. . . . .
His Almageste and bokes grete and smale,
His astrelabie, longinge for his art,
His augrim-stones layen faire a-part
On shelves couched at his beddes heed."
Both descriptions have been used as evidence that books
were not so scarce as supposed; that poor people could
get books if they specially needed them. But are these
pictures quite true? Has not the poet taken advantage of
the licence allowed to his kind? The records preserved at
Oxford do not corroborate him. Some of the students were
very poor. It seems likely that a would-be clerk attached
himself to a master or scholar as a servant in return for
teaching in the "kunnyng of writyng" and perhaps other
knowledge--
"This endenture bereth witnesse that I, John Swanne, the sone
of John Swanne of Bridlington, in the counte of Yorke, have putte
me servante unto William Osbarne, forto serve him undir the
foorme of a servante for te terme of iiii. yere, and the seide
William Osbarne forto enfoorme the seide John Swann in the
kunnyng of writyng, and the seide John Swann forto have the first
yere of te seide William Osbarne iijs. iiijd. in money, and ij.
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