158 THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF MICHAEL SCOT 



and repeated attempt was made to secure for him 

 some ecclesiastical preferment. 



Honorius iii. then sat in the Chair of St. Peter. 

 In 1223 a dispensation was granted by the Curia 

 allowing Michael Scot to hold a plurality. At 

 the same time the Pope wrote to Stephen Langton 

 the Primate of England, desiring that Scot should 

 be preferred to the first suitable place which might 

 fall vacant in that country.^ Honorius was then 

 at peace with the Emperor, and we may believe 

 that it was in consequence of some strong represen- 

 tation made by Frederick that he took such an 

 interest in the fortunes of this Imperial protege. 



The application to Canterbury was entirely in 

 accordance with the habits of the time ; for England 

 was then the constant resource of the Popes when 

 they wished to confer a favour on any of their 

 clergy. Many and deep were the complaints which 

 this practice awakened among the priesthood of 

 the north. A like abuse of influence appeared in 

 Scotland as well. Theiner reports the case of a 

 clerk named Peter, the son of Count George of 

 Cabaliaca, on whose behalf the Pope wrote in 

 1259 to the Canons of St. Andrews, desiring that 

 he might be reinstated in his benefice of China- 

 chim (Kennoway in Fife) which he had forfeited 

 as an adherent of the Empire." It is only fair, 

 however, to notice that there were instances of 

 the contrary practice. In 1218, for example, one 

 Matthew, a Scot, was recommended by Hono- 

 rius to the University of Paris for the degree of 



1 Year viii. of his Pontificate, namely Jan. 16, 1223. See the 

 interesting article by Milman in the MisceUamj of the Philohihlon 

 Society, vol. i. 1854. He refers to the papers of Mr. W. R. Hamilton 

 in the British Museum, and especially to vol. ii. pp. 214, 228, 246. 



■■^ Monurnenta, sub anno 1259, Feb. 12. 



