DUNS SCOTUS
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Sin,—Readers of your article of October 4th may be interested to be reminded that Duns Scotus died in Cologne, where the inscription on his tomb recalls his Scottish origin.
Duns Scotus is buried right at the heart of Cologne in the Church of the Franciscans. His burial place is relatively unknown, and few can direct one to it. My ignorance of Cerman very nearly prevented my finding it. A German agency, thinking that I was enquiring about the grave of a British soldier, directed me to the War cemetery. In the end, I found the tomb behind the high altar of the Minoriten Birdie. A modem slab bears this inscription : " Johannes Scotus Sacrae Theologies Doctor Subtilis Ord. F.F. Minor Mitt anno 1308."
Round the four sides of the slab are the further words : Scotia me genuit. . . . Anglia me suseepit. . . . Callia me docuit . . Colonia me tenet."
In the last phrase there is grim humour. Cologne did keep firm hold of Dims Scotus. The legend is that he was not dead when he was buried, and that later, when the tomb was reopened, the remains were discovered with the right
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