164 THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF MICHAEL SCOT 



nenus Emperor of Constantinople, and was then 

 translated into Latin during the twelth century 

 by Eugenio, admiral to King Roger. A series of 

 poets from Giovacchino di Fiora 1 to Jacopone da 

 Todi 2 then chose the prophetic lyre and made 

 it resound with dark sayings and predictions of 

 misfortune and ruin. Especially worthy of study 

 in this connection are the verses ascribed to Merlin, 

 which declare the fate of many Italian cities. 3 That 

 Michael Scot gave his talents to this kind of com- 

 position rests on evidence as convincing as any 

 which establishes the other events of his life. 

 Pipini the chronicler says that 'he was reputed 

 to have the gift of prophecy, for he published 

 verses in which he foretold the ruin of certain 

 Italian cities as well as other circumstances.' 4 An 

 earlier, indeed a contemporary, authority, Henry 

 Abrincensis, in a poem presented to Frederick u. 

 in 1235 or the early months of the following year, 

 speaks of Michael Scot as ' another Apollo/ ' a 

 prophet of truth ' possessed of ' hidden secrets ' and 

 the author of 'certain predictions regarding thee, 

 O Caesar.' 5 



Quotations from the prophecies of Scot were 

 made by Villani. 6 The lines referring to Florence 

 may still be read in a manuscript of the Biccardian 



1 He was a Calabrian abbot, who died in 1202. 



2 This author died in 1306. 



3 See Muratori 'Rerum Italicarum Scrip tores,' viii. (1726) ad calcem 

 Mem. Potest. Reg. 



4 Muratori, Op. cit. ix. 669 B. 



5 ' Quaedam de Te presagia, Cesar, 



A Michaele Scoto me percepisse recorder. 

 Qui fuit astrorum scrutator, qui fuit Augur, 

 Qui fuit Ariolus, et qui fuit alter Apollo.' 



Poem of Henri d'Avranches in ' Forschungen zur Deutschen Geschichte,' 

 xviii. (1878), p. 486. 



6 Vol. x. p. 105. See also the same vol., pp. 101 and 148. 



