the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


w　to　credit　the　author　with　his　work；　for　this　is　a　utilitarian　age；　and　all　things　are　by　the　pound　or　the　piece；　and　for　so　much　money。

‘‘So　when　a　song　is　printed　it　is　printed　in　small　type；　and　the　name　of　him　who　wrote　it　is　appended　thereunto　in　big　type。　　If　the　song　be　meritorious　it　goes　to　the　corners　of　the　earth　through　the　medium　of　the　art　preservative　of　arts；　but　the　longer　and　the　farther　it　travels　the　bigger　does　the　type　of　the　song　become　and　the　smaller　becomes　the　type　wherein　the　author's　name　is　set。

‘‘Then；　finally；　some　inconsiderate　hand；　wielding　the　pen　or　shears；　blots　out　or　snips　off　the　poet's　name；　and　henceforth　the　song　is　anonymous。　　A　great　iconoclasta　royal　old　iconoclastis　Time：　but　he　hath　no　terrors　for　those　precious　things　which　are　embalmed　in　words；　and　the　only　fellow　that　shall　surely　escape　him　till　the　crack　of　doom　is　he　whom　men　know　by　the　name　of　Anonymous！''

‘‘Doubtless　you　speak　truly；''　said　the　　Judge；　‘‘yet　it　would　be　different　if　I　but　had　the　ordering　of　things。　　I　would　let　the　poets　live　forever　and　I　would　kill　off　most　of　their　poetry。''

I　do　not　wonder　that　Ritson　and　Percy　quarrelled。　　It　was　his　misfortune　that　Ritson　quarrelled　with　everybody。　　Yet　Ritson　was　a　scrupulously　honest　man；　he　was　so　vulgarly　sturdy　in　his　honesty　that　he　would　make　all　folk　tell　the　truth　even　though　the　truth　were　of　such　a　character　as　to　bring　the　blush　of　shame　to　the　devil's　hardened　cheek。

On　the　other　hand；　Percy　believed　that　there　were　certain　true　things　which　should　not　be　opened　out　in　the　broad　light　of　day；　it　was　this　deep…seated　conviction　which　kept　him　from　publishing　the　manuscript　folio；　a　priceless　treasure；　which　Ritson　never　saw　and　which；　had　it　fallen　in　Ritson's　way　instead　of　Percy's；　would　have　been　clapped　at　once　into　the　hands　of　the　printer。

How　fortunate　it　is　for　us　that　we　have　in　our　time　so　great　a　scholar　as　Francis　James　Child；　so　enamored　of　balladry　and　so　learned　in　it；　to　complete　and　finish　the　work　of　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　choi