SKETCH OF AVERROES, 405 



SKETCH OF ABtTL-WALID MOHAMMED IBK-AHMED 

 IBl^-MOHAMMED IB]S"-ROSHD (COMMO:NrLY CALLED 

 AYEEEOES). 



By GEOEGE JACKSON FISHEE, M. D. 



DANTE tells us that when he descended into the infernal regions, 

 on arriving at limbo, which is the first and favored circle of 

 hell, where the good and virtuous are permitted to reside, having been 

 excluded from the bliss of paradise from neglect of baptism, he found 

 " a sapient throng," with Aristotle, " the Master " — 



" Seated amid the philosophic train " ; 



and, when a little more he raised his brow, he " spied " 



"... Hippocrates, 

 Galenus, Avicen, and him who made 

 That commentary vast, Averroes." * 



It is of this vast commentator and renowned Saracenic physician 

 that I now propose briefly to write. Averroes flourished, without a 

 doubt, in the twelfth century ; there is, however, no inconsiderable 

 amount of uncertainty and discrepancy among authorities concerning 

 the precise time of his birth, some placing it as early as the year 1126, 

 others as late as 1198. The same confusion exists as to the date of 

 his death, ranging it from 1198 to 1225. The dates (1126-1198) are 

 believed to be as nearly accurate as can be determined at this time. By 

 this assumption it appears that Averroes attained the age of seventy- 

 two years. He was of an ancient and noble family, being the son of 

 the high-priest and chief judge of Cordova, the beautiful capital city 

 of Andalusia, in Spain. Cordova was the place of his nativity. 



Leo Africanus informs us ("De Vir. Arab.," p. 280) that Averroes 

 commenced the study of philosophy, when he was but a youth, under 

 the celebrated Thophail, or Ibn-Tofail (Abubacer), who is the author 

 of the noted metaphysical tale "Hai Ebn Yochdan." An English 

 translation of this elegant story was published by Professor Ockley, 

 of Cambridge, in London in 1711. It is not unlikely that the extreme 

 admiration which Averroes always entertained for the writings of Aris- 

 totle was inspired by the enthusiastic teachings of Ibn-Tofail. His 

 unbounded admiration of Aristotle amounted to a profound reverence, 

 for thus we find Averroes asserting that " the doctrine of Aristotle is 

 the perfection of truth, and his understanding attained the utmost 

 limit of human ability ; so that it might be truly said of him that he 

 was created and given to the world by Divine Providence, that we 



* " Inferno," Vision, Hell, canto iv. 



