Alexander Ross, The Alcoran of Mahomet, translated out of Arabick into French, by the Sieur Du Ryer, Lord of Malezair, and resident for the French king, at Alexandria. And newly Englished, for the satisfaction of all that desire to look into the Turkish vanities. (1649)

have fed a while upon the course husks of the Alcoran, with the Arabian swine, we shall with much more eagerness covet after the plenty of our Fathers house, exhibited to us in his Word, where we shall finde the hidden Manna, the bread of Life, that came down from heaven.

7. Books of Palmistry, Physiognomy, judicial Astrologie, Necromancy, and other superstitious and impious Arts have been permitted to come abroad, that men might see the vanity of those Arts, the knavery and wickedness of the Artists, the foolishness of credulous people, who suffer themselves to be deiuded by them, and the malice of Satan the arch enemy of mankinde, whose delight is to abuse, delude, and destroy men: whu them may not the Alcoran be read, that men may see the vanity, impiety, and foolishness of it, by which the world hath been so many years cheated and abused?

8. They that learn Arts and Sciences, desire the knowledg, not only of the good things, but of the evil things also, and the abuses of them, to the end they may avoid them; therefore Logick speaks as well so sophisticall and fallacious syllogismes, as of demonstrative and topical; Ethics treats of vices as well as of virtues; Natural Philosophy handleth the natures, not only of useful and beneficial creatures, but also of hurtful and venomous, as of Serpents; Physick speaks of poysons as well as of course; Historians describe both the virtuous and vicious actions of Princes; in Divinity we learn, not only what God and good Angels are, but also what Sathan is and his wicked Angels; in Navigation we must know, not only what places are Navigable, but also what are not; how shall we avoid Rocks, Quick-sands and Shelves if we know them not? even so Christian Religion permits not only the reading of Scripture but also of heretical and heathenish books, as is said, that we may know what to embrace, what to shun; therefore if you would know what be the damnable errors to be avoided by Christians, read the Alcoran, and you shall finde in it the sinke of all, or most part of ancient heresies.

9. In reading of the Alcoran, though it be, as Cato said of the three Roman Embassadors, that were to go to Antiochus, headless, heartless, and footless, the one being maimed in his head, the