The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-18
VOLUMES AND VAGABONDS
Two Quaint Associations for Liter
ary Communion in Great
London City.
Delightful 1t Is to Play the
Fool When Out OF
School
Personnel and Habitat Of the Two Clubs
--ApOstIes Of the Great fam
johnson.

bOnnAOns
Especial Correspondence Of The INDEPENDENT.
LONDON, Jan. 3.-Modern Clubs with all
their luxury and cxclusiyeness can hardly
be defined in DR.. Johnsons words az "as-
semblies Of good fellows meeting under
certain conditions Bohernians now.a-
days are kid gloved and scented with rose
water. Ichabod, old Bohsmianism, not the
counterfeit, is no more. There are fcw
communities to which Wordsworth's words
can be applied:
equals all. scholars and gentlemen"
London, however, still boasts few
clubs, worthy SUCCESSORS of the Bread street
or Friday street club, which WAS founded
by Sir Walter Raleigh and met at the
Mermaid; OF even the Literary club, with
which the name OF Reynolds IL evermore as
sociated.
The Oldest Of the moderns and the
quaintest is ''Ye Settle of Odd Volumes"
This club was conceived by Charles Wyman,
but WAS nursed and reared by Bernard
Quaritch, the worldfamed secondhand
bookseller. 1t is now in It's thirteenth year,
and has membership Of forty-two. At
first ''Ye Sstte" consisted Of twenty one,
this being the number Of volumes of the
Variorum Shakespeare Of 1921; but the de-
mand for membership was such that ulti-
mately twenty-one supple emental odd
volumes were elected. On the first Friday
OF every month "Ye odd volumes unite to
form perfect sette," and for their motto
we may take that Of Horace, "Dulce est
desipere in loco"
Dulce-delightful, says the poet.
Fst-is it, and right we'll We know IT..
Desipers--to play the fool
In loco-when we're out Of school.
The sette is not cIaque: IL is brother
hood, it's component parts being drawn
from all sources. Each volume has a quaint
nickname, being known as either the histo-
riographer or the typographer, the attorney
general, the solicitor general, the stationer,
tho antiquary, the alchymist, the xylog-
rapher, the organist. the leech, the necro-
msncer, the astrologer, the peintre- grayeur,
the cosmographer, the chapman, the Thy-
mer, the pilgrim, the apothecary, the mas
ter Of the rolls, the ancient mariner, the
limner, the troubadour, the architect, the
connoisseur, the potter, the aquarelliste,
the parodist, the remembrancer, tho biblio-
grapher, the artifcer, the bard, the ship
wright, the seer, the magnetizer, or the ies-
ter. To the librarian and first president,
Mr.. Quaritch, we are indebted for these
particulars. The settle has no secrets and
no particular habitat-of late II has met at
Limner's hotel. Occasionally q soiree 10
held, and then the librarian displays some
Of his almost priceless treasures to tho
greedy eyes of bibliomaniacs. Guests are
allowed to be present at the meetings, and
very anxious they are generally to avail
themselves of the privilege. Many Ameri-
cans go as guests.
Prof. Winsor, of Harvard university at
tended one meeting under Mr.. Quaritch's
protection. Some of the rules are quaint
i'll the extreme and quite unique. For in
stance, no odd volume may talk unasked
on any subject he understands; any volume
losing his temper, and failing to recover it,
is fined by the president the sum OF five
shiilings; any q. v. giving to another @. v.
advice unasked is fined five shillings; no O.
VS. speech may last longer than three min-
more to say he may proceed until his voice
is drowned in the general applause.
Every volume has TO make literary.
scientific or artistic contribution to the
settle, but discussions about anthropoloQy.
religion and politics are prohibited. The
volumes believe with johnson, that "books
that CAL, be held in the hand, and carried
to the freside, are the best after ALL" and
with Charles Lamb that 'the writings Of the
wise are the only riches our prosperity can
not squander;' and the photography. OF the
privately printed editions (opascula) is
sued to the members is bulky and curious.
The several prints are very limited, conse-
quently the volumes are costly, ranging
from one to four guineas. and much desired
by antiquaries. One of the booklets il a
Glossographia Anglicana, presented by His
Oddship Quaritch. Another ID devoted to
Qaeen Anne Musick, a third TO Fros. Fairs
on the Thames, fourth to Liturgical His
tory and Literature, others to intaglio on
cravings, to repeats and plagiarism in art,
and so on.
II must be said by veracious chronicler
that the volumes are not very famous,
although they are very clever. Known,
however. on both sides of the Atlantic are
Henry Moore, A. X. A.; Sir james Linton.
Orrock, X. l.; Alfred East. Il. l., who is
just returned from the east. and contrib
uted a booklet on New Years Day in Ja-
pan.
Then there il the Vagabond club. very
different institution. Its germ was the Sun
day evening gatherings round about Mars
ton, since dead. son OF tho blind dramatist,
who has also, alas. departed. Az the origi-
nal members became fewer the name of the
club WAS changed and its membership lin
ited to fifty. On the first Thursday Of
each month there il u dinner provided at
the Mitre tavern III Chancery lane. and be-
sides more substantial viands there is gen.
orally n feast of reason and q flow of soul
Something of the old worlds spirit of good
fellowship and bohemian behavior remains
at tho gatherings and over the walnuta
and wine capita. recitations and songs were
given and humorous speeches made. The
irrepressible DIR. Ayeling. atheist socialist,
actor, dramatist. journalist, moderator,
university coach. scientific writer and what
not. is an active member. Luke
Sharp. of the Detroit Free Press, is another
AID he tells capital stories of his friend
Rudyard kipling, one of the newest of the
yagabonds. On the committee are +. w.
Robinson, tho genial noveiist Nettleship.
the artist. aud G. N. Williamson. late assis5-
ant editor of the Graphic and nov manager
of the new weekly black and White. Other
vagabonds are Irving Montaau, the war cor
jerome X Jerome the fortu-
nate author of the widely read Three Men
in Il Boat; A. G. Calmour. writer Of the
Amber Heart. in which Ellen Terry ap-
peared with So much success nj the Lyceuru;
G. III. Logan, one of Edison's Representa-
tiyes In London: Fred Terry. the actor. and
brother of Ellen: II. l.. Braekstad, Nofwe-
gian exile and Ibsanite down to his heels;
son OF Kari Blind, and Frank
Palmer, London, editor of tho GaliGnani
T.. sAsA I'D AtA