the love affairs of a bibliomaniac(藏书癖者的爱情)-第18节
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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
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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。
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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
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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。
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XII
THE PLEASURES OF EXTRA…ILLUSTRATION
Very many years ago we became convinced Judge
