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