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　bookworms。　　The　works　of　bookworms　speak　for　themselves；　and　are　manifest　to　all。　　How　many　a　rare　and　valuable　volume　is　spoiled　by　neat　round　holes　drilled　through　cover　and　leaves！　　But　as　to　the　nature　of　your　worm；　authorities　differ　greatly。　　The　ancients　knew　this　plague；　of　which　Lucian　speaks。　　Mr。　Blades　mentions　a　white　bookworm；　slain　by　the　librarian　of　the　Bodleian。　　In　Byzantium　the　black　sort　prevailed。　　Evenus；　the　grammarian；　wrote　an　epigram　against　the　black　bookworm　（〃Anthol。　　Pal。；〃　ix。　251）：

Pest　of　the　Muses；　devourer　of　pages；　in　crannies　that　lurkest；　Fruits　of　the　Muses　to　taint；　labour　of　learning　to　spoil；　Wherefore；　oh　blackfleshed　worm！　wert　thou　born　for　the　evil　thou　workest？　Wherefore　thine　own　foul　form　shap'st　thou　with　envious　toil？

The　learned　Mentzelius　says　he　hath　heard　the　bookworm　crow　like　a　cock　unto　his　mate；　and　〃I　knew　not；〃　says　he；　〃whether　some　local　fowl　was　clamouring　or　whether　there　was　but　a　beating　in　mine　ears。　Even　at　that　moment；　all　uncertain　as　I　was；　I　perceived；　in　the　paper　whereon　I　was　writing；　a　little　insect　that　ceased　not　to　carol　like　very　chanticleer；　until；　taking　a　magnifying　glass；　I　assiduously　observed　him。　　He　is　about　the　bigness　of　a　mite；　and　carries　a　grey　crest；　and　the　head　low；　bowed　over　the　bosom；　as　to　his　crowing　noise；　it　es　of　his　clashing　his　wings　against　each　other　with　an　incessant　din。〃　　Thus　far　Mentzelius；　and　more　to　the　same　purpose；　as　may　be　read　in　the　〃Memoirs　of　famous　Foreign　Academies〃　（Dijon；　175559；　13　vol。　in　quarto）。　　But；　in　our　times；　the　learned　Mr。　Blades　having　a　desire　to　exhibit　bookworms　in　the　body　to　the　Caxtonians　at　the　Caxton　celebration；　could　find　few　men　that　had　so　much　as　seen　a　bookworm；　much　less　heard　him　utter　his　native　woodnotes　wild。　　Yet；　in　his　〃Enemies　of　Books；〃　he　describes　some　rare　encounters　with　the　worm。　　Dirty　books；　damp　books；　dusty　books；　and　books　that　the　owner　never　opens；　are　most　exposed　to　the　enemy；　and　〃the　worm；　the　proud　worm；　is　the　conqueror　still；〃　as　a　didactic　poet　sings；　in　an　ode　on　man's　mortality。　　As　entzelius；　it　may　not　be　amiss　to　give　D'Alembert's　theory　of　bookworms：　　〃I　believe；〃　he　says；　〃that　a　little　beetle　lays　her　eggs　in　books　in　August；　thence　is　hatched　a　mite；　like　the　cheesemite；　which　devours　books　merely　because　it　is　pelled　to　gnaw　its　way　out　into　the　air。〃　　Bookworms　like　the　paste　which　binders　employ；　but　D'Alembert　adds　that　they　cannot　endure　absinthe。　　Mr。　Blades　finds　too　that　they　disdain　to　devour　our　adulterate　modern　paper。

〃Say；　shall　I　sing　of　rats；〃　asked　Grainger；　when　reading　to　Johnson　his　epic；　the　〃Sugarcane。〃　　〃No；〃　said　the　Doctor；　and　though　rats　are　the　foe　of　the　bibliophile；　at　least　as　much　as　of　the　sugar　planter；　we　do　not　propose　to　sing　of　them。　　M。　Fertiault　has　done　so　already　in　〃Les　Sons　d'un　Bibliophile；〃　where　the　reader　must　be　pleased　with　the　beautiful　etchings　of　rats　devouring　an　illuminated　MS。；　and　battening　on　morocco　bindings　stamped　with　the　bees　of　De　Thou。　　It　is　unnecessary　and　it　would　be　undignified；　to　give　hints　on　ratcatching；　but　the　amateur　must　not　fet　that　these　animals　have　a　passion　for　bindings。

The　bookcollector　must　avoid　gas；　which　deposits　a　filthy　coat　of　oil　that　catches　dust。　　Mr。　Blades　found　that　three　jets　of　gas　in　a　small　room　soon　reduced　the　leather　on　his　bookshelves　to　a　powder　of　the　consistency　of　snuff；　and　made　the　backs　of　books　e　away　in　his　hand。　　Shaded　lamps　give　the　best　and　most　suitable　light　for　the　library。　　As　to　the　risks　which　books　run　at　the　hands　of　the　owner　himself；　we　surely　need　not　repeat　the　advice　of　Richard　de　Bury。　　Living　in　an　age　when　tubs　（if　not　unknown　as　M。　Michelet　declares）　were　far　from　being　mon；　the　old　collector　inveighed　against　the　dirty　hands　of　readers；　and　against　their　habit　of　marking　their　place　in　a　book　with　filthy　straws；　or　setting　down　a　beer　pot　in　the　middle　of　the　volume　to　keep　the　pages　open。　　But　the　amateur；　however　refined　himself；　must　beware　of　men　who　love　not　fly　leaves　neither　regard　margins；　but　write　notes　over　the　latter；　and　light　their　pipes　with　the　former。　　After　seeing　the　wreck　of　a　book　which　these　persons　have　been　busy　with；　one　appreciates　the　fine　Greek　hyperbole。　　The　Greeks　did　not　speak　of　〃thumbing〃　but　of　〃walking　up　and　down〃　on　a　volume　（＇Greek　text＇）。　To　such　fellows　it　matters　not　that　they　make　a　book　dirty　and　greasy；　cutting　the　pages　with　their　fingers；　and　holding　the　boards　over　the　fire　till　they　crack。　　All　these　slatternly　practices；　though　they　destroy　a　book　as　surely　as　the　flames　of　Caesar's　soldiers　at　Alexandria；　seem　fine　manly　acts　to　the　grobians　who　use　them。　　What　says　Jules　Janin；　who　has　written　〃Contre　l'indifference　des　Philistins；〃　〃il　faut　a　l'homme　sage　et　studieux　un　tome　honorable　et　digne　de　sa　louange。〃　　The　amateur；　and　all　decent　men；　will　beware　of　lending　books　to　such　rude　workers；　and　this　consideration　brings　us　to　these　great　foes　of　books；　the　borrowers　and　robbers。　　The　lending　of　books；　and　of　other　property；　has　been　defended　by　some　great　authorities；　thus　Panurge　himself　says；　〃it　would　prove　much　more　easy　in　nature　to　have　fish　entertained　in　the　air；　and　bullocks　fed　in　the　bottom　of　the　ocean；　than　to　support　or　tolerate　a　rascally　rabble　of　people　that　will　not　lend。〃　Pirckheimer；　too；　for　whom　Albert　Durer　designed　a　bookplate；　was　a　lender；　and　took　for　his　device　Sibi　et　Amicis；　and　Jo。　Grolierii　et　amicorum；　was　the　motto　of　the　renowned　Grolier；　whom　mistaken　writers　vainly　but　frequently　report　to　have　been　a　bookbinder。　　But　as　Mr。　Leicester　Warren　says；　in　his　〃Study　of　Bookplates〃　（Pearson；　1880）；　〃Christian　Charles　de　Savigny　leaves　all　the　rest　behind；　exclaiming　non　mihi　sed　aliis。〃　　But　the　majority　of　amateurs　have　chosen　wiser；　though　more　churlish　devices；　as　〃the　ungodly　borroweth　and　payeth　not　again；〃　or　〃go　to　them　that　sell；　and　buy　for　yourselves。〃　　David　Garrick　engraved　on　his　bookplate；　beside　a　bust　of　Shakspeare；　these　words　of　Menage；　〃La　premiere　chose　qu'on　doit　faire；　quand　on　a　emprunte'　un　livre；　c'est　de　le　lire；　afin　de　pouvoir　le　rendre　plutot。〃　　But　the　borrower　is　so　minded　that　the　last　thing　he　thinks　of　is　to　read　a　borrowed　book；　and　the　penultimate　subject　of　his　reflections　is　its　restoration。　Menage　（Menagiana；　Paris；　1729；　vol。　i。　p。　265）；　mentions；　as　if　it　were　a　notable　misdeed；　this　of　Angelo　Politian's；　〃he　borrowed　a　'Lucretius'　from　Pomponius　Laetus；　and　kept　it　for　four　years。〃　Four　years！　in　the　sight　of　the　borrower　it　is　but　a　moment。　　Menage　reports　that　a　friend　kept　his　〃Pausanias〃　for　three　years；　whereas　four　months　was　long　enough。

〃At　quarto　saltem　mense　redire　decet。〃

There　is　no　satisfaction　in　lending　a　book；　for　it　is　rarely　that　borrowers；　while　they　deface　your　volumes；　gather　honey　for　new　stores；　as　De　Quincey　did；　and　Coleridge；　and　even　Dr。　Johnson；　who　〃greased　and　dogseared　such　volumes　as　were　confided　to　his　tender　mercies；　with　the　same　indifference　wherewith　he　singed　his　own　wigs。〃　　But　there　is　a　race　of　mortals　more　annoying　to　a　conscientious　man　than　borrowers。　　These　are　the　spontaneous　lenders；　who　insist　that　you　shall　borrow　their　tomes。　　For　my　own　part；　when　I　am　oppressed　with　the　charity　of　such；　I　lock　their　books　up　in　a　drawer；　and　behold　them　not　again　till　the　day　of　their　return。　　There　is　no　security　against　borrowers；　unless　a　man　like　Guibert　de　Pixerecourt　steadfastly　refuses　to　lend。　　The　device　of　Pixerecourt　was　un　livre　est　un　ami　qui　ne　change　jamais。　　But　he　knew　that　our　books　change　when　they　have　been　borrowed；　like　our　friends　when　they　have　been　married；　when　〃a　lady　borrows　them；〃　as　the　fairy　queen　says　in　the　ballad　of　〃Tamlane。〃

〃But　had　I　kenn'd；　Tamlane；〃　she　says；　〃A　lady　wad　borrowed　thee；　I　wad　ta'en　out　thy　twa　gray　een；　Put　in　twa　een　o'　tree！

〃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