Britain and the Muslim World: Historical Perspectives - University of Exeter 17-19 April 2009 Daniel of Morley, English seeker of Arab Wisdom in twelfth-

Britain and the Muslim World: Historical Perspectives - University of Exeter 17-19 April 2009Britain and the Muslim World: Historical Perspectives - University of Exeter 17-19 April 2009

Daniel of Morley, English Daniel of Morley, English seeker of Arab Wisdom in seeker of Arab Wisdom in

twelfth-century Toledotwelfth-century Toledo

John Tolan, UniversitJohn Tolan, Université de é de NantesNantes

[email protected]@univ-nantes.fr


Daniel of Morley, De Philosophia (written between 1175 and 1187):

When, some time ago, I went away to study, I stopped a while in Paris. There I saw asses rather than men occupying the Chairs and pretending to be very important. They had desks in front of them heaving under the weight of two or three immovable tomes, painting Roman Law in golden letters. With leaden styluses in their bands they inserted asterisks and obeluses here and there with a grave and reverent air. But because they did not know anything, they were no better than marble statues: by their silence alone they wished to seem wise, and as soon as they tried to say anything, I found them completely unable to express a word. When I discovered things were like this, I did not want to get infected by a similar petrifaction and I was seriously worried that the liberal arts, which illuminate the Bible, were being skipped over, or read only in exam cribs. But when I heard that the doctrine of the Arabs, which is devoted almost entirely to the quadrivium, was all the fashion in Toledo in those days, I hurried there as quickly as I could, so that I could hear the wisest philosophers of the world... Eventually my friends begged me to come back from Spain; so, on their invitation, I arrived in England, bringing a precious multitude of books with me. Cited by Burnett, Charles. The Introduction of Arabic Learning into England. The Panizzi lectures, 1996. London: British Library, 1997, p. 60-61.


Petrus Alfonsi comes to England (1116?)See John Tolan, Petrus Alfonsi and his Medieval Readers (Gainesville: UP of Florida, 1993).




Petrus Alfonsi and his Petrus Alfonsi and his studentsstudents

Alfonsi’s translation of al-Alfonsi’s translation of al-Khwarizmi’s Khwarizmi’s Zij al-Sindhind Zij al-Sindhind (1 (1 October 1116)October 1116)

Walcher of Malvern, Walcher of Malvern, De Dracone (On De Dracone (On the Lunar Nodes, the Lunar Nodes, spring 1120)spring 1120)

Alfonsi’s Alfonsi’s Epistola ad Peripateticos Epistola ad Peripateticos (Letter to the Peripatetics of France)(Letter to the Peripatetics of France)

Adelard of BathAdelard of Bath


The frontispiece of an Adelard of Bath’s Latin translation of Euclid's Elements, the oldest surviving Latin translation of the Elements.

Illumination from a 14th-century MS, British Library Burney MS 275, f293)


Adelard of Bath,Adelard of Bath, Conversations with His Conversations with His

NephewNephew For I have learnt one thing from my Arab masters, with For I have learnt one thing from my Arab masters, with reason as guide, but you another : you follow a halter, being reason as guide, but you another : you follow a halter, being enthralled by the picture of authority. For what else can enthralled by the picture of authority. For what else can authority be called other than a halter? As brute animals are authority be called other than a halter? As brute animals are led wherever one pleases by a halter, but do not know where led wherever one pleases by a halter, but do not know where or why they are led, and only follow the rope by which they or why they are led, and only follow the rope by which they are held, so the authority of written words leads not a few of are held, so the authority of written words leads not a few of you into danger, since you are enthralled and bound by you into danger, since you are enthralled and bound by brutish credulity. Hence too, certain people, usurping the brutish credulity. Hence too, certain people, usurping the name of an authority for themselves, have used too great a name of an authority for themselves, have used too great a license to write, to such an extent that they have not license to write, to such an extent that they have not hesitated to trick brutish men with false words instead of hesitated to trick brutish men with false words instead of true. For why should they not fill pages, why not write on the true. For why should they not fill pages, why not write on the back too, when these days you generally have the kind of back too, when these days you generally have the kind of listeners who demand no argument based on judgment, but listeners who demand no argument based on judgment, but trust only in the name of an ancient authority? For they do trust only in the name of an ancient authority? For they do not understand that reason has been given to each single not understand that reason has been given to each single individual in order to discern between true and false with individual in order to discern between true and false with reason as the prime judge.reason as the prime judge.

Adelard of Bath, Adelard of Bath, Conversations with His NephewConversations with His Nephew, Ch. Burnett, trans., , Ch. Burnett, trans., Cambridge: CUP, 1999.Cambridge: CUP, 1999.


English precursors of Daniel of English precursors of Daniel of MorleyMorley

Robert of Chester Robert of Chester (active Segovia c. 1150?)(active Segovia c. 1150?)

– Al-Khwārizmī, Al-Khwārizmī, Book of AlgebraBook of Algebra– Book of the Composition of AlchemyBook of the Composition of Alchemy

Robert of Ketton Robert of Ketton (becomes canon of (becomes canon of Pamplona in 1143, returns to England by 1147)Pamplona in 1143, returns to England by 1147)

– Various works in astronomy and Various works in astronomy and astrologyastrology

– The first full translation of the Qur’an The first full translation of the Qur’an (1143)(1143)


Toledo: multicultural European Toledo: multicultural European captial of learningcaptial of learning

Interior of San Roman church, Toledo


From the biography of Gerard From the biography of Gerard of Cremona, written by his of Cremona, written by his

associatesassociatesGerard was trained from childhood at centers of philosophical Gerard was trained from childhood at centers of philosophical study and had come to a knowledge of all of this that was study and had come to a knowledge of all of this that was known to the Latins; but for love of the Almagest, which he known to the Latins; but for love of the Almagest, which he could not find at all among the Latins, he went to Toledo; there, could not find at all among the Latins, he went to Toledo; there, seeing the abundance of books in Arabic on every subject, and seeing the abundance of books in Arabic on every subject, and regretting the poverty of the Latins in these things, he learned regretting the poverty of the Latins in these things, he learned the Arabic language, on order to be able to translate. In this the Arabic language, on order to be able to translate. In this way, combining both language and science (for as Hamet says way, combining both language and science (for as Hamet says in his letter in his letter De proportione et proportionalitateDe proportione et proportionalitate, a translator , a translator should have a knowledge of the subject he is dealing with as should have a knowledge of the subject he is dealing with as well as an excellent command of the languages from which and well as an excellent command of the languages from which and into which he is translating), he passed on the Arabic literature into which he is translating), he passed on the Arabic literature in the manner of the wise man who, wandering through a in the manner of the wise man who, wandering through a green field, links up a crown of flowers, made from not just green field, links up a crown of flowers, made from not just any, but from the prettiest; to the end of his life, he continued any, but from the prettiest; to the end of his life, he continued to transmit to the Latin world (as if to his own beloved heir) to transmit to the Latin world (as if to his own beloved heir) whatever books he thought finest, in many subjects, as whatever books he thought finest, in many subjects, as accurately and as plainly as he could. He went the way of all accurately and as plainly as he could. He went the way of all flesh in the seventy-third year of his life, in the year of our Lord flesh in the seventy-third year of his life, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 1187.Jesus Christ 1187.


Daniel Daniel of of

Morley, Morley, Gerard Gerard

of of CremonCremona, and a, and their their

associatassociateses

Illumination from Illumination from a 13a 13thth-century -century manuscript of manuscript of

Gerard’s Gerard’s translation of a translation of a medical treatise medical treatise

by al-Raziby al-Razi


Daniel’s return to England and Daniel’s return to England and the origins of Oxford the origins of Oxford

UniversityUniversityHow disappointed I was when I was told that even here How disappointed I was when I was told that even here [in England] the liberal arts were mute and Aristotle and Plato [in England] the liberal arts were mute and Aristotle and Plato were forgotten in favour of Smith versus Jones. But then I were forgotten in favour of Smith versus Jones. But then I heard that such studies were flourishing in Northampton, and, heard that such studies were flourishing in Northampton, and, not wanting to be the only Greek among Romans, I set out for not wanting to be the only Greek among Romans, I set out for that town. But I was on my way there when I met my lord and that town. But I was on my way there when I met my lord and spiritual father, John, bishop of Norwich, who showed me great spiritual father, John, bishop of Norwich, who showed me great honour and respect (in keeping with his character) and was honour and respect (in keeping with his character) and was pleased that I had come.pleased that I had come.

As happens when friends meet after a long absence, I As happens when friends meet after a long absence, I was repeatedly questioned by my lord the bishop about the was repeatedly questioned by my lord the bishop about the wonderful things in Toledo and the teaching there. His last wonderful things in Toledo and the teaching there. His last question, about the movements of the celestial bodies, led the question, about the movements of the celestial bodies, led the talk round to astrology. He mentioned, for instance, that some talk round to astrology. He mentioned, for instance, that some things on this earth seem to be subservient to their superiors, things on this earth seem to be subservient to their superiors, as if under a bond of fealty. Because the shortness of time did as if under a bond of fealty. Because the shortness of time did not allow me to answer these questions sufficiently, I decided not allow me to answer these questions sufficiently, I decided to present the following treatise for his scrutiny. Its first book is to present the following treatise for his scrutiny. Its first book is about the lower part of the universe, its second about the about the lower part of the universe, its second about the higherhigher..

Cited by Burnett, Charles. The Introduction of Arabic Learning into England. The Panizzi lectures, 1996. London: British Library, 1997, p. 60-61.


Arab learning and the birth of Oxford University


Robert Robert Grosseteste Grosseteste

(c. 1175-(c. 1175-1223)1223)

Optic studies from De Natura Locorum. The diagram shows light being refracted by a spherical glass container full of water.


Arabic Spain, Arabic Spain, a key a key

element in element in European European

intellectual intellectual history history

Church of Santiago del Church of Santiago del Arrabal, ToledoArrabal, Toledo

Britain and the Muslim World: Historical Perspectives - University of Exeter 17-19 April 2009 Daniel of Morley, English seeker of Arab Wisdom in twelfth-

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