_Croyland Monastery.--Its Library increased by
Egebric.--Destroyed by Fire.--Peterborough.--Destroyed by the
Danes.--Benedict and his books.--Anecdotes of
Collectors.--Catalogue of the Library of the Abbey of
Peterborough.--Leicester Library, etc._
The low marshy fens of Lincolnshire are particularly rich in monastic
remains; but none prove so attractive to the antiquary as the ruins of
the splendid abbey of Croyland. The pen of Ingulphus has made the affairs
of that old monastery familiar to us; he has told us of its prospering
and its misfortunes, and we may learn moreover from the pages of the monk
how many wise and virtuous men, of Saxon and Norman days, were connected
with this ancient fabric, receiving education there, or devoting their
lives to piety within its walls. It was here that Guthlac, a Saxon
warrior, disgusted with the world, sought solitude and repose; and for
ten long years he led a hermit's life in that damp and marshy fen; in
prayer and fasting, working miracles, and leading hearts to God, he spent
his lonely days, all which was rewarded by a happy and peaceful death,
and a sanctifying of his corporeal remains--for many wondrous miracles
were wrought by those holy relics.
Croyland abbey was founded on the site of Guthlac's hermitage, by
Ethelred, king of Mercia. Many years before, when he was striving for the
crown of that kingdom, his cousin, Crobrid, who then enjoyed it, pursued
him with unremitting enmity; and worn out, spiritless and exhausted, the
royal wanderer sought refuge in the hermit's cell. The holy man comforted
him with every assurance of success; and prophesied that he would soon
obtain his rights without battle or without bloodshed;[215] in return for
these brighter prospects, and these kind wishes, Ethelred promised to
found a monastery on that very spot in honor of God and St. Guthlac,
which promise he faithfully fulfilled in the year 716, and "thus the
wooden oratory was followed by a church of stone." Succeeding benefactors
endowed, and succeeding abbots enriched it with their learning; and as
years rolled by so it grew and flourished till it became great in wealth
and powerful in its influence. But a gloomy day approached--the Danes
destroyed that noble structure, devastating it by fire, and besmearing
its holy altars with the blood of its hapless inmates. But zealous piety
and monkish perseverance again restored it, with new and additional
lustre; and besides adding to the splendor of the edifice, augmented its
internal comforts by forming a library of considerable importance and
value. We may judge how dearly they valued a _Bibliotheca_ in those old
days by the contribution of one benevolent book-lover--Egebric, the
second abbot of that name, a man whom Ingulphus says was "far more
devoted to sacred learning and to the perusal of books than skilled in
secular matters,"[216] gladdened the hearts of the monks with a handsome
library, consisting of forty original volumes in various branches of
learning, and more than one hundred volumes of different tracts and
histories,[217] besides eighteen books for the use of the divine offices
of the church. Honor to the monk who, in the land of dearth, could amass
so bountiful a provision for the intellect to feed upon; and who
encouraged our early literature--when feeble and trembling by the renewed
attacks of rapacious invaders--by such fostering care.
In the eleventh century Croyland monastery was doomed to fresh
misfortunes; a calamitous fire, accidental in its origin, laid the fine
monastery in a heap of ruins, and scattered its library in blackened
ashes to the winds.[218] A sad and irreparable loss was that to the
Norman monks and to the students of Saxon history in modern times; for
besides four hundred Saxon charters, deeds, etc., many of the highest
historical interest and value beautifully illuminated in gold (_aureis
pictures_) and written in Saxon characters,[219] the whole of the choice
and ample library was burnt, containing seven hundred volumes, besides
the books of divine offices--the Antiphons and Grailes. I will not
agonize the bibliophile by expatiating further on the sad work of
destruction; but is he not somewhat surprised that in those bookless days
seven hundred volumes should have been amassed together, besides a lot of
church books and Saxon times?
Ingulphus, who has so graphically described the destruction of Croyland
monastery by the Danes in 870, has also given the particulars of their
proceedings at the monastery of Peterborough, anciently called
Medeshamstede, to which they immediately afterwards bent their steps. The
monks, on hearing of their approach, took the precaution to guard the
monastery by all the means in their power; but the quiet habits of
monastic life were ill suited to inspire them with a warlike spirit, and
after a feeble resistance, their cruel enemies (whom the monks speak of
in no gentle terms, as the reader may imagine), soon effected an
entrance; in the contest however Tulla, the brother of Hulda, the Danish
leader, was slain by a stone thrown by one of the monks from the walls;
this tended to kindle the fury of the besiegers, and so exasperated
Hulda that it is said he killed with his own hand the whole of the poor
defenceless monks, including their venerable abbot. The sacred edifice,
completely in their hands, was soon laid waste; they broke down the
altars, destroyed the monuments, and--much will the bibliophile deplore
it--set fire to their immense library "_ingens bibliotheca_," maliciously
tearing into pieces all their valuable and numerous charters, evidences,
and writings. The monastery, says the historian, continued burning for
fifteen days.[220] This seat of Saxon learning was left buried in its
ruins for near one hundred years, when Athelwold, bishop of Winchester,
in the year 966, restored it; but in the course of time, after a century
of peaceful repose, fresh troubles sprang up. When Turoldus, a Norman,
who had been appointed by William the Conqueror, was abbot, the Danes
again paid them a visit of destruction. Hareward de Wake having joined a
Danish force, proceeded to the town of Peterborough; fortunately the
monks obtained some intelligence of their coming, which gave Turoldus
time to repair to Stamford with his retinue. Taurus, the Sacrist, also
managed to get away, carrying with him some of their treasures, and among
them a text of the Gospels, which he conveyed to his superior at
Stamford, and by that means preserved them. On the arrival of the Danes,
the remaining monks were prepared to offer a somewhat stern resistance,
but without effect; for setting fire to the buildings, the Danes entered
through the flames and smoke, and pillaged the monastery of all its
valuable contents; and that which they could not carry away, they
destroyed: not even sparing the shrines of holy saints, or the
miracle-working dust contained therein. The monks possessed a great cross
of a most costly nature, which the invaders endeavored to take away, but
could not on account of its weight and size; however, they broke off the
gold crown from the head of the crucifix, and the footstool under its
feet, which was made of pure gold and gems; they also carried away two
golden biers, on which the monks carried the relics of their saints; with
nine silver ones. There was certainly no monachal poverty here, for their
wealth must have been profuse; besides the above treasures, they took
twelve crosses, made of gold and silver; they also went up to the tower
and took away a table of large size and value, which the monks had hid
there, trusting it might escape their search; it was a splendid affair,
made of gold and silver and precious stones, and was usually placed
before the altar. But besides all this, they robbed them of that which
those poor monkish bibliophiles loved more than all. Their library, which
they had collected with much care, and which contained many volumes, was
carried away, "with many other precious things, the like of which were
not to be found in all England."[221] The abbot and those monks who
fortunately escaped, afterwards returned, sad and sorrowful no doubt; but
trusting in their Divine Master and patron Saint, they ultimately
succeeded in making their old house habitable again, and well fortified
it with a strong wall, so that formerly it used to be remarked that this
building looked more like a military establishment than a house of God.
Eminently productive was the monastery of Peterborough in Saxon
bibliomaniacs. Its ancient annals prove how enthusiastically they
collected and transcribed books. There were few indeed of its abbots who
did not help in some way or other to increase their library. Kenulfus,
who was abbot in the year 992, was a learned and eloquent student in
divine and secular learning. He much improved his monastery, and greatly
added to its literary treasures.[222] But the benefactors of this place
are too numerous to be minutely specified here. Hugo Candidus tells us,
that Kinfernus, Archbishop of York, in 1056, gave them many valuable
ornaments; and among them a fine copy of the Gospels, beautifully adorned
with gold. This puts us in mind of Leofricus, a monk of the abbey, who
was made abbot in the year 1057. He is said to have been related to the
royal family, a circumstance which may account for his great riches. He
was a sad pluralist, and held at one time no less than five monasteries,
viz. Burton, Coventy, Croyland, Thorney, and Peterborough.[223] He gave
to the church of Peterborough many and valuable utensils of gold, silver,
and precious stones, and a copy of the Gospels bound in gold.[224]
But in all lights, whether regarded as an author or a bibliophile, great
indeed was Benedict, formerly prior of Canterbury, and secretary to
Thomas à Becket,[225] of whom it is supposed he wrote a life. He was made
abbot of Peterborough in the year 1177; he compiled a history of Henry
II. and king Richard I.;[226] he is spoken of in the highest terms of
praise by Robert Swapham for his profound wisdom and great erudition in
secular matters.[227] There can be no doubt of his book-loving passion;
for during the time he was abbot he transcribed himself, and ordered
others to transcribe, a great number of books. Swapham has preserved a
catalogue of them, which is so interesting that I have transcribed it
entire. The list is entitled:
DE LIBRIS EJUS.
Plurimos quoque libros 3 scribere fecit, quorum nomina subnotantur.
Vetus et Novum Testamentum in uno volumine.
Vetus et Novum Testamentum in 4 volumina.
Quinque libri Moysi glosati in uno volumine.
Sexdecim Prophetæ glosati in uno volumine.
Duodecim minores glosati Prophetæ in uno volumine.
Liber Regum glosatus, paralipomenon glosatus. Job, Parabolæ
Solomonis et Ecclesiastes, Cantica Canticorum glosati in
uno volumine.
Liber Ecclesiasticus et Liber Sapientiæ glosatus in uno volumine.
Tobyas, Judith, Ester et Esdras, glosati in uno volumine.
Liber Judicum glosatus.
Scholastica hystoria.
Psalterium glosatum.
Item non glosatum.
Item Psalterium.
Quatuor Evangelia glosata in uno volumine.
Item Mathæus et Marcus in uno volumine.
Johannes et Lucas in uno volumine.
Epistolæ Pauli glosatæ Apocalypsis et Epistolæ Canonicæ
glosata in uno volumine.
Sententiæ Petri Lombardi.
Item Sententiæ ejusdem.
Sermones Bernardi Abbatis Clarevallensis.
Decreta Gratiani.
Item Decreta Gratiani.
Summa Ruffini de Decretis.
Summa Johannes Fuguntini de Decretis.
Decretales Epistolæ.
Item Decretales Epistolæ.
Item Decretales Epistolæ cum summa sic incipiente; Olim.
Institutiones Justiniani cum autenticis et Infortiatio Digestum
vetus.
Tres partes cum digesto novo.
Summa Placentini.
Totum Corpus Juris in duobus voluminibus.
Arismetica.
Epistolæ Senecæ cum aliis Senecis in uno volumine.
Martialis totus et Terentius in uno volumine.
Morale dogma philosophorum.
Gesta Alexandri et Liber Claudii et Claudiani.
Summa Petri Heylæ de Grammatica, cum multis allis rebus
in uno volumine.
Gesta Regis Henrica secunda et Genealogiæ ejus.
Interpretatione Hebraicorum nominum.
Libellus de incarnatione verbi. Liber Bernardi Abbatis ad
Eugenium papam.
Missale.
Vitæ Sancti Thomæ Martyris.[228]
Miracula ejusdem in quinque voluminibus.
Liber Richardi Plutonis, qui dicitur, unde Malum Meditationes
Anselmi.
Practica Bartholomæi cum multis allis rebus in uno volumine.
Ars Physicæ Pantegni, et practica ipsius in uno volumine.
Almazor et Diascoridis de virtutibus herbarum.
Liber Dinamidiorum et aliorum multorum in uno volumine.
Libellus de Compoto.
Sixty volumes! perhaps containing near 100 separate works, and all added
to the library in the time of one abbot; surely this is enough to
controvert the opinion that the monks cared nothing for books or
learning, and let not the Justin, Seneca, Martial, Terence, and Claudian
escape the eye of the reader, those monkish bookworms did care a little,
it would appear, for classical literature. But what will he say to the
fine Bibles that crown and adorn the list? The two complete copies of the
_Vetus et Novum Testamentum_, and the many glossed portions of the sacred
writ, reflect honor upon the Christian monk, and placed him conspicuously
among the bible students of the middle ages; proving too, that while he
could esteem the wisdom of Seneca, and the vivacity of Terence, and feel
a deep interest in the secular history of his own times, he did not lose
sight of the fountain of all knowledge, but gave to the Bible his first
care, and the most prominent place on his library shelf. Besides the
books which the abbots collected for the monastery, they often possessed
a private selection for their own use; there are instances in which these
collections were of great extent; some of which we shall notice, but
generally speaking they seldom numbered many volumes. Thus Robert of
Lyndeshye, who was abbot of Peterborough in 1214, only possessed six
volumes, which were such as he constantly required for reference or
devotion; they consisted of a Numerale Majestri W. de Montibus cum alliis
rebus; Tropi Majestri Petri cum diversis summis; Sententiæ Petri
Pretanensis; Psalterium Glossatum; Aurora; Psalterium;[229] Historiale.
These were books continually in requisition, and which he possessed to
save the trouble of constantly referring to the library. His successor,
abbot Holdernesse, possessed also twelve volumes,[230] and Walter of St.
Edmundsbury Abbot, in 1233, had eighteen books, and among them a fine
copy of the Bible for his private study. Robert of Sutton in 1262, also
abbot of Peterborough, possessed a similar number, containing a copy of
the Liber Naturalium Anstotelis; and his successor, Richard of London,
among ten books which formed his private library, had the Consolation of
Philosophy, a great favorite in the monasteries. In the year 1295 William
of Wodeforde, collected twenty volumes, but less than that number
constituted the library of Adam de Botheby, who was abbot of Peterborough
many years afterwards, but among them I notice a Seneca, with thirty-six
others contained in the same volume.[231]
Abbot Godfrey, elected in the year 1299, was a great benefactor to the
church, as we learn from Walter de Whytlesse, who gives a long list of
donations made by him; among a vast quantity of valuables, "he gave to
the church _two Bibles_, one of which was written in France," with about
twenty other volumes. In the war which occurred during his abbacy,
between John Baliol of Scotland and Edward I. of England, the Scots
applied to the pope for his aid and council; his holiness deemed it his
province to interfere, and directed letters to the king of England,
asserting that the kingdom of Scotland appertained to the Church of Rome;
in these letters he attempt to prove that it was opposed to justice, and,
what he deemed of still greater importance, to the interests of the holy
see, that the king of England should not have dominion over the kingdom
of Scotland. The pope's messengers on this occasion were received by
abbot Godfrey; Walter says that "He honorably received two cardinals at
Peterborough with their retinues, who were sent by the pope to make peace
between the English and the Scotch, and besides cheerfully entertaining
them with food and drink, gave them divers presents; to one of the
cardinals, named Gaucelin, he gave a certain psalter, beautifully written
in letters of gold and purple, and marvellously illuminated, _literis
aureis et assuris scriptum et mirabiliter luminatum_.[232] I give this
anecdote to show how splendidly the monks inscribed those volumes
designed for the service of the holy church. I ought to have mentioned
before that Wulstan, archbishop of York, gave many rare and precious
ornaments to Peterborough, nor should I omit a curious little book
anecdote related of him. He was born at Jceritune in Warwickshire, and
was sent by his parents to Evesham, and afterwards to Peterborough, where
he gave great indications of learning. His schoolmaster, who was an
Anglo-Saxon named Erventus, was a clever calligraphist, and is said to
have been highly proficient in the art of illuminating; he instructed
Wulstan in these accomplishments, who wrote under his direction a
sacramentary and a psalter, and illuminated the capitals with many
pictures painted in gold and colors; they were executed with so much
taste that his master presented the sacramentary to Canute, and the
psalter to his queen."[233]
From these few facts relative to Peterborough Monastery, the reader will
readily perceive how earnestly books were collected by the monks there,
and will be somewhat prepared to learn that a catalogue of 1,680 volumes
is preserved, which formerly constituted the library of that fraternity
of bibliophiles. This fine old catalogue, printed by Gunton in his
history of the abbey, covers fifty folio pages; it presents a faithful
mirror of the literature of its day, and speaks well for the
bibliomanical spirit of the monks of Peterborough. Volumes of patristic
eloquence and pious erudition crowd the list; chronicles, poetry, and
philosophical treatises are mingled with the titles of an abundant
collection of classic works, full of the lore of the ancient world.
Although the names may be similar to those which I have extracted from
other catalogues, I must not omit to give a few of them; I find works
of--
Augustine.
Ambrose.
Albinus.
Cassiodorus.
Gregory.
Cyprian.
Seneca.
Prosper.
Tully.
Bede.
Basil.
Lanfranc.
Chrysostom.
Jerome.
Eusebius.
Boethius.
Isidore.
Origin.
Dionysius.
Cassian.
Bernard.
Anselm.
Alcuinus.
Honorius.
Donatus.
Macer.
Persius.
Virgil.
Isagoge of Porphry.
Aristotle.
Entyci Grammatica.
Socrates.
Ovid.
Priscian.
Hippocrates.
Horace.
Sedulus.
Theodulus.
Sallust.
Macrobius.
Cato.
Prudentius.
But although they possessed these fine authors and many others equally
choice, I am not able to say much for the biblical department of their
library, I should have anticipated a goodly store of the Holy Scriptures,
but in these necessary volumes they were unusually poor. But I suspect
the catalogue to have been compiled during the fifteenth century, and I
fear too, that in that age the monks were growing careless of Scripture
reading, or at least relaxing somewhat in the diligence of their studies;
perhaps they devoured the attractive pages of Ovid, and loved to read his
amorous tales more than became the holiness of their priestly
calling.[234] At any rate we may observe a marked change as regards the
prevalence of the Bible in monastic libraries between the twelfth and the
fifteenth century. It is true we often find them in those of the later
age; but sometimes they are entirely without, and frequently only in
detached portions.[235] I may illustrate this by a reference to the
library of the Abbey of St. Mary de la Pré at Leicester, which gloried in
a collection of 600 volumes, of the choicest and almost venerable
writers. It was written in the year 1477, by William Chartye,[236] prior
of the abbey, and an old defective and worn out Bible, _Biblie defect et
usit_, with some detached portions, was all that fine library contained
of the Sacred Writ. The bible _defect et usit_ speaks volumes to the
praise of the ancient monks of that house, for it was by their constant
reading and study, that it had become so thumbed and worn; but it stamps
with disgrace the affluent monks of the fifteenth century, who, while
they could afford to buy, in the year 1470,[237] some thirty volumes with
a Seneca, Ovid, Claudian, Macrobius, Æsop, etc., among them, and who
found time to transcribe twice as many more, thought not of restoring
their bible tomes, or adding one book of the Holy Scripture to their
crowded shelves. But alas! monachal piety was waxing cool and indifferent
then, and it is rare to find the honorable title of an _Amator
Scripturarum_ affixed to a monkish name in the latter part of the
fifteenth century.
FOOTNOTES:
[215] Gough's Hist. Croyland in Bibl. Top. Brit. xi. p. 3.
[216] Inguph. in Gale's Script. tom. i. p. 53.
[217] "Debit iste Abbas Egebricus communi bibliothecæ clanstralium
monachorum magna volumina diversorum doctorum originalia numero
quadraginta; minora vero volumina de diversæ tractatibus et
historiis, quæ numerum centenarium excedibant." Ingul. p. 53.
[218] The fire occurred in 1091. Ingulphus relates with painful
minuteness the progress of the work of destruction, and enumerates
all the rich treasures which those angry flames consumed. I should
have given a longer account of this event had not the Rev. Mr.
Maitland already done so in his interesting work on the "_Dark
Ages_."
[219] Gale's Remin. Ang. Scrip. i. p. 98.
[220] Ingulph. ap. Gale i. p. 25.
[221] See Gunter's Peterborough, suppl. 263.
[222] Hugo Candid, p. 31; Tamer Bib. Brit. et Hib. p. 175. Candidus
says, "Flos literaris disciplina, torrens eloquentiæ, decus et norma
rerum divinarum et secularium."
[223] Hugo Candid. ap. Sparke, Hist. Ang. Scrip. p. 41. Gunter's
Peterboro, p. 15, ed. 1686.
[224] Hugo Candid. p. 42.
[225] Leland de Scrip. Brit. p. 217.
[226] Published by Hearne, 2 vol. 8vo. _Oxon._ 1735.
[227] Rt. Swap. ap. Sparke, p. 97. "Erat. enin literarum scientiæ
satis imbutus; regulari disciplina optime instructus; sapientia
seculari plenissime eruditus."
[228] Swapham calls this "Egregium volumen," p. 98.
[229] Now preserved in the library of the Society of Antiquaries.
[230] Gunter, Peterborough, p. 29.
[231] Ibid, p. 37.
[232] Walter de Whytlesse apud Sparke, p. 173.
[233] Gunter's Hist. of Peterborough, p. 259.
[234] At any rate, we find about thirty volumes of Ovid's works
enumerated, and several copies of "de Arte Amandi," and "de Remedis
Amoris."
[235] Let the reader examine Leland's Collect., and the Catalogues
printed in Hunter's Tract on Monastic Libraries. See also Catalogue
of Canterbury Library, MS. Cottonian Julius, c. iv. 4., in the
British Museum.
[236] Printed by Nichols, in Appendix to Hist. of Leicester, from a
MS. Register. It contains almost as fine a collection of the
classics and fathers as that at Peterborough, just noticed,
Aristotle, Virgil, Plato, Ovid, Cicero, Euclid, Socrates, Horace,
Lucan, Seneca, etc., etc. are among them, pp. 101 to 108. It is
curious that Leland mentions only six MSS. as forming the library at
the time he visited the Abbey of Leicester, all its fine old volumes
were gone. He only arrived in time to pick up the crumbs.
[237] At least during the time of William Charteys priorship. See
Nichols, p. 108.