[3]
[1] Mon, Fr., ii., viii.
[2] Bryce, i. 440n, 29.
[3] Clark, 62.
By the end of the thirteenth century the Mendicants
of Oxford were fairly well provided with books. Michael
Scot came to Oxford, at the time of the greatest literary
activity of the brethren, and introduced to them the physical
and metaphysical works of Aristotle (1230).[1] Adam de
Marisco seems to have been responsible for the first considerable
additions to the collection. From his brother, Bishop
Richard, he had already received a library; possibly this,
with his own books, came into possession of the convent.
Then out of love for him, Grosseteste left his writings or
his library--it is not clear which--to the Grey Friars.[2]
This gift may have formed part--it is not certain--of the
two valuable hoards existing in the fifteenth century in the
same friary, one the convent library, open only to graduates,
the other the Schools library, for seculars living among the
brethren for the sake of the teaching they could get. In
these collections were many Hebrew books, which had been
bought upon the banishment of the Jews from England
(1290).
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