Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Illпшiпation of Books

329

it is said tЬat " six hOl'scs could ,vith difficulty beal' tЬе burden of them ! " Tl1e ,vol'k of each scriptoгium was devoted first to the coшpletion of the libl'a1·y of the individual monastery, and after that, to otl1el' Ьouses, or to such pat1·011s as we1·e rich enougl1 to ol'deг books to Ье tl'aпscl'ibed fш their о,vп use. ТЬе libгal'y of а monaste1-y was as mucl1 а fcature as tЬе scгiptoriшn. ТЬе monks ,vere not likc the risi11g literary шаn, ,vlю, wЬсп asked if he had l'ead " Pcndeпnis " replied, " No - I never l'ead books - I wгite theш." Eve1·y scl'ibe ,vas also а readei·. Тl1еге was а гegulaг systeш of le11diпg books f1·ош thc central stoгe. А libгarian ,vas in charge, and еvегу monk ,vas sнpposed to have some book ,vhich he was engaged iп reading " stгaight tl1l'ougЬ " as the Rule of St. Benedict enjoins, just as шuch as tЬе one wЬich he ,vas writing. As silence was oЫigatOl'y in the scгiptOl'ium and libraгy, as ,vell as in the cloisters, tЬеу ,vеге foгced to apply fог the volumes ,vhich tl1ey desiгed Ьу signs. FOl' а geпel'al work, the sign ,vas to exteшl thc Ьапd and make а moveшeпt as if turпing ove1· tЬе leaves of а book. If а Missal ,vas wanted, tl1e sign of thc c1·oss was added to the sаше form; f 01' а Gospel, tЬе sign of the cгoss ,vas made uроп tЬе forehead, ,vЬile tlюse wlю wished tгacts to геаd, slюuld lay one haпd on the шонth апd tЬе othe1· on tl1c stoшach; а Capitulal'y was indicated Ьу tl1e gesture of raising the clasped Ьапds to heaveп, while а Psalter could Ье oЬtained Ьу 1·aising tЬе. Ьands above the Ьеаd iп the form of а crown. As the good brotl1ers