scripts seem to have been at a discount just
then, for which the invention of printing may be to some extent
responsible; their mercantile value was small; private collectors were
few. So the monastic libraries perished, save a few hundred manuscripts
which have survived to give us an imperfect notion of what the rest were
like.

How great the loss was, has probably been recorded by more than one
writer; but for the moment I can think of nothing more graphic than the
words of that bitter protestant John Bale, a contemporary who had seen the
old libraries, and knew their value. After lamenting that "in turnynge
ouer of y^e superstycyouse monasteryes so lytle respect was had to theyr
lybraryes for the sauegarde of those noble and precyouse monumentes" (the
works of ancient writers), he states what ought to have been done, and
what really happened.

Neuer had we bene offended for the losse of our
lybraryes beynge so many in nombre and in so desolate
places for the most parte, yf the chiefe monumentes and
moste notable workes of our excellent wryters had bene
reserued.

If there had bene in every shyre but one solempne
lybrary, to the preseruacyon of those noble workes, it
had bene yet sumwhat. But to destroy all without
consydyracyon is and wyll be vnto Englande for euer a
moste horryble infamy amonge the graue senyours of other
nacyons. A greate nombre of them whych purchased those
superstycyouse mansyons, reserued of those bokes some to
... scoure theyr candelstyckes, and some to rubbe theyr
bootes. Some they sold to the grossers and sopesellers,
and some they sent ouer see to the boke bynders, not in
small nombre, but at times whole shyppes full, to the
wonderynge of the foren nacyons. I know a merchaunt man
which shall at this tyme be namelesse, that boughte the
contentes of two noble lybraryes for. xl. shyllynges
pryce, a shame it is to be spoken. This stuffe hath he
occupyed in the stede of graye paper by the space of
more than these .x. yeares, and yet he hath store ynough
for many yeares to come[443].

The Universities, though untouched by the suppression, were not allowed to
remain long at peace. In 1549, commissioners were sent by Edward the Sixth
to Oxford and Cambridge. They considered that it fell within their
province to reform the libraries as well as those who used them; and they
did their work with a thoroug