S8 
MAGALOTTI, 
-up an account of the experiments made ther-e, the work work, dedicated to Cofmo, foil of Ferdinand II, and pub- 
'made its appearance in theyear 1666, and was received with lifted about the year 1666; which was received with great 
univerfal applaufe by men of fcience, being equally ad- applaufe, and much admired, not only on account of the 
mired for the elegance of its flyle and for the novel and novelty and variety of the fubjeXs contained in it, but for 
intereliing matter which it contained, the accuracy of the its perfpicuity and elegance of compofition. About the 
experiments detailed in it, and the judicious reflexions fame time, with the afliftance of another jefuit miffionary 
'with which it abounds. The fubjeXs which it embraces as his interpreter, he ptibliflied a little elegant Compen-. 
are, the preffure of the air, natural and artificial freezing, dium of the Moral DoXrine of Confucius. Betides em- 
the various effects of heat and cold, the compreffion of wa- 
ter, the magnetic virtue, colours, the motion of founds, 
the projection of bodies, light, Sec. 
While Magalotti was engaged with the other members 
of the academy, in purfuing the experiments of which he 
is the hiltorian, he maintained a regular correfpondence 
with the molt eminent men of fcience in other countries, 
particularly in France and England. He alfo addrefied a 
little work to Huygens, in theyear 1660, containing fome 
aftronomical obfervations chiefly furnilhed by Borelli, in 
confirmation of that aftronomer’s difcovery of Saturn’s 
ring. This piece was given to the public fifteen years af¬ 
terwards. The diflolution of the Academy del Cimento, 
which followed the elevation of prince Leopold to the 
dignity of cardinal, was an event, the profpeX of which 
greatly affeXed Magalotti ; and he endeavoured, in an 
Italian poem which he addrefied to the prince, to preferve 
him Heady in his attachment to the Itudy and patronage 
of fcience; but bis efforts proved ineffeXual. Having 
Tailed in this objeX, be determined to apply for the place 
of one of the lords of the bedchamber to the grand duke 
Ferdinand II. This poll he obtained without difficulty, 
through the influence of prince Leopold, ftrengthened by 
the powerful impreffion in his favour, which his own ex¬ 
traordinary accomplifnments had made on the mind of 
Ferdinand ; for he was not only diftinguiftied by bis emi¬ 
nent mental qualifications, but by a prepoflefling figure, 
.the moft polifhed manners, and fuperior (kill in dancing 
and iiorfemanfhip. He had alfo acquired no little know¬ 
ledge and tafte in architeXure and painting. With thefe 
recommendations, it is not furpriling that Magalotti flrould 
become a favourite with the grand duke, and be confidered 
as one of the principal ornaments of his court. He like- 
wife received no flight mark of efteem from pope Alex¬ 
ander VII. to whom prince Leopold had prefented a con¬ 
siderable part of the inftruments ufed in making experi¬ 
ments at the Academy del Cimento. On this occafion 
our author drew up a perfpicuous and elegant account of 
tiling them ; for which his liolinefs beltowed on him a 
pen lion. . 
Honours and rewards excited in Magalotti a keener ar¬ 
dour for fcientific and literary purfuits. As at that time 
perfumes were much ufed in the polite world, he fludied 
the compofition of them, and undertook to explain the 
phenomenon of their fcent being communicated, without 
auy apparent diminution or lofs to the bodies which exhale 
it. This fubjeX he intended to illuftrate not only by phy¬ 
sical reafonings, but by colleXing together the Scattered 
opinions of the ancients concerning it. What he wrote 
upon it, however, was left in a very imperfeX and unfi- 
nilhed (fate. About the fame time he employed himfelf 
in drawing up a work on electricity, in two parts, confid¬ 
ing of a hiftory of experiments, and an examination of 
them ; but fo little was then known of that fcience by the 
mod learned pbilolophers, that any thing of moment on 
the fubjeX was not to be expeXed from him. While en¬ 
gaged in thefe dudies, Magalotti did not negleX that of 
altronomy ; and, that no lubjeX might be overlooked by 
him, and no part of his time pals away unemployed, he 
devoted thole afternoon hours which are commonly Spent 
in leifure to the reading of theological works, and parti¬ 
cularly the writings of the fathers. 
When, in the year 1665, the jefuit John Graeber, who 
bad relided leveral years as a iniffionary in China, came 
to Florence, Magalotti procured from him a variety of 
curious particulars relative to thehidory and peculiarities 
of that country. From thei'e materials he drew up a little 
pioying his pen on Such publications, ourauthorfrequently 
paid his court to the mufes; and he publiffied the firlt trans¬ 
lation of Anacreon in Italian verle, which was given to 
the public in the year 1670. In the mean time, the arri¬ 
val of the learned Bartholomew d’Herbelot at Florence, on 
the invitation of the grand duke, furnilhed Magalotti with 
the opportunity of advantagecufly fludying the oriental 
languages ; of w'hich he made himfelf mailer with adc- 
nilhing expedition, particularly the Arabic and Turkifli. 
But, while he cultivated the idioms of the cad, he did not 
negleX thofe of the more polifhed European nations, be¬ 
ing able to w rite and Speak French, Spanift, and Englift, 
with the correXnefs and eafe of the natives of thofe coun¬ 
tries. Of this he gave evidence in different vilits which he 
paid to them, either in a private or official charaXer. 
He entered on his fird excurfion beyond the Alps in the 
year 1667, together with his intimate friend count Paul 
Falconieri; and was recalled from it by the grand duke, 
for the purpofe of accompanying his Ion Colmo in a tour 
through Europe. In the courfe of this tour Magalotti of 
courfe came to England, where his fird wilh was to be 
introduced to the illudrioiis Robert Boyle, to whom be 
was well known by fame; and this introduXion proved 
the commencement of the clofed intimacy and friendftip 
between thofe eminent men, which terminated only with 
their lives. During the correfpondence which afterwards 
took place between them, our Italian, who was zealoudy 
attached to his principles as a Catholic, attempted in a 
very long letter to convert his friend from the protedant 
herefy, and Sincerely lamented ills want of fuccefs. In the 
colleXion of “ Inedited Letters of illudrioiis Men,” pub¬ 
lished at Florence in 1773, much of our author’s corre¬ 
fpondence with the grand duke Ferdinand II. and prince 
Leopold during this tour is preferved ; which, while it 
bears honourable tedimony to the wifdoin and propriety 
with which he uniformly conduXed himfelf, will furnilh 
the reader with intereding and entertaining information 
relative to the countries through which he palled, and the 
date of knowledge as well as manners among the inhabi¬ 
tants. 
Not long after his return to Florence, Cofmo, having 
Succeeded his father in the duchy of Tufcany, deputed 
Magalotti as his envoy to the duke of Mantua, on bulinels 
of considerable moment; which he concluded entirely to 
the fatisfaXion of his mailer. In the year 1671, his fa¬ 
ther’s death having created fome unplealant difputes be¬ 
tween him and his two brothers, he determined, with the 
duke’s leave, to withdraw for fome time from Italy; and 
as his friend OXavio Falconieri was then appointed papal 
internuncio in the Low-Countries, he relolved to accom¬ 
pany him on his million, ayd when, in the year 1673, a 
congrefs was held at Cologne, for the purpofe of negociat- 
ing a peace, he was empowered to attend it, as the grand 
duke’s representative. After the conclufion of peace, 
he eafily obtained leave to vifit Denmark and Sweden ; 
and in travelling thole kingdoms formed a rich colleXion 
of observations on the lludies, cultoms, manner of living, 
laws. See. of the inhabitants. In learning theSwediffi lan¬ 
guage, be deteXed numerous errors of thofe etymologilts 
who are for deriving all Italian words from the Greek or 
Latin, overlooking the northern idioms, to which many 
of them are clearly to be traced. His opinion on this fub¬ 
jeX has lately been ably Supported our countryman 
Horne Tooke. 
While Magalotti wa.s employed in thefe enquiries, and 
intended to protraX his flay in the north, he unexpect¬ 
edly received an order from the grand duke to repair to 
Florence j 
