the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第15章
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orn had imposed upon me； it behooved me to guard with exceeding jealousy the honor of the name which my namesake bore。
While I was thus tempest…tossed； Fanchonette came across my pathway； and with the appearance of Fanchonette every ambition to figure in the annals of bravado left me。 Fanchonette was the niece of my landlady； her father was a perfumer； she lived with the old people in the Rue des Capucins。 She was of middling stature and had blue eyes and black hair。 Had she not been French； she would have been Irish； or； perhaps； a Grecian。 Her manner had an indefinable charm。
It was she who acquainted me with Beranger； that is why I never take up that precious volume that I do not think； sweetly and tenderly； of Fanchonette。 The book is bound； as you see； in a dainty blue； and the border toolings are delicate tracings of white all for a purpose； I can assure you。 She used to wear a dainty blue gown； from behind the nether hem of which the most immaculate of petticoats peeped out。
If we were never boys； how barren and lonely our age would be。 Next to the ineffably blessed period of youth there is no time of life pleasanter than that in which serene old age reviews the exploits and the prodigies of boyhood。 Ah； my gay fellows； harvest your crops diligently； that your barns and granaries be full when your arms are no longer able to wield the sickle！
Haec meminisseto recall the old time to see her rise out of the dear pastto hear Fanchonette's voice againto feel the grace of springtimehow gloriously sweet this is！ The little quarrels； the reconciliations； the coquetries； the jealousies； the reproaches； the forgivenessesall the characteristic and endearing haps of the Maytime of lifeprecious indeed are these retrospections to the hungry eyes of age！
She wed with the perfumer's apprentice； but that was so very long ago that I can pardon； if not forget； the indiscretion。 Who knows where she is to…day？ Perhaps a granny beldame in a Parisian alley； perhaps for years asleep in Pere la Chaise。 Come forth； beloved Beranger； and sing me the old song to make me young and strong and brave again！
Let them be served on gold The wealthy and the great； Two lovers only want A single glass and plate！ Ring ding； ring ding； Ring ding ding Old wine； young lassie； Sing； boys； sing！
XI
DIAGNOSIS OF THE BACILLUS LIBRORUM
For a good many years I was deeply interested in British politics。 I was converted to Liberalism； so…called； by an incident which I deem well worth relating。 One afternoon I entered a book…shop in High Holborn； and found that the Hon。 William E。 Gladstone had preceded me thither。 I had never seen Mr。 Gladstone before。 I recognized him now by his resemblance to the caricatures； and by his unlikeness to the portraits which the newspapers had printed。
As I entered the shop I heard the bookseller ask： ‘‘What books shall I send？''
To this； with a very magnificent sweep of his arms indicating every point of the compass； Gladstone made answer： ‘‘Send me THOSE！''
With these words he left the place； and I stepped forward to claim a volume which had attracted my favorable attention several days previous。
‘‘I beg your pardon； sir；'' said the bookseller； politely； ‘‘but that book is sold。''
‘‘Sold？'' I cried。
‘‘Yes； sir；'' replied the bookseller； smiling with evident pride； ‘‘Mr。 Gladstone just bought it； I haven't a book for saleMr。 Gladstone just bought them ALL！''
The bookseller then proceeded to tell me that whenever Gladstone entered a bookshop he made a practice of buying everything in sight。 That magnificent； sweeping gesture of his comprehended everythingtheology； history； social science； folk…lore； medicine； travel； biographyeverything that came to his net was fish！
‘‘This is the third time Mr。 Gladstone has visited me；'' said the bookseller； ‘‘and this is the third time he has cleaned me out。''
‘‘This man is a good man；'' says I to myself。 ‘‘So notable a lover of books surely cannot err。 The cause of home rule must be a just one after all。''
From others intimately acquainted with him I learned that Gladstone was an omnivorous reader； that he ordered his books by the cart…load； and that his home in Hawarden literally overflowed with books。 He made a practice； I was told； of overhauling his library once in so often and of weeding out such volumes as he did not care to keep。 These discarded books were sent to the second…hand dealers； and it is said that the dealers not unfrequently took advantage of Gladstone by reselling him over and over again （and at advanced prices； too） the very lots of books he had culled out and rejected。
Every book…lover has his own way of buying； so there are as many ways of buying as there are purchasers。 However； Judge Methuen and I have agreed that all buyers may be classed in these following specified grand divisions：
The reckless buyer。
The shrewd buyer。
The timid buyer。
Of these three classes the third is least worthy of our consideration； although it includes very many lovers of books； and consequently very many friends of mine。 I have actually known men to hesitate； to ponder； to dodder for weeks； nay； months over the purchase of a book； not because they did not want it； nor because they deemed the price exorbitant； nor yet because they were not abundantly able to pay that price。 Their hesitancy was due to an innate； congenital lack of determinationthat same hideous curse of vacillation which is responsible for so much misery in human life。
I have made a study of these people； and I find that most of them are bachelors whose state of singleness is due to the fact that the same hesitancy which has deprived them of many a coveted volume has operated to their discomfiture in the matrimonial sphere。 While they deliberated； another bolder than they came along and walked off with the prize。
One of the gamest buyers I know of was the late John A。 Rice of Chicago。 As a competitor at the great auction sales he was invincible； and why？ Because； having determined to buy a book； he put no limit to the amount of his bid。 His instructions to his agent were in these words： ‘‘I must have those books； no matter what they cost。''
An English collector found in Rice's library a set of rare volumes he had been searching for for years。
‘‘How did you happen to get them？'' he asked。 ‘‘You bought them at the Spencer sale and against my bid。 Do you know； I told my buyer to bid a thousand pounds for them； if necessary！''
‘‘That was where I had the advantage of you；'' said Rice； quietly。 ‘‘I specified no limit； I simply told my man to buy the books。''
The spirit of the collector cropped out early in Rice。 I remember to have heard him tell how one time； when he was a young man； he was shuffling over a lot of tracts in a bin in front of a Boston bookstall。 His eye suddenly fell upon a little pamphlet entitled ‘‘The Cow…Chace。'' He picked it up and read it。 It was a poem founded upon the defeat of Generals Wayne； Irving； and Proctor。 The last stanza ran in this wise：
And now I've closed my epic strain； I tremble as I show it； Lest this same warrior…drover； Wayne； Should ever catch the poet。
Rice noticed that the pamphlet bore the imprint of James Rivington； New York； 1780。 It occurred to him that some time this modest tract of eighteen pages might be valuable； at any rate； he paid the fifteen cents demanded for it； and at the same time he purchased for ten cents another pamphlet entitled ‘‘The American Tories； a Satire。''
Twenty years later； having learned the value of these exceedingly rare tracts； Mr。 Rice sent them to London and had them bound in Francis Bedford's best style ‘‘crimson crushed levant morocco； finished to a Grolier pattern。'' Bedford's charges amounted to seventy…five dollars； which with the original cost of the pamphlets represented an expenditure of seventy…five dollars and twenty…five cents upon Mr。 Rice's part。 At the sale of the Rice library in 1870； however； this curious； rare； and beautiful little book brought the extraordinary sum of seven hundred
