The Improvement of Human Reason | Page 2

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._

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