the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第18部分

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on　had　ended。　　Yet；　having　resolved　to　buy　it　had　served　me　almost　as　effectively　as　though　I　had　actually　bought　it；　I　thoughtaye；　I　could　have　sworn　I　HAD　bought　it；　simply　because　I　MEANT　to　buy　it。

‘‘The　experience　is　not　unique；''　said　Judge　Methuen；　when　I　narrated　it　to　him　at　our　next　meeting。　　‘‘Speaking　for　myself；　I　can　say　that　it　is　a　confirmed　habit　with　me　to　mark　certain　items　in　catalogues　which　I　read；　and　then　to　go　my　way　in　the　pleasing　conviction　that　they　are　actually　mine。''

‘‘I　meet　with　cases　of　this　character　continually；''　said　Dr。　O'Rell。　　‘‘The　hallucination　is　one　that　is　recognized　as　a　specific　one　by　pathologists；　its　cure　is　quickest　effected　by　means　of　hypnotism。　　Within　the　last　year　a　lady　of　beauty　and　refinement　came　to　me　in　serious　distress。　　She　confided　to　me　amid　a　copious　effusion　of　tears　that　her　husband　was　upon　the　verge　of　insanity。　　Her　testimony　was　to　the　effect　that　the　unfortunate　man　believed　himself　to　be　possessed　of　a　large　library；　the　fact　being　that　the　number　of　his　books　was　limited　to　three　hundred　or　thereabouts。

‘‘Upon　inquiry　I　learned　that　N。　M。　（for　so　I　will　call　the　victim　of　this　delusion）　made　a　practice　of　reading　and　of　marking　booksellers'　catalogues；　further　investigation　developed　that　N。　M。's　great…uncle　on　his　mother's　side　had　invented　a　flying…machine　　that　would　not　fly；　and　that　a　half…brother　of　his　was　the　author　of　a　pamphlet　entitled　‘16　to　1；　or　the　Poor　Man's　Vade…Mecum。'

‘‘　‘Madam；'　said　I；　‘it　is　clear　to　me　that　your　husband　is　afflicted　with　catalogitis。'

‘‘At　this　the　poor　woman　went　into　hysterics；　bewailing　that　she　should　have　lived　to　see　the　object　of　her　affection　the　victim　of　a　malady　so　grievous　as　to　require　a　Greek　name。　　When　she　became　calmer　I　explained　to　her　that　the　malady　was　by　no　means　fatal；　and　that　it　yielded　readily　to　treatment。''

‘‘What；　in　plain　terms；''　asked　Judge　Methuen；　‘‘is　catalogitis？''

‘‘I　will　explain　briefly；''　answered　the　doctor。　　‘‘You　must　know　first　that　every　perfect　human　being　is　provided　with　two　sets　of　bowels；　he　has　physical　bowels　and　intellectual　bowels；　the　brain　being　the　latter。　　Hippocrates　（since　whose　time　the　science　of　medicine　has　not　advanced　even　the　two　stadia；　five　parasangs　of　Xenophon）　Hippocrates；　I　say；　discovered　that　the　brain　is　subject　to　those　very　same　diseases　to　which　the　other　and　inferior　bowels　are　liable。　

‘‘Galen　confirmed　this　discovery　and　he　records　a　case　（Lib。　xi。；　p。　318）　wherein　there　were　exhibited　in　the　intellectual　bowels　symptoms　similar　to　those　we　find　in　appendicitis。　　The　brain　is　wrought　into　certain　convolutions；　just　as　the　alimentary　canal　is；　the　fourth　layer；　so　called；　contains　elongated　groups　of　small　cells　or　nuclei；　radiating　at　right　angles　to　its　plane；　which　groups　present　a　distinctly　fanlike　structure。　　Catalogitis　is　a　stoppage　of　this　fourth　layer；　whereby　the　functions　of　the　fanlike　structure　are　suffered　no　longer　to　cool　the　brain；　and　whereby　also　continuity　of　thought　is　interrupted；　just　as　continuity　of　digestion　is　prevented　by　stoppage　of　the　vermiform　appendix。

‘‘The　learned　Professor　Biersteintrinken；''　continued　Dr。　O'Rell；　‘‘has　advanced　in　his　scholarly　work　on　‘Raderinderkopf'　the　interesting　theory　that　catalogitis　is　produced　by　the　presence　in　the　brain　of　a　germ　which　has　its　origin　in　the　cheap　paper　used　by　booksellers　for　catalogue　purposes；　and　this　theory　seems　to　have　the　approval　of　M。　Marie…Tonsard；　the　most　famous　of　authorities　on　inebriety；　in　his　celebrated　classic　entitled　‘Un　Trait　sur　Jacques…Jacques。'　''

‘‘Did　you　effect　a　cure　in　the　case　of　N。　M。？''　I　asked。

‘‘With　the　greatest　of　ease；''　answered　the　doctor。　　‘‘By　means　of　hypnotism　I　purged　his　intellectuals　of　their　hallucination；　relieving　them　of　their　perception　of　objects　which　have　no　reality　and　ridding　them　of　sensations　which　have　no　corresponding　external　cause。　　The　patient　made　a　rapid　recovery；　and；　although　three　months　have　elapsed　since　his　discharge；　he　has　had　no　return　of　the　disease。''

As　a　class　booksellers　do　not　encourage　the　reading　of　other　booksellers'　catalogues；　this　is；　presumably；　because　they　do　not　care　to　encourage　buyers　to　buy　of　other　sellers。　　My　bookseller；　who　in　all　virtues　of　head　and　heart　excels　all　other　booksellers　I　ever　met　with；　makes　a　scrupulous　practice　of　destroying　the　catalogues　that　come　to　his　shop；　lest　some　stray　copy　may　fall　into　the　hands　of　a　mousing　book…lover　and　divert　his　attention　to　other　hunting…grounds。　　It　is　indeed　remarkable　to　what　excess　the　　catalogue　habit　will　carry　its　victim；　the　author　of　‘‘Will　Shakespeare；　a　Comedy；''　has　frequently　confessed　to　me　that　it　mattered　not　to　him　whether　a　catalogue　was　twenty　years　oldso　long　as　it　was　a　catalogue　of　books　he　found　the　keenest　delight　in　its　perusal；　I　have　often　heard　Mr。　Hamlin；　the　theatre　manager；　say　that　he　preferred　old　catalogues　to　new；　for　the　reason　that　the　bargains　to　be　met　with　in　old　catalogues　expired　long　ago　under　the　statute　of　limitations。

Judge　Methuen；　who　is　a　married　man　and　has　therefore　had　an　excellent　opportunity　to　study　the　sex；　tells　me　that　the　wives　of　bibliomaniacs　regard　catalogues　as　the　most　mischievous　temptations　that　can　be　thrown　in　the　way　of　their　husbands。　　I　once　committed　the　imprudence　of　mentioning　the　subject　in　Mrs。　Methuen's　presence：　that　estimable　lady　gave　it　as　her　opinion　that　there　were　plenty　of　ways　of　spending　money　foolishly　without　having　recourse　to　a　book…catalogue　for　suggestion。　　I　wonder　whether　Captivity　would　have　had　this　opinion；　had　Providence　ordained　that　　we　should　walk　together　the　quiet　pathway　of　New　England　life；　would　Yseult　always　have　retained　the　exuberance　and　sweetness　of　her　youth；　had　she　and　I　realized　what　might　have　been？　　Would　Fanchonette　always　have　sympathized　with　the　whims　and　vagaries　of　the　restless　yet　loyal　soul　that　hung　enraptured　on　her　singing　in　the　Quartier　Latin　so　long　ago　that　the　memory　of　that　song　is　like　the　memory　of　a　ghostly　echo　now？

Away　with　such　reflections！　　Bring　in　the　candles；　good　servitor；　and　range　them　at　my　bed's　head；　sweet　avocation　awaits　me；　for　here　I　have　a　goodly　parcel　of　catalogues　with　which　to　commune。　　They　are　messages　from　Methuen；　Sotheran；　Libbie；　Irvine；　Hutt；　Davey；　Baer；　Crawford；　Bangs；　McClurg；　Matthews；　Francis；　Bouton；　Scribner；　Benjamin；　and　a　score　of　other　friends　in　every　part　of　Christendom；　they　deserve　and　they　shall　have　my　respectfulnay；　my　enthusiastic　attention。　　Once　more　I　shall　seem　to　be　in　the　old　familiar　shops　where　treasures　abound　and　where　patient　delving　bringeth　rich　rewards。　　Egad；　what　　a　spendthrift　I　shall　be　this　night；　pence；　shillings；　thalers；　marks；　francs；　dollars；　sovereignsthey　are　the　same　to　me！

Then；　after　I　have　comprehended　all　the　treasures　within　reach；　how　sweet　shall　be　my　dreams　of　shelves　overflowing　with　the　wealth　of　which　my　fancy　has　possessed　me！


　　Then　shall　my　library　be　devote　　　　　　　To　the　magic　of　Niddy…Noddy；　　　Including　the　volumes　which　Nobody　wrote　　　　　　　And　the　works　of　Everybody。　





　XVII

THE　NAPOLEONIC　RENAISSANCE

If　I　had　begun　collecting　Napoleonana　in　my　youth　I　should　now　have　on　hand　a　priceless　collection。　　This　reminds　me　that　when　I　first　came　to　Chicago　suburban　property　along　the　North　Shore　could　be　bought　for　five　hundred　dollars　an　acre　which　now　sells　for　two　hundred　dollars　a　front　foot；　if　I　had　purchased　real　estate　in　that　locality　when　I　had　the　opportunity　forty　years　ago　I　should　be　a　millionnaire　at　the　present　time。

I　think　I　am　more　regretful　of　having　neglected　the　Napoleonana　than　of　having　missed　the　real…estate　chances；　for　since　my　library　contains　fewer　than　two　hundred　volumes　relating　to　Bonaparte　and　his　times　I　feel　that　I　have　been　strangely　remiss　in　the　pursuit　of　one　of　the　most　interesting　and　most　instructive　of　bibliomaniac　fads。　　When　I　behold　the　remarkable　collections　of　Napoleonana　made　by　certain　friends　of　mine　I　am　filled　with　conflicting　emotions　of　delight　and　envy；　and　Judge　Methuen　and　I　are　wont　to　contemplate　with　regret　the　opportunities　we　once　had　of　throwing　all　these　modern　collections　in　the　shade。

When　I　speak　of　Napoleonana　I　refer　exclusively　to　literature　relating　to　Napoleon；　the　term；　however；　is　generally　used　in　a　broader　sense；　and　includes　every　variety　of　object；　from　the　snuff…boxes　used　by　the　emperor　at　Malmaison　to　the　slippers　he　wore　at　St。　Helena。　　My　friend；　Mr。　Redding；　of　California；　has　a　silver　knife　and　fork　that　once　belonged　to　Bonaparte；　and　Mr。　Mills；　another　friend　of　mine；　has　the　neckerchief　which　Napoleon　wore　on　the　field　of　Waterloo。　　In　Le　Blanc's　little　treatise　upon　the　art　of　tying　the　cravat　it　is　recorded　that　Napoleon　generally　wore　a　black　silk　cravat；　as　was　remarked　at　Wagram；　Lodi；　Marengo　and　Austerlitz。　　‘‘But　at　Waterloo；''　says　Le　Blanc；　‘‘it　was　observed　that；　contrary　to　his　usual　custom；　he　wore　a　white　handkerchief　with　a　flowing　bow；　although　　the　day　previous　he　appeared　in　his　black　cravat。''

I　remember　to　have　seen　in　the　collection　of　Mr。　Melville　E。　Stone　a　finger…ring；　which；　having　been　brought　by　an　old　French　soldier　to　New　Orleans；　ultimately　found　its　way　to　a　pawn…shop。　　This　bauble　was　of　gold；　and　at　two　opposite　points　upon　its　outer　surface　appeared　a　Napoleonic　‘‘N；''　done　in　black　enamel：　by　pressing　upon　one　of　these　Ns　a　secret　spring　was　operated；　the　top　of　the　ring　flew　back；　and　a　tiny　gold　figure　of　the　Little　Corporal　stood　up；　to　the　astonishment　and　admiration　of　the　beholder。

Another　curious　Napoleonic　souvenir　in　Mr。　Stone's　motley　collection　is　a　cotton　print　handkerchief；　upon　which　are　recorded　scenes　from　the　career　of　the　emperor；　the　thing　must　have　been　of　English　manufacture；　for　only　an　Englishman　（inspired　by　that　fear　and　that　hatred　of　Bonaparte　which　only　Englishmen　had）　could　have　devised　this　atrocious　libel。　　One　has　to　read　the　literature　current　in　the　earlier　part　of　this　century　in　order　to　get　a　correct　idea　of　the　terror　with　which　Bonaparte　filled　his　enemies；　and　this　literature　is　so　extensive　that　it　seems　an　impossibility　that　anything　like　a　complete　collectio