Antique 1899 Ed PHILOBIBLON A Treatise on the Love of Books by Richard De Bury

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PHILOBIBLONA TREATISEONTHE LOVE OF BOOKSBYRICHARD DE BURYBISHOP OF DURHAMTREASURER AND CHANCELLOR OF EDWARD IIINEW YORKMEYER BROTHERS AND COMPANY1899LIMITED EDITION# 123 OF 500143 PAGES9"×6.5"×.75"The PhilobiblonBefore his death in 1345, de Bury wrote a book of essays that he compiled in a work entitled The Philobiblon . This was a word he created from the Greek meaning "love of books". Written in Latin, as was the custom of the day, it is separated into twenty chapters. [21] These essays discuss book collecting, the care of books, the "advantages of the love of books", and the vagaries of wars and how they destroy books. In Chapter VII entitled "The Complaint of Books against Wars" de Bury writes:ALMIGHTY AUTHOR AND LOVER OF PEACE, scatter the nations that delight in war, which is above all plagues injurious to books. For wars being without the control of reason make a wild assault on everything they come across, and, lacking the check of reason they push on without discretion or distinction to destroy the vessels of reason. [22]Fortunately, these were not the idle words of an academic and bibliophile. As a diplomat, de Bury sought to seek peace throughout the realm, sometimes successfully as was the case with Scotland to the north, sometimes unsuccessfully, as was the case with France and the start of the 100 Years War. [23] One of the most interesting sections in the Philobiblon is Chapter XIX entitled "Of the Manner of lending all our Books to Students". According to one scholar, the Philobiblon is "one of the longest extant medieval texts on the subject of library management". [24] Here, de Bury describes the practices for circulation control among the students of the college, utilising at times an open-stack rather than the dominant closed-stack system. [25] As to de Bury's legacy, it was said about the Philobiblon : "it is the sole memorial of one who loved books so much in an age and country that loved them so little". [ Richard de Bury From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Richard de Bury Bishop of Durham Church Catholic Appointed February 1333 Term ended 14 April 1345 Predecessor Lewis de Beaumont Successor Thomas Hatfield Personal details Born 24 January 1287 Died 14 April 1345 (aged 58)Richard de Bury (24 January 1287 - 14 April 1345), also known as Richard Aungerville or Aungervyle , [1] was an English priest, teacher, bishop, writer, and bibliophile . He was a patron of learning and one of the first English collectors of books. He is chiefly remembered for his Philobiblon , written to inculcate in the clergy the pursuit of learning and the love of books. The "Philobiblon" is considered the earliest books to discuss librarianship in-depth.Early lifeRichard de Bury was born near Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk, the son of Sir Richard Aungervyle, who was descended from a knight who fought for William the Conqueror 's men. [2] Aungervyle settled in Leicestershire , and the family came into possession of the manor of Willoughby. [3] The year of Richard de Bury's birth is debated, there are conflicting sources; the earliest date from the Catholic Encyclopedia is 1281, [4] other historians determined his birth year to be either 1286 or 1287. Recent research has shown that 1287 is the most widely accepted birth date. [5]Sir Richard Aungervyle died when de Bury was a young boy. [ citation needed ] He was educated by his maternal uncle John de Willoughby , [6] and after leaving the grammar school was sent to the University of Oxford , where he studied philosophy and theology. [3] It is often reported that de Bury became a Benedictine monk at Durham Cathedral [7] [1] although several respected sources dispute this, [3] as there is no evidence of him joining the Order. In fact, he was a priest and not a monk. [8] He was made tutor to the future King Edward III whilst Prince of Wales (whom he would later serve as high chancellor and treasurer of England) and, according to Thomas Frognall Dibdin , inspired the prince with his own love... read more

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