it　is　the　interest　of　the　State　to　preserve。　　But　the　biblioklept　treasures　and　adorns　the　books　he　has　acquired；　and　when　he　dies；　or　goes　to　prison；　the　State　receives　the　benefit　at　his　sale。　　Thus　Libri；　who　was　the　greatest　of　biblioklepts；　rescued　many　of　the　books　he　stole　from　dirt　and　misuse；　and　had　them　bound　royally　in　purple　and　gold。　　Also；　it　may　be　argued　that　books　naturally　belong　to　him　who　can　appreciate　them；　and　if　good　books　are　in　a　dull　or　indifferent　man's　keeping；　this　is　the　sort　of　slavery　which　we　call　〃unnatural〃　in　our　POLITICS；　and　which　is　not　to　be　endured。　　Shall　we　say；　then；　that　the　Robustious　Philistine　is　the　worse　citizen；　while　the　Biblioklept　is　the　worse　man？　　But　this　is　perhaps　matter　for　a　separate　disquisition。〃
  This　fragment　of　the　lost　Aristotelian　treatise　〃Concerning　Books；〃　shows　what　a　difficulty　the　Stagirite　had　in　determining　the　precise　nature　of　the　moral　offence　of　the　biblioklept。　　Indeed；　both　as　a　collector　and　as　an　intuitive　moralist；　Aristotle　must　have　found　it　rather　difficult　to　condemn　the　book…thief。　　He；　doubtless；　went　on　to　draw　distinctions　between　the　man　who　steals　books　to　sell　them　again　for　mere　pecuniary　profit　（which　he　would　call　〃chrematistic；〃　or　〃unnatural；〃　book…stealing）；　and　the　man　who　steals　them　because　he　feels　that　he　is　their　proper　and　natural　possessor。　　The　same　distinction　is　taken　by　Jules　Janin；　who　was　a　more　constant　student　of　Horace　than　of　Aristotle。　　In　his　imaginary　dialogue　of　bibliophiles；　Janin　introduces　a　character　who　announces　the　death　of　M。　Libri。　　The　tolerant　person　who　brings　the　sad　news　proposes　〃to　cast　a　few　flowers　on　the　melancholy　tomb。　　He　was　a　bibliophile；　after　all。　　What　do　you　say　to　it？　　Many　a　good　fellow　has　stolen　books；　and　died　in　grace　at　the　last。〃　　〃Yes；〃　replies　the　president　of　the　club；　〃but　the　good　fellows　did　not　sell　the　books　they　stole　。　。　。　Cest　une　grande　honte；　une　grande　misere。〃　This　Libri　was　an　Inspector…General　of　French　Libraries　under　Louis　Philippe。　　When　he　was　tried；　in　1848；　it　was　calculated　that　the　sum　of　his　known　thefts　amounted　to　20；000　pounds。　　Many　of　his　robberies　escaped　notice　at　the　time。　　It　is　not　long　since　Lord　Ashburnham；　according　to　a　French　journal；　〃Le　Livre；〃　found　in　his　collection　some　fragments　of　a　Pentateuch。　　These　relics　had　been　in　the　possession　of　the　Lyons　Library；　whence　Libri　stole　them　in　1847。　　The　late　Lord　Ashburnham　bought　them；　without　the　faintest　idea　of　Libri's　dishonesty；　and　when；　after　eleven　years；　the　present　peer　discovered　the　proper　owners　of　his　treasure；　he　immediately　restored　the　Pentateuch　to　the　Lyons　Library。
  Many　eminent　characters　have　been　biblioklepts。　　When　Innocent　X。　was　still　Monsignor　Pamphilio；　he　stole　a　bookso　says　Tallemant　des　Reauxfrom　Du　Monstier；　the　painter。　　The　amusing　thing　is　that　Du　Monstier　himself　was　a　book…thief。　　He　used　to　tell　how　he　had　lifted　a　book；　of　which　he　had　long　been　in　search；　from　a　stall　on　the　Pont…Neuf；　〃but；〃　says　Tallemant　（whom　Janin　does　not　seem　to　have　consulted）；　〃there　are　many　people　who　don't　think　it　thieving　to　steal　a　book　unless　you　sell　it　afterwards。〃　　But　Du　Monstier　took　a　less　liberal　view　where　his　own　books　were　concerned。　　The　Cardinal　Barberini　came　to　Paris　as　legate；　and　brought　in　his　suite　Monsignor　Pamphilio；　who　afterwards　became　Innocent　X。　　The　Cardinal　paid　a　visit　to　Du　Monstier　in　his　studio；　where　Monsignor　Pamphilio　spied；　on　a　table；　〃L'Histoire　du　Concile　de　Trent〃the　good　edition；　the　London　one。　　〃What　a　pity；〃　thought　the　young　ecclesiastic；　〃that　such　a　man　should　be；　by　some　accident；　the　possessor　of　so　valuable　a　book。〃　　With　these　sentiments　Monsignor　Pamphilio　slipped　the　work　under　his　soutane。　　But　little　Du　Monstier　observed　him；　and　said　furiously　to　the　Cardinal；　that　a　holy　man　should　not　bring　thieves　and　robbers　in　his　company。　　With　these　words；　and　with　others　of　a　violent　and　libellous　character；　he　recovered　the　〃History　of　the　Council　of　Trent；〃　and　kicked　out　the　future　Pope。　　Amelot　de　la　Houssaie　traces　to　this　incident　the　hatred　borne　by　Innocent　X。　to　the　Crown　and　the　people　of　France。　Another　Pope；　while　only　a　cardinal；　stole　a　book　from　Menageso　M。　Janin　reportsbut　we　have　not　been　able　to　discover　Menage's　own　account　of　the　larceny。　　The　anecdotist　is　not　so　truthful　that　cardinals　need　flush　a　deeper　scarlet；　like　the　roses　in　Bion's　〃Lament　for　Adonis；〃　on　account　of　a　scandal　resting　on　the　authority　of　Menage。　　Among　Royal　persons；　Catherine　de　Medici；　according　to　Brantome；　was　a　biblioklept。　　〃The　Marshal　Strozzi　had　a　very　fine　library；　and　after　his　death　the　Queen…Mother　seized　it；　promising　some　day　to　pay　the　value　to　his　son；　who　never　got　a　farthing　of　the　money。〃　　The　Ptolemies；　too；　were　thieves　on　a　large　scale。　　A　department　of　the　Alexandrian　Library　was　called　〃The　Books　from　the　Ships；〃　and　was　filled　with　rare　volumes　stolen　from　passengers　in　vessels　that　touched　at　the　port。　　True；　the　owners　were　given　copies　of　their　ancient　MSS。；　but　the　exchange；　as　Aristotle　says；　was　an　〃involuntary〃　one；　and　not　distinct　from　robbery。
  The　great　pattern　of　biblioklepts；　a　man　who　carried　his　passion　to　the　most　regrettable　excesses；　was　a　Spanish　priest；　Don　Vincente；　of　the　convent　of　Pobla；　in　Aragon。　　When　the　Spanish　revolution　despoiled　the　convent　libraries；　Don　Vincente　established　himself　at　Barcelona；　under　the　pillars　of　Los　Encantes；　where　are　the　stalls　of　the　merchants　of　bric…a…brac　and　the　seats　of　them　that　sell　books。　　In　a　gloomy　den　the　Don　stored　up　treasures　which　he　hated　to　sell。　　Once　he　was　present　at　an　auction　where　he　was　out…bid　in　the　competition　for　a　rare；　perhaps　a　unique；　volume。　　Three　nights　after　that；　the　people　of　Barcelona　were　awakened　by　cries　of　〃Fire！〃　　The　house　and　shop　of　the　man　who　had　bought　〃Ordinacions　per　los　gloriosos　reys　de　Arago〃　were　blazing。　　When　the　fire　was　extinguished；　the　body　of　the　owner　of　the　house　was　found；　with　a　pipe　in　his　blackened　hand；　and　some　money　beside　him。　　Every　one　said；　〃He　must　have　set　the　house　on　fire　with　a　spark　from　his　pipe。〃　　Time　went　on；　and　week　by　week　the　police　found　the　bodies　of　slain　men；　now　in　the　street；　now　in　a　ditch；　now　in　the　river。　There　were　young　men　and　old；　all　had　been　harmless　and　inoffensive　in　their　lives；　andall　had　been　bibliophiles。　　A　dagger　in　an　invisible　hand　had　reached　their　hearts　but　the　assassin　had　spared　their　purses；　money；　and　rings。　　An　organised　search　was　made　in　the　city；　and　the　shop　of　Don　Vincente　was　examined。　　There；　in　a　hidden　recess；　the　police　discovered　the　copy　of　〃Ordinacions　per　los　gloriosis　reys　de　Arago；〃　which　ought　by　rights　to　have　been　burned　with　the　house　of　its　purchaser。　　Don　Vincente　was　asked　how　he　got　the　book。　　He　replied　in　a　quiet　voice；　demanded　that　his　collection　should　be　made　over　to　the　Barcelona　Library；　and　then　confessed　a　long　array　of　crimes。　　He　had　strangled　his　rival；　stolen　the　〃Ordinacions；〃　and　burned　the　house。　　The　slain　men　were　people　who　had　bought　from　him　books　which　he　really　could　not　bear　to　part　with。　　At　his　trial　his　counsel　tried　to　prove　that　his　confession　was　false；　and　that　he　might　have　got　his　books　by　honest　means。　　It　was　objected　that　there　was　in　the　world　only　one　book　printed　by　Lambert　Palmart　in　1482；　and　that　the　prisoner　must　have　stolen　this；　the　only　copy；　from　the　library　where　it　was　treasured。　　The　defendant's　counsel　proved　that　there　was　another　copy　in　the　Louvre；　that；　therefore；　there　might　be　more；　and　that　the　defendant's　might　have　been　honestly　procured。　　Here　Don　Vincente；　previously　callous；　uttered　an　hysterical　cry。　　Said　the　Alcalde：…　〃At　last；　Vincente；　you　begin　to　understand　the　enormity　of　your　offence？〃　　〃Ah；　Senor　Alcalde；　my　error　was　clumsy　indeed。　　If　you　only　knew　how　miserable　I　am！〃　　〃If　human　justice　prove　inflexible；　there　is　another　justice　whose　pity　is　inexhaustible。　　Repentance　is　never　too　late。〃　　〃Ah；　Senor　Alcalde；　but　my　copy　was　not　unique！〃　With　the　story　of　this　impenitent　thief　we　may　close　the　roll　of　biblioklepts；　though　Dibdin　pretends　that　Garrick　was　of　the　company；　and　stole　Alleyne's　books　at　Dulwich。
  There　is　a　thievish　nature　more　hateful　than　even　the　biblioklept。　The　Book…Ghoul　is　he　who　combines　the　larceny　of　the　biblioklept　with　the　abominable　wickedness　of　breaking　up　and　mutilating　the　volumes　from　which　he　steals。　　He　is　a　collector　of　title…pages；　frontispieces；　illustrations；　and　book…plates。　　He　prowls　furtively　among　public　and　private　libraries；　inserting　wetted　threads；　which　slowly　eat　away　the　illustrations　he　covets；　and　he　broods；　like　the　obscene　demon　of　Arabian　superstitions；　over　the　fragments　of　the　mighty　dead。　　His　disgusting　tastes　vary。　　He　prepares　books　for　the　American　market。　　Christmas　books　are　sold　in　the　States　stuffed　with　pictures　cut　out　of　honest　volumes。　　Here　is　a　quotation　from　an　American　paper：…
  〃Another　style　of　Christmas　book　which　deserves　to　be　mentioned；　though　it　is　out　of　the　reach　of　any　but　the　very　rich；　is　the　historical　or　literary　work　enriched　with　inserted　plates。　　There　has　never；　to　our　knowledge；　been　anything　offered　in　America　so　supremely　exc