A Curse on Book Thieves

For him that stealeth a book from this library,

let it change into a serpent in his

hand and rend him. Let him be struck by

palsy and all his members blasted. Let him

languish in pain, crying aloud for mercy

and let there be no surcease to his agony

till he sink to dissolution. Let bookworms

gnaw his entrails in token of the Worm

that dieth not and when at last he goeth

to his Final Punishment, let the

flames of Hell consume him

forever and aye.

Edmund Pearson, Old Librarian’s Almanack, 1909