St Bartholomew-the-Great
Encyclopedia
The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great is an Anglican church located at West Smithfield
in the City of London
, founded as an Augustinian priory
in 1123 (see St Bartholomew's Hospital
for further details.)
interior in London, which once formed the chancel
of a much larger monastic church. It was established in 1123 by Rahere
, a prebendary
of St Paul's Cathedral
and later an Augustinian canon
, who is said to have erected the church in gratitude after recovering from a fever. Rahere's supposedly miraculous recovery contributed to the church becoming known for its curative powers, with sick people filling its aisles each 24 August, St Bartholomew's
Day.
The church was originally part of a priory
adjoining St Bartholomew's Hospital, but while the hospital survived the Dissolution
about half of the priory church was demolished in 1543. The nave
of the church was pulled down (up to the last bay
) but the crossing
and choir
survive largely intact from the Norman
and later periods and continued in use as the parish church. The entrance to the church from Smithfield now goes into the churchyard through a tiny surviving fragment of the west front, which is now surmounted by a half-timbered Tudor
building. From there to the church door, a path leads along roughly where the south aisle of the nave was. Parts of the cloister
also survive and are now home to small Cafe. Very little trace survives of the rest of the monastic buildings.
The church escaped the Great Fire of London
in 1666, but fell into disrepair, becoming occupied by squatters in the 18th century. It was restored and rebuilt by Aston Webb
in the late 19th century. During Canon Edwin Sidney Savage's tenure as Rector the church was further restored at the cost of more than £60,000.
The Lady Chapel at the east end had been previously used for commercial purposes and it was there that Benjamin Franklin
served a year as journeyman printer
. The north transept had formerly been used as blacksmith's forge. The church was one of relatively few City churches to escape damage during the Second World War. Having been much used, abused and restored over the years the building now presents an interesting and impressive collection of architectures.
The church's name (sometimes shortened to "Great St Barts") is owed to the fact that it is one of two, nearly neighbouring, churches both linked with the hospital and priory and both dedicated to St Bartholomew. The other, inside the hospital precinct, is considerably smaller (hence its naming as St Bartholomew-the-Less
), less architecturally distinguished, and of less obvious historical importance. William Hogarth
was baptised in St Bartholomew's Church in 1697.
The church was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950. In April 2007 St Bartholomew the Great became the first parish church in Britain to charge an entrance fee for tourists.
The oriel window
was installed inside the church of St Bartholomew the Great in the 16th c. by William Bolton, allegedly so that he could spy on the monks. The symbol in the centre panel is a crossbow "bolt" passing through a "tun" (or barrel), a rebus
or pun on the name of the Prior. William Camden
wrote on the matter:
and of some scenes in various others: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
, Shakespeare in Love
, the 1999 film version
of Graham Greene
's 1951 novel The End of the Affair
, Amazing Grace
(2006), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), The Other Boleyn Girl
(2008), and "Sherlock Homes" (2009).
The church also housed the chapel of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor
until 2005.
St Bartholomew the Great is the adopted church of various livery companies and is the setting for their annual religious services: the Worshipful Company of Butchers
(one of the seven oldest livery companies), the Worshipful Company of Founders
(whose hall abuts the church), the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers
(chartered 1448 and no.8 in the order of seniority), the Worshipful Company of Fletchers
, the Worshipful Company of Farriers
(chartered 1674), the Worshipful Company of Farmers
(chartered 1955). The recently established Worshipful Company of Information Technologists
(chartered 1992), Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers
(chartered 2004), and Guild of Public Relations Practitioners
(established 2000) are also associated with St. Bartholomew the Great Priory Church.
St Bartholomew the Great was where the memorial service for William Wallace
was held on the 700th anniversary of the Scottish hero's execution
.
Poet and campaigner John Betjeman
kept a flat opposite the church yard on Cloth Fair. The building is marked by a blue plaque
, and is today owned by the Landmark Trust
.
. Further modifications were made in 1931 by Henry Speechly & Son, 1957 by N.P. Mander and in 1982-83 by Peter Wells. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
The area around the church was also the place for many executions, especially during the reign of Mary Tudor. It said that during the night there is a strong scent of burning flesh.
Smithfield, London
Smithfield is an area of the City of London, in the ward of Farringdon Without. It is located in the north-west part of the City, and is mostly known for its centuries-old meat market, today the last surviving historical wholesale market in Central London...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, founded as an Augustinian priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
in 1123 (see St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a hospital in Smithfield in the City of London, England.-Early history:It was founded in 1123 by Raherus or Rahere , a favourite courtier of King Henry I...
for further details.)
History
The church possesses the most significant NormanNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
interior in London, which once formed the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
of a much larger monastic church. It was established in 1123 by Rahere
Rahere
Rahere was clergyman and a favourite of King Henry I. He is most famous for having founded St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1123....
, a prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
and later an Augustinian canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
, who is said to have erected the church in gratitude after recovering from a fever. Rahere's supposedly miraculous recovery contributed to the church becoming known for its curative powers, with sick people filling its aisles each 24 August, St Bartholomew's
Bartholomew
Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified as Nathaniel . He was introduced to Christ through St. Philip, another of the twelve apostles as per , where the name Nathaniel first appears. He is also mentioned as “Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee” in...
Day.
The church was originally part of a priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
adjoining St Bartholomew's Hospital, but while the hospital survived the Dissolution
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
about half of the priory church was demolished in 1543. The nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
of the church was pulled down (up to the last bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
) but the crossing
Crossing (architecture)
A crossing, in ecclesiastical architecture, is the junction of the four arms of a cruciform church.In a typically oriented church , the crossing gives access to the nave on the west, the transept arms on the north and south, and the choir on the east.The crossing is sometimes surmounted by a tower...
and choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
survive largely intact from the Norman
Norman dynasty
Norman dynasty is the usual designation for the family that were the Dukes of Normandy and the English monarchs which immediately followed the Norman conquest and lasted until the Plantagenet dynasty came to power in 1154. It included Rollo and his descendants, and from William the Conqueror and...
and later periods and continued in use as the parish church. The entrance to the church from Smithfield now goes into the churchyard through a tiny surviving fragment of the west front, which is now surmounted by a half-timbered Tudor
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
building. From there to the church door, a path leads along roughly where the south aisle of the nave was. Parts of the cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
also survive and are now home to small Cafe. Very little trace survives of the rest of the monastic buildings.
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
in 1666, but fell into disrepair, becoming occupied by squatters in the 18th century. It was restored and rebuilt by Aston Webb
Aston Webb
Sir Aston Webb, RA, FRIBA was an English architect, active in the late 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century...
in the late 19th century. During Canon Edwin Sidney Savage's tenure as Rector the church was further restored at the cost of more than £60,000.
The Lady Chapel at the east end had been previously used for commercial purposes and it was there that Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
served a year as journeyman printer
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
. The north transept had formerly been used as blacksmith's forge. The church was one of relatively few City churches to escape damage during the Second World War. Having been much used, abused and restored over the years the building now presents an interesting and impressive collection of architectures.
St Bartholomew-the-Less
St Bartholomew-the-Less is an Anglican church in the City of London. It is the official church of St Bartholomew's Hospital and is located within the hospital grounds.-History:...
), less architecturally distinguished, and of less obvious historical importance. William Hogarth
William Hogarth
William Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects"...
was baptised in St Bartholomew's Church in 1697.
The church was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950. In April 2007 St Bartholomew the Great became the first parish church in Britain to charge an entrance fee for tourists.
Oriel Window
Oriel window
Oriel windows are a form of bay window commonly found in Gothic architecture, which project from the main wall of the building but do not reach to the ground. Corbels or brackets are often used to support this kind of window. They are seen in combination with the Tudor arch. This type of window was...
was installed inside the church of St Bartholomew the Great in the 16th c. by William Bolton, allegedly so that he could spy on the monks. The symbol in the centre panel is a crossbow "bolt" passing through a "tun" (or barrel), a rebus
Rebus
A rebus is an allusional device that uses pictures to represent words or parts of words. It was a favourite form of heraldic expression used in the Middle Ages to denote surnames, for example in its basic form 3 salmon fish to denote the name "Salmon"...
or pun on the name of the Prior. William Camden
William Camden
William Camden was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and officer of arms. He wrote the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and the first detailed historical account of the reign of Elizabeth I of England.- Early years :Camden was born in London...
wrote on the matter:
“It may be doubtful whether Bolton, prior of St. Bartholomew, in Smithfield, was wiser when he invented for his name a bird-bolt through his Tun, or when he built him a house upon Harrow Hill, for fear of an inundation after a great conjunction of planets in the watery triplicity".
Other connections
St Bartholomew the Great church was the location of the fourth wedding in the film Four Weddings and a FuneralFour Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
and of some scenes in various others: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 American adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. Kevin Costner heads the cast list as Robin Hood...
, Shakespeare in Love
Shakespeare in Love
Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 British-American comedy film directed by John Madden and written by Marc Norman and playwright Tom Stoppard....
, the 1999 film version
The End of the Affair (1999 film)
Michael Nyman would later use "Diary of Love" to open and close his solo album, The Piano Sings . As with many of Nyman's 1990s scores, he incorporates material from his String Quartet No.3, which was in turn based on a choral piece titled Out of the Ruins.-Track listing:#Diary of Hate 2:38#Henry...
of Graham Greene
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...
's 1951 novel The End of the Affair
The End of the Affair
The End of the Affair is a novel by British author Graham Greene, as well as the title of two feature films that were adapted for the screen based on the novel....
, Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
(2006), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl is a historical fiction novel written by British author Philippa Gregory, loosely based on the life of 16th-century aristocrat Mary Boleyn. Reviews were mixed; some said it was a brilliantly claustrophobic look at palace life in Tudor England, while others have consistently...
(2008), and "Sherlock Homes" (2009).
The church also housed the chapel of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor
Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor
The Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor was formed in 1908 and received royal recognition in 1912. Its patron is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It is a registered charity and seeks to uphold the dignity of knight bachelor and the rights of the degree of knighthood at all times, to register...
until 2005.
St Bartholomew the Great is the adopted church of various livery companies and is the setting for their annual religious services: the Worshipful Company of Butchers
Worshipful Company of Butchers
The Worshipful Company of Butchers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London, England. Records indicate that an organization of Butchers existed as early as 975; the Butchers' Guild, the direct predecessor of the present Company, was granted the right to regulate the trade in 1331. The...
(one of the seven oldest livery companies), the Worshipful Company of Founders
Worshipful Company of Founders
The Worshipful Company of Founders is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London, England. The Founders, or workers in brass and bronze, were incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1614. However, with the development of technology, the ancient craft grew obsolete. Now, the Company exists,...
(whose hall abuts the church), the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers
Worshipful Company of Haberdashers
The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers is one of the senior Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation, following on from the Mercers' Company, another Livery Company connected with clothing and haberdashery, received a Royal Charter in 1448...
(chartered 1448 and no.8 in the order of seniority), the Worshipful Company of Fletchers
Worshipful Company of Fletchers
The Worshipful Company of Fletchers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London, England. Originally, the Bowyers and Fletchers formed one organisation. However, in 1371, the Fletchers petitioned the Lord Mayor of the City of London to divide into their own Company...
, the Worshipful Company of Farriers
Worshipful Company of Farriers
The Worshipful Company of Farriers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Farriers, or horseshoe makers, organised in 1356. It received a Royal Charter of incorporation in 1674. Over the years, the Company has evolved from a trade association for horseshoe makers into an...
(chartered 1674), the Worshipful Company of Farmers
Worshipful Company of Farmers
The Worshipful Company of Farmers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Company became a Livery Company in 1952, and was granted a Royal Charter three years later. The Farmers' Company supports farming students, and otherwise promotes education in agriculture.The Farmers'...
(chartered 1955). The recently established Worshipful Company of Information Technologists
Worshipful Company of Information Technologists
The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists , aka the Information Technologists' Company , is the 100th Livery Company of the City of London...
(chartered 1992), Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers
Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers
The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers is one of the 108 Livery Companies of the City of London. Its members are professional hackney carriage drivers, including London black taxicab drivers who have learnt the knowledge of London....
(chartered 2004), and Guild of Public Relations Practitioners
Guild of Public Relations Practitioners
The Guild of Public Relations Practitioners is a guild in the City of London. The Guild was formed in 2000 to represent the public relations profession and for charitable purposes.The Guild aims to achieve a grant of livery to become a Livery Company....
(established 2000) are also associated with St. Bartholomew the Great Priory Church.
St Bartholomew the Great was where the memorial service for William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
was held on the 700th anniversary of the Scottish hero's execution
Hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
.
Poet and campaigner John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
kept a flat opposite the church yard on Cloth Fair. The building is marked by a blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
, and is today owned by the Landmark Trust
Landmark Trust
The Landmark Trust is a British building conservation charity, founded in 1965 by Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or architectural merit and then gives them a new life by making them available for holiday rental...
.
Rectors
- John Deane 1544–1563
- Ralph Watson 1565–1569
- Robert Binks 1570–1579
- James Stancliffe M.A. 1580–1581
- John Pratt B.A. 1582–1586
- David Dee M.A. 1587–1605
- Thomas WestfieldThomas WestfieldThomas Westfield was an English churchman, Bishop of Bristol and member of the Westminster Assembly.-Life:He was born in the parish of St. Mary's, Ely, in 1573, and went the free school there. under Master Spight.' He proceeded to Jesus College, Cambridge, where he was elected a scholar, and...
D.D. 1605–1644 - John Garrett M.A.1644-1655
- Randolph Harrison D.D. 1655–1663
- Anthony Burgess M.A. 1663–1709
- John Pountney M.A. 1709–1717
- Thomas Spateman M.A. 1719–1738
- Richard Thomas Bateman 1738–1760
- John Moore M.A. 1761–1768
- Owen Perrot Edwardes M.A. 1768–1814
- John Richards Roberts 1814-1819
- John Abbiss 1819-1883
- William Panckridge 1884-1887
- Borradaile Savory, 2nd BaronetSavory BaronetsTwo Savory baronetcies, both now extinct, were created in 1890 and 1891 respectively.The Savory baronetcy, of The Woodlands, Buckinghamshire, was created in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom on 24 March 1890 for surgeon William Scovell Savory. The second baronet, Sir Borradaile Savory, was...
1887-1906 - William F.G. Sandwith 1907-1929
- Edwin Sidney SavageEdwin Sidney SavageCanon Edwin Sidney Savage MA was an English clergyman.Savage was educated at New College, Eastbourne, University College London and Oxford University Magdalen College, Oxford and was notable for his many achievements, some of which are listed below.He married Jane McEwan who died during birth of...
1929-1944 - Newell E. Wallbank 1944-1979
- Arthur Brown 1979-????
- David Lawson ????-1995
- Dr Martin Dudley 1995 - current
Organ
A new organ was installed by John Knopple in 1715. This was superseded by a new organ in 1731 from Richard Bridge. In 1886, it was replaced by the organ from St. Stephen Walbrook which was installed by William HillWilliam Hill
-People:*William Hill *William Hill , British colonial Proprietary Governor of the Province of Avalon, Newfoundland*William Hill...
. Further modifications were made in 1931 by Henry Speechly & Son, 1957 by N.P. Mander and in 1982-83 by Peter Wells. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Organists
- Adrian Van Helsding 1715-1721
- Isaac Orbell 1721-1731
- Rowland Evans 1731-1739
- Richard Ward 1740-1777
- Nicholas Steele 1777-1785
- Thomas Ball 1785-1793
- John Whitaker 1793-1805
- William Bradley 1805-1819
- John Monro 1819-1827
- Miss Wafforne 1827-1834
- Jolly 1834-1836
- Elizabeth Ellen Wafforne/Williams 1836-1849 (becomes Mrs. Williams in 1843)
- Mary Ann William 1849-1867
- W. C. Ling 1885-1888
- W.A.B. Russell 1888-1893
- Clifford Parker 1893-????
- Leonard S Jefferies ca. 1921
- Nicholas Choveaux 1934-1948
- Paul SteinitzPaul SteinitzPaul Steinitz OBE was a pioneer in the post-war interpretation of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. He founded the London Bach Society and Steinitz Bach Players in order to put his scholarship into practice, performing all Bach’s cantatas in mainly London venues over the space of 29...
1949-1961 - Brian BrocklessBrian BrocklessBrian Brockless was an English composer, organist and conductor and, for much of his life, was the Director of Music at the Priory Church of St Bartholomew-the-Great, Smithfield, London where he succeeded Paul Steinitz in 1961...
1961-1971 - Andrew Morris 1971-1979
- Brian BrocklessBrian BrocklessBrian Brockless was an English composer, organist and conductor and, for much of his life, was the Director of Music at the Priory Church of St Bartholomew-the-Great, Smithfield, London where he succeeded Paul Steinitz in 1961...
1971-1995
Notable burials and monuments
- RahereRahereRahere was clergyman and a favourite of King Henry I. He is most famous for having founded St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1123....
- Walter MildmayWalter MildmaySir Walter Mildmay was an English statesman who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer of England under Queen Elizabeth I, and was founder of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.-Early life:...
See also
- List of churches and cathedrals of London
- Sir John Deane's College
- Sir Walter MildmayWalter MildmaySir Walter Mildmay was an English statesman who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer of England under Queen Elizabeth I, and was founder of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.-Early life:...
Hauntings
The ghost of a monk is said to haunt the church looking for a stolen sandal from his tomb. People have sometimes claimed to feel uncomfortable inside.The area around the church was also the place for many executions, especially during the reign of Mary Tudor. It said that during the night there is a strong scent of burning flesh.
External links
- The Priory Church of Saint Bartholomew the Great
- The Records of the priory and parish church: Two volumes of records, first published by E.A. Webb in 1921. Full-text, as part of British History Online.
- Rahere's Garden: The History & Personalities of St. Bartholomew the Great
- Photo essay and history of the priory
- Bell's Cathedrals: The Priory Church of St. Bartholomew-the-Great, Smithfield from Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...