SCOT AT THE COURT OF SICILY 23 



of committing children of position to the course of 

 an ecclesiastical education. 1 They were trained by 

 some discreet and grave person called the magister 

 disciplinae, deputed by the Bishop to this office. 

 Such would seem to have been the manner of 

 Frederick's studies. His guardian was the Pope ; 

 he lived at Palermo under charge of the Canons of 

 that Cathedral, 2 and no doubt the ecclesiastical 

 character of Michael Scot combined with his 

 acknowledged talents to point him out as a suitable 

 person to fill so important a charge. It was his 

 first piece of preferment, and we may conceive that 

 he drew salary for his services under some title 

 given him in the royal registry. This would explain 

 his connection with Philip, the chief notary, on 

 which the Florentine manuscript insists. Such 

 fictitious employments have always been a part of 

 court fashion, and that they were common in Sicily 

 at the time of which we write may be seen from 

 the case of Werner and Philip de Bollanden, who, 

 though in reality most trusted and confidential 

 advisers of the Crown, were known at Court as the 

 chief butler and baker, titles which they were proud 

 to transmit to their descendants. 3 " 



It was at Palermo, then, that Michael Scot 

 must have passed the opening years of the thirteenth 

 century ; now more than ever ' Master,' since he was 

 engaged in a work which carried with it no light 

 responsibility : the early education of a royal youth 

 destined to play ' the first part on the European 

 stage. The situation was one not without advan- 



1 Smith's Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, sub voce ' Magister.' 



2 From August 1200 to January 1208. See Amari, Storia dei 

 Musulmani di Sicilia. 



3 See the Hist. Dip. Frid., passim. 



