the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第6节
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。 I took apartments in the Latin Quarter； and； being of a generous nature； I devoted a large share of my income to the support of certain artists and students whose talents and time were expended almost exclusively in the pursuit of pleasure。
While thus serving as a visible means of support to this horde of parasites； I fell in with the man who has since then been my intimate friend。 Judge Methuen was a visitor in Paris； and we became boon companions。 It was he who rescued me from the parasites and revived the flames of honorable ambition； which had well…nigh been extinguished by the wretched influence of Villon and Rousseau。 The Judge was a year my senior； and a wealthy father provided him with the means for gratifying his wholesome and refined tastes。 We two went together to London； and it was during our sojourn in that capital that I began my career as a collector of books。 It is simply justice to my benefactor to say that to my dear friend Methuen I am indebted for the inspiration which started me upon a course so full of sweet surprises and precious rewards。
There are very many kinds of book collectors； but I think all may be grouped in three classes； viz。： Those who collect from vanity； those who collect for the benefits of learning； those who collect through a veneration and love for books。 It is not unfrequent that men who begin to collect books merely to gratify their personal vanity find themselves presently so much in love with the pursuit that they become collectors in the better sense。
Just as a man who takes pleasure in the conquest of feminine hearts invariably finds himself at last ensnared by the very passion which he has been using simply for the gratification of his vanity； I am inclined to think that the element of vanity enters； to a degree； into every phase of book collecting； vanity is； I take it； one of the essentials to a well…balanced characternot a prodigious vanity； but a prudent； well…governed one。 But for vanity there would be no competition in the world； without competition there would be no progress。
In these later days I often hear this man or that sneered at because； forsooth； he collects books without knowing what the books are about。 But for my part； I say that that man bids fair to be all right； he has made a proper start in the right direction； and the likelihood is that； other things being equal； he will eventually become a lover； as well as a buyer； of books。 Indeed； I care not what the beginning is； so long as it be a beginning。 There are different ways of reaching the goal。 Some folk go horseback via the royal road； but very many others are compelled to adopt the more tedious processes； involving rocky pathways and torn shoon and sore feet。
So subtile and so infectious is this grand passion that one is hardly aware of its presence before it has complete possession of him； and I have known instances of men who； after having associated one evening with Judge Methuen and me； have waked up the next morning filled with the incurable enthusiasm of bibliomania。 But the development of the passion is not always marked by exhibitions of violence； sometimes； like the measles； it is slow and obstinate about ‘‘coming out；'' and in such cases applications should be resorted to for the purpose of diverting the malady from the vitals； otherwise serious results may ensue。
Indeed； my learned friend Dr。 O'Rell has met with several cases （as he informs me） in which suppressed bibliomania has resulted fatally。 Many of these cases have been reported in that excellent publication； the ‘‘Journal of the American Medical Association；'' which periodical； by the way； is edited by ex…Surgeon…General Hamilton； a famous collector of the literature of ornament and dress。
To make short of a long story； the medical faculty is nearly a unit upon the proposition that wherever suppressed bibliomania is suspected immediate steps should be taken to bring out the disease。 It is true that an Ohio physician； named Woodbury； has written much in defence of the theory that bibliomania can be aborted； but a very large majority of his profession are of the opinion that the actual malady must needs run a regular course； and they insist that the cases quoted as cured by Woodbury were not genuine； but were bastard or false phases； of the same class as the chickenpox and the German measles。
My mania exhibited itself first in an affectation for old books； it mattered not what the book itself wasso long as it bore an ancient date upon its title…page or in its colophon I pined to possess it。 This was not only a vanity； but a very silly one。 In a month's time I had got together a large number of these old tomes； many of them folios； and nearly all badly worm…eaten； and sadly shaken。
One day I entered a shop kept by a man named Stibbs； and asked if I could procure any volumes of sixteenth…century print。
‘‘Yes；'' said Mr。 Stibbs； ‘‘we have a cellarful of them； and we sell them by the ton or by the cord。''
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
