The Library- 第1部分

　　

《The　Library》作者：＇英＇Andrew　Lang【完结】

by　Andrew　Lang

Contents：

PREFATORY　NOTEAN　APOLOGY　FOR　THE　BOOKHUNTERTHE　LIBRARYTHE　BOOKS　OF　THE　COLLECTORILLUSTRATED　BOOKS

Books；　books　again；　and　books　once　more！These　are　our　theme；　which　some　miscallMere　madness；　setting　little　storeBy　copies　either　short　or　tall。But　you；　O　slaves　of　shelf　and　stall！We　rather　write　for　you　that　holdPatched　folios　dear；　and　prize　〃the　small；Rare　volume；　black　with　tarnished　gold。〃A。　D。

PREFATORY　NOTE

The　pages　in　this　volume　on　illuminated　and　other　MSS。　（with　the　exception　of　some　anecdotes　about　Bussy　Rabutin　and　Julie　de　Rambouillet）　have　been　contributed　by　the　Rev。　W。　J。　Loftie；　who　has　also　written　on　early　printed　books　（pp。　9495）。　　The　pages　on　the　Biblioklept　（pp。　4656）　are　reprinted；　with　the　Editor's　kind　permission；　from　the　Saturday　Review；　and　a　few　remarks　on　the　moral　lessons　of　bookstalls　are　taken　from　an　essay　in　the　same　journal。

Mr。　Ingram　Bywater；　Fellow　of　Exeter　College；　and　lately　sub　Librarian　of　the　Bodleian；　has　very　kindly　read　through　the　proofs　of　chapters　I。；　II。；　and　III。；　and　suggested　some　alterations。

Thanks　are　also　due　to　Mr。　T。　R。　Buchanan；　Fellow　of　All　Souls　College；　for　two　plates　from　his　〃Bookbindings　in　All　Souls　Library〃　（printed　for　private　circulation）；　which　he　has　been　good　enough　to　lend　me。　　The　plates　are　beautifully　drawn　and　coloured　by　Dr。　J。　J。　Wild。　　Messrs。　Gee　Bell　&　Sons；　Messrs。　Bradbury；　Agnew；　&　Co。；　and　Messrs。　Chatto　&　Windus；　must　be　thanked　for　the　use　of　some　of　the　woodcuts　which　illustrate　the　concluding　chapter。　A。　L。

AN　APOLOGY　FOR　THE　BOOKHUNTER

〃All　men；〃　says　Dr。　Dibdin；　〃like　to　be　their　own　librarians。〃　　A　writer　on　the　library　has　no　business　to　lay　down　the　law　as　to　the　books　that　even　the　most　inexperienced　amateurs　should　try　to　collect。　　There　are　books　which　no　lover　of　literature　can　afford　to　be　without；　classics；　ancient　and　modern；　on　which　the　world　has　pronounced　its　verdict。　　These　works；　in　whatever　shape　we　may　be　able　to　possess　them；　are　the　necessary　foundations　of　even　the　smallest　collections。　　Homer；　Dante　and　Milton；　Shakespeare　and　Sophocles；　Aristophanes　and　Moliere；　Thucydides；　Tacitus；　and　Gibbon；　Swift　and　Scott；these　every　lover　of　letters　will　desire　to　possess　in　the　original　languages　or　in　translations。　　The　list　of　such　classics　is　short　indeed；　and　when　we　go　beyond　it；　the　tastes　of　men　begin　to　differ　very　widely。　　An　assortment　of　broadsheet　ballads　and　scrapbooks；　bought　in　boyhood；　was　the　nucleus　of　Scott's　library；　rich　in　the　works　of　poets　and　magicians；　of　alchemists；　and　anecdotists。　　A　childish　liking　for　coloured　prints　of　stage　characters；　may　be　the　germ　of　a　theatrical　collection　like　those　of　Douce；　and　Malone；　and　Cousin。　　People　who　are　studying　any　past　period　of　human　history；　or　any　old　phase　or　expression　of　human　genius；　will　eagerly　collect　little　contemporary　volumes　which　seem　trash　to　other　amateurs。　　For　example；　to　a　student　of　Moliere；　it　is　a　happy　chance　to　e　across　〃La　Carte　du　Royaume　des　Pretieuses〃（The　map　of　the　kingdom　of　the　〃Precieuses〃）written　the　year　before　the　edian　brought　out　his　famous　play　〃Les　Precieuses　Ridicules。〃　　This　geographical　tract　appeared　in　the　very　〃Recueil　des　Pieces　Choisies；〃　whose　authors　Magdelon；　in　the　play；　was　expecting　to　entertain；　when　Mascarille　made　his　appearance。　　There　is　a　faculty　which　Horace　Walpole　named　〃serendipity；〃the　luck　of　falling　on　just　the　literary　document　which　one　wants　at　the　moment。　　All　collectors　of　out　of　the　way　books　know　the　pleasure　of　the　exercise　of　serendipity；　but　they　enjoy　it　in　different　ways。　　One　man　will　go　home　hugging　a　volume　of　sermons；　another　with　a　bulky　collection　of　catalogues；　which　would　have　distended　the　pockets　even　of　the　wide　greatcoat　made　for　the　purpose；　that　Charles　Nodier　used　to　wear　when　he　went　a　bookhunting。　　Others　are　captivated　by　black　letter；　others　by　the　plays　of　such　obscurities　as　Nabbes　and　Glapthorne。　　But　however　various　the　tastes　of　collectors　of　books；　they　are　all　agreed　on　one　point；the　love　of　printed　paper。　　Even　an　Elzevir　man　can　sympathise　with　Charles　Lamb's　attachment　to　〃that　folio　Beaumont　and　Fletcher　which　he　dragged　home　late　at　night　from　Barker's　in　Covent　Garden。〃　　But　it　is　another　thing　when　Lamb　says；　〃I　do　not　care　for　a　first　folio　of　Shakespeare。〃　　A　bibliophile　who　could　say　this　could　say　anything。

No；　there　are；　in　every　period　of　taste；　books　which；　apart　from　their　literary　value；　all　collectors　admit　to　possess；　if　not　for　themselves；　then　for　others　of　the　brotherhood；　a　peculiar　preciousness。　　These　books　are　esteemed　for　curiosity；　for　beauty　of　type；　paper；　binding；　and　illustrations；　for　some　connection　they　may　have　with　famous　people　of　the　past；　or　for　their　rarity。　　It　is　about　these　books；　the　method　of　preserving　them；　their　enemies；　the　places　in　which　to　hunt　for　them；　that　the　following　pages　are　to　treat。　　It　is　a　subject　more　closely　connected　with　the　taste　for　curiosities　than　with　art；　strictly　so　called。　　We　are　to　be　occupied；　not　so　much　with　literature　as　with　books；　not　so　much　with　criticism　as　with　bibliography；　the　quaint　duenna　of　literature；　a　study　apparently　dry；　but　not　without　its　humours。　And　here　an　apology　must　be　made　for　the　frequent　allusions　and　anecdotes　derived　from　French　writers。　　These　are　as　unavoidable；　almost；　as　the　use　of　French　terms　of　the　sport　in　tennis　and　in　fencing。　　In　bibliography；　in　the　care　for　books　AS　books；　the　French　are　still　the　teachers　of　Europe；　as　they　were　in　tennis　and　are　in　fencing。　　Thus；　Richard　de　Bury；　Chancellor　of　Edward　III。；　writes　in　his　〃Philobiblon：〃　〃Oh　God　of　Gods　in　Zion！　what　a　rushing　river　of　joy　gladdens　my　heart　as　often　as　I　have　a　chance　of　going　to　Paris！　　There　the　days　seem　always　short；　there　are　the　goodly　collections　on　the　delicate　fragrant　bookshelves。〃　　Since　Dante　wrote　of　

〃L'onor　di　quell'　arte　Ch'　allumare　e　chiamata　in　Parisi；〃

〃the　art　that　is　called　illuminating　in　Paris；〃　and　all　the　other　arts　of　writing；　printing；　binding　books；　have　been　most　skilfully　practised　by　France。　　She　improved　on　the　lessons　given　by　Germany　and　Italy　in　these　crafts。　　Twenty　books　about　books　are　written　in　Paris　for　one　that　is　published　in　England。　　In　our　country　Dibdin　is　out　of　date　（the　second　edition　of　his　〃Bibliomania〃　was　published　in　1811）；　and　Mr。　Hill　Burton's　humorous　〃Bookhunter〃　is　out　of　print。　　Meanwhile；　in　France；　writers　grave　and　gay；　from　the　gigantic　industry　of　Bru　to　Nodier's　quaint　fancy；　and　Janin's　wit；　and　the　always　entertaining　bibliophile　Jacob　（Paul　Lacroix）；　have　written；　or　are　writing；　on　books；　manuscripts；　engravings；　editions；　and　bindings。　　In　England；　therefore；　rare　French　books　are　eagerly　sought；　and　may　be　found　in　all　the　booksellers'　catalogues。　　On　the　continent　there　is　no　such　care　for　our　curious　or　beautiful　editions；　old　or　new。　　Here　a　hint　may　be　given　to　the　collector。　　If　he　〃picks　up〃　a　rare　French　book；　at　a　low　price；　he　would　act　prudently　in　having　it　bound　in　France　by　a　good　craftsman。　　Its　value；　when　〃the　wicked　day　of　destiny〃　es；　and　the　collection　is　broken　up；　will　thus　be　made　secure。　　For　the　French　do　not　suffer　our　English　bindings　gladly；　while　we　have　no　narrow　prejudice　against　the　works　of　Lortic　and　Cape；　but　the　reverse。　　For　these　reasons　then；　and　also　because　every　writer　is　obliged　to　make　the　closest　acquaintance　with　books　in　the　direction　where　his　own　studies　lie；　the　writings　of　French　authorities　are　frequently　cited　in　the　following　pages。

This　apology　must　be　followed　by　a　brief　defence　of　the　taste　and　passion　of　bookcollecting；　and　of　the　class　of　men　known　invidiously　as　bookworms　and　bookhunters。　　They　and　their　simple　pleasures　are　the　butts　of　a　cheap　and　shrewish　set　of　critics；　who　cannot　endure　in　others　a　taste　which　is　absent　in　themselves。　Important　new　books　have　actually　been　condemned　of　late　years　because　they　were　printed　on　good　paper；　and　a　valuable　historical　treatise　was　attacked　by　reviewers　quite　angrily　because　its　outward　array　was　not　mean　and　forbidding。　　Of　course；　critics　who　take　this　view　of　new　books　have　no　patience　with　persons　who　care　for　〃margins；〃　and　〃condition；〃　and　early　copies　of　old　books。　　We　cannot　hope　to　convert　the　adversary；　but　it　is　not　necessary　to　be　disturbed　by　his　clamour。　　People　are　happier　for　the　possession　of　a　taste　as　long　as　they　possess　it；　and　it　does　not；　like　the　demons　of　Scripture；　possess　them。　　The　wise　collector　gets　instruction　and　pleasure　from　his　pursuit；　and　it　may　well　be　that；　in　the　long　run；　he　and　his　family　do　not　lose　money。　　The　amusement　may　chance　to　prove　a　very　fair　investment。

As　to　this　question　of　making　money　by　collecting；　Mr。　Hill　Burton　speaks　very　distinctly　in　〃The　Bookhunter：〃　〃Where　money　is　the　object　let　a　man　speculate　or　bee　a　miser。　。　。　Let　not　the　collector　ever；　unless　in　some　urgent　and　necessary　circumstances；　part　with　any　of　his　treasures。　　Let　him　not　even　have　recourse　to　that　practice　called　barter；　which　political　philosophers　tell　us　is　the　universal　resource　of　mankind　preparatory　to　the　invention　of　money。　　Let　him　confine　all　his　transactions　in　the　market　to　purchasing　only。　　No　good　es　of　gentlemenamateurs　buying　and　selling。〃　　There　is　room　for　difference　of　opinion　here；　but　there　seems　to　be　most　reason　on　the　side　of　Mr。　Hill　Burton。　　It　is　one　thing　for　the　collector　to　be　able　to　reflect　that　the　money　he　expends　on　books　is　not　lost；　and　that　his　family　may　find　themselves　richer；　not　poorer；　because　he　indulged　his　taste。　　It　is　quite　another　thing　to　buy　books　as　a　speculator　buys　shares；　meaning　to　sell　again　at　a　profit　as　soon　as　occasion　offers。　　It　is　necessary　also　to　warn　the　beginner　against　indulging　extravagant　hopes。　　He　must　buy　experience　with　his　books；　and　many　of　his　first　purchases　are　likely　to　disappoint　him。　　He　will　pay　dearly　for　the　wrong　〃Caesar〃　of　1635；　the　one　WITHOUT　errors　in　pagination；　and　this　is　only　a　mon　example　of　the　beginner's　blunders。　Collecting　is　like　other　forms　of　sport；　the　aim　is　not　certain　at　first；　the　amateur　is　nervous；　and；　as　in　angling；　is　apt　to　〃strike〃