But when the
houses were suppressed, we are told, "whole libraries were
destroyed, or made waste paper of, or consumed for the
vilest uses. The splendid and magnificent Abbey of
Malmesbury, which possessed some of the finest manuscripts
in the kingdom, was ransacked, and its treasures either
sold or burnt to serve the commonest purposes of life. An
antiquary who travelled through that town, many years
after the Dissolution, relates that he saw broken windows
patched up with remnants of the most valuable manuscripts
on vellum, and that the bakers had not even then consumed
the stores they had accumulated, in heating their ovens."[2]
John Bale tells us the loss of the libraries had not mattered
so much, "beynge so many in nombre, and in so desolate
places for the more parse, yf the chiefe monumentes and
most notable workes of our excellent wryters had been
reserved. If there had been in every shyre of Englande
but one solempne Iybrary to the preservacyon of those
noble workes, and preferrement of good lernynges in oure
posteryte, it had bene yet sumwhat. But to destroye all
without consyderacyon, is and wyll be unto Englande for
ever, a most horryble infamy amonge the grave senyours
of other nacyons.
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