Note 18 — THE HISTORY OF HAI EBN YOKDHAN.

p .14. Sect. 6. Those who affirm that Hai Ebn Yokdhan was produced in that Island without Father or Mother—The having our Philosopher hatch'd after this manner, is a contrivance of Avicen's, who wrote this Story first, and from whom our Author has taken a great part of it. He was of Opinion that such a Formation was possible; tho' there having never been any such thing, is a sufficient Demonstration of the Impossibility of it; for since the Creation of the World the Celestial Bodies have had time enough to exert the utmost of their Power, and shed their Influence in order to such a Production, which they having never so much as attempted yet, amongst all the variety of their Operations, plainly shew us that it is not in their power. But we must give Philosophers leave sometimes to go beyond Demonstration. 'Tis observable, that our Author says nothing of the matter, but leaves it as he found it.