Books and their makers during the Middle Ages : $b A study of the conditions of the production and distribution of literature from the fall of the Roman Empire to the close of the seventeenth century, Vol. IPutnam, George Haven
History
Books and their makers during the Middle Ages : $b A study of the conditions of the production and distribution of literature from the fall of the Roman Empire to the close of the seventeenth century, Vol. I
Putnam, George Haven
Books -- History -- 400-1450; Copyright; Freedom of the press -- History -- To 1500; Manuscripts; Printers
Louis IX. of France is quoted as having taken the ground that books
should be transcribed rather than borrowed, because in that way the
number would be increased and the community would be benefited. In
many cases, however, there could, of course, be no choice. The King,
for instance, desired to possess the great encyclopedia of Vincenzo
of Beauvais. He sent gold to Vincenzo, in consideration of which a
transcript of the encyclopedia was prepared. The exact cost is not
stated.[321]
In 1375, a sum equivalent to 825 francs of to-day was paid for
transcribing the commentary of Heinrich Bohic on the Decretals of 1375.
In the cost of such work was usually included a price for the loan or
use of the manuscript. A fee or rental was, in fact, always charged
by the manuscript-dealers. Up to the close of the fourteenth century,
the larger proportion of transcripts were prepared for individual
buyers and under special orders, one of the evidences of this being
the fact that upon the titles of the manuscripts were designed or
illuminated the arms or crests of the purchasers. After the beginning
of the fifteenth century, there is to be found a large number of
manuscripts in which a place has been left blank on the title-pages for
the subsequent insertion of the crest or coat-of-arms, indicating that
in these instances the manuscript had been prepared for general use
instead of under special order.[322]
As already mentioned, Charlemagne interested himself, not only in
the training of scribes, but in the collection of books, but he does
not appear to have considered it important that the works secured by
him should be retained for the use of his descendants, as he gave
instructions in his will that after his death the books should be sold.
One of the oldest illuminated Irish manuscripts is that of S. Ceaddæ.
This was purchased, at what date is not specified, by some holy man
in exchange for his best steed, and was then presented by him to the
church at Llandaff. The manuscript finally made its way to Madrid
and thence to Stockholm; according to the record, it had, before
the purchase above mentioned, been saved out of the hands of Norman
pirates.[323] It is certain that very many of the monasteries which
were within reach of the incursions of the Normans were bereft by them
of such books as had been collected, although it is not probable that,
as a rule, the pirates had any personal interest in, or commercial
appreciation for, the manuscripts that fell into their hands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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