Moreover, every year the aforesaid keepers shall render an
account to the Master of the House and two of his scholars whom
he shall associate with himself, or if he shall not be at
leisure, he shall appoint three inspectors, other than the
keepers, who shall peruse the catalogue of books, and see that
they have them all, either in the volumes themselves or at least
as represented by deposits. And the more fitting season for
rendering this account we believe to be from the First of July
until the festival of the Translation of the Glorious Martyr S.
Thomas next following.
We add this further provision, that anyone to whom a book has
been lent, shall once a year exhibit it to the keepers, and
shall, if he wishes it, see his pledge. Moreover, if it chances
that a book is lost by death, theft, fraud, or carelessness, he
who has lost it or his representative or executor shall pay the
value of the book and receive back his deposit. But if in any
wise any profit shall accrue to the keepers, it shall not be
applied to any purpose but the repair and maintenance of the
books.
CHAPTER XX
AN EXHORTATION TO SCHOLARS TO REQUITE US BY PIOUS PRAYERS
Time now clamours for us to terminate this treatise which we have
composed concerning the love of books; in which we have
endeavoured to give the astonishment of our contemporaries the
reason why we have loved books so greatly. But because it is
hardly granted to mortals to accomplish aught that is not rolled
in the dust of vanity, we do not venture entirely to justify the
zealous love which we have so long had for books, or to deny that
it may perchance sometimes have been the occasion of some venial
negligence, albeit the object of our love is honourable and our
intention upright.
Pages:
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94