Ye Moste Officiall Documente

Part of becoming a new staff member at a university older than my native country is participating in the similarly archaic traditions and requirements of that most noble institution. Now, I get a big kick out of walking across the campus here at Trinity, mostly because the entire place is basically a Neoclassical paradise. More on this in a later post. For now, I would like to relate the story of Ye Moste Officiall Documente, or, as it is more commonly known, my new library card.

There are a few libraries on Trinity's campus (again, more on this in a later post), but in order to use any of them, new staff members are required to go to the office of the main library and (I'm not kidding) declare their library rights. I had a bit of a chuckle when my boss, Katherine, told me I needed to do such a thing, but when Wouter, my Belgian coworker, assured me that it was a very serious proceeding for the college, I resolved to present myself at the library in a proper state of gravitas.

I arrived at the library, having made an appointment with the Provost (whatever that is), and prepared to declare my library rights. It was every bit as solemn as I had been warned. First, I had to stand and quite literally (and loudly) proclaim my rights, in language definitely not used since before America was known to Europeans. Maybe even before that. I was then presented with the following document:


You will notice that this document is quite old, and in fact, basically unintelligible. Being a wary Yank, I asked the Provost to translate this for me. Here is what it says:

Know all men by these presents that I, (and here I signed my name using a feather quill) am bound unto the Provost , Fellows, and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, in the sum of six hundred and fifty euro (and here is where I wondered how Queen Elizabeth could possibly have predicted the euro), for which sum well and truly to be paid I do bind myself, my heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, firmly by these presents. Sealed with my seal and dated this day of the year two thousand and eight.

Whereas the Provost and Senior Fellows of the said College have agreed to lend to the said person (I'm pretty sure at this point they mean me) the twenty printed books now in the library of the said College.

Now the condition of the foregoing obligation is such that if the said person shall return the said twenty printed books to the said Library on or before the agreed day in the same plight and condition in which he receives the same, that then and in such case the foregoing obligation shall be null and void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue in law.

At this point, I was obliged to make a sketch of my heraldic crest at the bottom of the page, since I had not brought my official scribe with me. I did, however, impress my initials in wax beside the (obviously well drawn) crest, using my handy signet ring.

Altogether, it seemed like an awful lot of trouble, if there are only twenty books in the library...