peter [pairs] of hosen, and ij. scherts [shirts] and iiij. peire
schoon [pairs of shoes], and a gowne, and in the secunde yeere
xiijs. iiijd., and in the iij. yere xxs. and a gowne, and in the
iiij. yeere xls. And in the witnesse hereof, etc." (1456).[1]
[1] Mun. Acad., 665. Cf. p. 661.
Mr. Anstey points out that a very large number,
probably the majority of scholars, were not well provided
for. They eked out their precarious allowances by begging,
by learning handicrafts, and by "picking up the various
doles at funerals and commemoration masses, where such
needy miserables were always to be found."[1] Such students
would not be likely to have many or perhaps any books.
"The stock of books possessed by the YOUNGER scholars seems
to have been almost nil. The inventories of goods, which we
possess, in the case of non-graduates contain hardly any
books. The fact is that they mostly could not afford to
buy them.... The chief source of supplying books was by
purchase from the University sworn stationers, who had to
a great extent a monopoly, the object of which was to
prevent the sale and removal from Oxford of valuable
books.
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