Category: Biographies
State of Scotland in the twelfth century—Necessity of foreign travel to scholars bred there—Michael Scot: his Nation and Birthplace.—The account given by Boece, how far it is to be believed—The date of Scot’s birth and nature of his first studies—Scot at Paris: his growing fam...
State of Scotland in the twelfth century—Necessity of foreign travel to scholars bred there—Michael Scot: his Nation and Birthplace.—The account given by Boece, how far it is to...
2. CHAPTER IIThe position held by Scot at the Court of Sicily—His service under the Clerk Register, who seems to have been the same as Philip of Tripoli—Scot appointed tutor to Frederick II....
3. CHAPTER IIIAn important moment—The history of the Arabs in their influence on the intellectual life of Europe—The school of Toledo—Scot fixes his residence in that city—The name and fame o...
4. CHAPTER IVAlchemy: its history, both primitive and derivative—The Gnostics influence it, and it passes by way of the Syrians to the Arabs—Disputes divide their schools in the twelfth cent...
5. CHAPTER VConnection between alchemy and astronomy—Scot’s interest in the latter science—Toledo a favourable place for such study—Progress made by the Moors in astronomy—Scot translates A...
6. CHAPTER VIAverroës of Cordova and the fame he enjoyed among the Latins—His works condemned by the Church—Frederick II. likely to have been attracted by this philosophy—Michael Scot at Cor...
7. CHAPTER VIIScot returns from Spain to the Imperial Court—Dante’s reference to this and to the costume worn by the philosopher—Probability that he is represented in the fresco at S. Maria N...
8. CHAPTER VIIIScot on the way to ecclesiastical preferment—Honorius III. exerts himself to obtain a benefice for the philosopher—He refuses the Archbishopric of Cashel—A similar case of consc...
9. CHAPTER IXThe legendary fame of Scot—Nature of the magic then studied in Spain—Reasons for thinking that Scot’s fame as a magician is mostly mythical—Origin of the story in his connection...
10. CHAPTER XHow Dante used the legend of Michael Scot—The nature of subjective magic or _glamour_—Stories told by those who commented on the _Divine Comedy_—Boccaccio’s reference to Scot, a...
11. CHAPTER IIn the Borders of Scotland it is well known that any piece of hill pasture, if it be fenced in but for a little from the constant cropping of the sheep, will soon show springing...
12. CHAPTER IIAll tradition assures us that the chief occupation of Scot’s life was found at the Court of Frederick II., King of Sicily, and afterwards Emperor of Germany: a Prince deservedly...
13. CHAPTER IIIIn following the course which Michael Scot held in his voyage to Spain, we approach what was beyond all doubt the most important epoch in the life of that scholar. Hitherto we h...
14. CHAPTER IVThe Moorish schools of Spain were famous, not only for their researches in natural history, but also for the interest they took in chemistry, then called alchemy: a name which s...
15. CHAPTER VThe alchemy of the thirteenth century, to the progress of which Michael Scot contributed not a little, bore a close relation to the opinions then entertained in another branch o...
16. CHAPTER VIWe have already noticed how the commentaries of Avicenna on Aristotle had been translated into Latin at Toledo during the twelfth century, and how Michael Scot had completed tha...
17. CHAPTER VIIThe return of Michael Scot from Spain to the Imperial Court was doubtless a striking moment, not only in the life of the philosopher himself, but in the history of letters. He t...
18. CHAPTER VIIIThe various occupations in which Michael Scot engaged upon his return to court were not without their due and, as we believe, designed effect. The part he had taken in producing...
19. CHAPTER IXHitherto we have taken little notice of the fame by which Michael Scot is most widely known in literature; preferring to speak first of the authentic facts and real employments...
20. CHAPTER XThe attachment of Michael Scot to his master, the Emperor Frederick II., may be conceived as acting in a double sense to procure him his mysterious fame. With the Guelfs, who bi...
21. xvi. Printed editions: 1477 perhaps double; 1485 Louvain and Leipsic;1499 s. l. and five or six others of this century in 4to, s. l. et a.; 1508 Cologne, Venice, and Paris, the last in 8vo; 1514 Venice 8vo; 1515 s. l.; 1519 Venice 8vo; 1584 Lyons...
22. Part I. from the Twelfth Century to 1530“There is, perhaps, no eminent Scotsman who has stood in better need of an impartial and scholarly biography than George Buchanan; and Mr Hume Brown is to be congratulated on ha...