The Love of Books: The Philobiblon of Richard de Bury, Volume 24 |
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Almagest ancients Aristotle arts aspect of Mercury Athens Augustine Aulus Gellius become bestowed Bishop of Durham Boethius Carmentis Cassiodorus CHAPTER Christ Church clergy COMPLAINT OF BOOKS declared delight deserved desire Deut devote divine E. C. THOMAS earth edition Exod faith fathers favour gift grammar Greek hand heart Heaven holy honour human infinite intellect John of Salisbury keepers King labours laity Latin learning Liber light love of books lovers Luke master Matt means Moreover nature noble Ovid Oxford Pandects perished Phil Philobiblon philosophy Phronesis pious pleasure Pliny's Natural History poets poverty prayers princes PROLOGUE Prov Ptolemy reference Richard de Bury riches Robert Holkot Roger Bacon sacred says scholars secular soul spirit thee things thou translation treasure treatise truth verse vessels of wisdom viii virtue volumes Wherefore Wisdom vii wise word writing xvii τὸ
Popular passages
Page 106 - And it came to pass when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished ; that Moses commanded the Levites which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your GOD, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
Page 55 - The great discoverer's pleasure at the university of Paris corresponds to that of visitors to Oxford in later years. " There," he says, "are delightful libraries, more aromatic than stores of spicery ; there are luxuriant parks of all manner of volumes ; there are Academic meads shaken by the tramp of scholars ; there are lounges of Athens ; walks of the Peripatetics ; peaks of Parnassus ; and porches of the Stoics. There is seen the surveyor of all Arts and Sciences, Aristotle, to whom belongs all...
Page 7 - 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...
Page 15 - In fine, since all men naturally desire to know, and since by means of books we can attain the knowledge of the ancients, which is to be desired beyond all riches, what man living according to nature would not feel the desire of books ? And although we know that swine trample pearls under foot, the wise man will not therefore be deterred from gathering the pearls that lie before him. A library of wisdom, then, is more precious than all c wealth, and all things that are desirable cannot be compared...
Page 52 - In fact, the fame of our love of them had been soon winged abroad everywhere, and we were reported to burn with such desire for books, and especially old ones, that it was more easy for any man to gain our favour by means of books than of money. Wherefore, since supported by the goodness of the aforesaid prince of worthy memory, we were able to requite a man well or ill, to benefit or injure mightily great as well as small, there flowed in, instead of presents and guerdons, and instead of gifts and...
Page vii - Upon the accession of his royal pupil to the throne, he was first appointed cofferer, then treasurer of the wardrobe, archdeacon of Northampton, prebendary of Lincoln, Sarum, and Lichfield, keeper of the privy seal, dean of Wales, and, last of all, bishop of Durham.
Page 3 - Accordingly, having taken a survey of human necessities in every direction, with a view to bestow our charity upon them, our compassionate inclinations have chosen to bear pious aid to this calamitous class of men, in whom there is nevertheless such hope of advantage to the Church, and to provide for them, not only in respect of things necessary to their support, but much more in respect of the books so useful to their studies. To this end, most acceptable in the sight of God, our attention has long...
Page 8 - He is not dead, he says, who has given life to science. Who therefore will limit by anything of another kind the price of the infinite treasure of books, from which the scribe who is instructed bringeth forth things new and old? Truth that triumphs over all things, which overcomes the king, wine, and women, which it is reckoned holy to honour before friendship, which is the way without turning and the life without end, which holy Boethius considers to be threefold in thought, speech, and writing,...
Page 6 - ... or perhaps have fed swine with the prodigal son. Where then, most potent, most longed-for treasure, art thou concealed ? and where shall the thirsty soul find thee ? Undoubtedly, indeed, thou hast placed thy desirable tabernacle in books...
Page 9 - They are masters who instruct us without rod or ferule, without angry words, without clothes or money. If you come to them they are not asleep ; if you ask and inquire of them, they do not withdraw themselves ; they do not chide if you make mistakes ; they do not laugh at you if you are 27 ignorant. O books who alone are liberal and free, who give to all who ask of you and enfranchise all who serve you faithfully...