Franciscan Studies

Book Reviews215 the pupil. The chief sources of this treatise are parallel works of classic Antiquity and the Patristic era. A number of writings of the early scholastic period are also utilized. There is a striking simiUtary between the De modo addiscendi and the work of the Dominican Vincent of Beauvais, De eruditions filiorum nobilium. Bonifacio, however, beüeves that this similarity and partial identy is actually due to the fact that both Vincent and GUbert used the same florilegium of pedagogical excerpts. GUbert has been accused of being a perennial plagiarist. Dr. Bonifacio thinks that this accusation is an exaggeration. While Gilbert uses a large number of authors and writings, still he always indicates his sources. An originality in arranging his material is clearly evident, and as a logical thinker, Gübert surpasses others, for instance, Vincent of Beauvais. The present edition is based upon five fourtheenth-centary manuscripts: Florence, Paris, Edinburgh, and Cracou (two). The Florence and Paris manuscripts are older and more reliable than the other three, which are from the second half of the century and have less authority. The Florence codex gives the best text. The edition of the text, pp. 59—290, is foUowed by four relatively short indexes, pp. 291—320. The text is quite satisfactory. The references to the sources are well done, though in some cases more recent and more critical editions could have been used. The only serious objection of this reviewer is that Bonifacio, in his critical apparatus, did not list the parallel texts of Vincent of Beauvais. A closer study of the relationship between De modo addiscendi and De eruditione filiorum nobilium is needed, since, the few pages which take up the problem, pp. 49—53, are certainly not exhaustive and leave much room for further investigation. E. M. BUYTAERT, O.F.M. Franciscan Institute Ioannis Duns Scott doctrina de scientifica theologiae natura, by Aegidius Magrini, O. F. M. (Studia Antoniana, n. 5), Rome, 1952; XII—118pp. In the Introduction of his work Fr. Magrini states the problem of his investigation , namely scientific nature of Theology according to Scotus, and describes the texts which will be analyzed in the course of his study (pp. 1—6). The texts used are from the Prologue of the Ordinatio and Sentences III, Dist. 24. The topic is discussed under three general headings, which correspond to the three chapters of the book: Theology, according to Scotus, is not a science in the strict Aristotelian sense; Theology is a science in the broader sense (here the principles of Theology and the nature of a theological conclusion are treated); Theology as a science is a synthesis of the entire theological activity. Three short indexes conclude the work, pp. 11 1—118. There is no gainsaying that Fr. Magrini displays an extensive erudition. But a theologian who is more or less acquainted with the problem as posed during the period ofHigh Scholasticism, and who is famiUar with the terminology and phraseology of Scotus wUl learn very little from reading the book. This reviewer would rather recommend reading the pertinent text of Scotus 2l6FRANCISCAN STUDIES himself, that is, the passages used by Fr. Magrini, namely the Prologue q. 4 of the Ordinatio and Book III, Dist. 24, and the texts which are neglected by the author: Book I, Dist. 11, q. 1, and Quodlibet, questions 6, 7 and 14. This reviewer has the impression, perhaps wrongly, that the very erudition of the work is a reason why the author failed to explain adequately the central problem. The different interpretations given to Saint Thomas' solution of the question, for instance, and the ideas on the same problem of later Scotists do not make for a better understanding of Scotus' ideas. Perhaps a look at the writings of AureoU, Francis Mayronis and Peter Thomae would have been more ad rem. The prolix style of the author toned down, and interesting but useless information on related topics omitted, the book could have been cut down to half its actual size without losing any of its real value. Fr. Magrini, however, does make a notable contribution, chiefly in so far as he studied some unpublished works written during the period...