The works of Duns Scotus were very numerous, though in the collection edited by Luke Wadding, a Franciscan (12 vols. fol., Lyons, 1639), several are ascribed to him without sufficient ground. This edition contains a life full of legends, which was reprinted separately (Mons, 1644). The most important of the works of Duns Scotus consisted of questions and commentaries on the writings of Aristotle, and on the Sentences of Lombard.
For the theology of Scotus see the Summa Theologica ex Scoti Operilus, by Jerome de Fortius, a Franciscan, the llesolutio doctrince Scuticce, by F. E. Albergoni (Lyons, 1643), and the Controversial tfieologicce inter S. Tkomam et Scotum, by De Eada, a Spanish Franciscan (Venice, 1599). Of more recent authorities particular value attaches to Bauingavten-Crusius s De Theologia Scoti (Jena, 1826) and an article by Erdmann in the Theoloyische Studien und Kritiken for 1863. On the philosophy of Duns Scotus see Hitter s Gcschichte der Philosophic and Ueberweg s Geschichte der Philosophic.
DUNSTABLE, a market-town and, since 1864, a municipal borough of England, in the county of Bedford, 33 miles N.W. of London, and 18 miles S.S.W. of Bedford, with communication by both the North-Western and the Great Northern railways. Its parish church, a fine old building, formerly part of the August iuian priory, was restored about 1865; the principal points of interest are the richly decorated west front, the ancient monuments of the Chew family, and, among the interior adornments, Sir James ThornhilTs painting of the Last Supper. The five dissenting churches, the temperance hall, several alms-houses, and the Ashton charity and other schools complete the list of public buildings. Straw-plaiting and the making of straw hats and bonnets are the principal industries ; and, as a consequence, the female considerably outnumbers the male population. The census of 1861 gave 2712 females out of a total of 4470 inhabitants; and that of 1871, 2702 out of 4558.
From its situation at the junction of the ancient Watling and Icknield Streets, it seems probable that Dunstable was a Roman station, but its identification, whether with Magiovinium or Durocobrivffi, is not certainly established. Matthew Paris mentions, in his Lives of the Abbots of St Allans, that about 1110 the play of S. Katharina was acted in the town by direction of Geoffrey, after wards abbot of St Albans, and thus the name of Dunstable is associated with the very earliest authentic notice of theatrical representation in England. The Augustinian priory, to which it was afterwards indebted for its celebrity, was founded in 1131 by Henry I., and for a long period exercised lordship over the town. From 1227 to 1229 there was a violent dispute between the burghers and the canons, but the claims of the latter were acknowledged by Hubert de Burgh, the justiciary. It was at Dunstable that in 1244 the discontented barons met and ordered the papal nuncio to leave the kingdom ; and in 1533 the commissioners for the divorce of Queen Catherine sat in the priory. The Annales de Dunstaplia are one of the most valuable of the monastic chronicles still extant. They extend from the incarnation to the year 1297, and are fortunate ly fullest in the account of contemporary events. The entries from 1210 to 1242 are due to Richard de Morins, the prior. The original is a parchment folio preserved among the Cotton MSS. in the British Museum (Tiberius, A. 10). It was greatly damaged by the fire of 1731, and is consequently slightly imperfect, in spite of the care with which it has been stretched and mended. Hearne pub lished an edition in 1733 from a fairly accurate transcript by Humphrey Wanley (Harleian MSS. 4886) ; another by H. 11. Luard, from the original MS., occupies 420 pages of vol. iii. of the Annales Monastic*, published by the Master of the Rolls.
DUNSTAN, St (924 or 925–988), was born at Glastonbury in 924 or 925. His father, Heorstan, was brother of yElfheah the Bold, bishop of Winchester ; and the tradition that he was connected with the royal house seems not improbable. As a child he was placed under the care of certain Irish teachers who had settled at Glastonbury ; and he devoted his boyhood to study with a fervour so intense that he at length brought on himself a severe attack of brain fever, the effects of which are apparent in the fantastic visions which troubled his after life. He was still a boy when he entered the household of Athelstan, and he was only fifteen or sixteen at the acces sion of Edmund ; but he had not been long at court before his ambitious and lofty temper had surrounded him with bitter enemies. In all the accomplishments of his time, except those of the warrior, he stood pre-eminent. His memory was stored with the ancient Irish ballads and legends, and he excelled in music, in painting, and even in the mechanical arts. But he soon found that his talents, while making him a favourite in the ladies bowers, only inflamed the jealousy of his rough, ignorant soldier rivals. He was accused of dealing in witchcraft, was driven with rude force from the court, and, perhaps under the pretext of testing whether he was really wizard or no, was Hung into a muddy pond, whence he was glad to escape to the protection of his uncle yElfhcah. The result of this outrage was a second attack of fever, from which he rose to yield to his uncle s persuasions, and take the vows as a monk. It was with great reluctance that ho took this step, for he was deeply in love with a lady at court ; but the feeling, natural in that age, that his illness was a direct indication of the will of providence, was likely to impress itself with peculiar force upon an imagination such as his, and he was also, doubtless, conscious that the only protection for his physical weakness lay in the power of the church. After his recovery, he spent some time quietly studying and teaching, and practising the austeri ties which gained him the reputation of a saint ; but it was not long before he returned to court. Again his enemies seemed likely to prove too powerful for him. He, how ever, gained the favour of King Edmund, who created him abbot of Glastonbury Avhen he was about twenty-two years of age. He became principal treasurer of the king dom, and we find him a few years later (953), on account of his tenure of that office, refusing an offer of the see of Credit-on.
From 946 to 955 the throne was occupied by Edred, whose constant ill health threw the chief power into Dunstari s hands. In 955 Edwy came to the throne ; and the party of Edgiva, to which Dunstan belonged, lost its influence. Of the details of the party struggles which ensued we have no trustworthy information ; but one incident of the quarrel between the king and the minister has become famous. Edwy, though then pro bably a mere boy, was deeply in love with his kinswoman Elgiva, whose mother Ethelgiva, a lady of the highest rank, is accused, with what degree of truth cannot now be determined, of having used the most shameful means to gain power over the young king. What relationship really existed between Edwy and Elgiva is unknown, but it was such as to be considered by the churchmen as an insuperable bar to marriage. Edwy, however, defied their opposition. On the evening of his coronation he withdrew from the banquet to the society of Elgiva. Dunstan was sent by the Witan to recall him, and ex hibited a violence which may be excused, when we consider that Edwy had both grievously insulted the Witan and openly sought, upon so solemn an occasion, the dangerous society of a girl whom the church forbade him to marry.
and Dunstan being outlawed, was obliged to flee to Ghent. In 957, however, a revolt placed Edwy s brother Edgar on the throne of Mercia and Northumbria, and at his court Dunstan resumed his old position of chief minister He was created bishop (perhaps at first without a see) , and, in defiance of strict ecclesiastical law, he obtained and held at once the sees of Worcester and London. By the death of Edwy in 959, Edgar gained the sovereignty of Wessex ; and a few months after Dunstan was appointed
archbishop of Canterbury.[1] On the death of Edgar (955),
- ↑ In connection with the coronation of Edgar, Osbern of Canter bury tells u story intended to exalt the archbishop. The king having taken the nun afterwards called St Wulfrith as his mistress, Dunstan is said to have vindicated the inde[>endence of the church by forbidding him, among other penances, to wear the crown for seven years ; hut there are several reasons for doubting this story. The question is elaborately discussed in the article on the "Coronation of Edgar," in Mr E, VY. Robertson s Historical Essays.
