the love affairs of a bibliomaniac(藏书癖者的爱情)-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！
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。
50
… Page 51…
THE LOVE AFFAIRS OF A BIBLIOMANIAC
‘‘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 choice；'' cried the plutocrat； proudly。 ‘‘I
noticed a large number of Grolier bindings at the Art Institute last week；
and I want something of the same kind myself。 Send the book to Grolier；
and tell him to do his prettiest by it； for I can stand the expense； no matter
what it is。''
Somewhere in his admirable discourse old Walton has stated the
theory that an angler must be born and then made。 I have always held
the same to be true of the bookseller。 There are many； too many；
charlatans in the trade； the simon…pure bookseller enters upon and
conducts bookselling not merely as a trade and for the purpose of
amassing riches； but because he loves books and because he has pleasure
in diffusing their gracious influences。
Judge Methuen tells me that it is no longer the fashion to refer to
persons or things as being ‘‘simon…pure''； the fashion； as he says； passed
out some years ago when a writer in a German paper ‘‘was led into an
amusing blunder by an English review。 The reviewer； having occasion to
draw a distinction between George and Robert Cruikshank； spoke of the
former as the real Simon Pure。 The German； not understanding the
allusion； gravely told his readers that George Cruikshank was a
pseudonym； the author's real name being Simon Pure。''
This incident is given in Henry B。 Wheatley's ‘‘Literary Blunders；'' a
very charming book； but one that could have been made more interesting
to me had it recorded the curious blunder which Frederick Saunders
makes in his ‘‘Story of Some Famous Books。'' On page 169 we find this
information： ‘‘Among earlier American bards we instance Dana； whose
imaginative poem ‘The Culprit Fay；' so replete with poetic beauty； is a
fairy tale of the highlands of the Hudson。 The origin of the poem is
traced to a conversation with Cooper； the novelist； and Fitz…Greene
Halleck； the poet； who； speaking of the Scottish streams and their
legendary associations； insisted that the American rivers were not
susceptible of like poetic treatment。 Dana thought otherwise； and to
51
… Page 52…
THE LOVE AFFAIRS OF A BIBLIOMANIAC
make his position good produced three days after this poem。''
It may be that Saunders wrote the name Drake； for it was James
Rodman Drake who did ‘‘The Culprit Fay。'' Perhaps it was the printer's
fault that the poem is accredited to Dana。 Perhaps Mr。 Saunders writes
so legible a hand that the printers are careless with his manuscript。
‘‘There is；'' says Wheatley； ‘‘there is a popular notion among authors
that it is not wise to write a clear hand。 Menage was one of the first to
express it。 He wrote： ‘If you desire that no mistake shall appear in
the works which you publish； never send well…written copy to the printer；
for in that case the manuscript is given to young apprentices； who make a
thousand errors； while； on the other hand； that which is difficult to read is
dealt with by the master… printers。' ''
The most distressing blunder I ever read in print was made at the time
of the burial of the famous antiquary and litterateur； John Payne Collier。
In the London newspapers of Sept。 21； 1883； it was reported that ‘‘the
remains of the late Mr。 John Payne Collier were interred yesterday in Bray
churchyard； near Maidenhead； in the presence of a large number of
spectators。'' Thereupon the Eastern daily press published the following
remarkable perversion： ‘‘The Bray Colliery Disaster。 The remains of
the late John Payne； collier； were interred yesterday afternoon in the Bray
churchyard in the presence of a large number of friends and spectators。''
Far be it from the book…lover and the book…collector to rail at blunders；
for not unfrequently these very blunders make books valuable。 Who
cares for a Pine's Horace that does not contain the ‘‘potest'' error？ The
genuine first edition of Hawthorne's ‘‘Scarlet Letter'' is to be determined
by the presence of a certain typographical slip in the introduction。 The
first edition of the English Scriptures printed in Ireland （1716） is much
desired by collectors； and simply because of an error。 Isaiah bids us ‘‘sin
no more；'' but the Belfast printer； by some means or another； transposed
the letters in such wise as to make the injunction read ‘‘sin on more。''
The so…called Wicked Bible is a book that is seldom met with； and；
therefore； in great demand。 It was printed in the time of Charles I。； and it
is notorious because it omits the adverb ‘‘not'' in its version of the seventh
commandment； the printers were fined a large sum for this gross error。
52
… Page 53…
THE LOVE AFFAIRS OF A BIBLIOMANIAC
Six copies of the Wicked Bible are known to be in existence。 At one time
the late James Lenox had two copies； in his interesting memoirs Henry
Stevens tells how he picked up one copy in Paris for fifty guineas。
Rabelais' printer got the satirical doctor into deep water for printing
asne for ame； the council of the Sorbonne took the matter up and asked
Francis I。 to prosecute Rabelais for heresy； this the king declined to do；
and Rabelais proceeded forthwith to torment the council for having
founded a charge of heresy upon a printer's blunder。
Once upon a time the Foulis printing establishment at Glasgow
determined to print a perfect Horace； accordingly the proof sheets were
hung up at the gates of the university； and a sum of money was paid for
every error detected。
Notwithstanding these precautions the edition had six uncorrected
errors in it when it was finally published。 Disraeli says that the so…called
Pearl Bible had six thousand errata！ The works of Picus of Mirandula；
Strasburg； 1507； gave a list of errata covering fifteen folio pages； and a
worse case is that of ‘‘Missae ac Missalis Anatomia'' （1561）； a volume of
one hundred and seventy…two pages； fifteen of which are devoted to the
errata。 The author of the Missae felt so deeply aggrieved by this array of
blunders that he made a public explanation to the effect that the devil
himself stole the manuscript； tampered with it； and then actually
compelled the printer to misread it。
I am not sure that this ingenious explanation did not give origin to the
term of ‘‘printer's devil。''
It is frightful to think What nonsense sometimes
They make of one's sense And； what's worse； of one's rhymes。
It was only last week； In my ode upon spring； Which I
meant to have made A most beautiful thing；
When I talked of the dewdrops From freshly blown roses；
The nasty things made it From freshly blown noses。
We can fancy Richard Porson's rage （for Porson was of violent
temper） when； having written the statement that ‘‘the crowd rent the air
with their shouts；'' his printer made the line read ‘‘the crowd rent the air
with their snouts。'' However； this
