208 1THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF MICHAEL SCOT 



and persuaded of the futility of such 

 Scot : is in comparison with the splendid and en- 

 y certainties of his own art, Dante used that 

 vdth cruel force to convey a similar accusation 

 ling the romantic fame of the philosopher, 

 ag him up to the world as no mighty master of 

 ^rious power, but, in this too, a mere impostor. 

 Here ^ anonymous Florentine, in his comment on 

 wmtm)i v i ne Comedy, softens the matter a little, and 

 are no e same time imports into it a confusion of 

 com P a ;ht very difficult to unravel, when he says : 

 taken ar t O f m agic may be employed in two ways ; 

 -1-t'ther magicians compose by cunning certain 

 based 3j a n compact of air, which yet appear sub- 

 legenq a ^ or e i se they show things having the ap- 

 studie nce o f reality but not in truth real, and in 

 which these ways of working was Michael a great 



the p 3r > There is an attempt here to vindicate for 



.-i \ e j. 



TOtn a higher place than that of the mere charlatan, 



credrthg commentator's distinction is one not readily 

 i 



made > ar ly to be apprehended, and we may greatly 

 and n^ ^ ^ ever entered his author's mind. 

 namel^e hint thus given was speedily acted upon. 

 real a jt, no doubt, we owe the numerous tales re- 

 ^ r Ang Michael Scot of which Benvenuto da Imola 

 noble h e a nonymous Florentine speak. Landino gives 

 subdu.dmen^ as follows. During the philosopher's 

 wmte ence in Bologna he used to invite his friends 

 sough nnerj b u t without making any preparation for 

 produ entertainment. When the hour struck, and 

 but ^Tuests were seated at table, they found it 



, ! ~ / 



its ni i-theless covered with the choicest viands. 

 host would then explain that one dish canu- 

 the royal kitchen at Paris, another from that 



Seemiya 

 in 



