Chapter XV: (1841-43.)

Author’s recollections of Mezzofanti in 1841—His personal
appearance and manner; his attractive simplicity—Languages
in which the author heard him speak—His English
conversation—Various opinions regarding it—Impressions of
the author—Anecdotes—Cardinal Wiseman—Rev. John Smyth—Father
Kelleher—His knowledge of English literature—Mr. Harford—Dr.
Cox—Cardinal Wiseman—Mr. Grattan—Mr. Badeley—Hudibras—Author’s
own conversation with the Cardinal—The Tractarian movement—Mr.
Grattan—Baron Bunsen—Author’s second visit to Rome—The
Polyglot Academy of the Propaganda—Playful trial of
Mezzofanti’s powers by the students—His wonderful versatility
of language—Analogous examples of this faculty—Description
of it by visitors—His own illustration—The Irish
language—Mezzofanti’s admission regarding it—The Etruria
Celtica—The Eugubian Tables—Amusing experiment suggested
by Mezzofanti—Dr. Murphy—The Gælic language—Mezzofanti’s
extempore Metrical compositions—Specimens—Rapidity with which
he wrote them—Power of accommodating his pronunciation of
Latin to that of the various countries—National interjectional
sounds—Playfulness—Puns, pp. 398-431.

CHAPTER XVI. (1843-49.)

Death of his nephew Mgr. Minarelli—His sister
Teresa—Letter—Visitors—Rev. Ingraham Kip—English
conversation—English literature—American literature—The
American Indian languages—Scottish dialect—Burns and Walter
Scott—Rev. John Gray—Mezzofanti as a philologer—Baron
Bunsen—The Abbé Gaume—French patois—Spanish—Father
Burrueco—Mexican—Peruvian—New Zealand language—Armenian
and Turkish—Father Trenz—Russian—M. Mouravieff—The
Emperor Nicholas—Polish—Klementyna z Tanskich
Hoffmanowa—Makrena, Abbess of Minsk—Her history—Her account
of Mezzofanti—His occupations—House of Catechumens—First
communion—_Fervorini_—The confessional—Death of Gregory
XVI.—Election of Pius IX.—Mezzofanti’s epigrams on the
occasion—His relations with the new Pope—Father Bresciani’s
account of him—The revolution of 1848—Its effect on Cardinal
Mezzofanti—His illness—Death and funeral, pp. 432-56.