Overdue Book Fines in the Middle Ages.

Thompson’s classic The Medieval Library informs us that, among the moldering libraries of the pagan world a Christian one had sprung up in 2^nd century Alexandria.[1] The collection, as best we can discern it, at the distance of nearly two millennia, began with the works of Philo and grew with the works of those who followed him. This established the Hellenic tradition of Christianity.

It is perhaps impossible to determine whether this so-called Catechetical School library came to be considered part of the Great Library of Alexandria. But as the library was degraded by various parties, until the Christian Fundamentalists partially destroyed it in 391 C.E. and Muslim conquerors finished it off in the 7^th century by using the books as fuel  for the hypocausts that heated the city’s public baths,[2] the copies of the Christian books survived in various monastic corners. Ironically, as Muslim invaders became more sophisticated it was they who preserved what was left of the works of the classical world.

As the Christians grew more sophisticated in their own turn, they began to arrange those books in the various corners into monastic libraries. Especially in Ireland and England. Generally in closed bookcases (armaria, armarioli).

They began to make aesthetically stunning copies of the books in their possession to exchange for others they did not have. As monastic life became more sophisticated still, the largest of those monasteries sought out great secular works in order to enhance their libraries and to expand the range of their mental worlds.

By the end of the 6^th century we begin to find more frequent references to church libraries. In the 7^th even the beginnings of a Papal library. The book and copy trades were revived in Rome. There are many tantalizing hints of libraries in the larger episcopal cities in Europe. What is obvious, in reading the details of this history, is just how difficult it was to recover even part of the written works upon which Western Civilization was  founded.

By the 10^th century certain cathedrals and monasteries began to be famed for their libraries. Clerics traveled to them to read the volumes that could be found there and in few other far flung places. Those clerics might be allowed to copy the book they sought in order to take the copy back to the library of their own cathedral or monastery.

It took quite a long time to copy a book, however, and the host monastery might not have accommodations for traveling monks over months of time. Vellum, ink, and leather for covers were also quite expensive.

Perhaps surprisingly, lending books to other institutions became credited as a particularly meritorious form of charity in light of the logistical problems of sending wandering scholar-monks and hoping to get them and the books they might have copied back again. “Surprisingly,” we say, because all but books of daily practice were painstakingly handmade by fine craftsmen. They were among the most precious items of chattel property.

If we theorize that this charity was so commonly practiced because it was without risk given the honest nature of the clergy we would find considerable evidence to the contrary. Honest borrowers or not, many records show that those rare, precious books often slipped the mind of the borrower or seemed to disappear altogether. The numerous overdue notices that survive to our day make the case.

Also very much to the point are the notices left inside the front covers of the books in libraries driven to the last extreme by epidemics of overdue books. The monastery church at Dunham, in England, has left us some fine examples.

In a volume of Thomas Aquinas, B. L 10, it is written,[3]

Lib. Sti. Cuthberti de Dunelm. ex procuratione fratris Roberti de Graystan', quem qui alienaverit, maledictionem Sanctorum Mariae, Oswaldi, Cuthberti et Benedicti incurrat.

Book of St. Cuthbert of Durham under the care of brother Robert of Graystan, he who might alienate it, incurs the curse of Holy Mary, Oswald, Cuthbert and Benedict.

While alienaverit might be translated as “might remove,” that doesn’t quite get at it. The reference is to removing the volume permanently from its lawfully assigned place.

Surely, a neat index code followed by the curse of so many saints tells us something. A garden variety curse from a holy saint, however, was not generally considered sufficient: “prefixed to a volume of Cassianus, cum 17 aliis Tractatibus, B. III. 8., we read,”

Liber Sci. Cuthberti de Dunelm. ex procuratione fratris Ricardi de Elton assignatus Communi armariolo. Qui alienaverit a Claustro anathema sit.

Book of St. Cuthbert of Dunelm. by the charge of brother Richard of Elton, assigned to the common bookcases. Let him who alienates it from the cloister suffer anathema

Anathema! Now that’s an overdue book fine!

In bookcase C., at II. 2, we find a gift given to the monastery by one Brother Gilbert.

Decretales novae, ex dono Fratris Gilberti de Shyrburn, communi armariolo Dunelmensi,extra claustrum nemini accommodandae. Cum quibus continentur omnes Constitutiones Novae una cum Constitutionibus Domini Octoboni Angliae Legati, cum multis aliis. Quicunque alienaverit Anathema sit.

New Decretals, as a gift from Brother Gilbert from Sherburn, the common bookcase of Durham, to be loaned to no one outside the cloister. With these are contained all the New Constitutions together with the Constitutions of the Eighth Embassy of England, among many others. Upon whoever might alienate it anathema.

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[1] Thompson, James Westfall. The Medieval Library (1923). 15.

[2] Ellens, J. Harold. The Ancient Library of Alexandria and Early Christian Theological Development. 10.

[3] Catalogues of the Library of Durham Cathedral, at Various Periods (Surtees Society, 1838). xxxv.-xxxvi.

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