It may also be observed that some of his best MSS.
were returned to the Abbey of St. Alban's. He had bought about thirty
volumes from a former abbot for fifty pounds weight of silver; but the
monks had continually protested against a transaction which they believed
to be illegal, and on Richard's death some of the books were given back,
and others were purchased by Abbot Wentmore from his executors.
De Bury's generous care for learning was imitated in several quarters. A
few years after his death the Lady Elizabeth de Burgh made a bequest of a
small but very costly library to her College of Clare Hall at Cambridge.
Guy Earl of Warwick about the same time gave a collection of illuminated
romances to the monks of Bordesley. John de Newton in the next generation
divided his collection of classics, histories, and service-books, between
St. Peter's College at Cambridge and the Minster at York, where he had
acted for some years as treasurer. The lending-library at Durham Hall
was the only provision for the public, with the exception of a few
volumes kept in the 'chest with four keys' at St. Mary's. Thomas Cobham,
Bishop of Worcester, had long been anxious to show his filial love for
the University: as early as the year 1320 he had begun to prepare a room
for a library 'over the old congregation-house in the north churchyard of
St. Mary's'; and, though the work was left incomplete, he gave all his
books by will to be placed at the disposal of the whole body of scholars.
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