Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/437

 4t> " A V E R R O E S. 401 ties did not hinder him from hiving a great many enemies among the nobility and doiStois of Corduba, who reprefeitting to Manfor, king of Morocco, that the philofophical tenets he had m.iint.iinfd in a IciSture to his pupils were lyofa he- refy, that prince fell into a paflion, ordered his cftatc to be confifcated, and confined him to the Jews quaner. After this, Averrocs, being pelted with (tones by the children as he went to mofque to perform his devotions, removed from Corduba to Fez, and lay concealed there for f^rne days; but, being difcovered, was fent to gaol. Manfor aflembled a great many doctors in divinity and law, to confider what pu- nifhment he dderved. The greater part of them replied, that, as an heretic, he merited capital punifhment ; but others were of opinion, that a man of his eminence in law and divinity ought not to be put to death, " for that the ge- r.eral report would be, that not an heretic, but a lawyer and a divine, had differed. The confequences of this will be (added they) tirft, that no more infidels will embrace <c condly, it will be faid, that our African doctors feck pre- " tences to take away one another's lives. The beft ex- " pedient will be to oblige him to retrait; and we are of " every crime." Manfor approving of this advice, our phi- Jofopher was conducted, one Friday, at the hour of prayer, to the gate of the mofque, and placed bare-headed upon the higheft ftep, and ail who entered into the mofque fpit in his face. Prayers being ended, the doctors with notaries, and the judge with his afleflbrs, came thither, and afked this un- happy man, whether he repented of his herefy ? He anfwer- ed, " Yes:" upon which he was difcharged. He ftaid at Fez, and read lectures in law. Some time after, Manfor gave him leave to return to Corduba, where he lived very un- happily, being deprived of his efbte and books. Jn the mean time the judge who had fucceeded him behaved in fuch a manner, and juftice was fo badly adminiftered, that the people groaned under heavy oppreifion : wherefore Manfor aflembled his council, and propofed the reftonng of Aver- Dr. Freind (HI ft, of Pliyfic, p. US, roes* notions; fnr, in one dificrtaticn &c.) tells us, that if Bayle would have (Phvf. Difp. 3.) he a Herts the foul is confultcd the author himftlf, inftead of r>r.t material ; and in another (Phvfic. the col!i*.ors he c notes, he would have Difp. 4.) that it is imrtUTUi. found a very diffcrtat account of Avcr- VOL, I. D d roes.
 * ' our faith, and fo our religion will be difcouraged : fc-
 * ' opinion that your majefty fhould pardon him in cafe he
 * ' repent ; for there is no man upon the earth exempt from.