Dodi Ve-Nechdi (Quaestiones Naturales)

invention to give more color to his views on philosophy).

"It appears that after his return from his travels he opened a school, probably in France or Normandy, where he taught the Arabian sciences. These were still new in the West of Europe and were decried by many, and among others, as it seems, by Athelard's nephew. Athelard wrote one of his most popular works, the Quaestiones Naturales original: "Natural Questions", to oppose this prejudice and to give a specimen of the doctrines on natural history which he had brought home. He reminds his nephew how, seven years before, when he had dismissed him (then a mere youth) with his other disciples, it had been agreed between them that he would himself go and seek the learning of the Arabs, and that his nephew should in the meantime make himself master of all the science which could be found among the Franks. In reply, the nephew is made to express a distaste for his uncle's Saracenic doctrines, and for the extravagant terms in which he spoke of their superiority over the old studies of the western schools. Athelard then proceeds to defend his opinions on this subject and provokes his nephew to propose what were considered some of the most natural questions in natural history. The manner in which Athelard speaks of the reception of the Arabian sciences seems to show that they were then quite new among the Christians of the West, and to contradict the opinion founded on a legend preserved by William of Malmsbury that they had been introduced long before by Gerbert.

"We know nothing more of Athelard's personal history. His celebrity was great in after times, and in the 13th century Vincent of Beauvais gives him the title of Philosophus Anglorum original: "Philosopher of the English". His writings appear to have enjoyed great popularity. We may divide them into two classes: original works and translations from the Arabic."

Adelard's De eodem et diverso, to which reference is made above, appeared for the first time in the Latin original, together with an analysis and a historico-critical study, in 1903. It was published in the fourth volume of the Beiträge zur Geschichte der Philosophie des Mittelalters original: "Contributions to the History of Medieval Philosophy", the author being Dr. Hans Willner. It is a well-reasoned and illuminating contribution to the history of the philosophy of the Middle Ages; and it is of additional interest in showing that