THE LAST DAYS OF MICHAEL SCOT 177 



object of mysterious awe to the people there. 1 The 

 resting-place of Michael Scot will never now be 

 accurately known, but there is every reason to 

 suppose that it lies not far from that of his birth, 

 in the sweet Borderland, amid the green hills and 

 flowing streams of immemorial story. 



Here then we leave the life that has been the 

 subject of our study, and not without the tribute of 

 a certain envy paid to so happy a fate as that of 

 Michael Scot. Like another and far greater man, 

 whose sepulchre also was not known among his 

 people, Scot died in the fulness of his powers and 

 fame, while yet his sight was not dim, nor his 

 natural force abated. He was denied indeed the 

 entry to those broad kingdoms o& knowledge which 

 later times enjoy, but we may truly think of him as 

 one who stood in his own day upon a height from 

 which something of that fair .land oF promise could 

 at least be divined, and manfully did his part in 

 leading the progress of the human mind onward 

 to those more perfect attainments now within the 

 reach of every patient scholar. 



We may recollect in closing this inquiry that 

 the Abbreviatio Avicennae was published in 1232 at 

 Melfi. This treatise, though it came in the Latin 

 version from the hand of Scot, did not fall within 

 the scope of the publication made so widely in 

 1230 ; since the Emperor's object at that time was 

 to acquaint the world with the commentaries of 

 Averroes. The manner in which the Abbreviatio 

 saw the light was somewhat remarkable. Henry of 

 Colonia was the scholar selected by Frederick for 



1 'History of the Et. Hon. Xame of Scot,' in Lay of the Last 

 Minstrel, Note W. 



M 



