the love affairs of a bibliomaniac(藏书癖者的爱情)-第26节
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As a class booksellers do not encourage the reading of other
booksellers' catalogues； this is； presumably； because they do not care to
encourage buyers to buy of other sellers。 My bookseller； who in all
virtues of head and heart excels all other booksellers I ever met with；
makes a scrupulous practice of destroying the catalogues that come to his
shop； lest some stray copy may fall into the hands of a mousing book…
lover and divert his attention to other hunting…grounds。 It is indeed
remarkable to what excess the catalogue habit will carry its victim； the
author of ‘‘Will Shakespeare； a Comedy；'' has frequently confessed to me
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that it mattered not to him whether a catalogue was twenty years oldso
long as it was a catalogue of books he found the keenest delight in its
perusal； I have often heard Mr。 Hamlin； the theatre manager； say that he
preferred old catalogues to new； for the reason that the bargains to be met
with in old catalogues expired long ago under the statute of limitations。
Judge Methuen； who is a married man and has therefore had an
excellent opportunity to study the sex； tells me that the wives of
bibliomaniacs regard catalogues as the most mischievous temptations that
can be thrown in the way of their husbands。 I once committed the
imprudence of mentioning the subject in Mrs。 Methuen's presence： that
estimable lady gave it as her opinion that there were plenty of ways of
spending money foolishly without having recourse to a book…catalogue for
suggestion。 I wonder whether Captivity would have had this opinion；
had Providence ordained that we should walk together the quiet pathway
of New England life； would Yseult always have retained the exuberance
and sweetness of her youth； had she and I realized what might have been？
Would Fanchonette always have sympathized with the whims and vagaries
of the restless yet loyal soul that hung enraptured on her singing in the
Quartier Latin so long ago that the memory of that song is like the
memory of a ghostly echo now？
Away with such reflections！ Bring in the candles； good servitor； and
range them at my bed's head； sweet avocation awaits me； for here I have a
goodly parcel of catalogues with which to commune。 They are messages
from Methuen； Sotheran； Libbie； Irvine； Hutt； Davey； Baer； Crawford；
Bangs； McClurg； Matthews； Francis； Bouton； Scribner； Benjamin； and a
score of other friends in every part of Christendom； they deserve and they
shall have my respectfulnay； my enthusiastic attention。 Once more I
shall seem to be in the old familiar shops where treasures abound and
where patient delving bringeth rich rewards。 Egad； what a spendthrift I
shall be this night； pence； shillings； thalers； marks； francs； dollars；
sovereignsthey are the same to me！
Then； after I have comprehended all the treasures within reach； how
sweet shall be my dreams of shelves overflowing with the wealth of which
my fancy has possessed me！
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Then shall my library be devote To the magic of Niddy…
Noddy； Including the volumes which Nobody wrote And the
works of Everybody。
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XVII
THE NAPOLEONIC RENAISSANCE
If I had begun collecting Napoleonana in my youth I should now have
on hand a priceless collection。 This reminds me that when I first came to
Chicago suburban property along the North Shore could be bought for five
hundred dollars an acre which now sells for two hundred dollars a front
foot； if I had purchased real estate in that locality when I had the
opportunity forty years ago I should be a millionnaire at the present time。
I think I am more regretful of having neglected the Napoleonana than
of having missed the real…estate chances； for since my library contains
fewer than two hundred volumes relating to Bonaparte and his times I feel
that I have been strangely remiss in the pursuit of one of the most
interesting and most instructive of bibliomaniac fads。 When I behold the
remarkable collections of Napoleonana made by certain friends of mine I
am filled with conflicting emotions of delight and envy； and Judge
Methuen and I are wont to contemplate with regret the opportunities we
once had of throwing all these modern collections in the shade。
When I speak of Napoleonana I refer exclusively to literature relating
to Napoleon； the term； however； is generally used in a broader sense； and
includes every variety of object； from the snuff…boxes used by the emperor
at Malmaison to the slippers he wore at St。 Helena。 My friend； Mr。
Redding； of California； has a silver knife and fork that once belonged to
Bonaparte； and Mr。 Mills； another friend of mine； has the neckerchief
which Napoleon wore on the field of Waterloo。 In Le Blanc's little
treatise upon the art of tying the cravat it is recorded that Napoleon
generally wore a black silk cravat； as was remarked at Wagram； Lodi；
Marengo and Austerlitz。 ‘‘But at Waterloo；'' says Le Blanc； ‘‘it was
observed that； contrary to his usual custom； he wore a white handkerchief
with a flowing bow； although the day previous he appeared in his black
cravat。''
I remember to have seen in the collection of Mr。 Melville E。 Stone a
finger…ring； which； having been brought by an old French soldier to New
Orleans； ultimately found its way to a pawn…shop。 This bauble was of
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gold； and at two opposite points upon its outer surface appeared a
Napoleonic ‘‘N；'' done in black enamel： by pressing upon one of these Ns
a secret spring was operated； the top of the ring flew back； and a tiny gold
figure of the Little Corporal stood up； to the astonishment and admiration
of the beholder。
Another curious Napoleonic souvenir in Mr。 Stone's motley collection
is a cotton print handkerchief； upon which are recorded scenes from the
career of the emperor； the thing must have been of English manufacture；
for only an Englishman （inspired by that fear and that hatred of Bonaparte
which only Englishmen had） could have devised this atrocious libel。 One
has to read the literature current in the earlier part of this century in order
to get a correct idea of the terror with which Bonaparte filled his enemies；
and this literature is so extensive that it seems an impossibility that
anything like a complete collection should be got together； to say nothing
of the histories； the biographies； the volumes of reminiscence and the
books of criticism which the career of the Corsican inspired； there are
Napoleon dream…books； Napoleon song…books； Napoleon chap…books； etc。；
etc。； beyond the capability of enumeration。
The English were particularly active in disseminating libels upon
Napoleon； they charged him in their books and pamphlets with murder；
arson； incest； treason； treachery； cowardice； seduction； hypocrisy； avarice；
robbery； ingratitude； and jealousy； they said that he poisoned his sick
soldiers； that he was the father of Hortense's child； that he committed the
most atrocious cruelties in Egypt and Italy； that he married Barras'
discarded mistress； that he was afflicted with a loathsome disease； that he
murdered the Duc d'Enghien and officers in his own army of whom he
was jealous； that he w
