the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第7章

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liomania。　　But　the　development　of　the　passion　is　not　always　marked　by　exhibitions　of　violence；　sometimes；　like　the　measles；　it　is　slow　and　obstinate　about　‘‘coming　out；''　and　in　such　cases　applications　should　be　resorted　to　for　the　purpose　of　diverting　the　malady　from　the　vitals；　otherwise　serious　results　may　ensue。　

Indeed；　my　learned　friend　Dr。　O'Rell　has　met　with　several　cases　（as　he　informs　me）　in　which　suppressed　bibliomania　has　resulted　fatally。　　Many　of　these　cases　have　been　reported　in　that　excellent　publication；　the　‘‘Journal　of　the　American　Medical　Association；''　which　periodical；　by　the　way；　is　edited　by　ex…Surgeon…General　Hamilton；　a　famous　collector　of　the　literature　of　ornament　and　dress。

To　make　short　of　a　long　story；　the　medical　faculty　is　nearly　a　unit　upon　the　proposition　that　wherever　suppressed　bibliomania　is　suspected　immediate　steps　should　be　taken　to　bring　out　the　disease。　　It　is　true　that　an　Ohio　physician；　named　Woodbury；　has　written　much　in　defence　of　the　theory　that　bibliomania　can　be　aborted；　but　a　very　large　majority　of　his　profession　are　of　the　opinion　that　the　actual　malady　must　needs　run　a　regular　course；　and　they　insist　that　the　cases　quoted　as　cured　by　Woodbury　were　not　genuine；　but　were　bastard　or　false　phases；　of　the　same　class　as　the　chickenpox　and　the　German　measles。

My　mania　exhibited　itself　first　in　an　affectation　for　old　books；　it　mattered　not　what　the　book　itself　wasso　long　as　it　bore　an　ancient　date　upon　its　title…page　or　in　its　colophon　I　pined　to　possess　it。　　This　was　not　only　a　vanity；　but　a　very　silly　one。　　In　a　month's　time　I　had　got　together　a　large　number　of　these　old　tomes；　many　of　them　folios；　and　nearly　all　badly　worm…eaten；　and　sadly　shaken。

One　day　I　entered　a　shop　kept　by　a　man　named　Stibbs；　and　asked　if　I　could　procure　any　volumes　of　sixteenth…century　print。

‘‘Yes；''　said　Mr。　Stibbs；　‘‘we　have　a　cellarful　of　them；　and　we　sell　them　by　the　ton　or　by　the　cord。''

That　very　day　I　dispersed　my　hoard　of　antiques；　retaining　only　my　Prynne's　‘‘Histrio…　Mastix''　and　my　Opera　Quinti　Horatii　Flacci　（8vo；　Aldus；　Venetiis；　1501）。　　And　then　I　became　interested　in　British　balladrya　noble　subject；　for　which　I　have　always　had　a　veneration　and　love；　as　the　well…kept　and　profusely　annotated　volumes　in　cases　3；　6；　and　9　in　the　front　room　are　ready　to　prove　to　you　at　any　time　you　choose　to　visit　my　quiet；　pleasant　home。　





V

BALDNESS　AND　INTELLECTUALITY

One　of　Judge　Methuen's　pet　theories　is　that　the　soul　in　the　human　body　lies　near　the　center　of　gravity；　this　is；　I　believe；　one　of　the　tenets　of　the　Buddhist　faith；　and　for　a　long　time　I　eschewed　it　as　one　might　shun　a　vile　thing；　for　I　feared　lest　I　should　become　identified　even　remotely　with　any　faith　or　sect　other　than　Congregationalism。

Yet　I　noticed　that　in　moments　of　fear　or　of　joy　or　of　the　sense　of　any　other　emotion　I　invariably　experienced　a　feeling　of　goneness　in　the　pit　of　my　stomach；　as　if；　forsooth；　the　center　of　my　physical　system　were　also　the　center　of　my　nervous　and　intellectual　system；　the　point　at　which　were　focused　all　those　devious　lines　of　communication　by　means　of　which　sensation　is　instantaneously　transmitted　from　one　part　of　the　body　to　another。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

I　mentioned　this　circumstance　to　Judge　Methuen；　and　it　seemed　to　please　him。　　‘‘My　friend；''　said　he；　‘‘you　have　a　particularly　sensitive　soul；　I　beg　of　you　to　exercise　the　greatest　prudence　in　your　treatment　of　it。　　It　is　the　best　type　of　the　bibliomaniac　soul；　for　the　quickness　of　its　apprehensions　betokens　that　it　is　alert　and　keen　and　capable　of　instantaneous　impressions　and　enthusiasms。　　What　you　have　just　told　me　convinces　me　that　you　are　by　nature　qualified　for　rare　exploits　in　the　science　and　art　of　book…collecting。　　You　will　presently　become　baldperhaps　as　bald　as　Thomas　Hobbes　wasfor　a　vigilant　and　active　soul　invariably　compels　baldness；　so　close　are　the　relations　between　the　soul　and　the　brain；　and　so　destructive　are　the　growth　and　operations　of　the　soul　to　those　vestigial　features　which　humanity　has　inherited　from　those　grosser　animals；　our　prehistoric　ancestors。''

You　see　by　this　that　Judge　Methuen　recognized　baldness　as　prima…facie　evidence　of　intellectuality　and　spirituality。　　He　has　collected　much　literature　upon　the　subject；　and　has　　promised　the　Academy　of　Science　to　prepare　and　read　for　the　instruction　of　that　learned　body　an　essay　demonstrating　that　absence　of　hair　from　the　cranium　（particularly　from　the　superior　regions　of　the　frontal　and　parietal　divisions）　proves　a　departure　from　the　instincts　and　practices　of　brute　humanity；　and　indicates　surely　the　growth　of　the　understanding。

It　occurred　to　the　Judge　long　ago　to　prepare　a　list　of　the　names　of　the　famous　bald　men　in　the　history　of　human　society；　and　this　list　has　grown　until　it　includes　the　names　of　thousands；　representing　every　profession　and　vocation。　　Homer；　Socrates；　Confucius；　Aristotle；　Plato；　Cicero；　Pliny；　Maecenas；　Julius　Caesar；　Horace；　Shakespeare；　Bacon；　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　Dante；　Pope；　Cowper；　Goldsmith；　Wordsworth；　Israel　Putnam；　John　Quincy　Adams；　Patrick　Henrythese　geniuses　all　were　bald。　　But　the　baldest　of　all　was　the　philosopher　Hobbes；　of　whom　the　revered　John　Aubrey　has　recorded　that　‘‘he　was　very　bald；　yet　within　dore　he　used　to　study　and　sitt　bare…headed；　and　said　he　never　took　cold　in　his　head；　but　that　the　greatest　　trouble　was　to　keepe　off　the　flies　from　pitching　on　the　baldness。''

In　all　the　portraits　and　pictures　of　Bonaparte　which　I　have　seen；　a　conspicuous　feature　is　that　curl　or　lock　of　hair　which　depends　upon　the　emperor's　forehead；　and　gives　to　the　face　a　pleasant　degree　of　picturesque　distinction。　　Yet　this　was　a　vanity；　and　really　a　laughable　one；　for　early　in　life　Bonaparte　began　to　get　bald；　and　this　so　troubled　him　that　he　sought　to　overcome　the　change　it　made　in　his　appearance　by　growing　a　long　strand　of　hair　upon　his　occiput　and　bringing　it　forward　a　goodly　distance　in　such　artful　wise　that　it　right　ingeniously　served　the　purposes　of　that　Hyperion　curl　which　had　been　the　pride　of　his　youth；　but　which　had　fallen　early　before　the　ravages　of　time。

As　for　myself；　I　do　not　know　that　I　ever　shared　that　derisive　opinion　in　which　the　unthinking　are　wont　to　hold　baldness。　　Nay；　on　the　contrary；　I　have　always　had　especial　reverence　for　this　mark　of　intellectuality；　and　I　agree　with　my　friend　Judge　Methuen　that　the　tragic　episode　recorded　in　the　second　chapter　of　II。　Kings　should　serve　the　honorable　purpose　of　indicating　to　humanity　that　bald　heads　are　favored　with　the　approval　and　the　protection　of　Divinity。

In　my　own　case　I　have　imputed　my　early　baldness　to　growth　in　intellectuality　and　spirituality　induced　by　my　fondness　for　and　devotion　to　books。　　Miss　Susan；　my　sister；　lays　it　to　other　causes；　first　among　which　she　declares　to　be　my　unnatural　practice　of　reading　in　bed；　and　the　second　my　habit　of　eating　welsh…rarebits　late　of　nights。　　Over　my　bed　I　have　a　gas…jet　so　properly　shaded　that　the　rays　of　light　are　concentrated　and　reflected　downward　upon　the　volume　which　I　am　reading。

Miss　Susan　insists　that　much　of　this　light　and　its　attendant　heat　falls　upon　my　head；　compelling　there　a　dryness　of　the　scalp　whereby　the　follicles　have　been　deprived　of　their　natural　nourishment　and　have　consequently　died。　　She　furthermore　maintains　that　the　welsh…rarebits　of　which　I　partake　invariably　at　the　eleventh　hour　every　night　breed　poisonous　vapors　and　subtle　megrims　within　my　stomach；　which　humors；　rising　by　their　natural　courses　to　my　brain；　do　　therein　produce　a　fever　that　from　within　burneth　up　the　fluids　necessary　to　a　healthy　condition　of　the　capillary　growth　upon　the　super…　adjacent　and　exterior　cranial　integument。

Now；　this　very　declaration　of　Miss　Susan's　gives　me　a　potent　argument　in　defence　of　my　practices；　for；　being　bald；　would　not　a　neglect　of　those　means　whereby　warmth　is　engendered　where　it　is　needed　result　in　colds；　quinsies；　asthmas；　and　a　thousand　other　banes？　　The　same　benignant　Providence　which；　according　to　Laurence　Sterne；　tempereth　the　wind　to　the　shorn　lamb　provideth　defence　and　protection　for　the　bald。　　Had　I　not　loved　books；　the　soul　in　my　midriff　had　not　done　away　with　those　cap