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 our Author fair Quarter_.