Books Fatal to Their Authors | Page 2

fate, were
those who amid the mists of error saw the light of Truth, and strove to
tell men of her graces and perfections. The vulgar crowd heeded not
the message, and despised the messengers. They could see no
difference between the philosopher's robe and the fool's motley, the
Saint's glory and Satan's hoof. But with eager eyes and beating hearts
the toilers after Truth worked on.
"How many with sad faith have sought her? How many with crossed
hands have sighed for her? How many with brave hearts fought for her,
At life's dear peril wrought for her, So loved her that they died for her,
Tasting the raptured fleetness Of her Divine completeness?"
In honour of these scholars of an elder age, little understood by their
fellows, who caused them to suffer for the sake of the Truth they loved,
we doff our caps, whether they jingle or not, as you please; and if thou
thinkest, good reader, that 'twere folly to lose a life for such a cause,
the bells will match the rest of thy garb. The learning, too, of the
censors and critics was often indeed remarkable. They condemned a
recondite treatise on Trigonometry, because they imagined it contained
heretical opinions concerning the doctrine of the Trinity; and another
work which was devoted to the study of Insects was prohibited, because
they concluded that it was a secret attack upon the Jesuits. Well might
poor Galileo exclaim, "And are these then my judges?" Stossius, who
wrote a goodly book with the title "Concordia rationis et fidei," which
was duly honoured by being burnt at Berlin, thus addresses his
slaughtered offspring, and speculates on the reason of its
condemnation: "Ad librum a ministerio damnatum.
"Q. Parve liber, quid enim peccasti, dente sinistro. Quod te discerptum
turba sacrata velit? R. Invisum dixi verum, propter quod et olim, Vel
dominum letho turba sacrata dedit."
But think not, O Book-lover, that I am about to record all the race of
fools who have made themselves uncomfortable through their insane

love of writing, nor count all the books which have become instruments
of accusation against their authors. That library would be a large one
which contained all such volumes. I may only write to thee of some of
them now, and if thou shouldest require more, some other time I may
tell thee of them. Perhaps in a corner of thy book-shelves thou wilt
collect a store of Fatal Books, many of which are rare and hard to find.
Know, too, that I have derived some of the titles of works herein
recorded from a singular and rare work of M. John Christianus Klotz,
published in Latin at Leipsic, in the year 1751. To these I have added
many others. The Biographical Dictionary of Bayle is a mine from
which I have often quarried, and discovered there many rare treasures.
Our own learned literary historian, Mr. Isaac Disraeli, has recorded
the woes of many of our English writers in his book entitled "The
Calamities of Authors" and also in his "Curiosities of Literature."
From these works I have derived some information. There is a work by
Menkenius, "Analecta de Calamitate Literatorum"; another by Pierius
Valerianus, "De Infelicitate Literatorum"; another by Spizelius, "Infelix
Literatus"; and last but not least Peignot's "Dictionnaire Critique,
Littéraire et Bibliographique, des Livres condamnés au Feu" which
will furnish thee with further information concerning the woes of
authors, if thine appetite be not already sated.
And if there be any of Folly's crowd who read this book--of those, I
mean, who work and toil by light of midnight lamp, weaving from their
brains page upon page of lore and learning, wearing their lives out, all
for the sake of an ungrateful public, which cares little for their labour
and scarcely stops to thank the toiler for his pains--if there be any of
you who read these pages, it will be as pleasant to you to feel safe and
free from the stern critics' modes of former days, as it is to watch the
storms and tempests of the sea from the secure retreat of your study
chair.
And if at any time a cross-grained reviewer should treat thy cherished
book with scorn, and presume to ridicule thy sentiment and scoff at thy
style (which Heaven forfend!), console thyself that thou livest in
peaceable and enlightened times, and needest fear that no greater evil
can befall thee on account of thy folly in writing than the lash of his

satire and the bitterness of his caustic pen. After the manner of thy race
thou wilt tempt Fortune again. May'st thou proceed and prosper! Vale.
I desire to express my many thanks to the Rev. Arthur Carr, M.A., late
Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, for his kind assistance in revising the