the library-第7部分

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es　dogs'…ears；　and　marks　his　place　with　his　pipe　when　he　shuts　a　book　in　a　hurry；　or　he　will　set　the　leg　of　his　chair　on　a　page　to　keep　it　open。　　He　praises　those　who　tear　off　margins　for　pipe…lights；　and　he　makes　cigarettes　with　the　tissue…paper　that　covers　engravings。　　When　his　books　are　bound；　he　sees　that　the　margin　is　cut　to　the　quick。　　He　tells　you　too；　that　'HE　buys　books　to　read　them。'　But　he　does　not　say　why　he　thinks　it　needful　to　spoil　them。　　Also　he　will　drag　off　bindingsor　should　we　perhaps　call　this　crime　＇Greek　text＇；　or　brutality；　rather　than　mere　vice？　for　vice　is　essentially　human；　but　to　tear　off　bindings　is　bestial。　　Thus　they　still　speak　of　a　certain　monster　who　lived　during　the　French　Revolution；　and　who；　having　purchased　volumes　attired　in　morocco；　and　stamped　with　the　devices　of　the　oligarchs；　would　rip　off　the　leather　or　vellum；　and　throw　them　into　the　fire　or　out　of　the　window；　saying　that　'now　he　could　read　with　unwashed　hands　at　his　ease。'　　Such　a　person；　then；　is　the　man　indifferent　to　books；　and　he　sins　by　way　of　defect；　being　deficient　in　the　contemplative　virtue　of　book…loving。　　As　to　the　man　who　is　exactly　in　the　right　mean；　we　call　him　the　book…lover。　　His　happiness　consists　not　in　reading；　which　is　an　active　virtue；　but　in　the　contemplation　of　bindings；　and　illustrations；　and　title…pages。　Thus　his　felicity　partakes　of　the　nature　of　the　bliss　we　attribute　to　the　gods；　for　that　also　is　contemplative；　and　we　call　the　book…　lover　'happy；'　and　even　'blessed；'　but　within　the　limits　of　mortal　happiness。　　But；　just　as　in　the　matter　of　absence　of　fear　there　is　a　mean　which　we　call　courage；　and　a　defect　which　we　call　cowardice；　and　an　excess　which　is　known　as　foolhardiness；　so　it　is　in　the　case　of　the　love　of　books。　　As　to　the　mean；　we　have　seen　that　it　is　the　virtue　of　the　true　book…lover；　while　the　defect　constitutes　the　sin　of　the　Robustious　Philistine。　　But　the　extreme　is　found　in　covetousness；　and　the　covetous　man　who　is　in　the　extreme　state　of　book…loving；　is　the　biblioklept；　or　book…stealer。　　Now　his　vice　shows　itself；　not　in　contemplation　（for　of　contemplation　there　can　be　no　excess）；　but　in　action。　　For　books　are　procured；　as　we　say；　by　purchase；　or　by　barter；　and　these　are　voluntary　exchanges；　both　the　seller　and　the　buyer　being　willing　to　deal。　　But　books　are；　again；　procured　in　another　way；　by　involuntary　contractthat　is；　when　the　owner　of　the　book　is　unwilling　to　part　with　it；　but　he　whose　own　the　book　is　not　is　determined　to　take　it。　　The　book…stealer　is　such　a　man　as　this；　and　he　possesses　himself　of　books　with　which　the　owner　does　not　intend　to　part；　by　virtue　of　a　series　of　involuntary　contracts。　　Again；　the　question　may　be　raised；　whether　is　the　Robustious　Philistine　who　despises　books；　or　the　biblioklept　who　adores　them　out　of　measure　and　excessively；　the　worse　citizen？　　Now；　if　we　are　to　look　to　the　consequences　of　actions　only　（as　the　followers　of　Bentham　advise）；　clearly　the　Robustious　Philistine　is　the　worse　citizen；　for　he　mangles；　and　dirties；　and　destroys　books　which　it　is　the　interest　of　the　State　to　preserve。　　But　the　biblioklept　treasures　and　adorns　the　books　he　has　acquired；　and　when　he　dies；　or　goes　to　prison；　the　State　receives　the　benefit　at　his　sale。　　Thus　Libri；　who　was　the　greatest　of　biblioklepts；　rescued　many　of　the　books　he　stole　from　dirt　and　misuse；　and　had　them　bound　royally　in　purple　and　gold。　　Also；　it　may　be　argued　that　books　naturally　belong　to　him　who　can　appreciate　them；　and　if　good　books　are　in　a　dull　or　indifferent　man's　keeping；　this　is　the　sort　of　slavery　which　we　call　〃unnatural〃　in　our　POLITICS；　and　which　is　not　to　be　endured。　　Shall　we　say；　then；　that　the　Robustious　Philistine　is　the　worse　citizen；　while　the　Biblioklept　is　the　worse　man？　　But　this　is　perhaps　matter　for　a　separate　disquisition。〃

This　fragment　of　the　lost　Aristotelian　treatise　〃Concerning　Books；〃　shows　what　a　difficulty　the　Stagirite　had　in　determining　the　precise　nature　of　the　moral　offence　of　the　biblioklept。　　Indeed；　both　as　a　collector　and　as　an　intuitive　moralist；　Aristotle　must　have　found　it　rather　difficult　to　condemn　the　book…thief。　　He；　doubtless；　went　on　to　draw　distinctions　between　the　man　who　steals　books　to　sell　them　again　for　mere　pecuniary　profit　（which　he　would　call　〃chrematistic；〃　or　〃unnatural；〃　book…stealing）；　and　the　man　who　steals　them　because　he　feels　that　he　is　their　proper　and　natural　possessor。　　The　same　distinction　is　taken　by　Jules　Janin；　who　was　a　more　constant　student　of　Horace　than　of　Aristotle。　　In　his　imaginary　dialogue　of　bibliophiles；　Janin　introduces　a　character　who　announces　the　death　of　M。　Libri。　　The　tolerant　person　who　brings　the　sad　news　proposes　〃to　cast　a　few　flowers　on　the　melancholy　tomb。　　He　was　a　bibliophile；　after　all。　　What　do　you　say　to　it？　　Many　a　good　fellow　has　stolen　books；　and　died　in　grace　at　the　last。〃　　〃Yes；〃　replies　the　president　of　the　club；　〃but　the　good　fellows　did　not　sell　the　books　they　stole　。　。　。　Cest　une　grande　honte；　une　grande　misere。〃　This　Libri　was　an　Inspector…General　of　French　Libraries　under　Louis　Philippe。　　When　he　was　tried；　in　1848；　it　was　calculated　that　the　sum　of　his　known　thefts　amounted　to　20；000　pounds。　　Many　of　his　robberies　escaped　notice　at　the　time。　　It　is　not　long　since　Lord　Ashburnham；　according　to　a　French　journal；　〃Le　Livre；〃　found　in　his　collection　some　fragments　of　a　Pentateuch。　　These　relics　had　been　in　the　possession　of　the　Lyons　Library；　whence　Libri　stole　them　in　1847。　　The　late　Lord　Ashburnham　bought　them；　without　the　faintest　idea　of　Libri's　dishonesty；　and　when；　after　eleven　years；　the　present　peer　discovered　the　proper　owners　of　his　treasure；　he　immediately　restored　the　Pentateuch　to　the　Lyons　Library。

Many　eminent　characters　have　been　biblioklepts。　　When　Innocent　X。　was　still　Monsignor　Pamphilio；　he　stole　a　bookso　says　Tallemant　des　Reauxfrom　Du　Monstier；　the　painter。　　The　amusing　thing　is　that　Du　Monstier　himself　was　a　book…thief。　　He　used　to　tell　how　he　had　lifted　a　book；　of　which　he　had　long　been　in　search；　from　a　stall　on　the　Pont…Neuf；　〃but；〃　says　Tallemant　（whom　Janin　does　not　seem　to　have　consulted）；　〃there　are　many　people　who　don't　think　it　thieving　to　steal　a　book　unless　you　sell　it　afterwards。〃　　But　Du　Monstier　took　a　less　liberal　view　where　his　own　books　were　concerned。　　The　Cardinal　Barberini　came　to　Paris　as　legate；　and　brought　in　his　suite　Monsignor　Pamphilio；　who　afterwards　became　Innocent　X。　　The　Cardinal　paid　a　visit　to　Du　Monstier　in　his　studio；　where　Monsignor　Pamphilio　spied；　on　a　table；　〃L'Histoire　du　Concile　de　Trent〃the　good　edition；　the　London　one。　　〃What　a　pity；〃　thought　the　young　ecclesiastic；　〃that　such　a　man　should　be；　by　some　accident；　the　possessor　of　so　valuable　a　book。〃　　With　these　sentiments　Monsignor　Pamphilio　slipped　the　work　under　his　soutane。　　But　little　Du　Monstier　observed　him；　and　said　furiously　to　the　Cardinal；　that　a　holy　man　should　not　bring　thieves　and　robbers　in　his　company。　　With　these　words；　and　with　others　of　a　violent　and　libellous　character；　he　recovered　the　〃History　of　the　Council　of　Trent；〃　and　kicked　out　the　future　Pope。　　Amelot　de　la　Houssaie　traces　to　this　incident　the　hatred　borne　by　Innocent　X。　to　the　Crown　and　the　people　of　France。　Another　Pope；　while　only　a　cardinal；　stole　a　book　from　Menageso　M。　Janin　reportsbut　we　have　not　been　able　to　discover　Menage's　own　account　of　the　larceny。　　The　anecdotist　is　not　so　truthful　that　cardinals　need　flush　a　deeper　scarlet；　like　the　roses　in　Bion's　〃Lament　for　Adonis；〃　on　account　of　a　scandal　resting　on　the　authority　of　Menage。　　Among　Royal　persons；　Catherine　de　Medici；　according　to　Brantome；　was　a　biblioklept。　　〃The　Marshal　Strozzi　had　a　very　fine　library；　and　after　his　death　the　Queen…Mother　seized　it；　promising　some　day　to　pay　the　value　to　his　son；　who　never　got　a　farthing　of　the　money。〃　　The　Ptolemies；　too；　were　thieves　on　a　large　scale。　　A　department　of　the　Alexandrian　Library　was　called　〃The　Books　from　the　Ships；〃　and　was　filled　with　rare　volumes　stolen　from　passengers　in　vessels　that　touched　at　the　port。　　True；　the　owners　were　given　copies　of　their　ancient　MSS。；　but　the　exchange；　as　Aristotle　says；　was　an　〃involuntary〃　one；　and　not　distinct　from　robbery。

The　great　pattern　of　biblioklepts；　a　man　who　carried　his　passion　to　the　most　regrettable　excesses；　was　a　Spanish　priest；　Don　Vincente；　of　the　convent　of　Pobla；　in　Aragon。　　When　the　Spanish　revolution　despoiled　the　convent　libraries；　Don　Vincente　established　himself　at　Barcelona；　under　the　pillars　of　Los　Encantes；　where　are　the　stalls　of　the　merchants　of　bric…a…brac　and　the　seats　of　them　that　sell　books。　　In　a　gloomy　den　the　Don　stored　up　treasures　which　he　hated　to　sell。　　Once　he　was　present　at　an　auction　where　he　was　out…bid　in　the　competition　for　a　rare；　perhaps　a　unique；　volume。　　Three　nights　after　that；　the　people　of　Barcelona　were　awakened　by　cries　of　〃Fire！〃　　The　house　and　shop　of　the　man　who　had　bought　〃Ordinacions　per　los　gloriosos　reys　de　Arago〃　were　blazing。　　When　the　fire　was　extinguished；　the　body　of　the　owner　of　the　house　was　found；　with　a　pipe　in　his　blackened　hand；　and　some　money　beside　him。　　Every　one　said；　〃He　must　have　set　the　house　on　fire　with　a　spark　from　his　pipe。〃　　Time　went　on；　and　week　by　week　the　police　found　the　bodies　of　slain　men；　now　in　the　street；　now　in　a　ditch；　now　in　the　river。　There　were　young　men　and　old；　all　had　been　harmless　and　inoffensive　in　their　lives；　andall　had　been　bibliophiles。　　A　dagger　in　an　invisible　hand　had　reached　their　hearts　but　the　assassin　had　spared　their　purses；　money；　and　rings。　　An　organised　search　was　made　in　the　city；　and　the　shop　of　Don　Vincente　was　examined。　　There；　in　a　hidden　recess；　the　police　discovered　the　copy　of　〃Ordinacions　per　los　gloriosis　reys　de　Arago；〃　which　ought　by　rights　to　have　been　burned　with　the　house　of　its　purchaser。　　Don　Vincente　was　asked　how　he　got　the　book。　　He　replied　in　a　quiet　voice；　demanded　that　his　collection　should　be　made　over　to　the　Barcelona　Library；　and　then　confessed　a　long　array　of　crimes。　　He　had　strangled　his　rival；　stolen　the　〃Ordinacions；〃　and　burned　the　house。　　The　slain　men　were　people　who　had　bought　from　him　books　which　he　really　could　not　bear　to　part　with。　　At　his　trial　his　counsel　tried　to　prove　that　his　confession　was　false；　and