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The Care of Books

by John Willis Clark

By John Willis Clark · Arts · Public domain

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The Care of Books is a public-domain classic of arts by John Willis Clark.

The complete text is on this page and the chapter pages below — all 18 chapters, about 111,445 words (~9 hours of reading), free to read online with no signup. Chapters include “CHAPTER I.. Introduction. Assyrian Record-Rooms. Libraries in”, “Chapter V. a Brief, but Accurate, Summary of His Account Will Be Found in”, “Chapter Cxv., _of the Precentor and His Assistant_. After Describing His”, and more.

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Author
John Willis Clark
Length
111,445 words · about 9 hours to read
Chapters
18
Price
Free — public domain

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CHAPTER III.

Increase of monastic collections. S. Riquier, Bobbio, Durham, Canterbury. Books kept in other places than the cloister. Expedients for housing them at Durham, Citeaux, and elsewhere. Separate libraries built in fifteenth century at Durham, S. Albans, Citeaux, Clairvaux, etc. Gradual extension of library at S. Germain des Près. Libraries attached to Cathedrals. Lincoln, Salisbury, Wells, Noyon, Rouen, etc. 101

CHAPTER IV.

The fittings of monastic libraries and of collegiate libraries probably identical. Analysis of some library-statutes. Monastic influence at the Universities. Number of books owned by Colleges. The collegiate library. Bishop Cobham's library at Oxford. Library at Queens' College, Cambridge. At Zutphen. The lectern-system. Chaining of books. Further examples and illustrations 131

CHAPTER V.

Recapitulation. Invention of the stall-system. Library of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, taken as a type. System of chaining in Hereford Cathedral. Libraries of Merton College, Oxford, and Clare College, Cambridge. The stall-system copied at Westminster Abbey, Wells, and Durham Cathedrals. This system possibly monastic. Libraries at Canterbury, Dover Priory, Clairvaux 171

CHAPTER VI.

The lectern-system in Italy. Libraries at Cesena, at the Convent of S. Mark, Florence, and at Monte Oliveto. Vatican Library of Sixtus IV. Ducal Library at Urbino. Medicean Library, Florence. System of chaining there used. Characteristics of medieval libraries 199

CHAPTER VII.

Contrast between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Suppression of the Monasteries. Commissioners of Edward VI. Subsequent changes in library fittings. S. John's College, and University Library, Cambridge. Queen's College, Oxford. Libraries attached to churches and schools. Chaining in recent times. Chains taken off 245

CHAPTER VIII.

The wall-system. This began on the Continent. Library of the Escõrial. Ambrosian Library at Milan. Library of Cardinal Mazarin. Bodleian Library at Oxford. Works and influence of Wren. French conventual libraries of the seventeenth century 267

CHAPTER IX.

Private libraries. Abbat Simon and his book-chest. Library of Charles V. of France. Illustrations of this library from illuminated manuscripts. Book-lectern used in private houses. Book-desks revolving round a central screw. Desks attached to chairs. Wall-cupboards. A scholar's room in the fifteenth century. Study of the Duke of Urbino. Library of Margaret of Austria. Library of Montaigne. Conclusion 291

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG. PAGE

1. Plan of the Record-Rooms in the Palace of Assur-bani-pal, King of Nineveh 2

2. Plan of the temple and precinct of Athena, Pergamon; with that of the Library and adjacent buildings 9

3. Plan of the Porticus Octaviæ, Rome. From Formæ Urbis Romæ Antiguæ, Berlin, 1896 13

4. Plan of the Forum of Trajan; after Nibby. From Middleton's Remains of Ancient Rome 15

5. Plan of the Stoa of Hadrian, at Athens. From Miss Harrison's Mythology and Monuments of Ancient Athens 17

6. Elevation of a single compartment of the wall of the Library discovered in Rome, 1883. From notes and measurements made by Signor Lanciani and Prof. Middleton 23

7. Plan of the Record-House of Vespasian, with the adjoining structures. From Middleton's Remains of Ancient Rome 26

8. Part of the internal wall of the Record-House of Vespasian. Reduced from a sketch taken in the 16th century by Pirro Ligorio. From Commissione Archeologica Comunale di Roma 26

9. A reader with a roll: from a fresco at Pompeii 28

10. Book-box or capsa 30

11. A Roman taking down a roll from its place in a Library 35

12. Desk to support a roll while it is being read 36

13. A Roman reading a roll in front of a press (armarium). From a photograph of a sarcophagus in the garden of the Villa Balestra, Rome To face 38

14. Press containing the four Gospels. From a mosaic above the tomb of the Empress Galla Placidia at Ravenna 39

15. Ezra writing the Law. Frontispiece to the Codex Amiatinus. In the background is a press with open doors. The picture was probably drawn in the middle of the sixth century A.D. Frontispiece

16. Great Hall of the Vatican Library, looking west To face 47

17. A single press in the Vatican Library, open. From a photograph To face 48

18. Rough ground-plan of the Great Hall of the Vatican Library, to illustrate the account of the decoration To face 60

19. Press in the cloister at the Cistercian Abbey of Fossa Nuova 83

20. Ground-plan and elevation of the book-recesses in the cloister of Worcester Cathedral 84

21. Ground-plan of part of the Abbey of Fossa Nuova. To shew the book-room and book-press, and their relations to adjoining structures: partly from Enlart's Origines Françaises de l'Architecture Gothique en Italie, partly from my own measurements 85

22. Ground-plan of part of Kirkstall Abbey, Yorkshire 86

23. Ground-plan of part of Furness Abbey. From Mr W. H. St J. Hope's plan 88

24. Arches in south wall of Church at Beaulieu Abbey, Hampshire, once possibly used as book-presses To face 89

25. The cloister, Westminster Abbey. From Mr Micklethwaite's plan of the buildings 91

26. Part of the ancient press in Bayeux Cathedral, called Le Chartrier de Bayeux. From a photograph To face 94

27. Press in the church at Obazine, Central France. From a photograph To face 95

28. Ground-plan of one of the windows in the cloister of Durham Cathedral 96

29. Range of carrells in the south cloister at Gloucester Cathedral. From Mr Murray's Handbook to the Western Cathedrals 97

30. A single carrell, Gloucester Cathedral To face 98

31. Library at Durham, built by Prior Wessyngton about 1446 107

32. Library of the Grey Friars House, London, commonly called Christ's Hospital. From Trollope's History of Christ's Hospital To face 109

33. Bird's-eye view of part of the Monastery of Citeaux. From a drawing dated 1718 110

34. Ground-plan of part of the Monastery of Citeaux. From a plan dated 1718 111

35. Ground-plan of the Library at Citeaux 111

36. Part of the Abbey of S. Germain des Près, Paris. From a print dated 1687; reproduced in Les Anciennes Bibliothèques de Paris, par Alf. Franklin, Vol. I. p. 126 115

37. Part of the Abbey of S. Germain des Près, Paris. From a print in Histoire de l'Abbaye Royale de Saint Germain des Prez, par Dom Jacques Bouillart, fol. Paris, 1724, lettered "l'Abbaye ... telle qu'elle est présentement" 116

38. Plan of the Old Library, Lincoln Cathedral 119

39. Interior of the Old Library, Lincoln Cathedral To face 118

40. Plan of the Cloister, etc., Lincoln Cathedral 120

41. Exterior of the Library at Salisbury Cathedral, looking north-east To face 122

42. Plan of the Library in Wells Cathedral 122

43. Plan of the Library at Lichfield Cathedral. From History and Antiquities of Staffordshire, by Stebbing Shaw, fol. Lond. 1798, Vol. II. P. 244 123

44. Chapter-Library at Noyon, France To face 124

45. A single pillar of the cloister beneath the Chapter-Library at Noyon. 125

46. Plan of the Library at the south-east angle of the south transept of the Cathedral at Troyes 126

47. Interior of the Cour des Libraires, Rouen, shewing the gate of entrance from the street, and the Library To face 130

48. Pembroke College, Cambridge, reduced from Loggan's print, taken about 1688 149

49. Long Section of Old Congregation House and Library, Oxford, looking south. From The Church of S. Mary the Virgin, Oxford, by T. G. Jackson, Architect 150

50. Ground-plan of the Library at Queens' College, Cambridge 152

51. Elevation of book-desk in Library of Queens' College, Cambridge 152

52. Ground-plan of the Library at Zutphen 154

53. General view of the north side of the Library attached to the church of S. Walburga at Zutphen To face 155

54. Desk and reader on the south side of the Library at Zutphen. From a photograph 155

55. Elevations of (A) one of the bookcases in the Library at Zutphen; (B) one of those in the Library at Queens' College, Cambridge 156

56. End of iron bar: Zutphen 156

57. End of one of the desks on the north side of the Library: Zutphen. 157

58. Piece of chain, shewing the ring attached to the bar, the swivel, and one of the links, actual size: Guildford 158

59. Piece of the iron bar, with chain: Zutphen 159

60. Chained book, from a Dominican House at Bamberg, South Germany 159

61. Single desk in the Old Library: Lincoln Cathedral 161

62. Elevations of (A) one of the bookcases in the Library at Zutphen; (B) one of those in the Library at Queens' College, Cambridge; (C) one of those in the Library of Lincoln Cathedral 163

63. Interior of a Library. From a MS. of a French translation of the first book of the Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius, written in Flanders towards the end of the fifteenth century 164

64. Library of the College de Navarre, Paris, now destroyed To face 165

65. General view of the Library at Trinity Hall, Cambridge To face 169

66. Elevation of a book-desk and seat in the Library of Trinity Hall, Cambridge 168

67. Lock at end of book-desk: Trinity Hall 169

68. A French Library of 1480. From MS. 164 in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge To face 169

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Contents — all 18 chapters

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