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nte' 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 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 bookplates； 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 fort 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 bookplate； and for such as love and collect rare editions of 〃Homer；〃 I venture to suggest this motto； which may move the 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 bookthief 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 bookshelves 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 bookstealer； 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 mon 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 person wilfully to mistake the double sense of the term 'flyleaves；' and to stick the 'fly leaves' of his volumes full of flyhooks。 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 pipelights； and he makes cigarettes with the tissuepaper 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 bookloving。 As to the man who is exactly in the right mean； we call him the booklover。 His happiness consists not in reading； which is an active virtue； but in the contemplation of bindings； and illustrations； and titlepages。 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 booklover； 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 bookloving； is the biblioklept； or bookstealer。 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 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 bookstealer 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； rescued many of the books he stole from dirt and misuse； and had them bound royally in purple and gold。 Also； it may be argued that books naturally belong to him who can appreciate them； and if good books are