Such a gift was
received early in the thirteenth century from Roger de
L'Isle, Dean of York, who gave a Bible, divided into four
parts for the convenience of copyists, and the Book of
Exodus, glossed, but old and of little value.[1] Possibly
some books remained in the church even after an independent
library was founded, for as late as 1414 a copy
of Nicholas de Lyra was chained in the chancel for public
use, where it was inspected by the Chancellor and proctors
every year.[2]
[1] N. Bishop's Collectanea, now at Cambridge; Wood, Hist. and
Antiq. U. of O., ed. Gutch, 1796 2, vol. ii. pt. 2, 910.
[2] Mun. Acad., 270.
To a "good clerk" who had gathered his learning at
three Universities--the arts at Paris, canon law at Oxford,
and theology at Cambridge--the University library appropriately
owes its origin. Bishop Cobham left his books
and three hundred and fifty marks for this purpose in
1327. He had proposed to build a two-storied building,
the lower chamber to be the Congregation House, and the
upper a library; or perhaps the Congregation House was
already standing, and he had the idea of adding another
story, for use as an oratory and library.
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