OLD ENGLISH
LIBRARIES

THE MAKING, COLLECTION, AND USE OF BOOKS
DURING THE MIDDLE AGES
BY
ERNEST A. SAVAGE
WITH FIFTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS
METHUEN & CO. LTD.
36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
LONDON

First Published in 1911

PREFACE

WITH the arrangement and equipment of libraries this essay has little to do: the ground being already covered adequately by Dr. Clark in his admirable monograph on The Care of Books. Herein is described the making, use, and circulation of books considered as a means of literary culture. It seemed possible to throw a useful sidelight on literary history, and to introduce some human interest into the study of bibliography, if the place held by books in the life of the Middle Ages could be indicated. Such, at all events, was my aim, but I am far from sure of my success in carrying it out; and I offer this book merely as a discursive and popular treatment of a subject which seems to me of great interest.

The book has suffered from one unhappy circumstance. It was planned in collaboration with my friend Mr. James Hutt, M.A., but unfortunately, owing to a breakdown of health, Mr. Hutt was only able to help me in the composition of the chapter on the Libraries of Oxford, which is chiefly his work. Had it been possible for Mr. Hutt to share all the labour with me, this book would have been put before the public with more confidence.

More footnote references appear in this volume than in most of the series of “Antiquary’s Books.” One consideration specially urged me to take this course. The subject has been treated briefly, and it seemed essential to cite as many authorities as possible, so that readers who were in the mood might obtain further information by following them up.

In a book covering a long period and touching national and local history at many points, I cannot hope to have escaped errors; and I shall be grateful if readers will bring them to my notice.

I need hardly say I am especially indebted to the splendid work accomplished by Dr. Montague Rhodes James, the Provost of King’s College, in editing The Ancient Libraries of Canterbury and Dover, and in compiling the great series of descriptive catalogues of manuscripts in Cambridge and other colleges. I have long marvelled at Dr. James’ patient research; at his steady perseverance in an aim which, even when attained—as it now has been—could only win him the admiration and esteem of a few scholars and lovers of old books.

I have to thank Mr. Hutt for much general help, and for reading all the proof slips. To Canon C. M. Church, M.A., of Wells, I am indebted for his kindness in answering inquiries, for lending me the illustration of the exterior of Wells Cathedral Library, and for permitting me to reproduce a plan from his book entitled Chapters in the Early History of the Church of Wells. The Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire have kindly allowed me to reproduce a part of their plan of Birkenhead Priory. Illustrations were also kindly lent by the Clarendon Press, the Cambridge University Press, Mr. John Murray, Mr. Fisher Unwin, the Editor of The Connoisseur, and Mr. G. Coffey, of the Royal Irish Academy. A small portion of the first chapter has appeared in The Library, and is reprinted by kind permission of the editors. Mr. C. W. Sutton, M.A., City Librarian of Manchester, has been in every way kind and patient in helping me. So too has Mr. Strickland Gibson, M.A., of the Bodleian Library, especially in connexion with the chapter on Oxford Libraries. Thanks are due also to the Deans of Hereford, Lincoln, and Durham, to Mr. Tapley-Soper, City Librarian of Exeter, and to Mr. W. T. Carter, Public Librarian of Warwick; also to my brother, V. M. Savage, for his drawings. The general editor of this series, the Rev. J. Charles Cox, LL.D., F.S.A., gave me much help by reading the manuscript and proofs; and I am grateful to him for many courtesies and suggestions.

ERNEST A. SAVAGE

CHAP.	PAGE
[I.]	The Use of Books in Early Irish Monasteries	[1]
[II.]	The English Monks and their Books	[23]
[III.]	Libraries of the Great Abbeys—Book-Lovers among the Mendicants—Dispersal of Monkish Libraries	[45]
[IV.]	Book Making and Collecting in the Religious Houses	[73]
[V.]	Cathedral and Church Libraries	[109]
[VI.]	Academic Libraries: Oxford	[133]
[VII.]	Academic Libraries: Cambridge	[155]
[VIII.]	Academic Libraries: their Economy	[165]
[IX.]	The Use of Books towards the End of the Manuscript Period	[173]
[X.]	The Book Trade	[199]
[XI.]	The Character of the Medieval Library, and the Extent of Circulation of Books	[209]
[Appendix A]. Prices of Books and Materials for Book-Making		[243]
[Appendix B]. List of certain Classic Authors found in Medieval Catalogues		[258]
[Appendix C]. List of Medieval Collections of Books		[263]
[Appendix D]. List of the Principal Reference Works		[286]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT

	PAGE
Writing in the Book of Kells	[14]
From Thompson’s Greek and Latin Palæography
Writing in Book of Armagh	[15]
From Thompson’s Greek and Latin Palæography
Writing in Græco-Latin Acts, probably used by Bede	[27]
From MS. Bodl. Laud. Gr. 35, f. 63
Writing in Benedictional of St. Ethelwold	[43]
From Archæologia, xxiv.
Plan of Scriptorium, Birkenhead Priory	[74]
Redrawn from Trans. of the Lancashire and Cheshire Historic Society
Ancient Stall, or Carrell, in Bishop’s Cannings Church, Wilts	[77]
From Cox and Harvey’s English Church Furniture
Tablet Case and Waxed Tablet	[84]
From Coffey’s Celtic Antiquities in the Museum of the R.I.A.
Plan showing Disposition of Books in Cistercian Houses	[93]
Redrawn from Gasquet’s English Monastic Life
Plan showing probable Situation of Library of Wells Cathedral in the Thirteenth Century	[122]
Redrawn from Canon Church’s Chapters in the History of Wells Cathedral
Bereblock View of Duke Humfrey’s Library	[140]
From MS. Bodl. 13
Autograph of Duke Humfrey of Gloucester	[191]
From MS. Harl. 1705. f. 96a
Record of Sale of Book captured at Poitiers	[234]
From MS. Reg. 19, D ii. opposite f. 1

LIST OF PLATES

Abbot Whethamstede		[Frontispiece]
From MS. Cott. Nero, D vii. f. 27a
PLATE		FACING PAGE
[I.]	(a) Ancient Satchel of Irish Missal, Corpus Christi College, Oxford	[12]
By permission of the Governing Body
(b) Cover of Stowe Missal		[12]
Museum of Royal Irish Academy, Dublin (A.D. 1023-1052)
[II.]	Illuminated Page of Book of Kells	[14]
From Westwood’s Facsimiles
[III.]	The Shrine of the Cathach Psalter, Eleventh Century	[16]
From The Connoisseur, by permission of the Editor
[IV.]	Cumdach of St. Molaise’s Gospels: Front and Bottom	[20]
From Coffey’s Celtic Antiquities in Museum of Royal Irish Academy, by permission of the Council
[V.]	Benedictional of St. Ethelwold: Nativity of St. John the Baptist	[42]
From Archæologia, xxiv.
[VI.]	Benedictional of St. Ethelwold: The Ascension	[44]
From Archæologia, xxiv.
[VII.]	(a) Abbot Roger de Northone with his Books	[48]
From MS. Cott. Nero, D vii. f. 18b
(b) Abbot Garin with his Books		[48]
From MS. Cott. Claud., E iv. pt. i., f. 125a
[VIII.]	Abbot Simon of St. Albans at his Book-Chest	[50]
From MS. Cott. Claud., E iv. pt. i. f. 124
[IX.]	Grey Friars, London (Christ’s Hospital): Old Hall and Whittington’s Library	[54]
From Trollope’s History of Christ’s Hospital
[X.]	Grey Friars Catalogue of Conventual Libraries	[58]
From MS. Bodl. Tanner, 165, f. 119
[XI.]	Twelfth Century Illumination from Bury St. Edmund’s Abbey	[64]
From MS. 2, f. 281b, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, by permission of the Master and Fellows
[XII.]	Westminster Illumination, Thirteenth Century	[68]
From MS. Reg. 2 A xii. f. 14, Brit. Mus.
[XIII.]	The Cloisters, Gloucester, showing Carrells	[76]
From Murray’s Cathedrals
[XIV.]	A Scribe and His Tools, From a Very Ancient MS.	[82]
From MS. Harl. 2820, f. 120
[XV.]	Furness Abbey: Cloisters and Chapter House	[94]
[XVI.]	Facsimile of Library Catalogue of Syon Monastery	[104]
From Bateson’s Catalogue of Syon Monastery
[XVII.]	Medieval Binding: Mr. Yates Thompson’s Hegesippus	[108]
From Bateson’s Mediæval England
[XVIII.]	Ancient Book-Box in Exeter Cathedral	[110]
Photo by Heath & Bradnee, Exeter
[XIX.]	Chained Books, Hereford Cathedral Library	[116]
By permission of the Dean of Hereford
[XX.]	Old Library, Lincoln Cathedral	[118]
Photo by G. Hadleigh, Lincoln. By permission of the Dean of Lincoln
[XXI.]	Wells Cathedral: Library Over Cloister	[122]
Photo by T. W. Phillips, Wells
[XXII.]	St. Mary’s Church, Oxford: First Home of University Library	[132]
Photo by H. W. Taunt, Oxford
[XXIII.]	(a) Illuminator of St. Albans	[134]
From MS. Cott. Nero, D iii. f. 105
(b) Document bearing the Names of Membersof the Book-Trade, c. 1180		[134]
From Barnard’s Companion to English History
[XXIV.]	(a) Duke Humfrey and Eleanor of Gloucesterjoining the Confraternity of St. Albans	[138]
From MS. Cott. Nero, D vii. f. 154a
(b) Ancient Roof of Duke Humfrey’s Library		[138]
Photo by Jas. Hutt, M.A.
[XXV.]	Duke Humfrey’s Library, Oxford	[142]
Photo by H. W. Taunt
[XXVI.]	Library of Corpus Christi College, Oxford	[144]
Photo by H. W. Taunt
[XXVII.]	Merton College Library, Oxford	[152]
Photo by H. W. Taunt
[XXVIII.]	Public Schools and Library of the University, Cambridge	[156]
From Loggan’s Cantab. Illus.
[XXIX.]	Library of Corpus Christi College, Oxford,from Master’s Garden	[170]
Photo by H. W. Taunt
[XXX.]	Carmelite in his Study	[184]
From MS. Reg. 14 E i. f. 3, Brit. Mus.
[XXXI.]	A Scribe (St. Mark writing his Gospel), fromthe Bedford Hours	[196]
From Add. MS. 18850, f. 24, Brit. Mus.
[XXXII.]	A Scribe at work, from Eadwine’s Psalter,c. 1150	[202]
From Bateson’s Mediæval England
[XXXIII.]	English Illuminated Work under French Influence,from Tenison Psalter	[214]
From MS. Add. 24686, f. 12, Brit. Mus.
[XXXIV.]	Fresco of the Seven Liberal Arts, by T. Gaddi, Church of S. M. Novella, Florence	[222]
Photo by Alinari
[XXXV.]	Ancient Vellum Book-Marker	[230]
From MS. 49, Corpus Christi College, Camb., by permission of the Master and Fellows

OLD ENGLISHLIBRARIES

PREFACE

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT

LIST OF PLATES

OLD ENGLISH
LIBRARIES