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 into Latin, from Arabick Copies; and those Barbarous Translations were the only Elements upon which the Western School-men and Mathematicians built. If they learnt any thing considerable elsewhere, it might be Chymistry and Alchemy from the Egyptians; unless we should say that they translated Synesius, or Zosimus, or some other Grecian Chymists.

Hence it follows, that the Arabs borrowed the greatest part, at least, of their Knowledge from the Greeks, though they had much greater Advantages of Communicating with the more Eastern Parts of the World, than either Greeks or Romans ever had. They could have acquainted us with all that was rare and valuable amongst those Ancient Sages. The Saracen Empire was under one Head in Almanzor's Time; and was almost as far extended Eastward as ever afterwards. His Subjects had a free Passage, from the Tagus to the Ganges; and being united by the common Bond of the same Religion, the Brachmans, some of whom did, in all probability, embrace the Mahometan Faith, would not be shy of revealing what they knew, to their Arabian Masters. By this Means, the Learning of the Egyptians, Chaldeans, Indians, Greeks and Arabs, ran in one common Channel. For