CHAPTER I. State of Scotland in the Twelfth Century—Necessity of Foreign

State of Scotland in the twelfth century—Necessity of foreign travel to scholars bred there—Michael Scot: his Nation and Birthplace.—The account given by Boece, how far it is to be believed—The date of Scot’s birth and nature of his first studies—Scot at Paris: his growing fame, and the degrees he won in that school—Probability that further study at Bologna formed the introduction to his life in the south, 1