The Love of Books. The Philobiblon of Richard De Bury

Richard de Bury, also known as Richard Aungerville, (1287-1345) was an English priest, teacher, bishop, writer and bibliophile. He was a patron of learning and one of the first English collectors of books, and is best remembered for his Philobiblon, written to inculcate in the clergy the pursuit of learning and the love of books. The Philobiblon, a word de Bury created from the Greek meaning 'love of books', is a compilation of his essays originally written in Latin, as was the custom of the day. These essays discuss book collecting, the care of books, the advantages of the love of books, and the vagaries of wars and how they destroy books. Reprinted from the English translation by E C Thomas.