Chapter I: Part 1

THE IMPROVEMENT OF HUMAN REASON

Exhibited in the Life

of Hai Ebn Yokdhan

by

Ibn Tufail (Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Tufail al-Qasi)

Newly Translated from the Original Arabick by Simon Ockley

(1708)

* * * * *

The Improvement of

HUMAN REASON,

Exhibited in the LIFE of

_Hai Ebn Yokdhan_:

Written in _Arabick_ above 500 Years
_ago, by _Abu Jaafar Ebn Tophail_.

In which is demonstrated,

By what Methods one may, by the meer
LIGHT OF NATURE, attain the Knowledg
of things NATURAL and SUPERNATURAL;
more particularly the Knowledg of God,
and the Affairs of another Life.

Illustrated with proper FIGURES,

Newly Translated from the Original _Arabick_
by _SIMON OCKLEY_, A.M. Vicar of
_Swanesey_ in _Cambridgshire_.

With an APPENDIX,

In Which the Possibility of Man's attaining
the True Knowledg of GOD, and
Things necessary to Salvation, without
INSTRUCTION, is briefly consider'd.

* * * * *

To the Reverend

_Mr_. Edward Pococke,

Rector of

_MINAL_, in _Wiltshire_.

Reverend SIR,

Hai Ebn Yokdhan _returns to you again, in a Dress different from that which you sent him out in. Wherever he comes, he acknowledges you for his first and best Master; and confesses, that his being put in a Capacity to travel thro'_ Europe, _is owing to your Hand. I could not in Equity send him to any other Person, you being the sole Proprietor. And as your Learning enables you to do him Justice, so your Candor will incline you to pardon what is by me done amiss. Both which Qualifications you enjoy, as a Paternal Inheritance, descending from the Reverend and Learned _Dr. Pococke,_ the Glory and Ornament of our Age and Nation. Whose Memory I much reverence, and how much I acknowledge my self indebted to him for his Learned Works, I thought I could no way express better, than by taking some Opportunity to pay my Respects to you, Sir, the worthy Son of so great a Father. And no fitter Bearer than_ Hai Ebn Yokdhan, _with whose Character and Language you are so well acquainted, and to whom you have long ago shown so great a Respect, that I have no reason to fear but he will be welcome_.

_I am_,

_SIR,_

_Your most humble Servant_,

Simon Ockley,

* * * * *

THE PREFACE.

When Mr. _Pococke_ first publish'd this _Arabick_ Author with his accurate _Latin_ Version, _Anno_ 1671. Dr. _Pococke_ his Father, that late eminent Professor of the Oriental Languages in the University of _Oxford_, prefix'd a Preface to it; in which he tells us, that he has good Reason to think, that this Author was contemporary with _Averroes_, who died very ancient in the Year of the _Hegira_ 595, which is co-incident with the 1198th Year of our Lord; according to which Account, the Author liv'd something above five hundred Years ago.

He liv'd in _Spain_, as appears from one or two Passages in this Book. He wrote some other Pieces, which are not come to our Hands. This has been very well receiv'd in the East; one Argument of which is, that it has been translated by _R. Moses_ _Narbonensis_ into _Hebrew_, and illustrated with a large Commentary. The Design of the Author is to shew, how Human Capacity, unassisted by any External Help, may, by due Application, attain to the Knowledge of Natural Things, and so by Degrees find out its Dependance upon a Superior Being, the Immortality of the Soul, and all things necessary to Salvation.

How well he has succeeded in this Attempt, I leave to the Reader to judge. 'Tis certain, that he was a Man of Parts and very good Learning, considering the Age he liv'd in, and the way of studying in those Times. There are a great many lively Stroaks in it; and I doubt not but a judicious Reader will find his Account in the Perusal of it.

I was not willing ('though importun'd) to undertake the translating it into _English_, because I was inform'd that it had been done twice already; once by Dr. _Ashwell_, another time by the _Quakers_, who imagin'd that there was something in, it that favoured their Enthusiastick Notions. However, taking it for granted, that both these Translations we're not made out of the Original _Arabick_, but out of the _Latin_; I did not question but they had mistaken the Sense of the Author in many places. Besides, observing that a great many of my friends whom I had a desire to oblige, and other Persons whom I would willingly incline to a more favourable Opinion of _Arabick_ Learning, had not seen this Book; and withal, hoping that I might add something by way of Annotation or _Appendix_, which would not be altogether useless; I at last ventur'd to translate it a-new.

I have here and there added a Note, in which there is an account given of some, great Man, some Custom of the Mahometans explain'd, or something of that Nature, which I hope will not be unacceptable. And lest any Person should, through mistake, make any ill use of it, I have subjoin'd an _Appendix_, the Design of which the Reader may see in its proper place.

SIMON OCKLEY.

* * * * *

THE BOOKSELLER TO THE READER.

_When I first undertook the Publication of this English Translation, I thought it would not be amiss to present the World with a Specimen of it first. But since the Introduction is such, that the Reader can no more by it give a Guess at what is contain'd in the Book itself, than a Man can judge of his Entertainment by seeing the Cloath laid; I have thought it necessary to give him a Bill of Fare_.

_The Design of the Author (who was a Mahometan Philosopher) is to shew how Humane Reason may, by Observation and Experience, arrive at the Knowledge of Natural Things, and from thence to Supernatural; particularly the Knowledge of God and a Future State. And in order to this, he supposes a Person brought up by himself where he was altogether destitute of any Instruction, but what he could get from his own Observation_.

_He lays the Scene in some_ Fortunate Island _situate under the Equinoctial; where he supposes this Philosopher, either to have been bred (according to_ Avicen_'s Hypothesis, who conceiv'd a possibility of a Man's being formed by the Influence of the Planets upon Matter rightly disposed) without either Father or Mother; or self-expos'd in his Infancy, and providentially suckled by a Roe. Not that our Author believ'd any such matter, but only having design'd to contrive a convenient place for his Philosopher, so as to leave him to Reason by himself, and make his Observations without any Guide. In which Relation, he proposes both these ways, without speaking one Word in favour of either_.

_Then he shews by what Steps and Degrees he advanc'd in the Knowledge of Natural Things, till at last he perceiv'd the Necessity of acknowledging an Infinite, Eternal, Wise Creator, and also the Immateriality and Immortality of his own Soul, and that its Happiness consisted only in a continued Conjunction with this supream Being_.

_The Matter of this Book is curious, and full of useful Theorems; he makes most use of the Peripatetick Philosophy, which he seems to have well understood; it must be confess'd indeed, that when he comes to talk of the Union with God, &c. (as in the Introduction) there are some Enthusiastick Notions, which are particularly consider'd and refuted by the Editor in his Appendix_.

_Whose Design in publishing this Translation, was to give those who are as yet unacquainted with it, a Taste of the_ Acumen _and_ Genius _of the_ Arabian _Philosophers, and to excite young Scholars to the reading of those Authors, which, through a groundless Conceit of their Impertinence and Ignorance, have been too long neglected_.

_And tho' we do not pretend to any Discoveries in this Book, especially at this time of Day, when all parts of Learning are cultivated with so much Exactness; yet we hope that it will not be altogether unacceptable to the curious Reader to know what the state of Learning was among the_ Arabs, _five hundred Years since. And if what we shall here communicate, shall seem little in respect of the Discoveries of this discerning Age; yet we are confident, that any_ European, _who shall compare the Learning in this Book, with what was publish'd by any of his own Country-men at that time, will find himself obliged in Conscience to give our Author fair Quarter_.

* * * * *

_Abu Jaaphar Ebn Tophail_'s

INTRODUCTION

To the LIFE of

_Hai Ebn Yokdhan_.

_In the Name of the most Merciful God_.[1]

Blessed be the Almighty and Eternal, the Infinitely Wise and Merciful God, _who hath taught us the Use of the PEN_[2], who out of his great Goodness to Mankind, _has made him understand Things which he did not know_. I praise him for his excellent Gifts, and give him thanks for his continued Benefits, and I testify that there is but One God, and that he has no Partner[3]; and that _MAHOMET_ is his Servant and Apostle[4], endu'd with an excellent Spirit, and Master of convincing Demonstration, and a victorious Sword: the Blessing of God be upon him, and his Companions, (Men of great Thoughts, and vast Understandings,) and upon all his Followers, to the End of the World.

You ask'd me, Dear Friend, (God preserve you for ever, and make you Partaker of everlasting Happiness) to communicate to you what I knew concerning the Mysteries of the Eastern Philosophy, mention'd by the Learned _Avicenna_[5]: Now you must understand, that whoever designs to attain to a clear and distinct Knowledge, must be diligent in the search of it. Indeed your request gave me a noble turn of Thought, and brought me to the understanding of what I never knew before; nay, it advanc'd me to such an elevation, as no Tongue, how eloquent soever, is able to express; and the reason is, because 'tis of a quite different nature and kind from the Things of this World; only this there is in it, that whoever has attain'd to any degree of it, is so mightily affected with joy Pleasure, and Exultation, that 'tis impossible for him to conceal his sense of it, but he is forc'd to utter some general Expressions, since he cannot be particular. Now if a Man, who has not been polish'd by good Education, happens to attain to that state, he tuns out into strange Expressions, and speaks he knows not what; so that one of this sort of Men, when in that state, cry'd out, _Praise to be me! How wonderful am I!_[6] Another said, _I am Truth!_[7]. Another, _That he was God_.

_Abu Hamed Algazâli_[8], when he had attain'd to it, express'd himself thus,

_'Twas what it was, 'tis not to be express'd;_
_Enquire no further, but conceive the best_.

But he was a Man that had good Learning, and was well vers'd in the Sciences. What _Avenpace_[9] says at the end of his Discourse concerning the _UNION_, is worth your Observing; There he, says _That 'twill appear plainly to any one that understands the design of his Book, that that degree is not attainable by the means of those Sciences which were then in use; but that he attain'd to what he knew, by being altogether abstracted from any thing which he had been acquainted with before; and that he was furnish'd with other Notions altogether independent upon matter, and of too noble a nature to be any way attributed to the Natural Life, but were peculiar to the Blessed, and which upon that account we may call Divine Proprieties, which God (whose Name be prais'd) bestows upon such of his Servants as he pleases_.

Now this degree which this Author mentions, is attainable by Speculative Knowledge,(nor is it to be doubted but that he had reach'd it himself;) but not that which we have just now mention'd, which notwithstanding is not so much different from it in kind as in degree: for in that which I mention'd there are no Discoveries made which contradict those which this Author means; but the difference consists in this, _viz._ that in our way there is a greater degree of Clearness and Perspicuity than there is in the other; for in this we apprehend things by the help of something, which we cannot properly call a _Power_; nor indeed will any of those words, which are either us'd in common discourse, or occur in the Writings of the Learned, serve to express _That_, by which this sort of Perception do's apprehend.

This degree, which I have already mention'd, (and which perhaps I should never have had any taste of, if your request had not put me upon a farther search) is the very same thing which _Avicenna_ means, where he says; _Then when a Man's desires are raised to a good pitch, and he is competently well exercised in that way, there will appear to him some small glimmerings of the Truth, as it were flashes of Lightning, very delightful, which just shine upon him, and then go out; Then the more he exercises himself, the oftner he'll perceive 'em, till at last he'll become so well acquainted with them, that they will occur to him spontaneously, without any exercise at all; and then, as soon as he perceives any thing, he applies himself to the Divine Essence, so as to retain some impression of it; then something occurs, to him on a sudden, whereby he begins to discern the_ Truth _in every thing; till, through frequent exercise, he at last attains to a perfect Tranquility; and that which us'd to appear to him only by fits and starts, becomes habitual; and that which was only a glimmering before, a constant Light; and he obtains a constant and steady Knowledge._ Thus far _Avicenna_. Besides, he has given an account of those several steps and degrees by which a Man is brought to this perfection; till his Soul is like a polish'd Looking-glass, in which he beholds the _Truth_: and then he swims in pleasure, and rejoyces exceedingly in his Mind, because of the impressions of _Truth_ which he perceives in it, When he is once attain'd thus far, the next thing which employs him is, that he sometimes looks towards _Truth_, and sometimes towards _himself_; and thus he fluctuates between both, till he retires from himself wholly, and looks only to-ward the Divine Essence; and if he do's at any time look towards his own Soul, the only reason is, because that looks to-wards God; and from thence arises a perfect Conjunction [with God.]

And, according to this manner which he has describ'd, he do's by no means allow that this _Taste_ is attain'd by way of Speculation or Deduction of Consequences. And that you may the more clearly apprehend the difference between the perception of these sort of Men, and those other; I shall propose you a familiar instance. Suppose a Man born Blind, but of quick Parts, and a good Capacity, a tenacious Memory, and solid Judgment, who had liv'd in the place of his Nativity, till he had by the help of the rest of his Senses, contracted an acquaintance with a great many in the Neighbourhood, and learn'd the several kinds of Animals, and Things inanimate, and the Streets and Houses of the Town, so as to go any where about it without a Guide, and to know such people as he met, and call them, by their names; and knew the names of Colours[10], and the difference of them by their descriptions and definitions; and after he had learn'd all this, should have his Eyes open'd: Why, this Man, when he walk'd about the Town, would find every thing to be exactly agreeable to those notions which he had before; and that Colours were such as he had before conceiv'd them to be, by those descriptions he had receiv'd: so that the difference between his apprehensions when blind, and those which he would have now his Eyes were opened, would consist only in these two great Things, one of which is a consequent of the other, _viz._, a greater Clearness, and extream Delight. From whence 'tis plain, that the condition of those Contemplators, who have not yet attain'd to the _UNION_ [with GOD] is exactly like that of the Blind Man; and the Notion which a Blind Man has of Colours, by their description, answers to those things which _Avenpace_ said were _of too noble a nature to be any ways attributed, to the Natural Life,_ and, _which God bestows upon such his Servants as he pleases_. But the condition of those who have attain'd to the _UNION_, to whom God has given that which I told you could not be properly express'd by the word _POWER_, is that second State of the Blind-man cur'd. Take notice by the way, that our Similitude is not exactly applicable in every case; for there is very seldom any one found that is born _with his Eyes open_, that can attain to these things without any help of Contemplation.

Now (my Dear Friend) I do not here, when I speak of the Ideas of the _Contemplative_, mean what they learn from the Study of Physicks; nor by the notions of those who have attain'd to the _UNION_, what they learn from the Study of Metaphysicks (for these two ways of learning are vastly different, and must by no means be confounded.) But what I mean by the Ideas of the _Contemplative_ is, what is attain'd by the Study of Metaphysicks, of which kind is that which _Avenpace_ understood; and in the apprehension of these things, this condition is necessarily requir'd, _viz_. that it be manifestly and clearly true; and then there is a middle sort of Speculation, between that, and those who have attain'd to the _UNION_, who employ themselves in these things with greater perspicuity and delight.

Now _Avenpace_ blames all those that make any mention of this pleasure which is enjoy'd in the _UNION_, before the Vulgar; besides he said, that it belonged to the imaginative Faculty; and promis'd to write a Book about it, in which he design'd to give an account of the whole matter, and describe the condition of those who were so happy as to attain it clearly and perspicuously; but we may answer him with the Old Proverb, _viz. Don't say a thing is sweet before you taste on't_; for he never was so good as his word, nor performed any thing like it. But 'tis probable that the reason why he did not, was either because he was streightn'd for Time, being taken up with his Journey to _Wahran_; or else, because he was sensible, that if he should undertake to give a description of that State, the Nature of such a kind of Discourse, would unavoidably have put him upon a necessity of speaking some things, which would manifestly have reproach'd his own manner of living, and contradicted those Principles which he himself had elsewhere laid down; in which he encourages Men to heap up Riches, and proposes several ways and means in order to the acquiring them.

We have in this Discourse (as necessity required) disgress'd something from the main Design of what you desir'd; it appears from what has been already said, that you must either mean, 1. That I should describe to you, what they see and taste, who are so happy as to enjoy the _UNION_,(which is impossible to be described as it really is; and when any one goes about to express it, either by Speech or Writing, he quite alters the thing, and sinks into the speculative way. For when you once come to cloath it with Letters and Words, it comes nearer to the corporeal World, and does by no means remain in the same State that it was in before; and the Significations of these Words, which are used in the explaining it, are quite alter'd; so that it occasions a great many real Mistakes to some, and makes others believe, that they are mistaken, when indeed they are not; and the reason of this is, because it is a thing of infinite Extent, comprehending all things in it self, but not comprehended by any.) 2. Or else the meaning of your Request must be this, that I should shew you after what manner they proceed, who give themselves to Contemplation. And this (my good Friend) is a thing which is capable of being express'd both by Speech, and Writing; but 'tis as scarce as old Gold, especially in this part of the World where we live; for 'tis so rare, that there's hardly one of a thousand gets so much as a smattering of it; and of those few, scarce any, have communicated any thing of what they knew in that kind, but only by obscure Hints, and _Innuendo_'s. Indeed the _Hanifitick_ Sect[11], and the Mahometan Religion, doe forbid Men to dive too far into this matter. Nor would I have you think that the Philosophy which we find in the Books of _Aristotle_, and _Alpharabius_[12], and in _Avicenna_'s Book, which he calls _Alshepha,_ does answer the end which you aim at, nor have any of the _Spanish_ Philosophers[13] writ fully and satisfactorily about it. Because those Scholars which were bred in _Spain_, before the Knowledge of Logick and Philosophy was broach'd amongst them, spent their whole Lives in Mathematicks, in which it must be allow'd, they made a great Progress, but went no farther. After them came a Generation of Men, who apply'd themselves more to the Art of Reasoning, in which they excell'd their Predecessors, yet not so as to attain to true Perfection. So that one of them said,

_T'is hard the kinds of Knowledge are but two,_
_The One erroneous, the Other true_.
_The former profits nothing when 'tis gain'd,_
_The other's difficult to be attain'd_.

After these came others, who still advanc'd further, and made nearer approaches to the Truth; among whom there was one that had a sharper Wit, or truer notions of things than _Avenpace_, but he was too much taken up with Worldly Business, and Died before he had time to open the Treasury of his Knowledge, so that most of those pieces of his which are extant, are imperfect; particularly his Book _about the Soul_) and his _Tedbíro 'lmotawahhid,_ i.e. _How a Man ought to manage himself that leads a Solitary Life_ So are his _Logicks_ and _Physicks_. Those Pieces of his which are compleat, are only short Tracts and some occasional Letters. Nay, in his Epistle concerning the _UNION_, he himself confesses that he had wrote nothing compleat, where he says, _That it would require a great deal of trouble and pains to express that clearly which he had undertaken to prove_; and, _that the method which he had made use of in explaining himself, was not in many places so exact as it might have been_; and, _that he design'd, if he had time, to alter it_. So much for _Avenpace_, I for my part never saw him, and as for his Contemporaries, they were far inferiour to him, nor did I ever see any of their Works. Those who are now alive, are, either such as are still advancing forwards, or else such as have left off, without attaining to perfection; if there are any other, I know nothing of them.

As to those Works of _Alpharabius_ which are extant, they are most of them _Logick_. There are a great many things very dubious in his Philosophical Works; for in his _Méllatolphadélah_, i.e. _The most excellent Sect_, he asserts expressly, _that the Souls of Wicked Men shall suffer everlasting Punishment_; and yet says as positively in his Politicks that they shall be dissolv'd and annihilated, and that the Souls of the Perfect shall remain for ever. And then in his _Ethicks_, speaking concerning the Happiness of Man, he says, _that it is only in this Life_, and then adds, _that whatsoever People talk of besides, is meer Whimsy and old Wives Fables_. A principle, which if believ'd would make all Men despair of the Mercy of God, and puts the Good and Evil both upon the same Level, in that it makes annihilation the common end to them both. This is an Error not to be pardon'd by any means, or made amends for. Besides all this, he had a mean Opinion of the Gift of Prophecy, and said that in his Judgment it did belong to the _faculty of Imagination_, and that he prefer'd Philosophy before it; with a great many other things of the like nature, not necessary to be mention'd here.

As for the Books of _Aristotle, Avicenna_'s Exposition of them in his _Alshepha_ [i.e. _Health_] supplies their Room, for he trod in the same steps and was of the same Sect. In the beginning of that Book, says, that the _Truth_ was in his opinion different from what he had there deliver'd, that he had written that Book according to the Philosophy of the _Peripateticks_; but those that would know the _Truth_ clearly, and without Obscurity, he refers to his Book, _Of the Eastern Philosophy_. Now he that takes the pains to compare his _Alshepha_ with what _Aristotle_ has written, will find they agree in most things, tho' in the _Alshepha_ there are a great many things which are not extant in any of those pieces which we have of _Aristotle_. But if the Reader, take the literal Sense only, either of the _Alshepha_ or _Aristotle_, with, out penetrating into the hidden Sense, he will never attain to perfection, as _Avicenna_ himself observes in the _Alshepha_.

As for _Algazâli_[14], he often contradicts himself, denying in one place what he affirm'd in another. He taxes the Philosophers with _Heresy_[15] in his Book which he calls _Altehaphol_, i.e. _Destruction_, because they deny the Resurrection of the Body, and hold that Rewards and Punishments in a Future State belong to the Soul only. Then in the beginning of his _Almizân_, i.e. _The Balance_, he affirms positively, that this is the Doctrine of the _Suphians_[16], and that he was convinc'd of the truth of it, after a great deal of Study and Search. There are a great many such Contradictions as these interspers'd in his Works; which he himself begs Pardon for in the end of his _Mizân Alamal [The Ballance of Mens Actions]_; where he says, that there are Three sorts of Opinions; 1. Such as are common to the Vulgar, and agreeable to their Notions of things. 2. Such as we commonly make use of in answering Questions propos'd to us. 3. Such private as a Man has to himself, which none understand but those who think just as he does. And then he adds, that tho' there were no more in what he had written than only this, _viz_. That it made a Man doubt of those things which he had imbib'd at first, and help'd him to remove the prejudices of Education, that even that were sufficient; because, he that never doubts will never weigh things aright, and he that does not do that will never see, hut remain in Blindness and Confusion.

_Believe your Eyes, but still suspect your Ears,_
_You'll need no Star-light[17], when the day appears_.

This is the account of his way of Philosophizing, the greatest part of which is enigmatical and full of obscurity, and for that reason of no use to any but such as thoroughly perceive and understand the matter before, and then afterwards hear it from him again, or at least such as are of an excellent Capacity, and can apprehend a thing from the least intimation. The same Author says in his _Aljawâhir_ [i.e. _The Jewels_] that he had Books not fit to be communicated, but to such only as were qualified to read them, and that in them he had laid down the _Naked Truth_; but none of them ever came into _Spain_ that we know of: we have indeed had Books which some have imagin'd to be those incommunicable ones he speaks of, but 'tis a mistake, for those are _Almaâreph Alakliyah [Intellectual notices]_ and the _Alnaphchi waltéswiyal [Inflation and Æquation]_ and besides these, _a Collection of several Questions_. But as for these, tho' there are some hints in them, yet they contain nothing of particular use to the clearing of things, but what you may meet with in his other Books. There are, 'tis true, in his _Almeksad Alasna_, some things which are more profound than what we meet with in the rest of his Books, but he expressly says, that that Book is not _incommunicable_; from whence it follows, those Books which are come to our hands are not those incommunicable ones which he means. Some have fancy'd that there were some great matters contain'd in that Discourse of his, which is at the end of his _Meschâl_ [i.e. _Casement_] (which Belief of theirs, has plung'd them into inextricable Difficulties) where speaking of the several sorts of those who are kept from nearer Approaches, by the Brightness of the radiation of the Divine light, and then of those who had attain'd to the _UNION_, he says of these later, _That they apprehended such Attributes to belong to the Divine Essence as were destructive of its Unity_; from, whence it appear'd to them that he believ'd a sort of Multiplicity in the Godhead, which is horrid Blasphemy. Now I make no Question but that the worthy Doctor _Algazâli_ was one of those which attain'd to the utmost degree of Happiness, and to those heights which are proper _to_ those who enjoy the _UNION_; but as for his secret or incommunicable Books, which contain the manner of _Revelation_, they never came to my hands: and that pitch of knowledge which I have attain'd to, is owing to his other works and to _Avicenna_, which I read and compar'd with the Opinions of the present Philosophers, till at length I came to the Knowledge of the Truth. At first indeed, by way of Enquiry and Contemplation;but afterwards I came to have a perfect sense, and then I found that I could say something which I could call my own. Now I was resolv'd that you should be the first, to whom I would Communicate what I knew about these matters, both upon the account of the Intimacy of our Friendship, and your Candor and Integrity. Only observe, that my discovering to you the Ends which I attain'd in this way, without proving the Principles to you first, by which those Ends are attain'd, will do you no more Service, than any other Story which you receive by tradition, or any thing told you in general, of which you don't know how to make a particular application. Presuming that you will accept it kindly, not for any merit of the Author, but upon the account of our Friendship and Acquaintance; and I heartily desire that you mayn't stop here, but aspire to a loftier degree: for this is so far from being able to bring you to those heights, that is not sufficient to save you. Now I would lead you by the same paths which I have walk'd in before you, and make you steer by the same Compass, till you arrive at the same Point, and see with your own Eyes what I have seen before you, so as not to take it on trust any longer from me, but to experience it yourself. But this is a matter which will not only require considerable Time, but also that you are free and disingag'd from all manner of Business, and follow it close with great Application. And if you are really in earned, and set about it heartily, you will rejoyce as one that has Travelled all Night do's when the Sun rises upon him, and will receive a Blessing for your Labour, and take delight in your Lord, and he will delight in you. And for my own part, you will find me, according to your own Hearts desire, just such an one as you could wish; and I hope that I shall lead you in the right way, free from Evils and Dangers: and really I perceive some Glimmerings now, by the help of which I shall inflame your Desire, and put you upon entring this way, by telling you the Story of _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ and _Asâl_, and _Salâman_ (as _Avicenna_ calls them); in which, those that understand themselves right will find matter of Improvement, and worthy their Imitation.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: In the Name, &c--_This is the usual Form with which the_ Mahometans _begin all their Writings, Books and Epistles. Every Chapter in the_ Alcoran _begins so, and all their Authors have followed this way ever price. The Eastern Christians, to distinguish themselves from the_ Mahometans, _begin their Writings with_ Bismi'labi Wa'libni, _&c_. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, One God:_and so do the_ Æthiopians. _We here in_ England _observe something like this in Wills, where the usual Form is_, In the Name of God, Amen.]

[Footnote 2: _These words_,--Who hath taught us the Use of the Pen; who hath taught Man what he did not know, _are taken out of the_ XCVI. _Chapter of the_ Alcoran, _according to those Editions of it which are now in use_: _but_ Joannes Andreas Maurus, _(who was_ Alfaqui, or _chief Doctor of the_ Moors _in_ Sciatinia, _in the kingdom of_ Valentia _in_ Spain, _and afterwards converted to the Christian Religion in the Year of our Lord_ 1487) _says, that it is the first Chapter that was written of all the_ Alcoran. _But be that how it will, we may from hence, and infinite other places, observe the strange way which these Eastern Writers have of Quoting the_ Alcoran; _for they intermix those Expressions which they take out of it with their own words, without giving the Reader the least Notice or Hint whence they had them, or where to find them_.]

[Footnote 3: And I testify, &c.--_After be testified the Unity of the Godhead, be immediately adds_ La Sharica Leho, That he has no Partner. _These words frequently occur in the_ Alcoran, _and are particularly levell'd against the Christians, which_ Mahomet _frequently will_ Mushricoun, _i.e._. Associantes, Joyning Partners with God, _because they acknowledge the Divinity of our Blessed Saviour_.]

[Footnote 4: _The whole_ Mahometan _Creed consists only of these two Articles,_ 1. There is no God but God, [i.e. _There is but One God] and_ 2. Mahomet is his Apostle. _A very short Creed, but their Explications of it, make amends for its shortness. The Reader may see a Paraphrase of it out of_ Algazâli, _in Dr_. Pocock's Specimen Historiæ Arabum, p. 174.]

[Footnote 5: The Learned _Avicenna--This great Man was born in_ Bochara, _a City famous for the Birth of a great many very Learned Men; it lyes in 96 Degrees, and 50 Minutes of Longitude reckoning from the Fortunate-Islands, and 39 Degrees and 50 Minutes of Northern Latitude. A pleasant place, and full of good Buildings, having without the City a great many Fields and Gardens, round about which there is a great Wall of XII Parasangæ, or 36 Miles long, which encompasses both the Fields and the City_ Abulphed. Golius _'s Notes upon_ Alferganus. _Thus much concerning the Place of his Nativity; he was born in the Year of the_ Hegira 370, _which is about the 980 Year of Christ. He was indeed a prodigious Scholar; he had learn'd the_ Alcoran, _and was well initiated into Human Learning before he was Ten years old; then he studied Logick and Arithmetick, and read over Euclid without any help, only his Master show'd him how to demonstrate the first five or six Propositions; Then he read_ Ptolemy's Almagest, _and afterwards a great many Medicinal Books; and all this before be was sixteen years old. He was not only a great Philosopher and Physician, but an excellent Philologer and Poet. Amongst other of his Learned Works, he wrote an Arabick Lexicon; but it is lost. Besides all this, he was a Vizier, and met with a great many Troubles, which nevertheless did not abate his indefatigable Industry. The Soldiers once mutiny'd, and broke open his House, and carry'd him to Prison, and would fain have persuaded the Sultan_ Shemfoddaulah _to have put him to Death, which he refusing, was forc'd to Banish him. After a Life spent in Study and Troubles, having written more Learned Books than he liv'd Years, he died, Aged 58 Years_.]

[Footnote 6: _Subhhéni_--Praise be to me. _Which is an expression never us'd but when they speak of God_.]

[Footnote 7: I am Truth--_or_, I am the True God. _For the Arabick word_ Albákko _signifies both, and is very often us'd for one of the Names or Attributes of God_. Kamus. _Dr._ Pocock, Specimen pag. 168.]

[Footnote 8: Abu Hamed Algazâli--_What_ Abu Hamed Algazâli _thought concerning those Men who were so wild and Enthusiastick as to use such extravagant expressions, appears plainly from those words of his quoted by_ Dr. Pocock _in his_ Specimen. p. 167, _where he says_, "People ran on to such a degree, (_of madness you may be sure_) as to pretend to an Union with God, and a fight of him without the interposition of any Veil, and familiarly discourse with him. _And a little after_, which sort of Speeches have occasion'd great mischiefs among the common People; so that some Country Fellows laying aside their Husbandry, have pretended to the same things: for Men are naturally pleas'd with such discourses, as give them a liberty to neglect their business, and withal promise them purity of Mind, and the attainment of strange degrees and proprieties. Now the most stupid Wretches in Nature may pretend to this, and have in their Mouths such false and deceitful expressions. And if any one denies what they say, they immediately tell you, that this Unbelief of yours proceeds from _Learning_ and _Logick_: and that _Learning_ is a _Veil_, and _Logick_ labour of the brain, but that these things which they affirm, are discovered only inwardly then by the _Light of the TRUTH_. And this which they affirm, has spread _it self_ through a great many Countries, and produc'd a great deal of Mischief." _Thus far_ Algazâli. _How exactly this answers the wild extravagancies of our Enthusiasts, let themselves judge. And withal I would have them from hence learn the Modesty not to pretend to be the first after the Apostles who had endeavour'd to turn Men from Darkness to LIGHT, since they see so many worthy Persons among the Mahometans gone before them_.]

[Footnote 9: Avenpace--_This Author is oftentimes quoted by the Name of_ Ebn'olfayeg; _he was accounted a Philosopher. of great Ingenuity and Judgment_. Maimonides, _in his Epistle to_ R. Samuel Aben Tybbon, _gives him a great Character_. Abu'l Hasen Ali, _who collected all his Works, and reduced them into One Volume, prefers him before all the Mahometan Philosophers whatsoever. He was famous for his Poetry as well as Philosophy; he died young, being prison'd at_ Fez, _in the Year of the_ Hegira 533. _i.e. of Christ_, 1138, or 39, _others in the Year_ 525, _which answers to_ 1131. _Most of his Works are imperfect_. See Dr. _Pocock's Elenchus Scriptorum prefix'd to the Arabick Edition of this Book_.]

[Footnote 10: _Tho' this instance will serve to explain the meaning of the Author, yet 'tis very improper, because 'tis utterly impossible to give a Man that is born Blind, the least notion or idea of Light or Colours_.]

[Footnote 11: _The Hanifitick Sect,_ and the _Mahometan_ Religion,--_That is, not only the_ Hanifitick _Sect, but even the_ Mahometan _Religion too, of which that Sect is a Branch, does forbid the over curious enquiring into these abstruse Matters. This Sect was very early among the_ Mahometans, _for it had its Name from_ Abu Hanifah Al Nooman, _who was born,in the 80 year of_ Hegira, or according to others in the 70. _I must confer, that it seems something odd, that he should mention that Sect first, and then the_ Mahometan _Religion which includes it, and if it had not been for the word_ Asshariyato, _which, if I mistake not, is never us'd to express any particular Sect, but signifies a Religion, or Law of God, I should have understood those Words of the Sect of_ Mahomet Ebn Edris Asshaphiensis. _See Dr._ Pocock _'s Specimen_ p. 295. _Or else the_ Hanifitick _Sect and the_ Mahometan _Religion may signifie the same thing, because_ Abraham, _(whose Religion the_ Mahometans _pretend to follow) is called in the_ Alcoran Hanif. _Dr._ Sike.]

[Footnote 12: 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) _bar_88 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_.]

[Footnote 13: The _Spanish_ Philosophers.--_This is not to be understood of any Christians in_ Spain, _but Mahometans; for the Moors Conquer'd a great part of_ Spain _in the Ninety Fifth Year of the_ Hegira, _which answers partly to the Year of our Lord 710. Afterwards, as Learning grew up amongst the Eastern Mahometans, it increased proportionally among the Western too, and they had a great many Learned Men in_ Toledo _and other Places. The Author of this Book was a_, Spaniard, _as appears from an Expression towards the end of this Preface_.]

[Footnote 14: Algazâli.--_He was an Eminent Philosopher, Born at Thûs a Famous City of_ Chorafan, _in the Year of the_ Hegira 450, _of Christ_ 1058. _He died in the Year of the_ Hegira 505, _of Christ_ 1111-2. Dr. Pocock's Elenchus Scriptor.]

[Footnote 15: Heresy.--_In Arabick the Word_ Káfara, _signifies_ to be an Infidel, _but they use it commonly as we do the word_ Heresy, viz. _when a Person holds any thing erroneous in Fundamentals, tho' Orthodox in other points_.]

[Footnote 16: The Doctrine of the _Suphians_--_The_ Suphians _are an Enthusiastick Sect amongst the Mahometans, something like_ Quietists _and_ Quakers; _these set up a stricter sort of Discipline, and pretended to great abstinence and Contempt of the World, and also to a greater Familiarity and stricter Union with God than other Sects; they used a great many strange and extravagant actions and utter Blasphemous Expressions_. Al Hosain Al Hallâgi _was eminent amongst them about the Year of the_ Hegira 300. _'Twas he that wrote in one of his Epistles_, Blessed is he that possesses the shining light, _&c. and pretended that God dwelt in him. The Learned among the_ Arabians _are not agreed, about the derivation of the Word,_ Sufi, Suphian. _It seems not to be known among them till about the_ 200 _Year of the_ Hegira. _The most probable Interpretation of it is from the Arabick word_ Sûph, _which signifies_ Wool, _because those that followed this Sect refused to wear Silk, and Cloathed themselves only with_ Wool. Dr. Pocock _and_ Golius _follow this Interpretation; tho' the latter in his Lexicon seems to doubt whether it is deriv'd from the [Greek: sophos] or from the Arabick_ Sûph. _The Sultan of Persia is often call'd the_ Sophy, _because_ Ismaël _the first Sultan of that Family now in_ Persia _who began to Reign in the 605 Year of the_ Hegira, _that is of our Lord the_ 1554/5 _was of this Sect._ viz, Sufi, a Suphian.]

[Footnote 17: _The word which I have here rendred_ Starlight, _is_ Zohal _in Arabick which signifies_ Saturn. _'Tis a common way with the Arabian Authors, when they intend to shew a vast disproportion between things, to compare the greater to the_ Sun _and the lesser to_ Saturn. _The meaning of this Distich, is that there is as much difference between what a Man knows by hearsay, or what notions he imbibes in his Education, and what he knows when he comes to examin things to the bottom, and know them experimentally, as there is between Twilight and Noonday_.]

* * * * *

THE HISTORY OF _HAI EBN YOKDHAN_.

§ 1. Our Ancestors, of Happy Memory, tell us, that there is an Island in the _Indian_ Ocean, situate under the Equinoctial, where Men come into the world spontaneously without the help of Father and Mother. This Island it seems, is blest with such a due Influence of the Sun, as to be the most temperate and perfect of all places in the Creation; tho' it must be confess'd that such an Assertion is contrary to the Opinion of the most celebrated Philosophers and Physicians, who affirm that the fourth Climate is the most Temperate. Now if the reason which they give for this Assertion, viz. _That these parts situate under the Equinoctial are not habitable_; were drawn, from any Impediment from the Earth, 'tis allow'd that it would appear more probable; but if the reason be, because of the intense Heat (which is that which most of 'em assign) 'tis absolutely false, and the contrary is prov'd by undeniable demonstration. For 'tis demonstrated in Natural Philosophy, that there is no other cause of Heat than Motion, or else the Contact and Light of Hot Bodies. 'Tis also prov'd that the Sun, in it self, is not hot, nor partakes of any mix'd Quality: 'tis prov'd moreover, that the thickest and smoothest Bodies receive Light in the greatest degree of perfection; and next to them, the thicker which are not smooth, and those which are very thin receive no Light at all. (This was first demonstrated by _Avicenna_, never mention'd before by any of the Ancients.) From these Premises, this Consequence will necessarily follow, _viz_. That the Sun do's not Communicate his Heat to the Earth, after the same manner as hot Bodies heat those other Bodies which are near them because the Sun is not hot in it self. Nor can it be said that the Earth is heated by Motion, because it stands still, and remains in the same posture, both when the Sun shines upon it, and when it does not, and yet 'tis evident to Sense, that there is a vast difference in it, in respect of Heat and Cold, at those several times. Nor does the Sun first heat the Air, and so the Earth; because we may observe in hot weather, that the Air which is nearest the Earth, is hotter by much than that which is higher and more remote. It remains therefore that the Sun has no other way of heating the Earth but by its Light, for Heat always follows Light, so that when its Beams are collected, as in Burning-Glasses for instance, it fires all before it. Now 'tis Demonstrated in Mathematicks, that the Sun is a Spherical Body, and so is the Earth; and that the Sun is much greater than the Earth; and that part of the Earth which is at all times illuminated by the Sun is above half of it; and that in that half which is illuminated, the Light is most intense in the midst; both because that part is the most remote from Darkness, which is the Circumference of the Circle, as also, because it lies opposite to more parts of the Sun: and that those parts which are nearest the Circumference of the Circle, have less Light; and so gradually, till the Circumference of the Circle, which encompasses the illuminated part of the Earth, ends in Darkness.

§ 2. Now that is the Center of the Circle of Light, where the Sun is Vertical to the Inhabitants, and then in that place, the Heat is most extreamly intense; and so those Countries are the coldest, where the Sun is farthest from being Vertical. And if there were any such place where the Sun was always Vertical, it must needs be extream hot. Now 'tis demonstrated in Astronomy, that the Sun is Vertical twice a Year only, to those which live under the Equinoctial, _viz_. when he enters into _Aries_ and _Libra_; and all the rest of the Year he declines from them, six months Northward, and six months Southward; and for that reason they are neither too hot nor too cold, but of a Moderate Temper between both. There's much more to be said about this Argument, in order to the explaining it fully, but it is not suitable to our purpose; I have only hinted it to you, because it helps the Story a little, and makes it something more probable that a Man may be form'd without the help of Father and Mother; and there are some which affirm positively that _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ was so, others deny it, and tell the Story thus:

* * * * *

* * * * *

§ 3. They say, that there lay, not far from this our Island, another Great Island very fertile and well peopled; which was then govern'd by a Prince of a Proud and Jealous Disposition: he had a Sister of exquisite Beauty, which he confin'd and restrain'd from Marriage, because he could not match her to one suitable to her quality He had a near Relation whose Name was _Yokdhân_, that courted this Princess, and Married her privately, according to the Rites of Matrimony then in use among them; it was not long before she prov'd with Child, and was brought to Bed of a Son; and being afraid that it should be discovered, she took him in the Evening, and when she had Suckled him she put him into a little Ark which she closed up fast, and so Conveys him to the Sea shore, with some of her Servants and Friends as she could trust; and there with an Heart equally affected with Love and Fear, she takes her last leave of him in these Words, _O God, thou form'dst this Child out of nothing, and didst Cherish him in the Dark recesses of my Womb, till he was compleat in all his parts; I fearing the Cruelty of a Proud and unjust King, commit him to thy Goodness, hoping that thou who art infinitely merciful, will be pleas'd by thy gracious Providence to protect him, and never leave him destitute of thy Care_.

§4. Then she set him afloat, and that very Night the Tide carried him ashore on that Island we just now mention'd; it fortun'd that the Water being high, carried the Ark a great way on shore, farther than it would have done at another time, (for it rises so high but once a Year) and cast the Ark into a little shady Grove, thick set with Trees, a pleasant place, where he was secured both from Wind and Sun; when the Tide ebb'd, the Ark was left there, and the Wind rising blew an heap of Sand together between the Ark and the Sea, sufficient to secure him from any future danger of such another Flood.

§ 5. The Violence of the Waves had loosned the Joints of the Ark; the Boy was Hungry and Cry'd. It happen'd fortunately at that Juncture of time, that a Roe wandring about the Island in search of her Fawn, which straying was devoured by an Eagle, heard the Boy cry, and following the voice (imagining it to have been her Fawn) came up to the Ark, which she immediately attack'd, and what with her beating it with her hoofs without, and the Boy's struggling within, at last between 'em both they loosned a board: as soon as she saw him she shew'd the same natural Affection to him as if he had been her own, Suckled him and took care of him. This is the account which they give, who are not willing to believe that a Man can be produced without Father or Mother.