The Love of Books Quotes

“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, The Love of Books: The Philobiblon of Richard de Bury

“In books I meet the dead as if they were alive
in books I see what is yet to come...
All things decay and pass in time...
All fame would fall into oblivion
if God had not given mortal men the book to aid them”
― Richard de Bury, The Love of Books: The Philobiblon of Richard de Bury

“Books appear to be the most immediate instruments of speculative delight.”
― Richard de Bury, The Love of Books: The Philobiblion of Richard de Bury

“Again, all who are smitten with the love of books think cheaply of the world and wealth; as Jerome says to Vigilantius: The same man cannot love both gold and books.”
― Richard de Bury, Philobiblon: A Treatise on the Love of Books

“Cartile ne incanta cand belsugul ne surade si ne aduc alinare in vremile de restriste. Intaresc hotararile lumesti, sprijina orice judecata neinfricata. Mestesugurile si stiintele, ale caror virtuti greu sunt de inchipuit, tot pe carti se intemeiaza. Cat este de mareata mirabila putere a cartilor, de vreme ce printr-insele ne este noua cu putinta a intrezari hotarele cele de pe urma ale lumii si ale vremilor, cele ce se afla si cele ce nu se afla, aproape pironind cautatura in oglinda vesniciei!”
― Richard de Bury, Philobiblon (Classic Reprint): A Treatise on the Love of Books

“Come insegna Seneca ammaestrando i suoi discepoli, l'ozio senza le lettere è la morte e la tomba dell'uomo mentre ancora vive; così, per la ragione opposta, ne deduciamo che la frequentazione delle lettere e dei libri è per l'uomo la vita.”
― Richard de Bury, The Love of Books: The Philobiblon of Richard de Bury

“A dire il vero, quei laici che guardano un libro piegandolo a rovescio, come se fosse quello il suo verso normale, sono indegni di avere contatti con libri di qualsiasi genere.”
― Richard de Bury, The Love of Books: The Philobiblon of Richard de Bury