The Love of Books: The Philobiblon of Richard de Bury
- Pages
- about 89
- Category
- History
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 1.6 h at 250 wpm
From the opening
Richard de Bury (1281-1345), so called from being born near Bury St.
Edmunds, was the son of Sir Richard Aungerville. He studied at Oxford;
and was subsequently chosen to be tutor to Prince Edward of Windsor,
afterwards Edward III. His loyalty to the cause of Queen Isabella and
the Prince involved him in danger. On the accession of his pupil he
was made successively Cofferer, Treasurer of the Wardrobe, Archdeacon
of Northampton, Prebendary of Lincoln, Sarum, and Lichfield, Keeper of
the Privy Purse, Ambassador on two occasions to Pope John XXII, who
appointed him a chaplain of the papal chapel, Dean of Wells, and
ultimately, at the end of the year 1333, Bishop of Durham; the King and
Queen, the King of Scots, and all the magnates north of the Trent,
together with a multitude of nobles and many others, were present at
his enthronization. It is noteworthy that during his stay at Avignon,
probably in 1330, he made the acquaintance of Petrarch, who has left us
a brief account of their intercourse. In 1332 Richard visited
Cambridge, as one of the King's commissioners, to inquire into the
state of the King's Scholars there, and perhaps then became a member of
the Gild of St. Mary--one of the two gilds which founded Corpus Christi
College.
In 1334 he became High Chancellor of England, and Treasurer in 1336,
resigning the former office in 1335, so that he might help the King in
dealing with affairs abroad and in Scotland, and took a most
distinguished part in diplomatic negociations between England and
France. In 1339 he was again in his bishopric. Thereafter his name
occurs often among those appointed to treat of peace with Philip of
France, and with Bruce of Scotland. It appears that he was not in
Parliament in 1344. Wasted by long sickness--longa infirmitate
decoctus--on the 14th of April, 1345, Richard de Bury died at Auckland,
and was buried in Durham Cathedral.
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