Richard de Bury facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard de Bury
Bishop of Durham
Mandorla-shaped seal of Richard de Bury, Bishop of Durham. The Latin inscription is: S(igillum) Ricardi dei grat(ia) Dunelmensis epi(scopus) ("seal of Richard, by the grace of God Bishop of Durham"). Arms of King Edward III on either side
Appointed	February 1333
Reign ended	14 April 1345
Predecessor	Lewis de Beaumont
Successor	Thomas Hatfield
Personal details
Born	24 January 1287 near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Died	14 April 1345 (aged 58) Bishop Auckland, Durham, England
Denomination	Catholic

Richard de Bury (born 24 January 1287 – died 14 April 1345) was an important English priest, teacher, and bishop. He was also known as Richard Aungerville. Richard de Bury loved books very much and was one of the first English people to collect them. He is best known for his book called Philobiblon. This book encouraged priests to learn and to love books. The Philobiblon is seen as one of the earliest books to talk a lot about how to manage a library.

Richard de Bury's Early Life

Richard de Bury was born in 1287 near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, England. His father was Sir Richard Aungervyle. His family had a long history, with an ancestor who fought with William the Conqueror.

When Richard was young, his father passed away. His uncle, John de Willoughby, helped educate him. After finishing grammar school, Richard went to the University of Oxford. There, he studied important subjects like philosophy and theology. It's sometimes said he was a monk, but he was actually a priest. He became a teacher to the future King Edward III. Richard de Bury shared his love for books with the young prince.

Working for the King

Richard de Bury became involved in the events before King Edward II lost his throne. He helped Queen Isabella and her ally, Roger Mortimer, with money in 1325. He had to hide in Paris for a while because King Edward II's officers were looking for him.

When Edward III became king, Richard de Bury was quickly promoted. He held several important jobs for the king. He was the king's cofferer from 1327 to 1328. Then he became treasurer of the wardrobe from 1328 to 1329. In 1329, he was made Lord Privy Seal.

King Edward III often recommended Richard to the Pope. He sent him as an ambassador to the Pope's court in Avignon twice. During his first visit in 1330, he met Petrarch, a famous Italian poet. Petrarch also loved books and thought Richard de Bury was very curious about hidden knowledge.

Becoming a Bishop

While Richard de Bury was away from England, he was made Dean of Wells in February 1333. Later that year, in September, King Edward III chose him to be the Bishop of Durham. The monks of Durham had chosen someone else, but the king's decision was final.

In February 1334, Richard de Bury became Lord Treasurer. Later that year, he changed roles to become Lord Chancellor. He left this job the next year. He then worked to protect his northern area from attacks by the Scots. In 1336, he went to France to try and settle disagreements between King Edward and the French king.

He continued to work for peace and defense. In 1338, he was sent abroad again for a peace mission. This was likely his last trip to other countries. After 1342, he focused less on politics. He spent his time caring for his diocese and building his amazing library.

Richard de Bury's Love for Books

Richard de Bury was a true book lover. He searched far and wide for old manuscripts. He saved many books that were being ignored by monks who didn't know their value. Sometimes, he might have pressured people to give up their books. For example, an abbot once gave him four valuable books to get special favors for his monastery. Richard also bought 32 other books from him for a very low price.

His passion for books is clearly shown in his famous work, Philobiblon. This Latin book's title means "The Love of Books." He finished writing it in 1344. It was first printed in 1473. The Philobiblon is considered one of the first books to deeply discuss how to manage a library.

The Philobiblon Book

Before he died in 1345, Richard de Bury wrote his collection of essays, the The Philobiblon. He created the word "Philobiblon" from Greek words meaning "love of books." The book was written in Latin, as was common then, and has twenty chapters.

In these essays, he talks about collecting books and how to care for them. He also discusses the "advantages of loving books." He even writes about how wars can destroy books. In the book, Richard de Bury states that "the same man cannot love both gold and books."

In Chapter VII, called "The Complaint of Books against Wars," he writes:

ALMIGHTY AUTHOR AND LOVER OF PEACE, scatter the nations that delight in war, which is above all plagues injurious to books. For wars being without the control of reason make a wild assault on everything they come across, and, lacking the check of reason they push on without discretion or distinction to destroy the vessels of reason.

Richard de Bury didn't just write about peace; he worked for it. As a diplomat, he tried to bring peace to the kingdom. He was sometimes successful, like with Scotland. Other times, he was not, as with France at the start of the Hundred Years' War.

One very interesting part of Philobiblon is Chapter XIX. It's called "Of the Manner of lending all our Books to Students." Here, de Bury describes how books were lent out to students at the college. He even mentions using an "open-stack" system sometimes. This was different from the common "closed-stack" system where books were kept locked away.

Richard de Bury's Legacy

Richard de Bury wanted to create a special library at University of Oxford. He planned for his books to be the main collection there. He even made rules for lending and caring for the books. He had started to set up this new library.

However, Richard de Bury died in 1345 at Bishop Auckland. He passed away without much money. It seems his large book collection was sold or given away soon after his death. It was traditionally thought that his books went to the Durham Benedictines at Durham College, Oxford. But records suggest this might not have happened. A library was not built at Durham College until 70 years after his death.

Today, only two books from his collection are known to still exist. One is a copy of John of Salisbury's works at the British Museum. The other is a collection of theological writings at the Bodleian Library.

Many learned people were supported by Richard de Bury. These included Thomas Bradwardine, who became Archbishop of Canterbury, and Walter Burley, who translated the works of Aristotle.

Some people have wondered if Richard de Bury actually wrote the Philobiblon himself. Some old copies of the book say it was written by Robert Holkot. However, most scholars believe Richard de Bury was the true author. The book's charm comes from showing the collector's own character. If someone else wrote it, its value would change.

Richard de Bury was described as a kind and excellent man. He was generous in his diocese and supported many scholars. While some accounts say he was only moderately learned, his dedication to books and learning was truly remarkable. The Philobiblon remains his lasting memorial. It shows how much he loved books in a time and place where books were not always appreciated.

Images for kids

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  Seal of Richard de Bury, Bishop of Durham.