wish we knew very much more. He suggests to us enthusiasm
for his cause, and energy and foresight in labouring for it.
Naturally, Aldhelm's writings have gained him far more
attention in literary histories than the Northumbrian has
received. But the influence of Benedict, a man of much
learning, wide-travelled, was at least as great and as far-
reaching Lerins, the great centre of monachism in Gaul,
and Canterbury under Theodore, had been his schools. On
six occasions he flitted back and forth to Rome, and to go
to Rome, in those days, was a liberal education, both in
worldly and spiritual affairs. Not a little of his influence
was the direct outcome of his book-collecting. From all
his journeys to Rome he is said to have returned laden
with books. He certainly came back from his fourth
journey with a great number of books of all kinds.[2] He
also obtained books at Vienne. His sixth and last journey
to Rome was wholly devoted to collecting books, classical
as well as theological. When he died he left instructions
for the preservation of the most noble and rich library he had
gathered together.[3] "If we consider how difficult, fatiguing,
. . . even dangerous a journey between the British Islands
and Italy must have been in those days of anarchy and
barbarism, we can appreciate the intensity of Benedict's
passion for beautiful and costly volumes."[4] The library he
formed was worthy of the labour, we cannot doubt: possibly
was the best then in Britain. It served as the model for
the still more famous collection at York. The scholarship
of Bede, who used it in writing his works, proclaims its
value for literary purposes.[5] Bede tells us he always
applied himself to Scriptural study, and in the intervals of