The Library-第8章

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ved　that　there　was　another　copy　in　the　Louvre；　that；　therefore；　there　might　be　more；　and　that　the　defendant's　might　have　been　honestly　procured。　　Here　Don　Vincente；　previously　callous；　uttered　an　hysterical　cry。　　Said　the　Alcalde：　〃At　last；　Vincente；　you　begin　to　understand　the　enormity　of　your　offence？〃　　〃Ah；　Senor　Alcalde；　my　error　was　clumsy　indeed。　　If　you　only　knew　how　miserable　I　am！〃　　〃If　human　justice　prove　inflexible；　there　is　another　justice　whose　pity　is　inexhaustible。　　Repentance　is　never　too　late。〃　　〃Ah；　Senor　Alcalde；　but　my　copy　was　not　unique！〃　With　the　story　of　this　impenitent　thief　we　may　close　the　roll　of　biblioklepts；　though　Dibdin　pretends　that　Garrick　was　of　the　pany；　and　stole　Alleyne's　books　at　Dulwich。

There　is　a　thievish　nature　more　hateful　than　even　the　biblioklept。　The　BookGhoul　is　he　who　bines　the　larceny　of　the　biblioklept　with　the　abominable　wickedness　of　breaking　up　and　mutilating　the　volumes　from　which　he　steals。　　He　is　a　collector　of　titlepages；　frontispieces；　illustrations；　and　bookplates。　　He　prowls　furtively　among　public　and　private　libraries；　inserting　wetted　threads；　which　slowly　eat　away　the　illustrations　he　covets；　and　he　broods；　like　the　obscene　demon　of　Arabian　superstitions；　over　the　fragments　of　the　mighty　dead。　　His　disgusting　tastes　vary。　　He　prepares　books　for　the　American　market。　　Christmas　books　are　sold　in　the　States　stuffed　with　pictures　cut　out　of　honest　volumes。　　Here　is　a　quotation　from　an　American　paper：

〃Another　style　of　Christmas　book　which　deserves　to　be　mentioned；　though　it　is　out　of　the　reach　of　any　but　the　very　rich；　is　the　historical　or　literary　work　enriched　with　inserted　plates。　　There　has　never；　to　our　knowledge；　been　anything　offered　in　America　so　supremely　excellent　as　the　5000　book　on　Washington；　we　think　exhibited　by　Boston　last　year；　but　not　a　few　fine　specimens　of　books　of　this　class　are　at　present　offered　to　purchasers。　　Scribner　has　a　beautiful　copy　of　Forster's　'Life　of　Dickens；'　enlarged　from　three　volumes　octavo　to　nine　volumes　quarto；　by　taking　to　pieces；　remounting；　and　inlaying。　　It　contains　some　eight　hundred　engravings；　portraits；　views；　playbills；　titlepages；　catalogues；　proof　illustrations　from　Dickens's　works；　a　set　of　the　Onwhyn　plates；　rare　engravings　by　Cruikshank　and　'Phiz；'　and　autograph　letters。　　Though　this　volume　does　not　pare　with　Harvey's　Dickens；　offered　for　1750　two　years　ago；　it　is　an　excellent　specimen　of　books　of　this　sort；　and　the　veriest　tyro　in　bibliographical　affairs　knows　how　scarce　are　being　the　early　editions　of　Dickens's　works　and　the　plates　illustrating　them。　｛4｝　　Anything　about　Dickens　in　the　beginning　of　his　career　is　a　sound　investment　from　a　business　point　of　view。　　Another　work　of　the　same　sort；　valued　at　240；　is　Lady　Trevelyan's　edition　of　Macaulay；　illustrated　with　portraits；　many　of　them　very　rare。　　Even　cheaper；　all　things　considered；　is　an　extra　illustrated　copy　of　the　'Histoire　de　la　Gravure；'　which；　besides　its　seventythree　reproductions　of　old　engravings；　is　enriched　with　two　hundred　fine　specimens　of　the　early　engravers；　many　of　the　impressions　being　in　first　and　second　states。　　At　155　such　a　book　is　really　a　bargain；　especially　for　any　one　who　is　forming　a　collection　of　engravings。　　Another　delightful　work　is　the　library　edition　of　Bray's　'Evelyn；'　illustrated　with　some　two　hundred　and　fifty　portraits　and　views；　and　valued　at　175；　and　still　another　is　Boydell's　'Milton；'　with　plates　after　Westall；　and　further　illustrations　in　the　shape　of　twentyeight　portraits　of　the　painter　and　one　hundred　and　eightyone　plates；　and　many　of　them　before　letter。　　The　price　of　this　book　is　325。〃

But　few　bookghouls　are　worse　than　the　moral　ghoul。　　He　defaces；　with　a　pen；　the　passages；　in　some　precious　volume；　which　do　not　meet　his　idea　of　moral　propriety。　　I　have　a　Pine's　〃Horace；〃　with　the　engravings　from　gems；　which　has　fallen　into　the　hands　of　a　moral　ghoul。　　Not　only　has　he　obliterated　the　verses　which　hurt　his　delicate　sense；　but　he　has　actually　scraped　away　portions　of　the　classical　figures；　and　〃the　breasts　of　the　nymphs　in　the　brake。〃　The　soul　of　Tartuffe　had　entered　into　the　body　of　a　sinner　of　the　last　century。　　The　antiquarian　ghoul　steals　titlepages　and　colophons。　　The　aesthetic　ghoul　cuts　illuminated　initials　out　of　manuscripts。　　The　petty；　trivial；　and　almost　idiotic　ghoul　of　our　own　days；　sponges　the　flyleaves　and　boards　of　books　for　the　purpose　of　cribbing　the　bookplates。　　An　old　〃plaint　of　a　Bookplate；〃　in　dread　of　the　wet　sponge　of　the　enemy；　has　been　discovered　by　Mr。　Austin　Dobson：　｛5｝

THE　BOOKPLATE'S　PETITION。　By　a　Gentleman　of　the　Temple。

While　cynic　CHARLES　still　trimm'd　the　vane　'Twixt　Querouaille　and　Castlemaine；　In　days　that　shocked　JOHN　EVELYN；　My　First　Possessor　fix'd　me　in。　In　days　of　Dutchmen　and　of　frost；　The　narrow　sea　with　JAMES　I　cross'd；　Returning　when　once　more　began　The　Age　of　Saturn　and　of　ANNE。　I　am　a　part　of　all　the　past；　I　knew　the　GEES；　first　and　last；　I　have　been　oft　where　else　was　none　Save　the　great　wig　of　ADDISON；　And　seen　on　shelves　beneath　me　grope　The　little　eager　form　of　POPE。　I　lost　the　Third　that　own'd　me　when　French　NOAILLES　fled　at　Dettingen；　The　year　JAMES　WOLFE　surpris'd　Quebec；　The　Fourth　in　hunting　broke　his　neck；　The　day　that　WILLIAM　HOGARTH　dy'd；　The　Fifth　one　found　me　in　Cheapside。　This　was　a　Scholar；　one　of　those　Whose　Greek　is　sounder　than　their　hose；　He　lov'd　old　Books　and　nappy　ale；　So　liv'd　at　Streatham；　next　to　THRALE。　'Twas　there　this　stain　of　grease　I　boast　Was　made　by　Dr。　JOHNSON'S　toast。　（He　did　it；　as　I　think；　for　Spite；　My　Master　call'd　him　Jacobite！）　And　now　that　I　so　long　today　Have　rested　post　discrimina；　Safe　in　the　brasswir'd　bookcase　where　I　watch'd　the　Vicar's　whit'ning　hair；　Must　I　these　travell'd　bones　inter　In　some　Collector's　sepulchre！　Must　I　be　torn　from　hence　and　thrown　With　frontispiece　and　colophon！　With　vagrant　E's；　and　I's；　and　O's；　The　spoil　of　plunder'd　Folios！　With　scraps　and　snippets　that　to　ME　Are　naught　but　kitchen　pany！　Nay；　rather；　FRIEND；　this　favour　grant　me：　Tear　me　at　once；　but　don't　transplant　me。

CHELTENHAM；　Sept。　31；　1792。

The　conceited　ghoul　writes　his　notes　across　our　fair　white　margins；　in　pencil；　or　in　more　baneful　ink。　　Or　he　spills　his　ink　bottle　at　large　over　the　pages；　as　Andre　Chenier's　friend　served　his　copy　of　Malherbe。　　It　is　scarcely　necessary　to　warn　the　amateur　against　the　society　of　bookghouls；　who　are　generally　snuffy　and　foul　in　appearance；　and　by　no　means　so　insinuating　as　that　fair　ladyghoul；　Amina；　of　the　Arabian　Nights。

Another　enemy　of　books　must　be　mentioned　with　the　delicacy　that　befits　the　topic。　　Almost　all　women　are　the　inveterate　foes；　not　of　novels；　of　course；　nor　peerages　and　popular　volumes　of　history；　but　of　books　worthy　of　the　name。　　It　is　true　that　Isabelle　d'Este；　and　Madame　de　Pompadour；　and　Madame　de　Maintenon；　were　collectors；　and；　doubtless；　there　are　other　brilliant　exceptions　to　a　general　rule。　But；　broadly　speaking；　women　detest　the　books　which　the　collector　desires　and　admires。　　First；　they　don't　understand　them；　second；　they　are　jealous　of　their　mysterious　charms；　third；　books　cost　money；　and　it　really　is　a　hard　thing　for　a　lady　to　see　money　expended　on　what　seems　a　dingy　old　binding；　or　yellow　paper　scored　with　crabbed　characters。　　Thus　ladies　wage　a　skirmishing　war　against　booksellers'　catalogues；　and　history　speaks　of　husbands　who　have　had　to　practise　the　guile　of　smugglers　when　they　conveyed　a　new　purchase　across　their　own　frontier。　　Thus　many　married　men　are　reduced　to　collecting　Elzevirs；　which　go　readily　into　the　pocket；　for　you　cannot　smuggle　a　folio　volume　easily。　　This　inveterate　dislike　of　books　often　produces　a　very　deplorable　result　when　an　old　collector　dies。　　His　〃womankind；〃　as　the　Antiquary　called　them；　sell　all　his　treasures　for　the　price　of　wastepaper；　to　the　nearest　country　bookseller。　　It　is　a　melancholy　duty　which　forces　one　to　introduce　such　topics　into　a　volume　on　〃Art　at　Home。〃　　But　this　little　work　will　not　have　been　written　in　vain　if　it　persuades　ladies　who　inherit　books　not　to　sell　them　hastily；　without　taking　good　and　disinterested　opinion　as　to　their　value。　　They　often　dispose　of　treasures　worth　thousands；　for　a　ten　pound　note；　and　take　pride　in　the　bargain。　　Here；　let　history　mention　with　due　honour　the　paragon　of　her　sex　and　the　pattern　to　all　wives　of　bookcollecting　men　Madame　Fertiault。　　It　is　thus　that　she　addresses　her　lord　in　a　charming　triolet　（〃Les　Amoureux　du　Livre；〃　p。　xxxv）：

〃Le　livre　a　ton　esprit　。　。　。　tant　mieux！　Moi；　j'ai　ton　coeur；　et　sans　partage。　Puisje　desirer　davantage？　Le　livre　a　ton　esprit　。　。　。　tant　mieux！　Heureuse　de　te　voir　joyeux；　Je　t'en　voudrais　。　。　。　tout　un　etage。　Le　livre　a　ton　esprit　。　。　。　tant　mieux！　Moi；　j'ai　ton　coeur；　et　sans　partage。〃

Books　rule　thy　mind；　so　let　it　be！　Thy　heart　is　mine；　and　mine　alone。　What　more　can　I　require　of　thee？　Books　rule　thy　mind；　so　let　it　be！　Contented　when　thy　bliss　I　see；　I　wish　a　world　of　books　thine　own。　Books　rule　thy　mind；　so　let　it　be！　Thy　heart　is　mine；　and　mine　alone。

There　is　one　method　of　preserving　books；　which；　alas；　only　tempts　the　borrower；　the　stealer；　the　rat；　and　the　bookworm；　but　which　is　absolutely　necessary　as　a　defence　against　dust　and　neglect。　　This　is　binding。　　The　bookbinder's　art　too　often　destroys　books　when　the　artist　is　careless；　but　it　is　the　only　mode　of　preventing　our　volumes　from　falling　to　pieces；　and　from　being　some　day　disregarded　as　wastepaper。　　A　wellbound　book；　especially　a　book　from　a　famous　collection；　has　its　price；　even　if　its　literary　contents　be　of　trifling　value。　　A　leather　coat　fashioned　by　Derome；　or　Le　Gascon；　or　Duseuil；　will　win　respect　and　careful　handling　for　one　specimen　of　an　edition　whereof　all　the　others　have　perished。　　Nothing　is　so　slatternly　as　the　aspect　of　a　book　merely　stitched；　in　the　French　fashion；　when　the　threads　begin　to　stretch；　and　the　paper　covers　to　curl　and　be　torn。　　Worse　consequences　follow；　whole　sheets　are　lost；　the　volume　bees　worthless；　and　the　owner　must　often　be　at　the　expense　of　purchasing　another　copy；　if　he　can；　for　the　edition　may　now　be　out　of　print。　　Thus　binding　of　some　sort　not　only　adds　a　grace　to　the　library；　presenting　to　the　eye　the　cheerful　gilded　rows　of　our　volumes；