the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第17章

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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！


　　Then　shall　my　library　be　devote　　　　　　　To　the　magic　of　Niddy…Noddy；　　　Including　the　volumes　which　Nobody　wrote　　　　　　　And　the　works　of　Everybody。　





　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　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　was　criminally　intimate　with　his　own　sistersin　short；　there　was　no　crime；　however　revolting；　with　　which　these　calumniators　were　not　hasty　to　charge　the　emperor。

This　same　vindictive　hatred　was　visited　also　upon　all　associated　with　Bonaparte　in　the　conduct　of　affairs　at　that　time。　　Murat　was　‘‘a　brute　and　a　thief''；　Josephine；　Hortense；　Pauline；　and　Mme。　Letitia　were　courtesans；　Berthier　was　a　shuffling；　time…serving　lackey　and　tool；　Augereau　was　a　bastard；　a　spy；　a　robber；　and　a　murderer；　Fouche　was　the　incarnation　of　every　vice；　Lucien　Bonaparte　was　a　roue　and　a　marplot；　Cambaceres　was　a　debauchee；　Lannes　was　a　thief；　brigand；　and　a　poisoner；　Talleyrand　and　Barras　werewell；　what　evil　was　told　of　them　has　yet　to　be　disproved。　　But　you　would　gather　from　contemporaneous　English　publications　that　Bonaparte　and　his　associates　were　veritable　fiends　from　hell　sent　to　scourge　civilization。　　These　books　are　so　strangely　curious　that　we　find　it　hard　to　classify　them：　we　cannot　call　them　history；　and　they　are　too　truculent　to　pass　for　humor；　yet　they　occupy　a　distinct　and　important　place　among　Napoleonana。

Until　William　Hazlitt's　life　of　Bonaparte　appeared　we　had　no　English　treatment　of　Bonaparte　that　was　in　any　sense　fair；　and；　by　the　way；　Hazlitt's　work　is　the　only　one　in　English　I　know　of　which　gives　the　will　of　Bonaparte；　an　exceedingly　interesting　document。

For　a　good　many　years　I　held　the　character　of　Napoleon　in　light　esteem；　for　the　reason　that　he　had　but　small　regard　for　books。　　Recent　revelations；　however；　made　to　me　by　Dr。　O'Rell　（grandnephew　of　‘‘Tom　Burke　of　Ours''）；　have　served　to　dissipate　that　prejudice；　and　I　question　not　that　I　shall　duly　become　as　ardent　a　worshipper　of　the　Corsican　as　my　doctor　himself　is。　　Dr。　O'Rell　tells　meand　his　declarations　are　corroborated　by　Frederic　Masson　and　other　authorities　that　Bonaparte　was　a　lover　and　a　collector　of　books；　and　that　he　contributed　largely　to　the　dignity　and　the　glorification　of　literature　by　publishing　a　large　number　of　volumes　in　the　highest　style　of　the　art。

The　one　department　of　literature　for　which　he　seems　to　have　had　no　liking　was　fiction。　　Novels　of　all　kinds　he　was　in　the　habit　of　tossing　into　the　fire。　　He　was　a　prodigious　buyer　of　books；　and　those　which　he　read　　were　invariably　stamped　on　the　outer　cover　with　the　imperial　arms；　at　St。　Helena　his　library　stamp　was　merely　a　seal　upon　which　ink　was　smeared。

Napoleon　cared　little　for　fine　bindings；　yet　he　knew　their　value；　and　whenever　a　presentation　copy　was　to　be　bound　he　required　that　it　be　bound　handsomely。　　The　books　in　his　own　library　were　invariably　bound　‘‘in　calf　of　indifferent　quality；''　and　he　was　wont；　while　reading　a　book；　to　fill　the　margin　with　comments　in　pencil。　　Wherever　he　went　he　took　a　library　of　books　with　him；　and　these　volumes　he　had　deprived　of　all　superfluous　margin；　so　as　to　save　weight　and　space。　　Not　infrequently　when　hampered　by　the　rapid　growth　of　this　travelling　library　he　would　toss　the　‘‘overflow''　of　books　out　of　his　carriage　window；　and　it　was　his　custom　（I　shudder　to　record　it！）　to　separate　the　leaves　of　pamphlets；　magazines；　and　volumes　by　running　his　finger　between　them；　thereby　invariably　tearing　the　pages　in　shocking　wise。

In　the　arrangement　of　his　library　Napoleon　observed　that　exacting　method　which　was　characteristic　of　him　in　other　employments　　and　avocations。　　Each　book　had　its　particular　place　in　a　special　case；　and　Napoleon　knew　his　library　so　well　that　he　could　at　any　moment　place　his　hand　upon　any　volume　he　desired。　　The　libraries　at　his　palaces　he　had　arranged　exactly　as　the　library　at　Malmaison　was；　and　never　was　one　book　borrowed　from　one　to　serve　in　another。　　It　is　narrated　of　him　that　if　ever　a　volume　was　missing　Napoleon　would　describe　its　size　and　the　color　of　its　binding　to　the　librarian；　and　would　point　out　the　place　where　it　might　have　been　wrongly　put　and　the　case　where　it　properly　belonged。

If　any　one　question　the　greatness　of　this　man　let　him　explain　if　he　can　why　civilization's　interest　in　Napoleon　increases　as　time　rolls　on。　　Why　is　it　that　we　are　curious　to　know　all　about　himthat　we　have　gratification　in　hearing　tell　of　his　minutest　habits；　his　moods；　his　whims；　his　practices；　his　prejudices？　　Why　is　it　that　even　those　who　hated　him　and　who　denied　his　genius　have　felt　called　upon　to　record　in　ponderous　tomes　their　reminiscences　of　him　and　his　deeds？　　Princes；　generals；　lords；　courtiers；　poets；　painters；　priests；　plebeiansall　have　vied　　with　one　another　in　answering　humanity's　demand　for　more　and　more　and　ever　more　about　Napoleon　Bonaparte。

I　think　that　the　supply　will；　like　the　demand；　never　be　exhausted。　　The　women　of　the　court　have　supplied　us　with　their　memoirs；　so　have　the　diplomats　of　that　period；　so　have　the　wives　of　his　generals；　so　have　the　Tom…Dick…and…Harry　spectators　of　those　kaleidoscopic　scenes；　so　have　his　keepers　in　exile；　so　has　his　barber。　　The　chambermaids　will　be　heard　from　in　good　time；　and　the　hostlers；　and　the　scullions。　　Already　there　are　rumors　that　we　are　soon　to　be　regaled　with　Memoirs　of　the　Emperor　Napoleon　by　the　Lady　who　knew　the　Tailor　who　Once　Sewed　a　Button　on　the　Emperor's　Coat；　edited　by　her　loving　grandson；　the　Duc　de　Bunco。

Without　doubt　many　of　those　who　read　these　lines　will　live　to　see　the　time　when　memoirs　of　Napoleon　will　be　offered　by　‘‘a　gentleman　who　purchased　a　collection　of　Napoleon　spoons　in　1899''；　doubtless；　too；　the　book　will　be　hailed　with　satisfaction；　for　this　Napoleonic　enthusiasm　increases　as　time　wears　on。　

Curious；　is　it　not；　that　no　calm；　judicial　study　of　this　man's　character　and　exploits　is　received　with　favor？　　He　who　treats　of　the　subject　must　be　either　a　hater　or　an　adorer　of　Napoleon；　his　blood　must　be　hot　with　the　enthusiasm　of　rage　or　of　love。

To　the　human　eye　there　appears　in　space　a　luminous　sphere　that　in　its　appointed　path　goes　on　unceasingly。　　The　wise　men　are　not　agreed　whether　this　apparition　is　merely　of　gaseous　composition　or　is　a　solid　body　supplied　extraneously　with　heat　and　luminosity；　inexhaustibly；　some　argue　that　its　existence　will　be　limited　to　the　period　of　one　thousand；　or　five　hundred　thousand；　or　one　million　years；　others　declare　that　it　will　roll