bably the idea of
such a piece of furniture was due to a far-off echo of ancient usage. The
official who had charge of the books did not derive his name from them, as
in modern times, but from the presses which contained them--for he was
uniformly styled _armarius_.

As time went on, greater comfort was introduced. The windows of the walk
of the cloister where the presses stood, usually the walk next the Church,
were glazed--and sometimes not merely with white glass, but with mottoes
alluding to the authors whose works were near at hand; while in some
monasteries the elder monks were provided with small wooden studies,
called "carrells." A description of the whole system has been preserved
for us in that curious book _The Rites of Durham_; but it must be
remembered that this represents the customs of the convent just before the
suppression, and therefore gives no idea of the rigour of an earlier time.

_Part of the north walk of the cloister, Durham._

In the north syde of the Cloister, from the corner over
against the Church dour to the corner over againste the Dorter
dour, was all fynely glased from the hight to the sole within
a litle of the grownd into the Cloister garth. And in every
wyndowe iij Pewes or Carrells, where every one of the old
Monks had his carrell, severall by himselfe, that, when they
had dyned, they dyd resort to that place of Cloister, and
there studyed upon there books, every one in his carrell, all
the after nonne, unto evensong tyme. This was there exercise
every daie.

All there pewes or carrells was all fynely wainscotted and
verie close, all but the forepart, which had carved wourke
that gave light in at ther carrell doures of wainscott. And in
every carrell was a deske to lye there bookes on. And the
carrells was no greater then from one stanchell of the wyndowe
to another.

And over against the carrells against the church wall did
stande certaine great almeries [or cupbords] of waynscott all
full of bookes [with great store of ancient manuscripts to
help them in their study], wherein did lye as well the old
auncyent written Doctors of the Church as other prophane
authors with dyverse other holie mens wourks, so that every
one dyd studye what Doctor pleased them best, havinge the
Librarie at all tymes to goe studie in besydes there carrells.

No example of an English monastic book-pre