Morning journal and courier., 1893-08-12

ton, that one appreciates the full force of the injunction, "Neithsr @ borrower nor e lender be-" and resolves to obey it hereaf- ter. When books were fewer and more costly than they are nowadays the failure to re- turn borrowed volumes was 6 very serious matter, and the temptation to keep them was douStless very strong It was for this reason that rhymed anathemas upon those who dared commit the crime of stealing book, or keeping 1t too long out of the possession of its right ful owner, were written upon Ay-leaves and title-psges. Some of these were very severe. The most extraordinary of them is doubtless to be found in an ancient Harlein manuscript, which, being trans lated, says: "The book of St. Mary and St. Nicholas in Arrsnstein, the which, If anyone purloin, may he die the death, may he be cooked upon the gridiron, may fall ing sickness and levers attack him, and may he be broken upon the wheel and hung" After all these punishments the culprit would be effectually dissuaded from steal ing any more manuscripts.
 Notices which are intended to discour- age hesitsncy in returning books are found in many old volumes. The owners name, very boldly written and followed by 6 ser ies of loops known as Ca flourish" |" accom- pa1ies them. Here is one, very stilted and solemn, written by some rigid moralist who evidently considered book thief past pray ing for:
 "Stern power of Justice, lift thy wand
 In spite of Mercy's look,
 Strike him who with presumptious hand
 Purloins this valued book"
 Here are some otherrwhich 1t Is to be re- membered are meant fully as much to dis courage the would be borrower ss to call down vengeance upon the thief.
 "My master never lends me,
 So if I'm found elsewhere
 thief is my possessori
 Therefore, my friend, beware"
 The next was sometimes accompanied by drawing of gallows and criminal sus- pended therefrom.
 ..steal not this book, my honest friend,
 For fear the galows be your end;
 And when you die the Lord will say
 Where is that book you stole aways"
 Thip couplet, the connection between the lines of which Is rather obscure, Is to be found in "many @ quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,"
 "Small Is the oven, black is the rock,
 Great is the sinner who steals this book" Scriptural mottos were also used by way of warning and exhortation, such as the following:
 "Go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yOuTboNcb
 'sThe wicked borroweth and payeth not again." Here is a legend which is comparatively gentle and yet sufficiently pointed:
 "Kind friends to whom ny master lends
 His choicest book
 When you have read, return at once
 To my own nook.
 fool may borrow me, but 'tis
 A gentleman returns"
 The next is very practical and sensible:
 sTf you borrow me to-day
 Treat me as a friend.
 Keep me by your own freside
 And to no other lend.
 Guard my leaves and keep them clean,
 Donot turn them down;
 With no pencil marks deface,
 Nor with thumb-marks brown"
 An eccentric phys!cian of the last cen- tury had label affixed to the cover of every book in his library, bearing this sentence: .-. "Stolen from the library of Dr."
 Looking over the collection of books one day in a country home, the only collection, by the way, in the little village, the writer discovered narrow strip of paper pasted along the edge of the middle shelf of the bookcase. The long line of writing upon 1t was found to read in this wise:
 "You may borrow only seventeen books at one time; tear the backs of, and never bring them home."
 As the writer of this bit of sarcasm was 6 refined and courteous Southern gentle man of the old school, it was easy to see that he must have been exasperated be- yond all endurance befors he would have written 1t for the reproof of his neighbors and friends.
 We do not now write such doggerel In our books, yet in spite of our advantages we continue to lose books and to retain those that do not belong to us. Why we cannot be thoughtful and honest where books are concerned (and even umbrsllss) it Is hard to see. Perhaps the only thing to do will be to positively forbid ourselves to borrow, and when We are tempted, in the kindness of our hearts, to lend we should warn ourselves of the possible con- sequences, and forego that pleasure. AS another motto found in an old book has It.:
 Mot that imparted knowledge doth Diminish learnipgs store,
 But books flud, if often lent Return to me no more." HILARY.