Boccaccio, commencing his lectures on Dante in the Church of San Stefano at Florence in October 1373, proceeded in them no further, unfortunately, than the seventeenth canto of the _Inferno_, so that we are deprived of his notes on the passage which refers to Michael Scot. In the _Decamerone_, however, he treats the subject in a passing way; making a citizen of Bologna speak of the magician’s residence in that town.[302] Scot, he said, had performed many prodigies there, to the delight of sundry gentlemen his friends, and at their request had, on his departure, left behind him two scholars, who kept up fairly the traditions of his art. This seems to indicate that Boccaccio had in mind the stories told by the other commentators on Dante, and the tone of his novel supports the conjecture that he agreed with the great poet and with Da Buti, in regarding these prodigies as pertaining to the department of fictitious magic. More interesting, perhaps, are the tales which involve Michael the magician with the fates of his great master, Frederick II. In the _Paradiso degli Alberti_,[303] for example, we read how, at the feast given by the Emperor to celebrate his coronation at Rome, which had taken place on November 22, 1220, the company were entertained by a strange event. They were just in the act of washing their hands before sitting down to table in the great hall at Palermo. The pages were still on foot with ewers and basins of perfumed water and embroidered towels, when suddenly Michael Scot appeared with a companion, both of them dressed in Eastern robes, and offered to show the guests a marvel. The weather was oppressively warm, so Frederick asked him to procure them a shower of rain which might bring coolness. This the magicians accordingly did, raising a great storm, which as suddenly vanished again at their pleasure. Being required by the Emperor to name his reward, Scot asked leave to choose one of the company to be the champion of himself and his friend against certain enemies of theirs. This being freely granted, their choice fell on Ulfo, a German baron. As it seemed to Ulfo, they set off at once on their expedition, leaving the coasts of Sicily in two great galleys, and with a mighty following of armed men. They sailed through the Gulf of Lyons, and passed by the Pillars of Hercules, into the unknown and western sea. Here they found smiling coasts, received a welcome from the strange people, and joined themselves to the army of the place; Ulfo taking the supreme command. Two pitched battles and a successful siege formed the incidents of the campaign. Ulfo killed the hostile king, married his lovely daughter, and reigned in his stead; Michael and his companion having left to seek other adventures. Of this marriage sons and daughters were begotten, and twenty years passed like a dream ere the magicians returned, and invited their champion to revisit the Sicilian court. Ulfo went back with them, but what was his amazement,