Note 12 — Ibn Tufail

Alpharabius,—Without Exception, the greatest of all the Mahometan Philosophers, reckon'd by some very near equal to Aristotle himself. Maimonides, in the Epistle which I just now mention'd, commends him highly; and tho' he allows Avicenna a great share of Learning, and Acumen; yet be prefers Alpharabius before him. Nay, Avicenna himself confesses, that when he had read over Aristotle's Metaphysicks forty times, and gotten them by heart; that he never understood them till he happened upon Alpharabius's Exposition of them. He wrote Books of Rhetorick, Musick, Logick, and all parts of Philosophy; and his Writings have been much esteemed; not only by Mahometans but Jews and Christians too. He was a Person of singular Abstinence and Continence,and Despiser of the things of this World. He is call'd Alpharabius from Farab, the place of bis Birth, which according to Abulpheda (who reckons his Longitude not from the Fortunate Islands, but from the extremity of the Western Continent of Africa) bar88 deg. 30 min. of Longitude and 44 deg. of Northern Latitude. He died at Damascus the Year of the Hegira 339, that is, about the Year of Christ 950, when he was about fourscore Years Old.