Richard de Bury Quotes

• Books delight us when prosperity smiles upon us; they comfort us inseparably when stormy fortune frowns on us.

  Richard de Bury

  Book, Comfort, Delight

  Richard De Bury (2006). “The Love of Books: The Philobiblon of R”, p.94, Cosimo, Inc.

  46 Copy quote

• In books I find the dead as if they were alive; in books I foresee things to come; in books warlike affairs are set forth; from books come forth the laws of peace. All things are corrupted and decay in time; Saturn ceases not to devour the children that he generates; all the glory of the world would be buried in oblivion, unless God had provided mortals with the remedy of books.

  Richard de Bury

  Children, Book, Law

  Richard De Bury (2006). “The Love of Books: The Philobiblon of R”, p.9, Cosimo, Inc.

  16 Copy quote

• Books are masters who instruct us without rods or ferules, without words or anger, without bread or money.
  If you approach them, they are not asleep; If you seek them, they do not hide;
  If you blunder, they do not scold; if you are ignorant, they do not laugh at you.

  Richard de Bury

  Book, Reading, Laughing

  9 Copy quote

• The library...of wisdom is more precious than all riches, and nothing that can be wished for is worthy to be compared with it. Whosoever therefore acknowledges himself to be a zealous follower of truth, of happiness, of wisdom, of science, or even of faith, must of necessity make himself a lover of books.

  Richard de Bury

  Book, Library, Zealous

  6 Copy quote

• A library of wisdom, then, is more precious than all wealth, and all things that are desirable cannot be compared to it.

  Richard de Bury

  Wealth And Happiness, Library, Zealous

  Richard de Bury (1889). “Philobiblon”

  7 Copy quote

• You, O Books, are the golden vessels of the temple, the arms of the clerical militia with which the missiles of the most wicked are destroyed; fruitful olives, vines of Engaddi, fig-trees knowing no sterility; burning lamps to be ever held in the hand.

  Richard de Bury

  Book, Knowing, Hands

  Richard de Bury (2013). “Philobiblon: A Treatise on the Love of Books”, p.12, Cambridge University Press

  7 Copy quote

• Let us consider how great a commodity of doctrine exists in books; how easily, how secretly, how safely they expose the nakedness of human ignorance without putting it to shame. These are the masters who instruct us without rods and ferules, without hard words and anger, without clothes or money. If you approach them, they are not asleep; if investigating you interrogate them, they conceal nothing; if you mistake them, they never grumble; if you are ignorant, they cannot laugh at you.

  Richard de Bury

  Mistake, Book, Ignorance

  Richard de Bury (2013). “Philobiblon: A Treatise on the Love of Books”, p.11, Cambridge University Press

  8 Copy quote

• Books alone are liberal and free; they give to all who ask; they emancipate all who serve them faithfully.

  Richard de Bury

  Book, Giving, Asks

  5 Copy quote

• All the glory of the world would be buried in oblivion, unless God had provided mortals with the remedy of books.

  Richard de Bury

  Book, Reading, Would Be

  Richard de Bury (1889). “Philobiblon”

  13 Copy quote

• Books appear to be the most immediate instruments of speculative delight.

  Richard de Bury

  Book, Delight, Instruments

  Richard de Bury (2013). “Philobiblon: A Treatise on the Love of Books”, p.15, Cambridge University Press

  4 Copy quote

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