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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 enable us to form
an opinion。 The extravagant estimate given by some as to the value of
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books in those days is merely conjectural； as it necessarily must be when
we remember that the price was guided by the accuracy of the
transcription； the splendor of the binding （which was often gorgeous to
excess）； and by the beauty and richness of the illuminations。 Many of the
manuscripts of the middle ages are magnificent in the extreme； sometimes
inscribed in liquid gold on parchment of the richest purple； and adorned
with illuminations of exquisite workmanship。''
With such a veneration and love for books obtaining in the cloister and
at the fireside； what pathos is revealed to us in the supplication which
invited God's blessing upon the beloved tomes： ‘‘O Lord； send the virtue
of thy Holy Spirit upon these our books； that cleansing them from all
earthly things； by thy holy blessing； they may mercifully enlighten our
hearts and give us true understanding； and grant that by thy teachings they
may brightly preserve and make full an abundance of good works
according to thy will。''
And what inspiration and cheer does every book…lover find in the letter
which that grand old bibliomaniac； Alcuin； addressed to Charlemagne：
‘‘I； your Flaccus； according to your admonitions and good will； administer
to some in the house of St。 Martin the sweets of the Holy Scriptures；
others I inebriate with the study of ancient wisdom； and others I fill with
the fruits of grammatical lore。 Many I seek to instruct in the order of the
stars which illuminate the glorious vault of heaven； so that they may be
made ornaments to the holy church of God and the court of your imperial
majesty； that the goodness of God and your kindness may not be
altogether unproductive of good。 But in doing this I discover the want of
much； especially those exquisite books of scholastic learning which I
possessed in my own country； through the industry of my good and most
devout master； Egbert。 I therefore entreat your Excellence to permit me
to send into Britain some of our youths to procure those books which we
so much desire； and thus transplant into France the flowers of Britain； that
they may fructify and perfume； not only the garden at York； but also the
Paradise of Tours； and that we may say in the words of the song： ‘Let my
beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruit；' and to the young：
‘Eat； O friends； drink； yea； drink abundantly； O beloved；' or exhort in the
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words of the prophet Isaiah： ‘Every one that thirsteth to come to the
waters； and ye that have no money； come ye； buy and eat： yea； come buy
wine and milk； without money and without price。' ''
I was meaning to have somewhat to say about Alcuin； and had
intended to pay my respects to Canute； Alfred； the Abbot of St。 Albans； the
Archbishop of Salzburg； the Prior of Dover； and other mediaeval
worthies； when Judge Methuen came in and interrupted the thread of my
meditation。 The Judge brings me some verses done recently by a poet…
friend of his； and he asks me to give them a place in these memoirs as
illustrating the vanity of human confidence。
One day I got a missive