35 via Balbo

Dec 3. 39

Dear Mr Pound You can hardly have reached the bottom of my stairs
before I recalled that the poems of Johannes Scottus were
included in Traube's splendid ed. of Poetae Latini

Aeri
Cantini, ( Bale - 1936 ) with a learned proemium on J. Sc
himself and his oeuvre ( v. full bibliography , partly
repeated in the Encycl. Italiana)

Traube of course

The one to or better against Rome, falsely attributed
according to T. to Scottus, has lines to delight you ( you
probably know them )

Tremuit imperium

Cultus avaritiae te nimium superat

what a misapplication of St Paul, he ( S(cottus) prefers

Byzantium & Naples to my Rome. I suppose usury had made
its way into the Urbs, but the Popes always fought it. **

Did I think the book ( Traube's ) could be of use to you
I would ask you to come to see it, or would send it to you
to look at were it not as unwieldy as a vol. of the Encycl.
Italiana.

...
How proud I am to possess the Cavalcanti. Were it
not for Scottus

I should be reading it this morning.
Your fault for recalling memories some 40 years old - of the
Carolingian poets.

V.

Eugenia Strong ( Peregourdine )
& In un boschetto trovai pastorella
Piu che la stella #bella

reminds me of J'irai au bois seulette

L...                 contera

While we
were living in Perigord, near Montaignac ( as we spell it )
I think.

**Footnote on the Fugger's loan etc. might be included in
full treatment of this phrase. E.P. 1958.