The Library-第5章

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　of　ordinary　binding；　nor　theological　folios　and　classic　quartos；　that　the　modern　amateur　desires。　　He　is　content　with　but　a　few　books　of　distinction　and　elegance；　masterpieces　of　printing　and　binding；　or　relics　of　famous　old　collectors；　of　statesmen；　philosophers；　beautiful　dead　ladies；　or；　again；　he　buys　illustrated　books；　or　first　editions　of　the　modern　classics。　　No　one；　not　the　Duc　d'Aumale；　or　M。　James　Rothschild　himself；　with　his　100　books　worth　40；000　pounds；　can　possess　very　many　copies　of　books　which　are　inevitably　rare。　　Thus　the　adviser　who　would　offer　suggestions　to　the　amateur；　need　scarcely　write；　like　Naude　and　the　old　authorities；　about　the　size　and　due　position　of　the　library。　　He　need　hardly　warn　the　builder　to　make　the　salle　face　the　east；　〃because　the　eastern　winds；　being　warm　and　dry　of　their　nature；　greatly　temper　the　air；　fortify　the　senses；　make　subtle　the　humours；　purify　the　spirits；　preserve　a　healthy　disposition　of　the　whole　body；　and；　to　say　all　in　one　word；　are　most　wholesome　and　salubrious。〃　　The　east　wind；　like　the　fashion　of　book　collecting；　has　altered　in　character　a　good　deal　since　the　days　when　Naude　was　librarian　to　Cardinal　Mazarin。　　One　might　as　well　repeat　the　learned　Isidorus　his　counsels　about　the　panels　of　green　marble　（that　refreshes　the　eye）；　and　Boethius　his　censures　on　library　walls　of　ivory　and　glass；　as　fall　back　on　the　ancient　ideas　of　librarians　dead　and　gone。

The　amateur；　then；　is　the　person　we　have　in　our　eye；　and　especially　the　bibliophile　who　has　but　lately　been　bitten　with　this　pleasant　mania　of　collecting。　　We　would　teach　him　how　to　arrange　and　keep　his　books　orderly　and　in　good　case；　and　would　tell　him　what　to　buy　and　what　to　avoid。　　By　the　LIBRARY　we　do　not　understand　a　study　where　no　one　goes；　and　where　the　master　of　the　house　keeps　his　boots；　an　assortment　of　walkingsticks；　the　〃Waverley　Novels；〃　〃Pearson　on　the　Creed；〃　〃Hume's　Essays；〃　and　a　collection　of　sermons。　　In；　alas！　too　many　English　homes；　the　Library　is　no　more　than　this；　and　each　generation　passes　without　adding　a　book；　except　now　and　then　a　Bradshaw　or　a　railway　novel；　to　the　collection　on　the　shelves。　　The　success；　perhaps；　of　circulating　libraries；　or；　it　may　be；　the　Aryan　tendencies　of　our　race；　〃which　does　not　read；　and　lives　in　the　open　air；〃　have　made　books　the　rarest　of　possessions　in　many　houses。　There　are　relics　of　the　age　before　circulating　libraries；　there　are　fragments　of　the　lettered　store　of　some　scholarly　greatgrandfather；　and　these；　with　a　few　odd　numbers　of　magazines；　a　few　primers　and　manuals；　some　sermons　and　novels；　make　up　the　ordinary　library　of　an　English　household。　　But　the　amateur；　whom　we　have　in　our　thoughts；　can　never　be　satisfied　with　these　monplace　supplies。　　He　has　a　taste　for　books　more　or　less　rare；　and　for　books　neatly　bound；　in　short；　for　books；　in　the　fabrication　of　which　ART　has　not　been　absent。　　He　loves　to　have　his　study；　like　Montaigne's；　remote　from　the　interruption　of　servants；　wife；　and　children；　a　kind　of　shrine；　where　he　may　be　at　home　with　himself；　with　the　illustrious　dead；　and　with　the　genius　of　literature。　　The　room　may　look　east；　west；　or　south；　provided　that　it　be　dry；　warm；　light；　and　airy。　　Among　the　many　enemies　of　books　the　first　great　foe　is　DAMP；　and　we　must　describe　the　necessary　precautions　to　be　taken　against　this　peril。　We　will　suppose　that　the　amateur　keeps　his　ordinary　working　books；　modern　tomes；　and　all　that　serve　him　as　literary　tools；　on　open　shelves。　　These　may　reach　the　roof；　if　he　has　books　to　fill　them；　and　it　is　only　necessary　to　see　that　the　back　of　the　bookcases　are　slightly　removed　from　contact　with　the　walls。　　The　more　precious　and　beautifully　bound　treasures　will　naturally　be　stored　in　a　case　with　closelyfitting　glassdoors。　｛2｝　　The　shelves　should　be　lined　with　velvet　or　chamois　leather；　that　the　delicate　edges　of　the　books　may　not　suffer　from　contact　with　the　wood。　　A　leather　lining；　fitted　to　the　back　of　the　case；　will　also　help　to　keep　out　humidity。　　Most　writers　remend　that　the　bookcases　should　be　made　of　wood　close　in　the　grain；　such　as　wellseasoned　oak；　or；　for　smaller　tabernacles　of　literature；　of　mahogany；　satinwood　lined　with　cedar；　ebony；　and　so　forth。　　These　closegrained　woods　are　less　easily　perated　by　insects；　and　it　is　fancied　that　bookworms　dislike　the　aromatic　scents　of　cedar；　sandal　wood；　and　Russia　leather。　　There　was　once　a　bibliophile　who　said　that　a　man　could　only　love　one　book　at　a　time；　and　the　darling　of　the　moment　he　used　to　carry　about　in　a　charming　leather　case。　　Others；　men　of　few　books；　preserve　them　in　long　boxes　with　glass　fronts；　which　may　be　removed　from　place　to　place　as　readily　as　the　household　gods　of　Laban。　　But　the　amateur　who　not　only　worships　but　reads　books；　needs　larger　receptacles；　and　in　the　open　oak　cases　for　modern　authors；　and　for　books　with　mon　modern　papers　and　bindings；　in　the　closed　armoire　for　books　of　rarity　and　price；　he　will　find；　we　think；　the　most　useful　mode　of　arranging　his　treasures。　　His　shelves　will　decline　in　height　from　the　lowest；　where　huge　folios　stand　at　case；　to　the　top　ranges；　while　Elzevirs　repose　on　a　level　with　the　eye。　　It　is　well　that　each　upper　shelf　should　have　a　leather　fringe　to　keep　the　dust　away。

As　to　the　shape　of　the　bookcases；　and　the　furniture；　and　ornaments　of　the　library；　every　amateur　will　please　himself。　　Perhaps　the　satinwood　or　mahogany　tabernacles　of　rare　books　are　best　made　after　the　model　of　what　furnituredealers　indifferently　call　the　〃Queen　Anne〃　or　the　〃Chippendale〃　style。　　There　is　a　pleasant　quaintness　in　the　carved　architectural　ornaments　of　the　top；　and　the　inlaid　flowers　of　marquetry　go　well　with　the　pretty　florid　editions　of　the　last　century；　the　books　that　were　illustrated　by　Stothard　and　Gravelot。　　Ebony　suits　theological　tomes　very　well；　especially　when　they　are　bound　in　white　vellum。　　As　to　furniture；　people　who　can　afford　it　will　imitate　the　arrangements　of　Lucullus；　in　Mr。　Hill　Burton's　charming　volume　〃The　Bookhunter〃　（Blackwood；　Edinburgh；　1862）。〃Everything　is　of　perfect　finish；the　mahoganyrailed　gallery；　the　tiny　ladders；　the　broad　winged　lecterns；　with　leathern　cushions　on　the　edges　to　keep　the　wood　from　grazing　the　rich　bindings；　the　books　themselves；　each　shelf　uniform　with　its　facings；　or　rather　backings；　like　welldressed　lines　at　a　review。〃　　The　late　Sir　William　StirlingMaxwell；　a　famous　bibliophile；　invented　a　very　nice　library　chair。　　It　is　most　fortable　to　sit　on；　and；　as　the　top　of　the　back　is　broad　and　flat；　it　can　be　used　as　a　ladder　of　two　high　steps；　when　one　wants　to　reach　a　book　on　a　lofty　shelf。　　A　kind　of　square　revolving　bookcase；　an　American　invention；　manufactured　by　Messrs。　Trubner；　is　useful　to　the　working　man　of　letters。　　Made　in　oak；　stained　green；　it　is　not　unsightly。　　As　to　ornaments；　every　man　to　his　taste。　　You　may　have　a　〃pallid　bust　of　Pallas〃　above　your　classical　collection；　or　fill　the　niches　in　a　shrine　of　old　French　light　literature；　pastoral　and　edy；　with　delicate　shepherdesses　in　Chelsea　china。　　On　such　matters　a　modest　writer；　like　Mr。　Jingle　when　Mr。　Pickwick　ordered　dinner；　〃will　not　presume　to　dictate。〃

Next　to　damp；　dust　and　dirt　are　the　chief　enemies　of　books。　　At　short　intervals；　books　and　shelves　ought　to　be　dusted　by　the　amateur　himself。　　Even　Dr。　Johnson；　who　was　careless　of　his　person；　and　of　volumes　lent　to　him；　was　careful　about　the　cleanliness　of　his　own　books。　　Boswell　found　him　one　day　with　big　gloves　on　his　hands　beating　the　dust　out　of　his　library；　as　was　his　custom。　　There　is　nothing　so　hideous　as　a　dirty　thumbmark　on　a　white　page。　　These　marks　are　monly　made；　not　because　the　reader　has　unwashed　hands；　but　because　the　dust　which　settles　on　the　top　edge　of　books　falls　in；　and　is　smudged　when　they　are　opened。　　Gilttop　edges　should　be　smoothed　with　a　handkerchief；　and　a　small　brush　should　be　kept　for　brushing　the　tops　of　books　with　rough　edges；　before　they　are　opened。　But　it　were　well　that　all　books　had　the　top　edge　gilt。　　There　is　no　better　preservative　against　dust。　　Dust　not　only　dirties　books；　it　seems　to　supply　what　Mr。　Spencer　would　call　a　fitting　environment　for　bookworms。　　The　works　of　bookworms　speak　for　themselves；　and　are　manifest　to　all。　　How　many　a　rare　and　valuable　volume　is　spoiled　by　neat　round　holes　drilled　through　cover　and　leaves！　　But　as　to　the　nature　of　your　worm；　authorities　differ　greatly。　　The　ancients　knew　this　plague；　of　which　Lucian　speaks。　　Mr。　Blades　mentions　a　white　bookworm；　slain　by　the　librarian　of　the　Bodleian。　　In　Byzantium　the　black　sort　prevailed。　　Evenus；　the　grammarian；　wrote　an　epigram　against　the　black　bookworm　（〃Anthol。　　Pal。；〃　ix。　251）：

Pest　of　the　Muses；　devourer　of　pages；　in　crannies　that　lurkest；　Fruits　of　the　Muses　to　taint；　labour　of　learning　to　spoil；　Wherefore；　oh　blackfleshed　worm！　wert　thou　born　for　the　evil　thou　workest？　Wherefore　thine　own　foul　form　shap'st　thou　with　envious　toil？

The　learned　Mentzelius　says　he　hath　heard　the　bookworm　crow　like　a　cock　unto　his　mate；　and　〃I　knew　not；〃　says　he；　〃whether　some　local　fowl　was　clamouring　or　whether　there　was　but　a　beating　in　mine　ears。　Even　at　that　moment；　all　uncertain　as　I　was；　I　perceived；　in　the　paper　whereon　I　was　writing；　a　little　insect　that　ceased　not　to　carol　like　very　chanticleer；　until；　taking　a　magnifying　glass；　I　assiduously　observed　him。　　He　is　about　the　bigness　of　a　mite；　and　carries　a　grey　crest；　and　the　head　low；　bowed　over　the　bosom；　as　to　his　crowing　noise；　it　es　of　his　clashing　his　wings　against　each　other　with　an　incessant　din。〃　　Thus　far　Mentzelius；　and　more　to　the　same　purpose；　as　may　be　read　in　the　〃Memoirs　of　famous　Foreign　Academies〃　（Dijon；　175559；　13　vol。　in　quarto）。　　But；　in　our　times；　the　learned　Mr。　Blades　having　a　desire　to　exhibit　bookworms　in　the　body　to　the　Caxtonians　at　the　Caxton　celebration；　could　find　few　men　that　had　so　much　as　seen　a　bookworm；　much　less　heard　him　utter　his　native　woodnotes　wild。　　Yet；　in　his　〃Enemies　of　Books；〃　he　describes　some　rare　encounters　with　the　worm。　　Dirty　books；　damp　books；　dusty　books；　and　books　that　the　owner　never　opens；　are　most　exposed　to　the　enemy；　and　〃the　worm；　the　proud　worm；　is　the　conqueror　still；〃　as　a　didactic　poet　sings；　in　an　ode　on　man's　mortality。　　As　entzelius；　it　may　not　be　amiss　to　gi