第5部分(第5/7 頁)

　when　I　thought　of　Gibbon　in　avoirdupois。　Twice……three　times；　reckoning　the　walk　for　the　money……did　I　descend　Euston　Road　and　climb　Pentonville　on　that　occasion。　Of　the　season　and　the　weather　I　have　no　recollection；　my　joy　in　the　purchase　I　had　made　drove　out　every　other　thought。　Except；　indeed；　of　the　weight。　I　had　infinite　energy；　but　not　much　muscular　strength；　and　the　end　of　the　last　journey　saw　me　upon　a　chair；　perspiring；　flaccid；　aching……exultant！

The　well…to…do　person　would　hear　this　story　with　astonishment。　Why　did　I　not　get　the　bookseller　to　send　me　the　volumes？　Or；　if　I　could　not　wait；　was　there　no　omnibus　along　that　London　highway？　How　could　I　make　the　well…to…do　person　understand　that　I　did　not　feel　able　to　afford；　that　day；　one　penny　more　than　I　had　spent　on　the　book？　No；　no；　such　labour…saving　expenditure　did　not　e　within　my　scope；　whatever　I　enjoyed　I　earned　it；　literally；　by　the　sweat　of　my　brow。　In　those　days　I　hardly　knew　what　it　was　to　travel　by　omnibus。　I　have　walked　London　streets　for　twelve　and　fifteen　hours　together　without　ever　a　thought　of　saving　my　legs；　or　my　time；　by　paying　for　waftage。　Being　poor　as　poor　can　be；　there　were　certain　things　I　had　to　renounce；　and　this　was　one　of　them。

Years　after；　I　sold　my　first　edition　of　Gibbon　for　even　less　than　it　cost　me；　it　went　with　a　great　many　other　fine　books　in　folio　and　quarto；　which　I　could　not　drag　about　with　me　in　my　constant　removals；　the　man　who　bought　them　spoke　of　them　as　〃tomb…stones。〃　Why　has　Gibbon　no　market　value？　Often　has　my　heart　ached　with　regret　for　those　quartos。　The　joy　of　reading　the　Decline　and　Fall　in　that　fine　type！　The　page　was　appropriate　to　the　dignity　of　the　subject；　the　mere　sight　of　it　tuned　one's　mind。　I　suppose　I　could　easily　get　another　copy　now；　but　it