The Improvement of Human Reason: Exhibited in the Life of Hai Ebn YokdhanIbn Tufayl, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik
Islamic
The Improvement of Human Reason: Exhibited in the Life of Hai Ebn Yokdhan
Ibn Tufayl, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik
Islamic philosophy -- Early works to 1800
Sec.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.
Sec. 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.
Sec. 6. On the other hand, those who affirm that _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ was
produced in that Island without Father and Mother[18], tell us, that in
that island, in a piece of Low ground, it chanc'd that a certain Mass of
Earth was so fermented in some period of Years, that the four qualities,
_viz. Hot, Cold, Dry, Moist_, were so equally mix'd, that none of 'em
prevail'd over the other; and that this Mass was of a very great Bulk,
in which, some parts were better and more equally Temper'd than
others,and consequently fitter for Generation; the middle part
especially, which came nearest to the Temper of Man's Body. This Matter
being in a fermentation, there arose some Bubbles by reason of its
viscousness, and it chanc'd that in the midst of it there was a viscous
Substance with a very little bubble in it, which was divided into two
with a thin partition, full of Spirituous and Aerial Substance, and of
the most exact Temperature imaginable. That the Matter being thus
dispos'd, there was, by the Command of God, a Spirit infus'd into it;
which was join'd so closely to it, that it can scarce be separated from
it even so much as in thought; which did as constantly influence this
Mass of matter as the Sun do's the World. Now there are some Bodies from
whence we perceive no Reflection of Light, as the thin Air: others from
which we do but imperfectly; such are thick Bodies which are not smooth
(but there is a difference in these, and the difference of their Colours
arises from the different manner of their Reception of the Rays); and
from others we receive the Reflection in the highest degree, as from
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