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MARGARET, DUCHESS of NEWCASTLE Publishd 10 Augt. 1799 by. S. Harding. 127 | |
Pall Mall. | |
THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW WORLD, CALLED The Blazing-World. | |
WRITTEN By the Thrice Noble, Illustrious, and Excellent PRINCESS, THE Duchess | |
of Newcastle. | |
LONDON, Printed by A. Maxwell, in the Year M.DC.LX.VIII. | |
TO THE DUCHESS OF NEWCASTLE, ON HER New Blazing-World. | |
OUr Elder World, with all their Skill and Arts, | |
Could but divide the World into three Parts: | |
Columbus, then for Navigation sam'd, | |
Found a new World, America 'tis named; | |
Now this new World was found, it was not made, | |
Only discovered, lying in Time's shade. | |
Then what are You, having no Chaos found | |
To make a World, or any such least ground? | |
But your Creating Fancy, thought it fit | |
To make your World of Nothing, but pure Wit. | |
Your Blazing-World, beyond the Stars mounts higher, | |
Enlightens all with a Celestial Fire. | |
William Newcastle. | |
To all Noble and Worthy LADIES. | |
THIS present Description of a New World; was made as an Appendix to my | |
Observations upon Experimental Philosophy; and, having some Sympathy and | |
Coherence with each other, were joined together as Two several Worlds, at their | |
Two Poles. But, by reason most Ladies take no delight in Philosophical | |
Arguments, I separated some from the mentioned Observations, and caused them to | |
go out by themselves, that I might express my Respects, in presenting to Them | |
such Fancies as my Contemplations did afford. The First Part is Romancical; the | |
Second, Philosophical; and the Third is merely Fancy; or, (as I may call it) | |
Fantastical. And if ( Noble Ladies) you should chance to take pleasure in | |
reading these Fancies, I shall account my self a Happy Creatoress: If not, I | |
must be content to live a Melancholy Life in my own World; which I cannot call | |
a Poor World, if Poverty be only want of Gold, and Jewels: for, there is more | |
Gold in it, than all the Chemists ever made; or, (as I verily believe) will | |
ever be able to make. As for the Rocks of Diamonds, I wish, with all my Soul, | |
they might be shared amongst my Noble Female Friends; upon which condition, I | |
would willingly quit my Part: And of the Gold, I should desire only so much as | |
might suffice to repair my Noble Lord and Husband's Losses: for, I am not | |
Covetous, but as Ambitious as ever any of my Sex was, is, or can be; which is | |
the cause, That though I cannot be Henry the Fifth, or Charles the Second; yet, | |
I will endeavour to be, Margaret the First: and, though I have neither Power, | |
Time, nor Occasion, to be a great Conqueror, like Alexander, or Caesar; yet, | |
rather than not be Mistress of a World, since Fortune and the Fates would give | |
me none, I have made One of my own. And thus, believing, or, at least, hoping, | |
that no Creature can, or will, Envy me for this World of mine, I remain, | |
Noble Ladies, Your Humble Servant, M. NEWCASTLE. | |
THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW WORLD, CALLED The Blazing-World. | |
A Merchant travelling into a foreign Country, fell extremely in Love with a | |
young Lady; but being a stranger in that Nation, and beneath her, both in Birth | |
and Wealth, he could have but little hopes of obtaining his desire; however his | |
Love growing more and more vehement upon him, even to the slighting of all | |
difficulties, he resolved at last to Steal her away; which he had the better | |
opportunity to do, because her Father's house was not far from the Sea, and she | |
often using to gather shells upon the shore, accompanied not with above two or | |
three of her servants, it encouraged him the more to execute his design. Thus | |
coming one time with a little leight Vessel, not unlike a Packet-boat, manned | |
with some few Sea-men, and well victualled, for fear of some accidents, which | |
might perhaps retard their journey, to the place where she used to repair; he | |
forced her away: But when he fancied himself the happiest man of the World, he | |
proved to be the most unfortunate; for Heaven frowning at his Theft, raised | |
such a Tempest, as they knew not what to do, or whither to steer their course; | |
so that the Vessel, both by its own leightness, and the violent motion of the | |
Wind, was carried as swift as an Arrow out of a Bow, towards the North-pole, | |
and in a short time reached the Icy Sea, where the wind forced it amongst huge | |
pieces of Ice; but being little, and leight, it did by the assistance and | |
favour of the gods to this virtuous Lady, so turn and wind through those | |
precipices, as if it had been guided by some experienced Pilot, and skilful | |
Mariner: But alas! Those few men which were in it, not knowing whither they | |
went, nor what was to be done in so strange an Adventure, and not being | |
provided for so cold a Voyage, were all frozen to death; the young Lady only, | |
by the light of her Beauty, the heat of her Youth, and Protection of the Gods, | |
remaining alive: Neither was it a wonder that the men did freeze to death; for | |
they were not only driven to the very end or point of the Pole of that World, | |
but even to another Pole of another World, which joined close to it; so that | |
the cold having a double strength at the conjunction of those two Poles, was | |
insupportable: At last, the Boat still passing on, was forced into another | |
World; for it is impossible to round this Worlds Globe from Pole to Pole, so as | |
we do from East to West; because the Poles of the other World, joining to the | |
Poles of this, do not allow any further passage to surround the World that way; | |
but if any one arrives to either of these Poles, he is either forced to return, | |
or to enter into another World: and lest you should scruple at it, and think, | |
if it were thus, those that live at the Poles would either see two Suns at one | |
time, or else they would never want the Sun's light for six months together, as | |
it is commonly believed: You must know, that each of these Worlds having its | |
own Sun to enlighten it, they move each one in their peculiar Circles; which | |
motion is so just and exact, that neither can hinder or obstruct the other; for | |
they do not exceed their Tropicks: and although they should meet, yet we in | |
this World cannot so well perceive them, by reason of the brightness of our | |
Sun, which being nearer to us, obstructs the splendour of the Sun of the other | |
World, they being too far off to be discerned by our optic perception, except | |
we use very good Telescopes; by which, skilful Astronomers have often observed | |
two or three Suns at once. | |
But to return to the wandering Boat, and the distresed Lady; she seeing all | |
the Men dead, found small comfort in life; their Bodies which were preserved | |
all that while from putrefaction and stench, by the extremity of cold, began | |
now to thaw, and corrupt; whereupon she having not strength enough to fling | |
them over-board, was forced to remove out of her small Cabin, upon the deck, | |
to avoid that nauseous smell; and finding the Boat swim between two plains of | |
Ice, as a stream that runs betwixt two shores, at last perceived land, but | |
covered all with Snow: from which came, walking upon the Ice, strange | |
Creatures, in shape like Bears, only they went upright as men; those Creatures | |
coming near the Boat, catched hold of it with their Paws, that served them | |
instead of hands; some two or three of them entered first; and when they came | |
out, the rest went in one after another; at last having viewed and observed all | |
that was in the Boat, they spake to each other in a language which the Lady did | |
not understand; and having carried her out of the Boat, sunk it, together with | |
the dead men. | |
The Lady now finding her self in so strange a place, and amongst such | |
wonderful kind of Creatures, was extremely stricken with fear, and could | |
entertain no other Thoughts, but that every moment her life was to be a | |
sacrifice to their cruelty; but those Bear-like Creatures, how terrible soever | |
they appeared to her sight, yet were they so far from exercising any cruelty | |
upon her, that rather they showed her all civility and kindness imaginable; for | |
she being not able to go upon the Ice, by reason of its slipperiness, they took | |
her up in their rough arms, and carried her into their City, where instead of | |
Houses, they had Caves under ground; and as soon as they entered the City, both | |
Males and Females, young and old, flocked together to see this Lady, holding up | |
their Paws in admiration; at last having brought her into a certain large and | |
spacious Cave, which they intended for her reception, they left her to the | |
custody of the Females, who entertained her with all kindness and respect, and | |
gave her such victuals as they used to eat; but seeing her Constitution neither | |
agreed with the temper of that Climate, nor their Diet, they were resolved to | |
carry her into another Island of a warmer temper; in which were men like Foxes, | |
only walking in an upright shape, who received their neighbours the Bear-men | |
with great civility and Courtship, very much admiring this beauteous Lady; and | |
having discoursed some while together, agreed at last to make her a Present to | |
the Emperor of their World; to which end, after she had made some short stay in | |
the same place, they brought her cross that Island to a large River, whose | |
stream run smooth and clear, like Crystal; in which were numerous Boats, much | |
like our Fox-traps; in one whereof she was carried, some of the Bear- and | |
Fox-men waiting on her; and as soon as they had crossed the River, they came | |
into an Island where there were Men which had heads, beaks, and feathers, like | |
wild-Geese, only they went in an upright shape, like the Bear-men and Fox-men: | |
their rumps they carried between their legs, their wings were of the same | |
length with their Bodies, and their tails of an indifferent size, trailing | |
after them like a Lady's Garment; and after the Bear- and Fox-men had declared | |
their intention and design to their Neighbours, the Geese-or Bird-men, some of | |
them joined to the rest, and attended the Lady through that Island, till they | |
came to another great and large River, where there was a preparation made of | |
many Boats, much like Birds nests, only of a bigger size; and having crossed | |
that River, they arrived into another Island, which was of a pleasant and mild | |
temper, full of Woods and the Inhabitants thereof were Satyrs, who received | |
both the Bear- Fox- and Bird-men, with all respect and civility; and after some | |
conferences (for they all understood each others language) some chief of the | |
Satyrs joining to them, accompanied the Lady out of that Island to another | |
River, wherein were many handsome and commodious Barges; and having crossed that | |
River, they entered into a large and spacious Kingdom, the men whereof were of | |
a Grass-Green Complexion, who entertained them very kindly, and provided all | |
conveniences for their further voyage: hitherto they had only crossed Rivers, | |
but now they could not avoid the open Seas any longer; wherefore they made | |
their Ships and tacklings ready to sail over into the Island, where the Emperor | |
of the Blazing-world (for so it was called) kept his residence. Very good | |
Navigators they were; and though they had no knowledge of the Load-stone, or | |
Needle, or pendulous Watches, yet (which was as serviceable to them) they had | |
subtle observations, and great practice; in so much that they could not only | |
tell the depth of the Sea in every place, but where there were shelves of Sand, | |
Rocks, and other obstructions to be avoided by skilful and experienced Sea-men: | |
Besides, they were excellent Augurers, which skill they counted more necessary | |
and beneficial then the use of Compasses, Cards, Watches, and the like; but, | |
above the rest, they had an extraordinary Art, much to be taken notice of by | |
Experimental Philosophers, and that was a certain Engine, which would draw in a | |
great quantity of Air, and shoot forth Wind with a great force; this Engine in | |
a calm, they placed behind their Ships, and in a storm, before; for it served | |
against the raging waves, like Cannons against an hostile Army, or besieged | |
Town; it would batter and beat the waves in pieces, were they as high as | |
Steeples; and as soon as a breach was made, they forced their passage through, | |
in spite even of the most furious wind, using two of those Engines at every | |
Ship, one before, to beat off the waves, and another behind to drive it on; so | |
that the artificial wind had the better of the natural; for, it had a greater | |
advantage of the waves, then the natural of the Ships: the natural being above | |
the face of the Water, could not without a down right motion enter or press | |
into the Ships; whereas the artificial with a sideward-motion, did pierce into | |
the bowels of the Waves: Moreover, it is to be observed, that in a great | |
Tempest they would join their Ships in battel-aray: and when they feared Wind | |
and Waves would be too strong for them, if they divided their Ships; they | |
joined as many together as the compass or advantage of the places of the Liquid | |
Element would give them leave. For, their Ships were so ingeniously contrived, | |
that they could fasten them together as close as a Honey-comb, without waste of | |
place; and being thus united, no Wind nor Waves were able to separate them. The | |
Emperor's Ships, were all of Gold; but the Merchants and Skippers, of Leather; | |
the Golden Ships were not much heavier then ours of Wood, by reason they were | |
neatly made, and required not such thickness, neither were they troubled with | |
Pitch, Tar, Pumps, Guns, and the like, which make our Woodden-Ships very heavy; | |
for though they were not all of a piece, yet they were so well sodder'd, that | |
there was no fear of Leaks, Chinks, or Clefts; and as for Guns, there was no | |
use of them, because they had no other enemies but the Winds: But the Leather | |
Ships were not altogether so sure, although much leighter; besides, they were | |
pitched to keep out Water. | |
Having thus prepared, and ordered their Navy, they went on in despite of Calm | |
or Storm: And though the Lady at first fancied her self in a very sad | |
condition, and her mind was much tormented with doubts and fears, not knowing | |
whether this strange Adventure would tend to her safety or destruction; yet she | |
being withal of a generous spirit, and ready wit, considering what dangers she | |
had past, and finding those sorts of men civil and diligent attendants to her, | |
took courage, and endeavoured to learn their language; which after she had | |
obtained so far, that partly by some words and signs she was able to apprehend | |
their meaning, she was so far from being afraid of them, that she thought her | |
self not only safe, but very happy in their company: By which we may see, that | |
Novelty discomposes the mind, but acquaintance settles it in peace and | |
tranquillity. At last, having passed by several rich Islands and Kingdoms, they | |
went towards Paradise, which was the seat of the Emperor; and coming in sight | |
of it, rejoiced very much; the Lady at first could perceive nothing but high | |
Rocks, which seemed to touch the Skies; and although they appeared not of an | |
equal height, yet they seemed to be all one piece, without partitions: but at | |
last drawing nearer, she perceived a clift, which was a part of those Rocks, | |
out of which she spied coming forth a great number of Boats, which afar off | |
showed like a company of Ants, marching one after another; the Boats appeared | |
like the holes or partitions in a Honey-comb, and when joined together, stood | |
as close; the men were of several Complexions, but none like any of our World; | |
and when both the Boats and Ships met, they saluted and spake to each other | |
very courteously; for there was but one language in all that World: nor no more | |
but one Emperor, to whom they all submitted with the greatest duty and | |
obedience, which made them live in a continued Peace and Happiness; not | |
acquainted with Foreign Wars, or Home-bred Insurrections. The Lady now being | |
arrived at this place, was carried out of her Ship into one of those Boats, and | |
conveyed through the same passage (for there was no other) into that part of | |
the World where the Emperor did reside; which part was very pleasant, and of a | |
mild temper: Within it self it was divided by a great number of vast and large | |
Rivers, all ebbing and flowing, into several Islands of unequal distance from | |
each other, which in most parts were as pleasant, healthful, rich, and | |
fruitful, as Nature could make them; and, as I mentioned before, secure from | |
all Foreign Invasions, by reason there was but one way to enter, and that like | |
a Labyrinth, so winding and turning among the Rocks, that no other Vessels but | |
small Boats, could pass, carrying not above three passengers at a time: On each | |
side all along this narrow and winding River, there were several Cities, some | |
of Marble, some of Alabaster, some of Agate, some of Amber, some of Coral, and | |
some of other precious materials not known in our world; all which after the | |
Lady had passed, she came to the Imperial City, named Paradise, which appeared | |
in form like several Islands; for, Rivers did run betwixt every street, which | |
together with the Bridges, whereof there was a great number, were all paved. | |
The City it self was built of Gold; and their Architectures were noble, | |
stately, and magnificent, not like our Modern, but like those in the Romans | |
time; for, our Modern Buildings are like those Houses which Children use to | |
make of Cards, one story above another, fitter for Birds, then Men; but theirs | |
were more Large, and Broad, then high; the highest of them did not exceed two | |
stories, besides those rooms that were under-ground, as Cellars, and other | |
Offices. The Emperor's Palace stood upon an indifferent ascent from the | |
Imperial City; at the top of which ascent was a broad Arch, supported by | |
several Pillars, which went round the Palace, and contained four of our English | |
miles in compass: within the Arch stood the Emperor's Guard, which consisted of | |
several sorts of Men; at every half mile, was a Gate to enter, and every Gate | |
was of a different fashion; the first, which allowed a passage from the | |
Imperial City into the Palace, had on either hand a Cloister, the outward part | |
whereof stood upon Arches sustained by Pillars, but the inner part was close: | |
Being entered through the Gate, the Palace it self appeared in its middle like | |
the Isle of a Church, a mile and a half long, and half a mile broad; the roof | |
of it was all Arched, and rested upon Pillars, so artificially placed that a | |
stranger would lose himself therein without a Guide; at the extreme sides, that | |
is, between the outward and inward part of the Cloister, were Lodgings for | |
Attendants; and in the midst of the Palace, the Emperor's own Rooms; whose | |
Lights were placed at the top of every one, because of the heat of the Sun: the | |
Emperor's apartment for State was no more enclosed then the rest; only an | |
Imperial Throne was in every apartment, of which the several adornments could | |
not be perceived until one entered, because the Pillars were so just opposite | |
to one another, that all the adornments could not be seen at one. The first | |
part of the Palace was, as the Imperial City, all of Gold; and when it came to | |
the Emperors apartment, it was so rich with Diamonds, Pearls, Rubies, and the | |
like precious Stones, that it surpasses my skill to enumerate them all. Amongst | |
the rest, the Imperial Room of State appeared most magnificent; it was paved | |
with green Diamonds (for there are in that World Diamonds of all Colours) so | |
artificially, as it seemed but of one piece; the Pillars were set with Diamonds | |
so close, and in such a manner, that they appeared most Glorious to the sight; | |
between every Pillar was a Bow or Arch of a certain sort of Diamonds, the like | |
whereof our World does not afford; which being placed in every one of the | |
Arches in several rows, seemed just like so many Rainbows of several different | |
colours. The roof of the Arches was of blew Diamonds, and in the midst thereof | |
was a Carbuncle, which represented the Sun; and the Rising and Setting-Sun at | |
the East and West-side of the Room were made of Rubies. Out of this Room there | |
was a passage into the Emperor's Bed-Chamber, the Walls whereof were of Jet, | |
and the Floor of black Marble; the Roof was of Mother of Pearl, where the Moon | |
and Blazing-Stars were represented by white Diamonds, and his Bed was made of | |
Diamonds and Carbuncles. | |
No sooner was the Lady brought before the Emperor, but he conceived her to be | |
some Goddess, and offered to worship her; which she refused, telling him, (for | |
by that time she had pretty well learned their Language) that although she came | |
out of another world, yet was she but a mortal. At which the Emperor rejoicing, | |
made her his Wife, and gave her an absolute power to rule and govern all that | |
World as she pleased. But her subjects, who could hardly be persuaded to | |
believe her mortal, tendered her all the Veneration and Worship due to a Deity. | |
Her Accoustrement after she was made Empress, was as follows: On her head | |
she wore a Cap of Pearl, and a Half-moon of Diamonds just before it; on the top | |
of her Crown came spreading over a broad Carbuncle, cut in the form of the Sun; | |
her Coat was of Pearl, mixed with blew Diamonds, and frindged with red ^ her | |
Buskins and Sandals were of green Diamond^ left hand she held a Buckler, to | |
sig^ the ^ence of her Dominions; which Buckler was made of that sort of Diamond | |
as has several different Colours; and being cut and made in the form of an | |
Arch, showed like a Rain-bow; In her right hand she carried a Spear made of a | |
white Diamond, cut like the tail of a Blazing-Star, which signified that she | |
was ready to assault those that proved her Enemies. | |
None was allowed to use or wear Gold but those of the Imperial Race, which | |
were the only Nobles of the State; nor durst any one wear Jewels but the | |
Emperor, the Emrpess, and their Eldest Son; notwithstanding that they had an | |
infinite quantity both of Gold and precious Stones in that World; for they had | |
larger extents of Gold, then our Arabian Sands; their precious Stones were | |
Rocks, and their Diamonds of several Colours; they used no Coin, but all their | |
Traffic was by exchange of several Commodities. | |
Their Priests and Governors were Princes of the Imperial Blood, and made | |
Eunuchs for that purpose; and as for the ordinary sort of men in that part of | |
the World where the Emperor resided, they were of several Complexions; not | |
white, black, tawny, olive- or ash-coloured; but some appeared of an Azure, | |
some of a deep Purple, some of a Grass-green, some of a Scarlet, some of an | |
Orange-colour, c. Which Colours and Complexions, whether they were made by the | |
bare reflection of light, without the assistance of small particles; or by the | |
help of well-ranged and ordered Atoms; or by a continual agitation of little | |
Globules; or by some pressing and re-acting motion, I am not able to determine. | |
The rest of the Inhabitants of that World, were men of several different sorts, | |
shapes, figures, dispositions, and humours, as I have already made mention, | |
heretofore; some were Bear-men, some Worm-men, some Fish-or Mear-men, otherwise | |
called Sirens; some Bird-men, some Fly-men, some Ant-men, some Geese-men, some | |
Spider-men, some Lice-men, some Fox-men, some Ape-men, some Jack-daw-men, some | |
Magpie-men, some Parrot-men, some Satyrs, some Giants, and many more, which I | |
cannot all remember; and of these several sorts of men, each followed such a | |
profession as was most proper for the nature of their Species, which the | |
Empress encouraged them in, especially those that had applied themselves to the | |
study of several Arts and Sciences; for they were as ingenious and witty in the | |
invention of profitable and useful Arts, as we are in our world, nay, more; and | |
to that end she erected Schools, and founded several Societies. The Bear-men | |
were to be her Experimental Philosophers, the Bird-men her Astronomers, the | |
Fly- Worm- and Fish-men her Natural Philosophers, the Ape-men her Chemists, the | |
Satyrs her Galenick Physicians, the Fox-men her Politicians, the Spider-and | |
Lice-men her Mathematicians, the Jackdaw- Magpie- and Parrot-men her Orators | |
and Logicians, the Giants her Architects, c. But before all things, she having | |
got a Sovereign power from the Emperor over all the World, desired to be | |
informed both of the manner of their Religion and Government; and to that end, | |
she called the Priests and States-men, to give her an account of either. Of the | |
States-men she enquired, first, Why they had so few Laws? To which they | |
answered, That many Laws made many Divisions, which most commonly did breed | |
Factions, and at last brake out into open Wars. Next, she asked, Why they | |
preferred the Monarchical form of Government before any other? They answered, | |
That as it was natural for one Body to have but one Head, so it was also | |
natural for a Politic body to have but one Governor; and that a Common-wealth, | |
which had many Governors was like a Monster with many Heads. Besides, said | |
they, a Monarchy is a divine form of Government, and agrees most with our | |
Religion: For as there is but one God, whom we all unanimously worship and | |
adore with one Faith; so we are resolved to have but one Emperor, to whom we | |
all submit with one obedience. | |
Then the Empress seeing that the several sorts of her Subjects had each their | |
Churches apart, asked the Priests, whether they were of several Religions? They | |
answered her Majesty, That there was no more but one Religion in all that | |
World, nor no diversity of opinions in that same Religion; for though there | |
were several sorts of men, yet had they all but one opinion concerning the | |
Worship and Adoration of God. The Empress asked them, Whether they were Jews, | |
Turks, or Christians? We do not know, said they, what Religions those are; but | |
we do all unanimously acknowledge, worship and adore the Only, Omnipotenr, and | |
Eternal God, with all reverence, submission, and duty. Again, the Empress | |
enquired, Whether they had several Forms of Worship? They answered, No: For our | |
Devotion and Worship consists only in Prayers, which we frame according to our | |
several Necessities, in Petitions, Humiliations, Thanksgiving, c. Truly, | |
replied the Empress, I thought you had been either Jews, or Turks, because I | |
never perceived any Women in your Congregations: But what is the reason, you | |
bar them from your religious Assemblies? It is not fit, said they, that Men and | |
Women should be promiscuously together in time of Religious Worship; for their | |
company hinders Devotion, and makes many, instead of praying to God, direct | |
their Devotion to their Mistresses. But, asked the Empress, Have they no | |
Congregation of their own, to perform the duties of Divine Worship, as well as | |
Men? No, answered they: but they stay at home, and say their Prayers by | |
themselves in their Closets. Then the Empress desired to know the reason why | |
the Priests and Governors of their World were made Eunuchs? They answered, To | |
keep them from Marriage: For Women and Children most commonly make disturbance | |
both in Church and State. But, said she, Women and Children have no Employment | |
in Church or State. 'Tis true, answered they; but, although they are not | |
admitted to public Employments, yet are they so prevalent with their Husbands | |
and Parents, that many times by their importunate persuasions, they cause as | |
much, nay, more mischief secretly, then if they had the management of public | |
Affairs. | |
The Empress having received an information of what concerned both Church and | |
State, passed some time in viewing the Imperial Palace, where she admired much | |
the skill and ingenuity of the Architects, and enquired of them, first, Why they | |
built their Houses no higher then two stories from the Ground? They answered | |
her Majesty, That the lower their Buildings were, the less were they subject | |
either to the heat of the Sun, or Wind, Tempest, Decay, c. Then she desired to | |
know the reason, why they made them so thick? They answered, That, the thicker | |
the Walls were, the warmer were they in Winter, and cooler in Summer; for their | |
thickness kept out both Cold and Heat. Lastly, she asked, Why they Arched their | |
Roofs, and made so many Pillars? They replied, That Arches and Pillars, did not | |
only grace a Building very much, and caused it to appear Magnificent, but made | |
it also firm and lasting. | |
The Empress was very well satisfied with their answers; and after some time, | |
when she thought that her new founded societies of the Vertuoso's had made a | |
good progress in the several Employments she had put them upon, she caused a | |
Convocation first of the Bird-men, and commanded them to give her a true | |
relation of the two Celestial Bodies, viz. the Sun and Moon, which they did | |
with all the obedience and faithfulness befitting their duty. | |
The Sun, as much as they could observe, they related to be a firm or solid | |
Stone, of a vast bigness; of colour yellowish, and of an extraordinary | |
splendour: But the Moon, they said, was of a whitish colour; and although she | |
looked dim in the presence of the Sun, yet had she her own light, and was a | |
shining body of her self, as might be perceived by her vigorous appearance in | |
Moon-shiny-nights; the difference only betwixt her own and the Sun's light | |
was, that the Sun did strike his beams in a direct line; but the Moon never | |
respected the Centre of their World in a right line, but her Centre was always | |
excentrical. The Spots both in the Sun and Moon, as far as they were able to | |
perceive, they affirmed to be nothing else but flaws and stains of their stony | |
Bodies. Concerning the heat of the Sun, they were not of one opinion; some | |
would have the Sun hot in it self, alleging an old Tradition, that it should | |
at some time break asunder, and burn the Heavens, and consume this world into | |
hot Embers, which, said they, could not be done, if the Sun were not fiery of | |
it self. Others again said, This opinion could not stand with reason; for Fire | |
being a destroyer of all things, the Sun-stone after this manner would burn up | |
all the near adjoining Bodies: Besides, said they, Fire cannot subsist without | |
fuel; and the Sunstone having nothing to feed on, would in a short time consume | |
it self; wherefore they thought it more probable that the Sun was not actually | |
hot, but only by the reflection of its light; so that its heat was an effect | |
of its light, both being immaterial. But this opinion again was laughed at by | |
others, and rejected as ridiculous, who thought it impossible that one | |
immaterial should produce another; and believed that both the light and heat of | |
the Sun proceeded from a swift Circular motion of the Ethereal Globules, which | |
by their striking upon the Optic nerve, caused light, and their motion | |
produced heat: But neither would this opinion hold; for, said some, then it | |
would follow, that the sight of Animals is the cause of light; and that, were | |
there no eyes, there would be no light; which was against all sense and reason. | |
Thus they argued concerning the heat and light of the Sun; but, which is | |
remarkable, none did say, that the Sun was a Globous fluid body, and had a | |
swift Circular motion; but all agreed, It was fixed and firm like a Center, and | |
therefore they generally called it the Sun-stone. | |
Then the Empress asked them the reason, Why the Sun and Moon did often appear | |
in different postures or shapes, as sometimes magnified, sometimes diminished; | |
sometimes elevated, otherwhiles depressed; now thrown to the right, and then to | |
the left? To which some of the Bird-men answered, That it proceeded from the | |
various degrees of heat and cold, which are found in the Air, from whence did | |
follow a differing density and rarity; and likewise from the vapours that are | |
interposed, whereof those that ascend are higher and less dense then the | |
ambient air, but those which descend are heavier and more dense. But others did | |
with more probability affirm, that it was nothing else but the various patterns | |
of the Air; for like as Painters do not copy out one and the same original just | |
alike at all times; so, said they, do several parts of the Air make different | |
patterns of the luminous Bodies of the Sun and Moon: which patterns, as several | |
copies, the sensitive motions do figure out in the substance of our eyes. | |
This answer the Empress liked much better then the former, and enquired | |
further, What opinion they had of those Creatures that are called the motes of | |
the Sun? To which they answered, That they were nothing else but streams of | |
very small, rare and transparent particles, through which the Sun was | |
represented as through a glass: for if they were not transparent, said they, | |
they would eclipse the light of the Sun; and if not rare and of an airy | |
substance, they would hinder Flies from flying in the Air, at least retard | |
their flying motion: Nevertheless, although they were thinner then the thinnest | |
vapour, yet were they not so thin as the body of air, or else they would not be | |
perceptible by animal sight. Then the Empress asked, Whether they were living | |
Creatures? They answered, Yes: Because they did increase and decrease, and were | |
nourished by the presence, and starved by the absence of the Sun. | |
Having thus finished their discourse of the Sun and Moon, the Empress desired | |
to know what Stars there were besides? But they answered, that they could | |
perceive in that World none other but Blazing Stars, and from thence it had the | |
name that it was called the Blazing-World; and these Blazing-Stars, said they, | |
were such solid, firm and shining bodies as the Sun and Moon, not of a | |
Globular, but of several sorts of figures: some had tails; and some, other | |
kinds of shapes. | |
After this, The Empress asked them, What kind of substance or creature the Air | |
was? The Bird-men answered, That they could have no other perception of the | |
Air, but by their own Respiration: For, said they, some bodies are only | |
subject to touch, others only to sight, and others only to smell; but some | |
are subject to none of our exterior Senses: For Nature is so full of variety, | |
that our weak Senses cannot perceive all the various sorts of her Creatures; | |
neither is there any one object perceptible by all our Senses, no more then | |
several objects are by one sense. I believe you, replied the Empress; but if | |
you can give no account of the Air, said she, you will hardly be able to inform | |
me how Wind is made; for they say, that Wind is nothing but motion of the Air. | |
The Bird-men answered, That they observed Wind to be more dense then Air, and | |
therefore subject to the sense of Touch; but what properly Wind was, and the | |
manner how it was made, they could not exactly tell; some said, it was caused | |
by the Clouds falling on each other; and others, that it was produced of a hot | |
and dry exhalation: which ascending, was driven down again by the coldness of | |
the Air that is in the middle Region, and by reason of its leightness, could | |
not go directly to the bottom, but was carried by the Air up and down: Some | |
would have it a flowing Water of the Air; and others again, a flowing Air moved | |
by the blaze of the Stars. | |
But the Empress, seeing they could not agree concerning the cause of Wind, | |
asked, Whether they could tell how Snow was made? To which they answered, That | |
according to their observation, Snow was made by a commixture of Water, and | |
some certain extract of the Element of Fire that is under the Moon; a small | |
portion of which extract, being mixed with Water, and beaten by Air or Wind, | |
made a white Froth called Snow; which being after some while dissolved by the | |
heat of the same spirit, turned to Water again. This observation amazed the | |
Empress very much; for she had hitherto believed, That Snow was made by cold | |
motions, and not by such an agitation or beating of a fiery extract upon water: | |
Nor could she be persuaded to believe it until the Fish- or Mear-men had | |
delivered their observation upon the making of Ice, which, they said, was not | |
produced, as some had hitherto conceived, by the motion of the Air, raking the | |
Superficies of the Earth, but by some strong saline vapour arising out of the | |
Seas, which condensed Water into Ice; and the more quantity there was of that | |
vapour, the greater were the Mountains or Precipices of Ice; but the reason | |
that it did not so much freeze in the Torrid Zone, or under the Ecliptic, as | |
near or under the Poles, was, that this vapour in those places being drawn up | |
by the Sun-beams into the middle Region of the Air, was only condensed into | |
Water, and fell down in showers of Rain; when as, under the Poles, the heat of | |
the Sun being not so vehement, the same vapour had no force or power to rise so | |
high, and therefore caused so much Ice, by ascending and acting only upon the | |
surface of water. | |
This Relation confirmed partly the observation of the Bird-men concerning the | |
cause of Snow; but since they had made mention that that same extract, which by | |
its commixture with Water made Snow, proceeded from the Element of Fire, that | |
is under the Moon: The Empress asked them, of what nature that Elementary Fire | |
was; whether it was like ordinary Fire here upon Earth, or such a Fire as is | |
within the bowels of the Earth, and as the famous Mountains Vesuvius and AEtna | |
do burn withal; or whether it was such a sort of fire, as is found in flints, | |
c. They answered, That the Elementary Fire, which is underneath the Sun, was | |
not so solid as any of those mentioned fires; because it had no solid fuel to | |
feed on; but yet it was much like the flame of ordinary fire, only somewhat | |
more thin and fluid; for Flame, said they, is nothing else but the airy part of | |
a fired Body. | |
Lastly, the Empress asked the Bird-men of the nature of Thunder and Lightning? | |
and whether it was not caused by roves of Ice falling upon each other? To which | |
they answered, That it was not made that way, but by an encounter of cold and | |
heat; so that an exhalation being kindled in the Clouds, did dash forth | |
Lightning, and that there were so many rentings of Clouds as there were Sounds | |
and Cracking noises: But this opinion was contradicted by others, who affirmed | |
that Thunder was a sudden and monstrous Blaze, stirred up in the Air, and did | |
not always require a Cloud; but the Empress not knowing what they meant by Blaze | |
(for even they themselves were not able to explain the seuse of this word) | |
liked the former better; and, to avoid hereafter tedious disputes, and have the | |
truth of the Phaenomena's of Celestial Bodies more exactly known, commanded | |
the Bear-men, which were her Experimental Philosophers, to observe them through | |
such Instruments as are called Telescopes, which they did according to her | |
Majesties Command; but these Telescopes caused more differences and divisions | |
amongst them, then ever they had before; for some said, they perceived that the | |
Sun stood still, and the Earth did move about it; others were of opinion, that | |
they both did move; and others said again, that the Earth stood still, and the | |
Sun did move; some counted more Stars then others; some discovered new Stars | |
never seen before; some fell into a great dispute with others concerning the | |
bigness of the Stars; some said, The Moon was another World like their | |
Terrestrial Globe, and the spots therein were Hills and Valleys; but others | |
would have the spots to be the Terrestrial parts, and the smooth and glossy | |
parts, the Sea: At last, the Empress commanded them to go with their Telescopes | |
to the very end of the Pole that was joined to the World she came from, and try | |
whether they could perceive any Stars in it: which they did; and, being | |
returned to her Majesty, reported that they had seen three Blazing-Stars appear | |
there, one after another in a short time, whereof two were bright, and one dim; | |
but they could not agree neither in this observation: for some said, It was but | |
one Star which appeared at three several times, in several places; and others | |
would have them to be three several Stars; for they thought it impossible, that | |
those three several appearances should have been but one Star, because every | |
Star did rise at a certain time, and appeared in a certain place, and did | |
disappear in the same place: Next, It is altogether improbable, said they, That | |
one Star should fly from place to place, especially at such a vast distance, | |
without a visible motion; in so short a time, and appear in such different | |
places, whereof two were quite opposite, and the third side-ways: Lastly, If it | |
had been hut one Star, said they, it would always have kept the same splendour, | |
which it did not; for, as above mentioned, two were bright, and one was dim. | |
After they had thus argued, the Empress began to grow angry at their | |
Telescopes, that they could give no better Intelligence; for, said she, now I | |
do plainly perceive, that your Glasses are false Informers, and instead of | |
discovering the Truth, delude your Senses; Wherefore I Command you to break | |
them, and let the Bird-men trust only to their natural eyes, and examine | |
Celestial Objects by the motions of their own Sense and Reason. The Bear-men | |
replied, That it was not the fault of their Glasses, which caused such | |
differences in their Opinions, but the sensitive motions in their Optic organs | |
did not move alike, nor were their rational judgments always regular: To which | |
the Empress answered, That if their Glasses were true Informers, they would | |
rectify their irregular Sense and Reason; But, said she, Nature has made your | |
Sense and Reason more regular then Art has your Glasses; for they are mere | |
deluders, and will never lead you to the knowledge of Truth; Wherefore I command | |
you again to break them; for you may observe the progressive motions of | |
Celestial Bodies with your natural eyes better then through Artificial | |
Glasses. The Bear-men being exceedingly troubled at her Majesties displeasure | |
concerning their Telescopes, kneeled down, and in the humblest manner | |
petitioned, that they might not be broken; for, said they, we take more delight | |
in Artificial delusions, then in Natural truths. Besides, we shall want | |
Employments for our Senses, and Subjects for Arguments; for, were there nothing | |
but truth, and no falsehood, there would be no occasion to dispute, and by this | |
means we should want the aim and pleasure of our endeavours in confuting and | |
contradicting each other; neither would one man be thought wiser then another, | |
but all would either be alike knowing and wise, or all would be fools; | |
wherefore we most humbly beseech your Imperial Majesty to spare our Glasses, | |
which are our only delight, and as dear to us as our lives. The Empress at | |
last consented to their request, but upon condition, that their disputes and | |
quarrels should remain within their Schools, and cause no factions or | |
disturbances in State, or Government. The Bear-men, full of joy, returned their | |
most humble thanks to the Empress; and to make her amends for the displeasure | |
which their Telescopes had occasioned, told her Majesty, that they had several | |
other artificial Optick-Glasses, which they were sure would give her Majesty a | |
great deal more satisfaction. Amongst the rest, they brought forth several | |
Microscopes, by the means of which they could enlarge the shapes of little | |
bodies, and make a Louse appear as big as an Elephant, and a Mite as big as a | |
Whale. First of all they showed the Empress a gray Drone-flye, wherein they | |
observed that the greatest part of her face, nay, of her head, consisted of two | |
large bunches all covered over with a multitude of small Pearls or Hemispheres | |
in a Trigonal order: Which Pearls were of two degrees, smaller and bigger; the | |
smaller degree was lowermost, and looked towards the ground; the other was | |
upward, and looked sideward, forward and backward: They were all so smooth and | |
polished, that they were able to represent the image of any object, the number | |
of them was in all 14000. After the view of this strange and miraculous | |
Creature, and their several observations upon it, the Empress asked them, What | |
they judged those little Hemispheres might be? They answered, That each of them | |
was a perfect Eye, by reason they perceived that each was covered with a | |
Transparent Cornea, containing a liquor within them, which resembled the watery | |
or glassy humour of the Eye. To which the Empress replied, That they might be | |
glassy Pearls, and yet not Eyes; and that perhaps their Microscopes did not | |
truly inform them. But they smilingly answered her Majesty, That she did not | |
know the virtue of those Microscopes; for they never delude, but rectify and | |
inform the Senses; nay, the World, said they, would be but blind without them, | |
as it has been in former ages before those Microscopes were invented. | |
After this, they took a Charcoal, and viewing it with one of their best | |
Microscopes, discovered in it an infinite multitude of pores, some bigger, some | |
less; so close and thick, that they left but very little space betwixt them to | |
be filled with a solid body; and to give her Imperial Majesty a better | |
assurance thereof, they counted in a line of them an inch long, no less then | |
2700 pores; from which Observation they drew this following Conclusion, to wit, | |
That this multitude of pores was the cause of the blackness of the Coal; for, | |
said they, a body that has so many pores, from each of which no light is | |
reflected, must necessarily look black, since black is nothing else but a | |
privation of light, or a want of reflection. But the Empress replied, That if | |
all Colours were made by reflection of light, and that Black was as much a | |
colour as any other colour; then certainly they contradicted themselves in | |
saying that black was made by want of reflection. However, not to interrupt | |
your Microscopical Inspections, said she, let us see how Vegetables appear | |
through your Glasses; whereupon they took a Nettle, and by the virtue of the | |
Microscope, discovered that underneath the points of the Nettle there were | |
certain little bags or bladders, containing a poisonous liquor, and when the | |
points had made way into the interior parts of the skin, they like | |
Syringe-pipes served to conveigh that same liquor into them. To which | |
Observation the Empress replied, That if there were such poison in Nettles, | |
then certainly in eating of them, they would hurt us inwardly, as much as they | |
do outwardly? But they answered, That it belonged to Physicians more then to | |
Experimental Philosophers, to give Reasons hereof; for they only made | |
Microscopical inspections, and related the Figures of the Natural parts of | |
Creatures acording to the representation of their glasses. | |
Lastly, They showed the Empress a Flea, and a Louse; which Creatures through | |
the Microscope appeared so terrible to her sight, that they had almost put her | |
into a swoon; the description of all their parts would be very tedious to | |
relate, and therefore I'll forbear it at this present. The Empress, after the | |
view of those strangely-shaped Creatures, pitied much those that are molested | |
with them, especially poor Beggars, which although they have nothing to live on | |
themselves, are yet necessitated to maintain and feed of their own flesh and | |
blood, a company of such terrible Creatures called Lice; who, instead of | |
thanks, do reward them with pains, and torment them for giving them nourishment | |
and food. But after the Empress had seen the shapes of these monstrous | |
Creatures, she desired to know, Whether their Microscopes could hinder their | |
biting, or at least show some means how to avoid them? To which they answered, | |
That such Arts were mechanical and below that noble study of Microscopical | |
observations. Then the Empress asked them, Whether they had not such sorts of | |
Glasses that could enlarge and magnify the shapes of great Bodies as well as | |
they had done of little ones? Whereupon they took one of their best and largest | |
Microscopes, and endeavoured to view a Whale thorough it; but alas! the shape of | |
the Whale was so big, that its Circumference went beyond the magnifying quality | |
of the Glass; whether the error proceeded from the Glass, or from a wrong | |
position of the Whale against the reflection of light, I cannot certainly tell. | |
The Empress seeing the insufficiency of those Magnifying-Glasses, that they | |
were not able to enlarge all sorts of Objects, asked the Bear-men, whether they | |
could not make Glasses of a contrary nature to those they had showed her, to | |
wit, such as instead of enlarging or magnifying the shape or figure of an | |
Object, could contract it beneath its natural proportion: Which, in obedience | |
to her Majesties Commands, they did; and viewing through one of the best of | |
them, a huge and mighty Whale appeared no bigger then a Sprat; nay, through | |
some no bigger then a Vinegar-Eele; and through their ordinary ones, an | |
Elephant seemed no bigger then a Flea; a Camel no bigger then a Louse; and an | |
Ostrich no bigger then a Mite. To relate all their Optic observations through | |
the several sorts of their Glasses, would be a tedious work, and tire even the | |
most patient Reader, wherefore I'll pass them by; only this was very remarkable | |
and worthy to be taken notice of, that notwithstanding their great skill, | |
industry and ingenuity in Experimental Philosophy, they could yet by no means | |
contrive such Glasses, by the help of which they could spy out a Vacuum, with | |
all its dimensions, nor Immaterial substances, Non-beings, and Mixt-beings, or | |
such as are between something and nothing; which they were very much troubled | |
at, hoping that yet, in time, by long study and practice, they might perhaps | |
attain to it. | |
The Bird- and Bear-men being dismissed, the Empress called both the Syrens-or | |
Fish-men, and the Worm-men, to deliver their Observations which they had made, | |
both within the Seas, and the Earth. First, she enquired of the Fish-men whence | |
the saltness of the Sea did proceed? To which they answered, That there was a | |
volatile salt in those parts of the Earth, which as a bosom contain the Waters | |
of the Sea, which Salt being imbibed by the Sea, became fixed; and this imbibing | |
motion was that they called the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea; for, said they, | |
the rising and swelling of the Water, is caused by those parts of the volatile | |
Salt as are not so easily imbibed, which striving to ascend above the Water, | |
bear it up with such a motion, as Man, or some other Animal Creature, in a | |
violent exercise uses to take breath. This they affirmed to be the true eause | |
both of the saltness, and the ebbing and flowing-motion of the Sea, and not the | |
jogging of the Earth, or the secret influence of the Moon, as some others had | |
made the World believe. | |
After this, the Empress enquired, Whether they had observed, that all Animal | |
Creatures within the Seas and other waters, had blood? They answered, That some | |
had blood, more or less, but some had none. In Crea-fishes and Lobsters, said | |
they, we perceive but little blood; but in Crabs, Oysters, Cockles, c. none at | |
all. Then the Empress asked them, in what part of their Bodies that little | |
blood did reside? They answered, in a small vein, which in Lobsters went | |
through the middle of their tails, but in Crea-fishes was found in their backs: | |
as for other sorts of Fishes, some, said they, had only blood about their | |
Gills, and others in some other places of their Bodies; but they had not as yet | |
observed any whose veins did spread all over their Bodies. The Empress wondering | |
that there could be living Animals without Blood, to be better satisfied, | |
desired the Worm-men to inform her, whether they had observed Blood in all | |
sorts of Worms? They answered, That, as much as they could perceive, some had | |
Blood, and some not; a Moth, said they, had no Blood at all, and a Louse had, | |
but like a Lobster, a little Vein along her back: Also Nits, Snails, and | |
Maggots, as well as those that are generated out of Cheese and Fruits, as those | |
that are produced out of Flesh, had no blood: But, replied the Empress, If | |
those mentioned creatures have no blood, how is it possible they can live? for | |
it is commonly said, That the life of an Animal consists in the blood, which is | |
the seat of the Animal spirits. They answered, That blood was not a necessary | |
propriety to the life of an Animal; and that that which was commonly called | |
Animal spirits, was nothing else but corporeal motions proper to the nature and | |
figure of an Animal. Then she asked both the Fish-and Worm-men, whether all | |
those Creatures that have blood, had a circulation of blood in their veins and | |
arteries? But they answered, That it was impossible to give her Majesty an | |
exact account thereof, by reason the circulation of blood was an interior | |
motion, which their senses, neither of themselves, nor by the help of any | |
Optic Instrument could perceive; but as soon as they had dissected an Animal | |
Creature, to find out the truth thereof, the interior corporeal motions proper | |
to that particular figure or creature, were altered. Then said the Empress, If | |
all Animal Creatures have not blood, it is certain, they all have neither | |
Muscles, tendons, nerves, c. But, said she, Have you ever observed Animal | |
Creatures that are neither flesh, nor Fish, but of an intermediate degree | |
between both? Truly, answered both the Fish- and Worm-men, We have observed | |
several Animal Creatures that live both in Water, and on the Earth, | |
indifferently, and if any, certainly those may be said to be of such a mixed | |
nature, that is, partly Flesh, and partly Fish: But how is it possible, replied | |
the Empress, that they should live both in Water, and on the Earth, since those | |
Animals that live by the respiration of Air, cannot live within Water; and | |
those that live in Water, cannot live by the respiration of Air, as Experience | |
doth sufficiently witness. They answered her Majesty, That as there were | |
different sorts of Creatures, so they had also different ways of Respirations; | |
for Respiration, said they, is nothing else but a composition and division of | |
parts, and the motions of nature being infinitely various, it is impossible | |
that all Creatures should have the like motions; wherefore it was not | |
necessary, that all Animal Creatures should be bound to live either by the Air, | |
or by Water only, but according as Nature had ordered it convenient to their | |
Species. The Empress seemed very well satisfied with their answer, and desired | |
to be further informed, Whether all Animal Creatures did continue their Species | |
by a successive propagation of particulars, and whether in every Species the | |
off-springs did always resemble their Generator or Producer, both in their | |
interior and exterior Figures? They answered, her Majesty, That some Species or | |
sorts of Creatures, were kept up by a successive propagation of an off-spring | |
that was like the producer, but some were not. Of the first rank, said they, | |
are all those Animals that are of different sexes, besides several others; but | |
of the second rank are for the most part those we call Insects, whose | |
production proceds from such causes as have no conformity or likeness with | |
their produced Effects; as for example, Maggots bred out of Cheese, and several | |
others generated out of Earth, Water, and the like. But said the Empress, there | |
is some likeness between Maggots and Cheese, for Cheese has no blood, nor | |
Maggots neither; besides, they have almost the same taste which Cheese has. | |
This proves nothing, answered they; for Maggots have a visible, local. | |
progressive motion, which Cheese hath not. The Empress replied, That when all | |
the Cheese was turned into Maggots, it might be said to have local, progressive | |
motion. They answered, That when the Cheese by its own figurative motions was | |
changed into Maggots, it was no more Cheese. The Empress confessed that she | |
observed Nature was infinitely various in her works, and that though the | |
species of Creatures did continue, yet their particulars were subject to | |
infinite changes. But since you have informed me, said she, of the various | |
sorts and productions of Animal Creatures, I desire you to tell me what you | |
have observed of their sensitive perceptions? Truly, answered they, Your | |
Majesty puts a very hard question to us, and we shall hardly be able to give a | |
satisfactory answer to it; for there are many different sorts of Creatures, | |
which as they have all different perceptions, so they have also different | |
organs, which our senses are not able to discover, only in an Oystershell we | |
have with admiration observed, that the common sensorium of the Oyster lies | |
just at the closing of the shells, where the pressure and reaction may be | |
perceived by the opening and shutting of the shells every tide. | |
After all this, the Empress desired the Worm men to give her a true Relation | |
how frost was made upon the Earth? To which they answered, That it was made | |
much after the manner and description of the Fish- and Bird-men, concerning the | |
Congelation of Water into Ice and Snow, by a commixture of saline and acid | |
particles; which relation added a great light to the Ape-men, who were the | |
Chemists, concerning their Chemical principles, Salt, Sulphur and Mercury. But, | |
said the Empress, if it be so, it will require an infinite multitude of saline | |
particles to produce such a great quantity of Ice, Frost and Snow: besides, | |
said she, when Snow, Ice and Frost, turn again into their former principle, I | |
would fain know what becomes of those saline particles? But neither the | |
Worm-men, nor the Fish- and Bird-men, could give her an answer to it. | |
Then the Empress enquired of them the reason, Why Springs were not as salt as | |
the Sea is? also, why some did ebb and flow? To which it was answered, That the | |
ebbing and flowing of some Springs, was caused by hollow Caverns within the | |
Earth, where the Sea-water crowding thorough, did thrust forward, and drew | |
backward the Spring-water, according to its own way of ebbing and flowing; but | |
others said, That it proceeded from a small proportion of saline and acid | |
particles, which the Spring-water imbibed from the Earth; and although it was | |
not so much as to be perceived by the sense of Taste; yet was it enough to | |
cause an ebbing and flowing-motion. And as for the Spring-water being fresh, | |
they gave, according to their Observation, this following reason: There is, | |
said they, a certain heat within the Bowels of the Earth, proceeding from its | |
swift circular motion, upon its own axe, which heat distills the rarest parts | |
of the Earth into a fresh and insipid water, which water being through the | |
pores of the Earth, conveyed into a place where it may break forth without | |
resistance or obstruction, causes Springs and Fountains; and these distilled | |
Waters within the Earth, do nourish and refresh the grosser and drier parts | |
thereof. This Relation confirmed the Empress in the opinion concerning the | |
motion of the Earth, and the fixedness of the Sun, as the Bird-men, had | |
informed her; and then she asked the Worm-men, whether Minerals and Vegetables | |
were generated by the same heat that is within the Bowels of the Earth? To | |
which they could give her no positive answer; only this they affirmed, That | |
heat and cold were not the primary producing causes of either Vegetables or | |
Minerals, or other sorts of Creatures, but only effects; and to prove this our | |
assertion, said they, we have observed, that by change of some sorts of | |
Corporeal motions, that which is now hot, will become cold; and what is now | |
cold, will grow hot; but the hottest place of all, we find to be the Center of | |
the Earth: Neither do we observe, that the Torrid Zone does contain so much | |
Gold and Silver as the Temperate; nor is there great store of Iron and Lead | |
wheresoever there is Gold; for these Metals are most found in colder Climates | |
towards either of the Poles. This Observation, the Empress commanded them to | |
confer with her Chemists, the Ape-men; to let them know that Gold was not | |
produced by a violent, but a temperate degree of heat. She asked further, | |
Whether Gold could not be made by Art? They answered, That they could not | |
certainly tell her Majesty, but if it was possible to be done, they thought | |
Tin, Lead, Brass, Iron and Silver, to be the fittest Metals for such an | |
Artificial Transmutation. Then she asked them, Whether Art could produce Iron, | |
Tin, Lead, or Silver? They answered, Not, in their opinion. Then I perceive, | |
replied the Empress, that your judgments are very irregular, since you believe | |
that Gold, which is so fixed a Metal, that nothing has been found as yet which | |
could occasion a dissolution of its interior figure, may be made by Art, and | |
not Tin, Lead, Iron, Copper or Silver, which yet are so far weaker, and meaner | |
Metals then Gold is. But the Worm-men excused themselves, that they were | |
ignorant in that Art, and that such questions belonged more properly to the | |
Ape-men, which were Her Majesties Chemists. | |
Then the Empress asked them, Whether by their Sensitive perceptions they could | |
observe the interior corporeal, figurative Motions both of Vegetables and | |
Minerals? They answered, That their Senses could perceive them after they were | |
produced, but not before; Nevertheless, said they, although the interior, | |
figurative motions of Natural Creatures are not subject to the exterior, | |
animal, sensitive perceptions, yet by their Rational perception they may judge | |
of them, and of their productions if they be regular: Whereupon the Empress | |
commanded the Bear-men to lend them some of their best Microscopes. At which | |
the Bearmen smilingly answered her Majesty, that their Glasses would do them | |
but little service in the bowels of the Earth, because there was no light; for, | |
said they, our Glasses do only represent exterior objects, according to the | |
various reflections and positions of light; and wheresoever light is wanting, | |
the glasses will do no good. To which the Worm-men replied, that although they | |
could not say much of refractions, reflections, inflections, and the like; yet | |
were they not blind, even in the bowels of the Earth: for they could see the | |
several sorts of Minerals, as also minute Animals, that lived there; which | |
minute Animal Creatures were not blind neither, but had some kind of sensitive | |
perception that was as serviceable to them, as sight, taste, smell, touch, | |
hearing, c. was to other Animal Creatures: By which it is evident, That Nature | |
has been as bountiful to those Creatures that live under ground, or in the | |
bowels of the Earth, as to those that live upon the surface of the Earth, or in | |
the Air, or in Water. But howsoever, proceeded the Worm-men, although there is | |
light in the bowels of the Earth, yet your Microscopes will do but little good | |
there, by reason those Creatures that live under ground have not such an optic | |
sense as those that live on the surface of the Earth: wherefore, unless you had | |
such Glasses as are proper for their perception, your Microscopes will not be | |
any ways advantageous to them. The Empress seemed well pleased with this answer | |
of the Worm-men; and asked them further, Whether Minerals and all other | |
Creatures within the Earth were colourless? At which question they could not | |
forbear laughing; and when the Empress asked the reason why they laughed? We | |
most humbly beg your Majesties pardon, replied they; for we could not choose but | |
laugh, when we heard of a colourless Body. Why, said the Empress, Colour is | |
only an accident, which is an immaterial thing, and has no being of it self, | |
but in another body. Those, replied they, that informed your Majesty thus, | |
surely their rational motions were very irregular; For how is it possible, that | |
a Natural nothing can have a being in Nature? If it be no substance, it cannot | |
have a being, and if no being, it is nothing; Wherefore the distinction between | |
subsisting of it self, and subsisting in another body, is a mere nicety, and | |
non-sense; for there is nothing in Nature that can subsist of, or by it self, | |
(I mean singly) by reason all parts of Nature are composed in one body, and | |
though they may be infinitely divided, commixed, and changed in their | |
particulars, yet in general, parts cannot be separated from parts as long as | |
Nature lasts; nay, we might as probably affirm, that Infinite Nature would be | |
as soon destroyed, as that one Atom could perish; and therefore your Majesty | |
may firmly believe, that there is no Body without colour, nor no Colour without | |
body; for colour, figure, place, magnitude, and body, are all but one thing, | |
without any separation or abstraction from each other. | |
The Empress was so wonderfully taken with this Discourse of the Worm-men, that | |
she not only pardoned the rudeness they committed in laughing at first at her | |
question, but yielded a full assent to their opinion, which she thought the | |
most rational that ever she had heard yet; and then proceeding in her | |
questions, enquired further, whether they had observed any seminal principles | |
within the Earth free from all dimensions and qualities, which produced | |
Vegetables, Minerals, and the like? To which they answered, That concerning the | |
seeds of Minerals, their sensitive perceptions had never observed any; but | |
Vegetables had certain seeds out of which they were produced. Then she asked, | |
whether those seeds of Vegetables lost their Species, that is, were annihilated | |
in the production of their off-spring? To which they answered, That by an | |
Annihilation, nothing could be produced, and that the seeds of Vegetables were | |
so far from being annihilated in their productions, that they did rather | |
numerously increase and multiply; for the division of one seed, said they, does | |
produce numbers of seeds out of it self. But replied the Empress, A particular | |
part cannot increase of it self. 'Tis true, answered they: but they increase | |
not barely of themselves, but by joining and commixing with other parts, which | |
do assist them in their productions, and by way of imitation form or figure | |
their own parts into such or such particulars. Then, I pray inform me, said the | |
Empress, what disguise those seeds put on, and how they do conceal themselves | |
in their Transmutations? They answered, That seeds did no ways disguise or | |
conceal, but rather divulge themselves in the multiplication of their | |
off-spring; only they did hide and conceal themselves from their sensitive | |
perceptions so, that their figurative and productive motions were not | |
perceptible by Animal Creatures. Again, the Empress asked them, whether there | |
were any Non- beings within the Earth? To which they answered, That they never | |
heard of any such thing; and that, if her Majesty would know the truth thereof, | |
she must ask those Creatures that are called Immaterial Spirits, which had a | |
great affinity with Non-beings, and perhaps could give her a satisfactory | |
answer to this question. Then she desired to be informed, What opinion they had | |
of the beginning of Forms? They told her Majesty, That they did not understand | |
what she meant by this expression; For, said they, there is no beginning in | |
Nature, no not of Particulars; by reason Nature is Eternal and Infinite, and | |
her particulars are subject to infinite changes and transmutations by virtue of | |
their own Corporeal, figurative self-motions; so that there's nothing new in | |
Nature, nor properly a beginning of any thing. The Empress seemed well | |
satisfied with all those answers, and enquired further, Whether there was no | |
Art used by those Crearures that live within the Earth? Yes, answered they: for | |
the several parts of the Earth do join and assist each other in composition or | |
framing of such or such particulars; and many times, there are factions and | |
divisions; which cause productions of mixed Species; as, for example, weeds, | |
instead of sweet flowers and useful fruits; but Gardeners and Husbandmen use | |
often to decide their quarrels, and cause them to agree; which though it shows | |
a kindness to the differing parties, yet 'tis a great prejudice to the Worms, | |
and other Animal-Creatures that live under ground; for it most commonly causes | |
their dissolution and ruin, at best they are driven out of their habitations. | |
What, said the Empress, are not Worms produced out of the Earth? Their | |
production in general, answered they, is like the production of all other | |
Natural Creatures, proceeding from the corporeal figurative motions of Nature; | |
but as for their particular productions, they are according to the nature of | |
their Species; some are produced out of flowers, some out of roots, some out of | |
fruits, some out of ordinary Earth. Then they are very ungrateful Children, | |
replied the Empress, that they feed on their own Parents which gave them life. | |
Their life, answered they, is their own, and not their Parents; for no part or | |
creature of Nature can either give or take away life; but parts do only assist | |
and join with parts, either in the dissolution or production of other Parts and | |
Creatures. | |
After this, and several other Conferences, which the Empress held with the | |
Worm-men, she dismissed them; and having taken much satisfaction in several of | |
their Answers, encouraged them in their Studies and Observations. Then she made | |
a Convocation of her Chemists, the Ape-men; and commanded them to give her an | |
account of the several Transmutations which their Art was able to produce. They | |
begun first with a long and tedious Discourse concerning the Primitive | |
Ingredients of Natural bodies; and how, by their Art, they had found out the | |
principles out of which they consist. But they did not all agree in their | |
opinions; for some said, That the Principles of all Natural Bodies were the | |
four Elements, Fire, Air, Water, Earth, out of which they were composed: Others | |
rejected this Elementary commixture, and said, There were many Bodies out of | |
which none of the four Elements could be extracted by any degree of Fire | |
whatsoever; and that, on the other side, there were divers Bodies, whose | |
resolution by Fire reduced them into more then four different Ingredients; and | |
these affirmed, That the only principles of Natural Bodies were Salt, Sulphur, | |
and Mercury: Others again declared, That none of the forementioned could be | |
called the True Principles of Natural Bodies; but that by their industry and | |
pains which they had taken in the Art of Chemistry, they had discovered, that | |
all Natural Bodies were produced but from one Principle, which was Water; for | |
all Vegetables, Minerals, and Animals, said they, are nothing else, but simple | |
Water distinguished into various figures by the virtue of their Seeds. But | |
after a great many debates and contentions about this Subject, the Empress | |
being so much tired that she was not able to hear them any longer, imposed a | |
general silence upon them, and then declared her self in this following | |
Discourse. | |
I am too sensible of the pains you have taken in the Art of Chemistry, to | |
discover the Principles of Natural Bodies, and wish they had been more | |
profitably bestowed upon some other, then such experiments; for both by my own | |
Contemplation, and the Observations which I have made by rational sensitive | |
perception upon Nature, and her works, I find, that Nature is but one Infinite | |
Self-moving Body, which by the virtue of its self-motion, is divided into | |
Infinite parts, which parts being restless, undergo perpetual changes and | |
transmutations by their infinite compositions and divisions. Now, if this be | |
so, as surely, according to regular Sense and Reason, it appears no otherwise; | |
it is in vain to look for primary Ingredients, or constitutive principles of | |
Natural Bodies, since there is no more but one Universal Principle of Nature, | |
to wit, self-moving Matter, which is the only cause of all natural effects. | |
Next, I desire you to consider, that Fire is but a particular Creature, or | |
effect of Nature, and occasions not only different effects in several Bodies, | |
but on some Bodies has no power at all; witness Gold, which never could be | |
brought yet to change its interior figure by the art of Fire; and if this be | |
so, Why should you be so simple as to believe that Fire can show you the | |
Principles of Nature? and that either the Four Elements, or Water only, or | |
Salt Sulphur and Mercury, all which are no more but particular effects and | |
Creatures of Nature, should be the Primitive Ingredients or Principles of all | |
Natural Bodies? Wherefore, I will not have you to take more pains, and waste | |
your time in such fruitless attempts, but be wiser hereafter, and busy your | |
selves with such Experiments as may be beneficial to the public. | |
The Empress having thus declared her mind to the Ape-men, and given them | |
better Instructions then perhaps they expected, not knowing that her Majesty | |
had such great and able judgment in Natural Philosophy, had several conferences | |
with them concerning Chemical Preperations, which for brevities sake, I'll | |
forbear to rehearse: Amongst the rest, she asked, how it came that the Imperial | |
Race appeared so young, and yet was reported to have lived so long; some of | |
them two, some three, and some four hundred years? and whether it was by | |
Nature, or a special Divine blessing? To which they answered, That there was a | |
certain Rock in the parts of that World, which contained the Golden Sands, | |
which Rock was hallow within, and did produce a Gum that was a hundred years | |
before it came to its full strength and perfection; this Gum, said they, if it | |
be held in a warm hand, will dissolve into an Oil, the effects whereof are | |
following: It being given every day for some certain time, to an old decayed | |
man, in the bigness of a little Pea, will first make him spit for a week, or | |
more; after this, it will cause Vomits of Phlegm; and after that it will bring | |
forth by vomits, humours of several colours; first of a pale yellow, then of a | |
deep yellow, then of a green, and lastly of a black colour; and each of these | |
humours have a several taste, some are fresh, some salt, some sower, some | |
bitter, and so forth; neither do all these Vomits make them sick, but they come | |
out on a sudden, and unawares, without any pain or trouble to the patient: And | |
after it hath done all these mentioned effects, and cleared both the Stomach | |
and several other parts of the body, then it works upon the Brain, and brings | |
forth of the Nose such kinds of humours as it did out of the Mouth, and much | |
after the same manner; then it will purge by stool, then by urine, then by | |
sweat, and lastly by bleeding at the Nose, and the Emeroids; all which effects | |
it will perform within the space of six weeks, or a little more; for it does | |
not work very strongly, but gently, and by degrees: Lastly, when it has done | |
all this, it will make the body break out into a thick Scab, and cause both | |
Hair, Teeth, and Nails to come off; which scab being arrived to its full | |
maturity, opens first along the back, and comes off all in a piece like an | |
armour, and all this is done within the space of four months. After this the | |
Patient is wrapped into a Cerecloth, prepared of certain Gums and Juices, wherein | |
he continues until the time of nine Months be expired from the first beginning | |
of the cure, which is the time of a Child's formation in the Womb. In the mean | |
while, his diet is nothing else but Eagles-eggs, and Hinds-milk; and after the | |
Cere-cloth is taken away, he will appear of the age of Twenty, both in shape, | |
and strength. The weaker sort of this Gum is sovereign in healing of wounds, | |
and curing of slight distempers. But this is also to be observed, that none of | |
the Imperial race does use any other drink but Lime-water, or water in which | |
Lime-stone is immerged; their meat is nothing else but Fowl of several sorts, | |
their recreations are many, but chiefly Hunting. | |
This Relation amazed the Empress very much; for though in the World she came | |
from, she had heard great reports of the Philosophers-stone, yet had she not | |
heard of any that had ever found it out, which made her believe that it was but | |
a Chymera; she called also to mind, that there had been in the same World a Man | |
who had a little Stone which cured all kinds of Diseases outward and inward, | |
according as it was applied; and that a famous Chemist had found out a certain | |
Liquor called Alkahest, which by the virtue of its own fire, consumed all | |
Diseases; but she had never heard of a Medicine that could renew old Age, and | |
render it beautiful, vigorous and strong: Nor would she have so easily believed | |
it, had it been a medicine prepared by Art; for she knew that Art, being | |
Natures Changeling, was not able to produce such a powerful effect; but being | |
that the Gum did grow naturally, she did not so much scruple at it; for she | |
knew that Nature's Works are so various and wonderful, that no particular | |
Creature is able to trace her ways. | |
The Conferences of the Chemists being finished, the Empress made an Assembly | |
of her Galenical Physicians, her Herbalists and Anatomists; and first she | |
enquired of her Herbalists the particular effects of several Herbs and Drugs, | |
and whence they proceeded? To which they answered, that they could, for the | |
most part, tell her Majesty the virtues and operations of them, but the | |
particular causes of their effects were unknown; only thus much they could | |
say, that their operations and virtues were generally caused by their proper | |
inherent, corporeal, figurative motions, which being infinitely various in | |
Infinite Nature, did produce infinite several effects. And it is observed, said | |
they, that Herbs and Drugs are as wise in their operations, as Men in their | |
words and actions; nay, wiser; and their effects are more certain then Men in | |
their opinions; for though they cannot discourse like Men, yet have they Sense | |
and Reason, as well as Men; for the discursive faculty is but a particular | |
effect of Sense and Reason in some particular Creatures, to wit, Men, and not a | |
principle of Nature, and argues often more folly than wisdom. The Empress | |
asked, Whether they could not by a composition and commixture of other Drugs | |
make them work other effects then they did, used by themselves? They answered, | |
That they could make them produce artificial effects, but not alter their | |
inherent, proper and particular natures. | |
Then the Empress commanded her Anatomists to dissect such kinds of Creatures | |
as are called Monsters. But they answered her Majesty, That it would be but an | |
unprofitable and useless work, and hinder their better employments; for when we | |
dissect dead Animals, said they, it is for no other end, but to observe what | |
defects or distempers they had, that we may cure the like in living ones, so | |
that all our care and industry concerns only the preservation of Mankind; but | |
we hope your Majesty will not preserve Monsters, which are most commonly | |
destroyed, except it be for novelty: Neither will the dissection of Monsters | |
prevent the errors of Nature's irregular actions; for by dissecting some, we | |
cannot prevent the production of others; so that our pains and labour will be | |
to no purpose, unless to satisfy the vain curiosities of inquisitive men. The | |
Empress replied, That such dissections would be very beneficial to Experimental | |
Philosophers. If Experimental Philosophers, answered they, do spend their time | |
in such useless Inspections, they waste it in vain, and have nothing but their | |
labour for their pains. | |
Lastly, her Majesty had some Conferences with the Galenick Physicians about | |
several Diseases, and amongst the rest, desired to know the cause and nature of | |
Apoplexies, and the spotted Plague. They answered, That a deadly Apoplexy was a | |
dead palsy of the Brain; and the spotted Plague was a Gangrene of the Vital | |
parts: and as the Gangrene of outward parts did strike inwardly; so the | |
Gangrene of inward parts, did break forth outwardly: which is the cause, said | |
they, that as soon as the spots appear, death follows; for then it is an | |
infallible sign, that the body is throughout infected with a Gangrene, which is | |
a spreading evil; but some Gangrenes do spread more suddenly than others, and | |
of all sorts of Gangrenes, the PlaguyGangrene is the most infectious; for other | |
Gangrenes infect but the next adjoining parts of one particular body, and | |
having killed that same Creature, go no further, but cease; when as, the | |
Gangrene of the Plague, infects not only the adjoining parts of one particular | |
Creature, but also those that are distant; that is, one particular body infects | |
another, and so breeds a Universal Contagion. But the Empress being very | |
desirous to know in what manner the Plague was propagated, and became so | |
contagious, asked, Whether it went actually out of one body into another? To | |
which they answered, That it was a great dispute amongst the Learned of their | |
Profession, Whether it came by a division and composition of parts; that is, by | |
expiration and inspiration; or whether it was caused by imitation: Some | |
Experimental Philosophers, said they, will make us believe, that by the help of | |
their Microscopes, they have observed the Plague to be a body of little Flies | |
like Atoms, which go out of one body into another, through the sensitive | |
passages; but the most experienced and wisest of our society, have rejected | |
this opinion as a ridiculous fancy, and do, for the most part, believe, that it | |
is caused by an imitation of Parts; so that the motions of some parts which are | |
sound, do imitate the motions of those that are infected and that by this | |
means, the Plague becomes contagions, and spreading. | |
The Empress having hitherto spent her time in the Examination of the Bird- | |
Fish Worm- and Apemen, c. and received several Intelligences from their several | |
employments; at last had a mind to divert her self after her serious | |
Discourses, and therefore she sent for the Spider-men, which were her | |
Mathematicians, the Lice-men which were here Geometricians, and the Magpie- | |
Parrot- and Jackdaw-men, which were her Orators and Logicians. The Spider-men | |
came first, and presented her Majesty with a table full of Mathematical points, | |
lines, and figures of all sorts, of squares, circles, triangles, and the like; | |
which the Empress, notwithstanding that she had a very ready wit, and quick | |
apprehension, could not understand; but the more she endeavoured to learn, the | |
more was she confounded: Whether they did ever square the Circle, I cannot | |
exactly tell, nor whether they could make imaginary points and lines; but this | |
I dare say, That their points and lines were so slender, small and thin, that | |
they seemed next to Imaginary. The Mathematicians were in great esteem with the | |
Empress, as being not only the chief Tutors and Instructors in many Arts, but | |
some of them excellent Magicians and Informers of Spirits, which was the reason | |
their Characters were so abstruse and intricate, that the Empress knew not | |
what to make of them. There is so much to learn in your Art, said she, that I | |
can neither spare time from other affairs to busy my self in your profession; | |
nor, if I could, do I think I should ever be able to understand your Imaginary | |
points, lines and figures, because they are Non-beings. | |
Then came the Lice-men, and endeavoured to measure all things to a | |
hairs-breadth, and weigh them to an Atom; but their weights would seldom agree, | |
especially in the weighing of Air, which they found a task impossible to be | |
done; at which the Fmpress began to be displeased, and told them, that there | |
was neither Truth nor Justice in their Profession; and so dissolved their | |
society. | |
After this, the Empress was resolved to hear the Magpie-Parrot-and | |
Jackdaw-men, which were her professed Orators and Logicians; whereupon one of | |
the Parrot-men rose with great formality, and endeavoured to make an Eloquent | |
Speech before her Majesty; but before he had half ended, his arguments and | |
divisions being so many, that they caused a great confusion in his brain, he | |
could not go forward, but was forced to retire backward, with great disgrace | |
both to himself, and the whole Society; and although one of his brethren | |
endeavoured to second him by another speech, yet was he as far to seek, as the | |
former. At which the Empress appeared not a little troubled, and told them, | |
That they followed too much the Rules of Art, and confounded themselves with | |
too nice formalities and distinctions; but since I know, said she, that you are | |
a people who have naturally voluble tongues, and good memories; I desire you to | |
consider more the subject you speak of, then your artificial periods, | |
connexions and parts of speech, and leave the rest to your natural Eloquence; | |
which they did, and so became very eminent Orators. | |
Lastly, her Imperial Majesty being desirous to know what progress her | |
Logicians had made in the Art of disputing, Commanded them to argue upon | |
several Themes or Subjects; which they did; and having made a very nice | |
discourse of Logistical terms and propositions, entered into a dispute by way of | |
Syllogistical Arguments, through all the Figures and Modes: One began with an | |
Argument of the first Mode of the first Figure, thus: | |
Every Politician is wise: | |
Every Knave is a Politician, | |
Therefore every Knave is wise. | |
Another contradicted him with a Syllogism of the second Mode of the same | |
Figure, thus: | |
No Politician is wise: | |
Every Knave is a Politician, | |
Therefore no Knave is wise. | |
The third made an Argument in the third Mode of the same Figure, after this | |
manner: | |
Every Politician is wise: | |
Some Knaves are Politicians, | |
Therefore some Knaves are wise. | |
The Fourth concluded with a Syllogism in the fourth Mode of the same Figure, | |
thus; | |
No Politican is wise: | |
Some Knaves are Politicians, | |
Therefore some Knaves are not wise. | |
After this they took another subject, and one propounded this Syllogism: | |
Every Philosopher is wise: | |
Every Beast is wise, | |
Therefore every Beast is a Philosopher. | |
But another said that this Argument was false, therefore he contradicted him | |
with a Syllogism of the second Figure of the fourth Mode, thus: | |
Every Philosopher is wise: | |
Some Beasts are not wise, | |
Therefore some Beasts are not Philosophers. | |
Thus they argued, and intended to go on, but the Empress interrupted them: I | |
have enough, said she, of your chopped Logic, and will hear no more of your | |
Syllogisms; for it disorders my Reason, and puts my Brain on the rack; your | |
formal argumentations are able to spoil all natural wit; and I'll have you to | |
consider, that Art does not make Reason, but Reason makes Art; and therefore as | |
much as Reason is above Art, so much is a natural rational discourse to be | |
preferred before an artificial: for Art is, for the most part irregular, and | |
disorders Men's understandings more then it rectifies them, and leads them into | |
a Labyrinth whence they'll never get out, and makes them dull and unfit for | |
useful employments; especially your Art of Logic, which consists only in | |
contradicting each other, in making Sophisms, and obscuring Truth, instead of | |
clearing it. | |
But they replied to her Majesty, That the knowledge of Nature, that is, Natural | |
Philosophy, would be imperfect without the Art of Logic; and that there was an | |
improbable Truth which could no otherwise be found out then by the Art of | |
disputing. Truly, said the Empress, I do believe that it is with Natural | |
Philosophy, as it is with all other effects of Nature; for no particular | |
knowledge can be perfect, by reason knowledge is dividable, as well as | |
composable; nay, to speak properly, Nature her self cannot boast of any | |
perfection, but God himself; because there are so many irregular motions in | |
Nature, and 'tis but a folly to think that Art should be able to regulate them, | |
since Art it self is, for the most part, irregular. But as for Improbable Truth | |
I know not what your meaning is; for Truth is more then Improbability: nay, | |
there is so much difference between Truth and Improbability, that I cannot | |
conceive it possible how they can be joined together. In short, said she, I do | |
no ways approve of your Profession; and though I will not dissolve your | |
Society, yet I shall never take delight in hearing you any more; wherefore | |
confine your disputations to your Schools, lest besides the Commonwealth of | |
Learning, they disturb also Divinity and Policy, Religion and Laws, and by that | |
means draw an utter ruin and destruction both upon Church and State. | |
After the Empress had thus finished the Discourses and Conferences with the | |
mentioned Societies of her Vertuoso's, she considered by her self the manner of | |
their Religion, and finding it very defective, was troubled, that so wise and | |
knowing a people should have no more knowledge of the Divine Truth; Wherefore | |
she consulted with her own thoughts, whether it was possible to convert them | |
all to her own Religion, and to that end she resolved to build Churches, and | |
make also up a Congregation of Women, whereof she intended to be the head her | |
self, and to instruct them in the several points of her Religion. This she had | |
no sooner begun, but the Women, which generally had quick wits, subtle | |
conceptions, clear understandings, and solid judgments, became, in a short | |
time, very devout and zealous Sisters; for the Empress had an excellent gift of | |
Preaching, and instructing them in the Articles of Faith; and by that means, | |
she converted them not only soon, but gained an extraordinary love of all her | |
Subjects throughout that World. But at last, pondering with her self the | |
inconstant nature of Mankind, and fearing that in time they would grow weary, | |
and desert the divine Truth, following their own fancies, and living according | |
to their own desires; she began to be troubled that her labours and pains | |
should prove of so little effect, and therefore studied all manner of ways to | |
prevent it. Amongst the rest, she called to mind a Relation which the Bird-men | |
made her once, of a Mountain that did burn in flames of fire; and thereupon did | |
immediately send for a wisest and subtilest of her Worm-men, commanding them to | |
discover the cause of the Eruption of that same fire; which they did; and | |
having dived to the very bottom of the Mountain, informed her Majesty, That | |
there was a certain sort of Stone, whose nature was such, that being wetted, it | |
would grow excessively hot, and break forth into a flaming-fire, until it | |
became dry, and then it ceased from burning. The Empress was glad to hear this | |
news, and forthwith desired the Worm men to bring her some of that Stone, but | |
be sure to keep it secret: She sent also for the Bird-men, and asked them | |
whether they could not get her a piece of the Sunstone? They answered, That it | |
was impossible, unless they did spoil or lessen the light of the World: but, | |
said they, if it please your Majesty, we can demolish one of the numerous Stars | |
of the Sky, which the World will never miss. | |
The Empress was very well satisfied with this proposal, and having thus | |
employed these two sorts of men, in the mean while builded two Chapels one | |
above another; the one she lined throughout with Diamonds, both Roof, Walls and | |
Pillars; but the other she resolved to line with the Star-stone; the Firestone | |
she placed upon the Diamond-lining, by reason Fire has no power on Diamonds; | |
and when she would have that Chapel where the Fire-stone was, appear all in a | |
flame, she had by the means of Artificial pipes, water conveyed into it, | |
which by turning the Cock, did, as out of a Fountain, spring over all the room, | |
and as long as the Fire-stone was wet, the Chapel seemed to be all in a | |
flaming-fire. | |
The other Chapel, which was lined with the Starstone, did only cast a | |
splendorous and comfortable light; both the Chapels stood upon Pillars, just | |
in the middle of a round Cloister, which was dark as night; neither was there | |
any other light within them, but what came from the Fire-and Star-stone; and | |
being every where open, allowed to all that were within the compass of the | |
Cloister, a free prospect into them; besides, they were so artificially | |
contrived, that they did both move in a Circle about their own Centres, without | |
intermission, contrary ways. In the Chapel which was lined with the | |
Fire-stone, the Empress preached Sermons of Terror to the wicked, and told them | |
of the punishments for their sins, to wit, That after this life they should be | |
tormented in an everlasting Fire. But in the other Chapel lined with the | |
Starstone, she preached Sermons of Comfort to those that repented of their | |
sins, and were troubled at their own wickedness: Neither did the heat of the | |
flame in the least hinder her; for the Fire-stone did not cast so great a heat | |
but the Empress was able to endure it, by reason the water which was poured on | |
the Stone, by its own self-motion turned into a flaming-fire, occasioned by the | |
natural motions of the Stone, which made the flame weaker then if it had been | |
fed by some other kind of fuel; the other Chapel where the Star-Stone was, | |
although it did cast a great light, yet was it without all heat, and the | |
Empress appeared like an Angel in it; and as that Chapel was an emblem of | |
Hell, so this was an emblem of Heaven. And thus the Empress, by Art, and her | |
own Ingenuity, did not only convert the Blazing-World to her own Religion, but | |
kept them in a constant belief, without enforcement or blood-shed; for she knew | |
well, that belief was a thing not to be forced or pressed upon the people, but | |
to be instilled into their minds by gentle persuasions; and after this manner | |
she encouraged them also in all other duties and employments: for Fear, though | |
it makes people obey, yet does it not last so long, nor is it so sure a means | |
to keep them to their duties, as Love. | |
Last of all, when she saw that both Church and State was now in a well-ordered | |
and settled condition, her thoughts reflected upon the World she came from; and | |
though she had a great desire to know the condition of the same, yet could she | |
advise no manner of way how to gain any knowledge thereof; at last, after many | |
serious considerations, she conceived that it was impossible to be done by any | |
other means, then by the help of Imm^terial Spirits; wherefore she made a | |
Convocation of the most learned, witty and ingenious of all the forementioned | |
sorts of Men, and desired to know of them, whether there were any Immaterial | |
Spirits in their World. First, she enquired of the Worm-men, whether they had | |
perceived some within the Earth? They answered her Majesty, That they never | |
knew of any such Creatures; for whatsoever did dwell within the Earth, said | |
they, was imbodied and material. Then she asked the Fly-men, whether they had | |
observed any in the Air? for you having numerous Eyes, said she, will be more | |
able to perceive them, than any other Creatures. To which they answered her | |
Majesty, That although Spirits, being immaterial, could not be perceived by the | |
Worm-men in the Earth, yet they perceived that such Creatures did lodge in the | |
Vehicles of the Air. Then the Empress asked, Whether they could speak to them, | |
and whether they did understand each other? The Fly-men answered, That those | |
Spirits were always clothed in some sort or other of Material Garments; which | |
Garments were their Bodies, made, for the most part, of Air; and when occasion | |
served, they could put on any other sort of substances; but yet they could not | |
put these substances into any form or shape, as they pleased. The Empress asked | |
the Fly-men, whether it was possible that she could be acquainted, and have | |
some conferences with them? They answered, They did verily believe she might. | |
Hereupon the Empress commanded the Fly-men to ask some of the Spirits, Whether | |
they would be pleased to give her a Visit? This they did; and after the Spirits | |
had presented themselves to the Empress, (in what shapes or forms, I cannot | |
exactly tell) after some few Complements that passed between them, the Empress | |
told the Spirits that she questioned not, but they did know how she was a | |
stranger in that World, and by what miraculous means she was arrived there; and | |
since she had a great desire to know the condition of the World she came from, | |
her request to the Spirits was, To give her some Information thereof, | |
especially of those parts of the World where she was born, bred, and educated; | |
as also of her particular friends and acquaintance: all which, the Spirits did | |
according to her desire. At last, after a great many conferences and particular | |
intelligences, which the Spirits gave the Empress, to her great satisfaction | |
and content; she enquired after the most famous Students, Writers, and | |
Experimental Philosophers in that World, which they gave her a full relation | |
of: amongst the rest she enquired, Whether there were none that had found out | |
yet the Jews Cabbala? Several have endeavoured it, answered the Spirits, but | |
those that came nearest (although themselves denied it) were one Dr. Dee, and | |
one Edward Kelly, the one representing Moses, and the other Aaron; for Kelly | |
was to Dr. Dee, as Aaron to Moses; but yet they proved at last but mere Cheats; | |
and were described by one of their own Country-men, a famous Poet, named Ben. | |
Johnson, in a Play called, The Alchemist, where he expressed Kelly by Capt. | |
Face, and Dee by Dr. Subtle, and their two Wives by Doll Common, and the Widow; | |
by the Spaniard in the Play, he meant the Spanish Ambassador, and by Sir | |
Epicure Mammon, a Polish Lord. The Empress remembered that she had seen the | |
Play, and asked the Spirits, whom he meant by the name of Ananias? Some Zealous | |
Brethren, answered they, in Holland, Germany, and several other places. Then | |
she asked them, Who was meant by the Druggist? Truly, answered the Spirits, We | |
have forgot, it being so long since it was made and acted. What, replied the | |
Empress, Can Spirits forget? Yes, said the Spirits; for what is past, is only | |
kept in memory, if it be not recorded. I did believe, said the Empress, That | |
Spirits had no need of Memory, or Remembrance, and could not be subject to | |
Forgetfulness. How can we, answered they, give an account of things present, if | |
we had no Memory, but especially of things past, unrecorded, if we had no | |
Remembrance? Said the Empress, By present Knowledge and Understanding. The | |
Spirits answered, That present Knowledge and Understanding was of actions or | |
things present, not of past. But, said the Empress, you know what is to come, | |
without Memory or Remembrance; and therefore you may know what is past without | |
memory and remembrance. They answered, That their foreknowledg was only a | |
prudent and subtle Observation made by comparing of things or actions past, | |
with those that are present; and that Remembrance was nothing else but a | |
Repetition of things or actions past. | |
Then the Empress asked the Spirits, Whether there was a threefold Cabbala? | |
They answered, Dee and Kelly made but a two-fold Cabbala, to wit, of the Old | |
and New Testament, but others might not only make two or three, but threescore | |
Cabbala's, if they pleased. The Empress asked, Whether it was a Traditional, or | |
merely a Scriptural, or whether it was a Literal, Philosophical, or Moral | |
Cabbala? Some, answered they, did believe it merely Traditional, others | |
Scriptural, some Literal, and some Metaphorical: but the truth is, said they, | |
'twas partly one, and partly the other; as partly a Traditional, partly a | |
Scriptural, partly Literal, partly Metaphorical. The Empress asked further, | |
Whether the Cabbala was a work only of Natural Reason, or of Divine | |
Inspiration? Many, said the Spirits, that write Cabbala's pretend to Divine | |
Inspirations; but whether it be so, or not, it does not belong to us to judge; | |
only this we must needs confess, that it is a work which requires a good wit, | |
and a strong Faith, but not Natural Reason; for though Natural Reason is most | |
persuasive, yet Faith is the chief that is required in Cabalists. But, said | |
the Empress, Is there not Divine Reason, as well as there is Natural? No, | |
answered they: for there is but a Divine Faith, and as for Reason it is only | |
Natural; but you Mortals are so puzzled about this Divine Faith, and Natural | |
Reason, that you do not know well how to distinguish them, but confound them | |
both, which is the cause you have so many divine Philosophers who make a | |
Gallimafry both of Reason and Faith. Then she asked, Whether pure Natural | |
Philosophers were Cabalists? They answered, No; but only your Mystical or | |
Divine Philosophers, such as study beyond Sense and Reason. She enquired | |
further, Whether there was any Cabbala in God, or whether God was full of | |
Idea's? They answered, There could be nothing in God, nor could God be full of | |
any thing, either forms or figures, but of himself; for God is the Perfection | |
of all things, and an Unexpressible Being, beyond the conception of any | |
Creature, either Natural or Supernatural. Then I pray inform me, said the | |
Empress, Whether the Jews Cabbala or any other, consist in Numbers? The Spirits | |
answered, No: for Numbers are odd, and different, and would make a disagreement | |
in the Cabbala. But, said she again, Is it a sin then not to know or understand | |
the Cabbala? God is so merciful, answered they, and so just, that he will never | |
damn the ignorant, and save only those that pretend to know him and his secret | |
Counsels by their Cabbala's; but he loves those that adore and worship him with | |
fear and reverence, and with a pure heart. She asked further, which of these | |
two Cabbala's was most approved, the Natural, or Theological? The Theological, | |
answered they, is mystical, and belongs only to Faith; but the Natural belongs | |
to Reason. Then she asked them, Whether Divine Faith was made out of Reason? No | |
answered they, for Faith proceeds only from a Divine saving Grace, which is a | |
peculiar Gift of God. How comes it then, replied she, that Men, even those that | |
are of several opinions, have Faith more or less? A Natural Belief, answered | |
they, is not a Divine Faith. But, proceeded the Empress, How are you sure that | |
God cannot be known? The several Opinions you Mortals have of God, answered | |
they, are sufficient witnesses thereof. Well then, replied the Empress, leaving | |
this inquisitive knowledge of God, I pray inform me, whether you Spirits give | |
motion to Natural Bodies? No, answered they; but, on the contrary, Natural | |
material bodies give Spirits motion; for we Spirits, being incorporeal, have no | |
motion but from our Corporeal Vehicles, so that we move by the help of our | |
Bodies, and not the Bodies by our help; for pure Spirits are immovable. If this | |
be so, replied the Empress, How comes it then that you can move so suddenly at | |
a vast distance? They answered, That some sorts of matter were more pure, rare, | |
and consequently more light and agil then others; and this was the reason of | |
their quick and sudden motions. Then the Empress asked them, Whether they could | |
speak without a body, or bodily organs? No, said they; nor could we have any | |
bodily sense, but only knowledge. She asked, Whether they could have Knowledge | |
without Body? Not a Natural, answered they, but a Supernatural Knowledge, which | |
is a far better Knowledge then a Natural. Then she asked them, Whether they had | |
a General or Universal Knowledge? They answered, Single or particular created | |
Spirits, have not; for not any Creature, but God Himself, can have an absolute | |
and perfect knowledge of all things. The Empress asked them further, Whether | |
Spirits had inward and outward parts? No, answered they; for parts only belong | |
to bodies, not to Spirits. Again, she asked them, Whether their Vehicles were | |
living Bodies? They are Self-moving Bodies, answered they, and therefore they | |
must needs be living; for nothing can move it self, without it hath life. Then, | |
said she, it must necessarily follow, that this living, Self-moving Body gives | |
motion to the Spirit, and not the Spirit motion to the Body, as its Vehicle. | |
You say very true, answered they, and we told you this before. Then the Empress | |
asked them, Of what forms of Matter those Vehicles were? They said they were of | |
several different forms; some gross and dense, and others more pure, rare, and | |
subtle. If you be not Material, said the Empress, how can you be Generators of | |
all Creatures? We are no more, answered they, the Generators of material | |
Creatures, then they are the Generators of us Spirits. Then she asked, Whether | |
they did leave their Vehicles? No, answered they; for we being incorporeal, | |
cannot leave or quit them: but our Vehicles do change into several forms and | |
figures, according as occasion requires. Then the Empress desired the Spirits | |
to tell her, Whether Man was a little World? They answered, That if a Fly or | |
Worm was a little World, then Man was so too. She asked again, Whether our | |
Fore-fathers had been as wise, as Men were at present, and had understood sense | |
and reason, as well as they did now? They answered. That in former Ages they | |
had been as wise as they are in this present, nay, wiser; for, said they, many | |
in this age do think their Fore-fathers have been Fools, by which they prove | |
themselves to be such. The Empress asked further, Whether there was any | |
Plastic power in Nature? Truly, said the Spirits, Plastic power is a hard | |
word, signifies no more then the power of the corporeal, figurative motions of | |
Nature. After this, the Empress desired the Spirits to inform her where the | |
Paradise was, Whether it was in the midst of the World as a Centre of pleasure? | |
or, Whether it was the whole World; or a peculiar World by it self, as a World | |
of Life, and not of Matter; or whether it was mixed, as a world of living animal | |
Creatures? They answered, That Paradise was not in the world she came from, but | |
in that world she lived in at present; and that it was the very same place | |
where she kept her Court, and where her Palace stood, in the midst of the | |
Imperial City. The Empress asked further, Whether in the beginning and Creation | |
of the World, all Beasts could speak? They answered, That no Beasts could | |
speak, but only those sorts of Creatures which were Fish-men, Bear-men, | |
Worm-men, and the like, which could speak in the first Age, as well as they do | |
now. She asked again, Whether they were none of those Spirits that frighted | |
Adam out of the Paradise, at least caused him not to return thither again? They | |
answered they were not. Then she desired to be informed, whither Adam fled when | |
he was driven out of the Paradise? Out of this World, said they, you are now | |
Empress of, into the World you came from. If this be so, replied the Empress, | |
then surely those Cabalists are much out of their story, who believe the | |
Paradise to be a world of Life only, without Matter; for this world, though it | |
be most pleasant and fruitful, yet it is not a world of mere Immaterial life, | |
but a world of living, Material Creatures. Without question, they are, | |
answered the Spirits; for not all Cabbala's are true. Then the Empress asked, | |
That since it is mentioned in the story of the Creation of the World, that Eve | |
was tempted by the Serpent, Whether the Devil was within the Serpent, or | |
Whether the Serpent tempted her without the Devil? They answered, That the | |
Devil was within the Serpent. But how came it then, replied she, that the | |
Serpent was cursed? They answered, because the Devil was in him; for are not | |
those men in danger of damnation which have the Devil within them, who | |
persuades them to believe and act wickedly? The Empress asked further, Whether | |
Light and the Heavens were all one? They answered, That that Region which | |
contains the Lucid natural Orbs, was by Mortals named Heaven; but the | |
Beatifical Heaven, which is the Habitation of the Blessed Angels and Souls, was | |
so far beyond it, that it could not be compared to any Natural Creature. Then | |
the Empress asked them, Whether all Matter was fluid at first? They answered, | |
That Matter was always as it is; and that some parts of Matter were rare, some | |
dense, some fluid, some solid, c. Neither was God bound to make all Matter | |
fluid at first. She asked further, Whether Matter was immovable in it self? We | |
have answered you before, said they, That there is no motion but in Matter; and | |
were it not for the motion of Matter, we Spirits, could not move, nor give you | |
any answer to your several questions. After this, the Empress asked the | |
Spirits, Whether the Universe was made within the space of six days, or, | |
Whether by those six days, were meant so many Decrees or Commands of God? They | |
answered her, That the World was made by the All-powerful Decree and Command of | |
God; but whether there were six Decrees or Commands, or fewer, or more, no | |
Creature was able to tell. Then she inquired, Whether there was no mystery in | |
Numbers? No other mystery, answered the Spirits, but reckoning or counting; for | |
Numbers are only marks of remembrance. But what do you think of the Number of | |
Four, said she, which Cabalists make such ado withal, and of the Number of | |
Ten, when they say that Ten is all, and that all Numbers are virtually | |
comprehended in Four? We think, answered they, that Cabalists have nothing | |
else to do but to trouble their heads with such useless Fancies; for naturally | |
there is no such thing as prime or all in Numbers; nor is there any other | |
mystery in Numbers, but what Man's fancy makes; but what Men call Prime, or | |
All, we do not know, because they do not agree in the number of their opinion. | |
Then the Empress asked, Whether the number of six was a symbol of Matrimony, | |
as being made up of Male and Female, for two into three is six. If any number | |
can be a symbol of Matrimony, answered the Spirits, it is not Six, but Two; if | |
two may be allowed to be a Number: for the act of Matrimony is made up of two | |
joined in one. She asked again, What they said to the number of Seven? whether | |
it was not an Emblem of God, because Cabalists say, That it is neither | |
begotten, nor begets any other Number? There can be no Emblem of God, answered | |
the Spirits; for if we do not know what God is, how can we make an Emblem of | |
him? Nor is there any Number in God, for God is the perfection Himself; but | |
Numbers are imperfect; and as for the begetting of numbers, it is done by | |
Multiplication and Addition; but Substraction is as a kind of death to Numbers. | |
If there be no mystery in Numbers, replied the Empress, then it is in vain to | |
refer the Creation of the World to certain Numbers, as Cabalists do. The only | |
mystery of Numbers, answered they, concerning the Creation of the World, is, | |
that as Numbers do multiply, so does the World. The Empress asked, how far | |
Numbers did multiply? The Spirits answered, to Infinite. Why, said she, | |
Infinite cannot be reckoned, nor numbered, No more, answered they, can the parts | |
of the Universe; for God's Creation, being an Infinite action, as proceeding | |
from an Infinite Power, could not rest upon a finite Number of Creatures, were | |
it never so great. But leaving the mystery of Numbers, proceeded the Empress, | |
Let me now desire you to inform me, Whether the Suns and Planets were generated | |
by the Heavens, or Ethereal Matter? The Spirits answered, That the Stars and | |
Planets were of the same matter which the Heavens, the Ether, and all other | |
Natural Creatures did consist of; but whether they were generated by the | |
Heavens or Ether, they could not tell: if they be, said they, they are not | |
like their Parents; for the Sun, Stars, and Planets, are more splendorous then | |
the Ether, as also more solid and constant in their motions: But put the case, | |
the Stars and Planets were generated by the Heavens, and the Ethereal Matter; | |
the question then would be, Out of what these are generated or produced? If | |
these be created out of nothing, and not generated out of something, then it is | |
probable the Sun, Stars and Planets are so too; nay, it is more probable of the | |
Stars and Planets, then of the Heavens, or the fluid Ether, by reason the | |
Stars and Planets seem to be further off from Mortality, then the particular | |
parts of the Ether; for no doubt but the parts of the Ethereal Matter, alter | |
into several forms, which we do not perceive of the Stars and Planets. The | |
Empress asked further, Whether they could give her information of the three | |
principles of Man, according to the doctrine of the Platonists; as first of the | |
Intellect, Spirit, or Divine Light. 2. Of the Soul of Man her self: and 3. Of | |
the Image of the Soul, that is, her vital operation on the body? The Spirits | |
answered, That they did not understand these three distinctions, but that they | |
seemed to corporeal sense and reason, as if they were three several bodies, or | |
three several corporeal actions; however, said they, they are intricate | |
conceptions of irregular Fancies. If you do not understand them, replied the | |
Empress, how shall human Creatures do then? Many, both of your modern and | |
ancient Philosophers, answered the Spirits, endeavour to go beyond Sense and | |
Reason, which makes them commit absurdities; for no corporeal Creature can go | |
beyond Sense and Reason; no not we Spirits, as long as we are in our corporeal | |
Vehicles. Then the Empress asked them, Whether there were any Atheists in the | |
World? The Spirits answered, That there were no more Atheists then what | |
Cabalists make. She asked them further, Whether Spirits were of a globous or | |
round Figure? They answered, That Figure belonged to body, but they being | |
immaterial, had no Figure. She asked again, Whether Spirits were not like Water | |
or Fire? They answered, that Water and Fire was material, were it the purest | |
and most refined that ever could be; nay, were it above the Heavens: But we are | |
no more like Water or Fire, said they, then we are like Earth; but our Vehicles | |
are of several forms, figures and degrees of substances. Then she desired to | |
know, Whether their Vehicles were made of Air? Yes, answered the Spirits, some | |
of our Vehicles are of thin Air. Then I suppose, replied the Empress, That | |
those airy Vehicles, are your corporeal Summer-suits. She asked further, | |
Whether the Spirits had not ascending and descending-motions, as well as other | |
Creatures? They answered, That properly there was no ascension or descension in | |
Infinite Nature, but only in relation to particular parts; and as for us | |
Spirits, said they, We can neither ascend nor descend without corporeal | |
Vehicles; nor can our Vehicles ascend or descend, but according to their | |
several shapes and figures, for there can be no motion without body. The | |
Empress asked them further, Whether there was not a World of Spirits, as well | |
as there is of Material Creatures? No, answered they; for the word World | |
implies a quantity or multitude of corporeal Creatures, but we being | |
Immaterial, can make no World of Spirits. Then she desired to be informed when | |
Spirits were made? We do not know, answered they, how and when we were made, | |
nor are we much inquisitive after it; nay, if we did, it would be no benefit, | |
neither for us, nor for you Mortals to know it. The Empress replied, That | |
Cabalists and Divine Philosophers said, Men's rational Souls were Immaterial, | |
and stood as much in need of corporeal Vehicles, as Spirits did. If this be so, | |
answered the Spirits, then you are Hermaphrodites of Nature; but your | |
Cabalists are mistaken, for they take the purest and subtilest parts of | |
Matter, for Immaterial Spirits. Then the Empress asked, When the Souls of | |
Mortals went out of their Bodies, whether they went to Heaven or Hell; or | |
whether they remained in airy Vehicles? God's Justice and Mercy, answered they, | |
is perfect, and not imperfect; but if you Mortals will have Vehicles for your | |
Souls, and a place that is between Heaven and Hell, it must be Purgatory, which | |
is a place of Purification, for which action Fire is more proper then Air; and | |
so the Vehicles of those Souls that are in Purgatory, cannot be airy, but | |
fiery; and after this rate there can be but four places for human Souls to be | |
in, viz. Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, and this World; but as for Vehicles, they are | |
but fancies, not real truths. Then the Empress asked them, Where Heaven and | |
Hell was? Your Saviour Christ, answered the Spirits, has informed you, that | |
there is Heaven and Hell, but he did not tell you what, nor where they are; | |
wherefore it is too great a presumption for you Mortals to inquire after it. If | |
you do but strive to get into Heaven, it is enough, though you do not know | |
where or what it is; for it is beyond your knowledge and understanding. I am | |
satisfied, replied the Empress; and asked further, Whether there were any | |
Figures or Characters in the Soul? They answered, Where there was no Body, | |
there could be no Figure. Then she asked them, Whether Spirits could be naked? | |
and whether they were of a dark, or a light colour? As for our Nakedness, it is | |
a very odd question, answered the Spirits; and we do not know what you mean by | |
a Naked Spirit; for you judge of us as of corporeal Creatures; and as for | |
Colour, said they, it is according to our Vehicles; for Colour belongs to Body, | |
and as there is no Body that is colourless, so there is no Colour that is | |
bodiless. Then the Empress desired to be informed, Whether all Souls were made | |
at the first Creation of the World? We know no more, answered the Spirits, of | |
the origin of humane Souls, then we know of our Selves. She asked further, | |
Whether humane bodies were not burdensome to humane Souls? They answered, That | |
Bodies made Souls active, as giving them motion; and if action was troublesome | |
to Souls, then Bodies were so too. She asked again, Whether Souls did choose | |
Bodies? They answered, That Platonic believed, the Souls of Lovers lived in | |
the Bodies of their Beloved; but surely, said they, if there be a multitude of | |
Souls in a World of Matter, they cannot miss Bodies; for as soon as a Soul is | |
parted from one Body, it enters into another; and Souls having no motion of | |
themselves, must of necessity be clothed or imbodied with the next parts of | |
Matter. If this be so, replied the Empress, then I pray inform me, Whether all | |
matter be soulified? The Spirits answered, They could not exactly tell that; | |
but if it was true, that Matter had no other motion but what came from a | |
spiritual power, and that all matter was moving, then no soul could quit a | |
Body, but she must of necessity enter into another soulified Body, and then | |
there would be two immaterial substances in one Body. The Empress asked, | |
Whether it was not possible that there could be two Souls in one Body? As for | |
Immaterial Souls, answered the Spirits, it is impossible; for there cannot be | |
two Immaterials in one Inanimate Body, by reason they want parts, and place, | |
being bodiless; but there maybe numerous materials Souls in one composed Body, | |
by reason every material part has a material natural Soul; for Nature is but | |
one Infinite self-moving, living and self-knowing body, consisting of the three | |
degrees of inanimate, sensitive and rational Matter, so intermixed together, | |
that no part of Nature, were it an Atom, can be without any of these three | |
Degrees; the sensitive is the Life, the rational the Soul, and the inanimate | |
part, the Body of Infinite Nature. The Empress was very well satisfied with | |
this answer, and asked further, Whether souls did not give life to bodies? No, | |
answered they; but Spirits and Divine Souls have a life of their own, which is | |
not to be divided, being purer then a natural life; for Spirits are | |
incorporeal, and consequently indivisible. But when the Soul is in its Vehicle, | |
said the Empress, then methinks she is like the Sun, and the Vehicle like the | |
Moon. No, answered they; but the Vehicle is like the Sun, and the Soul like the | |
Moon; for the Soul hath motion from the Body, as the Moon has light from the | |
sun. Then the Empress asked the Spirits, Whether it was an evil Spirit that | |
tempted Eve, and brought all the mischiefs upon Mankind: or, Whether it was the | |
Serpent? They answered, That Spirits could not commit actual evils. The Empress | |
said, they might do it by persuasions. They answered, That Persuasions were | |
actions; But the Empress not being contented with this answer, asked, Whether | |
there was not a supernatural Evil? The Spirits answered, That there was a | |
Supernatural Good, which was God; but they knew of no Supernatural Evil that | |
was equal to God. Then she desired to know, Whether Evil Spirits were reckoned | |
amongst the Beasts of the Field? They answered, That many Beasts of the field | |
were harmless Creatures, and very serviceable for Man's use; and though some | |
were accounted fierce and cruel, yet did they exercise their cruelty upon other | |
Creatures, for the most part, to no other end, but to get themselves food, and | |
to satisfy their natural appetite; but certainly, said they, you Men are more | |
cruel to one another, then evil Spirits are to you; and as for their | |
habitations in desolate places, we having no communion with them, can give you | |
no certain account thereof. But what do you think, said the Empress, of good | |
Spirits? may not they be compared to the Fowls of the Air? They answered, There | |
were many cruel and ravenous Fowls as well in the Air, as there were fierce and | |
cruel Beasts on Earth; so that the good are always mixed with the bad. She asked | |
further, Whether the fiery Vehicles were a Heaven, or a Hell, or at least a | |
Purgatory to the Souls? They answered, That if the Souls were immaterial, they | |
could not burn, and then fire would do them no harm; and though Hell was | |
believed to be an undecaying and unquenchable fire, yet Heaven was no fire. The | |
Empress replied, That Heaven was a Light. Yes, said they, but not a fiery | |
Light. Then she asked, Whether the different shapes and sorts of Vehicles, made | |
the Souls and other Immaterial Spirits, miserable, or blessed? The Vehicles, | |
answered they, make them neither better, nor worse; for though some Vehicles | |
sometimes may have power over others, yet these by turns may get some power | |
again over them, according to the several advantages and disadvantages of | |
particular Natural parts. The Empress asked further, Whether Animal life came | |
out of the spiritual World, and did return thither again? The Spirits answered, | |
They could not exactly tell; but if it were so, then certainly Animal lives | |
must leave their bodies behind them, otherwise the bodies would make the | |
spiritual World a mixed World, that is, partly material, and partly immaterial; | |
but the Truth is, said they, Spirits being immaterial, cannot properly make a | |
World; for a World belongs to material, not to immaterial Creatures. If this be | |
so, replied the Empress, then certainly there can be no world of Lives and | |
Forms without Matter? No, answered the Spirits; nor a world of Matter without | |
Lives and Forms; for Natural Lives and Forms cannot be immaterial, no more then | |
Matter can be immovable. And therefore natural lives, forms and matter, are | |
inseparable. Then the Empress asked, Whether the first Man did feed on the best | |
sorts of the Fruits of the Earth, and the Beasts on the worst? The Spirits | |
answered, That unless the Beasts of the field were barred out of manured fields | |
and gardens, they would pick and choose the best Fruits as well as Men; and you | |
may plainly observe it, said they, in Squirrels and Monkeys, how they are the | |
best Choosers of Nuts and Apples; and how Birds do pick and feed on the most | |
delicious fruits, and Worms on the best roots, and most savoury herbs; by which | |
you may see, that those Creatures live and feed better then men do, except you | |
will say, that artificial Cookery is better and more wholesome then the natural. | |
Again, the Empress asked, Whether the first Man gave Names to all the several | |
sorts of Fishes in the Sea, and fresh Waters? No, answered the Spirits, for he | |
was an Earthly, and not a Watery Creature; and therefore could not know the | |
several sorts of Fishes. Why, replied the Empress, he was no more an Airy | |
Creature then he was a Watery one, and yet he gave Names to the several sorts | |
of Fowls and Birds of the Air. Fowls, answered they, are partly Airy, and | |
partly Earthly Creatures, not only because they resemble Beasts and Men in | |
their flesh, but because their rest and dwelling places are on Earth; for they | |
build their Nests, lay their Eggs, and hatch their Young, not in the Air, but | |
on the Earth. Then she asked, Whether the first Man did give Names to all the | |
various sorts of Creatures that live on the Earth? Yes, answered they, to all | |
those that were presented to him, or he had knowledge of, that is, to all the | |
prime sorts; but not to every particular: for of Mankind, said they, there were | |
but two at first; and as they did increase, so did their Names. But, said the | |
Empress, who gave the Names to the several sorts of Fish? The posterity of | |
Mankind, answered they. Then she enquired, Whether there were no more kinds of | |
Creatures now, then at the first Creation? They answered, That there were no | |
more nor fewer kinds of Creatures then there are now; but there are, without | |
question, more particular sorts of Creatures now, then there were then. She | |
asked again, Whether all those Creatures that were in Paradise, were also in | |
Noah's Ark? They answered, That the principal kinds had been there, but not all | |
the particulars. Then she would fain know, how it came, that both Spirits and | |
Men did fall from a blessed into so miserable a state and condition as they are | |
now in. The Spirits answered, By disobedience. The Empress asked, Whence this | |
disobedient sin did proceed? But the Spirits desired the Empress not to ask | |
them any such questions, because they went beyond their knowledge. Then she | |
begged the Spirits to pardon her presumption; for, said she, It is the nature | |
of Mankind to be inquisitive. Natural desire of knowledge, answered the Spirits, | |
is not blameable, so you do not go beyond what your Natural Reason can | |
comprehend. Then I'll ask no more, said the Empress, for fear I should commit | |
some error; but one thing I cannot but acquaint you withal: What is that, said | |
the Spirits? I have a great desire, answered the Empress, to make a Cabbala. | |
What kind of Cabbala, asked the Spirits? The Empress answered, The Jews | |
Cabbala. No sooner had the Empress declared her Mind, but the Spirits | |
immediately disappeared out of her sight; which startled the Empress so much, | |
that she fell into a Trance, wherein she lay for some while; at last being come | |
to her self again, she grew very studious, and considering with her self what | |
might be the cause of this strange disaster, conceived at first, that perhaps | |
the Spirits were tired with hearing and giving answers to her Questions; but | |
thinking by her self, That Spirits could not be tired, she imagined that this | |
was not the true cause of their disappearing, till, after divers debates with | |
her own thoughts, she did verily believe that the Spirits had committed some | |
fault in their answers, and that for their punishment they were condemned to | |
the lowest and darkest Vehicles. This belief was so fixed in her mind, that it | |
put her into a very Melancholic humour; and then she sent both for her Fly- and | |
Worm-men, and declared to them the cause of her sadness. 'Tis not so much, said | |
she, the vanishing of those Spirits that makes me Melancholic, but that I | |
should be the cause of their miserable condition, and that those harmless | |
Spirits should, for my sake, sink down into the black and dark abyss of the | |
Earth. The Worm-men comforted the Empress, telling her, That the Earth was not | |
so horrid a Dwelling, as she did imagine; for, said they, not only all | |
Minerals and Vegetables, but several sorts of Animals can witness, that the | |
Earth is a warm, fruitful, quiet, safe, and happy habitation; and though they | |
want the light of the Sun, yet are they not in the dark, but there is light | |
even within the Earth, by which those Creatures do see that dwell therein. This | |
relation settled her Majesties mind a little; but yet she being desirous to know | |
the Truth, where, and in what condition those Spirits were, commanded both the | |
Fly- and Worm-men to use all labour and industry to find them out; whereupon | |
the Worm-men straight descended into the Earth, and the Fly-men ascended into | |
the Air. After some short time, the Worm-men returned, and told the Empress, | |
that when they went into the Earth, they inquired of all the Creatures they met | |
withal, Whether none of them had perceived such or such Spirits; until at last | |
coming to the very Center of the Earth, they were truly informed, that those | |
Spirits had stayed some time there, but at last were gone to the Antipodes on | |
the other side of the Terrestrial Globe, diametrically opposite to theirs. The | |
Fly-men seconded the Worm-men, assuring her Majesty, that their relation was | |
very true; for, said they, We have rounded the Earth, and just when we came to | |
the Antipodes, we met those Spirits in a very good condition, and acquainted | |
them that your Majesty was very much troubled at their sudden departure, and | |
feared they should be buried in the darkness of the Earth: whereupon the | |
Spirits answered us, That they were sorry for having occasioned such sadness | |
and trouble in your Majesty; and desired us to tell your Majesty, that they | |
feared no darkness; for their Vehicles were of such a sort of substance as | |
Cats-eyes, Glow-worms tails, and rotten Wood, carrying their light along with | |
them; and that they were ready to do your Majesty what service they could, in | |
making your Cabbala. At which Relation the Empress was exceedingly glad, and | |
rewarded both her Fly- and Worm-men bountifully. | |
After some time, when the Spirits had refreshed themselves in their own | |
Vehicles, they sent one of their nimblest Spirits, to ask the Empress, Whether | |
she would have a Scribe, or, whether she would write the Cabbala her self? The | |
Empress received the proffer which they made her, with all civility; and told | |
them, that she desired a Spiritual Scribe. The Spirits answered, That they | |
could dictate, but not write, except they put on a hand or arm, or else the | |
whole body of Man. The Empress replied, How can Spirits arm themselves with | |
gantlets of Flesh? As well, answered they, as Man can arm himself with a | |
gantlet of steel. If it be so, said the Empress, then I will have a Scribe. | |
Then the Spirits asked her, Whether she would have the Soul of a living or a | |
dead Man? Why, said the Empress, can the Soul quit a living Body, and wander or | |
travel abroad? Yes, answered they, for according to Plato's Doctrine, there is | |
a Conversation of Souls, and the Souls of Lovers live in the Bodies of their | |
Beloved. Then I will have, answered she, the Soul of some ancient famous | |
Writer, either of Aristotle, Pythagoras, Plato, Epicurus, or the like. The | |
Spirits said, That those famous Men were very learned, subtle, and ingenious | |
Writers; but they were so wedded to their own opinions, that they would never | |
have the patience to be Scribes. Then, said she, I'll have the Soul of one of | |
the most famous modern Writers, as either of Galileo, Gassendus, Des Cartes, | |
Helmont, Hobbes, H. More, c. The Spirits answered, That they were fine | |
ingenious Writers, but yet so self-conceited, that they would scorn to be | |
Scribes to a Woman. But, said they, there's a Lady, the Duchess of Newcastle; | |
which although she is not one of the most learned, eloquent, witty and | |
ingenious, yet she is a plain and rational Writer; for the principle of her | |
Writings, is Sense and Reason, and she will without question, be ready to do | |
you all the service she can. That Lady then, said the Empress, will I choose for | |
my Scribe, neither will the Emperor have reason to be jealous, she being one of | |
my own sex. In truth, said the Spirit, Husbands have reason to be jealous of | |
Platonic Lovers, for they are very dangerous, as being not only very intimate | |
and close, but subtle and insinuating. You say well, replied the Empress; | |
wherefore I pray send me the Duchess of Newcastle's Soul; which the Spirit did; | |
and after she came to wait on the Empress, at her first arrival the Empress | |
embraced and saluted her with a Spiritual kiss; then she asked her whether she | |
could write? Yes, answered the Duchess's Soul, but not so intelligibly that any | |
Reader whatsoever may understand it, unless he be taught to know my Characters; | |
for my Letters are rather like Characters, then well formed Letters. Said the | |
Empress, you were recommended to me by an honest and ingenious Spirit. Surely, | |
answered the Duchess, the Spirit is ignorant of my hand-writing. The truth is, | |
said the Empress, he did not mention your hand-writing; but he informed me, | |
that you writ Sense and Reason, and if you can but write so, that any of my | |
Secretaries may learn your hand, they shall write it out fair and intelligible. | |
The Duchess answered, That she questioned not but it might easily be learned in | |
a short time. But, said she to the Empress, What is it that your Majesty would | |
have written? She answered, The Jews Cabbala. Then your only way for that is, | |
said the Duchess, to have the Soul of some famous Jew; nay, if your Majesty | |
please, I scruple not, but you may as easily have the Soul of Moses, as of any | |
other. That cannot be, replied the Empress, for no Mortal knows where Moses is. | |
But, said the Duchess, humane Souls are immortal; however, if this be too | |
difficult to be obtained, you may have the Soul of one of the chief Rabbis or | |
Sages of the Tribe of Levi, who will truly instruct you in that mystery; when | |
as, otherwise, your Majesty will be apt to mistake, and a thousand to one, will | |
commit gross errors. No, said the Empress, for I shall be instructed by | |
Spirits. Alas! said the Duchess, Spirits are as ignorant as Mortals in many | |
cases; for no created Spirits have a general or absolute knowledge, nor can they | |
know the Thoughts of Men, much less the Mysteries of the great Creator, unless | |
he be pleased to inspire into them the gift of Divine Knowledge. Then, I pray, | |
said the Empress, let me have your counsel in this case. The Duchess answered, | |
If your Majesty will be pleased to hearken to my advice, I would desire you to | |
let that work alone; for it will be of no advantage either to you, or your | |
people, unless you were of the Jews Religion; nay, if you were, the vulgar | |
interpretation of the holy Scripture would be more instructive, and more easily | |
believed, then your mystical way of interpreting it; for had it been better and | |
more advantageous for the Salvation of the Jews, surely Moses would have saved | |
after-Ages that labour by his own Explanation, he being not only a wise, but a | |
very honest, zealous and religious Man: Wherefore the best way, said she, is to | |
believe with the generality the literal sense of the Scripture, and not to make | |
interpretations every one according to his own fancy, but to leave that work | |
for the Learned, or those that have nothing else to do; Neither do I think, | |
said she, that God will damn those that are ignorant therein, or suffer them to | |
be lost for want of a Mystical interpretation of the Scripture. Then, said the | |
Empress, I'll leave the Scripture, and make a Philosophical Cabbala. The | |
Duchess told her, That, Sense and Reason would instruct her of Nature as much | |
as could be known; and as for Numbers, they were infinite; but to add non-sense | |
to infinite, would breed a confusion, especially in Humane Understanding. Then, | |
replied the Empress, I'll make a Moral Cabbala. The only thing, answered the | |
Duchess, in Morality, is but, To fear God, and to love his Neighbour, and this | |
needs no further interpretation. But then I'll make a Political Cabbala, said | |
the Empress. The Duchess answered, That the chief and only ground in | |
Government, was but Reward and Punishment, and required no further Cabbala; | |
But, said she, If your Majesty were resolved to make a Cabbala, I would advise | |
you, rather to make a Poetical or Romancical Cabbala, wherein you may use | |
Metaphors, Allegories, Similitudes, c. and interpret them as you please. With | |
that the Empress thanked the Duchess, and embracing her Soul, told her she | |
would take her Counsel: she made her also her Favourite, and kept her sometime | |
in that World, and by this means the Duchess came to know and give this | |
Relation of all that passed in that rich, populous, and happy World; and after | |
some time the Empress gave her leave to return to her Husband and Kindred into | |
her Native World, but upon condition, that her Soul should visit her now and | |
then; which she did: and truly their meeting did produce such an intimate | |
friendship between them, that they became Platonic Lovers, although they were | |
both Femals. | |
One time, when the Duchess her Soul was with the Empress, she seemed to be | |
very sad and melancholy; at which the Empress was very much troubled, and asked | |
her the reason of her Melancholic humour? Truly, said the Duchess to the | |
Empress, (for between dear friends there's no concealment, they being like | |
several parts of one united body) my Melancholy proceeds from an extreme | |
Ambition. The Empress asked, What the height of her ambition was? The Duchess | |
answered, That neither she her self, nor no Creature in the World was able to | |
know either the height, depth, or breadth of her Ambition; but said she, my | |
present desire is, that I would be a great Princess. The Empress replied, So | |
you are; for you are a Princess of the fourth or fifth Degree; for a Duke or | |
Duchess is the highest title or honour that a subject can arrive to, as being | |
the next to a King's Title; and as for the name of a Prince or Princess, it | |
belongs to all that are adopted to the Crown; so that those that can add a | |
Crown to their Arms, are Princes, and therefore a Duke is a Title above a | |
Prince; for example, the Duke of Savoy, the Duke of Florence, the Duke of | |
Lorrain, as also Kings Brothers, are not called by the name of Princes, but | |
Dukes, this being the higher Title. 'Tis true, answered the Duchess, unless it | |
be Kings Eldest Sons, and they are created Princes. Yes, replied the Empress, | |
but no Sovereign does make a subject equal to himself, such as Kings eldest | |
sons partly are: And although some Dukes be Sovereigns, yet I never heard that | |
a Prince by his Title is Sovereign, by reason the Title of a Prince is more a | |
Title of Honour, then of Sovereignty; for, as I said before, it belongs to all | |
that are adopted to the Crown. Well, said the Duchess, setting aside this | |
dispute, my Ambition is, That I would fain be as you are, that is, an Empress | |
of a World, and I shall never be at quiet until I be one. I love you so well, | |
replied the Empress, that I wish with all my soul, you had the fruition of your | |
ambitious desire, and I shall not fail to give you my best advice how to | |
accomplish it; the best informers are the Immaterial Spirits, and they'll soon | |
tell you, Whether it be possible to obtain your wish. But, said the Duchess, I | |
have little acquaintance with them, for I never knew any before the time you | |
sent for me. They know you, replied the Empress; for they told me of you, and | |
were the means and instrument of your coming hither: Wherefore I'll confer | |
with them, and enquire whether there be not another World, whereof you may be | |
Empress as well as I am of this? No sooner had the Empress said this, but some | |
Immaterial Spirits came to visit her, of whom she inquired, Whether there were | |
but three Worlds in all, to wit, the Blazing World where she was in, the World | |
which she came from, and the World where the Duchess lived? The Spirits | |
answered, That there were more numerous Worlds then the Stars which appeared in | |
these three mentioned Worlds. Then the Empress asked, Whether it was not | |
possible, that her dearest friend the Duchess of Newcastle, might be Empress of | |
one of them? Although there be numerous, nay, infinite Worlds, answered the | |
Spirits, yet none is without Government. But is none of these Worlds so weak, | |
said she, that it may be surprised or conquered? The Spirits answered, That | |
Lucian's World of Lights, had been for some time in a snuff, but of late years | |
one Helmont had got it, who since he was Emperor of it, had so strengthened | |
the Immortal parts thereof with mortal out-works, as it was for the present | |
impregnable. Said the Empress, If there be such an Infinite number of Worlds, I | |
am sure, not only my friend, the Duchess, but any other might obtain one. Yes, | |
answered the Spirits, if those Worlds were uninhabited; but they are as | |
populous as this your Majesty governs. Why, said the Empress, it is not | |
possible to conquer a World. No, answered the Spirits, but, for the most part, | |
Conquerors seldom enjoy their conquest, for they being more feared then loved, | |
most commonly come to an untimely end. If you will but direct me, said the | |
Duchess to the Spirits, which World is easiest to be conquered, her Majesty | |
will assist me with Means, and I will trust to Fate and Fortune; for I had | |
rather die in the adventure of noble achievements, then live in obscure and | |
sluggish security; since the by one, I may live in a glorious Fame; and by the | |
other I am buried in oblivion. The Spirits answered, That the lives of Fame | |
were like other lives; for some lasted long, and some died soon. 'Tis true, | |
said the Duchess; but yet the shortest-liv'd Fame lasts longer then the longest | |
life of Man. But, replied the Spirits, if occasion does not serve you, you must | |
content your self to live without such achievements that may gain you a Fame: | |
But we wonder, proceeded the Spirits, that you desire to be Empress of a | |
Terrestrial World when as you can create your self a Celestial World if you | |
please. What, said the Empress, can any Mortal be a Creator? Yes, answered the | |
Spirits; for every human Creature can create an Immaterial World fully | |
inhabited by Immaterial Creatures, and populous of Immaterial subjects, such as | |
we are, and all this within the compass of the head or scull; nay, not only | |
so, but he may create a World of what fashion and Government he will, and give | |
the Creatures thereof such motions, figures, forms, colours, perceptions, c. as | |
he pleases, and make Whirl-pools, Lights, Pressures and Reactions, c. as he | |
thinks best; nay, he may make a World full of Veins, Muscles, and Nerves, and | |
all these to move by one jolt or stroke: also he may alter that World as often | |
as he pleases, or change it from a Natural World, to an Artificial; he may make | |
a World of Ideas, a World of Atoms, a World of Lights, or whatsoever his Fancy | |
leads him to. And since it is in your power to create such a World, What need | |
you to venture life, reputation and tranquillity, to conquer a gross material | |
World? For you can enjoy no more of a material world then a particular Creature | |
is able to enjoy, which is but a small part, considering the compass of such a | |
world; and you may plainly observe it by your friend the Empress here, which | |
although she possesses a whole World, yet enjoys she but a part thereof; | |
neither is she so much acquainted with it, that she knows all the places, | |
Countries, and Dominions she Governs. The truth is, a Sovereign Monarch has the | |
general trouble; but the Subjects enjoy all the delights and pleasures in | |
parts; for it is impossible, that a Kingdom, nay, a Country, should be enjoyed | |
by one person at once, except he take the pains to travel into every part, and | |
endure the inconveniences of going from one place to another? wherefore, since | |
glory, delight and pleasure lives but in other men's opinions, and can neither | |
add tranquillity to your mind nor give ease to your body, Why should you desire | |
to be Empress of a Material World, and be troubled with the cares that attend | |
Government? when as by creating a World within your self, you may enjoy all | |
both in whole and in parts, without control or opposition; and may make what | |
World you please, and alter it when you please, and enjoy as much pleasure and | |
delight as a World can afford you? You have converted me, said the Duchess to | |
the Spirits, from my ambitious desire; wherefore, I'll take your advice, reject | |
and despise all the Worlds without me, and create a World of my own. The | |
Empress said, If I do make such a world, then I shall be Mistress of two | |
Worlds, one within, and the other without me. That your Majesty may, said the | |
Spirits; and so left these two Ladies to create two Worlds within themselves: | |
who did also part from each other, until such time as they had brought their | |
Worlds to perfection. The Duchess of Newcastle was most earnest and industrious | |
to make her World, because she had none at present; and first she resolved to | |
frame it according to the opinion of Thales, but she found her self so much | |
troubled with Daemons, that they would not suffer her to take her own will, but | |
forced her to obey their orders and commands; which she being unwilling to do, | |
left off from making a world that way, and began to frame one according to | |
Pythagoras's Doctrine; but in the Creation thereof, she was so puzzled with | |
numbers, how to order and compose the several parts, that she having no skill | |
in Arithmetic, was forced also to desist from the making of that World. Then | |
she intended to create a World according to the opinion of Plato; but she found | |
more trouble and difficulty in that, then in the two former; for the numerous | |
Idea's having no other motion but what was derived from her mind, whence they | |
did flow and issue out, made it a far harder business to her, to impart motion | |
to them, then Puppit-players have in giving motion to every several Puppit; in | |
so much, that her patience was not able to endure the trouble which those Ideas | |
caused her; wherefore she annihilated also that World, and was resolved to make | |
one according to the Opinion of Epicurus; which she had no sooner begun, but | |
the infinite Atoms made such a mist, that it quite blinded the perception of | |
her mind; neither was she able to make a Vacuum as a receptacle for those | |
Atoms, or a place which they might retire into; so that partly for the want of | |
it, and of a good order and method, the confusion of those Atoms produced such | |
strange and monstrous figures, as did more affright then delight her, and | |
caused such a Chaos in her mind, as had almost dissolved it. At last, having | |
with much ado cleansed and cleared her mind of these dusty and misty particles, | |
she endeavoured to create a World according to Aristotle's Opinion; but | |
remembering that her mind, as most of the Learned hold it, was Immaterial, and | |
that, according to Aristotle's Principle, out of Nothing, Nothing could be | |
made; she was forced also to desist from that work, and then she fully | |
resolved, not to take any more patterns from the Ancient Philosophers, but to | |
follow the Opinions of the Moderns; and to that end, she endeavoured to make a | |
World according to Des Cartes Opinion; but when she had made the Ethereal | |
Globules, and set them a moving by a strong and lively imagination, her mind | |
became so dizzy with their extraordinary swift turning round, that it almost | |
put her into a swoon; for her thoughts, by their constant tottering, did so | |
stagger, as if they had all been drunk: wherefore she dissolved that World, and | |
began to make another, according to Hobbs's Opinion; but when all the parts of | |
this Imaginary World came to press and drive each other, they seemed like a | |
company of Wolves that worry Sheep, or like so many Dogs that hunt after Hares; | |
and when she found a re-action equal to those pressures, her mind was so | |
squeezed together, that her thoughts could neither move forward nor backward, | |
which caused such an horrible pain in her head, that although she had dissolved | |
that World, yet she could not, without much difficulty, settle her mind, and | |
free it from that pain which those pressures and reactions had caused in it. | |
At last, when the Duchess saw that no patterns would do her any good in the | |
framing of her World; she was resolved to make a World of her own Invention, | |
and this World was composed of sensitive and rational self-moving Matter; | |
indeed, it was composed only of the Rational, which is the subtilest and | |
purest degree of Matter; for as the Sensitive did move and act both to the | |
perceptions and consistency of the body, so this degree of Matter at the same | |
point of time (for though the degrees are mixed, yet the several parts may move | |
several ways at one time) did move to the Creation of the Imaginary World; | |
which World after it was made, appeared so curious and full of variety, so well | |
ordered and wisely governed, that it cannot possibly be expressed by words, nor | |
the delight and pleasure which the Duchess took in making this | |
World-of-her-own. | |
In the mean time the Empress was also making and dissolving several Worlds in | |
her own mind, and was so puzzled, that she could not settle in any of them; | |
wherefore she sent for the Duchess, who being ready to wait on the Empress, | |
carried her beloved World along with her, and invited the Empress's Soul to | |
observe the Frame, Order and Government of it. Her Majesty was so ravished with | |
the perception of it, that her Soul desired to live in the Duchess's World: But | |
the Duchess advised her to make such another World in her own mind; for, said | |
she, your Majesty's mind is full of rational corporeal motions; and the | |
rational motions of my mind shall assist you by the help of sensitive | |
expressions, with the best Instructions they are able to give you. | |
The Empress being thus persuaded by the Duchess to make an imaginary World of | |
her own, followed her advice; and after she had quite finished it, and framed | |
all kinds of Creatures proper and useful for it, strengthened it with good | |
Laws, and beautified it with Arts and Sciences; having nothing else to do, | |
unless she did dissolve her Imaginary World, or made some alterations in the | |
Blazing-World, she lived in; which yet she could hardly do, by reason it was so | |
well ordered that it could not be mended; for it was governed without secret | |
and deceiving Policy; neither was there any ambitious, factions, malicious | |
detractions, civil dissentions, or home-bred quarrels, divisions in Religion, | |
Foreign Wars, c. but all the people lived in a peaceful Society, united | |
Tranquillity, and Religious Conformity. She was desirous to see the World the | |
Duchess came from, and observe therein the several Sovereign Governments, Laws | |
and Customs of several Nations. The Duchess used all the means she could, to | |
divert her from that Journey, telling her, that the World she came from, was | |
very much disturbed with Factions, Divisions and Wars; but the Empress would | |
not be persuaded from her design; and left the Emperor, or any of his subjects | |
should know of her travel, and obstruct her design, she sent for some of the | |
Spirits she had formerly conversed withal, and inquired whether none of them | |
could supply the place of her soul in her body at such a time, when she was | |
gone to travel into another World? They answered, Yes, they could; for not | |
only one, said they, but many Spirits may enter into your body, if you please. | |
The Empress replied, she desired but one Spirit to be Vice-Roy of her body in | |
the absence of her Soul, but it must be an honest and ingenious Spirit; and if | |
it was possible, a female Spirit. The Spirits told her, that there was no | |
difference of Sexes amongst them; but, said they, we will choose an honest and | |
ingenious Spirit, and such a one as shall so resemble your soul, that neither | |
the Emperor, nor any of his Subjects, although the most Divine, shall know | |
whether it be your own soul, or not: which the Empress was very glad at; and | |
after the Spirits were gone, asked the Duchess, how her body was supplied in | |
the absence of her soul? who answered Her Majesty, That her body, in the | |
absence of her soul, was governed by her sensitive and rational corporeal | |
motions. Thus those two Female Souls travelled together as lightly as two | |
thoughts into the Duchess her native World; and, which is remarkable, in a | |
moment viewed all the parts of it, and all the actions of all the Creatures | |
therein, especially did the Empress's Soul take much notice of the several | |
actions of humane Creatures in all the several Nations and parts of that World, | |
and wondered that for all there were so many several Nations, Governments, | |
Laws, Religions, Opinions, c. they should all yet so generally agree in being | |
Ambitious, Proud, Self-conceited, Vain, Prodigal, Deceitful, Envious, | |
Malicious, Unjust, Revengeful, Irreligious, Factious, c. She did also admire, | |
that not any particular State, Kingdom or Common-wealth, was contented with | |
their own shares, but endeavoured to encroach upon their Neighbours, and that | |
their greatest glory was in Plunder and Slaughter, and yet their victory's less | |
then their expenses, and their losses more than their gains; but their being | |
overcome, in a manner their utter ruin: But that she wondered most at, was, | |
that they should prize or value dirt more then men's lives, and vanity more then | |
tranquillity; for the Emperor of a world, said she, enjoys but a part, not the | |
whole; so that his pleasure consists in the Opinions of others. It is strange | |
to me, answered the Duchess, that you should say thus, being your self, an | |
Empress of a World; and not only of a world, but of a peaceable, quiet, and | |
obedient world. 'Tis true, replied the Empress: but although it is a peaceable | |
and obedient world, yet the Government thereof is rather a trouble, then a | |
pleasure; for order cannot be without industry, contrivance, and direction: | |
besides, the Magnificent state, that great Princes keep or ought to keep, is | |
troublesome. Then by your Majestie's discourse, said the Duchess, I perceive | |
that the greatest happiness in all Worlds consist in Moderation: No doubt of | |
it, replied the Empress; and after these two souls had visited all the several | |
places, Congregations and Assemblies both in Religion and State, the several | |
Courts of Judicature, and the like, in several Nations, the Empress said, That | |
of all the Monarchs of the several parts of that World, she had observed the | |
Grand-Seignior was the greatest, for his word was a Law, and his power | |
absolute. But the Duchess prayed the Empress to pardon her that she was of | |
another mind; for, said she, he cannot alter Mahomets Laws and Religion; so | |
that the Law and Church do govern the Emperor, and not the Emperor them. But, | |
replied the Empress, he has power in some particulars; as for example, To place | |
and displace Subjects in their particular Governments of Church and State; and | |
having that, he has the Command both over Church and State, and none dares | |
oppose him. 'Tis true, said the Duchess; but if it pleases your Majesty, we | |
will go into that part of the World whence I came to wait on your Majesty, and | |
there you shall see as powerful a Monarch as the Grand Signior; for though his | |
Dominions are not of so large extent, yet they are much stronger, his Laws are | |
easy and safe, and he governs so justly and wisely, that his Subjects are the | |
happiest people of all the Nations or parts of that World. This Monarch, said | |
the Empress, I have a great mind to see. Then they both went, and in a short | |
time arrived into his Dominions; but coming into the Metropolitan City, the | |
Empress's Soul observed many Gallants go into an House; and enquiring of the | |
Duchess's Soul, what House that was? She told her, It was one of the Theatres | |
where Comedies and Tragedies were acted. The Empress asked, Whether they were | |
real? No, said the Duchess, they are feigned. Then the Empress desired to enter | |
into the Theatre; and when she had seen the Play that was asked, the Duchess | |
asked her how she liked that Recreation? I like it very well, said the Empress; | |
but I observe that the Actors make a better show than the Spectators; and the | |
Scenes a better than the Actors, and the Music and Dancing is more pleasant | |
and acceptable than the Play it self; for I see, the Scenes stand for Wit, the | |
Dancing for Humour, and the Music is the Chorus. I am sorry, replied the | |
Duchess, to hear your Majesty say so; for if the Wits of this part of the World | |
should hear you, they would condemn you. What, said the Empress, would they | |
condemn me for preferring a natural Face before a Sign-post; or a natural | |
Humour before an artificial Dance; or Music before a true and profitable | |
Relation? As for Relation, replied the Duchess, our Poets defy and condemn it | |
into a Chimney-corner, fitter for old Women's Tales, than Theatres. Why, said | |
the Empress, do not your Poets Actions comply with their Judgments? For their | |
Plays are composed of old Stories, either of Greek or Roman, or some new-found | |
World. The Duchess answered Her Majesty, That it was true, that all or most of | |
their Plays were taken out of old Stories; but yet they had new Actions, which | |
being joined to old Stories, together with the addition of new Prologues, | |
Scenes, Music and Dancing, made new Plays. | |
After this, both the Souls went to the Court, where all the Royal Family was | |
together, attended by the chief of the Nobles of their Dominions, which made a | |
very magnificent Show; and when the Soul of the Empress viewed the King and | |
Queen, she seemed to be in a maze; which the Duchess's Soul perceiving, asked | |
the Empress how she liked the King, the Queen, and all the Royal Race? She | |
answered, that in all the Monarchs she had seen in that World, she had not | |
found so much Majesty and Affability mixed so exactly together, that none did | |
overshadow or eclipse the other; and as for the Queen, she said, that Virtue | |
sate Triumphant in her face, and Piety was dwelling in her heart; and that all | |
the Royal Family seemed to be endued with a Divine splendour: but when she had | |
heard the King discourse, she believed that Mercury and Apollo had been his | |
Celestial Instructors; and, my dear Lord and Husband, added the Duchess, has | |
been his Earthly Governor. But after some short stay in the Court, the | |
Duchess's soul grew very Melancholy; the Empress asking the cause of her | |
sadness? She told her, That she had an extreme desire to converse with the soul | |
of her Noble Lord and dear Husband, and that she was impatient of a longer | |
stay. The Empress desired the Duchess to have but patience so long, until the | |
King, the Queen, and the Royal Family were retired, and then she would bear her | |
Company to her Lord and Husband's Soul, who at that time lived in the Country | |
some 112 miles off; which she did: and thus these two souls went towards those | |
parts of the Kingdom where the Duke of Newcastle was. | |
But one thing I forgot all this while, which is, That although thoughts are | |
the natural language of Souls; yet by reason Souls cannot travel without | |
Vehicles, they use such language as the nature and propriety of their Vehicles | |
require, and the Vehicles of those two souls being made of the purest and | |
finest sort of air, and of a human shape: This purity and fineness was the | |
cause that they could neither be seen nor heard by any human Creature; when as, | |
had they been of some grosser sort of Air, the sound of that Air's language | |
would have been as perceptible as the blowing of Zephyrus. | |
And now to return to my former Story; when the Empress's and Duchess's Soul | |
were travelling into Nottinghamshire, (for that was the place where the Duke | |
did reside) passing through the Forest of Sherewood, the Empress's Soul was | |
very much delighted with it, as being a dry, plain and woody place, very | |
pleasant to travel in, both in Winter and Summer; for it is neither much dirty | |
nor dusty at no time: At last they arrived at Welbeck, a House where the Duke | |
dwelled, surrounded all with Wood, so close and full, that the Empress took | |
great pleasure and delight therein, and told the Duchess she never had observed | |
more Wood in so little compass in any part of the Kingdom she had passed | |
through. The truth is, said she, there seems to be more Wood on the Seas (she | |
meaning the Ships) than on the Land. The Duchess told her, The reason was, that | |
there had been a long Civil War in that Kingdom, in which most of the best | |
Timber-trees and Principal Palaces were ruined and destroyed; and my dear Lord | |
and Husband, said she, has lost by it half his Woods, besides many Houses, | |
Land, and movable Goods; so that all the loss out of his particular Estate, did | |
amount to above Half a Million of Pounds. I wish, said the Empress, he had some | |
of the Gold that is in the Blazing-world, to repair his losses. The Duchess | |
most humbly thanked her Imperial Majesty for her kind wishes; but, said she, | |
Wishes will not repair his ruins: however, God has given my Noble Lord and | |
Husband great Patience, by which he bears all his losses and misfortunes. At | |
last they entered into the Duke's House, an Habitation not so magnificent as | |
useful; and when the Empress saw it, Has the Duke, said she, no other House but | |
this? Yes, answered the Duchess, some five miles from this place he has a very | |
fine Castle called Bolesover. That place then, said the Empress, I desire to | |
see. Alas, replied the Duchess, it is but a naked House, and uncloath'd of all | |
Furniture. However, said the Empress, I may see the manner of its structure and | |
building. That you may, replied the Duchess; and as they were thus discoursing, | |
the Duke came out of the House into the Court, to see his Horses of Manage; | |
whom when the Duchess's Soul perceived, she was so overjoyed, that her Aereal | |
Vehicle became so splendorous, as if it had been enlightened by the Sun; by | |
which we may perceive, that the passions of Souls or Spirits can alter their | |
bodily Vehicles. Then these two Ladies Spirits went close to him, but he could | |
not perceive them; and after the Empress had observed that Art of Manage, she | |
was much pleased with it, and commended it as a noble pastime, and an exercise | |
fit and proper for noble and heroic Persons. But when the Duke was gone into | |
the house again, those two Souls followed him; where the Empress observing, | |
that he went to the exercise of the Sword, and was such an excellent and | |
unparalleled Master thereof, she was as much pleased with that exercise, as she | |
was with the former: But the Duchess's soul being troubled, that her dear Lord | |
and Husband used such a violent exercise before meat, for fear of overheating | |
himself, without any consideration of the Empress's Soul, left her AEreal | |
Vehicle, and entered into her Lord. The Empress's Soul perceiving this, did the | |
like: And then the Duke had three Souls in one Body; and had there been but | |
some such Souls more, the Duke would have been like the Grand-Signior in his | |
Seraglio, only it would have been a Platonic Seraglio. But the Duke's Soul | |
being wise, honest, witty, complaisant and noble, afforded such delight and | |
pleasure to the Empress's Soul by his conversation, that these two souls became | |
enamoured of each other; which the Duchess's soul perceiving, grew jealous at | |
first, but then considering that no Adultery could be committed amongst | |
Platonic Lovers, and that Platonism was Divine, as being derived from Divine | |
Plato, cast forth of her mind that Idea of Jealousy. Then the Conversation of | |
these three souls was so pleasant, that it cannot be expressed; for the Duke's | |
Soul entertained the Empress's Soul with Scenes, Songs, Music, witty | |
Discourses, pleasant Recreations, and all kinds of harmless sports, so that the | |
time passed away faster than they expected. At last a Spirit came and told the | |
Empress, That although neither the Emperor nor any of his Subjects knew that | |
her Soul was absent; yet the Emperor's Soul was so sad and melancholy for want | |
of His own beloved Soul, that all the Imperial Court took notice of it. | |
Wherefore he advised the Empress's Soul to return into the Blazing-world, into | |
her own Body she left there; which both the Duke's and Duchess's Soul was very | |
sorry for, and wished that, if it had been possible, the Empress's Soul might | |
have stayed a longer time with them; but seeing it could not be otherwise, they | |
pacified themselves. But before the Empress returned into the Blazing-world, | |
the Duchess desired a Favour of her, to wit, That she would be pleased to make | |
an Agreement between her Noble Lord, and Fortune. Why, said the Empress, are | |
they Enemies? Yes, answered the Duchess, and they have been so ever since I | |
have been his Wife: nay, I have heard my Lord say, That she hath crossed him in | |
all things, ever since he could remember. I am sorry for that, replied the | |
Empress; but I cannot discourse with Fortune, without the help of an Immaterial | |
Spirit, and that cannot be done in this V World; for I have no Fly nor Bird-men | |
here, to send into the Region of the Air, where, for the most part, their | |
Habitations are. The Duchess said, she would entreat her Lord to send an | |
Attorney or Lawyer to plead his Cause. Fortune will bribe them, replied the | |
Empress, and so the Duke may chance to be cast: Wherefore the best way will be, | |
for the Duke to choose a Friend on his side, and let Fortune choose another, and | |
try whether by this means it be possible to compose the Difference. The Duchess | |
said, They will never come to an agreement, unless there be a Judge or Umpire to | |
decide the Case. A Judge, replied the Empress, is easy to be had; but to get an | |
Impartial Judge, is a thing so difficult, that I doubt we shall hardly find one; | |
for there is none to be had, neither in Nature, nor in Hell, but only from | |
Heaven; and how to get such a Divine and Celestial Judge, I cannot tell: | |
Nevertheless, if you will go along with me into the Blazing-world, I'll try | |
what may be done. 'Tis my duty, said the Duchess, to wait on your Majesty, and | |
I shall most willingly do it, for I have no other interest to consider. Then | |
the Duchess spake to the Duke concerning the difference between him and | |
Fortune, and how it was her desire that they might be friends. The Duke | |
answered, That for his part he had always with great industry sought her | |
friendship, but as yet he could never obtain it, for she had always been his | |
Enemy. However, said he, I'll try and send my two Friends, Prudence and | |
Honesty, to plead my Cause. Then these two Friends went with the Duchess and | |
the Empress into the Blazing-World; (for it is to be observed, that they are | |
somewhat like Spirits, because they are Immaterial, although their actions are | |
corporeal:) and after their arrival there, when the Empress had refreshed her | |
self, and rejoiced with the Emperor, she sent her Fly-men for some of the | |
Spirits, and desired their assistance, to compose the difference between | |
Fortune, and the Duke of Newcastle. But they told her Majesty, That Fortune was | |
so inconstant, that although she would perhaps promise to hear their Cause | |
pleaded, yet it was a thousand to one, whether she would ever have the patience | |
to do it: Nevertheless, upon Her Majestie's request, they tried their utmost, | |
and at last prevailed with Fortune so far, that she chose Folly and Rashness, | |
for her Friends, but they could not agree in choosing a Judge; until at last, | |
with much ado, they concluded, that Truth should hear, and decide the cause. | |
Thus all being prepared, and the time appointed, both the Empress and Duchess's | |
Soul went to hear them plead; and when all the Immaterial Company was met, | |
Fortune standing upon a Golden-Globe, made this following Speech: | |
Noble Friends, We are met here to hear a Cause pleaded concerning the | |
difference between the Duke of Newcastle, and my self; and though I am willing | |
upon the persuasions of the Ambassadors of the Empress, the Immaterial Spirits, | |
to yield to it, yet it had been fit, the Duke's Soul should be present also, to | |
speak for her self; but since she is not here, I shall declare my self to his | |
Wife, and his Friends, as also to my Friends, especially the Empress, to whom I | |
shall chiefly direct my Speech. First, I desire your Imperial Majesty may know, | |
that this Duke who complains or exclaims so much against me, hath been always | |
my enemy; for he has preferred Honesty and Prudence before me, and slighted all | |
my favours; nay, not only thus, but he did fight against me, and preferred his | |
Innocence before my Power. His Friends Honesty and Prudence, said he most | |
scornfully, are more to be regarded, than Inconstant Fortune, who is only a | |
friend to Fools and Knaves; for which neglect and scorn, whether I have not | |
just reason to be his enemy, your Majesty may judge your self. | |
After Fortune had thus ended her Speech, the Duchess's Soul rose from her | |
seat, and spake to the Immaterial Assembly in this manner: | |
Noble Friends, I think it fit, by your leave, to answer Lady Fortune in the | |
behalf of my Noble Lord and Husband, since he is not here himself; and since | |
you have heard her complaint concerning the choice my Lord made of his Friends, | |
and the neglect and disrespect he seemed to cast upon her; give me leave to | |
answer, that, first concerning the Choice of his Friends, He has proved himself | |
a wise man in it; and as for the disrespect and rudeness her Ladyship accuses | |
him of, I dare say he is so much a Gentleman, that I am confident he would | |
never slight, scorn or disrespect any of the Female Sex in all his life time; | |
but was such a servant and Champion for them, that he ventured Life and Estate | |
in their service; but being of an honest, as well as an honourable Nature, he | |
could not trust Fortune with that which he preferred above his life, which was | |
his Reputation, by reason Fortune did not side with those that were honest and | |
honourable, but renounced them; and since he could not be of both sides, he | |
chose to be of that which was agreeable both to his Conscience, Nature and | |
Education; for which choice Fortune did not only declare her self his open | |
Enemy, but fought with him in several Battles; nay, many times, hand to hand; | |
at last, she being a Powerful Princess, and as some believe, a Deity, overcame | |
him, and cast him into a Banishment, where she kept him in great misery, ruined | |
his Estate, and took away from him most of his Friends; nay, even when she | |
favoured many that were against her, she still frowned on him; all which he | |
endured with the greatest patience, and with that respect to Lady Fortune, that | |
he did never in the least endeavour to disoblige any of her Favourites, but was | |
only sorry that he, an honest man, could find no favour in her Court; and | |
since he did never injure any of those she favoured, he neither was an enemy to | |
her Ladyship, but gave her always that respect and worship which belonged to | |
her power and dignity, and is still ready at any time honestly and prudently to | |
serve her; he only begs, her Ladyship would be his friend for the future, as | |
she hath been his enemy in times past. | |
As soon as the Duchess's Speech was ended, Folly and Rashness started up, and | |
both spake so thick and fast at once, that not only the Assembly, but | |
themselves were not able to understand each other: At which, Fortune was | |
somewhat out of countenance; and commanded them either to speak singly, or be | |
silent: But Prudence told her Ladyship, she should command them to speak | |
wisely, as well as singly; otherwise, said she, it were best for them not to | |
speak at all: Which Fortune resented very ill, and told Prudence, she was too | |
bold; and then commanded Folly to declare what she would have made known: but | |
her Speech was so foolish, mixed with such Non-sense, that none knew what to | |
make of it; besides, it was so tedious, that Fortune bid her to be silent; and | |
commanded Rashness to speak for her, who began after this manner: | |
Great Fortune; The Duchess of Newcastle has proved her self, according to | |
report, a very Proud and Ambitious Lady, in presuming to answer you her own | |
self, in this noble Assembly without your Command, in a Speech wherein she did | |
not only contradict you, but preferred Honesty and Prudence before you; | |
saying, That her Lord was ready to serve you honestly and prudently; which | |
presumption is beyond all pardon; and if you allow Honesty and Prudence to be | |
above you, none will admire, worship or serve you; but you'll be forced to serve | |
your self, and will be despised, neglected and scorned by all; and from a | |
Deity, become a miserable, dirty, begging mortal in a Church-yard-Porch, or | |
Noble-man's Gate: Wherefore to prevent such disasters, fling as many | |
misfortunes and neglects on the Duke and Duchess of Newcastle, and their two | |
friends, as your power is able to do; otherwise Prudence and Honesty will be | |
the chief and only Moral Deities of Mortals. | |
Rashness having thus ended her Speech, Prudence rose and declared her self in | |
this manner: | |
Beautiful Truth, Great Fortune, and you the rest of my noble Friends; I am | |
come a great and long journey in the behalf of my dear Friend the Duke of | |
Newcastle; not to make more wounds, but, if it be possible, to heal those that | |
are made already. Neither do I presume to be a Deity; but my only request is, | |
that you would be pleased to accept of my Offering, I being an humble and | |
devout supplicant; and since no offering is more acceptable to the Gods, then | |
the offering of Peace; in order to that, I desire to make an agreement between | |
Fortune, and the Duke of Newcastle. | |
Thus she spake, and as she was going on, up started Honesty (for she has not | |
always so much discretion as she ought to have) and interrupted Prudence. | |
I came not here, said she, to hear Fortune flattered, but to hear the Cause | |
decided between Fortune and the Duke; neither came I hither to speak | |
Rhetorically and Eloquently, but to propound the case plainly and truly; and | |
I'll have you know, that the Duke, whose Cause we argue, was and is my | |
Foster-son; For I Honesty bred him from his Childhood, and made a perpetual | |
friendship betwixt him and Gratitude, Charity and Generosity; and put him to | |
School to Prudence, who taught him Wisdom, and informed him in the Rules of | |
Temperance, Patience, Justice, and the like; then I put him into the University | |
of Honour, where he learned all Honourable Qualities, Arts, and Sciences; | |
afterward I sent him to travel through the World of Actions, and made | |
Observation his Governor; and in those his travels, he contracted a friendship | |
with Experience; all which, made him fit for Heavens Blessings, and Fortunes | |
Favours: But she hating all those that have merit and desert, became his | |
inveterate Enemy, doing him all the mischief she could, until the God of | |
Justice opposed Fortune's Malice, and pulled him out of those ruins she had | |
cast upon him: For this God's Favourites were the Dukes Champions; wherefore to | |
be an Enemy to him, were to be an Enemy to the God of Justice: In short, the | |
true cause of Fortunes Malice to this Duke, is, that he would never flatter | |
her; for I Honesty, did command him not to do it, or else he would be forced to | |
follow all her inconstant ways, and obey all her unjust commands, which would | |
cause a great reproach to him: but, on the other side, Prudence advised him not | |
to despise Fortune's favours, for that would be an obstrustion and hinderance | |
to his worth and merit; and He to obey both our advice and counsels, did | |
neither flatter nor despise Her; but was always humble and respectful to her so | |
far as Honour, Honesty and Conscience would permit: all which I refer to | |
Truth's Judgment, and expect her final Sentence. | |
Fortune hearing thus Honesty's plain Speech, thought it very rude, and would | |
not hearken to Truth's Judgment, but went away in a Passion: At which, both the | |
Empress and Duchess were extremely troubled, that their endeavours should have | |
no better effect: but Honesty chid the Duchess, and said, she was to be | |
punished for desiring so much Fortune's favours; for it appears, said she, that | |
you mistrust the gods blessings: At which the Duchess wept, answering Honesty, | |
That she did neither mistrust the gods blessings, nor rely upon Fortune's | |
favours; but desired only that her Lord might have no potent Enemies. The | |
Empress being much troubled to see her weep, told Honesty in anger, she wanted | |
the discretion of Prudence; for though you are commended, said she, yet you are | |
apt to commit many indiscreet actions, unless Prudence be your guide. At which | |
reproof Prudence smiled, and Honesty was somewhat out of countenance; but they | |
soon became very good friends: and after the Duchess's Soul had stayed some | |
time with the Empress in the Blazing-World, she begged leave of her to return | |
to her Lord and Husband; which the Empress granted her, upon condition she | |
should come and visit her as often as conveniently she could, promising that | |
she would do the same to the Duchess. | |
Thus the Duchess's soul, after she had taken her leave of the Empress, as also | |
of the Spirits, who with great civility, promised her, that they would | |
endeavour in time to make a Peace and Agreement between Fortune and the Duke, | |
returned with Prudence and Honesty, into her own World: But when she was just | |
upon her departure, the Empress sent to Her, and desired that she might yet | |
have some little conference with her before she went; which the Duchess most | |
willingly granted her Majesty; and when she came to wait on her, the Empress | |
told the Duchess, That she being her dear Platonic Friend, of whose just and | |
Impartial Judgment, she had always a very great esteem; could not forbear, | |
before she went from her, to ask her Advice concerning the Government of the | |
Blazing-world: For, said she, although this World was very well and wisely | |
ordered and governed at first, when I came to be Empress thereof; yet the | |
nature of Women being much delighted with Change and Variety, after I had | |
received an absolute Power from the Emperor, did somewhat alter the Form of | |
Government from what I found it; but now perceiving that the World is not so | |
quiet as it was at first, I am much troubled at it; especially there are such | |
continual Contentions and Divisions between the Worm-Bear-and Fly-men, the | |
Ape-men, the Satyrs, the Spider-men, and all others of such sorts, that I fear | |
they'll break out into an open Rebellion, and cause a great disorder, and the | |
ruin of the Government; and therefore I desire your advice and assistance, how | |
I may order it to the best advantage, that this World may be rendered peaceable, | |
quiet and happy, as it was before. Whereupon the Duchess answered, That since | |
she heard by her Imperial Majesty, how well and happily the World had been | |
governed when she first came to be Empress thereof, she would advise her | |
Majesty to introduce the same form of Government again, which had been before; | |
that is, to have but one Sovereign, one Religion, one Law, and one Language, so | |
that all the World might be but as one united Family, without divisions; nay, | |
like God, and his Blessed Saints and Angels: Otherwise, said she, it may in | |
time prove as unhappy, nay, as miserable a World as that is from which I came, | |
wherein are more Sovereigns then Worlds, and more pretended Governors then | |
Government, more Religions then Gods, and more Opinions in those Religions then | |
Truths; more Laws then Rights, and more Bribes then Justices; more Policies | |
then Necessities, and more Fears then Dangers; more Covetousness then Riches, | |
more Ambitions then Merits, more Services then Rewards, more Languages then | |
Wit, more Controversy then Knowledge, more Reports then noble Actions, and more | |
Gifts by partiality then according to Merit; all which, said she, is a great | |
misery, nay, a curse, which your blessed Blazing-World never knew, nor 'tis | |
probable, will never know of, unless your Imperial Majesty alter the Government | |
thereof from what it was when you began to govern it: And since your Majesty | |
complains much of the factions of the Bear- Fish- Fly- Ape- and Worm-men, the | |
Satyrs, Spider-men, and the like, and of their perpetual disputes and quarrels, | |
I would advise your Majesty to dissolve all their Societies; for 'tis better to | |
be without their intelligences, then to have an unquiet and disorderly | |
Government. The truth is, said she, wheresoever Learning is, there is most | |
commonly also Controversy and quarelling; for there be always some that will | |
know more, and be wiser then others: Some think their Arguments come nearer to | |
Truth, and are more rational then others; some are so wedded to their own | |
opinions, that they'll never yield to Reason; and others, though they find their | |
Opinions not firmly grounded upon Reason, yet, for fear of receiving some | |
disgrace by altering them, will nevertheless maintain them against all sense | |
and reason, which must needs breed factions in their Schools, which at last | |
break out into open Wars, and draw sometimes an utter ruin upon a State or | |
Government. The Empress told the Duchess, that she would willingly follow her | |
advice; but she thought it would be an eternal disgrace to her, to alter her | |
own Decrees, Acts, and Laws. To which the Duchess answered, That it was so far | |
from a disgrace, as it would rather be for her Majesties eternal honour, to | |
return from a worse to a better, and would express and declare Her to be more | |
then ordinary wise and good; so wise, as to perceive her own errors, and so | |
good, as not to persist in them, which few did: for which, said she, you will | |
get a glorious fame in this World, and an Eternal Glory hereafter; and I shall | |
pray for it so long as I live. Upon which Advice, the Empress's Soul embraced | |
and kissed the Duchess's Soul with an Immaterial Kiss, and shed Immaterial | |
Tears, that she was forced to part from her, finding her not a flattering | |
Parasite, but a true Friend; and in truth, such was their Platonic Friendship, | |
as these two loving Souls did often meet and rejoice in each others | |
Conversation. | |
THE SECOND PART OF THE DESCRIPTION OF THE New Blazing-World. | |
THe Empress having now ordered and settled her Government to the best advantage | |
and quiet of her Blazing-World, lived and reigned most happily and blessedly, | |
and received oftentimes Visits from the Immaterial Spirits, who gave her | |
Intelligence of all such things as she desired to know, and they were able to | |
inform her of: One time they told her, how the World she came from, was | |
imbroiled in a great War, and that most parts or Nations thereof made War | |
against that Kingdom which was her Native Country, where all her Friends and | |
Relations did live; at which the Empress was extremely troubled; insomuch that | |
the Emperor perceived her grief by her tears, and examining the cause thereof, | |
she told him that she had received Intelligence from the Spirits, that that | |
part of the World she came from, which was her native Country, was like to be | |
destroyed by numerous Enemies that made War against it. The Emperor being very | |
sensible of this ill news, especially of the Trouble it caused to the Empress, | |
endeavoured to comfort her as much as possibly he could; and told her, that she | |
might have all the assistance which the Blazing-World was able to afford. She | |
answered, That if there were any possibility of transporting Forces out of the | |
Blazing-World, into the World she came from, she would not fear so much the | |
ruin thereof: but, said she, there being no probability of effecting any such | |
thing, I know not how to show my readiness to serve my Native Country. The | |
Emperor asked, Whether those Spirits that gave her Intelligence of this War, | |
could not with all their Power and Forces, assist her against those Enemies? | |
She answered, That Spirits could not arm themselves, nor make any use of | |
Artificial Arms or Weapons; for their Vehicles were Natural Bodies, not | |
Artificial: Besides, said she, the violent and strong actions of war, will | |
never agree with Immaterial Spirits; for Immaterial Spirits cannot fight, nor | |
make Trenches, Fortifications, and the like. But, said the Emperor, their | |
Vehicles can; especially if those Vehicles be men's Bodies, they may be | |
serviceable in all the actions of War. Alas, replied the Empress, that will | |
never do; for first, said she, it will be difficult to get so many dead Bodies | |
for their Vehicles, as to make up a whole Army, much more to make many Armies | |
to fight with so many several Nations; nay, if this could be, yet it is not | |
possible to get so many dead and undissolved Bodies in one Nation; and for | |
transporting them out of other Nations, it would be a thing of great difficulty | |
and improbability: But put the case, said she, all these difficulties could be | |
overcome; yet there is one obstruction or hindrance which can no ways be | |
avoided: For although those dead and undissolved Bodies did all die in one | |
minute of time; yet before they could Rendezvous, and be put into a posture of | |
War, to make a great and formidable Army, they would stink and dissolve; and | |
when they came to a fight, they would moulder into dust and ashes, and so leave | |
the purer Immaterial Spirits naked: nay, were it also possible, that those dead | |
bodies could be preserved from stinking and dissolving, yet the Souls of such | |
Bodies would not suffer Immaterial Spirits to rule and order them, but they | |
would enter and govern them themselves, as being the right owners thereof, | |
which would produce a War between those Immaterial Souls, and the Immaterial | |
Spirits in Material Bodies; all which would hinder them from doing any service | |
in the actions of War, against the Enemies of my Native Country. You speak | |
Reason, said the Emperor, and I wish with all my Soul I could advise any manner | |
or way, that you might be able to assist it; but you having told me of your | |
dear Platonic Friend the Duchess of Newcastle, and of her good and profitable | |
Counsels, I would desire you to send for her Soul, and confer with her about | |
this business. | |
The Empress was very glad of this motion of the Emperor, and immediately sent | |
for the Soul of the said Duchess, which in a minute waited on her Majesty. Then | |
the Empress declared to her the grievance and sadness of her mind, and how much | |
she was troubled and afflicted at the News brought her by the Immaterial | |
Spirits, desiring the Duchess, if possible, to assist her with the best | |
Counsels she could, that she might show the greatness of her love and affection | |
which she bore to her Native Country. Whereupon the Duchess promised her | |
Majesty to do what lay in her power; and since it was a business of great | |
Importance, she desired some time to consider of it; for, said she, Great | |
Affairs require deep Considerations; which the Empress willingly allowed her. | |
And after the Duchess had considered some little time, she desired the Empress | |
to send some of her Sirens or Mear-men, to see what passages they could find | |
out of the Blazing-World, into the World she came from; for, said she, if there | |
be a passage for a Ship to come out of that World into this; then certainly | |
there may also a Ship pass thorough the same passage out of this World into that. | |
Hereupon the Mear-or Fish-men were sent out; who being many in number, employed | |
all their industry, and did swim several ways; at last having found out the | |
passage, they returned to the Empress, and told her, That as their Blazing | |
World had but one Emperor, one Government, one Religion, and one Language, so | |
there was but one Passage into that World, which was so little, that no Vessel | |
bigger than a Packet-Boat could go thorough; neither was that Passage always | |
open, but sometimes quite frozen up. At which Relation both the Empress and | |
Duchess seemed somewhat troubled, fearing that this would perhaps be an | |
hindrance or obstruction to their Design. | |
At last the Duchess desired the Empress to send for her Ship-wrights, and all | |
her Architects, which were Giants; who being called, the Duchess told them how | |
some in her own World had been so ingenious, as to contrive Ships that could | |
swim under Water, and asked, Whether they could do the like? The Giants | |
answered, They had never heard of that Invention; nevertheless, they would try | |
what might be done by Art, and spare no labour or industry to find it out. In | |
the mean time, while both the Empress and Duchess were in a serious Counsel, | |
after many debates, the Duchess desired but a few Ships to transport some of | |
the Bird- Worm-and Bear-men: Alas! said the Empress, What can such sorts of Men | |
do in the other World? especially so few? They will be soon destroyed, for a | |
Musket will destroy numbers of Birds at one shot. The Duchess said, I desire | |
your Majesty will have but a little patience, and rely upon my advice, and you | |
shall not fail to save your own Native Country, and in a manner become Mistress | |
of all that World you came from. The Empress, who loved the Duchess as her own | |
Soul, did so; the Giants returned soon after, and told her Majesty, that they | |
had found out the Art which the Duchess had mentioned, to make such Ships as | |
could swim under water; which the Empress and Duchess were both very glad at, | |
and when the Ships were made ready, the Duchess told the Empress, that it was | |
requisite that her Majesty should go her self in body, as well as in Soul; but | |
I, said she, can only wait on your Majesty after a Spiritual manner, that is, | |
with my Soul. Your Soul, said the Empress, shall live with my Soul, in my Body; | |
for I shall only desire your Counsel and Advice. Then said the Duchess, Your | |
Majesty must command a great number of your Fish-men to wait on your Ships; for | |
you know that your Ships are not made for Cannons, and therefore are no ways | |
serviceable in War; for though by the help of your Engines, they can drive on, | |
and your Fish-men may by the help of Chains or Ropes, draw them which way they | |
will, to make them go on, or fly back, yet not so as to fight: And though your | |
Ships be of Gold, and cannot be shot thorough, but only bruised and battered; | |
yet the Enemy will assault and enter them, and take them as Prizes; wherefore | |
your Fishmen must do you Service instead of Cannons. But how, said the Empress, | |
can the Fish-men do me service against an Enemy, without Cannons and all sorts | |
of Arms? That is the reason, answered the Duchess, that I would have numbers of | |
Fish-men, for they shall destroy all your Enemies Ships, before they can come | |
near you. The Empress asked in what manner that could be? Thus, answered the | |
Duchess: Your Majesty must send a number of Worm-men to the Burning-Mountains | |
(for you have good store of them in the Blazing-World) which must get a great | |
quantity of the Fire-stone, whose property, you know, is, that it burns so long | |
as it is wet; and the Ships in the other World being all made of Wood, they may | |
by that means set them all on fire; and if you can but destroy their Ships, and | |
hinder their Navigation, you will be Mistress of all that World, by reason most | |
parts thereof cannot live without Navigation. Besides, said she, the Fire-stone | |
will serve you instead of Light or Torches; for you know, that the World you | |
are going into, is dark at nights (especially if there be no Moon-shine, or if | |
the Moon be overshadowed by Clouds) and not so full of Blazing-Stars as this | |
World is, which make as great a light in the absence of the Sun, as the Sun | |
doth when it is present; for that World hath but little blinking Stars, which | |
make more shadows then light, and are only able to draw up Vapours from the | |
Earth, but not to rarify or clarify them, or to convert them into serene air. | |
This Advice of the Duchess was very much approved, and joyfully embraced by | |
the Empress, who forthwith sent her Worm-men to get a good quantity of the | |
mentioned Fire-stone. She also commanded numbers of Fish-men to wait on her | |
under Water, and Bird-men to wait on her in the Air; and Bear- and Worm-men to | |
wait on her in Ships, according to the Duchess's advice; and indeed the | |
Bear-men were as serviceable to her, as the North-Star; but the Bird-men would | |
often rest themselves upon the Decks of the Ships; neither would the Empress, | |
being of a sweet and noble Nature, suffer that they should tire or weary | |
themselves by long flights; for though by Land they did often fly out of one | |
Country into another, yet they did rest in some Woods, or on some Grounds, | |
especially at night, when it was their sleeping time: And therefore the Empress | |
was forced to take a great many Ships along with her, both for transporting | |
those several sorts of her loyal and serviceable Subjects, and to carry | |
provisions for them: Besides, we was so wearied with the Petitions of several | |
others of her Subjects who desired to wait on her Majesty, that she could not | |
possibly deny them all; for some would rather choose to be drowned, then not | |
tender their duty to her. | |
Thus after all things were made fit and ready, the Empress began her Journey; | |
I cannot properly say, she set Sail, by reasou in some Part, as in the passage | |
between the two Worlds (which yet was but short) the Ships were drawn under | |
water by the Fish-men with Golden Chains, so that they had no need of Sails | |
there, nor of any other Arts, but only to keep out water from entering into | |
the Ships, and to give or make so much Air as would serve, for breath or | |
respiration, those Land-Animals that were in the Ships; which the Giants had so | |
Artificially contrived, that they which were therein, found no inconveniency at | |
all: And after they had passed the Icy Sea, the Golden Ships appeared above | |
Water, and so went on until they came near the Kingdom that was the Empress's | |
Native Country; where the Bear-men through their Telescopes discovered a great | |
number of Ships which had beset all that Kingdom, well rigged and manned. | |
The Empress before she came in sight of the Enemy, sent some of her Fish- and | |
Bird-men to bring her intelligence of their Fleet; and hearing of their number, | |
their station and posture, she gave order that when it was Night, her Bird-men | |
should carry in their beeks some of the mentioned Fire-stones, with the tops | |
thereof wetted; and the Fish-men should carry them likewise, and hold them out | |
of the Water; for they were cut in the form of Torches or Candles, and being | |
many thousands, made a terrible show; for it appeared as if all the Air and Sea | |
had been of a Flaming-Fire; and all that were upon the Sea, or near it, did | |
verily believe, the time of Judgment, or the Last Day was come, which made them | |
all fall down, and Pray. | |
At the break of Day, the Empress commanded those Lights to be put out, and | |
then the Naval Forces of the Enemy perceived nothing but a Number of Ships | |
without Sails, Guns, Arms, and other Instruments of War; which Ships seemed to | |
swim of themselves, without any help or assistance: which sight put them into a | |
great amaze; neither could they perceive that those Ships were of Gold, by | |
reason the Empress had caused them all to be coloured black, or with a dark | |
colour; so that the natural colour of the Gold could not be perceived through | |
the artificial colour of the paint, no not by the best Telescopes. All which | |
put the Enemies Fleet into such a fright at night, and to such wonder in the | |
morning, or at day-time, that they knew not what to judge or make of them; for | |
they knew neither what Ships they were, nor what Party they belonged to, | |
insomuch that they had no power to stir. | |
In the mean while, the Empress knowing the Colours of her own Country, sent a | |
Letter to their General, and the rest of the chief Commanders, to let them | |
know, that she was a great and powerful Princess, and came to assist them | |
against their Enemies; wherefore she desired they should declare themselves, | |
when they would have her help and assistance. | |
Hereupon a Council was called, and the business debated; but there were so | |
many cross and different Opinions, that they could not suddenly resolve what | |
answer to send the Empress; at which she grew angry, insomuch that she resolved | |
to return into her Blazing-World, without giving any assistance to her | |
Countrymen: but the Duchess of Newcastle entreated her Majesty to abate her | |
passion; for, said she, Great Councels are most commonly slow, because many men | |
have many several Opinions: besides, every Councellor striving to be the | |
wisest, makes long speeches, and raise many doubts, which cause retardments. If | |
I had long-speeched Councellors, replied the Empress, I would hang them, by | |
reason they give more Words, then Advice. The Duchess answered, That her | |
Majesty should not be angry, but consider the differences of that and her | |
Blazing-World; for, said she, they are not both alike; but there are grosser | |
and duller understandings in this, than in the Blazing-World. | |
At last a Messenger came out, who returned the Empress thanks for her kind | |
proffer, but desired withal, to know from whence she came, and how, and in what | |
manner her assistance could be serviceable to them? The Empress answered, That | |
she was not bound to tell them whence she came; but as for the manner of her | |
assistance, I will appear, said she, to your Navy in a splendorous Light, | |
surrounded with Fire. The Messenger asked at what time they should expect her | |
coming? I'll be with you, answered the Empress, about one of the Clock at | |
night. With this report the Messenger returned; which made both the poor | |
Councellors and Sea-men much afraid; but yet they longed for the time to behold | |
this strange sight. | |
The appointed hour being come, the Empress appeared with Garments made of the | |
Star-stone, and was born or supported above the Water, upon the Fish-mens heads | |
and backs, so that she seemed to walk upon the face of the Water, and the Bird- | |
and Fish-men carried the Fire-stone, lighted both in the Air, and above the | |
Waters. | |
Which sight, when her Country-men perceived at a distance, their hearts began | |
to tremble; but coming something nearer, she left her Torches, and appeared | |
only in her Garments of Light, like an Angel, or some Deity, and all kneeled | |
down before her, and worshipped her with all submission and reverence: But the | |
Empress would not come nearer than at such a distance where her voice might be | |
generally heard, by reason she would not have that any of her Accoutrements | |
should be perceived, but the splendour thereof; and when she was come so near | |
that her voice could be heard and understood by all, she made this following | |
Speech: | |
Dear Country-men, for so you are, although you know me not; I being a Native | |
of this Kingdom, and hearing that most part of this World had resolved to make | |
War against it, and sought to destroy it, at least to weaken its Naval Force | |
and Power, have made a Voyage out of another World, to lend you my assistance | |
against your Enemies. I come not to make bargains with you, or to regard my own | |
Interest more than your Safety; but I intend to make you the most powerful | |
Nation of this World, and therefore I have chosen rather to quit my own | |
Tranquillity, Riches and Pleasure, than suffer you to be ruined and destroyed. | |
All the Return I desire, is but your grateful acknowledgment, and to declare my | |
Power, Love and Loyalty to my Native Country: for, although I am now a Great | |
and Absolute Princess, and Empress of a whole World, yet I acknowledge, that | |
once I was a Subject of this Kingdom, which is but a small part of this World; | |
and therefore I will have you undoubtedly believe, that I shall destroy all | |
your Enemies before this following Night, I mean those which trouble you by | |
Sea; and if you have any by Land, assure your self I shall also give you my | |
assistance against them, and make you triumph over all that seek your Ruin and | |
Destruction. | |
Upon this Declaration of the Empress, when both the General, and all the | |
Commanders in their several Ships, had returned their humble and hearty Thanks | |
to Her Majesty for so great a favour to them, she took her leave, and departed | |
to her own Ships. But, good Lord! what several Opinions and Judgments did this | |
produce in the minds of her Country-men! some said she was an Angel; others, | |
she was a Sorceress; some believed her a Goddess; others said the Devil deluded | |
them in the shape of a fine Lady. | |
The morning after, when the Navies were to fight, the Empress appeared upon | |
the face of the Waters, dressed in her Imperial Robes, which were all of | |
Diamonds and Carbuncles; in one hand she held a Buckler, made of one entire | |
Carbuncle; and in the other hand a Spear of one entire Diamond; on her head she | |
had a Cap of Diamonds, and just upon the top of the Crown, was a Star made of | |
the Starr-stone, mentioned heretofore; and a Half-Moon made of the same Stone, | |
was placed on her forehead; all her other Garments were of several sorts of | |
precious Jewels; and having given her Fish-men directions how to destroy the | |
Enemies of her Native Country, she proceeded to effect her design. The Fish-men | |
were to carry the Fire-stones in cases of Diamonds (for the Diamonds in the | |
Blazing-World, are in splendour so far beyond the Diamonds of this World, as | |
Peble-stones are to the best sort of this Worlds Diamonds) and to uncase or | |
uncover those Fire-stones no sooner but when they were just under the Enemis | |
Ships, or close at their sides, and then to wet them, and set their Ships on | |
fire; which was no sooner done, but all the Enemie's Fleet was of a Flaming | |
fire; and coming to the place where the Powder was, it straight blew them up; | |
so that all the several Navies of the Enemies, were destroyed in a short time: | |
which when her Countrymen did see, they all cried out with one voice, That she | |
was an Angel sent from God to deliver them out of the hands of their Enemies: | |
Neither would she return into the Blazing-World, until she had forced all the | |
rest of that World to submit to that same Nation. | |
In the mean time, the General of all their Naval Forces, sent to their | |
Sovereign to acquaint him with their miraculous Delivery and Conquest, and with | |
the Empress's design of making him the most powerful Monarch of all that World. | |
After a short time, the Empress sent her self, to the Sovereign of that Nation | |
to know in what she could be serviceable to him; who returning her many thanks, | |
both for her assistance against his Enemies, and her kind proffer to do him | |
further service for the good and benefit of his Nations (for he was King over | |
several Kingdoms) sent her word, that although she did partly destroy his | |
Enemies by Sea, yet, they were so powerful, that they did hinder the Trade and | |
Traffic of his Dominions. To which the Empress returned this answer, That she | |
would burn and sink all those Ships that would not pay him Tribute; and | |
forthwith sent to all the Neighbouring Nations, who had any Traffic by Sea, | |
desiring them to pay Tribute to the King and Sovereign of that Nation where she | |
was born; But they denied it with great scorn. Whereupon, she immediately | |
commanded her Fish-men, to destroy all strangers Ships that trafficked on the | |
Seas; which they did according to the Empress's Command; and when the | |
Neighbouring Nations and Kingdoms perceived her power, they were so discomposed | |
in their affairs and designs, that they knew not what to do: At last they sent | |
to the Empress, and desired to treat with her, but could get no other | |
conditions then to submit and pay Tribute to the said King and Sovereign of her | |
Native Country, otherwise, she was resolved to ruin all their Trade and | |
Traffic by burning their Ships. Long was this Treaty, but in fine, they could | |
obtain nothing, so that at last they were enforced to submit; by which the King | |
of the mentioned Nations became absolute Master of the Seas, and consequently | |
of that World; by reason, as I mentioned heretofore, the several Nations of | |
that World could not well live without Traffic and Commerce, by Sea, as well | |
as by Land. | |
But after a short time, those Neighbouring Nations finding themselves so much | |
enslaved, that they were hardly able to peep out of their own Dominions without | |
a chargeable Tribute, they all agreed to join again their Forces against the | |
King and Sovereign of the said Dominions; which when the Empress received | |
notice of, she sent out her Fish-men to destroy, as they had done before, the | |
remainder of all their Naval Power, by which they were soon forced again to | |
submit, except some Nations which could live without Foreign Traffic, and some | |
whose Trade and Traffic was merely by Land; these would no ways be Tributary | |
to the mentioned King. The Empress sent them word, That in case they did not | |
submit to him, she intended to fire all their Towns and Cities, and reduce them | |
by force, to what they would not yield with a good will. But they rejected and | |
scorned her Majesties Message, which provoked her anger so much, that she | |
resolved to send her Bird-and Worm men thither, with order to begin first with | |
their smaller Towns, and set them an fire (for she was loath to make more spoil | |
then she was forced to do) and if they remained still obstinate in their | |
resolutions, to destroy also their greater Cities. The only difficulty was, | |
how to convey the Worm-men conveniently to those places; but they desired that | |
her Majesty would but set them upon any part of the Earth of those Nations, and | |
they could travel within the Earth as easily, and and as nimbly as men upon the | |
face of the Earth; which the Empress did according to their desire. | |
But before both the Bird-and Worm-men began their journey, the Empress | |
commanded the Bear-men to view through their Telescopes what Towns and Cities | |
those were that would not submit; and having a full information thereof, she | |
instructed the Bird-and Bear-men what Towns they should begin withal; in the | |
mean while she sent to all the Princes and Sovereigns of those Nations, to let | |
them know that she would give them a proof of her Power, and check their | |
Obstinacies by burning some of their smaller Towns; and if they continued still | |
in their Obstinate Resolutions, that she would convert their smaller Loss into | |
a Total Ruin. She also commanded her Bird-men to make their flight at night, | |
lest they be perceived. At last when both the Bird-and Worm-men came to the | |
designed places, the Worm-men laid some Fire-stones under the Foundation of | |
every House, and the Bird-men placed some at the tops of them, so that both by | |
rain, and by some other moisture within the Earth, the stones could not fail of | |
burning. The Bird-men in the mean time having learned some few words of their | |
Language, told them, That the next time it did rain, their Towns would be all | |
on fire; at which they were amazed to hear Men speak in the air; but withal | |
they laughed when they heard them say that rain should fire their Towns; | |
knowing, that the effect of Water was to quench, not produce Fire. | |
At last a rain came, and upon a sudden all their Houses appeared of a flaming | |
Fire; and the more Water there was poured on them, the more they did flame and | |
burn; which struck such a Fright and Terror into all the Neighbouring Cities, | |
Nations and Kingdoms, that for fear the like should happen to them, they and | |
all the rest of the parts of that World, granted the Empress's desire, and | |
submitted to the Monarch and Sovereign of her Native Country, the King of | |
ESFI; save one, which having seldom or never any rain, but only dews, which | |
would soon be spent in a great fire, slighted her Power: The Empress being | |
desirous to make it stoop as well as the rest, knew that every year it was | |
watered by a flowing Tide, which lasted some Weeks; and although their Houses | |
stood high from the ground, yet they were built upon Supporters which were fixed | |
into the ground. Wherefore she commanded both her Bird-and Worm-men to lay some | |
of the Fire-stones at the bottom of those Supporters, and when the Tide came | |
in, all their Houses were of a Fire, which did so rarify the Water, that the | |
Tide was soon turned into Vapour, and this Vapour again into Air; which caused | |
not only a destruction of their Houses, but also a general barrenness over all | |
their Country that year, and forced them to submit, as well as the rest of the | |
World had done. | |
Thus the Empress did not only save her Native Country, but made it the | |
Absolute Monarchy of all that World; and both the effects of her Power and her | |
Beauty, did kindle a great desire in all the greatest Princes to see her; who | |
hearing that she was resolved to return into her own Blazing-World, they all | |
entreated the favour, that they might wait on her Majesty before she went. The | |
Empress sent word, That she should be glad to grant their Requests; but having | |
no other place of Reception for them, she desired that they would be pleased to | |
come into the open Seas with their Ships, and make a Circle of a pretty large | |
compass, and then her own Ships should meet them, and close up the Circle, and | |
she would present her self to the view of all those that came to see her: Which | |
Answer was joyfully received by all the mentioned Princes, who came, some | |
sooner, and some later, each according to the distance of his Country, and the | |
length of the voyage. And being all met in the form and manner aforesaid, the | |
Empress appeared upon the face of the Water in her Imperial Robes; in some part | |
of her hair, near her face, she had placed some of the Starr-Stone, which added | |
such a luster and glory to it, that it caused a great admiration in all that | |
were present, who believed her to be some Celestial Creature, or rather an | |
uncreated Goddess, and they all had a desire to worship her; for surely, said | |
they, no mortal creature can have such a splendid and transcendent beauty, nor | |
can any have so great a power as she has, to walk upon the Waters, and to | |
destroy whatever she pleases, not only whole Nations, but a whole World. | |
The Empress expressed to her own Countrymen, who were also her Interpreters to | |
the rest of the Princes that were present, That she would give them an | |
Entertainment at the darkest time of Night: Which being come, the Fire-Stones | |
were lighted, which made both Air and Seas appear of a bright shining flame, | |
insomuch that they put all Spectators into an extreme fright, who verily | |
believed they should all be destroyed; which the Empress perceiving, caused all | |
the Lights of the Fire-Stones to be put out, and only showed her self in her | |
Garments of Light. The Bird-men carried her upon their backs into the Air, and | |
there she appeared as glorious as the Sun. Then she was set down upon the Seas | |
again, and presently there was heard the most melodious and sweetest Consort of | |
Voices, as ever was heard out of the Seas, which was made by the Fish-men; this | |
Consort was answered by another, made by the Bird-men in the Air, so that it | |
seemed as if Sea and Air had spoke, and answered each other by way of | |
Singing-Dialogues, or after the manner of those Plays that are acted by | |
singing-Voices. | |
But when it was upon break of day, the Empress ended her Entertainment, and at | |
full day-light all the Princes perceived that she went into the Ship wherein | |
the Prince and Monarch of her Native Country was, the King of ESFI, with whom | |
she had several Conferences; and having assured Him of the readiness of her | |
Assistance whenever he required it, telling Him withal, That she wanted no | |
Intelligence, she went forth again upon the Waters, and being in the midst of | |
the Circle made by those Ships that were present, she desired them to draw | |
somewhat nearer, that they might hear her speak; which being done, she declared | |
her self in this following manner: | |
Great, Heroic, and Famous Monarchs, I come hither to assist the King of ESFI | |
against his Enemies, He being unjustly assaulted by many several Nations, which | |
would fain take away His Hereditary Rights and Prerogatives of the Narrow Seas; | |
at which Unjustice, Heaven was much displeased, and for the Injuries He | |
received from His Enemies, rewarded Him with an Absolute Power, so that now he | |
is become the Head-Monarch of all this World; which Power, though you may envy, | |
yet you can no ways hinder Him; for all those that endeavour to resist His | |
Power, shall only get Loss for their Labour, and no Victory for their Profit. | |
Wherefore my advice to you all is, To pay him Tribute justly and truly, that | |
you may live Peaceably and Happily, and be rewarded with the Blessings of | |
Heaven: which I wish you from my Soul. | |
After the Empress had thus finished her Speech to the Princes of the several | |
Nations of that World, she desired that their Ships might fall back; which | |
being done, her own Fleet came into the Circle, without any visible assistance | |
of Sails or Tide; and her self being entered into her own Ship, the whole Fleet | |
sunk immediately into the bottom of the Seas, and left all the Spectators in a | |
deep amazement; neither would she suffer any of her Ships to come above the | |
Waters, until she arrived into the Blazing-World. | |
In time of the Voyage, both the Empress's and Duchess's Soul, were very gay | |
and merry; and sometimes they would converse very seriously with each other. | |
Amongst the rest of their discourses, the Duchess said, she wondered much at one | |
thing, which was, That since her Majesty had found out a passage out of the | |
Blazing-World, into the World she came from, she did not enrich that part of | |
the World where she was born, at least her own Family, though she had enough to | |
enrich the whole World. The Empress's Soul answered, That she loved her Native | |
Country, and her own Family, as well as any Creature could do; and that this | |
was the reason why she would not enrich them: for, said she, not only | |
particular Families or Nations, but all the World, their Natures are such, that | |
much Gold, and great store of Riches, makes them mad; insomuch as they | |
endeavour to destroy each other for Gold or Riches sake. The reason thereof is, | |
said the Duchess, that they have too little Gold and Riches, which makes them | |
so eager to have it. No, replied the Empress's Soul, their particular | |
Covetousness, is beyond all the wealth of the richest World; and the more | |
Riches they have, the more Covetous they are; for their Covetousness is | |
Infinite. But, said she, I would there could a Passage be found out of the | |
Blazing-World, into the World whence you came, and I would willingly give you | |
as much Riches as you desired. The Duchess's Soul gave her Majesty humble | |
thanks for her great Favour; and told her, that she was not covetous, nor | |
desired any more wealth than what her Lord and Husband had before the | |
Civil-VVarrs. Neither, said she, should I desire it for my own, but my Lord's | |
Posterities sake. Well, said the Empress, I'll command my Fish-men to use all | |
their Skill and Industry, to find out a Passage into that World which your | |
Lord and Husband is in. I do verily believe, answered the Duchess, that there | |
will be no Passage found into that World; but if there were any, I should not | |
Petition your Majesty for Gold and Jewels, but only for the Elixir that grows | |
in the midst of the Golden Sands, for to preserve Life and Health; but without | |
a Passage, it is impossible to carry away any of it: for, whatsoever is | |
Material, cannot travel like Immaterial Beings, such as Souls and Spirits are. | |
Neither do Souls require any such thing that might revive them, or prolong | |
their Lives, by reason they are unalterable: for, were Souls like Bodies, then | |
my Soul might have had the benefit of that Natural Elixir that grows in your | |
Blazing-World. I wish earnestly, said the Empress, that a Passage might be | |
found, and then both your Lord and your self, should neither want Wealth, nor | |
Long-life: nay, I love you so well, that I would make you as Great and Powerful | |
a Monarchess, as I am of the Blazing-World. The Duchess's Soul humbly thanked | |
her Majesty, and told her, That she acknowledged and esteemed her Love beyond | |
all things that are in Nature. | |
After this Discourse, they had many other Conferences, which for brevity's | |
sake I'll forbear to rehearse. At last, after several Questions which the | |
Empress's Soul asked the Duchess, she desired to know the reason why she did | |
take such delight, when she was joined to her Body, in being singular both in | |
Accoutrements, Behaviour, and Discourse? The Duchess's Soul answered, She | |
confessed that it was extravagant, and beyond what was usual and ordinary: but | |
yet her ambition being such, that she would not be like others in any thing, if | |
it were possible, I endeavour, said she, to be as singular as I can: for, it | |
argues but a mean Nature, to imitate others: and though I do not love to be | |
imitated, if I can possibly avoid it; yet, rather than imitate others, I should | |
choose to be imitated by others: for my Nature is such, that I had rather appear | |
worse in Singularity, than better in the Mode. If you were not a great Lady, | |
replied the Empress, you would never pass in the World for a wise Lady: for, | |
the World would say, your Singularities are Vanities. The Duchess's Soul | |
answered, She did not at all regard the Censure of this, or any other Age, | |
concerning Vanities: but, said she, neither this present, nor any of the future | |
Ages, can or will truly say, that I am not Virtuous and Chaste: for I am | |
confident, all that were, or are acquainted with me, and all the Servants which | |
ever I had, will or can upon their oaths declare my actions no otherwise than | |
Virtuous: and certainly, there's none even of the meanest Degree, which have | |
not their Spies and Witnesses, much more those of the Nobler Sort, which seldom | |
or never are without Attendants; so that their Faults (if they have any) will | |
easily be known, and as easily divulged. Wherefore, happy are those Natures | |
that are Honest, Virtuous, and Noble; not only happy to themselves, but happy | |
to their Families. But, said the Empress, if you glory so much in your Honesty | |
and Virtue, how comes it that you plead for Dishonest and Wicked persons, in | |
your Writings? The Duchess answered, It was only to show her Wit, not her | |
Nature. | |
At last the Empress arrived into the Blazing-world, and coming to her Imperial | |
Palace, you may sooner imagine than expect that I should express the joy which | |
the Emperor had at her safe return; for he loved her beyond his Soul; and there | |
was no love lost, for the Empress equalled his Affection with no less love to | |
him. After the time of rejoicing with each other, the Duchess's Soul begged | |
leave to return to her Noble Lord: But the Emperor desired, that before she | |
departed, she would see how he had employed his time in the Empress's absence; | |
for he had built Stables and Riding-Houses, and desired to have Horses of | |
Manage, such as, according to the Empress's Relation, the Duke of Newcastle | |
had: The Emperor enquired of the Duchess, the Form and Structure of her Lord | |
and Husband's Stables and Riding-House. The Duchess answered his Majesty, That | |
they were but plain and ordinary; but, said she, had my Lord Wealth, I am sure | |
he would not spare it, in rendering his Buildings as Noble as could be made. | |
Hereupon the Emperor showed the Duchess the Stables he had built, which were | |
most stately and magnificent; among the rest, there was one double Stable that | |
held a Hundred Horses on a side, the main Building was of Gold, lined with | |
several sorts of precious Materials; the Roof was Arched with Agates, the sides | |
of the Walls were lined with Cornelian, the Floor was paved with Amber, the | |
Mangers were Mother of Pearl; the Pillars, as also the middle Isle or Walk of | |
the Stables, were of Crystal; the Front and Gate was of Turquois, most neatly | |
cut and carved. The Riding-House was lined with Sapphires, Topases, and the like; | |
the Floor was all of Golden-Sand so finely sifted, that it was extremely soft, | |
and not in the least hurtful to the Horses feet, and the Door and Frontispiece | |
was of Emeralds curiously carved. | |
After the view of these Glorious and Magnificent Buildings, which the | |
Duchess's Soul was much delighted withal, she resolved to take her leave; but | |
the Emperor desired her to stay yet some short time more, for they both loved | |
her company so well, that they were unwilling to have her depart so soon: | |
Several Conferences and Discourses passed between them; amongst the rest, the | |
Emperor desired her advice how to set up a Theatre for Plays. The Duchess | |
confessed her Ignorance in this Art, telling his Majesty that she knew nothing | |
of erecting Theatres or Scenes, but what she had by an Immaterial Observation, | |
when she was with the Empress's Soul in the chief City of E. Entering into one | |
of their Theatres, whereof the Empress could give as much account to his | |
Majesty, as her self. But both the Emperor and Empress told the Duchess, That | |
she could give directions how to make Plays. The Duchess answered, That she had | |
as little skill to form a Play after the Mode, as she had to paint or make a | |
Scene for show. But you have made Plays, replied the Empress: Yes, answered the | |
Duchess, I intended them for Plays; but the Wits of these present times | |
condemned them as incapable of being represented or acted, because they were | |
not made up according to the Rules of Art; though I dare say, That the | |
Descriptions are as good as any they have writ. The Emperor asked, Whether the | |
Property of Plays were not to describe the several Humours, Actions and | |
Fortunes of Mankind? 'Tis so, answered the Duchess. Why then, replied the | |
Emperor, the natural Humours, Actions and Fortunes of Mankind, are not done by | |
the Rules of Art: But, said the Duchess, it is the Art and Method of our VVits | |
to despise all Descriptions of Wit, Humour, Actions and Fortunes that are | |
without such Artificial Rules. The Emperor asked, Are those good Plays that are | |
made so Methodically and Artificially? The Duchess answered, They were Good | |
according to the Judgment of the Age, or Mode of the Nation, but not according | |
to her Judgment: for truly, said she, in my Opinion, their Plays will prove a | |
Nursery of whining Lovers, and not an Academy or School for Wise, Witty, | |
Noble and well-behaved men. But I, replied the Emperor, desire such a Theatre | |
as may make wise Men; and will have such Descriptions as are Natural, not | |
Artificial. If your Majesty be of that Opinion, said the Duchess's Soul, then | |
my Plays may be acted in your Blazing-World, when they cannot be acted in the | |
Blinking-World of Wit; and the next time I come to visit your Majesty, I shall | |
endeavour to order your Majesty's Theatre, to present such Plays as my Wit is | |
capable to make. Then the Empress told the Duchess, That she loved a foolish | |
^rse added to a wise Play. The Duchess answered, That no World in Nature had | |
fitter Creatures for it than the Blazing-World: for, said she, the Lowsemen, | |
the Bird-men, the Spider- and Fox-men, the Ape-men and Satyrs appear in a ^rse | |
extraordinary pleasant. | |
Hereupon both the Emperor and Empress entreated the Duchess's Soul to stay so | |
long with them, till she had ordered her Theatre, and made Plays and ^rses fit | |
for them; for they only wanted that sort of Recreation: but the Duchess's Soul | |
begged their Majesties to give her leave to go into her Native World; for she | |
longed to be with her dear Lord and Husband, promising, that after a short time | |
she would return again. Which being granted, though with much difficulty, she | |
took her leave with all Civility and Respect, and so departed from their | |
Majesties. | |
After the Duchess's return into her own body, she entertained her Lord (when | |
he was pleased to hear such kind of Discourses) with Foreign Relations; but he | |
was never displeased to hear of the Empress's kind Commendations, and of the | |
Characters she was pleased to give of him to the Emperor. Amongst other | |
Relations, she told him all what had past between the Empress, and the several | |
Monarchs of that World whither she went with the Empress; and how she had | |
subdued them to pay Tribute and Homage to the Monarch of that Nation or Kingdom | |
to which she owed both her Birth and Education. She also related to her Lord | |
what Magnificent Stables and Riding-Houses the Emperor had built, and what fine | |
Horses were in the Blazing-world, of several shapes and sizes, and how exact | |
their shapes were in each sort, and of many various Colours, and fine Marks, as | |
if they had been painted by Art, with such Coats or Skins, that they had a far | |
greater gloss and smoothness than Satin; and were there but a passage out of | |
the Blazing-world into this, said she, you should not only have some of those | |
Horses, but such Materials as the Emperor has, to build your Stables and | |
Riding-Houses withal; and so much Gold, that I should never repine at your | |
Noble and Generous Gifts. The Duke smilingly answered her, That he was sorry | |
there was no Passage between those two VVorlds; but, said he, I have always | |
found an Obstruction to my Good Fortunes. | |
One time the Duchess chanced to discourse with some of her acquaintance, of | |
the Empress of the Blazing-world, who asked her what Pastimes and Recreations | |
her Majesty did most delight in? The Duchess answered, That she spent most of | |
her time in the study of Natural Causes and Effects, which was her chief | |
delight and pastime; and that she loved to discourse sometimes with the most | |
Learned persons of that World: And to please the Emperor and his Nobles, who | |
were all of the Royal Race, she went often abroad to take the air, but seldom | |
in the day-time, always at night, if it might be called Night; for, said she, | |
the Nights there, are as light as Days, by reason of the numerous | |
Blazing-Starrs, which are very splendorous, only their Light is whiter than | |
the Sun's Light; and as the Sun's Light is hot, so their Light is cool; not so | |
cool as our twinkling Starr-light, nor is their Sun-light so hot as ours, but | |
more temperate: And that part of the Blazing-world where the Empress resides, | |
is always clear, and never subject to any Storms, Tempests, Fogs or Mists, but | |
has only refreshing-Dews that nourish the Earth: The air of it is sweet and | |
temperate, and, as I said before, as much light in the Sun's absence, as in its | |
presence, which makes that time we call Night, more pleasant there than the | |
Day: And sometimes the Empress goes abroad by Water in Barges, sometimes by | |
Land in Chariots, and sometimes on Horse-back; her Royal Chariots are very | |
Glorious, the Body is one entire green Diamond; the four small Pillars that | |
bear up the Top-cover, are four white Diamonds, cut in the form thereof; the | |
top or roof of the Chariot, is one entire blew Diamond, and at the four corners | |
are great springs of Rubies; the Seat is made of Cloth of Gold, stuffed with | |
Ambergreece beaten small: the Chariot is drawn by Twelve Unicorns, whose | |
Trappings are all Chains of Pearl; and as for her Barges, they are only of | |
Gold. Her Guard of State (for she needs none for security, there being no | |
Rebels or Enemies) consists of Giants, but they seldom wait on their Majesties | |
abroad, because their extraordinary height and bigness does hinder their | |
prospect. Her Entertainment when she is upon the Water, is the Music of the | |
Fish- and Bird-men; and by Land are Horse and Foot-matches; for the Empress | |
takes much delight in making Race-matches with the Emperor, and the Nobility; | |
some Races are between the Fox- and Ape-men, which sometimes the Satyrs strive | |
to out-run; and some are between the Spider-men and Lice-men. Also there are | |
several Flight-matches, between the several sorts of Bird-men, and the several | |
sorts of Fly-men; and Swimming-matches, between the several sorts of Fish-men. | |
The Emperor, Empress, and their Nobles, take also great delight to have | |
Collations; for in the Blazing-world; there are most delicious Fruits of all | |
sorts, and some such as in this World were never seen nor tasted; for there are | |
most tempting sorts of Fruit: After their Collations are ended, they Dance; and | |
if they be upon the Water, they dance upon the Water, there lying so many | |
Fish-men so close and thick together, as they can dance very evenly and easily | |
upon their backs, and need not fear drowning. Their Music, both Vocal and | |
Instrumental, is according to their several places: Upon the Water, it is of | |
Water-Instruments, as shells filled with Water, and so moved by Art, which is a | |
very sweet and delightful harmony; and those Dances which they dance upon the | |
Water, are, for the most part, such as we in this World call Swimming-Dances, | |
where they do not lift up their feet high: In Lawns, or upon Plains, they have | |
Wind-Instruments, but much better than those in our World: And when they dance | |
in the Woods, they have Horn-Instruments, which although they are of a sort of | |
Wind-Instruments, yet they are of another Fashion than the former: In their | |
Houses they have such Instruments as are somewhat like our Viols, Violins, | |
Theorboes, Lutes, Citherins, Gittars, Harpsichords, and the like; but yet so | |
far beyond them, that the difference cannot well be expressed; and as their | |
places of Dancing, and their Music is different, so is their manner or way of | |
Dancing. In these and the like Recreations, the Emperor, Empress, and the | |
Nobility pass their time. | |
THE EPILOGUE TO THE READER | |
BY this Poetical Description, you may perceive, that my ambition is not only | |
to be Empress, but Authoress of a whole World; and that the Worlds I have made, | |
both the Blazing-and the other Philosophical World, mentioned in the first Part | |
of this Description, are framed and composed of the most pure, that is, the | |
Rational parts of Matter, which are the parts of my Mind; which Creation was | |
more easily and suddenly effected, than the Conquests of the two famous | |
Monarchs of the World, Alexander and Caesar. Neither have I made such | |
disturbances, and caused so many dissolutions of particulars, otherwise named | |
deaths, as they did; for I have destroyed but some few men in a little Boat, | |
which dyed through the extremity of cold, and that by the hand of Justice, | |
which was necessitated to punish their crime of stealing away a young and | |
beauteous Lady. And in the formation of those Worlds, I take more delight and | |
glory, than ever Alexander or Caesar did in conquering this terrestrial world; | |
and though I have made my Blazing-world a Peaceable World, allowing it but one | |
Religion, one Language, and one Government; yet could I make another World, as | |
full of Factions, Divisions and VVarrs, as this is of Peace and Tranquillity; | |
and the Rational figures of my Mind might express as much courage to fight, as | |
Hector and Achilles had; and be as wise as Nestor, as Eloquent as Ulysses, and | |
as beautiful as Hellen. But I esteeming Peace before VVarr, Wit before Policy, | |
Honesty before Beauty; instead of the figures of Alexander, Caesar, Hector, | |
Achilles, Nestor, Ulysses, Hellen, c. chose rather the figure of Honest | |
Margaret Newcastle, which now I would not change for all this Terrestrial | |
World; and if any should like the World I have made, and be willing to be my | |
Subjects, they may imagine themselves such, and they are such, I mean in their | |
Minds, Fancies or Imaginations; but if they cannot endure to be Subjects, they | |
may create Worlds of their own, and Govern themselves as they please. But yet | |
let them have a care, not to prove unjust Usurpers, and to rob me of mine: for, | |
concerning the Philosophical-world, I am Empress of it my self; and as for the | |
Blazing-world, it having an Empress already, who rules it with great Wisdom and | |
Conduct, which Empress is my dear Platonic Friend; I shall never prove so | |
unjust, treacherous and unworthy to her, as to disturb her Government, much | |
less to depose her from her Imperial Throne, for the sake of any other, but | |
rather choose to create another World for another Friend. | |
FINIS. | |