and chiromancy. Hence he passed among his contemporaries for a skilful magician. Dempster informs us, that he remembers to have heard in his youth, that the magic books of Michael Scott were still in existence, but could not be opened without danger, on account of the malignant fiends who were thereby invoked. Dempsteri Historia Ecclesiastica, 1627, lib. xii. p. 495. Lesly characterises Michael Scott, as singularii philosophie, astronomiæ, ac medicinæ laude prestans; dicebatur penitissimos magia recessus indagasse." Dante also mentions him as a renowned wizard:

Quell altro chi ne' fianchi e cosi poco
Michele Scoto fu, chi veramente

Delle magiche frode seppe il gioco.

Divina Comedia, Canto xxmo.

A personage, thus spoken of by biographers and historians, loses little of his mystical fame in vulgar tradition. Accordingly, the memory of Sir Michael Scott survives in many a legend; and in the south of Scotland, any work of great labour and antiquity, is ascribed, either to the agency of Auld Michael, of Sir William Wallace, or of the devil. Tradition varies concerning the place of his burial: some contend for Holme Coltrame, in Cumberland; others for Melrose Abbey. But all agree, that his books of magic were interred in his grave, or preserved in the convent where he died. Satchells, wishing to give some authority for his account of the origin of the name

t

of Scott, pretends, that, in 1629, he chanced to be at Burgh under Bowness, in Cumberland, where a person, named Lancelot Scott, shewed him an extract from Michael Scott's works, containing that story:

"He said the book which he gave me
Was of Sir Michael Scot's historie;
Which history was never yet read through,
Nor never will, for no man dare it do.
Young scholars have pick'd out something

From the contents, that dare not read within.

He carried me along the castle then,

And shew'd his written book hanging on an iron pin.
His writing pen did seem to me to be

Of hardened metal, like steel, or accumie;
The volume of it did seem so large to me,
As the book of Martyrs and Turks historie.
Then in the church he let me see

A stone where Mr Michael Scott did lie;

I asked at him how that could appear,

Mr Michael had been dead above five hundred year?
He shew'd me none durst bury under that stone,
More than he had been dead a few years agone;
For Mr Michael's name does terrifie each one.'
History of the Right Honourable name of Scor.

Note XII.

Salamanca's cave.-P. 52.

Spain, from the reliques, doubtless, of Arabian learning and superstition, was accounted a favourite residence of magicians. Pope Sylvester, who actually imported from Spain the use of the Arabian numerals, was supposed to have learned there the

magic, for which he was stigmatised by the ignorance of his age-William of Malmsbury, lib. ii. cap. 10. There were public schools, where magic, or rather the sciences supposed to involve its mysteries, were regularly taught, at Toledo, Seville, and Salamanca. In the latter city, they were held in a deep cavern ; the mouth of which was walled up by Queen Isabella, wife of King Ferdinand.-D'Autun on Learned Incredulity, p. 45. These Spanish schools of magic are celebrated also by the Italian poets of romance:

Questo citta di Tolletto solea
Tenere studio di Negromanzia,
Quivi di magica arte si leggea
Pubblicamente, e di Peromanzia;
E molti Geomanti sempre avea
E sperimenti assai d' Tetremanzia
E d'altre false opinion' di sciocchi
Come e fatture, o spesso batter gli occhi.

Il Morgante Maggiore, Canto XXV. St. 259.

66

The celebrated magician Maugis, cousin to Rinaldo of Montalban, called, by Ariosto, Malagigi, studied the black art at Toledo, as we learn from L'Histoire de Maugis D'Aygremont. He even held a professor's chair in the necromantic university; for so I interpret the passage, “ qu'en tous les sept ars d'enchantement, des charmes et conjurations il n'y avoit meilleur maistre que lui; et en tel renom qu'on le laissoit en chaise, et l'appelloit on maistre Maugis." This Salamancan Domdaniel is said to have been founded by Hercules. If the

classic reader enquires where Hercules himself learned magic, he may consult "Les faicts et proesses du noble et vaillant Hercules," where he will learn, that the fable of his aiding Atlas to support the heavens, arose from the said Atlas having taught Hercules, the noble knight errant, the seven liberal sciences, and, in particular, that of judicial astrology. Such, according to the idea of the middle ages, were the studies, 66 maximus quæ docuit Atlas."-In a romantic history of Roderic, the last Gothic king of Spain, he is said to have entered one of those enchanted caverns. It was situated beneath an ancient tower near Toledo: and, when the iron gates, which secured the entrance, were unfolded, there rushed forth so dreadful a whirlwind, that hitherto no one had dared to penetrate into its recesses. But Roderic, threatened with an invasion of the Moors, resolved to enter the cavern, where he expected to find some prophetic intimation of the event of the war. Accordingly, his train being furnished with torches, so artificially composed, that the tempest could not extinguish them, the king, with great difficulty, penetrated into a square hall, inscribed all over with Arabian characters. In the midst stood a colossal statue of brass, representing a Saracen wielding a Moorish mace, with which it discharged furious blows on all sides, and seemed thus to excite the tempest which raged around. Being conjured by Roderic, it ceased from striking, until he read, inscribed on the right hand," Wretched monarch, for thy evil hast thou come hither;" on the left hand," Thou shalt be dispossessed by a strange people ;" on one shoulder, “ I

invoke the sons of Hagar; on the other, “ I do mine office." When the king had decyphered these ominous inscriptions, the statue returned to its exercise, the tempest commenced anew, and Roderic retired, to mourn over the predicted evils which approached his throne. He caused the gates of the cavern to be locked and barricaded; but, in the course of the night, the tower fell with a tremendous noise, and under its ruins concealed for ever the entrance to the mystic cavern. The conquest of Spain by the Saracens, and the death of the unfortunate Don Roderic, fulfilled the prophecy of the brazen statue. Historia verdadera del Rey Don Rodrigo por el sabio Alcayde Abulcacim, traduzeda de la lengua Arabiga por Miquel de Luna, 1654, cap. vi.

Note XIII.

The bells would ring in Notre Dame.-P. 52. "Tantamne rem tam negligenter ?" says Tyrwhitt, of his predecessor Speight; who, in his commentary on Chaucer, had omitted, as trivial and fabulous, the story of Wade and his boat Guingelot, to the great prejudice of posterity; the memory of the hero, and the boat, being now entirely lost. That future antiquaries may lay no such omission to my charge, I have noted one or two of the most current traditions concerning Michael Scott. He was chosen, it is said, to go upon an embassy, to obtain from the king of France satisfaction for certain piracies committed by his subjects upon those of Scotland. Instead of preparing a new equipage and splendid reti

R