s
the books that we required. For they well knew that their expectations
of our bounty would not be defrauded, but that ample repayment with
usury was to be found with us.

Nor, finally, did our good fellowship, which aimed to captivate the
affection of all, overlook the rectors of schools and the instructors
of rude boys. But rather, when we had an opportunity, we entered their
little plots and gardens and gathered sweet-smelling flowers from the
surface and dug up their roots, obsolete indeed, but still useful to
the student, which might, when their rank barbarism was digested heal
the pectoral arteries with the gift of eloquence. Amongst the mass of
these things we found some greatly meriting to be restored, which when
skilfully cleansed and freed from the disfiguring rust of age, deserved
to be renovated into comeliness of aspect. And applying in full
measure the necessary means, as a type of the resurrection to come, we
resuscitated them and restored them again to new life and health.

Moreover, we had always in our different manors no small multitude of
copyists and scribes, of binders, correctors, illuminators, and
generally of all who could usefully labour in the service of books.
Finally, all of both sexes and of every rank or position who had any
kind of association with books, could most easily open by their
knocking the door of our heart, and find a fit resting-place in our
affection and favour. In so much did we receive those who brought
books, that the multitude of those who had preceded them did not lessen
the welcome of the after-comers, nor were the favours we had awarded
yesterday prejudicial to those of to-day. Wherefore, ever using all
the persons we have named as a kind of magnets to attract books, we had
the desired accession of the vessels of science and a multitudinous
flight of the finest volumes.

And this is what we undertook to narrate in the present chapter.

CHAPTER IX

HOW, ALTHOUGH WE PREFERRED THE WORKS OF THE ANCIENTS, WE HAVE NOT
CONDEMNED THE STUDIES OF THE MODERNS

Although the novelties of the moderns were never disagreeable to our
desires, who have always cherished with grateful affection those who
devote themselves to study and who add anything either ingenious or
useful to the opinions of our forefathers, yet we have always desired
with more undoubting avidity to investigate the well-tested labours of
the ancients. For whether they had by nature a greater vigour