174 THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF MICHAEL SCOT 



seat of learning.^ Copies of Frederick's letter are 

 indeed extant, which actually bear the address, * To 

 the Masters and Scholars of Bologna.' Nor can 

 we think that he forgot Paris, the great centre of 

 European culture. At least one text has preserved 

 this the most natural of all directions : — ' To the 

 Doctors of the Quadrivium at Paris.' ^ Thus far 

 then the course of Scot's journey on this important 

 business is plain. In it he but reversed the pro- 

 gress he had made in early years, revisiting in the 

 contrary order the scenes of his former studies. His 

 own remarkable fame, the widespread curiosity con- 

 cernmg the books he brought, and his official char- 

 acter as Frederick's Ambassador of Letters, must 

 have secured him everywhere a cordial and distin- 

 guished reception. 



There is reason to think that his travels did 

 not end when he had reached Paris. Tradition says 

 he crossed the Channel and visited both England 

 and Scotland, where his medical skill was highly 

 appreciated. It is indeed to an English author that 

 we owe the knowledge of this journey performed 

 by Michael Scot. The words of Roger Bacon are 

 of capital importance here, not only telling us of 

 Scot's travels, but showing the nature of the work 

 he carried with him in that progress, and the en- 

 thusiasm with which these books were received. 

 ' In the days of Michael Scot,' he says, * who, about 

 the year 1230, made his appearance with certain 

 books of Aristotle and commentaries of learned men 

 concerning physics and mathematics, the Aristo- 

 telian philosophy became celebrated in the Latin 



^ Frederick sought at Bologna for scholars to fill the chairs in Naples. 

 ' Martenne, ' Vett. scriptt. et Monumenta,' ii. 1220. 



