SCOT TRANSLATES A VERROES 119 



to have been Andrew, and that he was a Jew. 

 i Bacon gives us this information in no kindly spirit, 

 but in order to lead up to the bitter conclusion 

 that Scot's work was not original, but borrowed 

 from one whose labours and just fame he had 

 appropriated. ' Michael Scot,' he says, ' was igno- 

 jrant of languages and science alike. Almost all 

 that has appeared in his name was taken from a 

 Certain Jew called Andrew.' l 



A sufficient answer to this serious accusation 

 may be found in what we already know of the 

 literary fashions of the day, and, in particular, of 

 fche traditional methods of work pursued by the 

 Toledan translators. It was precisely thus that 

 the Archdeacon Gundisalvus had used the aid of 

 Avendeath. A little later too, we find the same 

 system adopted in the translation of the Koran 

 promoted by Peter the Venerable. That ecclesiastic 

 ichus expresses himself in sending a copy of his book 

 :o St. Bernard : ' I had it translated by one skilled 

 |.n both tongues ; Master Peter of Toledo ; but since 

 ie was not as much at home in the Latin, and did 

 hot know it as well as the Arabic, I appointed one 

 |:o help him . . . Brother Peter our Notary.' To 

 lis Koran Peter the Venerable joined a Summa 

 'Brevis of the Christian controversy with the Mo- 

 lammedans. This work also came from the pen of 

 Master Peter, and with regard to it he makes the 



1 'Michael Scotus, ignarus quidem et verborum et rerum, fere 

 :mmia quae sub nomine ejus prodierunt, ab Andrea quodam Judaeo 

 nutuatus est. : Opus Majus. In his Compendium Studii, a much later 

 i.vork, Bacon repeats the accusation in a milder form : ' Michael Scotus 

 .iscripsit sibi translationes multas. Sed certum est quod Andreas quidam 

 Tudaeus plus laboravit in his.' It has been conjectured that Andrew 

 .vas a convert to Christianity, v. Kenan, who cites the preface to Jebb's 

 >dition of the Opus Tertium of Bacon. It is curious at any rate that 

 : he name given him was that of Scotland's patron saint. 



