按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
fleshed worm！ wert thou born for the evil thou workest？ Wherefore thine
own foul form shap'st thou with envious toil？
The learned Mentzelius says he hath heard the book…worm crow like
a cock unto his mate； and 〃I knew not；〃 says he； 〃whether some local fowl
was clamouring or whether there was but a beating in mine ears。 Even at
that moment； all uncertain as I was； I perceived； in the paper whereon I
was writing； a little insect that ceased not to carol like very chanticleer；
until； taking a magnifying glass； I assiduously observed him。 He is about
the bigness of a mite； and carries a grey crest； and the head low； bowed
over the bosom； as to his crowing noise； it comes of his clashing his wings
against each other with an incessant din。〃 Thus far Mentzelius； and more
to the same purpose； as may be read in the 〃Memoirs of famous Foreign
Academies〃 （Dijon； 1755…59； 13 vol。 in quarto）。 But； in our times； the
learned Mr。 Blades having a desire to exhibit book…worms in the body to
the Caxtonians at the Caxton celebration； could find few men that had so
much as seen a book…worm； much less heard him utter his native wood…
notes wild。 Yet； in his 〃Enemies of Books；〃 he describes some rare
encounters with the worm。 Dirty books； damp books； dusty books； and
books that the owner never opens； are most exposed to the enemy； and
〃the worm； the proud worm； is the conqueror still；〃 as a didactic poet sings；
in an ode on man's mortality。 As we have quoted Mentzelius； it may not
be amiss to give D'Alembert's theory of book…worms： 〃I believe；〃 he
says； 〃that a little beetle lays her eggs in books in August； thence is
hatched a mite； like the cheese…mite； which devours books merely because
it is compelled to gnaw its way out into the air。〃 Book…worms like the
23
… Page 24…
THE LIBRARY24
paste which binders employ； but D'Alembert adds that they cannot endure
absinthe。 Mr。 Blades finds too that they disdain to devour our adulterate
modern paper。
〃Say； shall I sing of rats；〃 asked Grainger； when reading to Johnson his
epic； the 〃Sugar…cane。〃 〃No；〃 said the Doctor； and though rats are the foe
of the bibliophile； at least as much as of the sugar… planter； we do not
propose to sing of them。 M。 Fertiault has done so already in 〃Les
Sonnets d'un Bibliophile；〃 where the reader must be pleased with the
beautiful etchings of rats devouring an illuminated MS。； and battening on
morocco bindings stamped with the bees of De Thou。 It is unnecessary
and it would be undignified； to give hints on rat…catching； but the amateur
must not forget that these animals have a passion for bindings。
The book…collector must avoid gas； which deposits a filthy coat of oil
that catches dust。 Mr。 Blades found that three jets of gas in a small room
soon reduced the leather on his book…shelves to a powder of the
consistency of snuff； and made the backs of books come away in his hand。
Shaded lamps give the best and most suitable light for the library。 As to
the risks which books run at the hands of the owner himself； we surely
need not repeat the advice of Richard de Bury。 Living in an age when
tubs （if not unknown as M。 Michelet declares） were far from being
common； the old collector inveighed against the dirty hands of readers；
and against their habit of marking their place in a book with filthy straws；
or setting down a beer pot in the middle of the volume to keep the pages
open。 But the amateur； however refined himself； must beware of men
who love not fly leaves neither regard margins； but write notes over the
latter； and light their pipes with the former。 After seeing the wreck of a
book which these persons have been busy with； one appreciates the fine
Greek hyperbole。 The Greeks did not speak of 〃thumbing〃 but of
〃walking up and down〃 on a volume （＇Greek text＇）。 To such fellows it
matters not that they make a book dirty and greasy； cutting the pages with
their fingers； and holding the boards over the fire till they crack。 All
these slatternly practices； though they destroy a book as surely as the
flames of Caesar's soldiers at Alexandria； seem fine manly acts to the
grobians who use them。 What says Jules Janin； who has written 〃Contre
24
… Page 25…
THE LIBRARY25
l'indifference des Philistins；〃 〃il faut a l'homme sage et studieux un tome
honorable et digne de sa louange。〃 The amateur； and all decent men； will
beware of lending books to such rude workers； and this consideration
brings us to these great foes of books； the borrowers and robbers。 The
lending of books； and of other property； has been defended by some great
authorities； thus Panurge himself says； 〃it would prove much more easy in
nature to have fish entertained in the air； and bullocks fed in the bottom of
the ocean； than to support or tolerate a rascally rabble of people that will
not lend。〃 Pirckheimer； too； for whom Albert Durer designed a book…plate；
was a lender； and took for his device Sibi et Amicis； and Jo。 Grolierii et
amicorum； was the motto of the renowned Grolier； whom mistaken writers
vainly but frequently report to have been a bookbinder。 But as Mr。
Leicester Warren says； in his 〃Study of Book…plates〃 （Pearson； 1880）；
〃Christian Charles de Savigny leaves all the rest behind； exclaiming non
mihi sed aliis。〃 But the majority of amateurs have chosen wiser； though
more churlish devices； as 〃the ungodly borroweth and payeth not again；〃
or 〃go to them that sell； and buy for yourselves。〃 David Garrick
engraved on his book…plate； beside a bust of Shakspeare； these words of
Menage； 〃La premiere chose qu'on doit faire； quand on a emprunte' un
livre； c'est de le lire； afin de pouvoir le rendre plutot。〃 But the borrower
is so minded that the last thing he thinks of is to read a borrowed book；
and the penultimate subject of his reflections is its restoration。 Menage
（Menagiana； Paris； 1729； vol。 i。 p。 265）； mentions； as if it were a notable
misdeed； this of Angelo Politian's； 〃he borrowed a 'Lucretius' from
Pomponius Laetus； and kept it for four years。〃 Four years！ in the sight of
the borrower it is but a moment。 Menage reports that a friend kept his
〃Pausanias〃 for three years； whereas four months was long enough。
〃At quarto saltem mense redire decet。〃
There is no satisfaction in lending a book； for it is rarely that
borrowers； while they deface your volumes； gather honey for new stores；
as De Quincey did； and Coleridge； and even Dr。 Johnson； who 〃greased
and dogs…eared such volumes as were confided to his tender mercies； with
the same indifference wherewith he singed his own wigs。〃 But there is a
race of mortals more annoying to a conscientious man than borrowers。
25
… Page 26…
THE LIBRARY26
These are the spontaneous lenders； who insist that you shall borrow their
tomes。 For my own part； when I am oppressed with the charity of such； I
lock their books up in a drawer； and behold them not again till the day of
their return。 There is no security against borrowers； unless a man like
Guibert de Pixerecourt steadfastly refuses to lend。 The device of
Pixerecourt was un livre est un ami qui ne change jamais。 But he knew
that our books change when they have been borrowed； like our friends
when they have been married； when 〃a lady borrows them；〃 as the fairy
queen says in the ballad of 〃Tamlane。〃
〃But had I kenn'd； Tamlane；〃 she says； 〃A lady wad borrowed thee； I
wad ta'en out thy twa gray een； Put in twa een o' tree！
〃Had I but kenn'd； Tamlane；〃 she says； 〃Before ye came frae hame； I
wad ta'en out your heart o' flesh； Put in a heart o' stane！〃
Above t