, the two Cardinals Of Tuscany
And yet even all this did not satisfy his OK
tensiye appetite; for he had read almost all
books, that is, the greatest part of those print
ed before his time, and all in it; for it was
latterly n general custom, not only among au-