the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第4部分

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rom　Crofton　Croker's　‘‘Traditions　of　the　South　of　Ireland；''　Mrs。　Carey's　‘‘Legends　of　the　French　Provinces；''　Andrew　Lang's　Green；　Blue　and　Red　fairy　books；　Laboulaye's　‘‘Last　Fairy　Tales；''　Hauff's　‘‘The　Inn　in　the　Spessart；''　Julia　Goddard's　‘‘Golden　Weathercock；''　Frere's　‘‘Eastern　Fairy　Legends；''　　Asbjornsen's　‘‘Folk　Tales；''　Susan　Pindar's　‘‘Midsummer　Fays；''　Nisbit　Bain's　‘‘Cossack　Fairy　Tales；''　etc。；　etc。

I　fell　asleep　with　a　copy　of　Villamaria's　fairy　stories　in　my　hands；　and　I　had　a　delightful　dream　wherein；　under　the　protection　and　guidance　of　my　fairy　godmother；　I　undertook　the　rescue　of　a　beautiful　princess　who　had　been　enchanted　by　a　cruel　witch　and　was　kept　in　prison　by　the　witch's　son；　a　hideous　ogre　with　seven　heads；　whose　companions　were　four　equally　hideous　dragons。

This　undertaking　in　which　I　was　engaged　involved　a　period　of　five　years；　but　time　is　of　precious　little　consideration　to　one　when　he　is　dreaming　of　exploits　achieved　in　behalf　of　a　beautiful　princess。　　My　fairy　godmother　（she　wore　a　mob…cap　and　was　hunchbacked）　took　good　care　of　me；　and　conducted　me　safely　through　all　my　encounters　with　demons；　giants；　dragons；　witches；　serpents；　hippogriffins；　ogres；　etc。；　and　I　had　just　rescued　the　princess　and　broken　the　spell　which　bound　her；　and　we　were　about　to　‘‘live　in　peace　to　the　end　of　our　lives；''　when　I　awoke　to　find　it　was　all　a　dream；　and　that　the　gas…　light　over　my　bed　had　been　blazing　away　during　the　entire　period　of　my　five…year　war　for　the　delectable　maiden。

This　incident　gives　me　an　opportunity　to　say　that　observation　has　convinced　me　that　all　good　and　true　book…lovers　practise　the　pleasing　and　improving　avocation　of　reading　in　bed。　　Indeed；　I　fully　believe　with　Judge　Methuen　that　no　book　can　be　appreciated　until　it　has　been　slept　with　and　dreamed　over。　　You　recall；　perhaps；　that　eloquent　passage　in　his　noble　defence　of　the　poet　Archias；　wherein　Cicero　（not　Kikero）　refers　to　his　own　pursuit　of　literary　studies：　　‘‘Haec　studia　adolescentiam　alunt；　senectutem　oblectant；　secundas　res　ornant；　adversis　perfugium　ac　solatium　praebent；　delectant　domi；　non　impediunt　foris；　PERNOCTANT　nobiscum；　peregrinantur；　rusticantur！''

By　the　gods！　you　spoke　tally；　friend　Cicero；　for　it　is　indeed　so；　that　these　pursuits　nourish　our　earlier　and　delight　our　later　years；　dignifying　the　minor　details　of　life　and　affording　a　perennial　refuge　and　solace；　at　home　they　please　us　and　in　no　vocation　elsewhere　do　they　embarrass　us；　they　are　with　　us　by　night；　they　go　with　us　upon　our　travels；　and　even　upon　our　retirement　into　the　country　do　they　accompany　us！

I　have　italicized　pernoctant　because　it　is　that　word　which　demonstrates　beyond　all　possibility　of　doubt　that　Cicero　made　a　practice　of　reading　in　bed。　　Why；　I　can　almost　see　him　now；　propped　up　in　his　couch；　unrolling　scroll　after　scroll　of　his　favorite　literature；　and　enjoying　it　mightily；　too；　which　enjoyment　is　interrupted　now　and　then　by　the　occasion　which　the　noble　reader　takes　to　mutter　maledictions　upon　the　slave　who　has　let　the　lamp　run　low　of　oil　or　has　neglected　to　trim　the　wick。

‘‘Peregrinantur？''　　Indeed；　they　do　share　our　peregrinations；　these　literary　pursuits　do。　　If　Thomas　Hearne　（of　blessed　memory！）　were　alive　to…day　he　would　tell　us　that　he　used　always　to　take　a　book　along　with　him　whenever　he　went　walking；　and　was　wont　to　read　it　as　he　strolled　along。　　On　several　occasions　（as　he　tells　us　in　his　diary）　he　became　so　absorbed　in　his　reading　that　he　missed　his　way　and　darkness　came　upon　him　before　he　knew　it。　

I　have　always　wondered　why　book…lovers　have　not　had　more　to　say　of　Hearne；　for　assuredly　he　was　as　glorious　a　collector　as　ever　felt　the　divine　fire　glow　within　him。　　His　character　is　exemplified　in　this　prayer；　which　is　preserved　among　other　papers　of　his　in　the　Bodleian　Library：

‘‘O　most　gracious　and　merciful　Lord　God；　wonderful　is　Thy　providence。　　I　return　all　possible　thanks　to　Thee　for　the　care　Thou　hast　always　taken　of　me。　　I　continually　meet　with　most　signal　instances　of　this　Thy　providence；　and　one　act　yesterday；　when　I　unexpectedly　met　with　three　old　MSS。；　for　which；　in　a　particular　manner；　I　return　my　thanks；　beseeching　Thee　to　continue　the　same　protection　to　me；　a　poor；　helpless　sinner；''　etc。

Another　prayer　of　Hearne's；　illustrative　of　his　faith　in　dependence　upon　Divine　counsel；　was　made　at　the　time　Hearne　was　importuned　by　Dr。　Bray；　commissary　to　my　Lord　Bishop　of　London；　‘‘to　go　to　Mary…　Land''　in　the　character　of　a　missionary。　　‘‘O　Lord　God；　Heavenly　Father；　look　down　upon　me　with　pity；''　cries　this　pious　soul；　　‘‘and　be　pleased　to　be　my　guide；　now　I　am　importuned　to　leave　the　place　where　I　have　been　educated　in　the　university。　　And　of　Thy　great　goodness　I　humbly　desire　Thee　to　signify　to　me　what　is　most　proper　for　me　to　do　in　this　affair。''

Another　famous　man　who　made　a　practice　of　reading　books　as　he　walked　the　highways　was　Dr。　Johnson；　and　it　is　recorded　that　he　presented　a　curious　spectacle　indeed；　for　his　shortsightedness　compelled　him　to　hold　the　volume　close　to　his　nose；　and　he　shuffled　along；　rather　than　walked；　stepping　high　over　shadows　and　stumbling　over　sticks　and　stones。

But；　perhaps；　the　most　interesting　story　illustrative　of　the　practice　of　carrying　one's　reading　around　with　one　is　that　which　is　told　of　Professor　Porson；　the　Greek　scholar。　　This　human　monument　of　learning　happened　to　be　travelling　in　the　same　coach　with　a　coxcomb　who　sought　to　air　his　pretended　learning　by　quotations　from　the　ancients。　　At　last　old　Porson　asked：

‘‘Pri'thee；　sir；　whence　comes　that　quotation？''　　

‘‘From　Sophocles；''quoth　the　vain　fellow。

‘‘Be　so　kind　as　to　find　it　for　me？''　asked　Porson；　producing　a　copy　of　Sophocles　from　his　pocket。

Then　the　coxcomb；　not　at　all　abashed；　said　that　he　meant　not　Sophocles；　but　Euripides。　　Whereupon　Porson　drew　from　another　pocket　a　copy　of　Euripides　and　challenged　the　upstart　to　find　the　quotation　in　question。　　Full　of　confusion；　the　fellow　thrust　his　head　out　of　the　window　of　the　coach　and　cried　to　the　driver：

‘‘In　heaven's　name；　put　me　down　at　once；　for　there　is　an　old　gentleman　in　here　that　hath　the　Bodleian　Library　in　his　pocket！''

Porson　himself　was　a　veritable　slave　to　the　habit　of　reading　in　bed。　　He　would　lie　down　with　his　books　piled　around　him；　then　light　his　pipe　and　start　in　upon　some　favorite　volume。　　A　jug　of　liquor　was　invariably　at　hand；　for　Porson　was　a　famous　drinker。　　It　is　related　that　on　one　occasion　he　fell　into　a　boosy　slumber；　his　pipe　dropped　out　of　his　mouth　and　set　fire　to　the　bed…　clothes。　　But　for　the　arrival　of　succor　the　　tipsy　scholar　would　surely　have　been　cremated。

Another　very　slovenly　fellow　was　De　Quincey；　and　he　was　devoted　to　reading　in　bed。　　But　De　Quincey　was　a　very　vandal　when　it　came　to　the　care　and　use　of　books。　　He　never　returned　volumes　he　borrowed；　and　he　never　hesitated　to　mutilate　a　rare　book　in　order　to　save　himself　the　labor　and　trouble　of　writing　out　a　quotation。

But　perhaps　the　person　who　did　most　to　bring　reading　in　bed　into　evil　repute　was　Mrs。　Charles　Elstob；　ward　and　sister　of　the　Canon　of　Canterbury　（circa　1700）。　　In　his　‘‘Dissertation　on　Letter…Founders；''　Rowe　Mores　describes　this　woman　as　the　‘‘indefessa　comes''　of　her　brother's　studies；　a　female　student　in　Oxford。　　She　was；　says　Mores；　a　northern　lady　of　an　ancient　family　and　a　genteel　fortune；　‘‘but　she　pursued　too　much　the　drug　called　learning；　and　in　that　pursuit　failed　of　being　careful　of　any　one　thing　necessary。　　In　her　latter　years　she　was　tutoress　in　the　family　of　the　Duke　of　Portland；　where　we　visited　her　in　her　sleeping…room　at　Bulstrode；　surrounded　　with　books　and　dirtiness；　the　usual　appendages　of　folk　of　learning！''

There　is　another　word　which　Cicero　uses　for　I　have　still　somewhat　more　to　say　of　that　passage　from　the　oration　‘‘pro　Archia　poeta''the　word　‘‘rusticantur；''　which　indicates　that　civilization　twenty　centuries　ago　made　a　practice　of　taking　books　out　into　the　country　for　summer　reading。　　‘‘These　literary　pursuits　rusticate　with　us；''　says　Cicero；　and　thus　he　presents　to　us　a　pen…　picture　of　the　Roman　patrician　stretched　upon　the　cool　grass　under　the　trees；　perusing　the　latest　popular　romance；　while；　forsooth；　in　yonder　hammock　his　dignified　spouse　swings　slowly　to　and　fro；　conning　the　pages　and　the　colored　plates　of　the　current　fashion　journal。　　Surely　in　the　telltale　word　‘‘rusticantur''　you　and　I　and　the　rest　of　human　nature　find　a　worthy　precedent　and　much　encouragement　for　our　practice　of　loading　up　with　plenty　of　good　reading　before　we　start　for　the　scene　of　our　annual　summering。

As　for　myself；　I　never　go　away　from　home　that　I　do　not　take　a　trunkful　of　books　with　　me；　for　experience　has　taught　me　that　there　is　no　companionship　better　than　that　of　these　friends；　who；　however　much　all　things　else　may　vary；　always　give　the　same　response　to　my　demand　upon　their　solace　and　their　cheer。　　My　sister；　Miss　Susan；　has　often　inveighed　against　this　practice　of　mine；　and　it　was　only　yesterday　that　she　informed　me　that　I　was　the　most　exasperating　man　in　the　world。

However；　as　Miss　Susan's　experience　with　men　during　the　sixty…seven　hot　summers　and　sixty…eight　hard　winters　of　her　life　has　been　somewhat　limited；　I　think　I　should　bear　her　criticism　without　a　murmur。　　Miss　Susan　is　really　one　of　the　kindest　creatures　in　all　the　world。　　It　is　her　misfortune　that　she　has　had　all　her　life　an　insane　passion　for　collecting　crockery；　old　pewter；　old　brass；　old　glass；　old　furniture　and　other　trumpery　of　that　character；　a　passion　with　which　I　have　little　sympathy。　　I　do　not　know　that　Miss　Susan　is　prouder　of　her　collection　of　all　this　folderol　than　she　is　of　the　fact　that　she　is　a　spinster。

This　latter　peculiarity　asserts　itself　upon　　every　occasion　possible。　　I　recall　an　unpleasant　scene　in　the　omnibus　last　winter；　when　the　obsequious　conductor；　taking　advantage　of　my　sister's　white　hair　and　furrowed　cheeks；　addressed　that　estimable　lady　as　‘‘Madam。''　　I'd　have　you　know　that　my　sister　gave　the　fellow　to　understand　very　shortly　and　in　very　vigorous　English　（emphasized　with　her　blue　silk　umbrella）　that　she　was　Miss　Susan；　and　that　she　did　not　intend　to　be　Madamed　by　anybody；　under　any　condition。　




IV

THE　MANIA　OF　COLLECTING　SEIZES