THE SINGULAR BROTHERS.

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ordinary faculties, I may almost call them manias, the likeof which 1 never met either before or afterwards. One ofthem had a large collection of old folio books of geography,with maps and views of cities, as strange and obsolete asthe map and view of London in the time of Queen Elizabeth,at latest. But such was the passion of this gentleman forgeography and topography, that he knew by rote the namesof every street and public edifice in London . Moreover, hewould begin, for example, with the north-east corner ofEngland, and, naming the principal counties, ports, rivers,and towns in succession as he descended along the coast,state longitude and latitude, the number of the inhabitants,the nature of the trade or manufacture carried on, and everyother imaginable particular. He would then do the like bythe inland counties, and, passing over the channel, gothrough a similar trial of memory in regard to France ,Norway, Sweden, &c. Moreover, he understood the Eng-lish language most perfectly, wrote it correctly, and spokeit with fluency. But a remarkable exhibition, indeed, wasthat of his last-named extraordinary faculty. He had neverin his life heard a word of English spoken, and never had amaster. He articulated every letter, and pronounced everyword according to the Italian alphabet and intonation. Hethus read and declaimed to us long passages of Milton andShakespear , scarcely one word of which was it possible forus to understand; while he himself appeared to appreciate,and to feel all the beauties of those immortal masters ofhumanity. Another of the singularities of this gentlemanwas of a dietary nature ; he never drank any kind of fluidwhatever; nor had he, as he assured us, for the last twentyyears. This freak originated, he said, in his having oncedrank so much wine at a convivial party as to render himridiculous, and even involve him in a quarrel with a re-spected friend. He foreswore all wine or spirituous liquors,