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the love affairs of a bibliomaniac(藏书癖者的爱情)-第27部分

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was jealous; that he was criminally intimate with his own sistersin short; 

there   was   no   crime;   however   revolting;   with        which   these   calumniators 

were not hasty to charge the emperor。 

     This same vindictive hatred was visited also upon all associated with 

Bonaparte in the conduct of affairs at that time。                Murat was ‘‘a brute and 

a thief''; Josephine; Hortense; Pauline; and Mme。 Letitia were courtesans; 

Berthier   was   a   shuffling;   time…serving   lackey   and   tool;   Augereau   was   a 

bastard;   a   spy;   a   robber;   and   a   murderer;   Fouche   was   the   incarnation   of 



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every vice; Lucien Bonaparte was a roue and a marplot; Cambaceres was a 

debauchee;   Lannes   was   a   thief;   brigand;   and   a   poisoner;   Talleyrand   and 

Barras   werewell;   what   evil   was   told   of   them   has   yet   to   be   disproved。 

But   you   would   gather   from   contemporaneous   English   publications   that 

Bonaparte      and    his  associates    were    veritable   fiends   from    hell  sent   to 

scourge civilization。       These books are so strangely curious that we find it 

hard    to  classify   them:    we   cannot    call  them   history;   and   they   are  too 

truculent to pass for humor; yet they occupy a distinct and important place 

among Napoleonana。 

     Until William Hazlitt's life of Bonaparte appeared we had no English 

treatment     of  Bonaparte      that  was    in  any   sense   fair;  and;  by   the   way; 

Hazlitt's work is the only one in English I know of which gives the will of 

Bonaparte; an exceedingly interesting document。 

     For a good many years I held the character of Napoleon in light esteem; 

for the reason that he had but small regard for books。               Recent revelations; 

however;   made   to   me   by   Dr。   O'Rell   (grandnephew   of   ‘‘Tom   Burke   of 

Ours''); have  served   to dissipate  that   prejudice;  and   I  question   not   that   I 

shall   duly  become   as   ardent   a   worshipper   of   the   Corsican   as   my   doctor 

himself is。     Dr。 O'Rell tells meand his declarations are corroborated by 

Frederic Masson and other authorities that Bonaparte was a lover and a 

collector of books; and that he contributed largely to the dignity and the 

glorification of literature by publishing a large number of volumes in the 

highest style of the art。 

     The one department of literature for which he seems to have had no 

liking was fiction。       Novels of all kinds he was in the habit of tossing into 

the fire。    He was a prodigious buyer of books; and those which he read 

were invariably stamped on the outer cover with the imperial arms; at St。 

Helena his library stamp was merely a seal upon which ink was smeared。 

     Napoleon cared   little  for  fine   bindings; yet   he   knew  their  value;  and 

whenever a presentation copy was to be bound he required that it be bound 

handsomely。        The   books   in   his   own   library   were   invariably   bound   ‘‘in 

calf of indifferent quality;'' and he was wont; while reading a book; to fill 

the margin with comments in pencil。             Wherever he went he took a library 

of books with him; and these volumes he had deprived of all superfluous 



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margin; so as to save weight and space。            Not infrequently when hampered 

by the rapid growth of this travelling library he would toss the ‘‘overflow'' 

of books out of his carriage window; and it was his custom (I shudder to 

record it!) to separate the leaves of pamphlets; magazines; and volumes by 

running his finger between them; thereby invariably tearing the pages in 

shocking wise。 

     In   the   arrangement   of   his   library   Napoleon   observed   that   exacting 

method      which    was    characteristic    of  him   in  other    employments       and 

avocations。      Each   book   had   its   particular   place   in   a   special   case;   and 

Napoleon knew his library so well that he could at any moment place his 

hand   upon   any   volume   he   desired。      The   libraries   at   his   palaces   he   had 

arranged exactly as the library at Malmaison was; and never was one book 

borrowed from one to serve in another。             It is narrated of him that if ever a 

volume was missing Napoleon would describe its size and the color of its 

binding to the librarian; and would point out the place where it might have 

been wrongly put and the case where it properly belonged。 

     If any one question the greatness of this man let him explain if he can 

why civilization's interest in Napoleon increases as time rolls on。                Why is 

it that we are curious to know all about himthat we have gratification in 

hearing tell of his minutest habits; his moods; his whims; his practices; his 

prejudices?      Why is it that even those who hated him and who denied his 

genius     have    felt   called   upon     to  record    in   ponderous      tomes    their 

reminiscences of him and his deeds?               Princes; generals; lords; courtiers; 

poets;    painters;   priests;  plebeiansall     have   vied    with    one   another   in 

answering   humanity's   demand   for   more   and   more   and   ever   more   about 

Napoleon Bonaparte。 

     I think that the supply will; like the demand; never be exhausted。                The 

women   of   the   court   have   supplied   us   with   their   memoirs;   so   have   the 

diplomats   of that period;   so   have the   wives   of   his   generals; so have   the 

Tom…Dick…and…Harry spectators of those kaleidoscopic scenes; so have his 

keepers in exile; so has his barber。         The chambermaids will be heard from 

in   good    time;   and   the  hostlers;   and   the  scullions。    Already     there   are 

rumors   that   we   are   soon   to   be   regaled   with   Memoirs   of   the   Emperor 

Napoleon by the Lady who knew the Tailor who Once Sewed a Button on 



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the Emperor's Coat; edited by her loving grandson; the Duc de Bunco。 

     Without doubt many of those who read these lines will live to see the 

time   when   memoirs   of   Napoleon   will   be   offered   by   ‘‘a   gentleman   who 

purchased   a   collection   of   Napoleon   spoons   in   1899'';   doubtless;   too;   the 

book     will   be   hailed   with    satisfaction;    for  this   Napoleonic      enthusiasm 

increases as time wears on。 

     Curious; is it not; that no calm; judicial study of this man's character 

and exploits is received with favor?              He who treats of the subject must be 

either  a hater or   an   adorer of   Napoleon;   his   blood   must   be hot   with   the 

enthusiasm of rage or of love。 

     To the human eye there appears in space a luminous sphere that in its 

appointed       path   goes    on   unceasingly。       The    wise    men     are  not   agreed 

whether this apparition is merely of gaseous composition or is a solid body 

supplied extraneously with heat and luminosity; inexhaustibly; some argue 

that   its   existence   will   be   limited   to   the   period   of   one   thousand;   or   five 

hundred thousand; or one million years; others declare that it will roll on 

until   the   end   of   time。  Perhaps   the   nature   of   that   luminous   sphere   will 

never   be   truly  known   to   mankind;   yet   with   calm  dignity  it   moves   in   its 

appointed   path   among   the   planets   and   the   stars   of   the   universe;   its   fires 

unabated; its luminosity undimmed。 

     Even so the great Corsican; scrutinized of all human eyes; passes along 

the   aisle   of   Time   enveloped   in   the   impenetrable   mystery   of   enthusiasm; 

genius; and splendor。 



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                                         XVIII 



                          MY WORKSHOP AND OTHERS 

        The women…folk are few up there;                      For 't were not fair; you 

know;       That they  our heavenly  bliss should share                     Who vex   us 

here    below!       The     few   are   those   who    have    been   kind              To 

husbands       such   as   we:       They     knew     our    fads   and   didn't    mind 

Says Dibdin's ghost to me。 

     It has never been explained to my satisfaction why women; as a class; 

are the enemies of books; and are particularly hostile to bibliomania。                 The 

except
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