_Poeta Anglicus_ (Vol ii., p. 167).--I cannot answer J.B.'s Queries; but
I have fallen upon a _cross scent_, which perchance may lead to their
discovery.
1. Ioannes Pitseus, _de Scriptor. ad ann._ 1250, (_Relat. Histor. de
Rebus Anglicis_, ed. Par. 1619, p. 322.), gives the following account
"de Michaele Blaunpaino:"--
"Michael Blaunpainus, vulgo _Magister_ cognominatus, natione
Anglus, patria Cornubiensis, ... missus Oxonium, deinde
Parisios, ... præ cæteris se dedidit elegantiæ linguæ Latinæ,
fuitque inter præcipuos sui temporis _poetus_ per Angliam
potissimum et Galliam numeratus. Hunc subinde citat Textor in
Cornucopia sub nomine Michaelis _Anglici_.... In lucem emisit:
Historiarum Normanniæ, librum unum: Contra Henricum Abrincensem
versu. librum unum. Archipoeta vide, quod non sit. (_MS. in
Bibliotheca Lunleiana._) Epistolarum et carminum, librum unum.
Claruit anno Messiæ 1250, sub Henrici tertii regno."
2. Valerius Andreas, however, gives a somewhat different account of
_Michael Anglicus_. In his _Biblioth. Belg._ ed. 8vo. Lovan, 1623, p.
609., he says:
"Michael Anglicus, Bellimontensis, Hanno, I. V. Professor et
_Poeta_, scripsit:
Eclogarum, libros iv., ad Episc. Parisien.
Eclogarum, libb. ii., ad Lud. Villerium.
De mutatione studiorum, lib. i.
Elegiam deprecatoriam.
Et alia, quæ Paris. sunt typis edita. Hujus eruditionem et
Poemata Bapt. Mantuanus et Joannes Ravisius Testor epigrammate
commendarunt: hic etiam in Epithetis suis _Anglici_ auctoritatem
non semel adducit."
3. Franciscus Sweertius (_Athenæ Belgricoe_, ed. Antv. 1628, p. 565.)
gives a similar account to this of Valerius Andreas.
4. And the account given by Christopher Hendreich Brandebargca, (ed.
Berolini, 1699, p. 193.) is substantially the same; viz.,
"Anglicus Michael cognomine, sed natione Gallus, patria
Belmontensis, utriusque juris Professor, scripsit Eclogarum,
lib. iv. ad Episc." &c ... "Et diversorum carminum libros
aliquot, quæ omnia Parisiis impressa sunt. Claruit autem A.C.
1500."
5. Moreri takes notice of this apparent confusion made between two
different writers, who lived two centuries and a half apart. Speaking of
the later {233} of the two, he says (_Dictionnaire Historique_, Paris,
1759, tom. i. par. ii. p. 87.):--
"_Anglicus_ (Michel), natif de Beaumont dans le Hainaut, qui
vivoit dans le XVI. siècle, étoit poëte et professeur en droit.
Nous avons divers ouvrages de sa façon, des églogues, un traité
_de mutatione studiorum_, &c. (Valer. Andreas, _Bibl. Belg._)
Quelques auteurs l'ont confondu avec Michel Blaumpain. (Voyez
Blaumpain.)" #/
Of the earlier Anglicus, Moreri says (ubi sup., tom. ii. par. i. p.
506.):
"Blaumpain (Michel) surnommé _Magister_, Anglois de nation, et
_Poëte_, qui vivoit vers l'an 1250. Il est nommé par quelques-un
_Michel Anglicus_. Mais il y a plus d'apparence que c'étoient
deux auteurs différens; dont l'un composa une histoire de
Normandie, et un traité contre Henri d'Avranches; et l'autre
laissa quelques pièces de poësies;--Eclogarum, libri iv., ad
Episcopum Parisiensem; Eclogarum, libri ii., ad Ludovicum
Villerium, De mutatione studioram, Elogia deprecatoria, &c.
Baptiste Mantuan parle de Michel Anglicus, qui étoit de Beaumont
dans l'Hainault. (Pitseus, _De Script. Angl._ p. 322.; Valerius
Andreas in _Bibl_, p. 670.)"
Perhaps some of your readers may have access to a copy of the _Paris
impression_ of Michael Anglicus, mentioned by Andreas, Sweertius, and
Hendreich. J.B. will not need to be reminded of these words of Innocent
III., in his first serm. de consecr. Pont. Max., in which he claimed, as
St. Peter's successor, to be
"Inter Deum et hominem medius constitutus; citra Deum, sed ultra
hominem; minor Deo, sed major homine: qui de omnibus judicat, et
a nemine judicatur."--_Innocentii tertii Op._, ed. Colon. 1575,
tom. i., p. 189.
Did the claim _originate_ with Pope Innocent?
J. Sansom.
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