nd so on, from
year to year. If there should happen to be more books than
persons, those that remain are to be selected in the same
manner.

Bishop Bateman--who had been educated in the priory at Norwich, and whose
brother was an abbot--gave statutes to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in 1350,
with similar provisions, and the addition that certain books "are to
remain continuously in the library-chamber, fastened with iron chains, for
the common use of the Fellows." These were copied by Wykeham at New
College, Oxford, but with extended provisions for lending books to
students, and a direction that all the books "which remain unassigned
after the Fellows have made their selection are to be fastened with iron
chains, and remain for ever in the common Library." This statute was
repeated at King's College, Cambridge, and at several colleges in Oxford.

Let me now remind you of Archbishop Lanfranc's statute for English
Benedictines, dated 1070, which was based, as he himself tells us, on the
general monastic practice of his time:

On the Monday after the first Sunday in Lent, before brethren
come into the Chapter House, the librarian (_custos librorum_)
shall have had a carpet laid down, and all the books got
together upon it, except those which a year previously had
been assigned for reading. These brethren are to bring with
them, when they come into the Chapter House, each his book in
his hand....

Then the librarian shall read a statement as to the manner in
which brethren have had books during the past year. As each
brother hears his name pronounced he is to give back the book
which had been entrusted to him for reading; and he whose
conscience accuses him of not having read the book through
which he had received, is to fall on his face, confess his
fault, and entreat forgiveness.

The librarian shall then make a fresh distribution of books,
namely, a different volume to each brother for his reading.

You will agree with me, I feel sure, that this statute, or similar
provisions extracted from other regulations, is the source of the
collegiate provisions for an annual audit and distribution of books; while
the reservation of the undistributed volumes, and their chaining for
common use in a library, was in accordance with the unwritten practice of
the monasteries. This being the case I think that we are justified in
assuming that the internal fitt