DOGMATISM OF THE STATIONARY PERIOD. 343 



especially as it regarded physics, prevailed during 

 the period of which we speak. This authority was 

 not, however, without its fluctuations. Launoy has 

 traced one part of its history in a book On the 

 various Fortune of Aristotle in the University of 

 Paris. The most material turns of this fortune de- 

 pend on the bearing which the works of Aristotle 

 were supposed to have upon theology. Several of 

 Aristotle's works, and more especially his metaphy- 

 sical writings, had been translated into Latin, and 

 were explained in the schools of the University of 

 Paris, as early as the beginning of the thirteenth 

 century 21 . At a council held at Paris in 1209, they 

 were prohibited, as having given occasion to the 

 heresy of Almeric (or Amauri), and because " they 

 might give occasion to other heresies not yet in- 

 vented." The Logic of Aristotle recovered its credit 

 some years after this, and was publicly taught in 

 the University of Paris, in the year 1215 ; but the 

 Natural Philosophy and Metaphysics were prohi- 

 bited by a decree of Gregory the Ninth, in 1231. 

 The emperor, Frederic the Second, employed a 

 number of learned men to translate into Latin, from 

 the Greek and Arabic, certain books of Aristotle, 

 and of other ancient sages ; and we have a letter of 

 Peter de Vineis, in which they are recommended to 

 the attention of the University of Bologna: pro- 

 bably the same recommendation was addressed to 

 other Universities. Both Albertus Magnus and 



Z1 Mosheim, Hi. 157- 



