I wrote to the custodian of it, and asked him
kindly to do the search for me, and if he was unable to read the names
to get some one who understood the writing of that date to decipher the
entries for me. I did not have a reply for a fortnight, but one morning
the postman brought me a very large unregistered book-packet, which I
found to be the original Parish Registers! He, however, addressed a note
with it stating that he thought it best to send me the document itself to
look at, and begged me to be good enough to return the Register to him as
soon as done with. He evidently wished to serve me--his ignorance of
responsibility without doubt proving his kindly disposition, and on that
account alone I forbear to name him; but I can assure you I was heartily
glad to have a letter from him in due time announcing that the precious
documents were once more locked up in the parish chest. Certainly, I
think such as he to be `Enemies of books.' Don't you?"
Bigotry has also many sins to answer for. The late M. Muller,
of Amsterdam, a bookseller of European fame, wrote to me as follows
a few weeks before his death:--
"Of course, we also, in Holland, have many Enemies of books, and if I
were happy enough to have your spirit and style I would try and write a
companion volume to yours.
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