As my trip draws to a close, I take note of something I’ve encountered often while here: the seal of Oxford University, which dates back to approximately 1400. Appropriately, the central focus of the seal is a book. There are seven book clasps along the sides, and scholars argue about their symbolic meaning, as well as the origin of the three crowns. The inscription inside the book is “Dominus illuminatio mea,” or “The Lord is my light.” While centered here at Oxford for the past month I have seen and learned about many books from the early modern period, with librarians, scholars, and colleagues. I look forward to continuing the project in the future.
