acquainted. One Day the Great Duke fent for him, after he was his Librarian, to ask him whether he could get him a Book that was particularly fcarce. "No, Sir," anfwered Magliabechi, "it is impof"fible; for there is but one in the World; that is "in the Grand Signior's Library at Conftantinople, " and is the feventh Book on the fecond Shelf on "the right Hand as you go in."

Though Magliabechi, must have lived fo fedentary a Life, with such an intense and almost perpetual Application to Books, yet he arrived to a good old Age. He died in the eighty-first Year, on July 14, 1714 [m]. By his Will he left a very fine Library of his own Collection, for the Ufe of the Public, with a Fund to maintain it; and whatever fhould remain over, to the Poor,

He was not an Ecclefiaftic, but chofe never to marry; and was quite negligent, or rather quite flovenly in his Drefs. His Appearance was fuch, as must have been far from engaging the Affection of a Lady, had he addreffed himself to any; and his Face in particular, as appears by the several Representations of him, whether in his Bufts, Medals, Pictures, or Prints, would rather have prejudiced his Sute, than advanced it: He received his Friends, and those who came to confult him in any Points of Literature, in a civil and obliging Manner; though in general

[m] Lavocat; in his Dictionaire Hiftorique Portatif. Art. Magabechi: Probably, from Salvini's Or. Fun, p. 29.

he

he had almost the Air of a Savage, and even affected it; together with a cynical, or contemptuous Smile [n], which fcarce rendered his Look the more agreeable. Salvini himfelf, juft after he has been speaking of his Perfon, cannot help thinking of the [] Satyrs that Socrates was compared to of old.

In his Manner of living, he affected the Character of Diogenes; three hard Eggs, and a Draught or two of Water, was his ufual Repaft. When any went to fee him, they most usually found him lolling in a fort of fixed wooden Cradle, in the Middle of the Study, with a Multitude of Books, fome [p] thrown in Heaps, and other scattered about the Floor, all round him; and this his Cradle, or Bed, was attached to the nearest Piles of Books by a Number of Cobwebs : At their Entrance, he commonly used to call out to them; "Not to hurt his "Spiders!" From this fingle Anecdote we may conclude, that where a great Friend of his commends him for his "gentilleza [9];" it must be understood, of his Obligingness in anfwering any Questions that were put to him in literary Affairs; not of the Genteelnels of his Perfon and Behaviour in general.

[z] Or. Fun. p. 13.

[o] Ibid. p. 18.

[P] He used fometimes to loll and fleep upon Piles of them : Cui litto erano i libri," fays Salvini, «e fopra effi, ('chi 'l "crederà) ripofava." Or. Fun. p. 27.

[9] "Appreffo l' incomparabile, e per fapera e per gentillezza, « Antonio Magliabeebi." Crefc, T. iii. p. 207.

Magliabechi

Magliabechi was early made a Member of the ARCADI; a Society established at Rome, toward the End of the laft Century, for the Revival of true Tafte, in Poetry, Eloquence, and the polite Arts. Most of the eminent People all over Italy, and many of other Countries, are enrolled in it; and though of so much later Date than many of the other Academies in Italy, there is fcarce any one of them, perhaps, that can boaft the Names of fo many Kings and Princes, or Popes and Cardinals, as appear in their Lift. Their Affemblies and Games have [r] for many Years been kept in a Theatre built on purpose for them in the Gardens, now belonging to the King of Naples, on the Palatine-hill in Rome. It is here too that they have used, almost ever fince their Inftitution, to set up memo rial Infcriptions to fome of the most worthy of their Members. There is one to Magliabechi, in the fourth Year of the fixth hundred and twenty-fifth. Olympiad, for they have revived that ancient way of Reckoning, in which he is ftiled; "Their "Counsellor, or Oracle, in all Sorts of Learn"ing [s].

Crecembeni, the great Promoter and Soul of this Society for fo many Years, and [t] Prefident of it. [u] from its firft Establishment, to the End of his own Life, has given the World a fuller Account of

[] Ever fince the Year 1726.

[] OMNIGENAE ERUDITIONIS CONSULTO.

[t] Cuftode.

[u] From 1690, to 1728.

thefe

thefe Arcadians, than is any where else to be met with, in his Hiftory of Italian Poetry. He was a particular [x] Friend of Magliabechi; with whom he got acquainted, when he was obliged to go into Tuscany for his Health. He speaks of him frequently in his Hiftory just mentioned, and never without fome Encomium. It is fufficient, I think, to fay here, that among fo many, and fo various Commendations, the lowest Title which he ever gives him, is that of " the Eminent Magliabechi [y]."

Moreri [] fays, "that he was famous all over "Europe, for his great Knowledge in Books, and "in literary History:" And Lavocat [z], "That "he was confulted by all the Learned in Europe "and highly commended by them all." And the above-cited Crecembeni confirms what is faid by both of them; and adds [a] That as he cannot find out ⚫any Commendation proportioned to his immense • Erudition, after so many that have been bestowed < upon him by the most learned Perfons of his Times, he fhould choose to repeat that of one of the most eminent among them, Cardinal Noris,

[x] Crecembeni was at Florence in 1699, where he got acquainted with Buonarroti, Salvini, Accolti, and Averani; "Uomini tutti," says my Author," e per chiara fama, e per eccellenza di dottrina, "molto illuftri; e fopra ogni altro, da Antonio Magliabechi." Man curti.

[y[“ Dall infigne Antonio Magliabechi.” T. iii. p. 44. The other generally runs thus: "Eruditiffimo." T. i. p. 201. « Ill "digniffimo," T. vi. 105.—“ ill celebratiffimo." T. ii. p. 410." l'incomparabile." T. iv. p. 26. [x] See his Article in their Dictionaries. [a] Iftoria dalla Volgàr Poesa, T. i. p. 187.

2

• who

who in one of his Works calls him [b],'" The "most learned Man, and the most applauded in "all Nations of the World, which are not inha"bited by Barbarians."

Salvini made his funeral Oration, in the Florentine Academy; by which Magliabechi had been chofen for their Secretary annually, for several Years [] before his Death: And even in the Midst of that Affembly of fo many learned and eminent Men, calls him [d], "The principal "Ornament of his Country." The whole Speech confifts of Compliments to his Merits, or Excufes for what might feem amifs in him; and in the Course of it, he gives him the Titles of "The

great Magliabechi! [e]"--" The univerfal “Library [ƒ];"--" A Prodigy of Learning! "[g]"--and fome others, which may perhaps found better it Italian, then they would in English.

Thus lived and thus died Magliabechi, in the midst of the public Applaufe; and with fuch an Affluence, for all the latter Part of his Life, as very few Perfons have ever procured by their Knowledge or Learning.

[6] "Eruditiffimum, et ubique non barbararum gentium laudatis"fimum virum."

[c] Or. Fun, p. 26.

[f] P. 17.

[d] Ibid. p. 4.

[e] Ibid. p. 5.

[g] p. 23.

THE