was not unfrequently thrown open to scholars in general, who were allowed
to borrow books from it, on execution of an indenture, or deposit of a
sufficient pledge. "It is safer to fall back on a pledge, than to proceed
against an individual," said the Customs of the Priory at Abingdon.

In what way were these monastic libraries fitted up? No trace of any
monastic fittings has survived, so far as I am aware, either in England,
or in France, or in Italy; and even M. Viollet-Le-Duc dismisses "The
Library" in a few brief sentences, of which the keynote is despair. My own
view is that a close analogy may be traced between the fittings of
monastic libraries and those of collegiate libraries; and that when we
understand the one we shall understand the other.

The collegiate system was in no sense of the word monastic, indeed it was
to a certain extent established to counteract monastic influence; but it
is absurd to suppose that the younger communities would borrow nothing
from the elder--especially when we reflect that the monastic system had
completed at least seven centuries of successful existence before Walter
de Merton was moved to found a college; that many of the subsequent
founders of colleges were churchmen, if not actually monks; and that there
were monastic colleges at both Universities. Further, as we have seen that
study was specially enjoined upon the monks by S. Benedict, it is
precisely in the direction of study that we should expect to find common
features in the two sets of communities. And this, in fact, is what came
to pass. An examination of the statutes affecting the library in the codes
imposed upon the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge shews that their
provisions were borrowed directly from the monastic Customs. The
resemblances are too striking to be accidental. Take, for instance, this
clause, from the statutes of Oriel College, Oxford, dated 1329:

The common books (_communes libri_) of the House are to be
brought out and inspected once a year, on the feast of the
Commemoration of Souls [2 November], in presence of the
Provost or his deputy, and of the Scholars [Fellows].

Every one of them in turn, in order of seniority, may select a
single book which either treats of the science to which he is
devoting himself, or which he requires for his use. This he
may keep until the same festival in the succeeding year, when
a similar selection of books is to take place, a