[76] Vet. Stat. Universit. Oxoniæ, D. fol. 75. Archiv. Bodl.
[77] The Church of Norwich paid £22, 9s. for illuminating a Graduale and Consuetudinary in 1374.
[78] Isidore Orig., cap. ii.—Jerome, in his Preface to Job, writes, "Habeant qui volunt veteres libros, vel in membranes purpurus auro argentique colore purpuros aurum liquiscit in literis." Eddius Stephanus in his Life of St. Wilfrid, cap xvi., speaks of "Quatuor Evangeliæ de auro purissimo in membranis de purpuratis coloratis pro animæ suæ remidis scribere jusset." Du Cange, vol. iv. p. 654. See also Mabillon Act. Sanct., tom. v. p. 110, who is of opinion that these purple MSS. were only designed for princes; see Nouveau Traité de Diplomatique, and Montfaucon Palæog. Græc., pp. 45, 218, 226, for more on this subject.
[79] See a Fragment in the Brit. Mus. engraved in Shaw's Illuminated Ornaments, plate 1.
[80] Middle Ages, vol. ii. p. 437. Mr. Maitland, in his "Dark Ages," enters into a consideration of this matter with much critical learning and ingenuity.
[81] D'Israeli Amenities of Lit., vol. i. p. 358.
[82] The Precentor's accounts of the Church of Norwich contain the following items:—1300, 5 dozen parchment, 2s. 6d., 40 lbs. of ink, 4s. 4d., 1 gallon of vini decrili, 3s., 4 lbs. of corporase, 4 lbs. of galls, 2 lbs. of gum arab, 3s. 4d., to make ink. I dismiss these facts with the simple question they naturally excite: that if parchment was so very scarce, what on earth did the monk want with all this ink?
[83] Leonardi Aretini Epist. 1. iv. ep. v.
[84] Mehi Præfatio ad vit Ambrosii Traversarii, p. xxxix.
[85] Mehi Præf., pp. xlviii.—xlix.