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Philobiblon |
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O books, who alone are liberal and free, who give to all who ask of you and enfranchise all who serve you faithfully!-- Richard de Bury, Philobiblon
If you're a history lover (and I hope that you are), you're probably a book lover as well. Good books are among our most treasured windows to the past; they offer us chronicles of significant events, life stories of people long dead, period literature and artwork, and good old-fashioned hard data about life as it was in a distant era. Without books, the historian's job would be impossible, and the history lover's life would be a vast wasteland.
Books have many other endearing features. They comfort us when we're down, amuse us when we're bored, and help us when we're struggling for answers. They offer us intriguing tales to spark our imaginations and beautiful artwork to soothe our souls. Most important of all, books open the door to wisdom and accompany us on our quests for enlightenment.
So much could be said about the value of books that it could fill, well, a book. And indeed, entire books have been written on the subject. One such book was written in the fourteenth century by a man named Richard de Bury.
Born to wealth and privilege as the son of Sir Richard Aungerville (he took his name because of his birthplace near Bury St. Edmund's), de Bury had a keen interest in books when still a child. As a diplomat in the service of King Edward III of England, he collected books while on missions to Europe. He had more opportunities to add to his collection when he became Bishop of Durham in 1333.
De Bury maintained a private library, and his sources and subject matter were not solely related to the Church. Though scriptoria and monastic libraries provided many of his books, the bishop also established relationships with stationers and booksellers in order to increase his collection. He did this more than a century before the invention of movable type; all the books he acquired were hand-written.
In defense of what some at the time may have considered a rather selfish pastime (not to mention an expensive hobby), de Bury wrote his Philobiblon to explain his love of books and their value to those willing to learn from them. He described methods of acquiring books; he rhapsodized on the wisdom they contained; he discussed their various subjects and he lectured on their proper care. He expressed his concern for the follies of mankind that damage or destroy the priceless tomes, and he encouraged the production of new works as well as the preservation of the old. Moreover, he indicated his intention to endow a library at Oxford, where his collection could most benefit students.
The Philobiblon offers valuable insight into the book trade as well as general scholarship during de Bury's lifetime. But more than that, it has served as a marvelous affirmation of the value of books for bibliophiles through the ages.
In books I find the dead as if they were alive; in books I foresee things to come; in books warlike affairs are set forth; from books come forth the laws of peace. All things are corrupted and decay in time; Saturn ceases not to devour the children that he generates; all the glory of the world would be buried in oblivion, unless God had provided mortals with the remedy of books.
De Bury died only a few months after completing the Philobiblon in 1345. Sadly, his wish of endowing a library was thwarted when his collection of more than 1,500 books had to be sold to pay for his debts. It would be another century before Gutenberg's printing press helped make books more readily available and less expensive. We can only imagine how Richard de Bury would have greeted the invention, and what he would have thought when his Philobiblon made it into print in 1473.
Resources
The Love of Books: The Philobiblon of Richard de Bury
Complete text of the Philobiblon, translated by E. C. Thomas; from the Chatto & Windus Publication, London, 1909. In 20 chapters, a preface and a prologue, online here at the Medieval History site.Who's Who in Medieval History: Richard de Bury
General info, dates, and informative sites about the author of The Philobiblon.Book, Manuscript and Printing History
Sites that explore general printing history, paper & parchment, scriptoria, technology of the book, printers and typographers, and various book styles.
More at the Medieval History Site
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