06 THE HISTORY OF CULMISTRY, 



in the year 1642, a certain philofophcr, named 

 John Philopbnus, who was high in favour with 

 their leader Aniri Kbnol-As, requeued of him 

 tofparehima part of it. The Caliph Omar, 

 however, without whofe permiflTion Amri dared 

 not to favc a tingle volume, ordered them all to 

 be deitroyed ; adding, at the fame time, that 

 fliey were ufelefs if they agreed with the Alco- 

 ran, dangerous if they differed from it. Du- 

 ring fix- months almoll four thoufand baths were 

 daily heated with thefe valuable munufcripts '. 

 How little learning was eileemed by the heroes 

 of thofe days iulficieritly appears in this unfor- 

 tunate example. In afimilar manner the Goths, 

 and other wandering tribes, fpread terror far and 

 wide, and depredated entirely the nations they 

 had vunquiflied. lint we ihall not enter into 

 the unpleaiant detail of the etfecls of barbarifm 

 and ignorance ; as the fate of Egypt, where 

 chemillry hud fixed her throne, too clearly il- 

 lufl rates the melancholy condition of the fci- 

 erices. 



Although the firfl influence of the Mahome- 

 tan dominion was fatal to letters, and the conlti- 

 tution of that religion even afforded no profpeft 

 o!*a Iiappier iituution; yet loon after, under the 

 Achernidic dynutly, the fmilet> of fortune in- 

 fpircd them with fome new hopes. Abu-Jaafer- 

 A I man for, the fecond of this family, who, in 



* the- 



* Abulpharagiut, hlft. I)y. x. 



