the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第15部分

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　　But　best　beloved　of　books；　I　ween；　　　　　　　Are　those　which　one　perceives　　　Are　hallowed　by　ashes　dropped　between　　　　　　　The　yellow；　well…thumbed　leaves。

　　For　it's　here　a　laugh　and　it's　there　a　tear；　　　　　　　Till　the　treasured　book　is　read；　　　And　the　ashes　betwixt　the　pages　here　　　　　　　Tell　us　of　one　long　dead。

　　But　the　gracious　presence　reappears　　　　　　　As　we　read　the　book　again；　　　And　the　fragrance　of　precious；　distant　years　　　　　　　Filleth　the　hearts　of　men

　　Come；　pluck　with　me　in　my　garden　nooks　　　　　　　The　posies　that　bloom　for　all；　　　Oh；　sweet　is　the　smell　of　my　old；　old　books　　　　　　　In　their　places　against　the　wall！


Better　than　flowers　are　they；　these　books　of　mine！　　For　what　are　the　seasons　to　them？　　Neither　can　the　drought　of　summer　nor　the　asperity　of　winter　wither　or　change　them。　　At　all　times　and　under　all　circumstances　they　are　the　sameradiant；　fragrant；　hopeful；　helpful！　　There　is　no　charm　which　they　do　not　possess；　no　beauty　that　is　not　theirs。

What　wonder　is　it　that　from　time　immemorial　humanity　has　craved　the　boon　of　carrying　to　the　grave　some　book　particularly　beloved　in　life？　　Even　Numa　Pompilius　provided　that　his　books　should　share　his　tomb　with　him。　　Twenty…four　of　these　precious　volumes　were　consigned　with　him　to　the　grave。　　When　Gabriel　Rossetti's　wife　died；　the　poet　cast　into　her　open　grave　the　unfinished　volume　of　his　poems；　that　being　the　last　and　most　precious　tribute　he　could　pay　to　her　cherished　memory。

History　records　instance　after　instance　of　the　consolation　dying　men　have　received　from　the　perusal　of　books；　and　many　a　one　has　made　his　end　holding　in　his　hands　a　particularly　beloved　volume。　　The　reverence　which　even　unlearned　men　have　for　books　appeals　in　these　splendid　libraries　which　are　erected　now　and　again　with　funds　provided　by　the　wills　of　the　illiterate。　　How　dreadful　must　be　the　last　moments　of　that　person　who　has　steadfastly　refused　to　share　the　companionship　and　acknowledge　the　saving　grace　of　books！

Such；　indeed；　is　my　regard　for　these　friendships　that　it　is　with　misery　that　I　contemplate　　the　probability　of　separation　from　them　by　and　by。　　I　have　given　my　friends　to　understand　that　when　I　am　done　with　earth　certain　of　my　books　shall　be　buried　with　me。　　The　list　of　these　books　will　be　found　in　the　left…hand　upper　drawer　of　the　old　mahogany　secretary　in　the　front　spare　room。


　　　　　　　　　　When　I　am　done；　　　　　　　　　　　　I'd　have　no　son　　　Pounce　on　these　treasures　like　a　vulture；　　　　　　　　　　　　Nay；　give　them　half　　　　　　　　　　　　My　epitaph　　　And　let　them　share　in　my　sepulture。

　　　　　　　　　　Then　when　the　crack　　　　　　　　　　　　Of　doom　rolls　back　　　The　marble　and　the　earth　that　hide　me；　　　　　　　　　　　　I'll　smuggle　home　　　　　　　　　　　　Each　precious　tome　　　Without　a　fear　a　wife　shall　chide　me。


The　dread　of　being　separated　by　death　from　the　objects　of　one's　love　has　pursued　humanity　from　the　beginning。　　The　Hindoos　used　to　have　a　selfish　fashion　of　requiring　their　widows　to　be　entombed　alive　with　their　corpses。　　The　North　American　Indian　　insists　that　his　horse；　his　bow　and　arrows；　his　spear；　and　his　other　cherished　trinkets　shall　share　his　grave　with　him。

My　sister；　Miss　Susan；　has　provided　that　after　her　demise　a　number　of　her　most　prized　curios　shall　be　buried　with　her。　　The　list；　as　I　recall　it；　includes　a　mahogany　four…post　bedstead；　an　Empire　dresser；　a　brass　warming…pan；　a　pair　of　brass　andirons；　a　Louis　Quinze　table；　a　Mayflower　teapot；　a　Tomb　of　Washington　platter；　a　pewter　tankard；　a　pair　of　her　grandmother's　candlesticks；　a　Paul　Revere　lantern；　a　tall　Dutch　clock；　a　complete　suit　of　armor　purchased　in　Rome；　and　a　collection　of　Japanese　bric…a…brac　presented　to　Miss　Susan　by　a　returned　missionary。

I　do　not　see　what　Miss　Susan　can　possibly　do　with　all　this　trumpery　in　the　hereafter；　but；　if　I　survive　her；　I　shall　certainly　insist　upon　a　compliance　with　her　wishes；　even　though　it　involve　the　erection　of　a　tumulus　as　prodigious　as　the　pyramid　of　Cheops。　




XIV

ELZEVIRS　AND　DIVERS　OTHER　MATTERS

Boswell's　‘‘Life　of　Johnson''　and　Lockhart's　‘‘Life　of　Scott''　are　accepted　as　the　models　of　biography。　　The　third　remarkable　performance　in　this　line　is　Mrs。　Gordon's　memoir　of　her　father；　John　Wilson；　a　volume　so　charmingly　and　tenderly　written　as　to　be　of　interest　to　those　even　who　know　and　care　little　about　that　era　in　the　history　of　English　literature　in　which　‘‘crusty　Christopher''　and　his　associates　in　the　making　of　‘‘Blackwood's''　figured。

It　is　a　significant　fact；　I　think；　that　the　three　greatest　biographers　the　world　has　known　should　have　been　Scotch；　it　has　long　been　the　fashion　to　laugh　and　to　sneer　at　what　is　called　Scotch　dulness；　yet　what　prodigies　has　not　Scotch　genius　performed　　in　every　department　of　literature；　and　would　not　our　literature　be　poor　indeed　to…day　but　for　the　contributions　which　have　been　made　to　it　by　the　very　people　whom　we　affect　to　deride？

John　Wilson　was　one　of　the　most　interesting　figures　of　a　time　when　learning　was　at　a　premium；　he　was　a　big　man　amongst　big　men；　and　even　in　this　irreverential　time　genius　uncovers　at　the　mention　of　his　name。　　His　versatility　was　astounding；　with　equal　facility　and　felicity　he　could　conduct　a　literary　symposium　and　a　cock…fight；　a　theological　discussion　and　an　angling　expedition；　a　historical　or　a　political　inquiry　and　a　fisticuffs。

Nature　had　provided　him　with　a　mighty　brain　in　a　powerful　body；　he　had　a　physique　equal　to　the　performance　of　what　suggestion　soever　his　splendid　intellectuals　made。　　To　him　the　incredible　feat　of　walking　seventy　miles　within　the　compass　of　a　day　was　mere　child's　play；　then；　when　the　printer　became　clamorous；　he　would　immure　himself　in　his　wonderful　den　and　reel　off　copy　until　that　printer　cried　‘‘Hold；　enough！''　　It　was　no　　unusual　thing　for　him　to　write　for　thirteen　hours　at　a　stretch；　when　he　worked　he　worked；　and　when　he　played　he　played　that　is　perhaps　the　reason　why　he　was　never　a　dull　boy。

Wilson　seems　to　have　been　a　procrastinator。　　He　would　put　off　his　task　to　the　very　last　moment；　this　is　a　practice　that　is　common　with　literary　menin　fact；　it　was　encouraged　by　those　who　were　regarded　as　authorities　in　such　matters　anciently。　　Ringelbergius　gave　this　advice　to　an　author　under　his　tuition：

‘‘Tell　the　printers；''　said　he；　‘‘to　make　preparations　for　a　work　you　intend　writing；　and　never　alarm　yourself　about　it　because　it　is　not　even　begun；　for；　after　having　announced　it　you　may　without　difficulty　trace　out　in　your　own　head　the　whole　plan　of　your　work　and　its　divisions；　after　which　compose　the　arguments　of　the　chapters；　and　I　can　assure　you　that　in　this　manner　you　may　furnish　the　printers　daily　with　more　copy　than　they　want。　　But；　remember；　when　you　have　once　begun　there　must　be　no　flagging　till　the　work　is　finished。''　

The　loyalty　of　human　admiration　was　never　better　illustrated　than　in　Shelton　Mackenzie's　devotion　to　Wilson's　genius。　　To　Mackenzie　we　are　indebted　for　a　compilation　of　the　‘‘Noctes　Ambrosianae；''　edited　with　such　discrimination；　such　ability；　such　learning；　and　such　enthusiasm　that；　it　seems　to　me；　the　work　must　endure　as　a　monument　not　only　to　Wilson's　but　also　to　Mackenzie's　genius。

I　have　noticed　one　peculiarity　that　distinguishes　many　admirers　of　the　Noctes：　they　seldom　care　to　read　anything　else；　in　the　Noctes　they　find　a　response　to　the　demand　of　every　mood。　　It　is　much　the　same　way　with　lovers　of　Father　Prout。　　Dr。　O'Rell　divides　his　adoration　between　old　Kit　North　and　the　sage　of　Watergrass　Hill。　　To　be　bitten　of　either　mania　is　bad　enough；　when　one　is　possessed　at　the　same　time　of　a　passion　both　for　the　Noctes　and　for　the　Reliques　hopeless　indeed　is　his　malady！　　Dr。　O'Rell　is　so　deep　under　the　spell　of　crusty　Christopher　and　the　Corkonian　pere　that　he　not　only　buys　every　copy　of　the　Noctes　and　of　the　Reliques　he　comes　across；　but　insists　　upon　giving　copies　of　these　books　to　everybody　in　his　acquaintance。　　I　have　even　known　him　to　prescribe　one　or　the　other　of　these　works　to　patients　of　his。

I　recall　that　upon　one　occasion；　having　lost　an　Elzevir　at　a　book　auction；　I　was　afflicted　with　melancholia　to　such　a　degree　that　I　had　to　take　to　my　bed。　　Upon　my　physician's　arrival　he　made；　as　is　his　custom；　a　careful　inquiry　into　my　condition　and　into　the　causes　inducing　it。　　Finally；　‘‘You　are　afflicted；''　said　Dr。　O'Rell；　‘‘with　the　megrims；　which；　fortunately；　is　at　present　confined　to　the　region　of　the　Pacchionian　depressions　of　the　sinister　parietal。　　I　shall　administer　Father　Prout's　‘Rogueries　of　Tom　Moore'　（pronounced　More）　and　Kit　North's　debate　with　the　Ettrick　Shepherd　upon　the　subject　of　sawmon。　　No　other　remedy　will　prove　effective。''

The　treatment　did；　in　fact；　avail　me；　for　within　forty…eight　hours　I　was　out　of　bed；　and　out　of　the　house；　and；　what　is　better　yet；　I　picked　up　at　a　bookstall；　for　a　mere　song；　a　first　edition　of　‘‘Special　Providences　in　New　England''！　

Never；　however；　have　I　wholly　ceased　to　regret　the　loss　of　the　Elzevir；　for　an　Elzevir　is　to　me　one　of　the　most　gladdening　sights　human　eye　can　rest　upon。　　In　his　life　of　the　elder　Aldus；　Renouard　says：　　‘‘How　few　are　there　of　those　who　esteem　and　pay　so　dearly　for　these　pretty　editions　who　know　that　the　type　that　so　much　please　them　are　the　work　of　Francis　Garamond；　who　cast　them　one　hundred　years　before　at　Paris。''

In　his　bibliographical　notes　（a　volume　seldom　met　with　now）　the　learned　William　Davis　records　that　Louis　Elzevir　was　the　first　who　observed　the　distinction　between　the　v　consonant　and　the　u　vowel；　which　distinction；　however；　had　been　recommended　long　before　by　Ramus　and　other　writers；　but　had　never　been　regarded。　　There　were　five　of　these　Elzevirs；　viz。：　Louis；　Bonaventure；　Abraham；　Louis；　Jr。；　and　Daniel。

A　hundred　years　ago　a　famous　bibliophile　remarked：　　‘‘The　diminutiveness　of　a　large　portion；　and　the　beauty　of　the　whole；　of　the　classics　printed　by　the　Elzevirs　at　Leyden　and　Amsterdam　have　long　rendered　them　justly　celebrated；　and　the　prices　they　bear　in　　public　sales　sufficiently　demonstrate　the　estimation　in　which　they　are　at　present　held。''

The　regard　for　these　precious　books　still　obtains；　and　we　meet　with　it　in　curiously　out…of…the…way　places；　as　well　as　in　those　libraries　where　one　would　naturally　expect　to　find　it。　　My　young　friend　Irving