the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第14部分

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ich　the　poem　I　have　quoted　implies。　　We　regard　Grangerism　as　one　of　the　unfortunate　stages　in　bibliomania；　it　is　a　period　which　seldom　covers　more　than　five　years；　although　Dr。　O'Rell　has　met　with　one　case　in　his　practice　that　has　lasted　ten　years　and　still　gives　no　symptom　of　abating　in　virulence。

Humanity　invariably　condones　the　pranks　of　youth　on　the　broad　and　charitable　grounds　that　‘‘boys　will　be　boys''；　so　we　bibliomaniacs　are　prone　to　wink　at　the　follies　of　the　Grangerite；　for　we　know　that　he　will　know　better　by　and　by　and　will　heartily　repent　of　the　mischief　he　has　done。　　We　know　the　power　of　books　so　well　that　we　know　that　no　man　can　have　to　do　with　books　that　presently　he　does　not　love　them。　　He　may　at　first　endure　them；　then　he　may　come　only　to　pity　them；　anon；　as　surely　as　the　morrow's　sun　riseth；　he　shall　embrace　and　love　those　precious　things。

So　we　say　that　we　would　put　no　curb　upon　any　man；　it　being　better　that　many　books　should　be　destroyed；　if　ultimately　by　that　destruction　a　penitent　and　loyal　soul　be　added　to　the　roster　of　bibliomaniacs。　　　There　is　more　joy　over　one　Grangerite　that　repenteth　than　over　ninety　and　nine　just　men　that　need　no　repentance。

And　we　have　a　similar　feeling　toward　such　of　our　number　as　for　the　nonce　become　imbued　with　a　passion　for　any　of　the　other　little　fads　which　bibliomaniac　flesh　is　heir　to。　　All　the　soldiers　in　an　army　cannot　be　foot；　or　horse；　or　captains；　or　majors；　or　generals；　or　artillery；　or　ensigns；　or　drummers；　or　buglers。　　Each　one　has　his　place　to　fill　and　his　part　to　do；　and　the　consequence　is　a　concinnate　whole。　　Bibliomania　is　beautiful　as　an　entirety；　as　a　symmetrical　blending　of　a　multitude　of　component　parts；　and　he　is　indeed　disloyal　to　the　cause　who；　through　envy　or　shortsightedness　or　ignorance；　argues　to　the　discredit　of　angling；　or　Napoleonana；　or　balladry；　or　Indians；　or　Burns；　or　Americana；　or　any　other　branch　or　phase　of　bibliomania；　for　each　of　these　things　accomplishes　a　noble　purpose　in　that　each　contributes　to　the　glory　of　the　great　common　cause　of　bibliomania；　which　is　indeed　the　summum　bonum　of　human　life。

I　have　heard　many　decried　who　indulged　　their　fancy　for　bookplates；　as　if；　forsooth；　if　a　man　loved　his　books；　he　should　not　lavish　upon　them　testimonials　of　his　affection！　　Who　that　loves　his　wife　should　hesitate　to　buy　adornments　for　her　person？　　I　favor　everything　that　tends　to　prove　that　the　human　heart　is　swayed　by　the　tenderer　emotions。　　Gratitude　is　surely　one　of　the　noblest　emotions　of　which　humanity　is　capable；　and　he　is　indeed　unworthy　of　our　respect　who　would　forbid　humanity's　expressing　in　every　dignified　and　reverential　manner　its　gratitude　for　the　benefits　conferred　by　the　companionship　of　books。

As　for　myself；　I　urge　upon　all　lovers　of　books　to　provide　themselves　with　bookplates。　　Whenever　I　see　a　book　that　bears　its　owner's　plate　I　feel　myself　obligated　to　treat　that　book　with　special　consideration。　　It　carries　with　it　a　certificate　of　its　master's　love；　the　bookplate　gives　the　volume　a　certain　status　it　would　not　otherwise　have。　　Time　and　again　I　have　fished　musty　books　out　of　bins　in　front　of　bookstalls；　bought　them　and　borne　them　home　with　me　simply　because　they　had　upon　their　covers　the　　bookplates　of　their　former　owners。　　I　have　a　case　filled　with　these　aristocratic　estrays；　and　I　insist　that　they　shall　be　as　carefully　dusted　and　kept　as　my　other　books；　and　I　have　provided　in　my　will　for　their　perpetual　maintenance　after　my　decease。

If　I　were　a　rich　man　I　should　found　a　hospital　for　homeless　aristocratic　books；　an　institution　similar　in　all　essential　particulars　to　the　institution　which　is　now　operated　at　our　national　capital　under　the　bequest　of　the　late　Mr。　Cochrane。　　I　should　name　it　the　Home　for　Genteel　Volumes　in　Decayed　Circumstances。

I　was　a　young　man　when　I　adopted　the　bookplate　which　I　am　still　using；　and　which　will　be　found　in　all　my　books。　　I　drew　the　design　myself　and　had　it　executed　by　a　son　of　Anderson；　the　first　of　American　engravers。　　It　is　by　no　means　elaborate：　a　book　rests　upon　a　heart；　and　underneath　appear　the　lines：

　　　　　My　Book　and　Heart　　　　　　Must　never　part。

Ah；　little　Puritan　maid；　with　thy　dear　eyes　of　honest　blue　and　thy　fair　hair　in　proper　　plaits　adown　thy　back；　little　thought　we　that　springtime　long　ago　back　among　the　New　England　hills　that　the　tiny　book　we　read　together　should　follow　me　through　all　my　life！　　What　a　part　has　that　Primer　played！　　And　now　all　these　other　beloved　companions　bear　witness　to　the　love　I　bear　that　Primer　and　its　teachings；　for　each　wears　the　emblem　I　plucked　from　its　homely　pages。

That　was　in　the　springtime；　Captivity　Waite；　anon　came　summer；　with　all　its　exuberant　glory；　and　presently　the　cheery　autumn　stole　upon　me。　　And　now　it　is　the　winter…time；　and　under　the　snows　lies　buried　　many　a　sweet；　fair　thing　I　cherished　once。　　I　am　aweary　and　will　rest　a　little　while；　lie　thou　there；　my　pen；　for　a　dreama　pleasant　dreamcalleth　me　away。　　I　shall　see　those　distant　hills　again；　and　the　homestead　under　the　elms；　the　old　associations　and　the　old　influences　shall　be　round　about　me；　and　a　child　shall　lead　me　and　we　shall　go　together　through　green　pastures　and　by　still　waters。　　And；　O　my　pen；　it　will　be　the　springtime　again！




XIII

ON　THE　ODORS　WHICH　MY　BOOKS　EXHALE

Have　you　ever　come　out　of　the　thick；　smoky　atmosphere　of　the　town　into　the　fragrant；　gracious　atmosphere　of　a　library？　　If　you　have；　you　know　how　grateful　the　change　is；　and　you　will　agree　with　me　when　I　say　that　nothing　else　is　so　quieting　to　the　nerves；　so　conducive　to　physical　health；　and　so　quick　to　restore　a　lively　flow　of　the　spirits。

Lafcadio　Hearn　once　wrote　a　treatise　upon　perfumes；　an　ingenious　and　scholarly　performance；　he　limited　the　edition　to　fifty　copies　and　published　it　privatelyso　the　book　is　rarely　met　with。　　Curiously　enough；　however；　this　author　had　nothing　to　say　in　the　book　about　the　smells　of　books；　which　I　regard　as　a　most　unpardonable　error；　unless；　properly　estimating　the　subject　to　be　worthy　　of　a　separate　treatise；　he　has　postponed　its　consideration　and　treatment　to　a　time　when　he　can　devote　the　requisite　study　and　care　to　it。

We　have　it　upon　the　authority　of　William　Blades　that　books　breathe；　however；　the　testimony　of　experts　is　not　needed　upon　this　point；　for　if　anybody　be　sceptical；　all　he　has　to　do　to　convince　himself　is　to　open　a　door　of　a　bookcase　at　any　time　and　his　olfactories　will　be　greeted　by　an　outrush　of　odors　that　will　prove　to　him　beyond　all　doubt　that　books　do　actually　consume　air　and　exhale　perfumes。

Visitors　to　the　British　Museum　complain　not　unfrequently　that　they　are　overcome　by　the　closeness　of　the　atmosphere　in　that　place；　and　what　is　known　as　the　British　Museum　headache　has　come　to　be　recognized　by　the　medical　profession　in　London　as　a　specific　ailment　due　to　the　absence　of　oxygen　in　the　atmosphere；　which　condition　is　caused　by　the　multitude　of　books；　each　one　of　which；　by　that　breathing　process　peculiar　to　books；　consumes　several　thousand　cubic　feet　of　air　every　twenty…four　hours。　

Professor　Huxley　wondered　for　a　long　time　why　the　atmosphere　of　the　British　Museum　should　be　poisonous　while　other　libraries　were　free　from　the　poison；　a　series　of　experiments　convinced　him　that　the　presence　of　poison　in　the　atmosphere　was　due　to　the　number　of　profane　books　in　the　Museum。　　He　recommended　that　these　poison…engendering　volumes　be　treated　once　every　six　months　with　a　bath　of　cedria；　which；　as　I　understand；　is　a　solution　of　the　juices　of　the　cedar　tree；　this；　he　said；　would　purge　the　mischievous　volumes　temporarily　of　their　evil　propensities　and　abilities。

I　do　not　know　whether　this　remedy　is　effective；　but　I　remember　to　have　read　in　Pliny　that　cedria　was　used　by　the　ancients　to　render　their　manuscripts　imperishable。　　When　Cneius　Terentius　went　digging　in　his　estate　in　the　Janiculum　he　came　upon　a　coffer　which　contained　not　only　the　remains　of　Numa；　the　old　Roman　king；　but　also　the　manuscripts　of　the　famous　laws　which　Numa　compiled。　　The　king　was　in　some　such　condition　as　you　might　suppose　him　to　be　after　having　been　buried　several　centuries；　　but　the　manuscripts　were　as　fresh　as　new；　and　their　being　so　is　said　to　have　been　due　to　the　fact　that　before　their　burial　they　were　rubbed　with　citrus　leaves。

These　so…called　books　of　Numa　would　perhaps　have　been　preserved　unto　this　day　but　for　the　fanaticism　of　the　people　who　exhumed　and　read　them；　they　were　promptly　burned　by　Quintus　Petilius；　the　praetor；　because　（as　Cassius　Hemina　explains）　they　treated　of　philosophical　subjects；　or　because；　as　Livy　testifies；　their　doctrines　were　inimical　to　the　religion　then　existing。

As　I　have　had　little　to　do　with　profane　literature；　I　know　nothing　of　the　habits　of　such　books　as　Professor　Huxley　has　prescribed　an　antidote　against。　　Of　such　books　as　I　have　gathered　about　me　and　made　my　constant　companions　I　can　say　truthfully　that　a　more　delectable…flavored　lot　it　were　impossible　to　find。　　As　I　walk　amongst　them；　touching　first　this　one　and　then　that；　and　regarding　all　with　glances　of　affectionate　approval；　I　fancy　that　I　am　walking　in　a　splendid　garden；　full　of　charming　vistas；　wherein　parterre　after　parterre　of　beautiful　flowers　is　　unfolded　to　my　enraptured　vision；　and　surely　there　never　were　other　odors　so　delightful　as　the　odors　which　my　books　exhale！


　　My　garden　aboundeth　in　pleasant　nooks　　　　　　　And　fragrance　is　over　it　all；　　　For　sweet　is　the　smell　of　my　old；　old　books　　　　　　　In　their　places　against　the　wall。

　　Here　is　a　folio　that's　grim　with　age　　　　　　　And　yellow　and　green　with　mould；　　　There's　the　breath　of　the　sea　on　every　page　　　　　　　And　the　hint　of　a　stanch　ship's　hold。

　　And　here　is　a　treasure　from　France　la　belle　　　　　　　Exhaleth　a　faint　perfume　　　Of　wedded　lily　and　asphodel　　　　　　　In　a　garden　of　song　abloom。

　　And　this　wee　little　book　of　Puritan　mien　　　　　　　And　rude；　conspicuous　print　　　Hath　the　Yankee　flavor　of　wintergreen；　　　　　　　Or；　may　be；　of　peppermint。

　　In　Walton　the　brooks　a…babbling　tell　　　　　　　Where　the　cheery　daisy　grows；　　　And　where　in　meadow　or　woodland　dwell　　　　　　　The　buttercup　and　the　rose。　

　　But　best　beloved　of　books；　I　ween；　　　　　　　Are　those　which　one　perceives　　　Are　hallowed　by　ashes　dropped　between　　　　　　　T