, 1870-08-14
TO arms! to armAt ye brave, dc.
4 LITERARY GLUTTON.


FINN Al tn lf1t la9nnd.
"Of making many books there Ia no end,
Thus epoke solomon the Wee more than
twenty-eight centuries ago, when books were
comparatively rare, and learning confined to =
nHrxow class. What would he haye easd had
he lived in-Florence during the seventeenth
century, when literature was plentiful, aud
flou1ished. Of whom We read 'atel. (though
where We cannot call to n,ind). "Msgliabechi,
that most rational OF bibliomauee, for he rend
everything ha boughts" When we are iu-
formed that this mans library consisted Of
upsard OF one hundred and forty thousand
printed books snd pamphlets, and ten thou
txnd manuscripts. we Ars, indead. awe-
struck; and tue more 20 ss ~e arc also told
that tits marvel not only rcxd, bat, what is
more wonderful still, remembered. His
power OF mental retention must have been
truly astounding. Jnnumezable auecdotee are
told about his msnor., not fsw Of which
Thus, it il related Of him that he could not
only quote At pleasuru entire pasaagea but
could tell from what page Of specified edl-
graph, it was e1eerpted, the dste and plsee Of
publication publisher. printer, eize, and num-
ber Of editions. It wAs NOT without 61eat
ruth that Paier Angelo Finardi anAg1am-
matised his name, Antonius MAgliAbechi, into
sis unus bihliotheca magma"
lfn1nfneo As Aa staIa " u4Aok1aAAo1 tAon'
necessarily hare been. he never wrote
line himself, Jet, Notwithstanding. tho fe~
public Of letters owes much to him. II
vas through his mediation that eot1e vaiu~
able tooEa we're republished and amended
and tho origin Of several contemporary
D:IsrseIi saya that Mag1iabechi ought to hAye
composed the Curiosities Of Literature.
Nor did be selfshly keep his vast knowledge
to h.niaelf. He Vas always roady to I'D 9th
ers in tho requirement Of learning, aud his
willingness and a1nianility in such matters
sittauce was called in reputation; he VAS
encyclopedias, and lie vas never known to re-
fuse aid to an applicant It his store.
hoase Of e1uditiou.. The Treasures
Of bis library, and later that ;,S Of ne
entrusted to him. we're At the disposal ot
tyerr sea,che1 after knowladga- The only
| condition he imposed upon iuquircrs VIA, thai
! they should not diaturb him during The honr@
| at iha day when he v1s busy 1t work. In tho
evening his doors, which lie hid kept jealousy
and ho Was ready to meet .lueEists- But u
order that he might not be nse'essly KEPT
| from. bis books. he had had hole made in hia
door, through which ha could observe all ap
| preaching visitors, and il he did not choose
10 zee them, he would refuse admittance, :,
l t1f4 lI6 wa Al uAGSCAlAAA VNV- 0NAe
,auEbt, be raised himself from the rank
entirely by his own e1ertiont. His father
name wse NaE1iabechi. or del MaglIabecco. 81
called from little place in the NuSeus,
F1orentine territory, He died early, 1eavloi
his ecu to the care Of his mother, who cause
then, changing her determination ~ 10 hls It
tu1e, brought him to the workshop Of Con-
pariri, one OF the best Florentine gold ldstnith:
where che hound him "a an apprentice. a1tt
he had received elementary drawing LESSOR
from the painter Iiosseli. Hating his enforce
ments to literary pursuits, md his spar
money to tho purchase Of boeae. which
read on the sis, greatly to the disple4sure I
his mother, who looked on this u ~ast
Of time. 4 priest, named Andrea Tosi, use
often to come into the gol1suiths shop, y
struck By his quick replies and erident po*'
Of compfthending znd absorbing what he reA
oheerrfug a1eo that AAgliabechi cared moi
for books than for his own profession, he e.
couraKed him to study, and assured him tn
! he would learn Latin and sul the saenc'
speedily
Edwards (Memoira Of Lbrasies) gires
: different account Of AagliAbechfe origin, =
, leging him to lAye been GerT1nt 10 deal
in vegetables, theory also taken up, by
| seph spence, who asserted that he had :
ceived his information from 4 Fioientine vi
: had known gsstiabechi's family intinatel
, But since Fadroni and the CheE,ler FE.nes
d Of MaSIiabechi, give. the other sccouns,
= seems probable that their vezsiop should
q moro eo<1ect ttl1ts mere hearsaE one.
il On the death Of bis mother, when he
+ 10 years old, Nagdabechi thze* up !
r occupation Of lewener. ana ae'oi
ID inclination. Michael Ermini. st that I'll
It lihr.ran to the Grand Duke Of Tuscany,
in | sisted him greatly ultimately he became
It SUCCESSION IN that eminent post Cosmo
ot Third was then Prince OF Tuscany. He
n ordered Maru,i, one Of his favot1tes, 20 hs1
D. his palace. 70 as 10 be near his sittiug-Toor
III and il was then th4t NAgliAbechi WAS first
be sbltd to display his vast knowledge Of lite
d, tuye, and in course OF time obtained tne
sy Of lt4ar1an. This rise in the socisl scale
et not alter hls prescribed eou:se oi me- ne J
slvnys been. He always wore garment
II dropped from him, nor would be ON any
ronnt und,ets for his nights rest, consider
49, this cheer v1ate Of time, life being 50 sh
~ and books 20 plentiful For This feas
- aleo, be fought agzinst eleep until it conqu
Is ed him. and even when It dld 60. ne "oula
~ lav himself on his bed. but, spreading Al
- rnr oyer sny books that were on the fl
" vonld stretch himseN upon them. onl.
=. | it were yerv cold he would throw huns
~" ~, completely dressed. into bis unnido !
~ ~ Thich wss filed full OF books, tai
~ tasm Of eosls with him. Several times
- - these means he caused ire to break I
r. which VIA, however. fortunately qucnehed
- The other inmates Of the houee. In his ST.
10 instead Of etove, he habltual}y eHplo
10 this little basin Of cosls, which he would 80
nc ti1ues attach to his elbows, and WAS 50 abt
.n5 that his elothes, and even hls face and hs1
nd we're often ecorched without his beeou
ies aware Of it. His manner Of living was
~ femely simple, and 20 irregular that i
NJ astonishing he ahoald have hEed to An
.or yapced ice. He subaisted almost
net net ti1ely on esGs, bfead, and water he h.
ns. good wine, but p.stook Of hftie'
III never Of any iced drinks. Quo q
~ peculiasities Was, that he alWaEs kcp! n,st
the closely covered, and, In truth, nis Tnosa Z
scnal appearance vzs such that the xith n
s5n Duke ras aluoet forced to dssPense 49, n
.nd appearance 1T court, state o. .. ts.n9 9faa,;
=, +rtireIY accorded with Aag!iaeeens seel =
~ uhn would h.se considered attenoanse q .
rs nt.., ~ Isle nj time. Indeed. Costno htd
io eoueide.afion for his iotaH1us essasi.s. ' ;sa
~ th.t he alv1ys wrote his orders 70 MN lna
ne ne - h.T;nc theu, conveyed bg Word ot mo
!is ..i so thst tRe learned man might be lass
,nn- tufbed. =, -: ..,,,.
~, ~ ,nr;ties. was The Hndest and t1uest Of tie
y. A.