80 THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF MICHAEL SCOT 



inclined to attribute the works on the Magisterium, 

 and among the rest therefore, this treatise in the 

 Speciale Manuscript, which bears the name of 

 Michael Scot, seemingly because he translated it 

 from the Arabic. This conclusion is confirmed 

 when we notice the character of some of the chapter 

 headings as given by Carini ; for example : ' Qualiter 

 Venus mutatur in Solem ' ; and again, ' Transfor- 

 matio Mercurii in Lunam.' These show beyond all 

 doubt that the doctrine which Michael Scot pub- 

 lished by means of this version was that held by 

 the school of Rases. 



A curious question here offers itself for our con- 

 sideration. In the times of Robert Castrensis 

 alchemy was as yet unknown to the Latins. 

 Michael Scot, as we shall presently see, described it 

 in one of his works as meeting with but a poor 

 reception at its first introduction among them. 1 

 How then did it come to pass that in a few years 

 the theory of Rases became so popular in the West, 

 and continued for so many ages to direct the pro- 

 gress of chemical study among the European nations 

 with enduring power ? We find the explanation of 

 this sudden change in the fact that human thought 

 has always been subject to the tyranny of ruling 

 ideas. In our own day the place of direction is 

 filled by a doctrine of development which is eagerly 

 made use of in every department of knowledge. In 

 those earlier ages the same place seems to have 

 been held by a doctrine of transformation. This 

 idea ruled the thoughts of men like an obsession, in 

 whatever direction they turned their minds. We 

 see it in their superstitions, suggesting the wild 



1 ' Penitus denegatam,' see infra, p. 89. 



