the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第14节

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The　reckless　buyer。

The　shrewd　buyer。

The　timid　buyer。

Of　these　three　classes　the　third　is　least　worthy　of　our　consideration；　although　it　includes　very　many　lovers　of　books；　and　consequently　very　many　friends　of　mine。　　I　have　actually　known　men　to　hesitate；　to　ponder；　to　dodder　for　weeks；　nay；　months　over　the　purchase　of　a　book；　not　because　they　did　not　want　it；　nor　because　they　deemed　the　price　exorbitant；　nor　yet　because　they　were　not　abundantly　able　to　pay　that　price。　　Their　hesitancy　was　due　to　an　innate；　congenital　lack　of　determinationthat　same　hideous　curse　of　vacillation　which　is　responsible　for　so　much　misery　in　human　life。

I　have　made　a　study　of　these　people；　and　I　find　that　most　of　them　are　bachelors　whose　state　of　singleness　is　due　to　the　fact　that　the　same　hesitancy　which　has　deprived　them　of　many　a　coveted　volume　has　operated　to　their　discomfiture　in　the　matrimonial　sphere。　　While　they　deliberated；　another　bolder　than　they　came　along　and　walked　off　with　the　prize。

One　of　the　gamest　buyers　I　know　of　was　the　late　John　A。　Rice　of　Chicago。　　As　a　competitor　at　the　great　auction　sales　he　was　invincible；　and　why？　　Because；　having　determined　to　buy　a　book；　he　put　no　limit　to　the　amount　of　his　bid。　　His　instructions　to　　his　agent　were　in　these　words：　　‘‘I　must　have　those　books；　no　matter　what　they　cost。''

An　English　collector　found　in　Rice's　library　a　set　of　rare　volumes　he　had　been　searching　for　for　years。

‘‘How　did　you　happen　to　get　them？''　he　asked。　　‘‘You　bought　them　at　the　Spencer　sale　and　against　my　bid。　　Do　you　know；　I　told　my　buyer　to　bid　a　thousand　pounds　for　them；　if　necessary！''

‘‘That　was　where　I　had　the　advantage　of　you；''　said　Rice；　quietly。　　‘‘I　specified　no　limit；　I　simply　told　my　man　to　buy　the　books。''

The　spirit　of　the　collector　cropped　out　early　in　Rice。　　I　remember　to　have　heard　him　tell　how　one　time；　when　he　was　a　young　man；　he　was　shuffling　over　a　lot　of　tracts　in　a　bin　in　front　of　a　Boston　bookstall。　　His　eye　suddenly　fell　upon　a　little　pamphlet　entitled　‘‘The　Cow…Chace。''　　He　picked　it　up　and　read　it。　　It　was　a　poem　founded　upon　the　defeat　of　Generals　Wayne；　Irving；　and　Proctor。　　The　last　stanza　ran　in　this　wise：　

And　now　I've　closed　my　epic　strain；　　　　　　　I　tremble　as　I　show　it；　　　Lest　this　same　warrior…drover；　Wayne；　　　　　　　Should　ever　catch　the　poet。


Rice　noticed　that　the　pamphlet　bore　the　imprint　of　James　Rivington；　New　York；　1780。　　It　occurred　to　him　that　some　time　this　modest　tract　of　eighteen　pages　might　be　valuable；　at　any　rate；　he　paid　the　fifteen　cents　demanded　for　it；　and　at　the　same　time　he　purchased　for　ten　cents　another　pamphlet　entitled　‘‘The　American　Tories；　a　Satire。''

Twenty　years　later；　having　learned　the　value　of　these　exceedingly　rare　tracts；　Mr。　Rice　sent　them　to　London　and　had　them　bound　in　Francis　Bedford's　best　style　‘‘crimson　crushed　levant　morocco；　finished　to　a　Grolier　pattern。''　　Bedford's　charges　amounted　to　seventy…five　dollars；　which　with　the　original　cost　of　the　pamphlets　represented　an　expenditure　of　seventy…five　dollars　and　twenty…five　cents　upon　Mr。　Rice's　part。　　At　the　sale　of　the　Rice　library　in　1870；　however；　this　curious；　rare；　and　beautiful　little　book　brought　the　extraordinary　sum　of　seven　hundred　and　fifty　dollars！　

The　Rice　library　contained　about　five　thousand　volumes；　and　it　realized　at　auction　sale　somewhat　more　than　seventy…two　thousand　dollars。　　Rice　has　often　told　me　that　for　a　long　time　he　could　not　make　up　his　mind　to　part　with　his　books；　yet　his　health　was　so　poor　that　he　found　it　imperative　to　retire　from　business；　and　to　devote　a　long　period　of　time　to　travel；　these　were　the　considerations　that　induced　him　finally　to　part　with　his　treasures。　　‘‘I　have　never　regretted　having　sold　them；''　he　said。　　‘‘Two　years　after　the　sale　the　Chicago　fire　came　along。　　Had　I　retained　those　books；　every　one　of　them　would　have　been　lost。''

Mrs。　Rice　shared　her　husband's　enthusiasm　for　books。　　Whenever　a　new　invoice　arrived；　the　two　would　lock　themselves　in　their　room；　get　down　upon　their　knees　on　the　floor；　open　the　box；　take　out　the　treasures　and　gloat　over　them；　together！　　Noble　lady！　she　was　such　a　wife　as　any　good　man　might　be　proud　of。　　They　were　very　happy　in　their　companionship　on　earth；　were　my　dear　old　friends。　　He　was　the　first　to　go；　their　separation　was　short；　together　once　　more　and　forever　they　share　the　illimitable　joys　which　await　all　lovers　of　good　books　when　virtue　hath　mournfully　writ　the　colophon　to　their　human　careers。

Although　Mr。　Rice　survived　the　sale　of　his　remarkable　library　a　period　of　twenty…six　years；　he　did　not　get　together　again　a　collection　of　books　that　he　was　willing　to　call　a　library。　　His　first　collection　was　so　remarkable　that　he　preferred　to　have　his　fame　rest　wholly　upon　it。　　Perhaps　he　was　wise；　yet　how　few　collectors　there　are　who　would　have　done　as　he　did。

As　for　myself；　I　verily　believe　that；　if　by　fire　or　by　water　my　library　should　be　destroyed　this　night；　I　should　start　in　again　to…morrow　upon　the　collection　of　another　library。　　Or　if　I　did　not　do　this；　I　should　lay　myself　down　to　die；　for　how　could　I　live　without　the　companionships　to　which　I　have　ever　been　accustomed；　and　which　have　grown　as　dear　to　me　as　life　itself？

Whenever　Judge　Methuen　is　in　a　jocular　mood　and　wishes　to　tease　me；　he　asks　me　whether　I　have　forgotten　the　time　when　I　was　possessed　of　a　spirit　of　reform　and　registered　a　solemn　vow　in　high　heaven　to　buy　no　more　books。　　Teasing；　says　Victor　Hugo；　is　the　malice　of　good　men；　Judge　Methuen　means　no　evil　when　he　recalls　that　weaknessthe　one　weakness　in　all　my　career。

No；　I　have　not　forgotten　that　time；　I　look　back　upon　it　with　a　shudder　of　horror；　for　wretched　indeed　would　have　been　my　existence　had　I　carried　into　effect　the　project　I　devised　at　that　remote　period！

Dr。　O'Rell　has　an　interesting　theory　which　you　will　find　recorded　in　the　published　proceedings　of　the　National　Academy　of　Sciences　（vol。　xxxiv。；　p。　216）。　　Or；　if　you　cannot　procure　copies　of　that　work；　it　may　serve　your　purpose　to　know　that　the　doctor's　theory　is　to　this　effectviz。；　that　bibliomania　does　not　deserve　the　name　of　bibliomania　until　it　is　exhibited　in　the　second　stage。　　For　secondary　bibliomania　there　is　no　known　cure；　the　few　cases　reported　as　having　been　cured　were　doubtless　not　bibliomania　at　all；　or；　at　least；　were　what　we　of　the　faculty　call　false　or　chicken　bibliomania。

‘‘In　false　bibliomania；　which；''　says　Dr。　O'Rell；　‘‘is　the　primary　stage　of　the　grand　passionthe　vestibule　to　the　main　edifice　the　usual　symptoms　are　flushed　cheeks；　sparkling　eyes；　a　bounding　pulse；　and　quick　respiration。　　This　period　of　exaltation　is　not　unfrequently　followed　by　a　condition　of　collapse　in　which　we　find　the　victim　pale；　pulseless；　and　dejected。　　He　is　pursued　and　tormented　of　imaginary　horrors；　he　reproaches　himself　for　imaginary　crimes；　and　he　implores　piteously　for　relief　from　fancied　dangers。　　The　sufferer　now　stands　in　a　slippery　place；　unless　his　case　is　treated　intelligently　he　will　issue　from　that　period　of　gloom　cured　of　the　sweetest　of　madnesses；　and　doomed　to　a　life　of　singular　uselessness。

‘‘But　properly　treated；''　continues　Dr。　O'Rell；　‘‘and　particularly　if　his　spiritual　needs　be　ministered　to；　he　can　be　brought　safely　through　this　period　of　collapse　into　a　condition　of　reenforced　exaltation；　which　is　the　true；　or　secondary　stage　of；　bibliomania；　and　for　which　there　is　no　cure　known　to　humanity。''

I　should　trust　Dr。　O'Rell's　judgment　in　this　matter；　even　if　I　did　not　know　from　experience　that　it　was　true。　　For　Dr。　O'Rell　is　the　most　famous　authority　we　have　in　bibliomania　and　kindred　maladies。　　It　is　he　（I　make　the　information　known　at　the　risk　of　offending　the　ethics　of　the　profession）it　is　he　who　discovered　the　bacillus　librorum；　and；　what　is　still　more　important　and　still　more　to　his　glory；　it　is　he　who　invented　that　subtle　lymph　which　is　now　everywhere　employed　by　the　profession　as　a　diagnostic　where　the　presence　of　the　germs　of　bibliomania　（in　other　words；　bacilli　librorum）　is　suspected。

I　once　got　this　learned　scientist　to　inject　a　milligram　of　the　lymph　into　the　femoral　artery　of　Miss　Susan's　cat。　　Within　an　hour　the　precocious　beast　surreptitiously　entered　my　library　for　the　first　time　in　her　life；　and　ate　the　covers　of　my　pet　edition　of　Rabelais。　　This　demonstrated　to　Dr。　O'Rell's　satisfaction　the　efficacy　of　his　diagnostic；　and　it　proved　to　Judge　Methuen's　satisfaction　what　the　Judge　has　always　maintainedviz。；　that　Rabelais　was　an　old　rat。　




XII

THE　PLEASURES　OF　EXTRA…ILLUSTRATION

Very　many　years　ago　we　became　convinced　Judge　Methuen　and　I　did　that　there　was　nothing　new　in　the　world。　　I　think　it　was　while　we　were　in　London　and　while　we　were　deep　in　the　many　fads　of　bibliomania　that　we　arrived　at　this　important　conclusion。

We　had　been　pursuing　with　enthusiasm　the　exciting　delights　of　extra…illustration；　a　practice　sometimes　known　as　Grangerism；　the　friends　of　the　practice　call　it　by　the　former　name；　the　enemies　by　the　latter。　　We　were　engaged　at　extra…illustrating　Boswell's　life　of　Johnson；　and　had　already　got　together　somewhat　more　than　eleven　thousand　prints　when　we　ran　against　a　snag；　an　obstacle　we　　never　could　surmount。　　We　agreed　that　our　w