it is called an AEstel of fifty macuses."--_V. Asser a Wise_, 86 to
175; but the meaning of that word is uncertain. The stylus properly
speaking was a small instrument formerly used for writing on waxen
tablets, and made of iron or bone, see _Archaeologia_, vol. ii. p.
75. But waxen tablets were out of use in Alfred's time. The AEstel or
style was most probably an instrument used by the scribes of the
monasteries, if it was not actually a pen. I am more strongly
disposed to consider it so by the evidence of an ancient MS.
illumination of Eadwine, a monk of Canterbury, in Trinity Coll.
Camb.; at the end of this MS. the scribe is represented with a
_metal pen in his hand_.

[242] Vol. i. pp. 54, 55.

[243] Stowe's Annals, 4to. 1615, p. 105.

[244] Cronycle of Englonde with the Fruyte of Tymes, 4to. 1515.

CHAPTER VIII.

_Benedict Biscop and his book
tours.--Bede.--Ceolfrid.--Wilfrid.--Boniface the Saxon
Missionary--His love of books.--Egbert of York.--Alcuin.--Whitby
Abbey.--Caedmon.--Classics in the Library of Withby.--Rievall
Library.--Coventry.--Worcester.--Evesham.--Thomas of Marleberg,
etc._

The venerable Bede enables us to show that in the early Saxon days the
monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow possessed considerable collections of
books. Benedict Biscop, the most enthusiastic bibliomaniac of the age,
founded the monastery of Wearmouth in the year 674, in honor of the "Most
Holy Prince of the Apostles." His whole soul was in the work, he spared
neither pains or expense to obtain artists of well known and reputed
talent to decorate the holy edifice; not finding them at home, he
journeyed to Gaul in search of them, and returned accompanied by numerous
expert and ingenious workmen. Within a year the building was
sufficiently advanced to enable the monks to celebrate divine service
there. He introduced glass windows and other ornaments into his church,
and furnished it with numerous books of all descriptions, _innumerabilem
librorum omnis generis_. Benedict was so passionately fond of books that
he took five journeys to Rome for the purpose of collecting them. In his
third voyage he gathered together a large quantity on divine erudition;
some of these he bought, or received them as presents from his friends,
_vel amicorum dono largitos retulit_. When he arrived at Vienne on his
way home, he collected others which