  | PAGE | | CHAPTER I | | 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 fame, and the degrees he won in that school—Probability that further study at Bologna formed the introduction to his life in the south, | 1 | | CHAPTER II | | The 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.—Advantages of such a position—He teaches the Prince mathematics and acts as Court Astrologer—Publication of the Astronomia and Liber Introductorius—Frederick’s marriage—Scot produces the Physionomia and presents it on this occasion—Account of this the most popular of his books, and of the sources from which it was derived—Scot quits Sicily for Spain, | 18 | | CHAPTER III | | An 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 of Aristotle—Scot engages in translating Arabic versions of the works of Aristotle on Natural History—The De Animalibus and its connection with the Physionomia—The Abbreviatio Avicennae and its relation to former versions of the Toledo school—The date when Scot finished this work.—Frederick’s interest in these books—The De partibus animalium—Did Scot know Greek?—How the Arabian Natural History contrasts with the modern—Toledo, | 42 | | CHAPTER IV | | Alchemy: 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 century regarding the reality of this art—Spain the scene of this activity and the place where alchemy began to become known among the Latins—The time when the work of translation commenced, and the course it followed—Scot’s position in the history of this art, and an examination of his chemical works: the spurious De natura solis et lunae, the Magisterium, the Liber Luminis Luminum, and the De Alchimia, | 65 | | CHAPTER V | | Connection 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 Alpetrongi—Relation of this author to those who had preceded him: to Albategni; to Al Khowaresmi and to Alfargan—The fresh contributions made by Alpetrongi to a theory of the heavenly motions—His solution of the problems of recession and solstitial change—The date of Scot’s version of the Sphere, and its possible coincidence with that of the great astronomical congress at Toledo, | 96 | | CHAPTER VI | | AverroËs 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 Cordova—Constitution of a new College at Toledo under imperial patronage for the purpose of translating the works of AverroËs into Latin—Correspondence between this and the similar enterprise of a hundred years before—Andrew the Jew interprets for Scot—Defence of this literary method—Versions of the De Coelo et Mundo, the De anima, the Parva Naturalia and others—The Quaestiones Nicolai Peripatetici: with a summary of this important treatise—Works found in the Venice manuscript—The Nova Ethica—Michael Scot shines as a translator from the Greek—Comparison between him and Bacon in regard to this, | 106 | | CHAPTER VII | | Scot 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 Novella. The Latin AverroËs suppressed and Scot resumes his post as Imperial Astrologer—He publishes on this subject—Remarks on Scot by Mirandola, Salimbene, and Bacon—He comments on the Sphere of Sacrobosco—A legend of Naples and its interpretation—Testimony of Leonardo Pisano—Scot’s medical studies and skill—He composes a treatise in that science—Two prescriptions, and some account of the plagues then prevalent, | 137 | | CHAPTER VIII | | Scot 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 conscience in the same age.—Gregory IX. applies again to Canterbury but without result—Effect of these disappointments on Scot.—His prophecies in verse and prose—The Cervilerium—His mental state at this time; and an attempt to estimate his real character—The publication of Scot’s version of AverroËs now possible—Frederick II. indites a circular letter to the Universities—Scot travels through Italy, France, and England to the borders of Scotland—His death—The Emperor permits a copy of the Abbreviatio Avicennae to be made as a tribute to Scot’s memory, | 157 | | CHAPTER IX | | The legendary fame of Scot—Nature of the magic then studied in Spain—Reasons f
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