THE LEGEND OF MICHAEL SCOT 183 



The Arabian magic as understood in Spain 

 during the thirteenth century is very fully ex- 

 pounded in a curious work called Picatrix. 1 This 

 book explains that the fundamental idea of the art 

 was reaction leading up to transformation or magi- 

 cal change, adding that this reaction may be seen 

 in three different regions of being ; first among the 

 elemental spirits themselves, next between these 

 and matter, and, last, the reaction of one kind of 

 matter upon another, as in alchemy. The second 

 of these kinds of reaction admits the influence of 

 earthly things upon the heavenly spirits, and is 

 the foundation of that kind of magic which the 

 Picatrix proceeds to expound, hi details which are 

 often much more curious than edifying. This book 

 has special value as showing the intimate relation 

 between magic and the ordinary studies of those 

 times. Aristotle is often quoted in it,' 2 and the posi- 

 tion of necromancy with regard to other branches 

 of science is clearly defined. It is not hard to see 

 that, when thus understood, this art must have 

 allied itself closely with astronomy and astrology 

 on the one hand, and with alchemy on the other. 

 In the account given by Bacon of Avicenna's philo- 

 sophy, he says that the third great division of that 

 author's works, and one which had never appeared 

 in Latin, was that devoted to the most hidden parts 



1 Said to be written by Norbar the Arab, who compiled it from 

 many sources in the twelfth century. It consists of four books : 

 I. De Coelo, n. De figuris Coeli, in. De proprietatibus Planetarum, 

 iv. De proprietatibus Spirituum ; and was translated into Latin by 

 command of Alfonso x. (1252-84). Two MSS. of this version exist in 

 the Bib. Naz. of Florence, xx 20 and 21. Arpenius gives some account 

 of it in his 'De prodigiosis Naturae,' Hamburg, 1717, p. 106. It is to 

 be hoped it may never be translated into any modern language. 



2 As the author of the De Coelo et Mundo, the treatise most nearly 

 bordering on this magical doctrine. 



