In the Manner of PLUTARCH:

Between a most celebrated

Man of FLORENCE;

And ONE, fcarce ever heard of, in

ENGL A N D.

By the Reverend Mr. SPENCE.

--Parvis componere magna.--VIRGIL.

First Printed in the Year 1757

VOL. II.

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THE

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THE

LIFE

O F

SIGNR MAGLIA BECHI.

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MONG the Number of eminent Men, which the City of Florence has produced fince the Revival of Literature, one of the most extraordinary, and of the most celebrated in his Time, was Antonio Magliabechi, And indeed there are fuch uncommon Things afferted of him, and fo far exceeding the Bounds of Probability, as may feem to require fome Apology even for repeating them; it may therefore not be improper to premife, that the chief Authorities on which the following Account of him is founded, are Florentines; that the Italians in general, and the Florentines in particular, delight in a higher and larger way of Speaking than is usual among us; that they deal much in Superlatives; and that their Superlative, like that in the Latin Language from whence it is derived, fignifies, very much; as

well as the Moft: That whatever I have quoted from Books, is, in general, very punctually referred to in the Notes, and often, the very Words of the Authors inferted; and that whatever is not fo authorized, is what I have learned, in Converfation with Gentlemen of the City of Florence, who were perfonally acquainted with Magliabechi, Men of Learning and Reputation, and of very good Credit, both for Knowledge and Veracity. Thus affifted, I have undertaken to give fome Account of this extraordinary, and fo much admired Man.

Magliabechi was born at Florence, on the 29th of October [a], in the Year 1633. His Parents were of fo low and mean a Rank, that they were very well fatisfied when they had got him into the Service of a Man who fold Herbs and Fruit. He had never learned to read; and yet he was perpetually poring over the Leaves of old Books, that were used as wafte Paper in his Master's Shop. A Bookfeller, who lived in the Neighbourhood, and who had often, obferved this, and knew the Boy could not read, asked him one Day, "What he meaned "by flaring fo much on printed Paper ?" He said, "That he did not know how it was, but that he

loved it of all Things; that he was very uneasy "in the Bufinefs he was in, and fhould be the "happiest Creature in the World, if he could live "with him, who had always fo many Books about

[4] From this Article in Moreri's Dictionary. Viceron, in his Memoires paur fervir à l' Hiftoire des Hommes Illuftres, fays, it was on she 28th.

“ him.”

"him." The Bookfeller was aftonished, and yet pleased with his Anfwer; and at laft told him, that he fhould not be difinclined to take him into his Shop, if his Mafter would be willing to part with him. Young Magliabechi thanked him with Tears of Joy in his Eyes; and his Happiness was highly encreafed, when his Mafter, on the Bookfeller's Defire, gave him Leave to go where he pleased. He went therefore directly to his new and much-defired Bufinefs [b]; and had not been long in it, before he could find out any Book that was afked for, as ready as the Bookfeller could himself. Some time after this, he learned to read, and as foon as he had, he was always [c] reading when he could.

He feems never to have applied himself to any particular Study. A Paffion for Reading was his ruling Paffion; and prodigious Memory his great Talent. He read every Book almoft indifferently, as they happened to come into his Hands. He read them with a furprizing Quickness, and yet retained not only the Senfe of what he read, but

[b] This Account I had from a Gentleman of Florence, who was very well acquainted with Magliabechi and his Family. There are other Accounts very different from this. Salvini says, that he was at first in an honourable, but not literary Employ: And Father Niceron, that he was Apprentice to a Goldfmith. I do not pretend to determine, which of the three Accounts are the truest.

[c] "Ne' Libri, che effer dovenano di tutto il fuo vivere compagni infeparibili; ne' Libri, uniche delizie, unici fuoi amori, f' intrat❝ teneva." Salvini, Orat. Fum. p. 7. And he fpeaks of his "Virtuofa Bramafa di fempre legere," juft after; and confirms these Paffages in feveral other Places. See Pages 9, 11, 22, and 27; ibid.

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