SCOT TRANSLATES AVERROES 115 



the grave itself, and summon the dead philosopher 

 ,to tell the secret of his lost works ? Something of 

 the Greek Sewor^s, something terrible, superhuman 

 almost, we discover in a spirit so fully roused and 

 determined, and if we have read rightly the mind 

 Scot, no wonder that he and the Emperor were 

 ? ully at one in regard to what they had to do. We 

 lave no means of knowing which of the two first 

 conceived the idea of translating the works of 

 VveiToes : as master and servant they fairly share 

 he fame of that great enterprise. It was one 

 vhich demanded, not only means, talent, and 

 mwearied labour, but high courage as well, con- 

 .idering the suspect character of that philosophy 

 md the censures under which it already lay. In 

 he event indeed this proved to be a matter 

 ighly creditable to those who promoted it, but 

 >ne which carried serious and far-reaching con- 

 uences both for Michael Scot and for the 

 mperor himself in the ecclesiastical and political 

 ihere. 



When Scot returned to Toledo it was not with 

 e purpose of attempting single-handed a task for 

 hich not only time, but the co-operation of several 

 holars, was evidently necessary. There is reason 

 think that the Emperor's commission conveyed 

 me instruction to this effect ; for, as a matter of 

 t, we know that at least two other hands were 

 iated with Scot in the translation of Averroes. 

 One of these was Gerard of Cremona, not of 

 urse the Cremonese who died in 1187, but the 

 ounger scholar of the same name, perhaps a son 

 r nephew of the elder. He is distinguished as 

 rherardus de Sabloneta Cremonensis. The Victorine 



