 Æthelbert was instrumental in forming a library at York , which was probably the largest contemporary collection of books to be found in Europe outside of Rome . Alcuin mentions several Latin and Greek classical authors , as well as the Fathers and other Christian writers that formed the 8th century canon . Æthelbert , in his search for books , travelled far , and we know that he visited Rome among other places . Alcuin 's poem Versus lists 41 different authors , including some who wrote in Hebrew . He taught both the trivium as well as the quadrivium , plus how to figure the dates of church festivals and natural science . 
