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eing that the number of his books was limited to three hundred or thereabouts。
‘‘Upon inquiry I learned that N。 M。 （for so I will call the victim of this delusion） made a practice of reading and of marking booksellers' catalogues； further investigation developed that N。 M。's great…uncle on his mother's side had invented a flying…machine that would not fly； and that a half…brother of his was the author of a pamphlet entitled ‘16 to 1； or the Poor Man's Vade…Mecum。'
‘‘ ‘Madam；' said I； ‘it is clear to me that your husband is afflicted with catalogitis。'
‘‘At this the poor woman went into hysterics； bewailing that she should have lived to see the object of her affection the victim of a malady so grievous as to require a Greek name。 When she became calmer I explained to her that the malady was by no means fatal； and that it yielded readily to treatment。''
‘‘What； in plain terms；'' asked Judge Methuen； ‘‘is catalogitis？''
‘‘I will explain briefly；'' answered the doctor。 ‘‘You must know first that every perfect human being is provided with two sets of bowels； he has physical bowels and intellectual bowels； the brain being the latter。 Hippocrates （since whose time the science of medicine has not advanced even the two stadia； five parasangs of Xenophon） Hippocrates； I say； discovered that the brain is subject to those very same diseases to which the other and inferior bowels are liable。
‘‘Galen confirmed this discovery and he records a case （Lib。 xi。； p。 318） wherein there were exhibited in the intellectual bowels symptoms similar to those we find in appendicitis。 The brain is wrought into certain convolutions； just as the alimentary canal is； the fourth layer； so called； contains elongated groups of small cells or nuclei； radiating at right angles to its plane； which groups present a distinctly fanlike structure。 Catalogitis is a stoppage of this fourth layer； whereby the functions of the fanlike structure are suffered no longer to cool the brain； and whereby also continuity of thought is interrupted； just as continuity of digestion is prevented by stoppage of the vermiform appendix。
‘‘The learned Professor Biersteintrinken；'' continued Dr。 O'Rell； ‘‘has advanced in his scholarly work on ‘Raderinderkopf' the interesting theory that catalogitis is produced by the presence in the brain of a germ which has its origin in the cheap paper used by booksellers for catalogue purposes； and this theory seems to have the approval of M。 Marie…Tonsard； the most famous of authorities on inebriety； in his celebrated classic entitled ‘Un Trait sur Jacques…Jacques。' ''
‘‘Did you effect a cure in the case of N。 M。？'' I asked。
‘‘With the greatest of ease；'' answered the doctor。 ‘‘By means of hypnotism I purged his intellectuals of their hallucination； relieving them of their perception of objects which have no reality and ridding them of sensations which have no corresponding external cause。 The patient made a rapid recovery； and； although three months have elapsed since his discharge； he has had no return of the disease。''
As a class booksellers do not encourage the reading of other booksellers' catalogues； this is； presumably； because they do not care to encourage buyers to buy of other sellers。 My bookseller； who in all virtues of head and heart excels all other booksellers I ever met with； makes a scrupulous practice of destroying the catalogues that come to his shop； lest some stray copy may fall into the hands of a mousing book…lover and divert his attention to other hunting…grounds。 It is indeed remarkable to what excess the catalogue habit will carry its victim； the author of ‘‘Will Shakespeare； a Comedy；'' has frequently confessed to me that it mattered not to him whether a catalogue was twenty years oldso long as it was a catalogue of books he found the keenest delight in its perusal； I have often heard Mr。 Hamlin； the theatre manager； say that he preferred old catalogues to new； for the reason that the bargains to be met with in old catalogues expired long ago under the statute of limitations。
Judge Methuen； who is a married man and has therefore had an excellent opportunity to study the sex； tells me that the wives of bibliomaniacs regard catalogues as the most mischievous temptations that can be thrown in the way of their husbands。 I once committed the imprudence of mentioning the subject in Mrs。 Methuen's presence： that estimable lady gave it as her opinion that there were plenty of ways of spending money foolishly without having recourse to a book…catalogue for suggestion。 I wonder whether Captivity would have had this opinion； had Providence ordained that we should walk together the quiet pathway of New England life； would Yseult always have retained the exuberance and sweetness of her youth； had she and I realized what might have been？ Would Fanchonette always have sympathized with the whims and vagaries of the restless yet loyal soul that hung enraptured on her singing in the Quartier Latin so long ago that the memory of that song is like the memory of a ghostly echo now？
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 collectio