The travels and adventures of Edward Brown ... Containing his observations on France and Italy: his voyage to the Levant; his account of the isle of Malta; his remarks in journies thro' the Lower and Upper Egypt; together with a brief description of the Abyssinian Empire / [John Campbell].
- John Campbell
- Date:
- 1739
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The travels and adventures of Edward Brown ... Containing his observations on France and Italy: his voyage to the Levant; his account of the isle of Malta; his remarks in journies thro' the Lower and Upper Egypt; together with a brief description of the Abyssinian Empire / [John Campbell]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![[ sS6 ] to any thing that hath been written in the fame Language iince, therefore he wrote it by the Direction, or which k the fame thing, had it delivered to him by the Almighty. To refel this Propohtion, there is nothing more necefiary than to confider the manifell Imperfe&ions vifible in the Koran \ fuch as FaCts falfe ftated, Errors in Geography, and Chronology \ and, which is Hill of greater Impor¬ tance than any of thefe, flat Contradictions. But if the Koran be not divinely infpired, it is neverthelefs excel¬ lently writ; and this is a Proof that the Arabian Stile arrived at Perfection, either in, or before the Days of Mohammed ; whence I fuppofe it will follow, that thofe who ufed this Language were not utter Barbarians, but Men tollerably acquainted with the moft ufeful of the Sciences, and who were accuftomed to difcourfe of Things natural and divine. The Critics admit that there are in the Book of Job abundance of Arabick Words, and it is indifputably written in the Manner of that People. This feems a itrong Confirmation of what was faid before ; and indeed I think it can be hardly conceived, that a Nation fhould remain Barbarians in the lail Degree, and yet make ufe of a comprehenfive and a copious Language. The Truth feems to be, that a certain Kind of mixt Theo¬ logy, a fort of moral Philofophy, and a jumbled Notion of Aftronomy and Aflrology, made up the Learning of the Arabians, who were Cotemporaries with Mohammed, or lived in the Ages before him. Thofe who fucceeded him were barbarous ihdeed, for they affeCted Barba- rifm, and for fevera‘1 Succeffionsmade War on the Re- publick of Letters, as fiercely as they did on all the neighbouring Nations. It was in this unfortunate Seafon when](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30505185_0406.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)


