Mathematical Mirror

and in the book On Animals, and in the books of medicine, have translated differently and changed terms, so that the same intention of Avicenna is not translated everywhere—for in the books On Animals of Avicenna, it is found that the estimation is in the place of reason in brutes, and so sometimes contrariety is found elsewhere regarding the aforementioned things—nevertheless, it is not a matter of importance that diverse interpreters differ in their terms, and sometimes they have some difference from the side of the thing itself. But his opinion in the book On the Soul must be held, because there he discusses the powers of the soul from his primary intention, whereas elsewhere he makes mention [of them] more by incident. Furthermore, that book is translated far better than the others, which is manifest because it has few or no terms from other languages, whereas his other books have an infinite number. If, however, anyone considers the aforementioned [points], it is necessary to posit three completely distinct virtues, according to the three cells [of the brain]. For the diversity of objects shows us the diversity of virtues. For of sensible things there are two genera, namely one exterior, like the twenty-nine aforementioned, [and] the other interior, hiding from the exterior sense, like the quality of a harmful or useful complexion, or even the very substantial nature [of something being] useful or harmful; and therefore it must necessarily be that because of this cause there are two genera of senses, namely one which contains the particular senses and the common sense and the imagination, which are moved by the first genus of sensible [things], and another which contains the estimation and memory, which are directed toward the second genus of sensible [things]; but because of the nobility of the operations which the cogitative [virtue] has with respect to the others, it is therefore distinguished from the others. According to the common translation of Aristotle, every virtue which has the power of retaining species is called Memory, and therefore, both the chest of the common sense and [that] of the estimation are called Memory according to this [interpretation]. And therefore, what is called Imagination here is com-