SCOT TRANSLATES AYERROES 113 



in the great Mosque, and Hakim collected for their use 

 i magnificent library which was said to contain four 

 aundred thousand volumes. Al Mansour, however, 

 i.vho succeeded to Hakim's throne, fell under the 

 Influence of orthodox scruples. He burnt much 

 of the great library, and the rest perished at the 

 lisastrous sack of Cordova in the following century. 

 ?he ruin of the Rabbinical academies was com- 

 leted a little later by the cruel edict of Abd-el- 

 <tumen, who expelled the Jews from his realm. 

 most famous teachers of Cordova and Lucena 

 hen betook themselves to Castile. Alphonso vu. re- 

 eived them kindly and gave them liberty to settle 

 ihis capital. These events took place before 1150, 

 d from that date the ancient schools which had' 

 iven such fame to Cordova and Lucena became 

 e of the chief attractions of Toledo. 



The sole glory which Cordova still retained in 

 e days when Scot visited it was the memory of 

 iparted greatness, and of Averroes, whose fame 

 ust yet have endured as a living tradition hi the 

 ace of his birth and burial. We may therefore 

 lieve that it was as a pilgrim to the shrine of that 

 ustrious name that the traveller came hither, 

 he wandered amid the countless columns of the 

 eat Mosque, or stayed his steps by the tomb of 

 n Abbas, he must have found a melancholy 

 >ure in recalling the mighty past, when these 

 iles were crowded with eager students and when, 

 11 later, the last scion of the Cordovan schools had 

 peared in the person of the Master whose writ- 

 were now the object of so much curiosity. It 

 quite possible that something of a practical 

 ose may have combined with these sentiments 

 H 



