Presented to the UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY by the ONTARIO LEGISLATIVE LIBRARY 1980 THE ANTIQUARY'S BOOKS GENERAL EDITOR: J. CHARLES COX, LL.D., F.S.A. OLD ENGLISH LIBRARIES tame antcotflttnrt mcrrto Arm to ABBOT WHETHAMSTEDE OLD ENGLIS1 LIBRARIES a!U. 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 ipn PREFACE the arrangement and equipment of WITHlibraries 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 it out and I offer this book as carrying ; merely a discursive and popular treatment of a subject which seems to me of great interest. The book has suffered from one unhappy circum- stance. 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. vi OLD ENGLISH LIBRARIES 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 to have errors and I shall be hope escaped ; 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 descrip- tive catalogues of manuscripts in Cambridge and other colleges. I have long marvelled at Dr. James' research at his in an patient ; steady perseverance 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 for help, and 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 PREFACE vii 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 and and I am to him manuscript proofs ; grateful for many courtesies and suggestions. ERNEST A. SAVAGE CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. THE USE OF BOOKS IN EARLY IRISH MONASTERIES i 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 ix x OLD ENGLISH LIBRARIES PAGE 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 BOOK OF KELLS . .14 From THOMPSON'S Greek and Latin Palceography WRITING IN BOOK OF ARMAGH . .15 From THOMPSON'S Greek and Latin Palceography WRITING IN GR^ECO-LATIN ACTS, PROBABLY USED BY BEDE . 27 From MS. Bodl. Laud. Gr. 35, f. 63 WRITING IN BENEDICTIONAL OF ST. ETHELWOLD . 43 From Archceologia, 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.LA. 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 BERKBLOCK VIEW OF DUKE HUMFREY'S LIBRARY . 140 From MS. Bodl. 13 AUTOGRAPH OF DUKE HUMFREY OF GLOUCESTER . 191 From MS. Harl. 1705, f. 960 RECORD OF SALE OF BOOK CAPTURED AT POITIERS . 234 From MS. Reg. 19, D ii. opposite f. i xi LIST OF PLATES ABBOT WHETHAMSTEDE ..... Frontispiece From MS. Cott. Nero, D vii. f. 270 PLATE FACING PAGE I. (a) ANCIENT SATCHEL OF IRISH MISSAL, CORPUS CHRISTI COLLEGE, OXFORD . .12 By permission of the Governing Body () 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 xxiv. From Arch&ologia , VI. BENEDICTIONAL OF ST. ETHELWOLD : THE ASCENSION . 44 From Arck&ologitt, xxiv. VII. (a) ABBOT ROGER DE NORTHONE WITH HIS BOOKS . 48 From MS. Cott. Nero, D vii. f. i83 (b) ABBOT GARIN WITH HIS BOOKS . .48 From MS. Cott. Claud. E iv. pt. i., f. 125^ VIII. ABBOT SIMON OF ST. ALBANS AT HIS BOOK-CHEST . 50 From MS. Cott. Claud. E iv. pt. i. f. 124 xii LIST OF PLATES xiii PLATE FACING PAGE 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. ng XI. TWELFTH CENTURY ILLUMINATION FROM BURY ST. EDMUND'S ABBEY . .64 From MS. 2, f. 28 1, 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 MONAS- TERY ....... 104 From BATESON'S Catalogue of Syon Monastery XVII. MEDIEVAL BINDING: MR. YATES THOMPSON'S HEGE- SIPPUS . .108 From BATESON'S Mediceval 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 xiv OLD ENGLISH LIBRARIES PLATE FACING PAGE 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 MEMBERS OF THE BOOK-TRADE, c. 1180 . .134 From BARNARD'S Companion to English History XXIV. (a) DUKE HUMFREY AND ELEANOR OF GLOUCESTER JOINING THE CONFRATERNITY OF ST. ALBANS . 138 From MS. Cott. Nero, D vii. f. 154^ (b} ANCIENT ROOF OF DUKE HUMFREY'S LIBRARY . 138 Photo by JAS. HUTT, M.A. XXV. DUKE HUMFREY'S LIBRARY, OXFORD .