Books with skull
Brown Books of mine, who never yetHave caused me anguish or regret,—Save when some fiend in human shapeHas set your tender sides agape,Or soiled with some unmanly smearThe whiteness of your page sincere,Or scored you with some phrase inane,The bantling of his idle brain,—I love you: and because must endThis commerce between friend and friend,I do beseech each kindly fate—To each and all I supplicate—That you whom I have loved so longMay not be vended "for a song,"—That you, my dear desire and care,May 'scape the common thoroughfare,The dust, the eating rain, and allThe shame and squalor of the stall.Rather I trust your lot may touchSome Crœsus—if there should be such—To buy you, and that you may soFrom Crœsus unto Crœsus goTill that inevitable dayWhen comes your moment of decay.This, more than other good, I pray.
Brown Books of mine, who never yetHave caused me anguish or regret,—Save when some fiend in human shapeHas set your tender sides agape,Or soiled with some unmanly smearThe whiteness of your page sincere,Or scored you with some phrase inane,The bantling of his idle brain,—I love you: and because must endThis commerce between friend and friend,I do beseech each kindly fate—To each and all I supplicate—That you whom I have loved so longMay not be vended "for a song,"—That you, my dear desire and care,May 'scape the common thoroughfare,The dust, the eating rain, and allThe shame and squalor of the stall.Rather I trust your lot may touchSome Crœsus—if there should be such—To buy you, and that you may soFrom Crœsus unto Crœsus goTill that inevitable dayWhen comes your moment of decay.
This, more than other good, I pray.
Austin Dobson.
Books with skull
Footnotes for Table of Contents:
[1]The poems thus marked were written or translated for the present collection.
[1]The poems thus marked were written or translated for the present collection.
Footnotes for "The Bibliomania":
[2]Sages, Count Hamilton, in the 'Quatre Facardins,' and Mr. M. Lewis, in his 'Tales of Romance.'
[2]Sages, Count Hamilton, in the 'Quatre Facardins,' and Mr. M. Lewis, in his 'Tales of Romance.'
[3]See the 'Opulentia Sordida,' in his 'Colloquies,' where he complains feelingly of the spare Venetian diet.
[3]See the 'Opulentia Sordida,' in his 'Colloquies,' where he complains feelingly of the spare Venetian diet.
[4]It may be said that Quintilian recommends margins; but it is with a view to their being occasionally occupied: Debet vacare etiam locus, in quo notentur quæ scribentibus solent extra ordinem, id est ex aliis quam qui sunt in manibus loci, occurrere. Irrumpunt enim optimi nonnunquam Sensus, quos neque inserere oportet, neque differre tutum est. 'Instit.' lib. x. c. 3.He was therefore noMargin-man, in the modern sense.
[4]It may be said that Quintilian recommends margins; but it is with a view to their being occasionally occupied: Debet vacare etiam locus, in quo notentur quæ scribentibus solent extra ordinem, id est ex aliis quam qui sunt in manibus loci, occurrere. Irrumpunt enim optimi nonnunquam Sensus, quos neque inserere oportet, neque differre tutum est. 'Instit.' lib. x. c. 3.He was therefore noMargin-man, in the modern sense.
[5]Fletcher.A translator of Martial. A very bad Poet, butexceedingly scarce.
[5]Fletcher.A translator of Martial. A very bad Poet, butexceedingly scarce.
[6]Only the actions of the justSmell sweet, and blossom in the dust.Shirley.Perhaps Shirley had in view this passage of Persius,—Nunc non é tumulo, fortunataque favillaNascentur Violæ?'Sat.' i. l. 37.
Only the actions of the justSmell sweet, and blossom in the dust.Shirley.
Only the actions of the justSmell sweet, and blossom in the dust.Shirley.
Nunc non é tumulo, fortunataque favillaNascentur Violæ?'Sat.' i. l. 37.
Nunc non é tumulo, fortunataque favillaNascentur Violæ?'Sat.' i. l. 37.
[7]'Faërie Queene.'
[7]'Faërie Queene.'
[8]Aristophanes.
[8]Aristophanes.
[9]See his exquisite hymn to the Nightingale in hisOrnithes.
[9]See his exquisite hymn to the Nightingale in hisOrnithes.
[10]Gray.
[10]Gray.
[11]The fire of London.
[11]The fire of London.
[12]Cloud-compelling Jove.—Pope's 'Iliad.'
[12]Cloud-compelling Jove.—Pope's 'Iliad.'
[13]. . . gaudent prænomine mollesAuriculæ.Juvenal.
. . . gaudent prænomine mollesAuriculæ.Juvenal.
. . . gaudent prænomine mollesAuriculæ.Juvenal.
[14]The gallant Veres and one-eyed Ogle.Three fine heads, for the sake of which, the beautiful and interesting 'Commentaries' of Sir Francis Veres have been mutilated by the Collectors of English portraits.
[14]The gallant Veres and one-eyed Ogle.Three fine heads, for the sake of which, the beautiful and interesting 'Commentaries' of Sir Francis Veres have been mutilated by the Collectors of English portraits.
[15]Generally known by the name of James Nicius Erythræus. The allusion is to his 'Pinacotheca.'
[15]Generally known by the name of James Nicius Erythræus. The allusion is to his 'Pinacotheca.'
[16]'Les Serées de Gillaume Bouchet,' a book of uncommon rarity. I possess a handsome copy by the kindness of Colonel Stanley.
[16]'Les Serées de Gillaume Bouchet,' a book of uncommon rarity. I possess a handsome copy by the kindness of Colonel Stanley.
[17]'Les Regrets,' by Joachim du Bellay, contain a most amusing and instructive account of Rome in the sixteenth century.
[17]'Les Regrets,' by Joachim du Bellay, contain a most amusing and instructive account of Rome in the sixteenth century.
[18]'Pasquillorum Tomi duo.'
[18]'Pasquillorum Tomi duo.'
[19]Errare per lucos, æmænæ,Quos et aquæ subeunt et auræ.Horat.
Errare per lucos, æmænæ,Quos et aquæ subeunt et auræ.Horat.
Errare per lucos, æmænæ,Quos et aquæ subeunt et auræ.Horat.
Footnotes for "The Rowfant Library":
[20]During the General Election, November, 1885.
[20]During the General Election, November, 1885.
Footnotes for "Ghosts in the Library":
[21]'Histoire des Intrigues Amoureuses de Molière et de celles de sa femme. (A la Sphère.) A Francfort, chez Frédéric Arnaud,MDCXCVII.' This anonymous tract has actually been attributed, among others, to Racine. The copy referred to is marked with a large N in red, with an eagle's head.
[21]'Histoire des Intrigues Amoureuses de Molière et de celles de sa femme. (A la Sphère.) A Francfort, chez Frédéric Arnaud,MDCXCVII.' This anonymous tract has actually been attributed, among others, to Racine. The copy referred to is marked with a large N in red, with an eagle's head.
[22]'The Lady of the Lake,' 1810.'The Lay of the Last Minstrel,' 1806."To Mrs. Robert Laidlaw. Peel. From the Author."
[22]'The Lady of the Lake,' 1810.'The Lay of the Last Minstrel,' 1806."To Mrs. Robert Laidlaw. Peel. From the Author."
[23]'Dictys Cretensis.' Apud Lambertum Roulland. Lut. Paris. 1680. In red morocco, with the arms of Colbert.
[23]'Dictys Cretensis.' Apud Lambertum Roulland. Lut. Paris. 1680. In red morocco, with the arms of Colbert.
[24]'L. Annæi Senecæ Opera Omnia.' Lug. Bat., apud Elzevirios. 1649. With book-plate of the Duke of Sussex.
[24]'L. Annæi Senecæ Opera Omnia.' Lug. Bat., apud Elzevirios. 1649. With book-plate of the Duke of Sussex.
[25]'Stratonis Epigrammata.' Altenburgi, 1764. Straton bound up in one volume with Epictetus! From the Beckford library.
[25]'Stratonis Epigrammata.' Altenburgi, 1764. Straton bound up in one volume with Epictetus! From the Beckford library.
[26]'Opera Helii Eobani Hessi.' Yellow morocco, with the first arms of De Thou. Include a poem addressed "Lange,decus meum." Quantity of penultimate "Eobanus" taken for granted,metri gratiâ.
[26]'Opera Helii Eobani Hessi.' Yellow morocco, with the first arms of De Thou. Include a poem addressed "Lange,decus meum." Quantity of penultimate "Eobanus" taken for granted,metri gratiâ.
[27]'La Journée du Chrétien.' Coutances, 1831. With inscription, "Léon Gambetta. Rue St. Honoré. Janvier 1, 1848."
[27]'La Journée du Chrétien.' Coutances, 1831. With inscription, "Léon Gambetta. Rue St. Honoré. Janvier 1, 1848."
[28]Villoison's 'Homer.' Venice, 1788. With Tessier's ticket and Schlegel's book-plate.
[28]Villoison's 'Homer.' Venice, 1788. With Tessier's ticket and Schlegel's book-plate.
[29]'Les Essais de Michel.' Seigneur de Montaigne. "Pour François le Febvre de Lyon, 1695." With autograph of Gul. Drummond, andcipresso e palma.
[29]'Les Essais de Michel.' Seigneur de Montaigne. "Pour François le Febvre de Lyon, 1695." With autograph of Gul. Drummond, andcipresso e palma.
[30]"The little old foxed Molière," once the property of William Pott, unknown to fame.
[30]"The little old foxed Molière," once the property of William Pott, unknown to fame.
Footnotes for "The Souls of Books":
[31]'Comus.'
[31]'Comus.'
[32]'Gulliver's Travels.'
[32]'Gulliver's Travels.'
[33]Plut. in 'Vit. Cim.'
[33]Plut. in 'Vit. Cim.'