ng literary man, who, when asked if he had read "Pendennis"
replied, "No--I never read books--I write them." Every scribe was
also a reader. There was a regular system of lending books from
the central store. A librarian was in charge, and every monk was
supposed to have some book which he was engaged in reading "straight
through" as the Rule of St. Benedict enjoins, just as much as the one
which he was writing. As silence was obligatory in the scriptorium
and library, as well as in the cloisters, they were forced to apply
for the volumes which they desired by signs. For a general work,
the sign was to extend the hand and make a movement as if turning
over the leaves of a book. If a Missal was wanted, the sign of the
cross was added to the same form; for a Gospel, the sign of the
cross was made upon the forehead, while those who wished tracts to
read, should lay one hand on the mouth and the other on the stomach;
a Capitulary was indicated by the gesture of raising the clasped
hands to heaven, while a Psalter could be obtained by raising the
hands above the head in the form of a crown. As the good brothers
were not possessed of much religious charity, they indicated a
secular book by scratching their ears, as dogs are supposed to
do, to imply the suggestion that the infidel who wrote such a book
was no better than a dog!

This extract is made from a book in one of the early monastic libraries.
"Oh, Lord, send the blessing of thy Holy Spirit upon these books,
that, cleansing them from all earthly things, they may mercifully
enlighten our hearts, and give us true understanding, and grant
that by their teaching they may brightly preserve and make a full
abundance of good works according to Thy will." The books were
kept in cupboards, with doors; in the Customs of the Augustine
Priory of Barnwell, these directions are given: "The press in which
the books are kept ought to be lined with wood, that the damp of
the walls may not moisten or stain the books. The press should be
divided vertically as well as horizontally, by sundry partitions,
on which the books may be ranged so as to be separated from one
another, for fear they be packed so close as to injure one another,
or to delay those who want them."

We read of the "chained books" of the Middle Ages, and I think
there is a popular belief that this referred to the fact that the
Bible was kept in the priest's hands, and chained so that the people
should not be able to rea