all the
great repositories of unpublished manuscripts, and the most valuable
and interesting of them were selected for publication. These
publications became so enormously valuable that it stimulated a desire
on the part of others to join the Society, and particularly, some of
the nobility of France and Germany. It was decided to increase the
membership to three hundred, and to take in a few members from France,
Germany, Italy, and Russia. The Society thrived for about a thousand
years [this is either a stenographic error, or else he meant to say a
hundred]; then there was a period of inactivity, and later on it was
revived again, and the membership limit increased to five hundred.
Last year we obtained permission to again increase the membership by
taking in three hundred prominent people in America. I am over here to
arrange for three vice-presidents,--two for the East and one for the
West. I have a special commission to ask you to become one of the
honorary vice-presidents and to offer you a life membership for less
than half the regular fee, viz., $225.00; the usual fee for life
membership is $500.00, but you get it for $225.00 on account of acting
as our honorary vice-president for this territory. Of course you would
have no regular duties to perform. You would sign all the membership
certificates in your district, and in case of the death of any member,
you would have the privilege of naming his successor.

"The Society issues every year a volume giving all the price
currents for the year, and keeps the members posted on the advance or
decline in the value of all important publications. We also give you
in confidence the ratings of various publishers, and print reports to
members exposing all the frauds in the book business. Upon payment of
the fee of $225.00, you receive all of this material free, for the
balance of your life, and in addition all of the Society's regular
publications, including the present one, consisting of ---- volumes
[here he produced the customary specimen sheets]. You see this one
work alone is worth the full amount you pay for life membership [here
occurred a "special offer" of some sort, given in a low monotone which
the stenographer was unable to hear; and I must confess that I was so
stupefied by this astounding fabrication that I myself have not the
faintest recollection of what this "special offer" consisted]. We are
very anxious to have your name as our honorary vice-president here,