AUDITS AND REPLACEMENTS IN THE PARKER LIBRARY: 1590-1650

In January 1575 Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, made final arrangements for a large part of his library to pass into the keeping of his old college, Corpus Christi, Cambridge, after his death, which sadly took place some months later. Wise in the ways of Cambridge colleges, he insisted on an annual audit of books. Two other societies, Gonville and Caius and Trinity Hall, took part in the programme. Their representatives were to check the books annually on or near 6 August, and to require the Master and Fellows of Corpus Christi to make good losses caused per eorum supinam negligent "iam ' 'through their own idle neglect'. The terms of reference included: