L3 for the librarian; the other books,
together with those from the University Chest, were to be chained to the
desks for the general use of the students. It was soon found necessary to
exclude the 'noisy rabble': and permission to work in the library was
restricted to graduates of eight years' standing. Richard de Bury had
warned the world in his chapter upon the handling of books, how hardly
could a raw youth be made to take care of a manuscript; the student,
according to the great bibliophile, would treat a book as roughly as if
it were a pair of shoes, would stick in straws to keep his place, or
stuff it with violets and rose-leaves, and would very likely eat fruit or
cheese over one page and set a cup of ale on the other. An impudent boy
would scribble across the text, the copyist would try his pen on a blank
space, a scullion would turn the pages with unwashed hands, or a thief
might cut out the fly-leaves and margins to use in writing his letters;
'and all these various negligences,' he adds, 'are wonderfully injurious
to books.'

A generous benefactor gave a copy of De Lyra's 'Commentaries,' which was
set upon a desk in St. Mary's Chancel for reference. A large gift of
books came from Richard Courteney, the Chancellor of the University; and
as a mark of gratitude he was allowed free access to the library during
the rest of his life. Among the other benefactors whose good deeds are
still commemorated we find King Henry IV., who helped to complete the
library, his successor Henry V., who contributed to its endowment as
Prince of Wales, and his brothers John Duke of Bedford and Humphrey Duke
of Gloucester; and the roll of a later date includes the names of Edmund
Earl of March, Philip Repington Bishop of Lincoln, and the munificent
Archbishop Arundel.

The good Duke Humphrey has been called 'the first founder of the
University Library.' We know from the records of that time that his
gifts were acknowledged to be 'an almost unspeakable blessing.' He sent
in all about three hundred volumes during his life, which were placed in
the chests of Cobham's Library as they arrived, to be transferred to the
new Divinity Schools as soon as room could be made for the whole
collection. He had intended to bequeath as many more by way of an
additional endowment, but died intestate: and there was a considerable
delay before the University could procure the fulfilment of his
charitable design. When the books at last arrived 'the ge