(Quoted from the Vienna Codex, 743. Denis, i., 313.) Wattenbach is of opinion that these lines stood over the door of the _scriptorium_ of S. Martin’s Monastery. West says that the lines were written as an injunction to the scribes of the school at Tours. He gives the following version, which takes in certain further lines of the original than those cited by Wattenbach: “Here let the scribes sit who copy out the words of the Divine Law, and likewise the hallowed sayings of the holy Fathers. Let them beware of interspersing their own frivolities in the words they copy, nor let a trifler’s hand make mistakes through haste. Let them earnestly seek out for themselves correctly written books to transcribe, that the flying pen may speed along the right path. Let them distinguish the proper sense by colons and commas, and let them set the points each one in its due place, and let not him who reads the words to them either read falsely or pause suddenly. It is a noble work to write out holy books, nor shall the scribe fail of his due reward. Writing books is better than planting vines, for he who plants a vine serves his belly, but he who writes a book serves his soul.”[155] In a manuscript which was written in S. Jacob’s Monastery in Liége, occurred the following lines: _Jacob Rebeccæ dilexit simplicitatem, Altus mens Jacobi scribendi sedulitatem. Ille pecus pascens se divitiis cumulavit, Iste libros scribens meritum sibi multiplicavit. Ille Rachel typicam præ cunctis duxit amatam, Hic habeat vitam justis super astra paratam._[156] [(The Hebrew) Jacob loved the simplicity of Rebecca, The lofty soul of (the monk) Jacob (loved) the work of the scribe. The former accumulated riches in pasturing his flocks, The latter increased his fame through the writing of books. The former won his Rachel, loved beyond all others. May the scribe have the eternal life which is prepared above the stars for the just.]