Page:The History of Hayy Ibn Yaqzan.djvu/69

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HAYY IBN YAQZAN

must be in the Centre. And when he reflected upon his own Body, he felt the presence of such an Organ in his Breast. Now since he was able to hinder the action of all his other Organs, such as Hands, Feet, Ears, Nose and Eyes, and deprive himself of it, he conceived that it might be possible to subsist without them; but when he considered this Organ within his Breast he could not conceive the possibility of subsisting without it, so much as the twinkling of an eye. And upon this account, whenever he fought with any Wild Beast, he always took particular care to protect his Breast from being pierced by its Horns, because of the Apprehension which he had of that Organ which was contain'd in it.


§ 19

Having, by this way of reasoning, assur'd himself that the disaffected Organ lay in the Breast; he was resolv'd to make a search in order to examine it, that whatsoever the Impediment was, he might remove it if possible; but then again, he was afraid on the other side, lest his Undertaking should be worse than the Disease, and prove prejudicial. He began to consider next, whether or no he had ever remember'd any wild Beasts or other Animals which he had seen in that condition, recover

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