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he had almoft the Air of a Savage, and even affected it; together with a cynical, or contemptuous Smile [n], which scarce rendered his Look the more agreeable. Salvini himself, juft after he has been fpeaking 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 Repast. When any went to fee him, they most ufually found him lolling in a fort of fixed wooden Cradle, in the Middle of his Study, with a Multitude of Books, fome [p] thrown in Heaps, and others fcattered about the Floor, all round him; and this his Cradle, or Bed, was attached to the neareft 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 [q];" it must be understood, of his Obligingnefs in anfwering any Queftions that were put to him in litterary Affairs; and not of the Genteelness of his Perfon or Behaviour in general.

[n] Or. Fun. p. 13.

[] Ibid. p. 18.

[p] He used fometimes to loll and fleep upon Piles of them : "Cui "litto erano i libri," fays Salvini, 66 e fopra effi, (chi 'l crederà ?) "ripofava." Or. Fun. p. 27.

[9] “ Appresso l' incomparabile, e per fapere e per gentillezza, "Antonio Magliabechi,” 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 last 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 fo 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 Purpofe for them in the Gardens, now belonging to the King of Naples, on the Palatinehill in Rome. It is here too that they have used, almoft ever fince their Inftitution, to fet up memorial Infcriptions to fome of the moft worthy of their Members. There is one to Magliabechi, in the fourth Year of the fix hundred and twenty-fifth Olympiad, for they have revived that antient way of Reckoning, in which he is filed; " "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 [] 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.

[s] OMNIGENAE ERUDITIONIS CONSULTO.

[t] Cuftode.

[] From 1690, to 1728.

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these 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 fpeaks of him frequently in his History juft mentioned, and never without fome Encomium. It is fufficient, I think, to say 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 [z] fays, "That he was famous all over "Europe, for his great Knowledge in Books, and in litterary 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 fo many that have been bestowed upon him by the moft learned Perfons of his Times, he should chufe to repeat that of one of the most eminent among them, Cardinal Norris,

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[x] Crecembeni was at Florence in 1699, where he got acquainted with Buonarroti, Salvini, Accolti, and Averani; “ Uomini tutti,” says 86 my Author, e per chiara fama, e per eccellenza di dottrina, molto illuftri; e fopra ogni altro, da Antonio Magliabechi." Mancurti.

The

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[y] "Dall infigne Antonio Magliabechi." T. iii. p. 44. other generally runs thus: "Eruditiffimo." T. i. p. 201. "digniffimo." T. iv. 105.- "ill celebratiffimo." T. ii. p. 410. "l'incomparabile." T. iv. p. 26.

[x] See his Article in their Dictionaries.
[a] Iftoria della Volgàr Poefa. T. i, p. 187.

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

Salvini made his funeral Oration, in the Florentine Academy; by which Magliabechi had been chofen for their Secretary annually, for feveral Years [c] before his Death: And even in the Midft 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 Excuses 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 [f]"—" A prodigy of Learning! "[g]”—and fome others, which may perhaps found better in Italian, than they would in English.

Thus lived and died Magliabechi, in the midft 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.

[b]"Eruditiffimum, et ubique non barbararum gentium laudatiffimum virum,"

[c] Or. Fun. p. 26.

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[d] Ibid. p. 4•

[e] Ibid. p. 5.

[g] P. 23.

THE

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HILL.

OBERT HILL, Son of Robert and Phabe Hill, was born January 11, 1699, at Miswell, a little Village of only three or four Houses, near Tring in Hertfordshire. His Mother's maiden Name was Clark; the loft her Husband within the Year; returned to her own Family at Miswell; and, about five Years after, was married to Thomas Robinson, a Taylor at Buckingham. On her going thither, fhe left our Robert, the only Son of her firft Marriage, with his Grand-mother at Miswell; who taught him to read, and fent him to School for seven or eight Weeks to learn to write; which was all the Schooling he ever had. In the Year 1710, the removed with her Family from Miswell to Tring-grove; where little Robert was employed in driving the Plough, and other Country Bufinefs, for his Uncle. But they finding this rather too much

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