e bibliomania to be "a passion for
possessing books; not so much to be instructed by them, as to gratify
the eye by looking on them." This subject has amused the pens of
foreigners; although we have had nothing in our own language, written
expressly upon it, 'till the ingenious and elegantly-composed poem of
Dr. Ferriar appeared; after which, as you well know, our friend put
forth his whimsical brochure.[428]

[Footnote 427: "LA BIRLIOMANIE [Transcriber's Note:
BIBLIOMANIE] est la fureur de posseder des livres, non pas
tant pour s'instruire, que pour les avoir et pour en
repaitre sa vue. Le bibliomane ne connait ordinairement les
livres que par leur titre, leur frontispice, et leur date;
il s'attache aux bonnes editiones et les poursuit a quelque
titre que ce soit; la relieure le seduit aussi, soit par son
anciennete, soit par sa beaute," &c. _Dictionnaire de
Bibliologie_. vol. i. p. 51. This is sufficiently severe:
see also the extracts from the _Memoires de l'Institut_: p.
25, ante. The more ancient foreign writers have not scrupled
to call the BIBLIOMANIA by every caustic and merciless
terms: thus speaks the hard-hearted Geyler: "Tertia nola
est, multos libros coacervare propter animi voluptatem
curiosam. Fastidientis stomachi est multa degustare, ait
Seneca. Isti per multos libros vagant legentes assidue:
nimirum similles fatuis illis, qui in urbe cicumeunt domos
singulas, et earum picturas dissutis malis contuentur:
sicque curiositate trahuntur, &c. Contenti in hac animi
voluptate, quam pascunt per volumina varia devagando et
liguriendo. Itaque gaudent hic de larga librorum copia,
operosa utique sed delectabilis sarcina, et animi jucunda
distractio: imo est haec ingens librorum copia ingens simul
et laboris copia, et quietis inopia--huc illucque circum
agendum ingenium: his atque illis pregravanda
memoria."--_Navicula sive Saeculum Fatuorum_, 1511, 4to. sign
B. iiij rev. Thus speaks Sebastian Brandt upon the subject,
through the medium of our old translation:

Styll am I besy bokes assemblynge
For to have plenty it is a pleasaunte thynge
In my conceyt, and to have them ay in honde;
But what they mene do I nat understonde.

_Shyp of Folys_: see p. 206, ante.

There is a short, but smart and interesting, article on thi