14 THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF MICHAEL SCOT 



well-known rhyme : ' Maister Michael Scot's man.' 1 

 A Florence manuscript, to which we shall presently 

 refer more fully, throws some light upon the mean- 

 ing of this title, by describing Scot as that scholar, 

 ' who among the rest is known as the chief Master.' 2 

 It is matter of common knowledge, that this degree 

 had special reference to the studies of the Trivium 

 and Quadrivium, being the scholastic crown reserved 

 for those who had made satisfactory progress in the 

 liberal arts. Scot then, according to the testimony 

 of early times, was the supreme Master in this 

 department of knowledge. But it is also certain 

 that Paris was then recognised as the chief school 

 of the Trivium and Quadrivium, just as Bologna had 

 a like reputation for Law, and Salerno for Medicine. 3 

 We are therefore warranted to conclude that Michael 

 Scot could never have been saluted in European 

 schools as ' Supreme Master/ had he not studied 

 long in the French capital, and carried off the highly 

 esteemed honours of Paris. 



Another branch of study which tradition says 

 Scot followed with success at Paris was that of 

 theology. Du Boulay declares, indeed, that he 

 reached the dignity of doctor in that faculty, and 

 there is some reason to think that this may actually 

 have been the case. There can be no doubt that 

 an ecclesiastical career then offered the surest road 

 to wealth and fame in the case of all who aspired to 

 literary honours. That Scot took holy orders 4 seems 

 very probable. He may well have done so even 

 before he came to Paris, for Bacon makes it one of 



1 Lay of the Last Minstrel, Note Y. See infra, ch. x. 



2 See infra, p. 18. 3 Romance of Elinando. 

 * He probably joined the Cistercian Order, 



