SCOT AT THE COURT OF SICILY 27 



Frederick, Emperor of Rome, and ever August ; 

 which book he composed in simple style 1 at the 

 desire of the aforesaid Emperor. And this he 

 did, not so much considering his own reputation, as 

 desiring to be serviceable and useful to young 

 scholars, who, of their great love for wisdom, desire 

 to learn in the Quadrivium the Art of Astronomy/ 

 The preface says that this was the second book 

 which Scot composed for Frederick. 



The science of Astronomy was so closely joined 

 in those times with the art of Astrology, that it is 

 difficult to draw a clear distinction between them 

 as they were then understood. The one was but 

 the practical application of the other, and in 

 common use their names were often confused and 

 used interchangeably. We are not surprised then 

 to find the title of Imperial Astrologer given to 

 Michael Scot in the colophon to his Astronomia ; he 

 was sure to be employed in this way, and the fact 

 will help us to determine with probability what 

 was the Jlrst book he wrote for the Emperor, that 

 to which the Liber Particulars was a sequel. For 

 there is actually extant under Scot's name an astro- 

 logical treatise bearing the significant name of the 

 Liber Introductorius. 2 This title agrees exceedingly 

 well with the position we are now inclined to give 

 it, and an examination of the preface confirms our 



1 ' Quasi vulgariter.' 



2 Bodl. MS. 266, chart, in fol. saec. xv. 218 leaves ; Bibl. Nat. Paris, 

 Nouv. acq. 1401 ; the Escorial has another MS. of this work on paper, in 

 writing of the fourteenth century. The Liber Introductorius commences 

 thus : * Quicumque vult esse bonus astrologus ' an expression which 

 betrays the churchman in Scot. It closes with these words : ' finitur 

 tractatus de notitia pronosticorum.' Extracts from the Liber Introduc- 

 torius are found in the MS. Fondo Vaticano 4087, p. 38, ro. and vo., MS. 

 in fol. chart, saec. xvi., and in the Bibl. del Seminario Vescovile, Padua, 

 MS. 48, in fol. chart, saec. xiv. ; also Bibl. Ambros, Milan, MS. I. 90. 



