the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第6部分

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That　very　day　I　dispersed　my　hoard　of　antiques；　retaining　only　my　Prynne's　‘‘Histrio…　Mastix''　and　my　Opera　Quinti　Horatii　Flacci　（8vo；　Aldus；　Venetiis；　1501）。　　And　then　I　became　interested　in　British　balladrya　noble　subject；　for　which　I　have　always　had　a　veneration　and　love；　as　the　well…kept　and　profusely　annotated　volumes　in　cases　3；　6；　and　9　in　the　front　room　are　ready　to　prove　to　you　at　any　time　you　choose　to　visit　my　quiet；　pleasant　home。　





V

BALDNESS　AND　INTELLECTUALITY

One　of　Judge　Methuen's　pet　theories　is　that　the　soul　in　the　human　body　lies　near　the　center　of　gravity；　this　is；　I　believe；　one　of　the　tenets　of　the　Buddhist　faith；　and　for　a　long　time　I　eschewed　it　as　one　might　shun　a　vile　thing；　for　I　feared　lest　I　should　become　identified　even　remotely　with　any　faith　or　sect　other　than　Congregationalism。

Yet　I　noticed　that　in　moments　of　fear　or　of　joy　or　of　the　sense　of　any　other　emotion　I　invariably　experienced　a　feeling　of　goneness　in　the　pit　of　my　stomach；　as　if；　forsooth；　the　center　of　my　physical　system　were　also　the　center　of　my　nervous　and　intellectual　system；　the　point　at　which　were　focused　all　those　devious　lines　of　communication　by　means　of　which　sensation　is　instantaneously　transmitted　from　one　part　of　the　body　to　another。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

I　mentioned　this　circumstance　to　Judge　Methuen；　and　it　seemed　to　please　him。　　‘‘My　friend；''　said　he；　‘‘you　have　a　particularly　sensitive　soul；　I　beg　of　you　to　exercise　the　greatest　prudence　in　your　treatment　of　it。　　It　is　the　best　type　of　the　bibliomaniac　soul；　for　the　quickness　of　its　apprehensions　betokens　that　it　is　alert　and　keen　and　capable　of　instantaneous　impressions　and　enthusiasms。　　What　you　have　just　told　me　convinces　me　that　you　are　by　nature　qualified　for　rare　exploits　in　the　science　and　art　of　book…collecting。　　You　will　presently　become　baldperhaps　as　bald　as　Thomas　Hobbes　wasfor　a　vigilant　and　active　soul　invariably　compels　baldness；　so　close　are　the　relations　between　the　soul　and　the　brain；　and　so　destructive　are　the　growth　and　operations　of　the　soul　to　those　vestigial　features　which　humanity　has　inherited　from　those　grosser　animals；　our　prehistoric　ancestors。''

You　see　by　this　that　Judge　Methuen　recognized　baldness　as　prima…facie　evidence　of　intellectuality　and　spirituality。　　He　has　collected　much　literature　upon　the　subject；　and　has　　promised　the　Academy　of　Science　to　prepare　and　read　for　the　instruction　of　that　learned　body　an　essay　demonstrating　that　absence　of　hair　from　the　cranium　（particularly　from　the　superior　regions　of　the　frontal　and　parietal　divisions）　proves　a　departure　from　the　instincts　and　practices　of　brute　humanity；　and　indicates　surely　the　growth　of　the　understanding。

It　occurred　to　the　Judge　long　ago　to　prepare　a　list　of　the　names　of　the　famous　bald　men　in　the　history　of　human　society；　and　this　list　has　grown　until　it　includes　the　names　of　thousands；　representing　every　profession　and　vocation。　　Homer；　Socrates；　Confucius；　Aristotle；　Plato；　Cicero；　Pliny；　Maecenas；　Julius　Caesar；　Horace；　Shakespeare；　Bacon；　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　Dante；　Pope；　Cowper；　Goldsmith；　Wordsworth；　Israel　Putnam；　John　Quincy　Adams；　Patrick　Henrythese　geniuses　all　were　bald。　　But　the　baldest　of　all　was　the　philosopher　Hobbes；　of　whom　the　revered　John　Aubrey　has　recorded　that　‘‘he　was　very　bald；　yet　within　dore　he　used　to　study　and　sitt　bare…headed；　and　said　he　never　took　cold　in　his　head；　but　that　the　greatest　　trouble　was　to　keepe　off　the　flies　from　pitching　on　the　baldness。''

In　all　the　portraits　and　pictures　of　Bonaparte　which　I　have　seen；　a　conspicuous　feature　is　that　curl　or　lock　of　hair　which　depends　upon　the　emperor's　forehead；　and　gives　to　the　face　a　pleasant　degree　of　picturesque　distinction。　　Yet　this　was　a　vanity；　and　really　a　laughable　one；　for　early　in　life　Bonaparte　began　to　get　bald；　and　this　so　troubled　him　that　he　sought　to　overcome　the　change　it　made　in　his　appearance　by　growing　a　long　strand　of　hair　upon　his　occiput　and　bringing　it　forward　a　goodly　distance　in　such　artful　wise　that　it　right　ingeniously　served　the　purposes　of　that　Hyperion　curl　which　had　been　the　pride　of　his　youth；　but　which　had　fallen　early　before　the　ravages　of　time。

As　for　myself；　I　do　not　know　that　I　ever　shared　that　derisive　opinion　in　which　the　unthinking　are　wont　to　hold　baldness。　　Nay；　on　the　contrary；　I　have　always　had　especial　reverence　for　this　mark　of　intellectuality；　and　I　agree　with　my　friend　Judge　Methuen　that　the　tragic　episode　recorded　in　the　second　chapter　of　II。　Kings　should　serve　the　honorable　purpose　of　indicating　to　humanity　that　bald　heads　are　favored　with　the　approval　and　the　protection　of　Divinity。

In　my　own　case　I　have　imputed　my　early　baldness　to　growth　in　intellectuality　and　spirituality　induced　by　my　fondness　for　and　devotion　to　books。　　Miss　Susan；　my　sister；　lays　it　to　other　causes；　first　among　which　she　declares　to　be　my　unnatural　practice　of　reading　in　bed；　and　the　second　my　habit　of　eating　welsh…rarebits　late　of　nights。　　Over　my　bed　I　have　a　gas…jet　so　properly　shaded　that　the　rays　of　light　are　concentrated　and　reflected　downward　upon　the　volume　which　I　am　reading。

Miss　Susan　insists　that　much　of　this　light　and　its　attendant　heat　falls　upon　my　head；　compelling　there　a　dryness　of　the　scalp　whereby　the　follicles　have　been　deprived　of　their　natural　nourishment　and　have　consequently　died。　　She　furthermore　maintains　that　the　welsh…rarebits　of　which　I　partake　invariably　at　the　eleventh　hour　every　night　breed　poisonous　vapors　and　subtle　megrims　within　my　stomach；　which　humors；　rising　by　their　natural　courses　to　my　brain；　do　　therein　produce　a　fever　that　from　within　burneth　up　the　fluids　necessary　to　a　healthy　condition　of　the　capillary　growth　upon　the　super…　adjacent　and　exterior　cranial　integument。

Now；　this　very　declaration　of　Miss　Susan's　gives　me　a　potent　argument　in　defence　of　my　practices；　for；　being　bald；　would　not　a　neglect　of　those　means　whereby　warmth　is　engendered　where　it　is　needed　result　in　colds；　quinsies；　asthmas；　and　a　thousand　other　banes？　　The　same　benignant　Providence　which；　according　to　Laurence　Sterne；　tempereth　the　wind　to　the　shorn　lamb　provideth　defence　and　protection　for　the　bald。　　Had　I　not　loved　books；　the　soul　in　my　midriff　had　not　done　away　with　those　capillary　vestiges　of　my　simian　ancestry　which　originally　flourished　upon　my　scalp；　had　I　not　become　bald；　the　delights　and　profits　of　reading　in　bed　might　never　have　fallen　to　my　lot。

And　indeed　baldness　has　its　compensations；　when　I　look　about　me　and　see　the　time；　the　energy；　and　the　money　that　are　continually　expended　upon　the　nurture　and　tending　of　the　hair；　I　am　thankful　that　my　lot　　is　what　it　is。　　For　now　my　money　is　applied　to　the　buying　of　books；　and　my　time　and　energy　are　devoted　to　the　reading　of　them。

To　thy　vain　employments；　thou　becurled　and　pomaded　Absalom！　　Sweeter　than　thy　unguents　and　cosmetics　and　Sabean　perfumes　is　the　smell　of　those　old　books　of　mine；　which　from　the　years　and　from　the　ship's　hold　and　from　constant　companionship　with　sages　and　philosophers　have　acquired　a　fragrance　that　exalteth　the　soul　and　quickeneth　the　intellectuals！　　Let　me　paraphrase　my　dear　Chaucer　and　tell　thee；　thou　waster　of　substances；　that

　　　　　　For　me　was　lever　han　at　my　beddes　hed　　　　　　　A　twenty　bokes；　clothed　in　black　and　red　　　　　　　Of　Aristotle　and　his　philosophie；　　　　　　　Than　robes　rich；　or　fidel；　or　sautrie；　　　　　　　But　all　be　that　I　ben　a　philosopher　　　　　　　Yet　have　I　but　litel　gold　in　cofre！


Books；　books；　booksgive　me　ever　more　books；　for　they　are　the　caskets　wherein　we　find　the　immortal　expressions　of　humanity　words；　the　only　things　that　live　forever！　　I　bow　reverently　to　the　bust　in　yonder　corner　whenever　I　recall　what　Sir　John　Herschel　　（God　rest　his　dear　soul！）　said　and　wrote：　‘‘Were　I　to　pay　for　a　taste　that　should　stand　me　in　stead　under　every　variety　of　circumstances　and　be　a　source　of　happiness　and　cheerfulness　to　me　during　life；　and　a　shield　against　its　ills；　however　things　might　go　amiss　and　the　world　frown　upon　me；　it　would　be　a　taste　for　reading。　　Give　a　man　this　taste　and　a　means　of　gratifying　it；　and　you　can　hardly　fail　of　making　him　a　happy　man；　unless；　indeed；　you　put　into　his　hands　a　most　perverse　selection　of　books。　　You　place　him　in　contact　with　the　best　society　in　every　period　of　historywith　the　wisest；　the　wittiest；　the　tenderest；　the　bravest；　and　the　purest　characters　who　have　adorned　humanity。　　You　make　him　a　denizen　of　all　nations；　a　contemporary　of　all　ages。　　The　world　has　been　created　for　him。''

For　one　phrase　particularly　do　all　good　men；　methinks；　bless　burly；　bearish；　phrase…　making　old　Tom　Carlyle。　　‘‘Of　all　things；''　quoth　he；　‘‘which　men　do　or　make　here　below　by　far　the　most　momentous；　wonderful；　and　worthy　are　the　things　we　call　books。''　　And　Judge　Methuen's　favorite　quotation　is　　from　Babington　Macaulay　to　this　effect：　　‘‘I　would　rather　be　a　poor　man　in　a　garret　with　plenty　of　books　than　a　king　who　did　not　love　reading。''

Kings；　indeed！　　What　a　sorry　lot　are　they！　　Said　George　III。　to　Nicol；　his　bookseller：　　‘‘I　would　give　this　right　hand　if　the　same　attention　had　been　paid　to　my　education　which　I　pay　to　that　of　the　prince。''　　Louis　XIV。　was　as　illiterate　as　the　lowliest　hedger　and　ditcher。　　He　could　hardly　write　his　name；　at　first；　as　Samuel　Pegge　tells　us；　he　formed　it　out　of　six　straight　strokes　and　a　line　of　beauty；　thus：　　｜　｜　｜　｜　｜　｜　Swhich　he　afterward　perfected　as　best　he　could；　and　the　result　was　LOUIS。

Still　I　find　it　hard　to　inveigh　against　kings　when　I　recall　the　goodness　of　Alexander　to　Aristotle；　for　without　Alexander　we　should　hardly　have　known　of　Aristotle。　　His　royal　patron　provided　the　philosopher　with　every　advantage　for　the　acquisition　of　learning；　dispatching　couriers　to　all　parts　of　the　earth　to　gather　books　and　manuscripts　and　every　variety　of　curious　thing　likely　to　swell　the　store　of　Aristotle's　knowledge。　

Yet　set　them　up　in　a　line　and　survey　them　these　wearers　of　crowns　and　these　wielders　of　sceptersand　how　pitiable　are　they　in　the　paucity　and　vanity　of　their　accomplishments！　　What　knew　they　of　the　true　happiness　of　human　life？　　They　and　their　courtiers　are　dust　and　forgotten。

Judge　Methuen　and　I　shall　in　due　time　pass　away；　but　our　courtiersthey　who　hav