the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第10部分

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　his　predecessors。　　I　count　myself　happy　that　I　　have　heard　from　the　lips　of　this　enthusiast　several　of　the　rarest　and　noblest　of　the　old　British　and　old　Scottish　ballads；　and　I　recall　with　pride　that　he　complimented　me　upon　my　spirited　vocal　rendering　of　‘‘Burd　Isabel　and　Sir　Patrick；''　‘‘Lang　Johnny　More；''　‘‘The　Duke　o'　Gordon's　Daughter；''　and　two　or　three　other　famous　songs　which　I　had　learned　while　sojourning　among　the　humbler　classes　in　the　North　of　England。

After　paying　our　compliments　to　the　Robin　Hood　garlands；　to　Scott；　to　Kirkpatrick　Sharpe；　to　Ritson；　to　Buchan；　to　Motherwell；　to　Laing；　to　Christie；　to　Jamieson；　and　to　the　other　famous　lovers　and　compilers　of　balladry；　we　fell　to　discoursing　of　French　song　and　of　the　service　that　Francis　Mahony　performed　for　English…speaking　humanity　when　he　exploited　in　his　inimitable　style　those　lyrics　of　the　French　and　the　Italian　people　which　are　now　ours　as　much　as　they　are　anybody　else's。

Dear　old　Beranger！　what　wonder　that　Prout　loved　him；　and　what　wonder　that　we　all　love　him？　　I　have　thirty　odd　editions　of　his　works；　and　I　would　walk　farther　to　　pick　up　a　volume　of　his　lyrics　than　I　would　walk　to　secure　any　other　book；　excepting　of　course　a　Horace。　　Beranger　and　I　are　old　cronies。　　I　have　for　the　great　master　a　particularly　tender　feeling；　and　all　on　account　of　Fanchonette。

But　thereyou　know　nothing　of　Fanchonette；　because　I　have　not　told　you　of　her。　　She；　too；　should　have　been　a　book　instead　of　the　dainty；　coquettish　Gallic　maiden　that　she　was。　




IX

BOOKSELLERS　AND　PRINTERS；　OLD　AND　NEW

Judge　Methuen　tells　me　that　he　fears　what　I　have　said　about　my　bookseller　will　create　the　impression　that　I　am　unkindly　disposed　toward　the　bookselling　craft。　　For　the　last　fifty　years　I　have　had　uninterrupted　dealings　with　booksellers；　and　none　knows　better　than　the　booksellers　themselves　that　I　particularly　admire　them　as　a　class。　　Visitors　to　my　home　have　noticed　that　upon　my　walls　are　hung　noble　portraits　of　Caxton；　Wynkin　de　Worde；　Richard　Pynson；　John　Wygthe；　Rayne　Wolfe；　John　Daye；　Jacob　Tonson；　Richard　Johnes；　John　Dunton；　and　other　famous　old　printers　and　booksellers。

I　have；　too；　a　large　collection　of　portraits　of　modern　booksellers；　including　a　pen…and…　ink　sketch　of　Quaritch；　a　line　engraving　of　Rimell；　and　a　very　excellent　etching　of　my　　dear　friend；　the　late　Henry　Stevens。　　One　of　the　portraits　is　a　unique；　for　I　had　it　painted　myself；　and　I　have　never　permitted　any　copy　to　be　made　of　it；　it　is　of　my　bookseller；　and　it　represents　him　in　the　garb　of　a　fisherman；　holding　his　rod　and　reel　in　one　hand　and　the　copy　of　the　‘‘Compleat　Angler''　in　the　other。

Mr。　Curwen　speaks　of　booksellers　as　being　‘‘singularly　thrifty；　able；　industrious；　and　perseveringin　some　few　cases　singularly　venturesome；　liberal；　and　kind…hearted。''　　My　own　observation　and　experience　have　taught　me　that　as　a　class　booksellers　are　exceptionally　intelligent；　ranking　with　printers　in　respect　to　the　variety　and　extent　of　their　learning。

They　have；　however；　this　distinct　advantage　over　the　printersthey　are　not　brought　in　contact　with　the　manifold　temptations　to　intemperance　and　profligacy　which　environ　the　votaries　of　the　art　preservative　of　arts。　　Horace　Smith　has　said　that　‘‘were　there　no　readers　there　certainly　would　be　no　writers；　clearly；　therefore；　the　existence　of　writers　depends　upon　the　existence　of　readers：　and；　　of　course；　since　the　cause　must　be　antecedent　to　the　effect；　readers　existed　before　writers。　　Yet；　on　the　other　hand；　if　there　were　no　writers　there　could　be　no　readers；　so　it　would　appear　that　writers　must　be　antecedent　to　readers。''

It　amazes　me　that　a　reasoner　so　shrewd；　so　clear；　and　so　exacting　as　Horace　Smith　did　not　pursue　the　proposition　further；　for　without　booksellers　there　would　have　been　no　market　for　booksthe　author　would　not　have　been　able　to　sell；　and　the　reader　would　not　have　been　able　to　buy。

The　further　we　proceed　with　the　investigation　the　more　satisfied　we　become　that　the　original　man　was　three　of　number；　one　of　him　being　the　bookseller；　who　established　friendly　relations　between　the　other　two　of　him；　saying：　　‘‘I　will　serve　you　both　by　inciting　both　a　demand　and　a　supply。''　　So　then　the　author　did　his　part；　and　the　reader　his；　which　I　take　to　be　a　much　more　dignified　scheme　than　that　suggested　by　Darwin　and　his　school　of　investigators。

By　the　very　nature　of　their　occupation　booksellers　are　broad…minded；　their　association　with　every　class　of　humanity　and　their　constant　companionship　with　books　give　them　a　liberality　that　enables　them　to　view　with　singular　clearness　and　dispassionateness　every　phase　of　life　and　every　dispensation　of　Providence。　　They　are　not　always　practical；　for　the　development　of　the　spiritual　and　intellectual　natures　in　man　does　not　at　the　same　time　promote　dexterity　in　the　use　of　the　baser　organs　of　the　body；　I　have　known　philosophers　who　could　not　harness　a　horse　or　even　shoo　chickens。

Ralph　Waldo　Emerson　once　consumed　several　hours'　time　trying　to　determine　whether　he　should　trundle　a　wheelbarrow　by　pushing　it　or　by　pulling　it。　　A。　Bronson　Alcott　once　tried　to　construct　a　chicken　coop；　and　he　had　boarded　himself　up　inside　the　structure　before　he　discovered　that　he　had　not　provided　for　a　door　or　for　windows。　　We　have　all　heard　the　story　of　Isaac　Newton　how　he　cut　two　holes　in　his　study…door；　a　large　one　for　his　cat　to　enter　by；　and　a　small　one　for　the　kitten。

This　unworldlinessthis　impossibility；　if　you　pleaseis　characteristic　of　intellectual　　progression。　　Judge　Methuen's　second　son　is　named　Grolier；　and　the　fact　that　he　doesn't　know　enough　to　come　in　out　of　the　rain　has　inspired　both　the　Judge　and　myself　with　the　conviction　that　in　due　time　Grolier　will　become　a　great　philosopher。

The　mention　of　this　revered　name　reminds　me　that　my　bookseller　told　me　the　other　day　that　just　before　I　entered　his　shop　a　wealthy　patron　of　the　arts　and　muses　called　with　a　volume　which　he　wished　to　have　rebound。

‘‘I　can　send　it　to　Paris　or　to　London；''　said　my　bookseller。　　‘‘If　you　have　no　choice　of　binder；　I　will　entrust　it　to　Zaehnsdorf　with　instructions　to　lavish　his　choicest　art　upon　it。''

‘‘But　indeed　I　HAVE　a　choice；''　cried　the　plutocrat；　proudly。　　‘‘I　noticed　a　large　number　of　Grolier　bindings　at　the　Art　Institute　last　week；　and　I　want　something　of　the　same　kind　myself。　　Send　the　book　to　Grolier；　and　tell　him　to　do　his　prettiest　by　it；　for　I　can　stand　the　expense；　no　matter　what　it　is。''

Somewhere　in　his　admirable　discourse　old　Walton　has　stated　the　theory　that　an　angler　must　be　born　and　then　made。　　I　have　always　　held　the　same　to　be　true　of　the　bookseller。　　There　are　many；　too　many；　charlatans　in　the　trade；　the　simon…pure　bookseller　enters　upon　and　conducts　bookselling　not　merely　as　a　trade　and　for　the　purpose　of　amassing　riches；　but　because　he　loves　books　and　because　he　has　pleasure　in　diffusing　their　gracious　influences。

Judge　Methuen　tells　me　that　it　is　no　longer　the　fashion　to　refer　to　persons　or　things　as　being　‘‘simon…pure''；　the　fashion；　as　he　says；　passed　out　some　years　ago　when　a　writer　in　a　German　paper　‘‘was　led　into　an　amusing　blunder　by　an　English　review。　　The　reviewer；　having　occasion　to　draw　a　distinction　between　George　and　Robert　Cruikshank；　spoke　of　the　former　as　the　real　Simon　Pure。　　The　German；　not　understanding　the　allusion；　gravely　told　his　readers　that　George　Cruikshank　was　a　pseudonym；　the　author's　real　name　being　Simon　Pure。''

This　incident　is　given　in　Henry　B。　Wheatley's　‘‘Literary　Blunders；''　a　very　charming　book；　but　one　that　could　have　been　made　more　interesting　to　me　had　it　recorded　the　curious　blunder　which　Frederick　Saunders　　makes　in　his　‘‘Story　of　Some　Famous　Books。''　　On　page　169　we　find　this　information：　　‘‘Among　earlier　American　bards　we　instance　Dana；　whose　imaginative　poem　‘The　Culprit　Fay；'　so　replete　with　poetic　beauty；　is　a　fairy　tale　of　the　highlands　of　the　Hudson。　　The　origin　of　the　poem　is　traced　to　a　conversation　with　Cooper；　the　novelist；　and　Fitz…Greene　Halleck；　the　poet；　who；　speaking　of　the　Scottish　streams　and　their　legendary　associations；　insisted　that　the　American　rivers　were　not　susceptible　of　like　poetic　treatment。　　Dana　thought　otherwise；　and　to　make　his　position　good　produced　three　days　after　this　poem。''

It　may　be　that　Saunders　wrote　the　name　Drake；　for　it　was　James　Rodman　Drake　who　did　‘‘The　Culprit　Fay。''　　Perhaps　it　was　the　printer's　fault　that　the　poem　is　accredited　to　Dana。　　Perhaps　Mr。　Saunders　writes　so　legible　a　hand　that　the　printers　are　careless　with　his　manuscript。

‘‘There　is；''　says　Wheatley；　‘‘there　is　a　popular　notion　among　authors　that　it　is　not　wise　to　write　a　clear　hand。　　Menage　was　one　of　the　first　to　express　it。　　He　wrote：　　‘If　　you　desire　that　no　mistake　shall　appear　in　the　works　which　you　publish；　never　send　well…written　copy　to　the　printer；　for　in　that　case　the　manuscript　is　given　to　young　apprentices；　who　make　a　thousand　errors；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　that　which　is　difficult　to　read　is　dealt　with　by　the　master…　printers。'　''

The　most　distressing　blunder　I　ever　read　in　print　was　made　at　the　time　of　the　burial　of　the　famous　antiquary　and　litterateur；　John　Payne　Collier。　　In　the　London　newspapers　of　Sept。　21；　1883；　it　was　reported　that　‘‘the　remains　of　the　late　Mr。　John　Payne　Collier　were　interred　yesterday　in　Bray　churchyard；　near　Maidenhead；　in　the　presence　of　a　large　number　of　spectators。''　　Thereupon　the　Eastern　daily　press　published　the　following　remarkable　perversion：　　‘‘The　Bray　Colliery　Disaster。　　The　remains　of　the　late　John　Payne；　collier；　were　interred　yesterday　afternoon　in　the　Bray　churchyard　in　the　presence　of　a　large　number　of　friends　and　spectators。''

Far　be　it　from　the　book…lover　and　the　book…collector　to　rail　at　blunders；　for　not　unfrequently　these　very　blunders　make　books　　valuable。　　Who　cares　for　a　Pine's　Horace　that　does　not　contain　the　‘‘potest''　error？　　The　genuine　first　edition　of　Hawthorne's　‘‘Scarlet　Letter''　is　to　be　determined　by　the　presence　of　a　certain　typographical　slip　in　the　introduction。　　The　first　edition　of　the　English　Scriptures　printed　in　Ireland　（1716）　is　much　desired　by　collectors；　and　simply　because　of　an　error。　　Isaiah　bids　us　‘‘sin　no　more；''　but　the　Belfast　printer；　by　some　means　or