LXIV. MICHAEL SCOT. A FRENCH writer, in a slight essay on La Sorcellerie des Gens d'Esprit, records the unhappy fate of one of his countrymen, an ingenious mechanic of Bordeaux, who constructed an automaton figure of Bacchus astride a barrel, which could do several tricks, and distinctly articulate the word Bonjour. The artist, having exhibited this toy with infinite applause in France, carried it to South America, where he was seized as a magician, and, with his puppet, was cast into the flames. This, which occurred about the middle of the bygone century, is the last instance, according to our author, in which skill or learning has been condemned as magic; he cites Doctor Gall indeed as one whom our days must confess to be inspired, and elder times would have considered a sorcerer!1 We have not heard that this learned craniologist has yet been taken for a conjurer, though five centuries ago perhaps he had been thought worthy of the stake and tar-barrel, like the Spurzheim or Combe of that age, the wondrous Michael Scot, who in the well-known popular belief was 1 Le Causeur, t. i. p. 200-207; Paris, 1817. "A wizard of such dreaded fame, That when in Salamanca's cave Him listed his magic wand to wave 991 The bells would ring in Notre Dame," : 1 See Lay of the Last Minstrel, c. ii. st. xiii. The miraculous voyage told in the notes has a parallel in the French legend of LE CHANOINE PORTÉ PAR LE DIABLE. “De temps immémorial le chapitre de Bayeux était obligé, en réparation de je ne sais quel méfait, d'envoyer tous les ans un chanoine à Rome pour y chanter l'épître de la haute messe de minuit; s'il y manquait, il devait payer une forte somme d'argent. Le tour de maître Jean Patye, chanoine de la prébende de Cambremer, arriva. Il fut averti suivant l'usage plusieurs mois auparavant, mais il s'en gêna si peu que la veille de Noëel 1537 il était encore à Bayeux. Ses confrères lui reprocherènt vivement sa négligence le chanoine leur répondit qu'ils ne s'inquiét assent point, qu'il irait à Rome, en reviendrait et que tout irait bien. Le chanoine se retira dans sa chambre, prit son grimoire et fit venir le diable, avec lequel il entretenait depuis long-temps des liaisons: 'il faut que tu me portes cette nuit à Rome, et que tu m'y portes en pensée de femme, c'est-à-dire plus vite que le vent. Attends-moi sous les orgues, et au premier coup de neuf heures je suis sur ton dos.' Après que le chanoine eut entonné le Domine, labia de Matines, il rejoignit sa monture. En un clin-d'œil ils s'élevèrent dans les airs, et se trouvèrent sur la mer: le diable alors conseilla au chanoine de faire le signe de la croix, mais le rusé prêtre ne donna point dans le piége; allons toujours, dit-il, ce qui est porté par le diable est bien porté. Il arriva à Rome lorsqu'on chantait l'introit de la messe de minuit; il laissa le diable sous le portail de l'église et lui commanda de l'attendre. Il chanta l'épître, et en rentrant dans la sacristic il se fit représenter and who by his muttered spell "Cleft Eildon hills in three, And bridled the Tweed with a curb of stone." Yet it would be unjust to compare the wildest fancies of the phrenologists with the drivelling follies of Michael Scot's Book of Physiognomy.1 le titre original, en vertu duquel le Chapitre de Bayeux était tenu d'envoyer un chanoine à Rome tous les ans chanter l'épître de la messe de minuit; il fit semblant de l'examiner et le jeta au feu, où il fut bientôt consumé. Les prêtres romains restèrent stupéfaits, en voyant l'action hardie du chanoine normand, il profita de leur surprise, sortit de la sacristie et rejoignit sa monture; il rentra dans la cathédrale de Bayeux lorsqu'on chantait Laudes dont il avait commencé Matines, de sorte qu'il ne fut que quatre heures parti. Ses confrères le voyant arriver à heure, crurent qu'il venait de dormir, mais il leur dit qu'il arrivait de Rome, qu'il avait chanté l'épître, et qu'ayant brûlé le titre qui les obligeait à cette pénible servitude, ils eut étaient délivrés pour jamais."-Essai Historique sur la Ville de Bayeux, par F. Pluquet, p. 321-323; Caen, 1829. 66 1 The earliest edition to which a date is affixed is without a title-page; the colophon runs Michaelis Scoti de procreatione et hominis Phisionomia opus feliciter finit. M.CCCC.LXXVII." The work begins thus: "Incipit Liber Phisionomiae; quem compilauit Magister Michael Scotus ad preces. D. Federici romanorum imperatoris. Scientia cujus est multum tenenda in secreto: eo quod est magnae efficacia Continens secreta artis naturae : quae sufficiunt omni astrologo." Mr Tytler has truly remarked, that when we regard "the shallow and trifling opinions which compose the greater part of the work, it is difficult to say whether we should be most surprised at the folly of the author who could write, or of the world which could greedily swallow, no fewer than thirteen editions of such a production.”1 66 Phisiognomy," says the wizard, "is the doctrine of safety, the choosing of that which is good, the shunning of evil. It is the comprehension of virtue, and the pretermission of vice."2 How far the science merits this lofty definition may be seen from his chapter on noses. "A long nose and somewhat sharp signifies a bold man, inquisitive, hasty in deeds, vain, easily moved to either side, weak, and credulous. “A long extended nose, with the point turned downwards, marks a sagacious man, close in secrets, faithful to his friend, upright in his dealings. "A flat nose portends an impetuous man, vain, lying, voluptuous, weak, unstable, credulous, and inconstant. "A nose which is broad in the middle, and declines towards the top, denotes a false and fickle man, luxurious, wordy, and unfortunate. 1 Tytler's Lives of Scotish Worthies, vol. i. p. 114. "A nose which is big every way, and pretty long, indicates a man greedy of every thing beautiful, simple in good things, cunning in evil, fortunate enough, secret, and knowing far less than he takes credit for. "A nose very sharp at the point, neither long nor short, neither thick nor thin, signifies an irascible man, very much conceited of himself, quarrelsome, haughty, sagacious, weak, malicious, a deluder, a boaster, and of a very good memory. "A nose very round at the point, with small nostrils, marks a proud man, of gross breeding, credulous, vain, bountiful, and constant. "An exceedingly long nose, if the point be rather thin than otherwise, and pretty round, portends a man bold in speech, honest in his actions, easily moved to do wrong, deceitful, envious, obstinate, secret, avaricious of others' goods, and full of hidden malice. "A turned up nose, if it be of a reasonable length, and have a big point, indicates a man of audacity, of pride, obstinacy, envy, avarice, irascibility, luxury, falsehood, deceitfulness, vainglory, unfaithfulness, and a quarrelsome disposition. "A nose very much elevated in the middle denotes a lying man, vain, unstable, luxurious, credulous, unfortunate, of a good temper, gross nutriment, more a simpleton than a sage, and malicious. |