124 THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF MICHAEL SCOT 



Aristotle. And should Aristotle have delivered 

 somewhat in an incomplete form concerning the 

 fabric of the world in this book, thou mayest have 

 what is wanting to complete it from that of 

 Alpetragius which I have likewise rendered into 

 Latin ; and, indeed, it is one with which thou art 

 well acquainted.' As we know when the version 

 of Alpetrongi on the Sphere was produced, this 

 fortunate reference to that previous work enables 

 us to determine, at least approximately, that of 

 the De Coelo et Mundo, and hence of these transla- 

 tions of Averroes in general. The year 1217 is the 

 first limit, before which they cannot have appeared, 

 and 1223 is the last ; for by that time Michael Scot 

 had already left Spain. Between these two dates 

 then, and probably nearer the former than the 

 latter, must his labours and those of his coadjutors 

 have been devoted to this important work. 



Stephanus de Provino has been happily identi- 

 fied by M. Bourquelot with a somewhat notable 

 ecclesiastic of the Church of Notre Dame du Val 

 de Provins, whose name occurs in various documents 

 dated between the years 1211 and 1233. Renan 

 conjectures that he may be the same as a certain 

 Etienne de Rheims, who, it seems, was born at 

 Provins. 1 Perhaps he is the Stephanus Francigena 

 of Guido Bonatti. 2 Scot's friendship with him, to 

 which the dedication of the De Coelo et Mundo 

 bears witness, was probably begun in their student 

 days at Paris. 



1 See * Proviniana ' in the Feuille de Provins for 7 Fevrier 1852 ; 

 also the Hist. Litt. de la France, xvii. 232 ; the Bibl. Imp. Colb. 

 Suite du Reg. Princ. Campan, III. 50ro. and 199vo. ; and the letters 

 of Gregory ix., anni v. 9 kal. Mali (1231 or 1232), anni vii. kal. Feb., 

 and 3 kal. Martii in the collection of Laporte du Theil. 



2 See ante, p. 6. 



