suburbs. A yearly account was to be taken of the books in store, and
of the current securities; and if any profit should come to the wardens'
hands it was to be applied to the maintenance of the library.

When the Bishop died some of his books went back to Durham; but the monks
were generous towards the hall, and on several occasions sent fresh
supplies to Oxford. It may also be observed that some of his best MSS.
were returned to the Abbey of St. Alban's. He had bought about thirty
volumes from a former abbot for fifty pounds weight of silver; but the
monks had continually protested against a transaction which they believed
to be illegal, and on Richard's death some of the books were given back,
and others were purchased by Abbot Wentmore from his executors.

De Bury's generous care for learning was imitated in several quarters. A
few years after his death the Lady Elizabeth de Burgh made a bequest of a
small but very costly library to her College of Clare Hall at Cambridge.
Guy Earl of Warwick about the same time gave a collection of illuminated
romances to the monks of Bordesley. John de Newton in the next generation
divided his collection of classics, histories, and service-books, between
St. Peter's College at Cambridge and the Minster at York, where he had
acted for some years as treasurer. The lending-library at Durham Hall
was the only provision for the public, with the exception of a few
volumes kept in the 'chest with four keys' at St. Mary's. Thomas Cobham,
Bishop of Worcester, had long been anxious to show his filial love for
the University: as early as the year 1320 he had begun to prepare a room
for a library 'over the old congregation-house in the north churchyard of
St. Mary's'; and, though the work was left incomplete, he gave all his
books by will to be placed at the disposal of the whole body of scholars.
Owing to disputes that arose between the University and the College to
which Cobham had belonged, the gift did not take effect until 1367. The
University Library was established in the upper room, which was used as a
Convocation House in later times; it is said not to have been completely
furnished until the year 1409, more than eighty years after the date of
the Bishop's benefaction. According to the first statute for the
regulation of Cobham's Library, the best of the books were to be sold so
as to raise a sum of L40, which according to the current rate of interest
would produce a yearly income of