For him that stealeth, or borroweth and returneth not, this book from its owner, Let it change into a serpent in his hand and rend him. Let him be struck with palsy and all his members blasted. Let him languish in pain crying out for mercy, Let there be no surcease to his agony till he sink in dissolution. Let bookworms gnaw his entrails in token of the worm that dieth not. When at last he goeth to his final punishment, Let the flames of Hell consume him forever.[attributed to the Monastery of San Pedro in Barcelona, Spain] . Nicholas A. Basbanes
About This Quote

This quote is a warning of the fate that awaits the thief who robs and steals from others. The book in question was no ordinary book. This was a hebraic work called the “Chaldean Oracles”, and it had been written by a man named Zoroaster. The oracles were intended for people who would travel to the underworld and give advice to those whom they encountered there.

They were quite powerful and could cause harm to anyone who dared use them for bad purposes. For example, if someone read the oracles and used them to harm another person, that person would die an excruciating death. Another example of bad results could be seen if someone used the oracles to cheat another person out of his money.

Source: A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, And The Eternal Passion For Books

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