AVICENNAE

on the third part of the second doctrine, or the second [book], of the first Canon, where he shows how solar rays regard their region; and also from the chapter on tereniabin a type of manna/honey-dew in the second [book] of the Canon, and from the progression of the first chapter of the sixth [book] on animals. Therefore, Halí was a Persian from the town of Belch, who, having betaken himself to Buchara at the time when the most invincible Nuch, son of the most victorious King, ruled the city of Corrasan, was in charge of the Prince's affairs in the village of Carmin. Indeed, Carmin is an excellent village among the other villages of Buchara. Near this village was the village of Aufsene, in which Halí took Citara as his wife, and there Citara bore two sons, Avicenna, namely the firstborn, and another, the second-born. Therefore, Avicenna was a Persian, and one of the number of wise philosophers under the law of Maomethis Muhammad, from the already named parents.

But after Citara gave birth to the second son, Halí betook himself to the city of Buchara together with his wife and children, and handed Avicenna over to a teacher to be instructed. While still a boy, he was of such an acute intellect, and so inflamed with the love of virtues and diligent in studying, that while he was still in his tenth year, he had progressed so much in letters that he seemed admirable to everyone. For even though his father at that time took delight in Menphitic Egyptian singers and learned men of other sciences, and would meet with them together with his sons to converse about customs and Menphitic affairs, in which he himself took wonderful delight, Avicenna not only heard all these sayings but also committed them to his tenacious memory. Often, also, in these conversations, there was talk among them about philosophy, architecture, and even about judicial calculations, which sciences Avicenna himself had already begun to learn from them.

But when, afterward, Halí had returned to Buchara, he took a man named Natalinus, a philosopher, into his house, led by the hope that Avicenna might be taught by him. Under the tutelage of this teacher, he progressed so much in both grammar and rhetoric that there was no doubt in sciences of this kind that he would not easily clear up; so much so that Natalinus, a philosopher, admired his answers and confessed that he had never heard such witty and learned things from anyone. Indeed, he surpassed everyone in both elegance and doctrine, answering even better than the teacher. After this, he began to study dialectics together with his teacher Natalinus, which, since they were arduous and not at all understood by Natalinus, Avicenna decided to read the books of dialectics and the expositors alone, and thus he learned dialectics most diligently. He also wished to study the books of Euclid, which he read through five times, and he not only wished to read these books without a teacher, but also many other diverse volumes, among which he studied those on truth and falsehood with the greatest diligence.

Then he turned himself entirely toward natural and supernatural [sciences], together with their interpreters, not without the greatest study, from which the doors of the sciences were opened to him. Indeed, Avicenna was of such magnitude of mind and intellect that he desired to experience everything that contributed to human perfection. For this reason, he wished to read through diligently all the books of medicine he could obtain; and he used to say that the science of medicine was not at all difficult, since he had perfectly grasped it in a short time, to such an extent that senior physicians would most willingly hear him speak about medicine and call him to all the sick. And when he was still sixteen years old, and was held by an incredible love and desire for the sciences, and had already experienced many things, he again devoted himself to dialectics and natural science for a year and a half, with such persistence that he did not have a full night's rest during that time. He applied his entire care to his studies by day. And if, while studying, he noticed anything beautiful or good, paper was at hand on which he wrote everything selected, and he also composed many things by his own invention, God favoring him.

Furthermore, Avicenna was a most religious man, merciful and just, pleasant, and fearing God, always giving thanks to Him in all things, and continually imploring His help, which I judge to be hidden from no one who has ever read his writings. Indeed, if it happened (as Soranus relates) that he had to read an arduous and difficult matter that fatigued his mind with study, this was the only way for him to relax his mind. For, tired from reading, he would enter a temple in the morning, and having offered prayer to God, he would return home in the evening, and with lamps lit, he would apply himself assiduously to his studies. If vigils had exhausted him and rendered him weary, he was accustomed to drink a cup of wine to restore his strength, then return to his accustomed studies. He was also often accustomed to dream of arduous difficulties, which he would also untangle while sleeping, and upon waking, he knew he had solved them in the best way. He therefore wished to grasp all the said sciences, and he omitted nothing that men can know by the natural light of the intellect. He first directed his mind to the knowledge of dialectics, natural, and metaphysical things, and he progressed in them. But when he turned his study toward metaphysical matters and understood their most subtle inquiries less, he read through the entire book of that science forty times and committed it to memory, nor could he penetrate those supernatural things for that reason. Wherefore, led by the despair of learning that science, he decided to abandon it as utterly imperceptible. But when, on a certain day by chance, he had gone to the market forum, and books were there for sale, which were auctioned to the highest bidder according to custom, the crier who was selling them, upon seeing Avicenna, brought him a certain book. Avicenna told him that he did not wish to buy it at all, since he hoped to learn nothing from it. The crier nevertheless insisted that he buy it, especially since he could have it for a cheap price: he said, indeed, that he would give it for three denarii. Driven by this stimulus from the crier, he bought the book. The book was indeed that which Albumazar Alpharabius had written on the declaration of divine science. When he first read this book, he soon began to understand many things from those he had already learned by memory. Wherefore he rejoiced vehemently. And since he was a religious and merciful man,