About the Author
Richard de Bury was born in 1287. He took his name from his birthplace of Bury St. Edmunds, the seat of a famous abbey containing one of the greatest libraries of the High Middle Ages. He completed his education at Oxford. Although his mature years were spent in administrative and courtly duties, his writing makes clear his wish to be thought of as a scholar, and there is evidence that he took a kind of sabbatical from official life to return to his studies.
