218 THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF MICHAEL SCOT 



skilfully by transferring what seems like a spade- 

 ful of earth, still visible as a distinct prominence 

 on the sky-line of the hill. Next night brought 

 the need for another task, and Michael gave orders 

 that the river Tweed should be bound in its course 

 by a curb of stone. The remarkable basaltic dyke 

 which crosses the bed of the stream near Ednam 

 is said to have been the result of this command. 

 On the third night, finding his familiar still keen 

 for employment, Scot bade him go spin ropes of 

 sand at the river mouth. This task proved so 

 difficult as to relieve the magician from further em- 

 barrassment. It is said to be still in progress, and 

 the successive attempts and failures of the spirit 

 are pointed out as every tide casts up, or receding, 

 uncovers, the ever-shifting sands of Berwick bar. 



Another Scottish story, borrowed perhaps from 

 the relations between Michael Scot and Frede- 

 rick II., and possibly suggested by the philosopher's 

 journey in 1230, speaks of a high commission he 

 once held from the King of Scotland.^ Some 

 Frenchmen, it is said, had commenced pirates, 

 and had plundered Scottish ships. The King 

 chose Michael as his ambassador, sending him to 

 Paris to demand justice and redress. The magi- 

 cian, however, made none of the ordinary prepara- 

 tions for so considerable a journey, but opened 

 his Booh of Might and read a spell therein ; 

 whereupon his familiar appeared in the form of 

 a black horse, just as Folengo describes him. In 

 this shape the demon carried his rider through 

 the air with incredible speed. When the channel 

 lay beneath them, he asked Michael what words 



^ La y of the Last Minstrel, Note Y. 



