The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-03-18
languages; at 20, twenty; at 22 he passed
Into the land of the great departed,
Into the silent land

languages; at 20, twenty; at 22 he passed
Into the land of the great departed,
Into the silent land.
He undertook, in his thesis before the
University of Paris, to dispute in any of
twelve languages-Hebrew, Syriac, Ara
bic, Greek, Latin, Spanish, Italian,
French, English, German, Flemish and
Slavonic. Whatever exaggeration may
be in the accounts concerning him, this
thesis shows that he did not fear the
test i'll many languages.
Ireland had, and still has, some lin
guist OF high repute. In Donegal in
1869, was born James Junius-who after
wards assumed the name OF Toland. His
name is associated with Deism, into
which he fell; as linguist, he was con-
versant with more than ten languages.
speaking many of them with great ease.
flourished about hundred years ago,
has gained merited renown as an Ori-
entalist. In his time, also, citizen of
Dublin, William Marsden, distinguished
himself considerably. DR.. Adam Clarke,
distinguished among dissenting divines,
and one who knew several tongues, was
another Irishman, being born at Mag
lerafelt, county Derry. Matching Admir-
able Crichton was "Donal ma Creme" Or
Donal 'of the Sum-" his universal ac-
complisfments are sung by bard in
Irish. He led the fashions, and sllone as
host, doctor, peace-maker, head ad-breaker,
swimmer, goal-player, shoemaker. black
smith, tailor, weaver, potter, glazier, boat
builder, and saddler. So the song as
serts. and concludes:
All airs, pure or garbled, that ever was
warbled
By harpers or singers, :
He had on his fingers;
Greek, Erse, English, Latin, all these he
was pat in,
And what you might term all
O'erwhelmer in German!
Cardinal NIezzofanti's is name which
must be regarded as the crowning glory
among names OF celebrated linguists. He
was born at Bologna, in IVA. His father
was a carpenter His education was as
carefully attended to as it was possible
under the circumstances. The young
Mezzofanti had the good fortune to meet
with a school in which were several men,
bers OF the suppressed order of the Jes-
,,its who had been missionaries, and thus
had among them the means OF imparting
to him the rich fruits OF their linguistic
experience.
Cardinal Mezzofanti was particularly
distinguished from the common run OF
linguists, by the correctness and huency
witt, which he spoke languages, and even
dialects He not only knew, for instance,
the English tongue, and spoke it with
the ease of native. but with Lowland
Scotch. and the dialects of Somerset
shire. Yorkshire, and Lancashire, he was
equally conversant. II, on one occa-
sion," writes an English gentleman,
"wlen going to the Vatican library to
visit MeZzofanti, took with me an Eng
lisl family who were most desirous of
being introduced to him. Mezzofanti
demonstrated good with me
for bringing people to see him, as il lie
were worthy of being visited, but he re-
ceived our party with his habitual polite
ness. The gentleman whom | intro
duced begged as a favor that he would
tell him how many languages he could
speak. I have heard many different ac-
counts he said, but will you tell me
yourself?
after some hesitation. Mezzofanti an
swered, We'll, if you must know, speak
iorty-fve languages He then begged
us to excuse him, and called one Of St The
Librarians to show lis the principal curl
1Si1iS' ~ YIN AAOA oAJ. VII SoA ASluiH VIC
found him seated with young German
artist, who, he told us, was going to
Constantinople. 4 am teaching him
Turkish before he goes he continued,
and as he speaks modern Greek very
well, use that language as the means OF
my instruction. had the honor Of Civ
ing some lessons on modern Greek to
your poet. Lord Byron, when he was in
Bologna
Byron has written OF him thus: "In
general I do not draw we'll with literary
men He then excepts, Scott. Moore.
Shelly, and continues, as to others: Il
don't remember nlan amongst them
whom ever wished to see twice, except,
perhaps, Mezzofanti. who is monster
OF languages. the Briareus OF parts of
speech, walking polyglot and more
who ought to have existed at time OF the
Tower OF Babel as universal interpreter.
He is indeed marve-unassuming
also" Hc says he tried him in all the
tongues i'll which he knew single ex-
clamation, "and, egad! he astonished me
even to my English"