The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-02-11
TIE Ex-HIDoW HovIUs.

l. -
There was once in Paris two biblio
maniacs. The one was named Hovius.
think; the other Jean Macrin.
A Corsican, implacable and furioul
hatred had long divided them. Verons
had its Capulets and Montagus; Florence
its Guelphs and Ghibelines; Paris
the quays of Paris have had Jean Macrir
and Mr.. Hovius Hovius had carried
off from MacTin an Elzevir edition o1
Horace; Macrin had deprived Hovius OF
an Aldine volume containing some tale
or another of Longus, the title of which
would interest you, but little If I could
remember to tell it to you. Let il
suffice you to know that Macrin hated
Hovius, and that Hovius, in his bilious
humor, determined to illuminate his IL
brary on the day of the death of his i'm
placable rival.
II.
Mr.. Pierre Paul Hovius was walking,
or rather stationing, on the quay Voltaire
one day, book k-hunting, nosing, ferret
ing, upsetting the boxes, engaging in a
regular chase after books.
Who has not seen the bibliomaniacs in
their incessant task? The eye watchful,
the head bent forward, the hands greedy,
painting with hope and fear, pale with
emotion, the pupils dilated, the mouth
half open; they lean over the dusty cases
of the book dealers, reading hastily the
titles of the books for sale, and if their
most ardent wish is suddenly realized
if they unearth. in this old mass of
worm. eaten paper, where so many glories
moulder, some edition that they have
eagerly sought for, their eyes brighten,
the color comes into their pallid cheeks,
their bosom swells, and prouder than
Archimedes, they cry, like he cried,
proud and triumphant, g Ihaye found it!'
III.
Master Hovius, absorbed in his re.
searches, his nose almost rubbing
against the books, paid no attention to
another person who was likewise bend
ing over the boxes of the dealer and fer
xeking with equal ardor among the black
sxeod paper. But If Hovius had looked
e tlia person he Would certainly have
recot ;zaa hin, Tor it was his deadly
rival. Jean Mad The Macrin who had
fobbed him of the d5na Longua.
You imagine tos onre6li am sure.
my two bibiIoms6id Is oil sliSlk and
dried up, like the bdeu ifn1 Baldour 81:
the return of her Pecopia You only:
half wrong. but still you are wrong:
Hovius was about sixty years OF age, but;
he was stalwart man with full
though pale face, athletic shoulders, and
= a8feantum belly. But Mscr1n was
:xpung, not Ind 1dofing, and elegant as
farsas his passio - 6nkel1 him to be, in
short he was fhii1f ttste yezrs Of age, he
had sairty tthree hc.s5afst franes income.
OF all that he IialsG al BE rses except Of.
his income, which ~ stored mp in some
twenty or thirty bookcase As for his
teeth and has youth, he ate little, and
gave still less proof that he knew how to
be young.
After having turned over hundred
pamphlets and as many bound books,
our two collectors drew themselves up al
most at the same moment, with q gesture
that meant There is nothing for me
there they walked toward each other un-
consciously. When they saw each other
then repressing their unfriendly ardor
If of honey mixed with vinegar:
How are you?'' they said.
The characteristics Of these deadly ha-
treds is dissimulation.
ST am very well, thank you"
ssThat is welll
ST am very glad to hear it.
ssAhi by the way, Monsieur Hovius-
the ballet of the French and the Dutch
in Brabant, copy of 1896, in l2mo-you
know"
.sWell, ? said Hovius.
s.Well. I have discovered it, my
friend.n
ssIndeed and where, if the question is
not lndicreet?"
In grocer shop, my excellent Hovius.
just as the grocer was about to tear it up
to wrap up spices.
ssYou are always lucky, Macrin. /"
'sNo, No; I scent things out, that's the
Sohl scent! I call it luckl Irepeat it,
luck! After all, my friend your dis
covery is not q very brilliant one"
sHem!' hem! Is that really your
opinion?"
sWhat would you say if I told you I had
at my house the ballad of Eustache Des-
camps, Quand reviendra nntre Roy d.
Paris? 1889, my friend. !"
1889, you say?"
1889, Eustache Deschamps. Au-
thentic ballad.
sAh!
.Eh? What do you think of that?"
ST? What do think of 1t? Why, t.
Nothingi Nothingl your lucky, that is
allr'
Whereupon they separated, more irri-
tated than ever, and each one saying to
himself:
s.What strange thing jealousy is! He
would give give two fingers to have
found what I found.
) y.
One month afterward Hoyius and Ma
Grin met again.
ssWellt" said Hovius, sswhat have you
discovered this timer"
"Ohl oh! lot Of things said Macrin,
who had found nothing.
ssWhat do you call q lot of things?'
AWell, Caesars Commentaries, the edl-
tion of Trivulcius- Ovid's Fash-Ah!
and the editio princeps of the Arbre
des Batailles in 4to. Mayence, 1885
ssHonore Bonet's Arbre?" asked
Hovius
ssYes-
Hoyius burst out laughing.
ssWelllv stammered out Macrin, dis
concerted ss6fat Is the matter with