MEZZOFANTI, Giuseppe (1774-1849), cardinal, whose colloquial linguistic acquirements have become proverbial, was born, Septembér 17, 1774, at Bologna, where his father followed the occupation of a carpenter. Educated first at one of the “scuole pie,” and afterwards at the episcopal seminary of his native city, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1797, and in the same year became professor of Arabic in the university, but shortly afterwards was deprived on account of his refusal to take the oath of allegiance to the Government of the Cisalpine Republic. In 1803, however, he was appointed assistant librarian of the institute of Bologna, and soon afterwards was reinstated as professor of Oriental languages and of Greek. The chair was suppressed by the viceroy in 1808, but again rehabilitated on the restoration of Pius VII. in 1814, and continued to be held by Mezzofanti until his removal from Bologna to Rome in 1831, when he received certain ecclesiastical appointments and the rank of monsignore. Meanwhile his progress in the acquirement of languages had been rapid and untiring, and in 1833 he was appointed to succeed Mai as chief keeper of the Vatican Library. His promotion to the cardinalate, and the duties of director of studies in the Congregation of the Propaganda, followed in 1838. He died at Rome, during the absence of the pontifical court at Gaeta, on March 15, 1849....