the poet at the breakfast table-第40节

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He　took　down　a　Greek　Lexicon　finely　bound　in　calf；　and　spread　it
open。

Do　you　see　that　Hedericus　？　　I　had　Greek　dictionaries　enough　and　to
spare；　but　I　saw　that　noble　quarto　lying　in　the　midst　of　an　ignoble
crowd　of　cheap　books；　and　marked　with　a　price　which　I　felt　to　be　an
insult　to　scholarship；　to　the　memory　of　Homer；　sir；　and　the　awful
shade　of　AEschylus。　　I　paid　the　mean　price　asked　for　it；　and　I　wanted
to　double　it；　but　I　suppose　it　would　have　been　a　foolish　sacrifice　of
coin　to　sentiment：　I　love　that　book　for　its　looks　and　behavior。　　None
of　your　〃half…calf　〃　economies　in　that　volume；　sir！　　And　see　how　it
lies　open　anywhere！　　There　is　n't　a　book　in　my　library　that　has　such
a　generous　way　of　laying　its　treasures　before　you。　　From　Alpha　to
Omega；　calm；　assured　rest　at　any　page　that　your　choice　or　accident
may　light　on。　　No　lifting　of　a　rebellious　leaf　like　an　upstart
servant　that　does　not　know　his　place　and　can　never　be　taught　manners；
but　tranquil；　well…bred　repose。　　A　book　may　be　a　perfect　gentleman　in
its　aspect　and　demeanor；　and　this　book　would　be　good　company　for
personages　like　Roger　Ascham　and　his　pupils　the　Lady　Elizabeth　and
the　Lady　Jane　Grey。

The　Master　was　evidently　riding　a　hobby；　and　what　I　wanted　to　know
was　the　plan　on　which　he　had　formed　his　library。　　So　I　brought　him
back　to　the　point　by　asking　him　the　question　in　so　many　words。

Yes；he　said；I　have　a　kind　of　notion　of　the　way　in　which　a　library
ought　to　be　put　togetherno；　I　don't　mean　that；　I　mean　ought　to
grow。　　I　don't　pretend　to　say　that　mine　is　a　model；　but　it　serves　my
turn　well　enough；　and　it　represents　me　pretty　accurately。　　A　scholar
must　shape　his　own　shell；　secrete　it　one　might　almost　say；　for
secretion　is　only　separation；　you　know；　of　certain　elements　derived
from　the　materials　of　the　world　about　us。　　And　a　scholar's　study；
with　the　books　lining　its　walls；　is　his　shell。　　It　is　n't　a　mollusk's
shell；　either；　it　's　a　caddice…worm's　shell。　　You　know　about　the
caddice…worm？

More　or　less；　less　rather　than　more；was　my　humble　reply。

Well；　sir；　the　caddice…worm　is　the　larva　of　a　fly；　and　he　makes　a
case　for　himself　out　of　all　sorts　of　bits　of　everything　that　happen
to　suit　his　particular　fancy；　dead　or　alive；　sticks　and　stones　and
small　shells　with　their　owners　in　'em；　living　as　comfortable　as　ever。
Every　one　of　these　caddice…worms　has　his　special　fancy　as　to　what　he
will　pick　up　and　glue　together；　with　a　kind　of　natural　cement　he
provides　himself；　to　make　his　case　out　of。　　In　it　he　lives；　sticking
his　head　and　shoulders　out　once　in　a　while；　that　is　all。　　Don't　you
see　that　a　student　in　his　library　is　a　caddice…worm　in　his　case？
I've　told　you　that　I　take　an　interest　in　pretty　much　everything；　and
don't　mean　to　fence　out　any　human　interests　from　the　private　grounds
of　my　intelligence。　　Then；　again；　there　is　a　subject；　perhaps　I　may
say　there　is　more　than　one；　that　I　want　to　exhaust；　to　know　to　the
very　bottom。　　And　besides；　of　course　I　must　have　my　literary　harem；
my　pare　aux　cerfs；　where　my　favorites　await　my　moments　of　leisure　and
pleasure；my　scarce　and　precious　editions；　my　luxurious
typographical　masterpieces；　my　Delilahs；　that　take　my　head　in　their
lap：　the　pleasant　story…tellers　and　the　like；　the　books　I　love
because　they　are　fair　to　look　upon；　prized　by　collectors；　endeared　by
old　associations；　secret　treasures　that　nobody　else　knows　anything
about；　books；　in　short；　that　I　like　for　insufficient　reasons　it　may
be；　but　peremptorily；　and　mean　to　like　and　to　love　and　to　cherish
till　death　us　do　part。

Don't　you　see　I　have　given　you　a　key　to　the　way　my　library　is　made
up；　so　that　you　can　apriorize　the　plan　according　to　which　I　have
filled　my　bookcases？　　I　will　tell　you　how　it　is　carried　out。

In　the　first　place；　you　see；　I　have　four　extensive　cyclopaedias。　　Out
of　these　I　can　get　information　enough　to　serve　my　immediate　purpose
on　almost　any　subject。　　These；　of　course；　are　supplemented　by
geographical；　biographical；　bibliographical；　and　other　dictionaries；
including　of　course　lexicons　to　all　the　languages　I　ever　meddle　with。
Next　to　these　come　the　works　relating　to　my　one　or　two　specialties；
and　these　collections　I　make　as　perfect　as　I　can。　　Every　library
should　try　to　be　complete　on　something；　if　it　were　only　on　the
history　of　pin…heads。　　I　don't　mean　that　I　buy　all　the　trashy
compilations　on　my　special　subjects；　but　I　try　to　have　all　the　works
of　any　real　importance　relating　to　them；　old　as　well　as　new。　　In　the
following　compartment　you　will　find　the　great　authors　in　all　the
languages　I　have　mastered；　from　Homer　and　Hesiod　downward　to　the　last
great　English　name。

This　division；　you　see；　you　can　make　almost　as　extensive　or　as
limited　as　you　choose。　　You　can　crowd　the　great　representative
writers　into　a　small　compass；　or　you　can　make　a　library　consisting
only　of　the　different　editions　of　Horace；　if　you　have　space　and　money
enough。　　Then　comes　the　Harem；　the　shelf　or　the　bookcase　of　Delilahs；
that　you　have　paid　wicked　prices　for；　that　you　love　without
pretending　to　be　reasonable　about　it；　and　would　bag　in　case　of　fire
before　all　the　rest；　just　as　Mr。　　Townley　took　the　Clytie　to　his
carriage　when　the　anti…Catholic　mob　threatened　his　house　in　1780。　　As
for　the　foundlings　like　my　Hedericus；　they　go　among　their　peers；　it
is　a　pleasure　to　take　them；　from　the　dusty　stall　where　they　were
elbowed　by　plebeian　school…books　and　battered　odd　volumes；　and　give
them　Alduses　and　Elzevirs　for　companions。

Nothing　remains　but　the　Infirmary。　　The　most　painful　subjects　are　the
unfortunates　that　have　lost　a　cover。　　Bound　a　hundred　years　ago；
perhaps；　and　one　of　the　rich　old　browned　covers　gonewhat　a　pity！
Do　you　know　what　to　do　about　it？　　I　'll　tell　you；no；　I　'll　show
you。　　Look　at　this　volume。　　M。　T。　　Ciceronis　Opera；a　dozen　of　'em；
one　of　'em　minus　half　his　cover；　a　poor　one…legged　cripple；　six
months　ago；now　see　him。

He　looked　very　respectably　indeed；　both　covers　dark；　ancient；　very
decently　matched；　one　would　hardly　notice　the　fact　that　they　were　not
twins。

…I　'll　tell　you　what　I　did。　　You　poor　devil；　said　I；　you　are　a
disgrace　to　your　family。　　We　must　send　you　to　a　surgeon　and　have　some
kind　of　a　Taliacotian　operation　performed　on　you。　　（You　remember　the
operation　as　described　in　Hudibras；　of　course。）　The　first　thing　was
to　find　a　subject　of　similar　age　and　aspect　ready　to　part　with　one　of
his　members。　　So　I　went　to　Quidlibet's；you　know　Quidlibet　and　that
hieroglyphic　sign　of　his　with　the　omniscient…looking　eye　as　its　most
prominent　feature；and　laid　my　case　before　him。　　I　want　you；　said　I；
to　look　up　an　old　book　of　mighty　little　value；one　of　your　ten…cent
vagabonds　would　be　the　sort　of　thing；but　an　old　beggar；　with　a
cover　like　this；　and　lay　it　by　for　me。

And　Quidlibet；　who　is　a　pleasant　body　to　deal　with；only　he　has
insulted　one　or　two　gentlemanly　books　by　selling　them　to　me　at　very
low…bred　and　shamefully　insufficient　prices；Quidlibet；　I　say；　laid
by　three　old　books　for　me　to　help　myself　from；　and　did　n't　take　the
trouble　even　to　make　me　pay　the　thirty　cents　for　'em。　　Well；　said　I
to　myself；　let　us　look　at　our　three　books　that　have　undergone　the
last　insult　short　of　the　trunkmaker's　or　the　paper…mills；　and　see
what　they　are。　　There　may　be　something　worth　looking　at　in　one　or　the
other　of　'em。

Now　do　you　know　it　was　with　a　kind　of　a　tremor　that　I　untied　the
package　and　looked　at　these　three　unfortunates；　too　humble　for　the
companionable　dime　to　recognize　as　its　equal　in　value。　　The　same　sort
of　feeling　you　know　if　you　ever　tried　the　Bible…and…key；　or　the
Sortes　Virgiliance。　　I　think　you　will　like　to　know　what　the　three
books　were　which　had　been　bestowed　upon　me　gratis；　that　I　might　tear
away　one　of　the　covers　of　the　one　that　best　matched　my　Cicero；　and
give　it　to　the　binder　to　cobble　my　crippled　volume　with。

The　Master　took　the　three　books　from　a　cupboard　and　continued。

No。　I。　　An　odd　volume　of　The　Adventurer。　　It　has　many　interesting
things　enough；　but　is　made　precious　by　containing　Simon　Browne's
famous　Dedication　to　the　Queen　of　his　Answer　to　Tindal's
〃Christianity　as　old　as　the　Creation。〃　Simon　Browne　was　the　Man
without　a　Soul。　　An　excellent　person；　a　most　worthy　dissenting
minister；　but　lying　under　a　strange　delusion。

Here　is　a　paragraph　from　his　Dedication：

〃He　was　once　a　man；　and　of　some　little　name；　but　of　no　worth；　as　his
present　unparalleled　case　makes　but　too　manifest；　for　by　the
immediate　hand　of　an　avenging　GOD；　his　very　thinking　substance　has；
for　more　than　seven　years；　been　continually　wasting　away；　till　it　is
wholly　perished　out　of　him；　if　it　be　not　utterly　come　to　nothing。
None；　no；　not　the　least　remembrance　of　its　very　ruins；　remains；　not
the　shadow　of　an　idea　is　left；　nor　any　sense　that　so　much　as　one
single　one；　perfect　or　imperfect；　whole　or　diminished；　ever　did
appear　to　a　mind　within　him；　or　was　perceived　by　it。〃

Think　of　this　as　the　Dedication　of　a　book　〃universally　allowed　to　be
the　best　which　that　controversy　produced；〃　and　what　a　flood　of　light
it　pours　on　the　insanities　of　those　self…analyzing　diarists　whose
morbid　reveries　have　been　so　often　mistaken　for　piety！　　No。　I。　had