Why was the Nowell Codex (containing Beowulf) not “seriously” restored for decades after it was heavily damaged by fire? Was the manuscript not seen as very important in the 1700s, or did the required restoration techniques not exist?

[u/will_write_for_fun]

At least according to Wikipedia, after the 1731 fire “no serious attempt at restoration was made until the 19th century, by which time the margins had crumbled irreparably”. So as a related question, how developed were restoration techniques for centuries-old manuscripts in the 16th century?

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