Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-02-05
Mliefelloneolls.
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EAouig4Cue Mem Jry.


low and mean a rank. that they we're well salts.
he when they had got hun into tn. service of
man who sold green's. lie had never le etrned to
read and yet he was perpptuaIy poring over
hs leaves of old books, that we're used at wosie
paper in his masters shop.
bookseller who lived in the neiphborhood
and who had often OBJ served this, and knew the
hoy could not read, asked him what he meant
by looking so much at the printed paper. He
SAID that he did not know how 1t was, but that
he loved it of all things that he was verv unea-
~ in the business he was in, and should be the
hnpplest creature in the world if he could live
with him. who had always so many books about
hun. The BOOKSELLER WAS pleased with his an.
swer, and at last told him, that # his master was
willing 10 part with him, h. wonl take him.
Young Maglabechi was high delighted, and
the more ST. when hi master at The booksellers
request gave him leave to 90. He went there
fore, dir ctlv 10 his new and much desired bust
ness. an md not been long in it before he
! """ "'" any "onh 'nht was asked Tor as reHdl.
ly as the bookseller hlulscf Some time after
this he learned tnread. aud from this time forth.
whenever he could find monuments leisure he
was found with book in his hand
tie seems never To have applied himself to
any particular study. An inclination for read
ing was his ruling passion, and prodoirus
me nory h's great talent. He read every book
ahno7' ndlfrrently, as they happened to come
into his hands, and with surprising quickuess and
retained not only he sense, but often all the
words and The very manner of spelling.
His extraordinary application and taenls soon
recommended him TO Ermn, librarian To the
Cardinal OF Medics, and Marmi, the great
dukes librarian. lie was then introduce d into
The conversations of the learned, and made
known at conrt and he began to be Looked up-
on everywhere as prodi y, particularly for vast
and unbounded memory.
1t is said that there was trio made of The
force OF his memory, which if true, is very
amazing. A gentleman Of Florence, who had
written piece which was 10 be pri nted, len: the
manuscript to Mallabechl, and some time after
1t had been returned, went to him with a meIan-
choly face, and pretended to have met with a
most unhappy accident, by whlcr, lie said, he
had lost his manuscript.
The author seemed almost lnconsolable with
the loss OF his work, and entreated Ma yabechi
10 recollect as much OF II as he possibly could,
aud write it down. Maliabechi assured him
that he would, and, Oh setting about it, wrote
down the whole manuscript without missing
word.
by treasuring up every thing he read in so
strange manner, or at least the subject and oil
the principal parts Of the book he ran over. his
head became, at last, as one Of his acquainten
ces expressed himself, a universal index, both
OF titles and matter"
BY this time Maliabech was grown so ia.
nous tol tn vast ext Mt Of his reading. and ljs
amazing retention Of what he read, that it be-
gan t" grow common auoug the learned to con-
sui him when they we're writing on any sub,
ject. Thus, for instance, il priest was com
posing panegyrlc on prrtIcuIar saint, Malta.
bech would on his applying TO hun, inform hun
what writers had spoken favoably OF the saint,
and in what part OF their works the commenda-
tions were 10 be tound in some cases the mum.
Der of above one hundred authors. He wou,d
tell him rot only who had treated on his subject
expressly, hut also who had only touched upon
incidentally, in writing upon ether subjects !;
both Of VIII, b he did with great exsctness. nam.
ing the author, the book, the words, and often
the very number of the p1ge IN which they
were inserted. lie did this so often, 80 readily,
and s0 exactly, that he came at last to be looked
upon as almost an oracle.
LrlIerly he read the title pages only; then
dipped here and there into the prrflce, dedca
ton, and advertisements # there were any; and
then cast his eyes on each of the divisions and
different sections of chlpters of the book :;
and thus lie conceived The malter almost as
completely as If he had read at Inll length.
Mumbec5i had l,cal me nory. too, OF the
places where every bnok stooi; as in his mas.
er's shop at fist. aud IN the Pitt, and several
other Iihlaries afterwards; aud seems to nave
carried this even further than to the collection
Of books with which he was personally acquan.
ted. One day The great duke sent for him, after
he was his librarian, to ask him if he cond pro-
cure for hun book that WIS particularly scarce
No, sir" answered Maglabechi, "it is impos
slble; for there is but one in the world that is
in the grand selgni"r's library at Constantiope,
and is the seventh book, ON the seventh shell
on the right hand side as you go m."
Although Maglinb, chi lived so sedantary q
lite, and studied so intensely, he arrived to 4
gnod old age. He died in his eighty first year
on July IA. l7l4. By his will he left verv
fine library, of his own collection, for the use
the public, with fund to maintain it; and th
surplus, if any, to be given to The poor.
lie was not an eclesastic, but chose never L
marry and was neg ggent, even 10 slovenli
ness, in his dress. His appearance was sue
as must have been far from engaging the a6ec
rons of lady; and his face, in particular
Judging from The representations in busts, med
ais, and portraits, would have rather prejudice
his suit than advanced il. He received hi
friends, and those who came to consult him o
my points Of literature, in a civil and obgin
manner; although, in general, he had oImot
the air of savage, and even affected it.
n In tn" manner "t living he affected the cha
!. acter OF Diogenes; three hard eggs, and
dnught or two Of water, were his more usut
repast. When any one went to see him,
was lo1nd lollmg in sort of fixed wooden or,
"a de IN the middle of his study, with multItut
!" OF Oooks-some thrown into heaps, and othe
W scattered about the flnor--al around him !. n,