New-York daily tribune., 1861-06-23
ge0ns.
HIRLIOMANIkCS.

BIBLIOMANIACS.
BLACK WOODS MAGAZINE June Leonard Scot O"
The leading article Of this number is devoted to
showing up the whirl-whams and crotchets ot b'e
harmless tribe Of tibouaniacs, which it presents IN
the lively eolors of gool-naured caricature We ,ke
from it tse following potiture of specimen Of
the order:
Az our Grst csse Let US summon from the slades our
venerable friend Arr hdescon Meadow, aa he was IN
the body. We 80 him now-tall straight, aud
mesger. but with grim dignity IN tns blr wtl,"
warms in'o bergiiy as Le intPeets ne pretty ti hlis
his inward estimate Of the prize with peculiar grunt
ing chuskI kbewu the initiated 10 be AT ml oItnt
asoonn, emtIt. This is doubt one Of tie Hiid.r
and more inoiensive type, but s'iii thoro,ghly
conrmea and obs inaie It's 8raJlei 10 The eusses
wlo ,,s TO he taken charge Of by their weT ueigh-
sors is only too cose aud awful; for have we nGf
soaeimes ionnd the female members oil bis hoirebod,
oocs ion OF bomc domestic en- ergtncy-or, umy
he, for rake OF keeping the lost man out o ie
sAte-hnye we not found them searching Tor him oD
fsca tOoksall unto bookstall, lnst AS the motheS,
wiyes gud daughters of other Lost men hdnf Them
through their ayUrite tsyerDsT Then, sgn, can we
| fuges Chat occasion vi LIS eCig 10 London To
Re examined bY committee Of the House o Com
| mons, when lie suddenly diappeared win all III,
money in is pocket and rcsurp.d ItDpile-, followed
by n WAGON containing 81 eof ics VI editions OF
tie Bible All were fish that came 10 Lir ne, AT
Ons zine yon find him securing nlSho~ Tor lAfence
at q Sall-and preseD,ly nterwari he ouibidH some
prineeiy collector, ana secures WIN ifantc impet-
t.;,v al any price" great sh he has been patiently
waiciing for year after ysAr. liz hHnti g-grounos
were gide aud Citait, and there weie nysi.nour iu-
nos asoa the numbers Of copies, si ldenlichliy the
same ia edition aud m1or lnoividuAilsies, wneh nc
posssss-d of certain bookg. We have known him, ~
deed WHEN beaten auctton tarn round 8nedV
spd saw Well 30 be it-bsi l daresay hsve tea or
twelve copies at home, If i could Lay my hands c'
them -.
It /. matter of extreme anxiety 10 his fiends and
If be have q locus i,uisd Mud, of rad nss'ing 10
haself when the collector enys his hr,t dhP'ic"ts.
IL is lie the hrst secret dram s"aii"wed Nv e to'e
poon-the trs. pawuirg q! tbe silver spoons ANY
o her terrible hrst step downward you may ioo-e y"
kep il to- Thsre ID hope Tor the patient alter ihh-
IL rends at once The vail Of decorun rpm out o' ths
Hiney folhisms by which he has been deceiviDP hi-
friends aud pily decei,ing himself into tie belief
that his previous VurvhaScs were necessary OF a MI
syents, servCeable for pfoies loIii lleruy Phi,
Io.es. He becomes shameless. and harcepedi apa
Il il ob-eryaJe in the OF this class oi uhloru-
uaie. that the first Get Of dulhcty l. immediately
followed BY an of the disorder ard reekiess
abandonment lie propenstics. The Arehdeacon had
ng passed this tJge be crossed our pain, ana h'd
become thoroughly hardened. lie not remarkable
ioval ta,hms9t; aud la moving from Place to
sometimes follow hia, to remain unreh aed duriDg
the whole period Of his thrrying IN hs new abode, no
that they removed TO The next stage Of his jour
ney through life with mediIed Inconvenience. Cruel
as IL may seem, must yet notice another aud a
peculiar yagary Of his malady. iIe had reso,vei, nt
least in Lis life, To part with considerable pro-
norton Of bis COleCiiUDbeter 10 snllcr the anguish
OF su en- act than endure the frsttirg Of continued
reslr1iut There was o wondrouk sale 10y anction
accordingly; 1t WIS something like what may have
oc urred at the dssouton of the mona5'er1ss at the
Reformation or when the contents OF some time
bouofed public library realized at the time ol The
French Revolution Before the Affair was over, tie
ArcLdeacon himself made ls appearance 10 tie midst
of the mice Laneous self-inyited guests who were
making free with bis reasuies. He pretended, honest
man 10 be- mere casual SPECTATOR, who, having seen,
in tasging, the announCemen. Of a fae by auction,
stepped in like the rst Of the public. BY degrees be
cot st tied Qasped twice as II mtsterng some
d,sreraie impuise aud at length fairly bade. He
could not brazen out the effect Of thf escapade, how
ever, and disappeared from the scene. IL was re-
marked however than an unusual number OF lots
were aterwaId knocked down 10 q military gentle
nm who seemed 70 have left porentousy large orders
with the auctioDesr. Some cuIlons suspicious bexan
10 arise, which were settled by that preiaing genius
bending over lis rostrum, and explaining IN oont-
DENTAL whisper that the military hero was III reality
pillar Of the Church 30 disguised.
The Archdeacon lay under what, among the delnded
victims of Lis nalady, was deemed heavy scandal.
He was suspected Of readiUg his own books-thai y to
saw when be could get AZ thsm tor there are thcse
VINO may still remember bis rather sllameiseed ap-
partition Of evening, petitioning foneebat IN the
tobe with which an old sebooEeiiow down 10 the
world requests your assistance to help him 10 70 10
York TO get an neutrality-suspicious. for the loan
of volume OF which he could not deny that he pos
sessed nuuberlees copies lurking IN divers parts o: bis
In bis collection, which sh0ad be sacred to external
inspeeon solely, il with the initiated scandal, such
as &c would be among b hunting et 10 hn! that man
had killed fog. Ia the dialogues, not always the
most entertaining, Oi Dbdns Bibt'0mdra, there is,
Ills short passase "I will frankly confs,s rejoned
Lysander that l am an ayrant bibi0maa'dc-t that j
love books dearly-that the very sight, touch, aud
mere perusal--' Hold my friend, again exclaimed
Philemon; 'yon have renouhced Your prOiession-yon
talk Of reading books--do 6iti,o~aniaes ever read
booksi "
Yes our venerable friend read books-he devolred
them; aud he did full prolific purpose. His was
q mind enriched with various learing, which he gave
forth with full strong, easy dow like an mex xhauf'ble
dry, vet TOO eapacious 10 exhibit the brswling bub
bling symptoms of Ieplelion. II was from majestic
heedIessness Of the busy I'D and It's fame tha! he
oi the character of Incidence, and was set down az
one who would leave no lasting memorial Of hIs great
learning but when be dlsd, II was Lot altogether
vbout leaving sign; for from the casual dEoppings
Of bis pen bus been preserved enough 70 signify 10
many generations of students IN the walk no chiefly
affected how richly bis mind was stored and how
much fesh matter there Is In those Gelds OF inquiry
wbeIe eomItcrs have left their dreary tracks ior
ardent stuaents % cultivate into rich hsryett.
Ia him truly the biblomoiia may he counted amongthe
many illustrations Of the truth 20 often moralised on,
that the higheS natures are no. exempt IRON human
iiail,y in some shape or other.
Here Is another representative man, bu. OF an alto
eetber different tyre:
Let ne now summon TIE shade of another departed
victim---tzpatiick Smart, eeq. lie, too, through u
long life, had been ygant and enthusiastic collector,
but after totally different fa.hion lie was far from
omniyorous Ile had principle OF selection pet nllar
and separate fol. all Others as bis indviiu
ality from other mems. You could not classify his
library according 10 any Of the accepted poneneaiuer
peculiar 10 tho initiated lie was Dot black.letter
man, or "A tal-copyi.t, or AL uncut man, or "a rongh-
Id slat 20