were in the mood might obtain further information by following them up. In a book covering a long period and touching national and local history at many points, I cannot hope to have escaped errors; and I shall be grateful if readers will bring them to my notice. I need hardly say I am especially indebted to the splendid work accomplished by Dr. Montague Rhodes James, the Provost of King’s College, in editing _The Ancient Libraries of Canterbury and Dover_, and in compiling the great series of descriptive catalogues of manuscripts in Cambridge and other colleges. I have long marvelled at Dr. James’ patient research; at his steady perseverance in an aim which, even when attained--as it now has been--could only win him the admiration and esteem of a few scholars and lovers of old books. I have to thank Mr. Hutt for much general help, and for reading all the proof slips. To Canon C. M. Church, M.A., of Wells, I am indebted for his kindness in answering inquiries, for lending me the illustration of the exterior of Wells Cathedral Library, and for permitting me to reproduce a plan from his book entitled _Chapters in the Early History of the Church of Wells_. The Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire have kindly allowed me to reproduce a part of their plan of Birkenhead Priory. Illustrations were also kindly lent by the Clarendon Press, the Cambridge University Press, Mr. John Murray, Mr. Fisher Unwin, the Editor of _The Connoisseur_, and Mr. G. Coffey, of the Royal Irish Academy. A small portion of the first chapter has appeared in _The Library_, and is reprinted by kind permission of the editors. Mr. C. W. Sutton, M.A., City Librarian of Manchester, has been in every way kind and patient in helping me. So too has Mr. Strickland Gibson, M.A., of the Bodleian Library, especially in connexion with the chapter on Oxford Libraries. Thanks are due also to the Deans of Hereford, Lincoln, and Durham, to Mr. Tapley-Soper, City Librarian of Exeter, and to Mr. W. T. Carter, Public Librarian of Warwick; also to my brother, V. M. Savage, for his drawings. The general editor of this series, the Rev. J. Charles Cox, LL.D., F.S.A., gave me much help by reading the manuscript and proofs; and I am grateful to him for many courtesies and suggestions. ERNEST A. SAVAGE CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. THE USE OF BOOKS IN EARLY IRISH MONASTERIES 1 II. THE ENGLISH MONKS AND THEIR BOOKS 23 III. LIBRARIES OF THE GREAT ABBEYS--BOOK-LOVERS AMONG THE MENDICANTS--DISPERSAL OF MONKISH LIBRARIES 45 IV. BOOK MAKING AND COLLECTING IN THE RELIGIOUS HOUSES 73 V. CATHEDRAL AND CHURCH LIBRARIES 109 VI. ACADEMIC LIBRARIES: OXFORD 133 VII. ACADEMIC LIBRARIES: CAMBRIDGE 155 VIII. ACADEMIC LIBRARIES: THEIR ECONOMY 165 IX. THE USE OF BOOKS TOWARDS THE END OF THE MANUSCRIPT PERIOD 173 X. THE BOOK TRADE 199 XI. THE CHARACTER OF THE MEDIEVAL LIBRARY, AND THE EXTENT OF CIRCULATION OF BOOKS 209 APPENDIX A. PRICES OF BOOKS AND MATERIALS FOR BOOK-MAKING 243 APPENDIX B. LIST OF CERTAIN CLASSIC AUTHORS FOUND IN MEDIEVAL CATALOGUES 258 APPENDIX C. LIST OF MEDIEVAL COLLECTIONS OF BOOKS 263 APPENDIX D. LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL REFERENCE WORKS 286 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT PAGE WRITING IN THE BOOK OF KELLS 14 From THOMPSON’S _Greek and Latin Palæography_ WRITING IN BOOK OF ARMAGH 15 From THOMPSON’S _Greek and Latin Palæography_ WRITING IN GRÆCO-LATIN ACTS, PROBABLY USED BY BEDE 27 From MS. Bodl. Laud. Gr. 35, f. 63 WRITING IN BENEDICTIONAL OF ST. ETHELWOLD 43 From _Archæologia_, xxiv. PLAN OF SCRIPTORIUM, BIRKENHEAD PRIORY 74 Redrawn...