New-York tribune., 1907-08-11
THE BOOK BORROUER.
Hozc Collectors Haze CrcumUcntCd
Wicked Type.
From The Dundee Advertiser.


The book borrower is the sworn foe OF tho
book collector. and many stories are told OF the
plans adopted by the latter to defend his treas
ures from the assaults OF the borrower ES-
pecialy is the collector opposed to the unfeellng
wretch who borrOWs volume out of a series
and forgets to return 1t. This of Cole
ridges weaknesses, and was SO pronounced that
Lamb described him "a maker Of odd vol
umes" The late J. Whtefoord Mackenzie,
well known collector. once told the present writer
that when any one asked him for the loan of a
single volume out of set he always replied that
he would rather lend him the whole ten, fifteen
or twenty volumes Of the series than have them
left odd volumes on his hands William Rob
erts. the renowned bibHophile, tells in The Book
Hunter in London" that the book plate of GER
tain French collector bore this text from the
parable of the Ten Virgins: go rather 10 them
that sell and buy for yourselves sir said
man Of wit TO al acquaintance who lamcnted
the difficulty which he found in persuadInS his
friends TO return the volumes that he had lcnt
them "sir. your aCquaintances find. suppose.
that 1t is much more easy TO retain the books
themselves than what is contained in them"
An ingenious plan to limit BOOK borrowing is
certain cunning book collector he had the price
written in plain figures; when any ore asked
him for the loan of a book he invariably re
Piled: Yes with pleasure" and. looking in the
volume, further added, 81 the price of this
work is G2 us Cd" COR whatever ii might hap
pen TO be-: "you may take IL at this figure, which
Will, Of course. be refunded when the volume IS
returned" Sir Walter Scotts plan was inGeni-
Gus. When he lent book from his library he
put in its place wooden block bearing the name
Of the borrower and the date of the loan Many
the anathemaS leVelIed by collectors against
those who would borrow steal their volumes
Sometimes these were macaronic rhymes written
by students. for example. the following which
inscribed upon q Latin book used in Aber-
deem University:
81 qusquis furetgr
This little IIbeluT
Pr En- iaa,Pfm; KIM bin;LT1 PfI feIi Hqyfm him;
In ventrcm Ills
I'll stick my scalpellum.
And teach him steal
Ny little L4bellum-
IN OF a famous Glasgow COIleCfH
there was recently the copy of SCOTS Min
strelsy OF the Scottish Border which belonged
at one time 10 William MOthCrweu. and in which
the poet had inscribed the following verse:
William Motherwen says the work is his
Who shall gainsay him?
He that dares do II
May the mekle dell fay him.
Even more violent denunciatons were written
against the book seaIer IN the sixteenth century,
when books were more precious than now Yet
even the modern poet finds il needful 20 an
athe.natiZe politely:
To the lost books my fancy clings.
Ocr them my memory grovCls,
7 in spirit when see
The gaps among the novels.
The Thackeray loved and lost
mourn with sorrow tender.
Whoever has il also has
The curses Of the lender.
The lady Bessie Craigmylc) who wrote these
lines expresses her gratitude foT the fact thar
mo borrows poets; though that is not tho
opinion Of Charles SayIe. who thus threatens the
possible thief Of The Marriage OF Cupid and
Psyche:
Cursed he ne who rohs Of this book,
With all his race. Let il be dcsoiate
And brought allow if be il Creat.
For that he wickedly. imT ously took -,
That was another's Let great sc-pents look
At him a-seepinE. with dull eyes g Itai1,
And let him waking. be conp' He'd o. Fi'',
To cast his within the nearest hook
This is as comprehensive curse as that which
overlook the fated '.Jackdaw OF Rheims ana
Intellectual