on books and the housing of them-第4节

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ordinary　manner；　at　a　shilling　a　volume。
This　may　vary　either　way；　but　it　moderately
represents；　I　think；　my　own　experience；　in
London　residences；　of　the　charge　of　fitting
up　with　bookcases；　which；　if　of　any　
considerable　size；　are　often　unsuitable　for　removal。
The　cost　of　the　method　which　I　have　adopted
later　in　life；　and　have　here　endeavored　to
explain；　need　not　exceed　one　penny　per　
volume。　Each　bookcase　when　filled　represents；
unless　in　exceptional　cases；　nearly　a　solid
mass。　The　intervals　are　so　small　that；　as　a
rule；　they　admit　a　very　small　portion　of　dust。
If　they　are　at　a　tolerable　distance　from　the
fireplace；　if　carpeting　be　avoided　except　as　to
small　movable　carpets　easily　removed　for
beating；　and　if　sweeping　be　discreetly　
conducted；　dust　may；　at　any　rate　in　the　country；
be　made　to　approach　to　a　quantite　negligeab1e。

It　is　a　great　matter；　in　addition　to　other
advantages；　to　avoid　the　endless　trouble　and
the　miscarriages　of　movable　shelves；　the
looseness；　and　the　tightness；　the　weary　arms；
the　aching　fingers；　and　the　broken　
fingernails。　But　it　will　be　fairly　asked　what　is　to
be　done；　when　the　shelves　are　fixed；　with
volumes　too　large　to　go　into　them？　I　admit
that　the　dilemma；　when　it　occurs；　is　
formidable。　I　admit　also　that　no　book　ought　to　be
squeezed　or　even　coaxed　into　its　place：　they
should　move　easily　both　in　and　out。　And　I
repeat　here　that　the　plan　I　have　
recommended　requires　a　pretty　exact　knowledge　by
measurement　of　the　sizes　of　books　and　the
proportions　in　which　the　several　sizes　will
demand　accommodation。　The　shelf…spacing
must　be　reckoned　beforehand；　with　a　good
deal　of　care　and　no　little　time。　But　I　can
say　from　experience　that　by　moderate　care
and　use　this　knowledge　can　be　attained；　and
that　the　resulting　difficulties；　when　measured
against　the　aggregate　of　convenience；　are
really　insignificant。　It　will　be　noticed　that
my　remarks　are　on　minute　details；　and　that
they　savor　more　of　serious　handiwork　in　the
placing　of　books　than　of　lordly　survey　and
direction。　But　what　man　who　really　loves
his　books　delegates　to　any　other　human　
being；　as　long　as　there　is　breath　in　his　body；
the　office　of　inducting　them　into　their　homes？

And　now　as　to　results。　It　is　something　to
say　that　in　this　way　10；000　volumes　can　be
placed　within　a　room　of　quite　ordinary　size；
all　visible；　all　within　easy　reach；　and　without
destroying　the　character　of　the　apartment　as
a　room。　But；　on　the　strength　of　a　case　with
which　I　am　acquainted；　I　will　even　be　a　little
more　particular。　I　take　as　before　a　room　of
forty　feet　in　length　and　twenty　in　breadth；
thoroughly　lighted　by　four　windows　on　each
side；　as　high　as　you　please；　but　with　only
about　nine　feet　of　height　taken　for　the　
bookcases：　inasmuch　as　all　heavy　ladders；　all
adminicula　requiring　more　than　one　hand　to
carry　with　care；　are　forsworn。　And　there　is
no　gallery。　In　the　manner　I　have　described；
there　may　be　placed　on　the　floor　of　such　a
room；　without　converting　it　from　a　room　into
a　warehouse；　bookcases　capable　of　receiving；
in　round　numbers；　20；000　volumes。

The　state　of　the　case；　however；　considered
as　a　whole；　and　especially　with　reference　to
libraries　exceeding　say　20；000　or　30；000　
volumes；　and　gathering　rapid　accretions；　has
been　found　to　require　in　extreme　cases；　such
as　those　of　the　British　Museum　and　the
Bodleian　（on　its　limited　site）；　a　change　more
revolutionary　in　its　departure　from；　almost
reversal　of；　the　ancient　methods；　than　what
has　been　here　described。

The　best　description　I　can　give　of　its　
essential　aim；　so　far　as　I　have　seen　the　
processes　（which　were　tentative　and　initial）；　is
this。　The　masses　represented　by　filled　
bookcases　are　set　one　in　front　of　another；　and；
in　order　that　access　may　be　had　as　it　is
required；　they　are　set　upon　trams　inserted　in
the　floor　（which　must　be　a　strong　one）；　and
wheeled　off　and　on　as　occasion　requires。

The　idea　of　the　society　of　books　is　in　a
case　of　this　kind　abandoned。　But　even　on　this
there　is　something　to　say。　Neither　all　men
nor　all　books　are　equally　sociable。　For　my
part　I　find　but　little　sociabilty　in　a　huge　wall
of　Hansards；　or　（though　a　great　improvement）
in　the　Gentleman's　Magazine；　in　the　Annual
Registers；　in　the　Edinburgh　and　Quarterly
Reviews；　or　in　the　vast　range　of　volumes
which　represent　pamphlets　innumerable。　Yet
each　of　these　and　other　like　items　variously
present　to　us　the　admissible；　or　the　valuable；
or　the　indispensable。　Clearly　these　masses；
and　such　as　these；　ought　to　be　selected　first
for　what　I　will　not　scruple　to　call　interment。
It　is　a　burial；　one；　however；　to　which　the
process　of　cremation　will　never　of　set　purpose
be　applied。　The　word　I　have　used　is　
dreadful；　but　also　dreadful　is　the　thing。　To　have
our　dear　old　friends　stowed　away　in　
catacombs；　or　like　the　wine…bottles　in　bins：　the
simile　is　surely　lawful　until　the　use　of　that
commodity　shall　have　been　prohibited　by　the
growing　movement　of　the　time。　But　however
we　may　gild　the　case　by　a　cheering　
illustration；　or　by　the　remembrance　that　the　
provision　is　one　called　for　only　by　our　excess　of
wealth；　it　can　hardly　be　contemplated　without
a　shudder　at　a　process　so　repulsive　applied
to　the　best　beloved　among　inanimate　objects。

It　may　be　thought　that　the　gloomy　
perspective　I　am　now　opening　exists　for　great
public　libraries　alone。　But　public　libraries
are　multiplying　fast；　and　private　libraries　are
aspiring　to　the　public　dimensions。　It　may　be
hoped　that　for　a　long　time　to　come　no　grave
difficulties　will　arise　in　regard　to　private
libraries；　meant　for　the　ordinary　use　of　that
great　majority　of　readers　who　read　only　for
recreation　or　for　general　improvement。　But
when　study；　research；　authorship；　come　into
view；　when　the　history　of　thought　and　of　
inquiry　in　each　of　its　branches；　or　in　any　
considerable　number　of　them；　has　to　be　presented；
the　necessities　of　the　case　are　terribly　
widened。　Chess　is　a　specialty　and　a　narrow　one。
But　I　recollect　a　statement　in　the　Quarterly
Review；　years　back；　that　there　might　be
formed　a　library　of　twelve　hundred　volumes
upon　chess。　I　think　my　deceased　friend；　Mr。
Alfred　Denison；　collected　between　two　and
three　thousand　upon　angling。　Of　living　
Englishmen　perhaps　Lord　Acton　is　the　most
effective　and　retentive　reader；　and　for　his
own　purposes　he　has　gathered　a　library　of
not　less；　I　believe；　than　100；000　volumes。

Undoubtedly　the　idea　of　book…cemeteries
such　as　I　have　supposed　is　very　formidable。
It　should　be　kept　within　the　limits　of　the　dire
necessity　which　has　evoked　it　from　the　
underworld　into　the　haunts　of　living　men。　But　it
will　have　to　be　faced；　and　faced　perhaps
oftener　than　might　be　supposed。　And　the
artist　needed　for　the　constructions　it　requires
will　not　be　so　much　a　librarian　as　a　
warehouseman。

But　if　we　are　to　have　cemeteries；　they
ought　to　receive　as　many　bodies　as　possible。
The　condemned　will　live　ordinarily　in　pitch
darkness；　yet　so　that　when　wanted；　they　may
be　called　into　the　light。　Asking　myself　how
this　can　most　effectively　be　done；　I　have
arrived　at　the　conclusion　that　nearly　two…thirds；
or　say　three…fifths；　of　the　whole　cubic
contents　of　a　properly　constructed　apartment＇12＇
may　be　made　a　nearly　solid　mass　of　books：
a　vast　economy　which；　so　far　as　it　is　applied；
would　probably　quadruple　or　quintuple　the
efficiency　of　our　repositories　as　to　contents；
and　prevent　the　population　of　Great　Britain
from　being　extruded　some　centuries　hence
into　the　surrounding　waters　by　the　exorbitant
dimensions　of　their　own　libraries。




　　　　　　　　　…　The　End　…





FOOTNOTES：

1…　In　Der　alte　und　der　neue　Glaube

2…　xxi；　25。

3…　First　of　all　it　seems　to　have　referred　to　the　red　
capital　letters　placed　at　the　head　of　chapters　or　other　
divisions　of　works。

4…　Cic。　Pro　Archia　poeta；　vii。

5…　Essays　Critical　and　Historical；　ii。　228。

6…　The　Prayer　Book　recently　issued　by　Mr。　Frowde　at　
the　Clarendon　Press　weighs；　bound　in　morocco；　less　
than　an　once　and　a　quarter。　I　see　it　stated　that　unbound　
it　weighs　three…quarters　of　an　ounce。　Pickering's　
Cattullus；　Tibullus；　and　Propertius　in　leather　binding；　
weighs　an　ounce　and　a　quarter。　His　Dante　weighs　less　
than　a　number　of　the　Times。

7…　See　Libraries　and　the　Founders　of　Libraries；　by　
B。　Edwards；　1864；　p。　5。　Hallam；　Lit。　Europe。

8…　Hor。　Ep。　II。　i。　270；　Persius；　i。　48；　Martial；　iv。　lxxxvii。　8。

9…　Edwards。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

10…　Rouard；　Notice　sur　la　Bibliotheque　d'Aix；　p。　40。　
Quoted　in　Edwards；　p。　34。

11…　The　Director　of　the　Bibliotheque　Nationale　in　Paris；
which　I　suppose　still　to　be　the　first　library　in　the　
world；　in　doing　for　me　most　graciously　the　honors　of　
that　noble　establishment；　informed　me　that　they　full…bound　
annually　a　few　scores　of　volumes；　while　they　
half…bound　about　twelve　hundred。　For　all　the　rest　
they　had　to　be　contented　with　a　lower　provision。　And　
France　raises　the　largest　revenue　in　the　world。

12…　Note　in　illustration。　Let　us　suppose　a　room　28　feet
by　10；　and　a　little　over　9　feet　high。　Divide　this　
longitudinally　for　a　passage　4　feet　wide。　Let　the　passage　
project　12　to　18　inches　at　each　end　beyond　the　line　of　
the　wall。　Let　th