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〃Had I but kenn'd； Tamlane；〃 she says； 〃Before ye came frae hame； I
wad ta'en out your heart o' flesh； Put in a heart o' stane！〃
Above the lintel of his library door； Pixerecourt had this couplet
carved …
〃Tel est le triste sort de tout livre prete； Souvent il est perdu； toujours
il est gate。〃
M。 Paul Lacroix says he would not have lent a book to his own
daughter。 Once Lacroix asked for the loan of a work of little value。
Pixerecourt frowned； and led his friend beneath the doorway； pointing to
the motto。 〃Yes；〃 said M。 Lacroix； 〃but I thought that verse applied to
every one but me。〃 So Pixerecourt made him a present of the volume。
We cannot all imitate this 〃immense〃 but unamiable amateur。
Therefore； bibliophiles have consoled themselves with the inventions of
book…plates； quaint representations； perhaps heraldic； perhaps fanciful； of
their claims to the possession of their own dear volumes。 Mr。 Leicester
Warren and M。 Poulet Malassis have written the history of these slender
works of art； and each bibliophile may have his own engraved； and may
formulate his own anathemas on people who borrow and restore not again。
The process is futile； but may comfort the heart； like the curses against
thieves which the Greeks were wont to scratch on leaden tablets； and
deposit in the temple of Demeter。 Each amateur can exercise his own
taste in the design of a book…plate； and for such as love and collect rare
editions of 〃Homer；〃 I venture to suggest this motto； which may move the
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heart of the borrower to send back an Aldine copy of the epic …
＇Greek text＇ ｛3｝
Mr。 William Blades； in his pleasant volume； 〃The Enemies of Books〃
（Trubner）； makes no account of the book…thief or biblioklept。 〃If they
injure the owners；〃 says Mr。 Blades； with real tolerance； 〃they do no harm
to the books themselves； by merely transferring them from one set of
book…shelves to another。〃 This sentence has naturally caused us to reflect
on the ethical character of the biblioklept。 He is not always a bad man。
In old times； when language had its delicacies； and moralists were not
devoid of sensibility； the French did not say 〃un voleur de livres；〃 but 〃un
chipeur de livres；〃 as the papers call lady shoplifters 〃kleptomaniacs。〃
There are distinctions。 M。 Jules Janin mentions a great Parisian
bookseller who had an amiable weakness。 He was a bibliokleptomaniac。
His first motion when he saw a book within reach was to put it in his
pocket。 Every one knew his habit； and when a volume was lost at a sale
the auctioneer duly announced it； and knocked it down to the enthusiast；
who regularly paid the price。 When he went to a private view of books
about to be sold； the officials at the door would ask him； as he was going
out； if he did not happen to have an Elzevir Horace or an Aldine Ovid in
his pocket。 Then he would search those receptacles and exclaim； 〃Yes；
yes； here it is； so much obliged to you； I am so absent。〃 M。 Janin
mentions an English noble； a 〃Sir Fitzgerald；〃 who had the same tastes；
but who unluckily fell into the hands of the police。 Yet M。 Janin has a
tenderness for the book…stealer； who； after all； is a lover of books。 The
moral position of the malefactor is so delicate and difficult that we shall
attempt to treat of it in the severe； though rococo； manner of Aristotle's
〃Ethics。〃 Here follows an extract from the lost Aristotelian treatise
〃Concerning Books〃：…
〃Among the contemplative virtues we reckon the love of books。
Now this virtue； like courage or liberality； has its mean； its excess； and its
defect。 The defect is indifference； and the man who is defective as to the
love of books has no name in common parlance。 Therefore； we may call
him the Robustious Philistine。 This man will cut the leaves of his own or
his friend's volumes with the butter… knife at breakfast。 Also he is just the
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person wilfully to mistake the double sense of the term 'fly…leaves；' and to
stick the 'fly… leaves' of his volumes full of fly…hooks。 He also loves
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
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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； rescue