AVICENA

, Avicenne, or Avicenes, has been accounted the prince of Arabian philosophers and physicians. He was born at Assena, near Bokhara, in 978; and died at Hamadan in 1036, being 58 years of age.

The first years of Avicena were employed on the study of the Belles Lettres, and the Koran, and at 10 years of age he was perfect master of the hidden senses of that book. Then applying to the study of logic, philosophy and mathematics, he quickly made a rapid progress. After studying under a master the first principles of logic, and the first 5 or 6 propositions of Euclid's elements, he became disgusted with the slow manner of the schools, applied himself alone, and soon accomplished all the rest by the help of the commentators only.

Possessed with an extreme avidity to be acquainted with all the sciences, he studied medicine also. Persuaded that this art consists as much in practice as in theory, he sought all opportunities of seeing the sick; and asterwards confessed that he had learned more from such experience than from all the books he had read. Being now in his 16th year, and already celebrated for being the light of his age, he determined to resume his studies of philosophy, which medicine, &c, had made him for some time neglect: and he spent a year and a half in this painful labour, without ever sleeping all this time a whole night together. At the age of 21, he conceived the bold design of incorporating, in one work, all the objects of human knowledge; and he carried it into execution in an Encyclopedia of 20 volumes, to which he gave the title of the Utility of Utilities.

Many wonderful stories are related of his skill in medicine, and the cures which he performed. Several princes had been taken dangerously ill, and Avicenes was the only one that could know their ailments, and cure them. His reputation increased daily, and all the princes of the east desired to retain him in their families, and in fact he passed through several of them. But the irregularities of his conduct sometimes lost him their favour, and threw him into great distresses. His excesses in pleasures, and his infirmities, made a poet say, who wrote his epitaph, that the profound study of philosophy had not taught him good morals, nor that of medicine the art of preserving his own health.

After his death however, he enjoyed so great a reputation, that till the 12th century he was preferred for the study of philosophy and medicine to all his predecessors. Even in Europe his works were the only writings in vogue in the schools. They were very numerous, and various, the titles of which are as follow: | 1. Of the Utility and Advantage of the Sciences, in 20 books.—2. Of Innocence and Criminality, 2 books. —3. Of Health and Remedies, 18 books.—4. On the Means of preserving Health, 3 books.—5. Canons of Physic, 14 books.—6. On Astronomical Observations, 1 book.—7. On Mathematical Sciences.—8. Of Theorems, or Mathematical and Theological Demonstrations, 1 book.—9. On the Arabic Language, and its Properties, 10 books.—10. On the Last Judgment.— 11. On the Origin of the Soul, and the Resurrection of Bodies.—12. On the end we should propose to ourselves in Harangues and Philosophical Argumentations. —18. Demonstration of the Collateral Lines in the Sphere.—14. Abridgment of Euclid.—15. On Finity and Infinity.—16. On Physics and Metaphysics.— 17. On Animals and Vegetables, &c.—18. Encyclopedie, 20 volumes.