Locman

LOCMAN. The Name of Locman ought not to have a Place in this Dictionary, since there is no Mention of it in the Scripture; but as some Oriental Authors¹ make him to be Job’s Nephew, or his Aunt’s Son, and consequently his Cousin German; and others will have him to be the Son of Beor, the Son of Nahor, and Grandson of Terah, and consequently Abraham’s great Nephew, we are of Opinion, that the Reader will not think it superfluous in this Place.

When we compare all that the Eastern Writers have said of this famous Sage, we must, methinks, either allow him to have lived very long, or acknowledge that there were two or three of the same Name; for many affirm, that Locman the Wise lived in the Time of David and Solomon, others as long as to that of Jonah; some make him Contemporary with Æsop, and confound him even with the famous Author of the Fables.

The Generality of Mahometan Authors assert, that Locman was of a servile Condition, a Taylor, or Carpenter, or Shepherd by Profession, and an Æthiopian by Nation; that he was sold into the Territories of Israel, under the Reigns of David and Solomon. They relate, that on a certain Day while he was sleeping about Noon, Angels entring into his Chamber, saluted him without becoming visible to him. Locman seeing no one, made no Answer to their Salutation. The Angels told him, that God intended to make him Monarch, and his Vicegerent upon Earth; he replied, that if God designed him for this Employment, he would not fail to give him those necessary Helps, which might enable him to perform the Duties of it; but if he would leave his Condition of Life to his Choice, he would beg of him to let him continue as he was, and to preserve him from Sin, without which all the Grandeur in the World would be uneasy to him.

This Answer was so agreeable to God, that he immediately gave him the Gift of Wisdom with such Profusion, that he was able to instruct all the World by a Multitude of Sentences, Maxims, and Parables, which amount in Number to ten Thousand.

David having one Day asked him, How did you rise this Morning? He replied, I rose out of the midst of the Dust; which gave David a great Esteem of Locman’s Humility.

Being seated on a certain Day amidst a Company of People who were hearing him, a Jew of great Note asked him, whether he was not that Slave, who not long ago kept such an one’s Sheep. I am, says Locman: And how, replied the Jew, came you so suddenly to attain to so great a Degree of Wisdom and Virtue? By accomplishing three Things, said Locman, by always speaking Truth, keeping my Word inviolably, and never concerning my self with Matters which did not belong to me.

There is a Book intitled, Giovaher Altassir, which contains an Abridgement of Locman’s principal Actions and finest Sentences; and the Author of Tarish Montekeb says, that his Tomb was in his Time still to be seen in Judæa, near the City Remla or Ramah, to the West of Jerusalem; that he was by Birth an Abyssinian or Nubian, and by Religion a Jew; that he was one of the seventy Prophets who perished all in one Day, and were starved to Death by the Jews; that he lived three hundred Years, and is a different Person from another Locman, who lived in the Patriarch Eber’s Time. This is the Account given by this Author.

The Wisdom of Locman is become Proverbial among the Eastern People. There is a good deal of Probability that this Man is the same with Æsop, who lived in the Time of Cræsus King of Lydia overcome by Cyrus, and of Solon the Legislator of the Athenians. The Name of Æsop in Greek sometimes signifies Æthiopian. Æsop and Locman were alike Slaves; both wrote Apologues and Fables, many whereof are to be met with in Locman’s Collection, which we find likewise among those of Æsop; and many are attributed to Æsop, whereof Locman is reputed to be the Author: For Example, that the Tongue is the best and most dangerous Part of Man; and that Locman being accused by his Companions of eating a particular Fruit, to justify himself, first made himself vomit, and shewed that he had nothing like it in his Stomach, and then obliged the other Slaves to do the same, who threw up Pieces of the Fruit, which he had been accused with eating.

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