214 THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF MICHAEL SCOT 



This tale appears also in the Cento Novelle Antiche, 1 

 but in that collection the place of Michael Scot 

 and his companion is taken by 'three masters of 

 necromancy/ 



In the Pseudo Boccaccio 2 we find another tale, 

 referring to the later and less happy period of the 

 imperial fortunes. The scene is laid in Vittoria, 

 the armed camp which Frederick pitched so long 

 before the walls of rebellious Parma. The Par- 

 migiani had made a successful sally, forced the 

 defences of Vittoria, and were plundering the place. 

 A poor shoemaker of Parma, who made one of this 

 expedition, was lucky enough to come upon the 

 imperial tent itself. Entering, he found a small 

 barrel, which he caught up and carried back to his 

 home. On trial it proved to contain excellent wine, 

 which the shoemaker and his wife drank from day 

 to day, till at last it occurred to them to wonder 

 why the supply never came to an end. They 

 opened the barrel to see, and found within it a 

 small silver figure of an angel with his foot planted 

 on a grape, also of silver, from which flowed 

 constantly the delicious wine they had so long 

 enjoyed. 'Now, this was made by magic art,' 

 continues the commentator, 'and by necromancy, 

 and it was Thales, otherwise called Michael Scot, 

 who contrived it by his skill and power.' Needless 

 to add that, by this indiscreet curiosity, the charm 

 was broken, and the generous wine flowed no longer 

 to gladden the hearts of the shoemaker and his 

 wife. 



We have thus traced the development of the 



1 No. xx. 



2 Chiose sopra Dante, published by Lord Vernon ; Florence, 1846, 

 pp. 162 163. 



