(Simon), a learned orientalist, was born at Exeter in 1678, and educated at Queen's college, Cambridge, where he distinguished himself by his intense application to literature. At the usual time he took the degrees in arts, and that of bachelor in divinity; but marrying very young, was precluded from a fellowship in his college, and this occasioned his being afterwards involved in many difficulties. In 1705 he was presented to the vicarage of Swavesey in Cambridgeshire; and in 1711 he was chosen Arabic professor of the university. He was perfect master of the Arabic and other oriental tongues: the learned Reiland said of him, "Vir, si quis alius harum literarum peritus." Afterwards, however, he had the misfortune to be confined for some time in Cambridge castle for debt. The above preferments notwithstanding, he enjoyed till his death, which happened on the 9th of August 1720. He wrote, 1. Introductio ad Lingua Orientales. 2. The history of the present Jews throughout the world; translated from the Italian of Leo Modena, a Venetian rabbi. 3. The improvement of human reason, exhibited in the life of Hai Ebn Yokdhan, translated from the Arabic. 4. An account of Southwell Barbary, containing what is most remarkable in the kingdoms of Fez and Morocco; written by a person who had been a slave there a considerable time, and translated from his manuscript. 5. The history of the Saracens, collected from the most authentic Arabic authors, in 2 vols 8vo. He was not only well skilled in the learned languages, but also in the modern, as French, Spanish, Italian, &c.

OCRRA, a viscous vegetable substance well known in the West Indies, where it is used to thicken soup, and for other purposes.