The Philobiblon

"Will always hold an honorable place for bibliophiles." — The University of Chicago Press
One of the earliest treatises on the value of preserving neglected manuscripts, building a library, and book collecting, Richard De Bury's The Philobiblon was written in 1345 and circulated widely in manuscript form for over a century. The first printed edition appeared in Cologne in 1473, and several others soon followed as the invention of the printing press spread throughout the late Medieval world. The chapter titles of this legendary work reflect its nature, combining the author's love for and commitment to the importance of books and the knowledge they contain with thoughts on collecting them, lending them, teaching with them, and simply enjoying them: "That the Treasure of Wisdom is chiefly contained in books," "What we are to think of the price in the buying of books," "Who ought to be special lovers of books," and "Of the manner of lending all our books to students." The Prologue ends with the following thought:
"And this treatise (divided into twenty chapters) will clear the love we have had for books from the charge of excess, will expound the purpose of our intense devotion, and will narrate more clearly than light all the circumstances of our undertaking. And because it principally treats of the love of books, we have chose after the fashion of the ancient Romans fondly to name it by a Greek word, Philobiblon."
This volume offers modern bibliophiles a splendid edition of one of the first books ever to study, define, and, above all, praise their passion: the all-encompassing love of books.

Richard De Bury (1287–1345) was descended from an English knight who fought with William the Conqueror in the 11th Century. De Bury studied at Oxford, became a priest, ultimately rising to be Bishop of Durham, and tutored the future English King Edward III. After Edward III became King in the 1320s, De Bury served Edward's administration in various administrative and diplomatic posts. On a diplomatic visit to the papal court in exile at Avignon in 1330, De Bury met the Italian scholar and poet Petrarch, with whom he shared his devotion to and enthusiasm for books, and who left a brief account of meeting his English counterpart. Wherever he went De Bury assiduously collected manuscripts and bound books, and in time composed his short collection of Latin essays, The Philobiblon, the title having been created by De Bury from the Greek words meaning "the love of books." De Bury completed the text in 1344, though of course it was not printed until after the invention of printing in the middle of the following century.

HERE BEGIN THE CHAPTERS OF THE PHILOBIBLON OF RICHARD, BISHOP OF DURHAM

That the treasure of wisdom lieth especially in books. 11
What love is reasonably due to books. 15
How in buying books the price is to be fixed. 18
The complaint of books against the clerks lately promoted. 20
The complaint of books against the religious possessioners. 27
The complaint of books against the religious mendicants. 30
The complaint of books against war. 35
Of the manifold opportunity we have had for gathering
a multitude of books. 39
That though we love more the works of the ancients yet we
have not condemned the studies of the moderns. 46
Of the successive perfecting of books. 50
Why we have preferred the books of the liberal arts before
the books of law. 53
Why we have taken such diligent care to amend the books
of grammar. 55
Why we have not wholly neglected the fables of the poets. 56
Who ought to be the especial lovers of books. 59
What benefits the love of books confers. 61
How worthy a task it is to write new books and repair old ones. 65
Of showing honourable respect in the care of books. 69
That we have gathered such a multitude of books for the common
advantage of scholars, and not only for our own pleasure. 73
Of the manner of distributing our books to all students. 76
An exhortation to scholars to repay in supplications on our
behalf the debt of piety they owe. 79

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Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials