DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.34827#0326
310 cn. xvn.
I give only two extracts from the journal of this tom*. The
first is a description of a conversation with the celebrated
linguist, Mezzofanti. The second is an interesting note of
his first thoughts of an Indian history.
'/ygybewbey 16, 1831.—From the Gallery I went to the
University library, and there saw one of the most remarkable
persons I ever met with. This was the celebrated Abbate or
Professore Mezzofanti, of whom I had heard so much. He
spoke to me in very good English, and finding I understood
Persian he addressed me in that language, talked in it for a
long while, and read a good deal of a translation of the Bible in
it, yet he has scarcely ever been out of Bologna, and can scarcely
have had any opportunity of learning the pronunciation, much
less of acquiring the habit of conversation. His pronunciation,
though not perfect, was quite intelligible, and he was in
possession of many of the idioms that are never met with in
writing. He was two months learning Persian with Jones's
Grammar, and has since seen Lumsden's, which he thought
too philosophical in Silvestre de Sacy's way. On my asking
how many languages he spoke, he said, " They say I can speak
forty;" by which I suppose he meant that his knowledge of all
of them was not sufficient to enable him to say he spoke them.
He is forty-five years old, and seems well informed on other
subjects besides languages. In all his forty languages, however,
he could recollect nothing to clear up the date of the ancient
cathedral at San Leone, nor did his references to Muratori,
&c., give him any hints.
' Ahum, Jun-nnr?/ 4, 1832.—On my morning walk I recurred
to the ways in which I might by any possibility employ myself
so as to remove the reproach of utter uselessness. I have before
thought that the only thing I could do would be to write some-
thing ; and, if I could hope for success, I should be delighted with
the undertaking ; but my deficiencies in other subjects would
restrict me to India, a subject already occupied, and never
interesting. Still, if I could hope to produce anything popular,
I should be tempted, by the hope of rescuing several reputations
I give only two extracts from the journal of this tom*. The
first is a description of a conversation with the celebrated
linguist, Mezzofanti. The second is an interesting note of
his first thoughts of an Indian history.
'/ygybewbey 16, 1831.—From the Gallery I went to the
University library, and there saw one of the most remarkable
persons I ever met with. This was the celebrated Abbate or
Professore Mezzofanti, of whom I had heard so much. He
spoke to me in very good English, and finding I understood
Persian he addressed me in that language, talked in it for a
long while, and read a good deal of a translation of the Bible in
it, yet he has scarcely ever been out of Bologna, and can scarcely
have had any opportunity of learning the pronunciation, much
less of acquiring the habit of conversation. His pronunciation,
though not perfect, was quite intelligible, and he was in
possession of many of the idioms that are never met with in
writing. He was two months learning Persian with Jones's
Grammar, and has since seen Lumsden's, which he thought
too philosophical in Silvestre de Sacy's way. On my asking
how many languages he spoke, he said, " They say I can speak
forty;" by which I suppose he meant that his knowledge of all
of them was not sufficient to enable him to say he spoke them.
He is forty-five years old, and seems well informed on other
subjects besides languages. In all his forty languages, however,
he could recollect nothing to clear up the date of the ancient
cathedral at San Leone, nor did his references to Muratori,
&c., give him any hints.
' Ahum, Jun-nnr?/ 4, 1832.—On my morning walk I recurred
to the ways in which I might by any possibility employ myself
so as to remove the reproach of utter uselessness. I have before
thought that the only thing I could do would be to write some-
thing ; and, if I could hope for success, I should be delighted with
the undertaking ; but my deficiencies in other subjects would
restrict me to India, a subject already occupied, and never
interesting. Still, if I could hope to produce anything popular,
I should be tempted, by the hope of rescuing several reputations