A precious－mouldering pleasure－'tis－1
To meet an Antique Book－
In just the Dress his Century wore－
A privilege－I think－
His venerable Hand to take－5
And warming in our own－
A passage back－or two－to make－
To Times when he－was young－
His quaint opinions－to inspect－9
His thought to ascertain
On Themes concern our mutual mind－
The Literature of Man－
What interested Scholars－most－13
What Competitions ran－
When Plato－was a Certainty－
And Sophocles－a Man－
When Sappho－was a living Girl－17
And Beatrice wore
The Gown that Dante－deified－
Facts Centuries before
He traverses－familiar－21
As One should come to Town－
And tell you all your Dreams－were true－
He lived－where Dreams were born－
His presence is Enchantment－25
You beg him not to go－
Old Volumes shake their Vellum Heads
And tantalize－just so－
To meet an Antique Book－
In just the Dress his Century wore－
A privilege－I think－
His venerable Hand to take－5
And warming in our own－
A passage back－or two－to make－
To Times when he－was young－
His quaint opinions－to inspect－9
His thought to ascertain
On Themes concern our mutual mind－
The Literature of Man－
What interested Scholars－most－13
What Competitions ran－
When Plato－was a Certainty－
And Sophocles－a Man－
When Sappho－was a living Girl－17
And Beatrice wore
The Gown that Dante－deified－
Facts Centuries before
He traverses－familiar－21
As One should come to Town－
And tell you all your Dreams－were true－
He lived－where Dreams were born－
His presence is Enchantment－25
You beg him not to go－
Old Volumes shake their Vellum Heads
And tantalize－just so－
(F.569/J.371)
[2] To meet an Antique Book:: to meet a travelling bookseller.
[5] His, Hand:: the man's hand, not the book.
[24] He lived, Dreams were born:: the bookseller lived in the publishing world.
[26, 27] him, Volumes:: singular him and plural volumes, a hint for bookseller and his books.
From my earliest knowledge of him he was a travelling bookseller for Mr. Matthew Carey, of Philadelphia, visiting all the states south of Pennsylvania, and perhaps some north of it, in a little wagon, with his fiddle as a constant companion to amuse himself and others. ─ Littell's Living Age (1857)