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jealousies； greeds； enthusiasms； and passions which possess and control
bibliomaniacs at the present time。 That vanity was sometimes the
controlling passion with the early collectors is evidenced in a passage in
Barclay's satire； ‘‘The Ship of Fools''； there are the stanzas which apply so
neatly to certain people I know that sometimes I actually suspect that
Barclay's prophetic eye must have had these nineteenth…century charlatans
in view。
But yet I have them in great reverence And honor； saving
them from filth and ordure By often brushing and much diligence。
Full goodly bound in pleasant coverture Of damask； satin； or else
of velvet pure； I keep them sure； fearing lest they should be lost； For
in them is the cunning wherein I me boast。
But if it fortune that any learned man Within my house fall
to disputation； I draw the curtains to show my books them；
That they of my cunning should make probation； I love not to fall
into altercation； And while they come； my books I turn and wind；
For all is in them； and nothing in my mind。
Richard de Bury had exceptional opportunities for gratifying his
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bibliomaniac passions。 He was chancellor and treasurer of Edward III。；
and his official position gained him access to public and private libraries
and to the society of literary men。 Moreover； when it became known that
he was fond of such things； people from every quarter sent him and
brought him old books； it may be that they hoped in this wise to court his
official favor； or perhaps they were prompted by the less selfish motive of
gladdening the bibliomaniac soul。
‘‘The flying fame of our love；'' says de Bury； ‘‘had already spread in
all directions； and it was reported not only that we had a longing desire for
books； and especially for old ones； but that any one could more easily
obtain our favors by quartos than by money。 Wherefore； when supported
by the bounty of the aforesaid prince of worthy memory； we were enabled
to oppose or advance； to appoint or to discharge； crazy quartos and
tottering folios； precious however in our sight as in our affections； flowed
in most rapidly from the great and the small； instead of new year's gifts
and remunerations； and instead of presents and jewels。 Then the cabinets
of the most noble monasteries were opened； cases were unlocked； caskets
were unclasped； and sleeping volumes which had slumbered for long ages
in their sepulchres were roused up； and those that lay hid in dark places
were overwhelmed with the rays of a new light。 Among these； as time
served； we sat down more voluptuously than the delicate physician could
do amidst his stores of aromatics； and where we found an object of love
we found also an assuagement。''
‘‘If；'' says de Bury； ‘‘we would have amassed cups of gold and silver；
excellent horses； or no mean sums of money； we could in those days have
laid up abundance of wealth for ourselves。 But we regarded books； not
pounds； and valued codices more than florins； and preferred paltry
pamphlets to pampered palfreys。 On tedious embassies and in perilous
times； we carried about with us that fondness for books which many
waters could not extinguish。''
And what books they were in those old days！ What tall folios！
What stout quartos！ How magnificent were the bindings； wrought often
in silver devices； sometimes in gold； and not infrequently in silver and
gold； with splendid jewels and precious stones to add their value to that of
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the precious volume which they adorned。 The works of Justin； Seneca；
Martial； Terence； and Claudian were highly popular with the bibliophiles
of early times； and the writings of Ovid； Tully； Horace； Cato； Aristotle；
Sallust； Hippocrates； Macrobius； Augustine； Bede； Gregory； Origen； etc。
But for the veneration and love for books which the monks of the
mediaeval ages had； what would have been preserved to us of the classics
of the Greeks and the Romans？
The same auspicious fate that prompted those bibliomaniacal monks to
hide away manuscript treasures in the cellars of their monasteries； inspired
Poggio Bracciolini several centuries later to hunt out and invade those
sacred hiding…places； and these quests were rewarded with finds whose
value cannot be overestimated。 All that we have of the histories of Livy
come to us through Poggio's industry as a manuscript…hunter； this same
worthy found and brought away from different monasteries a perfect copy
of Quintilian； a Cicero's oration for Caecina； a complete Tertullian； a
Petronius Arbiter； and fifteen or twenty other classics almost as valuable
as those I have named。 From German monasteries； Poggio's friend；
Nicolas of Treves； brought away twelve comedies of Plautus and a
fragment of Aulus Gellius。
Dear as their pagan books were to the monkish collectors； it was upon
their Bibles； their psalters； and their other religious books that these
mediaeval bibliomaniacs expended their choicest art and their most loving
care。 St。 Cuthbert's ‘‘Gospels；'' preserved in the British Museum； was
written by Egfrith； a monk； circa 720； Aethelwald bound the book in gold
and precious stones； and Bilfrid； a hermit； illuminated it by prefixing to
each gospel a beautiful painting representing one of the Evangelists； and a
tessellated cross； executed in a most elaborate manner。 Bilfrid also
illuminated the large capital letters at the beginning of the gospels。 This
precious volume was still further enriched by Aldred of Durham； who
interlined it with a Saxon Gloss； or version of the Latin text of St。 Jerome。
‘‘Of the exact pecuniary value of books during the middle ages；'' says
Merryweather； ‘‘we have no means of judging。 The few instances that
have accidentally been recorded are totally inadequate to enabl