l；〃 as a didactic poet sings； in an ode on man's mortality。 As entzelius； it may not be amiss to give D'Alembert's theory of bookworms： 〃I believe；〃 he says； 〃that a little beetle lays her eggs in books in August； thence is hatched a mite； like the cheesemite； which devours books merely because it is pelled to gnaw its way out into the air。〃 Bookworms like the paste which binders employ； but D'Alembert adds that they cannot endure absinthe。 Mr。 Blades finds too that they disdain to devour our adulterate modern paper。
〃Say； shall I sing of rats；〃 asked Grainger； when reading to Johnson his epic； the 〃Sugarcane。〃 〃No；〃 said the Doctor； and though rats are the foe of the bibliophile； at least as much as of the sugar planter； we do not propose to sing of them。 M。 Fertiault has done so already in 〃Les Sons d'un Bibliophile；〃 where the reader must be pleased with the beautiful etchings of rats devouring an illuminated MS。； and battening on morocco bindings stamped with the bees of De Thou。 It is unnecessary and it would be undignified； to give hints on ratcatching； but the amateur must not fet that these animals have a passion for bindings。
The bookcollector must avoid gas； which deposits a filthy coat of oil that catches dust。 Mr。 Blades found that three jets of gas in a small room soon reduced the leather on his bookshelves to a powder of the consistency of snuff； and made the backs of books e away in his hand。 Shaded lamps give the best and most suitable light for the library。 As to the risks which books run at the hands of the owner himself； we surely need not repeat the advice of Richard de Bury。 Living in an age when tubs （if not unknown as M。 Michelet declares） were far from being mon； the old collector inveighed against the dirty hands of readers； and against their habit of marking their place in a book with filthy straws； or setting down a beer pot in the middle of the volume to keep the pages open。 But the amateur； however refined himself； must beware of men who love not fly leaves neither regard margins； but write notes over the latter； and light their pipes with the former。 After seeing the wreck of a book which these persons have been busy with； one appreciates the fine Greek hyperbole。 The Greeks did not speak of 〃thumbing〃 but of 〃walking up and down〃 on a volume （＇Greek text＇）。 To such fellows it matters not that they make a book dirty and greasy； cutting the pages with their fingers； and holding the boards over the fire till they crack。 All these slatternly practices； though they destroy a book as surely as the flames of Caesar's soldiers at Alexandria； seem fine manly acts to the grobians who use them。 What says Jules Janin； who has written 〃Contre l'indifference des Philistins；〃 〃il faut a l'homme sage et studieux un tome honorable et digne de sa louange。〃 The amateur； and all decent men； will beware of lending books to such rude workers； and this consideration brings us to these great foes of books； the borrowers and robbers。 The lending of books； and of other property； has been defended by some great authorities； thus Panurge himself says； 〃it would prove much more easy in nature to have fish entertained in the air； and bullocks fed in the bottom of the ocean； than to support or tolerate a rascally rabble of people that will not lend。〃 Pirckheimer； too； for whom Albert Durer designed a bookplate； was a lender； and took for his device Sibi et Amicis； and Jo。 Grolierii et amicorum； was the motto of the renowned Grolier； whom mistaken writers vainly but frequently report to have been a bookbinder。 But as Mr。 Leicester Warren says； in his 〃Study of Bookplates〃 （Pearson； 1880）； 〃Christian Charles de Savigny leaves all the rest behind； exclaiming non mihi sed aliis。〃 But the majority of amateurs have chosen wiser； though more churlish devices； as 〃the ungodly borroweth and payeth not again；〃 or 〃go to them that sell； and buy for yourselves。〃 David Garrick engraved on his bookplate； beside a bust of Shakspeare； these words of Menage； 〃La premiere chose qu'on doit faire； quand on a emprunte' un livre； c'est de le lire； afin de pouvoir le rendre plutot。〃 But the borrower is so minded that the last thing he thinks of is to read a borrowed book； and the penultimate subject of his reflections is its restoration。 Menage （Menagiana； Paris； 1729； vol。 i。 p。 265）； mentions； as if it were a notable misdeed； this of Angelo Politian's； 〃he borrowed a 'Lucretius' from Pomponius Laetus； and kept it for four years。〃 Four years！ in the sight of the borrower it is but a moment。 Menage reports that a friend kept his 〃Pausanias〃 for three years； whereas four months was long enough。
〃At quarto saltem mense redire decet。〃
There is no satisfaction in lending a book； for it is rarely that borrowers； while they deface your volumes； gather honey for new stores； as De Quincey did； and Coleridge； and even Dr。 Johnson； who 〃greased and dogseared such volumes as were confided to his tender mercies； with the same indifference wherewith he singed his own wigs。〃 But there is a race of mortals more annoying to a conscientious man than borrowers。 These are the spontaneous lenders； who insist that you shall borrow their tomes。 For my own part； when I am oppressed with the charity of such； I lock their books up in a drawer； and behold them not again till the day of their return。 There is no security against borrowers； unless a man like Guibert de Pixerecourt steadfastly refuses to lend。 The device of Pixerecourt was un livre est un ami qui ne change jamais。 But he knew that our books change when they have been borrowed； like our friends when they have been married； when 〃a lady borrows them；〃 as the fairy queen says in the ballad of 〃Tamlane。〃
〃But had I kenn'd； Tamlane；〃 she says； 〃A lady wad borrowed thee； I wad ta'en out thy twa gray een； Put in twa een o' tree！
〃Had I but kenn'd； Tamlane；〃 she says； 〃Before ye came frae hame； I wad ta'en out your heart o' flesh； Put in a heart o' stane！〃
Above the lintel of his library door； Pixerecourt had this couplet carved
〃Tel est le triste sort de tout livre prete； Souvent il est perdu； toujours il est gate。〃
M。 Paul Lacroix says he would not have lent a book to his own daughter。 Once Lacroix asked for the loan of a work of little value。 Pixerecourt frowned； and led his friend beneath the doorway； pointing to the motto。 〃Yes；〃 said M。 Lacroix； 〃but I thought that verse applied to every one but me。〃 So Pixerecourt made him a present of the volume。
We cannot all imitate this 〃immense〃 but unamiable amateur。 Therefore； bibliophiles have consoled themselves with the inventions of bookplates； quaint representations； perhaps heraldic； perhaps fanciful； of their claims to the possession of their own dear volumes。 Mr。 Leicester Warren and M。 Poulet Malassis have written the history of these slender works of art； and each bibliophile may have his own engraved； and may formulate his own anathemas on people who borrow and restore not again。 The process is futile； but may fort the heart； like the curses against thieves which the Greeks were wont to scratch on leaden tablets； and deposit in the temple of Demeter。 Each amateur can exercise his own taste in the design of a bookplate； and for such as love and collect rare editions of 〃Homer；〃 I venture to suggest this motto； which may move the heart of the borrower to send back an Aldine copy of the epic
＇Greek text＇ ｛3｝
Mr。 William Blades； in his pleasant volume； 〃The Enemies of Books〃 （Trubner）； makes no account of the bookthief or biblioklept。 〃If they injure the owners；〃 says Mr。 Blades； with real tolerance； 〃they do no harm to the books themselves； by merely transferring them from one set of bookshelves to another。〃 This sentence has naturally caused us to reflect on the ethical character of the biblioklept。 He is not always a bad man。 In old times； when language had its delicacies； and moralists were not devoid of sensibility； the French did not say 〃un voleur de livres；〃 but 〃un chipeur de livres；〃 as the papers call lady shoplifters 〃kleptomaniacs。〃 There are distinctions。 M。 Jules Janin mentions a great Parisian bookseller who had an amiable weakness。 He was a bibliokleptomaniac。 His first motion when he saw a book within reach was to put it in his pocket。 Every one knew his habit； and when a volume was lost at a sale the auctioneer duly announced it； and knocked it down to the enthusiast； who regularly paid the price。 When he went to a private view of books about to be sold； the officials at the door would ask him； as he was going out； if he did not happen to have an Elzevir Horace or an Aldine Ovid in his pocket。 Then he would search those receptacles and exclaim； 〃Yes； yes； here it is； so much obliged to you； I am so absent。〃 M。 Janin mentions an English noble； a 〃Sir Fitzgerald；〃 who had the same tastes； but who unluckily fell into the hands of the police。 Yet M。 Janin has a tenderness for the bookstealer； who； after all； is a lover of books。 The moral position of the malefactor is so delicate and difficult that we shall attempt to treat of it in the severe； though rococo； manner of Aristotle's 〃Ethics。〃 Here follows an extract from the lost Aristotelian treatise 〃Concerning Books〃：
〃Among the contemplative virtues we reckon the love of books。 Now this virtue； like courage or liberality； has its mean； its excess； and its defect。 The defect is indifference； and the man who is defective as to the love of books has no name in mon parlance。 Therefore； we may call him the Robustious Philistine。 This man will cut the leaves of his own or his friend's volumes with the butter knife at breakfast。 Also he is just the person wilfully to mistake the double sense of the term 'flyleaves；' and to stick the 'fly leaves' of his volumes full of flyhooks。 He also loves dogs'ears； and marks his place with his pipe when he shuts a book in a hurry； or he will set the leg of his chair on a page to keep it open。 He praises those who tear off margins for pipelights； and he makes cigarettes with the tissuepaper that covers engravings。 When his books are bound； he sees that the margin is cut to the quick。 He tells you too； that 'HE buys books to read them。' But he does not say why he thinks it needful to spoi