1414: John Neuton and the Re-Foundation of York Minster Library

Item uolo et lego filiabus eiusdem Thome fratris mei cuilibet earum duocecim discos de argento pro ipsis maritandis. Et si aliquam earum antequam maritetur mori contigerit, uolo quod porcio morientis uiuentibus integraliter et equaliter accrescat, ita quod si unica filia aliis, ut predicitur, mortuis superuixit, porcio duarum sororum suarum illi superuiuenti integraliter accrescat et eidem cum maritata fuerit plene liberetur. Quod si dicte tres filie antequam maritentur obierint, tunc uolo et ordino quod omnes dicti disci de argento inter filios dicti Thome fratris mei legitime procreatos equali porcione diuidentur et eisdem in eorum relauamen preleuare liberentur. Et preterea uolo quod usque ad tempus congruum pro maritandis filiabus supradictis seu aliqua de eisdem maritandis ordinatum, dispositum seu statutum, dicti disci custodiantur in eadem cista et per easdem personas, in qua libri legati filiis fratris mei antedicti reponuntur, et que persone habent custodiam ciste supradicte. Item uolo quod Ricardus de Norton iusticiarius habeat duas pecias argenti cum litteris S insculptis in cooperculo earumdem. Item uolo quod uicarii ecclesie cathedralis Eboracensis pro salute anime mee et omnium fidelium defunctorum habeant centum solidos pro debitis suis soluendis et in reparacionibus edificiorum suorum solummodo expendendos. Item uolo quod Robertus Lowther habeat decem marcas uel plus secundum discrecionem executorum meorum.

Item uolo quod Iohannes Esschewold habeat unum Corpus iuris ciuilis, uidelicet unum paruum uolumen Digestum uetus, Digestum nouum, Digestum inforciatum, unum Codicem et Bartholum super Digestum uetus, insuper et pro inuencione sua per biennum. Item uolo quod Robertus Hambald habeat paruum uolumen Digestum uetus, Summam Azonis super Codicem Compostellanum, Innocentium abbreuiatum et Casus Digesti ueteris et Digesti noui in uno uolumine. Et item uolo quod collegium sacti Petri Cantibrigensis habeat libros subscriptos, uidelicet Librum Sentenciarum, Crisostomum Operis imperfecti, Ieronomum super interpretaciones hebraicorum nominum, epistolas beati Bernardi, Historiam tripertitam, librum Valerii Maximi, libros Senece et epistulas eiusdem in uno uolumine,  tabulas eiusdem in quaternis, declamaciones Senece cum glosis Nicholai Treuette super easdem in uno uolumine ; item Boecium, De consolacione philosophie cum exposicione eiusdem secundum Nicholaum Treuette, Macrobium De saturnalibus, Floriacensem, Sextum Iulium et Vigecium De re militari in uno uolumine, Summam Collacionum, Walas, Cassiodorum, Bellum Troianum, Egidium De regime principum, Alanum De planctu nature.

Item uolo quod dominus Nicholaus senescallus meus habeat psalterium glosatum, Pupillam oculi et Bartholomeum De casibus consciencie et I peciam albam cum suo cooperculo. Item uolo quod dominus Walterius capellanus meus habeat unam Bibleam cum rubeo cooperculo et paruum portiforium meum de usu Eboracensi. Item uolo quod Robertus Polayne habeat librum Summarum et librum De ueritatibus theologie. Item uolo quod dominus Willielmus Flaxton non habeat peciam legatam sibi in testamento meo sed aliam iuxta discrecionem executorum meorum. Item uolo quod Monasterium beate Marie Eboracense habeat nauem meam uocatam Barge si bona mea sufficiant ad complecionem uoluntatis mee, et magnum plumbum uocatum Fournace stans apud Popilton in manerio dicti domini abbatis.

Likewise I wish and bequeath to each of the daughters of the same Thomas my brother twelve dishes of silver in order that they may be married. And if any of them will happen to die before being married, I wish that the part of the deceased will be wholly and equally apportioned to the other living, so that if just one daughter will survive, as said above, after the death of the others the part of her two sisters will be wholly apportioned and fully given to the surviving one when she will be married. And if these three aforementioned daughters should die before getting married, then I wish and order that all these silver dishes will be divided in equal parts among the sons of legitimate birth of my brother Thomas and will be made available to be taken by them for their own upkeep. And besides this I wish that until the due time set, arranged and appointed to marry the aforementioned daughters or any of them, the aforementioned dishes will be guarded in the same chest and by the same persons, in which the books bequeathed to the sons of my aforementioned brother will be placed, and these persons will have the custody of the aforementioned chest. Likewise I wish that Richard of Norton justiciar should have two cups of silver with the letter S engraved on their covers. Likewise I wish that the vicars of the cathedral church of York for my salvation and of all faithful departed should have one hundred coins to be spent just to pay their debts and the repair of their buildings. Likewise I wish that Robert Lowther should have ten marks or more according to the discretion of my executors.

Likewise I wish that John Esschewold should have one Corpus iuris civilis, namely one small volume of the Digestum uetus, the Digestum nouum, the Digestum inforciatum, one Codex, and furthermore Bartolus on the Digestum uetus, for him to have for two years. Likewise I wish that Robert Hambald should have a small volume of the Digestum nouum, the Summa by Azzo on the Codex, the Compostellanum, Innocentius abridged, and the Casus on the old and Digestum nouum in one volume. And likewise I wish that Peterhouse College in Cambridge should have the volumes mentioned below, namely the Liber sentenciarum, Chrysostomus of Opus imperfectum, Jerome, the letters of the blessed Bernard, the Historia Tripertita, the book of Valerius Maximus, the books of Seneca and the letters of the same in one volume, his tables in quaternions, the declamations of Seneca with the glosses of Nicholas Trevet on the same in one volume; likewise Boethius’ De consolacione philosophie with the exposition of the same according to Nicholas Trevet, Macrobius on the Saturnalia, the Floriancensis, Sextus Iulius and Vegetius’ De re militari in one volume, the Summa collacionum, Waleys, Cassiodorus, The Trojan War, Giles’ De regime principum, Alanus’ De Planctu Naturae.

Likewise I wish that Sir Nicholas, my seneschal, should have one glossed psalter, Pupilla oculi and Bartholomeus’ De casibus conscientie, and one white cup with its cover. Likewise I wish that my chaplain Sir Walter should have one Bible with a red cover and a small breviary of mine for the use of York. Likewise I wish that Robert Polayne should have the book of the Summae and the book De veritatibus theologie. Likewise I wish that Sir William Flaxton should not have the cup bequeathed in my testament, but another according to the discretion of my executors. Likewise I wish that the monastery of the blessed Mary of York should have my ship called Barge, if my goods will be enough to the completion of my will, and the forge called Fournace located in Poppleton in the manor of the aforementioned abbot.