Imagination will pine and fade away; and if a third
was to employ his Memory only, which I fear was
too far the Cafe of Magliabechi, his Judgment, by
being neglected, would grow weak and powerless.
This, by the way, has made me fo often wonder
at the Practice that prevails in most of our Schools;
in fome of which the Masters exercise the Memory
of their Boys almoft perpetually, and scarce ever
find out any Employ for their Judgments:
Of which ftrange Mistake; I have heard that great
Genius and Poet frequently complain, who fays for
happily, as he did every thing, in one of his
Poems;

As on the Land, while here the Ocean gains,
In other Parts it leaves wide fandy Plains;
Thus in the Soul while Memory prevails,
The folid Power of Understanding fails;
Where Beams of warm Imagination play,
The Memory's foft Figures melt away [f].

That it was thus in a great Measure with Maglia
bechi, his own Admirers are not unapt to acknow-
ledge. One of whom gave me his Character in
these Words; "That he was a Man of no Ge-
"nius, and an infinite Memory:" And another
afferts, "That he could not talk on any Subject,

as other learned Men ufually do; fo that it << was a common Saying of him in his own Time;

that he was a learned Man among the Book"fellers, and a Bookfeller among the learned."

However, this muft ftill be allowed him that he had forted Things, which is a Part of Judgment, as well as remembered them, from his giving his Anfwer fo readily to all who came to confult him on fo many various Subjects. Yet after all, his Knowledge in general was only litterary Knowledge; and his Mind was only, as it was called, a univerfal Index of Titles and Matter: And if one could suppose a Mind annexed to the Catalogue of the Bodleian Library, for Inftance, in the whimfical Manner Dr. Swift has done in his Battle of the Books, which fhould have an Idea of all the Words and Subjects in the fame Order as they are there arranged; it would, perhaps, be but too like to the Mind of Signor Magliabechi.

To come to the Points in which they are unlike, as well as thofe in which they agree, [Which is Plutarch's usual way too] the Faculties of Mr. Hill's Mind are not fo much abforpt in that fingle one of Memory, as Magliabechi's were: Nor was his Mind fo undistinguishing in its Pursuits. Magliabechi seems to have had no Taste for any one Science more than another [9]; whereas Mr. Hill's first Aim was, the getting of Languages; and his mòft favorite Study fince, has been critical Learning, the

[9] This is what is generally said of him; and Salvini himself fays fo; "Non era legato ad alcuna forte di ftudi, in particulare." But then he immediately adds, in a parenthesis; " Se non voleffimo "dire delle cognizione della lingua fanto, e delle controverfie Eccle

fiaftiche le quali egli fapeva profondamente." Or. Fun. p. 14. If the latter was really the Cafe, how much would it strengthen the Parallel between him and Mr. Hill?

VOL. II.

A a

under

understanding his Bible, and his Religion. In short, I really begin to fufpect, that he is fitter to be a Clergyman, than a Taylor.

Hill feems to have been the better Citizen, in marrying three times; and Magliabechi, perhaps, was the wifer Student, in not marrying at all.

Hill has the greater Merit too, in undergoing fo much Labour and fuch Fatigues, with a very weakly Conftitution; whereas, Magliabechi's muft have been a very strong one [r].

In Reputation, there is no Comparison to be made between them: Magliabechi's was spread all over Europe in his life Time; or rather if we may believe Cardinal Norris, all over the World: And Hill's has little to do out of Buckingham, and a Circle of fcare ten Miles round it; and even there he is not much known, except perhaps to about half a dozen Clergymen and Gentlemen, who are glad to see him; and give him fome Encouragement, now, and then, to go on with his Studies.

When fome of the Authors above cited speak of Magliabechi's Civility and Humanity, it must be, as has been obferved before, only meaned of his Readiness in answering the Questions releating to

[r] "Non lasciando paffare alcum minuzzole di tempo, che egli "no'l virtuofamente impiegaffe: Al che fare molto gli conferi la fua vita fobria, e la compleffione robufta." Salvini ; Or Fun. p. "Robufto, indefeffo." Ib. p. 27.

17.

2

Learning,

Learning, that were fo often put to him. By his being compared fometimes to Diogenes, one fhould be apt to think that he was rather Churlish, than Polite or Humane. In his general Turn, from what his great Encomiaft fays of him, we may conclude that he was not apt to fhew any lively Emotions [s], either of Compaffion for the Sufferings, or of Joy on the Happiness of his Fellow-Creatures. Hill has very quick Feelings for both: And I obferved in particular, that he had that Tenderness of Heart, which I fhould imagine to be one of the greatest. Pleafures, that People of the moft generous Minds are the most capble of; and which, perhaps, is one of the finest Senfations allowed us, on this Side of Heaven. I was telling him one Day of the fudden Happiness of the famous Monfieur Pafcal's Father, on difcovering what a wonderful Progrefs his Son had made in the Study of Geometry, without the Help either of Books, or any Master: On turning to him, I faw his Eyes were flooded; the Tears, at laft, ftreamed down his Cheeks, and he could not for fome Moments recover his Voice enough to express the Joy he felt on fo happy a Surprize, to fo good a Father.

I am very forry that there is ftill one Point remaining, in which Hill is as much unlike Magliabechi as in any of the preceding. Magliabechi lived and died, as has been already faid, in very great

[s] He fays he was, "Sciolto da tutte qualitati umane; tutto dato, "deftinato, dedicato, e per dir così, confacrato alle lettere, a i libri." er. Fun. p. 12.

A a 2

Affluence ;

Affluence; he abounded in Money, and his Expences were very fmall, except for Books; which he regarded as his trueft Treafure: Whereas poor Mr. Hill has generally lived in Want, and lately more than ever. The very high Price even of the most neceflary Provifions for this and the last Year, have not only made it often difficult for him to provide Bread for himself and his Family; but have in Part ftopt up even the Sources for it, in leffening his Bufinefs. Buckingham is no rich Place at beft; and even there his Bufinefs lies chiefly among the lower Sort of People; and when these are not able to purchase the Food that is neceffary. for them, they cannot think of buying new Cloaths. This has reduced him fo very low, that I have been informed, that he has paft many and many whole Days in this and the former Year, without tasting any thing but Water and Tobacco. He has a Wife and four fmall Children, the eldest of them not above eight Years old: And what Bread they could get, he often fpared from his own Hunger, to help towards fatisfying theirs. People that live always at their Eafe, do not know, and can scarce conceive the Difficulties our Poor have been forced to undergo in thefe late hard Times. He himself affured me, upon my mentioning this Particular to him, that it was too true; "But, alas !" added he, it is not only my Cafe, but has been that of "hundreds in the Town and Neighbourhood of “Buckingham, in the laft, and for the former Part se of this Year; and I fear, we must make many

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