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<title>The description of a new world, called the blazing-world written by the thrice noble, illustrious, and excellent princesse, the Duchess of Newcastle.</title> | |
<author>Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of, 1624?-1674.</author> | |
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<date>1668</date> | |
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<idno type="VID">57346</idno> | |
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<title>The description of a new world, called the blazing-world written by the thrice noble, illustrious, and excellent princesse, the Duchess of Newcastle.</title> | |
<author>Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of, 1624?-1674.</author> | |
<author>Newcastle, William Cavendish, Duke of, 1592-1676.</author> | |
</titleStmt> | |
<extent>[7], 158, [2] p. : port. </extent> | |
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<publisher>Printed by A. Maxwell ...,</publisher> | |
<pubPlace>London :</pubPlace> | |
<date>1668.</date> | |
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<note>First separate ed., published 1666, with: Observations upon experimental philosophy.</note> | |
<note>Commendatory poem by William, Duke of Newcastle: 2nd prelim. leaf.</note> | |
<note>Reproduction of original in British Library.</note> | |
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<front> | |
<div type="frontispiece"> | |
<pb facs="tcp:57346:1"/> | |
<p> | |
<figure> | |
<head> | |
<hi>MARGARET,</hi> DUTCHESS of NEWCASTLE | |
Publishd 10 Aug<hi rend="sup">t</hi>. 1799 by. S. Harding. 127 Pall Mall.</head> | |
</figure> | |
</p> | |
</div> | |
<div type="title_page"> | |
<pb facs="tcp:57346:1"/> | |
<p>THE | |
DESCRIPTION | |
OF A NEW | |
WORLD, | |
CALLED | |
The Blazing-World.</p> | |
<p>WRITTEN | |
By the Thrice Noble, Illustrious, and Excellent | |
PRINCESSE, | |
THE | |
Duchess of Newcastle.</p> | |
<p> | |
<hi>LONDON,</hi> | |
Printed by <hi>A. Maxwell,</hi> in the Year M.DC.LX.VIII.</p> | |
</div> | |
<div type="poem"> | |
<pb facs="tcp:57346:2"/> | |
<pb facs="tcp:57346:2"/> | |
<head>TO THE | |
DUCHESSE | |
OF | |
NEWCASTLE, | |
ON HER | |
New Blazing-World.</head> | |
<lg> | |
<l>OUr Elder World, with all their Skill and Arts,</l> | |
<l>Could but divide the <hi>World</hi> into three Parts:</l> | |
<l> | |
<hi>Columbus,</hi> then for Navigation sam'd,</l> | |
<l>Found a new World, <hi>America</hi> 'tis nam'd;</l> | |
<l>Now this new World was found, it was not made,</l> | |
<l>Onely discovered, lying in Time's shade.</l> | |
</lg> | |
<lg> | |
<l>Then what are <hi>You,</hi> having no <hi>Chaos</hi> found</l> | |
<l>To make a <hi>World,</hi> or any such least ground?</l> | |
<l>But your Creating Fancy, thought it fit</l> | |
<l>To make your World of Nothing, but pure Wit.</l> | |
<l>Your <hi>Blazing-World,</hi> beyond the Stars mounts higher,</l> | |
<l>Enlightens all with a Coelestial Fier.</l> | |
</lg> | |
<signed>William Newcastle.</signed> | |
</div> | |
<div type="dedication"> | |
<pb facs="tcp:57346:3"/> | |
<pb facs="tcp:57346:3"/> | |
<head>To all Noble and VVorthy | |
LADIES.</head> | |
<p>THIS present <hi>Description of a New VVorld;</hi> | |
was made as an <hi>Appendix</hi> to my <hi>Observations | |
upon Experimental Philosophy;</hi> and, having | |
some Sympathy and Coherence with each other, were joyn<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ed | |
together as Two several Worlds, at their Two Poles. | |
But, by reason most Ladies take no delight in <hi>Philosophi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cal | |
Arguments,</hi> I separated some from the mentioned | |
<hi>Observations,</hi> and caused them to go out by themselves, | |
that I might express my Respects, in presenting to Them | |
such <hi>Fancies</hi> as my Contemplations did afford. The First | |
Part is <hi>Romancical;</hi> the Second, <hi>Philosophical;</hi> and | |
the Third is meerly Fancy; or, (as I may call it) <hi>Fanta<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stical.</hi> | |
And if (<hi>Noble Ladies</hi>) you should chance to | |
take pleasure in reading these <hi>Fancies,</hi> I shall account my | |
self a <hi>Happy Creatoress:</hi> If not, I must be content to | |
live a Melancholly Life in my own World; which I can<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>not | |
call a <hi>Poor VVorld,</hi> if <hi>Poverty</hi> be only want of | |
<pb facs="tcp:57346:4"/> | |
<hi>Gold,</hi> and <hi>Jewels:</hi> for, there is more <hi>Gold</hi> in it, than all | |
the <hi>Chymists</hi> ever made; or, (as I verily believe) will | |
ever be able to make. As for the <hi>Rocks of Diamonds,</hi> I | |
wish, with all my Soul, they might be shared amongst my | |
Noble <hi>Female Friends;</hi> upon which condition, I would | |
willingly quit my Part: And of the <hi>Gold,</hi> I should desire only | |
so much as might suffice to repair my Noble Lord and Hus<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>band'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 <hi>Henry</hi> the Fifth, or <hi>Charles</hi> the | |
Second; yet, I will endeavour to be, <hi>Margaret</hi> the <hi>First:</hi> | |
and, though I have neither Power, Time, nor Occasion, to | |
be a great Conqueror, like <hi>Alexander,</hi> or <hi>Cesar;</hi> 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 Crea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ture | |
can, or will, Envy me for this World of mine, I | |
remain,</p> | |
<closer> | |
<salute>Noble Ladies, | |
Your Humble Servant,</salute> | |
<signed>M. NEWCASTLE.</signed> | |
</closer> | |
</div> | |
</front> | |
<body> | |
<div type="text"> | |
<pb n="1" facs="tcp:57346:4"/> | |
<div n="1" type="part"> | |
<head>THE | |
DESCRIPTION | |
OF A NEW | |
WORLD, | |
CALLED | |
The Blazing-World.</head> | |
<p>A Merchant travelling into a foreign | |
Country, fell extreamly 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 grow<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ing | |
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, | |
<pb n="2" facs="tcp:57346:5"/> | |
and she often using to gather shells upon the shore, ac<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>companied | |
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, mann'd 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 fan<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cied | |
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 Ves<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sel, | |
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 onely, 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 onely | |
<pb n="3" facs="tcp:57346:5"/> | |
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 dou<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ble | |
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 ex<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>act, | |
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 per<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ceive | |
them, by reason of the brightness of our Sun, | |
which being nearer to us, obstructs the splendor of the | |
Sun of the other World, they being too far off to be | |
discerned by our optick perception, except we use very | |
good Telescopes; by which, skilful Astronomers have | |
often observed two or three Suns at once.</p> | |
<p> | |
<pb n="4" facs="tcp:57346:6"/> | |
But to return to the wandering Boat, and the distres<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ed | |
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 extre<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mity | |
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 Cabine, 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 entred 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.</p> | |
<p>The Lady now finding her self in so strange a place, | |
and amongst such wonderful kind of Creatures, was | |
extreamly strucken 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 appear'd to her | |
sight, yet were they so far from exercising any cruelty | |
<pb n="5" facs="tcp:57346:6"/> | |
upon her, that rather they shewed her all civility and | |
kindness imaginable; for she being not able to go up<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>on | |
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 enter'd the City, both | |
Males and Females, young and old, flockt together | |
to see this Lady, holding up their Paws in admiration; | |
at last having brought her into a certain large and spa<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cious | |
Cave, which they intended for her reception, | |
they left her to the custody of the Females, who en<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tertained | |
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, onely walking in an upright | |
shape, who received their neighbours the Bear-men | |
with great civility and Courtship, very much admi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ring | |
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 Chrystal; 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 | |
<pb n="6" facs="tcp:57346:7"/> | |
crossed the River, they came into an Island where | |
there were Men which had heads, beaks, and feathers, | |
like wild-Geese, onely 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 indiffe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rent | |
size, trailing after them like a Ladie'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, onely of a bigger size; and having crost | |
that River, they arrived into another Island, which | |
was of a pleasant and mild temper, full of Woods and | |
the Inhabitants thereof were <hi>Satyrs,</hi> 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 | |
<hi>Satyrs</hi> joining to them, accompanied the Lady out | |
of that Island to another River, wherein were many | |
handsome and commodious Barges; and having crost | |
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 onely crost Rivers, but now they | |
<pb n="7" facs="tcp:57346:7"/> | |
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 call'd) kept his residence. Very | |
good Navigators they were; and though they had | |
no knowledg of the Load-stone, or Needle, or pendulous | |
Watches, yet (which was as serviceable to them) they | |
had subtile observations, and great practice; in so much | |
that they could not onely 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 excel<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lent | |
Augurers, which skill they counted more neces<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sary | |
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 En<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gin, | |
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 spight even of the | |
most furious wind, using two of those Engins at every | |
Ship, one before, to beat off the waves, and another | |
behind to drive it on; so that the artificial wind had the | |
<pb n="8" facs="tcp:57346:8"/> | |
better of the natural; for, it had a greater advantage of | |
the waves, then the natural of the Ships: the natural be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ing | |
above the face of the Water, could not without a | |
down right motion enter or press into the Ships; where<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>as | |
the artificial with a sideward-motion, did pierce into | |
the bowels of the Waves: Moreover, it is to be obser<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ved, | |
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.</p> | |
<p> | |
<pb n="9" facs="tcp:57346:8"/> | |
Having thus prepar'd, and order'd their Navy, they | |
went on in despight 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 onely safe, but very happy in their company: | |
By which we may see, that Novelty discomposes the | |
mind, but acquaintance settles it in peace and tranquil<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lity. | |
At last, having passed by several rich Islands and | |
Kingdoms, they went towards <hi>Paradise,</hi> which was | |
the seat of the Emperor; and coming in sight of it, re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>joiced | |
very much; the Lady at first could perceive no<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>thing | |
but high Rocks, which seemed to touch the | |
Skies; and although they appear'd not of an equal | |
heigth, 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 shewed like a company of Ants, marching one | |
after another; the Boats appeared like the holes or | |
<pb n="10" facs="tcp:57346:9"/> | |
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 o<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ther | |
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 o<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bedience, | |
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 conveighed 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 Ri<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>vers, | |
all ebbing and flowing, into several Islands of un<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>equal | |
distance from each other, which in most parts | |
were as pleasant, healthful, rich, and fruitful, as Na<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ture | |
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 Agat, | |
some of Amber, some of Coral, and some of other | |
<pb n="11" facs="tcp:57346:9"/> | |
precious materials not known in our world; all which | |
after the Lady had passed, she came to the Imperial | |
City, named <hi>Paradise,</hi> 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 <hi>Romans</hi> 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 Cel<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lars, | |
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: with<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>in | |
the Arch stood the Emperor's Guard, which con<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sisted | |
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 | |
Cloyster, the outward part whereof stood upon Ar<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ches | |
sustained by Pillars, but the inner part was close: | |
Being entred through the Gate, the Palace it self ap<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>pear'd | |
in its middle like the Isle of a Church, a mile and | |
<pb n="12" facs="tcp:57346:10"/> | |
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 extream sides, that is, between the outward | |
and inward part of the Cloyster, were Lodgings for | |
Attendants; and in the midst of the Palace, the Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>peror's | |
own Rooms; whose Lights were placed at the | |
top of every one, because of the heat of the Sun: the | |
Emperor's appartment for State was no more inclosed | |
then the rest; onely an Imperial Throne was in every | |
appartment, 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 adorn<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ments | |
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 appartment, 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 ap<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>pear'd | |
most magnificent; it was paved with green Dia<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>monds | |
(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 appear'd 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 Ar<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ches | |
in several rows, seemed just like so many Rain<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bows | |
<pb n="13" facs="tcp:57346:10"/> | |
of several different colours. The roof of the | |
Arches was of blew Diamonds, and in the midst there<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>of | |
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 Dia<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>monds | |
and Carbuncles.</p> | |
<p>No sooner was the Lady brought before the Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>peror, | |
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 Lan<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>guage) | |
that although she came out of another world, | |
yet was she but a mortal. At which the Emperor re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>joycing, | |
made her his Wife, and gave her an absolute | |
power to rule and govern all that World as she plea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sed. | |
But her subjects, who could hardly be perswa<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ded | |
to believe her mortal, tender'd her all the Vene<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ration | |
and Worship due to a Deity.</p> | |
<p>Her Accoustrement after she was made Empress, | |
was as followeth: 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, mixt with blew Diamonds, and frindged | |
<pb n="14" facs="tcp:57346:11"/> | |
with red <gap reason="illegible: blotted" extent="5 letters"> | |
<desc>•••••</desc> | |
</gap> her Buskins and Sandals were of green | |
Diamond<gap reason="illegible: blotted" extent="8 letters"> | |
<desc>〈8 letters〉</desc> | |
</gap> left hand she held a Buckler, to sig<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/> | |
<gap reason="illegible: blotted" extent="3 letters"> | |
<desc>•••</desc> | |
</gap> | |
the <gap reason="illegible: blotted" extent="3 letters"> | |
<desc>•••</desc> | |
</gap>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, shewed 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.</p> | |
<p>None was allowed to use or wear Gold but those | |
of the Imperial Race, which were the onely Nobles of | |
the State; nor durst any one wear Jewels but the Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>peror, | |
the Emrpess, and their Eldest Son; notwith<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>standing | |
that they had an infinite quantity both of | |
Gold and precious Stones in that World; for they | |
had larger extents of Gold, then our <hi>Arabian</hi> Sands; | |
their precious Stones were Rocks, and their Diamonds | |
of several Colours; they used no Coyn, but all their | |
Traffick was by exchange of several Commodities.</p> | |
<p>Their Priests and Governors were Princes of the | |
Imperial Blood, and made Eunuches for that pur<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>pose; | |
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 appear'd of an Azure, some | |
of a deep Purple, some of a Grass-green, some of a | |
Scarlet, some of an Orange-colour, <hi>&c.</hi> Which Co<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lours | |
and Complexions, whether they were made by | |
<pb n="15" facs="tcp:57346:11"/> | |
the bare reflection of light, without the assistance of | |
small particles; or by the help of well-ranged and order'd | |
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, dis<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>positions, | |
and humors, as I have already made mention, | |
heretofore; some were Bear-men, some Worm-men, | |
some Fish-or Mear-men, otherwise called Syrens; | |
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 | |
Gyants, 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, espe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cially | |
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 Philo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sophers, | |
the Bird-men her Astronomers, the Fly- | |
Worm- and Fish-men her Natural Philosophers, the | |
Ape-men her Chymists, the Satyrs her Galenick Phy<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sicians, | |
the Fox-men her Politicians, the Spider-and | |
Lice-men her Mathematicians, the Jackdaw- Magpie- | |
<pb n="16" facs="tcp:57346:12"/> | |
and Parrot-men her Orators and Logicians, the Gy<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ants | |
her Architects, <hi>&c.</hi> But before all things, she | |
having got a Soveraign power from the Emperor over | |
all the World, desired to be informed both of the man<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ner | |
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 Politick body to have but one Gover<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nor; | |
and that a Common-wealth, which had many | |
Governors was like a Monster with many Heads. Be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sides, | |
said they, a Monarchy is a divine form of Go<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>vernment, | |
and agrees most with our Religion: For as | |
there is but one God, whom we all unanimously wor<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ship | |
and adore with one Faith; so we are resolved to have | |
but one Emperor, to whom we all submit with one | |
obedience.</p> | |
<p>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 | |
<pb n="17" facs="tcp:57346:12"/> | |
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 Re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ligions | |
those are; but we do all unanimously acknow<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ledg, | |
worship and adore the Onely, Omnipotenr, and | |
Eternal God, with all reverence, submission, and du<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ty. | |
Again, the Empress enquired, Whether they | |
had several Forms of Worship? They answered, | |
No: For our Devotion and Worship consists onely | |
in Prayers, which we frame according to our several | |
Necessities, in Petitions, Humiliations, Thanksgi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ving, | |
<hi>&c.</hi> 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 De<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>votion, | |
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 desir'd to know the rea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>son | |
why the Priests and Governors of their World | |
<pb n="18" facs="tcp:57346:13"/> | |
were made Eunuchs? They answer'd, 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, answer'd | |
they; but, although they are not admitted to publick | |
Employments, yet are they so prevalent with their | |
Husbands and Parents, that many times by their im<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>portunate | |
perswasions, they cause as much, nay, more | |
mischief secretly, then if they had the management | |
of publick Affairs.</p> | |
<p>The Empress having received an information of | |
what concerned both Church and State, passed some | |
time in viewing the Imperial Palace, where she admi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>red | |
much the skil 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, <hi>&c.</hi> 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 onely grace a Building very much, and caused | |
it to appear Magnificent, but made it also firm and | |
lasting.</p> | |
<p> | |
<pb n="19" facs="tcp:57346:13"/> | |
The Empress was very well satisfied with their an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swers; | |
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 Coelestial Bodies, <hi>viz.</hi> the Sun and | |
Moon, which they did with all the obedience and faith<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fulness | |
befitting their duty.</p> | |
<p>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 extraordi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nary | |
splendor: 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 onely 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, alledging an old | |
Tradition, that it should at some time break asunder, | |
and burn the Heavens, and consume this world into | |
<pb n="20" facs="tcp:57346:14"/> | |
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 Sun<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stone | |
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 onely | |
by the reflection of its light; so that its heat was an ef<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fect | |
of its light, both being immaterial. But this opi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nion | |
again was laught at by others, and rejected as ri<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>diculous, | |
who thought it impossible that one immate<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rial | |
should produce another; and believed that both | |
the light and heat of the Sun proceeded from a swift | |
Circular motion of the AEthereal Globules, which by | |
their striking upon the Optick 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 ar<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gued | |
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 fixt and firm like a | |
Center, and therefore they generally called it the | |
Sun-stone.</p> | |
<p> | |
<pb n="21" facs="tcp:57346:14"/> | |
Then the Empress asked them the reason, Why the | |
Sun and Moon did often appear in different postures | |
or shapes, as sometimes magnified, sometimes dimi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nished; | |
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 de<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>scend | |
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 diffe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rent | |
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.</p> | |
<p>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 par<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ticles, | |
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 | |
<pb n="22" facs="tcp:57346:15"/> | |
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 encrease and decrease, and were nou<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rished | |
by the presence, and starved by the absence of | |
the Sun.</p> | |
<p>Having thus finished their discourse of the Sun and | |
Moon, the Empress desired to know what Stars there | |
were besides? But they answer'd, that they could per<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ceive | |
in that World none other but Blazing Stars, and | |
from thence it had the name that it was called the Bla<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>zing-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.</p> | |
<p>After this, The Empress asked them, What kind of | |
substance or creature the Air was? The Bird-men an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered, | |
That they could have no other perception of | |
the Air, but by their own Respiration: For, said they, | |
some bodies are onely subject to touch, others onely to | |
sight, and others onely 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 | |
<pb n="23" facs="tcp:57346:15"/> | |
object perceptible by all our Senses, no more then se<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>veral | |
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 answer'd, That | |
they observed Wind to be more dense then Air, and | |
therefore subject to the sense of Touch; but what pro<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>perly | |
Wind was, and the manner how it was made, | |
they could not exactly tell; some said, it was cau<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sed | |
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 blaz of the Stars.</p> | |
<p>But the Empress, seeing they could not agree con<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cerning | |
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 VVater, 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 VVater again. This | |
<pb n="24" facs="tcp:57346:16"/> | |
observation amazed the Emperess 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 perswaded | |
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 con<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ceived, | |
by the motion of the Air, raking the Super<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ficies | |
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 Tor<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rid | |
Zone, or under the Ecliptick, 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 onely condensed into Water, and fell down | |
in showres of Rain; when as, under the Poles, the | |
heat of the Sun being not so vehement, the same va<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>pour | |
had no force or power to rise so high, and there<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fore | |
caused so much Ice, by ascending and acting onely | |
upon the surface of water.</p> | |
<p>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 Emperess asked them, of what nature that Elemen<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tary | |
<pb n="25" facs="tcp:57346:16"/> | |
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 <hi>Vesuvius</hi> and | |
<hi>AEtna</hi> do burn withal; or whether it was such a sort of | |
fire, as is found in flints, <hi>&c.</hi> They answered, That | |
the Elementary Fire, which is underneath the Sun, | |
was not so solid as any of those mentioned fires; be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cause | |
it had no solid fuel to feed on; but yet it was | |
much like the flame of ordinary fire, onely some<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>what | |
more thin and fluid; for Flame, said they, is no<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>thing | |
else but the airy part of a fired Body.</p> | |
<p>Lastly, the Empress asked the Bird-men of the na<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ture | |
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 ex<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>halation | |
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 af<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>firmed | |
that Thunder was a sudden and monstrous | |
Blaz, stirred up in the Air, and did not always re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>quire | |
a Cloud; but the Empress not knowing what | |
they meant by Blaz (for even they themselves were not | |
able to explain the seuse of this word) liked the for<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mer | |
better; and, to avoid hereafter tedious disputes, and | |
have the truth of the Phaenomena's of Coelestial Bo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dies | |
more exactly known, commanded the Bear-men, | |
<pb n="26" facs="tcp:57346:17"/> | |
which were her Experimental Philosophers, to observe | |
them through such Instruments as are called Tele<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>scopes, | |
which they did according to her Majesties Com<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mand; | |
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 count<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ed | |
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 Vallies; | |
but others would have the spots to be the Terrestrial | |
parts, and the smooth and glossie 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 | |
<pb n="27" facs="tcp:57346:17"/> | |
have been but one Star, because every Star did rise at a | |
certain time, and appear'd in a certain place, and did | |
disappear in the same place: Next, It is altogether im<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>probable, | |
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 | |
splendor, 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 Intel<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ligence; | |
for, said she, now I do plainly perceive, that | |
your Glasses are false Informers, and instead of disco<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>vering | |
the Truth, delude your Senses; Wherefore I | |
Command you to break them, and let the Bird-men | |
trust onely to their natural eyes, and examine Coelestial | |
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 Opi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nions, | |
but the sensitive motions in their Optick 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 | |
rectifie 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 meer deluders, | |
<pb n="28" facs="tcp:57346:18"/> | |
and will never lead you to the knowledg of Truth; | |
Wherefore I command you again to break them; for | |
you may observe the progressive motions of Coelestial | |
Bodies with your natural eyes better then through Ar<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tificial | |
Glasses. The Bear-men being exceedingly | |
troubled at her Majesties displeasure concerning their | |
Telescopes, kneel'd down, and in the humblest man<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ner | |
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 Imployments | |
for our Senses, and Subjects for Arguments; for, were | |
there nothing but truth, and no falshood, 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 Ma<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>jesty | |
to spare our Glasses, which are our onely 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, re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>turned | |
their most humble thanks to the Empress; and | |
to make her amends for the displeasure which their Te<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lescopes | |
had occasioned, told her Majesty, that they | |
had several other artificial Optick-Glasses, which they | |
<pb n="29" facs="tcp:57346:18"/> | |
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 | |
Lowse appear as big as an Elephant, and a Mite as | |
big as a Whale. First of all they shewed the Emperess a | |
gray Drone-flye, wherein they observed that the great<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>est | |
part of her face, nay, of her head, consisted of two | |
large bunches all cover'd 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 side<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ward, | |
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 miracu<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lous | |
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 glassie humor of the Eye. To which the Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>peress | |
replied, That they might be glassie 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 vertue of | |
<pb n="30" facs="tcp:57346:19"/> | |
those Microscopes; for they never delude, but re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ctifie | |
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.</p> | |
<p>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 be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>twixt | |
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 | |
vertue of the Microscope, discovered that underneath | |
the points of the Nettle there were certain little bags or | |
<pb n="31" facs="tcp:57346:19"/> | |
bladders, containing a poysonous 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 poyson 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 Rea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sons | |
hereof; for they only made Microscopical inspecti<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ons, | |
and related the Figures of the Natural parts of | |
Creatures acording to the representation of their glasses.</p> | |
<p>Lastly, They shewed the Empress a Flea, and a | |
Lowse; which Creatures through the Microscope | |
appear'd 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'le for<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bear | |
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 rhey have nothing to live on them<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>selves, | |
are yet necessitated to maintain and feed of their | |
own flesh and blood, a company of such terrible Crea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tures | |
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 | |
desir'd to know, Whether their Microscopes could | |
<pb n="32" facs="tcp:57346:20"/> | |
hinder their biting, or at least shew 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 magnifie 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 thorow it; but alas! | |
the shape of the Whale was so big, that its Circumfe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rence | |
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 shewed her, to wit, | |
such as instead of enlarging or magnifying the shape or | |
figure of an Object, could contract it beneath its natu<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ral | |
proportion: Which, in obedience to her Majesties | |
Commands, they did; and viewing through one | |
of the best of them, a huge and mighty Whale ap<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>pear'd | |
no bigger then a Sprat; nay, through some no | |
bigger then a Vinegar-Eele; and through their ordi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nary | |
ones, an Elephant seemed no bigger then a Flea; a | |
Camel no bigger then a Lowse; and an Ostrich no | |
bigger then a Mite. To relate all their Optick obser<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>vations | |
<pb n="33" facs="tcp:57346:20"/> | |
through the several sorts of their Glasses, would | |
be a tedious work, and tire even the most patient Rea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>der, | |
wherefore I'le pass them by; onely this was very | |
remakable and worthy to be taken notice of, that not<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>withstanding | |
their great skil, 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 <hi>Vacuum,</hi> with all its dimensions, nor Imma<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>terial | |
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.</p> | |
<p>The Bird- and Bear-men being dismissed, the Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press | |
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 fixt; and | |
this imbibing motion was that they call'd the Ebbing | |
and Flowing of the Sea; for, said they, the rising and swel<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ling | |
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 | |
<pb n="34" facs="tcp:57346:21"/> | |
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 o<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>thers | |
had made the World believe.</p> | |
<p>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, <hi>&c.</hi> none | |
at all. Then the Empress asked them, in what part of | |
their Bodies that little blood did reside? They an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered, | |
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 onely 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 wondring 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 Lowse had, but like a Lobster, a little | |
Vein along her back: Also Nits, Snails, and Mag<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gots, | |
as well as those that are generated out of Cheese | |
<pb n="35" facs="tcp:57346:21"/> | |
and Fruits, as those that are produced out of Flesh, had | |
no blood: But, replied the Empress, If those men<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tioned | |
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 na<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ture | |
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 there<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>of, | |
by reason the circulation of blood was an interior | |
motion, which their senses, neither of themselves, nor | |
by the help of any Optick 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, <hi>&c.</hi> 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, | |
<pb n="36" facs="tcp:57346:22"/> | |
certainly those may be said to be of such a mixt 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 wit<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ness. | |
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 mo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tions; | |
wherefore it was not necessary, that all Animal | |
Creatures should be bound to live either by the Air, or | |
by Water onely, but according as Nature had ordered | |
it convenient to their Species. The Empress seem'd very | |
well satisfied with their answer, and desired to be further | |
informed, Whether all Animal Creatures did con<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tinue | |
their Species by a successive propagation of parti<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>culars, | |
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 | |
<pb n="37" facs="tcp:57346:22"/> | |
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 se<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>veral | |
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 in<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>finitely | |
various in her works, and that though the spe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cies | |
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 pro<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ductions | |
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 | |
<pb n="38" facs="tcp:57346:23"/> | |
our senses are not able to discover, onely in an Oyster<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>shell | |
we have with admiration observed, that the com<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mon | |
<hi>sensorium</hi> 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.</p> | |
<p>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 Chymists, concerning their | |
Chymical 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.</p> | |
<p>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 cau<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sed | |
by hollow Caverns within the Earth, where the Sea-water | |
crowding thorow, did thrust forward, and drew | |
backward the Spring-water, according to its own way of | |
<pb n="39" facs="tcp:57346:23"/> | |
ebbing and flowing; but others said, That it procee<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ded | |
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 eb<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bing | |
and flowing-motion. And as for the Spring-water | |
being fresh, they gave, according to their Obser<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>vation, | |
this following reason: There is, said they, a cer<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tain | |
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, conveighed 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; onely | |
this they affirmed, That heat and cold were not the | |
primary producing causes of either Vegetables or Mi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nerals, | |
or other sorts of Creatures, but onely effects; | |
and to prove this our assertion, said they, we have ob<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>served, | |
that by change of some sorts of Corporeal mo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tions, | |
<pb n="40" facs="tcp:57346:24"/> | |
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: Nei<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ther | |
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 Chy<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mists, | |
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, re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>plyed | |
the Empress, that your judgments are very irre<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gular, | |
since you believe that Gold, which is so fixt 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 them<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>selves, | |
that they were ignorant in that Art, | |
and that such questions belonged more properly to | |
<pb n="41" facs="tcp:57346:24"/> | |
the Ape-men, which were Her Majesties Chy<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mists.</p> | |
<p>Then the Empress asked them, Whether by their | |
Sensitive perceptions they could observe the interior | |
corporeal, figurative Motions both of Vegetables and | |
Minerals? They answer'd, That their Senses could | |
perceive them after they were produced, but not be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fore; | |
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 judg 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 Bear<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>men | |
smilingly answered her Majesty, that their Glas<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ses | |
would do them but little service in the bowels of the | |
Earth, because there was no light; for, said they, our | |
Glasses do onely represent exterior objects, according | |
to the various reflections and positions of light; and | |
wheresoever light is wanting, the glasses wil do no good. | |
To which the Worm-men replied, that although | |
they could not say much of refractions, reflections, in<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>flections, | |
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, | |
<pb n="42" facs="tcp:57346:25"/> | |
hearing, <hi>&c.</hi> 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 optick 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 advantagious | |
to them. The Empress seem'd 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 laught? We most humbly | |
beg your Majesties pardon, replied they; for we | |
could not chuse but laugh, when we heard of a colour<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>less | |
Body. Why, said the Empress, Colour is onely | |
an accident, which is an immaterial thing, and has no | |
being of it self, but in another body. Those, re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>plied | |
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 distin<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ction | |
<pb n="43" facs="tcp:57346:25"/> | |
between subsisting of it self, and subsisting in a<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nother | |
body, is a meer 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 com<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>posed | |
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 af<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>firm, | |
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.</p> | |
<p>The Empress was so wonderfully taken with this | |
Discourse of the Worm-men, that she not only par<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>doned | |
the rudeness they committed in laughing at first | |
at her question, but yielded a full assent to their opi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nion, | |
which she thought the most rational that ever she | |
had heard yet; and then proceeding in her questions, en<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>quired | |
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 con<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cerning | |
the seeds of Minerals, their sensitive percepti<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ons | |
had never observed any; but Vegetables had cer<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tain | |
seeds out of which they were produced. Then | |
<pb n="44" facs="tcp:57346:26"/> | |
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 annihi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lated | |
in their productions, that they did rather nume<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rously | |
increase and multiply; for the division of one | |
seed, said they, does produce numbers of seeds out of it | |
self. But repli'd the Empress, A particular part cannot in<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>crease | |
of it self. 'Tis true, answer'd they: but they increase | |
not barely of themselves, but by joining and commix<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ing | |
with other parts, which do assist them in their pro<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ductions, | |
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; | |
onely they did hide and conceal themselves from their | |
sensitive perceptions so, that their figurative and pro<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ductive | |
motions were not perceptible by Animal Crea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tures. | |
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 Im<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>material | |
Spirits, which had a great affinity with Non-beings, | |
<pb n="45" facs="tcp:57346:26"/> | |
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 parti<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>culars | |
are subject to infinite changes and transmutations | |
by vertue of their own Corporeal, figurative self-mo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tions; | |
so that there's nothing new in Nature, nor pro<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>perly | |
a beginning of any thing. The Empress seem'd | |
well satisfied with all those answers, and enquired fur<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ther, | |
Whether there was no Art used by those Crea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rures | |
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 parti<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>culars; | |
and many times, there are factions and divi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sions; | |
which cause productions of mixt Species; as, for | |
example, weeds, instead of sweet flowres and useful | |
fruits; but Gardeners and Husbandmen use often to | |
decide their quarrels, and cause them to agree; which | |
though it shews 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 com<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>monly | |
causes their dissolution and ruine, 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 | |
<pb n="46" facs="tcp:57346:27"/> | |
the production of all other Natural Creatures, pro<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ceeding | |
from the corporeal figurative motions of Na<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ture; | |
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 onely assist and | |
join with parts, either in the dissolution or production | |
of other Parts and Creatures.</p> | |
<p>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 | |
Chymists, 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 | |
<pb n="47" facs="tcp:57346:27"/> | |
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 Bo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dies, | |
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 Chymi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stry, | |
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 vertue of their Seeds. But after | |
a great many debates and contentions about this Sub<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ject, | |
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.</p> | |
<p>I am too sensible of the pains you have taken in | |
the Art of Chymistry, to discover the Principles of | |
Natural Bodies, and wish they had been more profita<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bly | |
bestowed upon some other, then such experi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ments; | |
for both by my own Contemplation, and the | |
Observations which I have made by rational & sen<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sitive | |
perception upon Nature, and her works, I find, | |
<pb n="48" facs="tcp:57346:28"/> | |
that Nature is but one Infinite Self-moving Body, | |
which by the vertue 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 ap<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>pears | |
no otherwise; it is in vain to look for primary | |
Ingredients, or constitutive principles of Natural Bo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dies, | |
since there is no more but one Universal Prin<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ciple | |
of Nature, to wit, self-moving Matter, which | |
is the onely cause of all natural effects. Next, I de<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sire | |
you to consider, that Fire is but a particular Crea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ture, | |
or effect of Nature, and occasions not onely | |
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 shew you the Prin<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ciples | |
of Nature? and that either the Four Elements, | |
or Water onely, or Salt Sulphur and Mercury, | |
all which are no more but particular effects and Crea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tures | |
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 busie your selves with such Experiments as may be | |
beneficial to the publick.</p> | |
<p> | |
<pb n="49" facs="tcp:57346:28"/> | |
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 con<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cerning | |
Chymical Preperations, which for brevities | |
sake, I'le forbear to reherse: Amongst the rest, she asked, | |
how it came that the Imperial Race appear'd 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 con<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tained | |
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 Oyl, the effects whereof are follow<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ing: | |
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 Flegm; and after that it will bring forth | |
by vomits, humors 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 humors 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 | |
<pb n="50" facs="tcp:57346:29"/> | |
unawares, without any pain or trouble to the patient: | |
And after it hath done all these mentioned effects, and | |
clear'd both the Stomack and several other parts of the | |
body, then it works upon the Brain, and brings forth | |
of the Nose such kinds of humors 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 strong<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ly, | |
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 wrapt into a Cere<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cloth, | |
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 Childs 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 soveraign | |
in healing of wounds, and curing of slight distempers. | |
But this is also to be observed, that none of the Impe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rial | |
race does use any other drink but Lime-water, or | |
<pb n="51" facs="tcp:57346:29"/> | |
water in which Lime-stone is immerged; their meat is | |
nothing else but Fowl of several sorts, their recreations | |
are many, but chiefly Hunting.</p> | |
<p>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 cal<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>led | |
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 ap<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>plied; | |
and that a famous Chymist had found out a | |
certain Liquor called <hi>Alkahest,</hi> which by the vertue 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 Na<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tures | |
Changeling, was not able to produce such a pow<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>erful | |
effect; but being that the Gum did grow natu<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rally, | |
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.</p> | |
<p>The Conferences of the Chymists being finished, | |
the Empress made an Assembly of her <hi>Galenical</hi> Phy<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sicians, | |
her Herbalists and Anatomists; and first she | |
enquired of her Herbalists the particular effects of seve<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ral | |
Herbs and Drugs, and whence they proceeded? | |
<pb n="52" facs="tcp:57346:30"/> | |
To which they answered, that they could, for the most | |
part, tell her Majesty the vertues and operations of | |
them, but the particular causes of their effects were un<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>known; | |
onely thus much they could say, that their o<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>perations | |
and vertues 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 fa<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>culty | |
is but a particular effect of Sense and Reason in | |
some particular Creatures, to wit, Men, and not a prin<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ciple | |
of Nature, and argues often more folly than wis<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dom. | |
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.</p> | |
<p>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 bet<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ter | |
imployments; for when we dissect dead Animals, | |
said they, it is for no other end, but to observe what | |
<pb n="53" facs="tcp:57346:30"/> | |
defects or distempers they had, that we may cure the | |
like in living ones, so that all our care and industry | |
concerns onely the preservation of Mankind; but we | |
hope your Majesty will not preserve Monsters, which | |
are most commonly destroyed, except it be for no<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>velty: | |
Neither will the dissection of Monsters prevent | |
the errors of Nature's irregular actions; for by dissect<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ing | |
some, we cannot prevent the production of o<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>thers; | |
so that our pains and labour will be to no pur<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>pose, | |
unless to satisfie the vain curiosities of inquisitive | |
men. The Empress replied, That such dissections | |
would be very beneficial to Experimental Philoso<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>phers. | |
If Experimental Philosophers, answer'd they, | |
do spend their time in such useless Inspections, they | |
waste it in vain, and have nothing but their labour for | |
their pains.</p> | |
<p>Lastly, her Majesty had some Conferences with | |
the <hi>Galenick</hi> Physicians about several Diseases, and | |
amongst the rest, desired to know the cause and nature | |
of Apoplexies, and the spotted Plague. They an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered, | |
That a deadly Apoplexy was a dead palsie 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 through<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>out | |
infected with a Gangrene, which is a spreading | |
<pb n="54" facs="tcp:57346:31"/> | |
evil; but some Gangrenes do spread more suddenly | |
than others, and of all sorts of Gangrenes, the Plaguy<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>Gangrene | |
is the most infectious; for other Gangrenes | |
infect but the next adjoining parts of one particular bo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dy, | |
and having killed that same Creature, go no further, | |
but cease; when as, the Gangrene of the Plague, in<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fects | |
not onely the adjoining parts of one particular | |
Creature, but also those that are distant; that is, one | |
particular body infects another, and so breeds a Uni<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>versal | |
Contagion. But the Empress being very de<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sirous | |
to know in what manner the Plague was propa<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gated, | |
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 a<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mongst | |
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 cau<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sed | |
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.</p> | |
<p> | |
<pb n="55" facs="tcp:57346:31"/> | |
The Empress having hitherto spent her time in the | |
Examination of the Bird- Fish Worm- and Ape<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>men, | |
<hi>&c.</hi> and received several Intelligences from their | |
several imployments; 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 Mathe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>matical | |
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 con<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>founded: | |
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 seem'd next to Imaginary. The Mathema<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ticians | |
were in great esteem with the Empress, as being | |
not onely the chief Tutors and Instructors in many | |
Arts, but some of them excellent Magicians and In<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>formers | |
of Spirits, which was the reason their Cha<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>racters | |
were so abstruse and intricate, that the Empe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ress | |
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 busie my self in your | |
<pb n="56" facs="tcp:57346:32"/> | |
profession; nor, if I could, do I think I should ever be | |
able to understand your Imaginary points, lines and fi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gures, | |
because they are Non-beings.</p> | |
<p>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 be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gan | |
to be displeased, and told them, that there was | |
neither Truth nor Justice in their Profession; and so | |
dissolved their society.</p> | |
<p>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 endea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>voured | |
to make an Eloquent Speech before her Ma<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>jesty; | |
but before he had half ended, his arguments and | |
divisions being so many, that they caused a great con<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fusion | |
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 ano<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ther | |
speech, yet was he as far to seek, as the former. At | |
which the Empress appear'd not a little troubled, and | |
told them, That they followed too much the Rules of | |
Art, and confounded themselves with too nice forma<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lities | |
and distinctions; but since I know, said she, that | |
you are a people who have naturally voluble tongues, | |
<pb n="57" facs="tcp:57346:32"/> | |
and good memories; I desire you to consider more the | |
subject you speak of, then your artificial periods, con<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nexions | |
and parts of speech, and leave the rest to your | |
natural Eloquence; which they did, and so became very | |
eminent Orators.</p> | |
<p>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, | |
entred into a dispute by way of Syllogistical Argu<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ments, | |
through all the Figures and Modes: One be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gan | |
with an Argument of the first Mode of the first | |
Figure, thus:</p> | |
<l>Every Politician is wise:</l> | |
<l>Every Knave is a Politician,</l> | |
<l>Therefore every Knave is wise.</l> | |
<p>Another contradicted him with a Syllogism of the | |
second Mode of the same Figure, thus:</p> | |
<l>No Politician is wise:</l> | |
<l>Every Knave is a Politician,</l> | |
<l>Therefore no Knave is wise.</l> | |
<p>The third made an Argument in the third Mode | |
of the same Figure, after this manner:</p> | |
<l>Every Politician is wise:</l> | |
<l>Some Knaves are Politicians,</l> | |
<l>Therefore some Knaves are wise.</l> | |
<p> | |
<pb n="58" facs="tcp:57346:33"/>The Fourth concluded with a Syllogism in the | |
fourth Mode of the same Figure, thus;</p> | |
<l>No Politican is wise:</l> | |
<l>Some Knaves are Politicians,</l> | |
<l>Therefore some Knaves are not wise.</l> | |
<p>After this they took another subject, and one pro<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>pounded | |
this Syllogism:</p> | |
<l>Every Philosopher is wise:</l> | |
<l>Every Beast is wise,</l> | |
<l>Therefore every Beast is a Philosopher.</l> | |
<p>But another said that this Argument was false, | |
therefore he contradicted him with a Syllogism of the | |
second Figure of the fourth Mode, thus:</p> | |
<l>Every Philosopher is wise:</l> | |
<l>Some Beasts are not wise,</l> | |
<l>Therefore some Beasts are not Philosophers.</l> | |
<p>Thus they argued, and intended to go on, but the | |
Empress interrupted them: I have enough, said she, | |
of your chopt Logick, 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'le 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 be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fore | |
an artificial: for Art is, for the most part irregular, | |
and disorders Men's understandings more then it recti<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fies | |
<pb n="59" facs="tcp:57346:33"/> | |
them, and leads them into a Labyrinth whence | |
they'l never get out, and makes them dull and unfit | |
for useful employments; especially your Art of Lo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gick, | |
which consists onely in contradicting each other, | |
in making Sophismes, and obscuring Truth, instead of | |
clearing it.</p> | |
<p>But they replied to her Majesty, That the knowledg | |
of Nature, that is, Natural Philosophy, would be imper<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fect | |
without the Art of Logick; 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 Philo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sophy, | |
as it is with all other effects of Nature; for no | |
particular knowledg can be perfect, by reason know<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ledg | |
is dividable, as well as composable; nay, to speak | |
properly, Nature her self cannot boast of any perfe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ction, | |
but God himself; because there are so many irre<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gular | |
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, | |
<pb n="60" facs="tcp:57346:34"/> | |
lest besides the Commonwealth of Learning, they di<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sturb | |
also Divinity and Policy, Religion and Laws, | |
and by that means draw an utter ruine and destruction | |
both upon Church and State.</p> | |
<p>After the Empress had thus finish'd the Discourses | |
and Conferences with the mentioned Societies of her | |
<hi>Vertuoso's,</hi> 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 knowledg of the Divine Truth; Where<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fore | |
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, subtile 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 | |
onely soon, but gained an extraordinary love of all her | |
Subjects throughout that World. But at last, pon<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dering | |
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 | |
<pb n="61" facs="tcp:57346:34"/> | |
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 call'd to | |
mind a Relation which the Bird-men made her once, of | |
a Mountain that did burn in flames of fire; and there<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>upon | |
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 be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ing | |
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 Sun<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stone? | |
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 demo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lish | |
one of the numerous Stars of the Sky, which the | |
World will never miss.</p> | |
<p>The Empress was very well satisfied with this pro<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>posal, | |
and having thus imployed these two sorts of men, | |
in the mean while builded two Chappels one a<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bove | |
another; the one she lined throughout with Di<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>amonds, | |
both Roof, Walls and Pillars; but the other | |
<pb n="62" facs="tcp:57346:35"/> | |
she resolved to line with the Star-stone; the Fire<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stone | |
she placed upon the Diamond-lining, by rea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>son | |
Fire has no power on Diamonds; and when she | |
would have that Chappel where the Fire-stone was, | |
appear all in a flame, she had by the means of Artifi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cial | |
pipes, water conveighed 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 | |
Chappel seemed to be all in a flaming-fire.</p> | |
<p>The other Chappel, which was lined with the Star<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stone, | |
did onely cast a splendorous and comfortable | |
light; both the Chappels stood upon Pillars, just in | |
the middle of a round Cloyster, which was dark as | |
night; neither was there any other light within them, | |
but what came from the Fire-and Star-stone; and be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ing | |
every where open, allowed to all that were within | |
the compass of the Cloyster, 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 Chappel | |
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 Chappel lined with the Star<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stone, | |
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 | |
<pb n="63" facs="tcp:57346:35"/> | |
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 Chappel where the Star-Stone was, | |
although it did cast a great light, yet was it without all | |
heat, and the Empress appear'd like an Angel in it; | |
and as that Chappel was an embleme of <hi>Hell,</hi> so | |
this was an embleme of <hi>Heaven.</hi> And thus the Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press, | |
by Art, and her own Ingenuity, did not onely | |
convert the <hi>Blazing-World</hi> to her own Religion, but | |
kept them in a constant belief, without inforcement 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 perswasions; 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.</p> | |
<p>Last of all, when she saw that both Church and State | |
was now in a well-ordered and setled 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 knowledg thereof; at last, after many serious | |
considerations, she conceived that it was impossible to | |
<pb n="64" facs="tcp:57346:36"/> | |
be done by any other means, then by the help of Im<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>m<gap reason="illegible: blotted" extent="1 letter"> | |
<desc>•</desc> | |
</gap>terial | |
Spirits; wherefore she made a Convoca<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tion | |
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, whe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ther | |
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 lodg 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 Spi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rits | |
were always cloth'd in some sort or other of Mate<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rial | |
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? | |
<pb n="65" facs="tcp:57346:36"/> | |
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 Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press | |
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 acquain<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tance: | |
all which, the Spirits did according to her de<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sire. | |
At last, after a great many conferences and parti<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cular | |
intelligences, which the Spirits gave the Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press, | |
to her great satisfaction and content; she enqui<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>red | |
after the most famous Students, Writers, and Ex<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>perimental | |
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 | |
<hi>Jews Cabbala?</hi> Several have endeavoured it, answered | |
the Spirits, but those that came nearest (although them<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>selves | |
denied it) were one Dr. <hi>Dee,</hi> and one <hi>Edward | |
Kelly,</hi> the one representing <hi>Moses,</hi> and the other <hi>Aa<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ron;</hi> | |
for <hi>Kelly</hi> was to Dr. <hi>Dee,</hi> as <hi>Aaron</hi> to <hi>Moses;</hi> | |
<pb n="66" facs="tcp:57346:37"/> | |
but yet they proved at last but meer Cheats; and were | |
described by one of their own Country-men, a famous | |
Poet, named <hi>Ben. Johnson,</hi> in a Play call'd, <hi>The Alchy<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mist,</hi> | |
where he expressed <hi>Kelly</hi> by Capt. <hi>Face,</hi> and | |
<hi>Dee</hi> by Dr. <hi>Subtle,</hi> and their two Wives by <hi>Doll Com<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mon,</hi> | |
and the Widow; by the <hi>Spaniard</hi> in the Play, | |
he meant the <hi>Spanish</hi> Ambassador, and by Sir <hi>Epicure | |
Mammon,</hi> a <hi>Polish</hi> Lord. The Empress remembred | |
that she had seen the Play, and asked the Spirits, whom | |
he meant by the name of <hi>Ananias?</hi> Some Zealous | |
Brethren, answered they, in <hi>Holland, Germany,</hi> and | |
several other places. Then she asked them, Who | |
was meant by the <hi>Druggist?</hi> 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 onely 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 sub<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ject | |
to Forgetfulness. How can we, answered they, | |
give an account of things present, if we had no Me<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mory, | |
but especially of things past, unrecorded, if we | |
had no Remembrance? Said the Empress, By pre<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sent | |
Knowledg and Understanding. The Spirits an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered, | |
That present Knowledg and Understanding | |
was of actions or things present, not of past. But, said the | |
Empress, you know what is to come, without Me<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mory | |
or Remembrance; and therefore you may know | |
<pb n="67" facs="tcp:57346:37"/> | |
what is past without memory and remembrance. They | |
answered, That their foreknowledg was onely a pru<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dent | |
and subtile 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.</p> | |
<p>Then the Empress asked the Spirits, Whether there | |
was a threefold <hi>Cabbala?</hi> They answered, <hi>Dee</hi> and | |
<hi>Kelly</hi> made but a two-fold <hi>Cabbala,</hi> to wit, of the Old | |
and New Testament, but others might not onely make | |
two or three, but threescore <hi>Cabbala's,</hi> if they plea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sed. | |
The Empress asked, Whether it was a Tradi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tional, | |
or meerly a Scriptural, or whether it was a Li<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>teral, | |
Philosophical, or Moral <hi>Cabbala?</hi> Some, an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered | |
they, did believe it meerly 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 Scriptu<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ral, | |
partly Literal, partly Metaphorical. The Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press | |
asked further, Whether the <hi>Cabbala</hi> was a work | |
onely of Natural Reason, or of Divine Inspiration? | |
Many, said the Spirits, that write <hi>Cabbala's</hi> pretend to | |
Divine Inspirations; but whether it be so, or not, it | |
does not belong to us to judg; onely 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 perswasive, yet Faith is the chief | |
that is required in <hi>Cabbalists.</hi> But, said the Empress, | |
<pb n="68" facs="tcp:57346:38"/> | |
Is there not Divine Reason, as well as there is Natu<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ral? | |
No, answered they: for there is but a Divine | |
Faith, and as for Reason it is onely Natural; but you | |
Mortals are so puzled about this Divine Faith, and Na<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tural | |
Reason, that you do not know well how to di<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stinguish | |
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 | |
Cabbalists? They answered, No; but onely your | |
Mystical or Divine Philosophers, such as study be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>yond | |
Sense and Reason. She enquired further, Whe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ther | |
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 onely those | |
that pretend to know him and his secret Counsels by | |
their Cabbala's; but he loves those that adore and | |
<pb n="69" facs="tcp:57346:38"/> | |
worship him with fear and reverence, and with a pure | |
heart. She asked further, which of these two Cab<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bala's | |
was most approved, the Natural, or Theologi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cal? | |
The Theological, answered they, is mystical, | |
and belongs onely 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 onely 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 Be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lief, | |
answered they, is not a Divine Faith. But, pro<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ceeded | |
the Empress, How are you sure that God can<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>not | |
be known? The several Opinions you Mortals | |
have of God, answered they, are sufficient witnesses | |
thereof. Well then, replied the Empress, leaving | |
this inquisitive knowledg 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 Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press, | |
How comes it then that you can move so sud<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>denly | |
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 rea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>son | |
<pb n="70" facs="tcp:57346:39"/> | |
of their quick and sudden motions. Then the Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press | |
asked them, Whether they could speak without | |
a body, or bodily organs? No, said they; nor could | |
we have any bodily sense, but onely knowledg. She | |
asked, Whether they could have Knowledg without | |
Body? Not a Natural, answered they, but a Superna<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tural | |
Knowledg, which is a far better Knowledg then a | |
Natural. Then she asked them, Whether they had a | |
General or Universal Knowledg? They answered, | |
Single or particular created Spirits, have not; for not | |
any Creature, but God Himself, can have an absolute | |
and perfect knowledg of all things. The Empress asked | |
them further, Whether Spirits had inward and out<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ward | |
parts? No, answered they; for parts onely be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>long | |
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 neces<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sarily | |
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 subtil. | |
If you be not Material, said the Empress, how can | |
you be Generators of all Creatures? We are no | |
<pb n="71" facs="tcp:57346:39"/> | |
more, answered they, the Generators of material Crea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tures, | |
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 under<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stood | |
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 | |
Plastick power in Nature? Truly, said the Spirits, Pla<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stick | |
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, Whe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ther | |
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 mixt, 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 | |
<pb n="72" facs="tcp:57346:40"/> | |
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 onely 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 <hi>Adam</hi> out of the Paradise, | |
at least caused him not to return thither again? They an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered | |
they were not. Then she desired to be informed, | |
whither <hi>Adam</hi> fled when he was driven out of the Pa<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>radise? | |
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 Cabbalists | |
are much out of their story, who believe the Paradise | |
to be a world of Life onely, without Matter; for this | |
world, though it be most pleasant and fruitful, yet it | |
is not a world of meer Immaterial life, but a world of | |
living, Material Creatures. VVithout question, they | |
are, answered the Spirits; for not all <hi>Cabbala's</hi> are true. | |
Then the Empress asked, That since it is mentioned | |
in the story of the Creation of the World, that <hi>Eve</hi> | |
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, | |
<pb n="73" facs="tcp:57346:40"/> | |
replied she, that the Serpent was cursed? They an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered, | |
because the Devil was in him; for are not those | |
men in danger of damnation which have the Devil | |
within them, who perswades 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 Beati<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fical | |
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, <hi>&c.</hi> Neither was God bound to make | |
all Matter fluid at first. She asked further, Whether | |
Matter was immovable in it self? We have an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered | |
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 Com<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mands, | |
or fewer, or more, no Creature was able to tell. | |
<pb n="74" facs="tcp:57346:41"/> | |
Then she inquired, Whether there was no mystery in | |
Numbers? No other mystery, answered the Spirits, | |
but reckoning or counting; for Numbers are onely | |
marks of remembrance. But what do you think of the | |
Number of Four, said she, which <hi>Cabbalists</hi> make such | |
ado withal, and of the Number of Ten, when they say | |
that Ten is all, and that all Numbers are virtually com<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>prehended | |
in Four? We think, answered they, that | |
<hi>Cabbalists</hi> 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 symbole of Matrimony, as being | |
made up of Male and Femal, for two into three is six. | |
If any number can be a symbole of Matrimony, an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered | |
the Spirits, it is not Six, but Two; if two may | |
be allowed to be a Number: for the act of Matri<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mony | |
is made up of two joined in one. She asked a<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gain, | |
What they said to the number of Seven? whe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ther | |
it was not an Embleme of God, because <hi>Cabbalists</hi> | |
say, That it is neither begotten, nor begets any other | |
Number? There can be no Embleme of God, answered | |
the Spirits; for if we do not know what God is, how | |
can we make an Embleme of him? Nor is there any | |
Number in God, for God is the perfection Himself; but | |
<pb n="75" facs="tcp:57346:41"/> | |
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 <hi>Cabbalists</hi> do. The onely my<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stery | |
of Numbers, answered they, concerning the Cre<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ation | |
of the World, is, that as Numbers do multiply, so | |
does the World. The Empress asked, how far Num<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bers | |
did multiply? The Spirits answered, to Infinite. | |
Why, said she, Infinite cannot be reckoned, nor num<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bred, | |
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, pro<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ceeded | |
the Empress, Let me now desire you to in<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>form | |
me, Whether the Suns and Planets were generated | |
by the Heavens, or AEthereal Matter? The Spirits | |
answered, That the Stars and Planets were of the | |
same matter which the Heavens, the AEther, and all | |
other Natural Creatures did consist of; but whether | |
they were generated by the Heavens or AEther, 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 AEther, as also more solid | |
and constant in their motions: But put the case, the | |
Stars and Planets were generated by the Heavens, and | |
<pb n="76" facs="tcp:57346:42"/> | |
the AEthereal 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 Pla<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nets | |
are so too; nay, it is more probable of the Stars | |
and Planets, then of the Heavens, or the fluid AEther, | |
by reason the Stars and Planets seem to be further off | |
from Mortality, then the particular parts of the AEther; | |
for no doubt but the parts of the AEthereal 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 | |
seem'd to corporeal sense and reason, as if they were three | |
several bodies, or three several corporeal actions; | |
however, said they, they are intricate concep<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tions | |
of irregular Fancies. If you do not under<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stand | |
them, replied the Empress, how shall hu<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>man | |
Creatures do then? Many, both of your mo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dern | |
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 | |
<pb n="77" facs="tcp:57346:42"/> | |
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 <hi>Cabba<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lists</hi> | |
make. She asked them further, Whether Spi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rits | |
were of a globous or round Figure? They an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered, | |
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 Ve<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>hicles, | |
are your corporeal Summer-suits. She asked | |
further, Whether the Spirits had not ascending and de<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>scending-motions, | |
as well as other Creatures? They | |
answered, That properly there was no ascension or | |
descension in Infinite Nature, but onely in relation to | |
particular parts; and as for us Spirits, said they, We | |
can neither ascend nor descend without corporeal Ve<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>hicles; | |
nor can our Vehicles ascend or descend, but ac<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cording | |
to their several shapes and figures, for there | |
can be no motion without body. The Empress asked | |
<pb n="78" facs="tcp:57346:43"/> | |
them further, Whether there was not a World of Spi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rits, | |
as well as there is of Material Creatures? No, | |
answered they; for the word <hi>World</hi> implies a quan<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tity | |
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 | |
<hi>Cabbalists</hi> and Divine Philosophers said, Mens ra<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tional | |
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 <hi>Cabbalists</hi> are mistaken, for they | |
take the purest and subtilest parts of Matter, for Imma<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>terial | |
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 re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mained | |
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 Pur<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gatory, | |
which is a place of Purification, for which acti<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>on | |
Fire is more proper then Air; and so the Vehicles of | |
those Souls that are in Purgatory, cannot be airy, but fie<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ry; | |
and after this rate there can be but four places for | |
human Souls to be in, <hi>viz.</hi> Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, | |
<pb n="79" facs="tcp:57346:43"/> | |
and this World; but as for Vehicles, they are but fan<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cies, | |
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 know<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ledg | |
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, an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered | |
the Spirits; and we do not know what you | |
mean by a Naked Spirit; for you judg of us as of cor<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>poreal | |
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 Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press | |
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 fur<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ther, | |
Whether humane bodies were not burthensome | |
to humane Souls? They answered, That Bodies | |
<pb n="80" facs="tcp:57346:44"/> | |
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 chuse Bo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dies? | |
They answered, That <hi>Platonicks</hi> 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 Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press, | |
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 im<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>material | |
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, an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered | |
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, li<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ving | |
and self-knowing body, consisting of the three de<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>grees | |
<pb n="81" facs="tcp:57346:44"/> | |
of inanimate, sensitive and rational Matter, so | |
intermixt 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 ina<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nimate | |
part, the Body of Infinite Nature. The Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press | |
was very well satisfied with this answer, and | |
asked further, Whether souls did not give life to bo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dies? | |
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 incor<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>poreal, | |
and consequently indivisible. But when the | |
Soul is in its Vehicle, said the Empress, then me<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>thinks | |
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 <hi>Eve,</hi> 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 perswasions. They answered, That | |
Perswasions 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 Spi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rits | |
<pb n="82" facs="tcp:57346:45"/> | |
were reckoned amongst the Beasts of the Field? | |
They answer'd, 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 satisfie their natural appetite; but cer<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tainly, | |
said they, you Men are more cruel to one an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>other, | |
then evil Spirits are to you; and as for their ha<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bitations | |
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 al<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ways | |
mixt 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 Ve<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>hicles, | |
answered they, make them neither better, nor | |
<pb n="83" facs="tcp:57346:45"/> | |
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 ad<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>vantages | |
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 mixt World, that is, part<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ly | |
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 im<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>material | |
Creatures. If this be so, replied the Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press, | |
then certainly there can be no world of Lives | |
and Forms without Matter? No, answered the Spi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rits; | |
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 manu<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>red | |
fields and gardens, they would pick and chuse the | |
best Fruits as well as Men; and you may plainly ob<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>serve | |
it, said they, in Squirrels and Monkies, how they | |
are the best Chusers of Nuts and Apples; and how | |
<pb n="84" facs="tcp:57346:46"/> | |
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 arti<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ficial | |
Cookery is better and more wholsome 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 Spi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rits, | |
for he was an Earthly, and not a Watery Crea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ture; | |
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 onely because they re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>semble | |
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 vari<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ous | |
sorts of Creatures that live on the Earth? Yes, | |
answered they, to all those that were presented to him, | |
or he had knowledg 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 encrease, 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, | |
<pb n="85" facs="tcp:57346:46"/> | |
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 <hi>Noah</hi>'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 be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>yond | |
their knowledg. Then she begg'd the Spirits | |
to pardon her presumption; for, said she, It is the na<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ture | |
of Mankind to be inquisitive. Natural desire of | |
knowledg, answered the Spirits, is not blameable, so | |
you do not go beyond what your Natural Reason can | |
comprehend. Then I'le ask no more, said the Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press, | |
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 <hi>Cabbala.</hi> What kind of <hi>Cab<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bala,</hi> | |
asked the Spirits? The Empress answered, The | |
<hi>Jews Cabbala.</hi> No sooner had the Empress decla<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>red | |
her Mind, but the Spirits immediately disap<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>peared | |
<pb n="86" facs="tcp:57346:47"/> | |
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 dysaster, 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, af<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ter | |
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 fixt in her mind, that it put her into a | |
very Melancholick humor; 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 Melancholick, | |
but that I should be the cause of their miserable condi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tion, | |
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 onely all Mine<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rals | |
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 | |
<pb n="87" facs="tcp:57346:47"/> | |
even within the Earth, by which those Creatures do | |
see that dwell therein. This relation setled her Ma<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>jesties | |
mind a little; but yet she being desirous to know | |
the Truth, where, and in what condition those Spi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rits | |
were, commanded both the Fly- and Worm-men | |
to use all labour and industry to find them out; where<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>upon | |
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 ve<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ry | |
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 fear'd they should be buried in | |
the darkness of the Earth: whereupon the Spirits an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered | |
us, That they were sorry for having occasi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>oned | |
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 | |
<pb n="88" facs="tcp:57346:48"/> | |
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 <hi>Cabbala.</hi> At which Relation | |
the Empress was exceedingly glad, and rewarded both | |
her Fly- and Worm-men bountifully.</p> | |
<p>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 <hi>Cabbala</hi> 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 answer'd, 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, an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered | |
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 <hi>Plato</hi>'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 <hi>Ari<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>stotle, | |
Pythagoras, Plato, Epicurus,</hi> or the like. The | |
<pb n="89" facs="tcp:57346:48"/> | |
Spirits said, That those famous Men were very learned, | |
subtile, and ingenious Writers; but they were so | |
wedded to their own opinions, that they would ne<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ver | |
have the patience to be Scribes. Then, said she, | |
I'le have the Soul of one of the most famous modern | |
Writers, as either of <hi>Galileo, Gassendus, Des Cartes, | |
Helmont, Hobbes, H. More, &c.</hi> The Spirits an<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>swered, | |
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 | |
<hi>Duchess of Newcastle;</hi> which although she is not | |
one of the most learned, eloquent, witty and ingeni<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ous, | |
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 ser<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>vice | |
she can. That Lady then, said the Empress, will | |
I chuse 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 jea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lous | |
of <hi>Platonick</hi> Lovers, for they are very dangerous, as | |
being not onely very intimate and close, but subtil and | |
insinuating. You say well, replied the Empress; where<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fore | |
I pray send me the <hi>Duchess of Newcastle</hi>'s Soul; | |
which the Spirit did; and after she came to wait on the | |
Empress, at her first arrival the Empress imbraced | |
and saluted her with a Spiritual kiss; then she asked her | |
whether she could write? Yes, answered the <hi>Du<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>chess</hi>'s | |
Soul, but not so intelligibly that any Reader | |
<pb n="90" facs="tcp:57346:49"/> | |
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 Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press, | |
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 in<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>telligible. | |
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 Maje<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sty | |
would have written? She answered, The <hi>Jews</hi> | |
Cabbala. Then your onely way for that is, said the | |
Duchess, to have the Soul of some famous <hi>Jew;</hi> nay, | |
if your Majesty please, I scruple not, but you may | |
as easily have the Soul of <hi>Moses,</hi> as of any other. That | |
cannot be, replied the Empress, for no Mortal knows | |
where <hi>Moses</hi> 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 | |
Rabbies or Sages of the Tribe of <hi>Levi,</hi> 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 | |
<pb n="91" facs="tcp:57346:49"/> | |
no created Spirits have a general or absolute knowledg, | |
nor can they know the Thoughts of Men, much less | |
the Mysteries of the great Creator, unless he be plea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sed | |
to inspire into them the gift of Divine Knowledg. | |
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, un<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>less | |
you were of the <hi>Jews</hi> 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 advantagious for the Salvation of the <hi>Jews,</hi> | |
surely <hi>Moses</hi> would have saved after-Ages that labour | |
by his own Explanation, he being not onely a wise, | |
but a very honest, zealous and religious Man: Where<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fore | |
the best way, said she, is to believe with the ge<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nerality | |
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 there<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>in, | |
or suffer them to be lost for want of a Mystical in<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>terpretation | |
of the Scripture. Then, said the Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press, | |
I'le leave the Scripture, and make a Philosophi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cal | |
<hi>Cabbala.</hi> The Duchess told her, That, Sense and | |
Reason would instruct her of Nature as much as | |
<pb n="92" facs="tcp:57346:50"/> | |
could be known; and as for Numbers, they were infi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nite; | |
but to add non-sense to infinite, would breed | |
a confusion, especially in Humane Understanding. | |
Then, replied the Empress, I'le make a Moral <hi>Cab<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bala.</hi> | |
The onely thing, answered the Duchess, in | |
Morality, is but, To fear God, and to love his Neigh<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bour, | |
and this needs no further interpretation. But | |
then I'le make a Political <hi>Cabbala,</hi> said the Empress. | |
The Duchess answered, That the chief and onely | |
ground in Government, was but Reward and Punish<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ment, | |
and required no further <hi>Cabbala;</hi> But, said she, | |
If your Majesty were resolved to make a <hi>Cabbala,</hi> I | |
would advise you, rather to make a Poetical or Ro<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mancical | |
<hi>Cabbala,</hi> wherein you may use Metaphors, | |
Allegories, Similitudes, <hi>&c.</hi> and interpret them as | |
you please. With that the Empress thank'd 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 re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>turn | |
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 meet<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ing | |
did produce such an intimate friendship between | |
them, that they became <hi>Platonick</hi> Lovers, although | |
they were both Femals.</p> | |
<p> | |
<pb n="93" facs="tcp:57346:50"/> | |
One time, when the Duchess her Soul was with | |
the Empress, she seem'd to be very sad and melan<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>choly; | |
at which the Empress was very much trou<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bled, | |
and asked her the reason of her Melancholick | |
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 Me<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lancholy | |
proceeds from an extream 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 <hi>Duke</hi> is a Title above a <hi>Prince;</hi> for example, the | |
<hi>Duke</hi> of <hi>Savoy,</hi> the <hi>Duke</hi> of <hi>Florence,</hi> the <hi>Duke</hi> of <hi>Lor<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rain,</hi> | |
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, re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>plied | |
the Empress, but no Soveraign does make a subject | |
equal to himself, such as Kings eldest sons partly are: | |
<pb n="94" facs="tcp:57346:51"/> | |
And although some Dukes be Soveraigns, yet I never | |
heard that a Prince by his Title is Soveraign, by reason | |
the Title of a Prince is more a Title of Honour, then of | |
Soveraignty; 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 ac<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>complish | |
it; the best informers are the Immaterial Spi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rits, | |
and they'l 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: Where<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fore | |
I'le conferr 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 <hi>Blazing World</hi> 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. | |
<pb n="95" facs="tcp:57346:51"/> | |
Then the Empress asked, Whether it was not possible, | |
that her dearest friend the Duchess of <hi>Newcastle,</hi> might | |
be Empress of one of them? Although there be nu<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>merous, | |
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 surpri<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>zed | |
or conquered? The Spirits answered, That <hi>Lu<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cian</hi>'s | |
World of Lights, had been for some time in a | |
snuff, but of late years one <hi>Helmont</hi> had got it, who | |
since he was Emperour 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 onely my friend, the Duchess, but any | |
other might obtain one. Yes, answered the Spirits, | |
if those Worlds were uninhabited; but they are as po<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>pulous | |
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, | |
Conquerers seldom enjoy their conquest, for they be<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ing | |
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 atchievements, 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 | |
<pb n="96" facs="tcp:57346:52"/> | |
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 atchievements 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 Coelestial World if | |
you please. What, said the Empress, can any Mor<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tal | |
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 | |
onely so, but he may create a World of what fashion | |
and Government he will, and give the Creatures | |
thereof such motions, figures, forms, colours, per<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ceptions, | |
<hi>&c.</hi> as he pleases, and make Whirl-pools, | |
Lights, Pressures and Reactions, <hi>&c.</hi> 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 | |
<pb n="97" facs="tcp:57346:52"/> | |
need you to venture life, reputation and tranquility, 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 ob<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>serve | |
it by your friend the Empress here, which al<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>though | |
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 Do<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>minions | |
she Governs. The truth is, a Soveraign Mo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>narch | |
has the general trouble; but the Subjects enjoy | |
all the delights and pleasures in parts; for it is impos<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sible, | |
that a Kingdom, nay, a Country, should be in<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>joyed | |
by one person at once, except he take the pains | |
to travel into every part, and endure the inconvenien<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cies | |
of going from one place to another? wherefore, | |
since glory, delight and pleasure lives but in other mens | |
opinions, and can neither add tranquility 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 en<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>joy | |
all both in whole and in parts, without controle | |
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'le take your advice, | |
<pb n="98" facs="tcp:57346:53"/> | |
reject and despise all the Worlds without me, and cre<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ate | |
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 | |
<hi>Duchess</hi> of <hi>Newcastle</hi> was most earnest and industrious | |
to make her World, because she had none at pre<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sent; | |
and first she resolved to frame it according to the | |
opinion of <hi>Thales,</hi> but she found her self so much trou<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>bled | |
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 <hi>Pythagoras</hi>'s Doctrine; but in the Creati<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>on | |
thereof, she was so puzled with numbers, how to | |
order and compose the several parts, that she having | |
no skill in Arithmetick, was forced also to desist from | |
the making of that World. Then she intended to cre<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ate | |
a World according to the opinion of <hi>Plato;</hi> 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-play<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ers | |
have in giving motion to every several Puppit; in | |
<pb n="99" facs="tcp:57346:53"/> | |
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 <hi>Epicurus;</hi> 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 <hi>Vacuum</hi> 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 pro<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>duced | |
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 <hi>Aristotle</hi>'s Opinion; but re<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>membring | |
that her mind, as most of the Learned hold | |
it, was Immaterial, and that, according to <hi>Aristotle</hi>'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 <hi>Des Cartes</hi> Opinion; but | |
when she had made the AEthereal Globules, and set | |
them a moving by a strong and lively imagination, | |
her mind became so dizzie with their extraordinary | |
swift turning round, that it almost put her into a swoon; | |
<pb n="100" facs="tcp:57346:54"/> | |
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 <hi>Hobbs</hi>'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.</p> | |
<p>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 sensi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tive | |
and rational self-moving Matter; indeed, it was | |
composed onely 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 mixt, 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, appear'd so curious and full of vari<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ety, | |
<pb n="101" facs="tcp:57346:54"/> | |
so well order'd and wisely govern'd, that it can<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>not | |
possibly be expressed by words, nor the delight | |
and pleasure which the Duchess took in making this | |
World-of-her-own.</p> | |
<p>In the mean time the Empress was also making and | |
dissolving several Worlds in her own mind, and was so | |
puzled, that she could not settle in any of them; where<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>fore | |
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.</p> | |
<p>The Empress being thus perswaded by the | |
Duchess to make an imaginary World of her own, fol<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lowed | |
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, un<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>less | |
she did dissolve her Imaginary World, or made | |
some alterations in the <hi>Blazing-World,</hi> she lived in; which | |
yet she could hardly do, by reason it was so well order<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ed | |
<pb n="102" facs="tcp:57346:55"/> | |
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 Reli<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gion, | |
Foreign Wars, <hi>&c.</hi> 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 So<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>vereign | |
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 perswaded from her design; and left the Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>peror, | |
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 whe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ther | |
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 onely one, said they, but many Spi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>rits | |
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 possi<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ble, | |
a female Spirit. The Spirits told her, that there | |
was no difference of Sexes amongst them; but, said | |
they, we will chuse an honest and ingenious Spirit, | |
<pb n="103" facs="tcp:57346:55"/> | |
and such a one as shall so resemble your soul, that nei<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ther | |
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 ab<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sence | |
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 remark<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>able, | |
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 wonder'd that for all there | |
were so many several Nations, Governments, Laws, | |
Religions, Opinions, <hi>&c.</hi> they should all yet so ge<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>nerally | |
agree in being Ambitious, Proud, Self-con<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ceited, | |
Vain, Prodigal, Deceitful, Envious, Mali<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>cious, | |
Unjust, Revengeful, Irreligious, Factious, <hi>&c.</hi> | |
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 expences, and their losses more than their gains; | |
but their being overcome, in a manner their utter ruine: | |
<pb n="104" facs="tcp:57346:56"/> | |
But that she wonder'd most at, was, that they should | |
prize or value dirt more then mens lives, and vanity | |
more then tranquility; for the Emperor of a world, said | |
she, injoys but a part, not the whole; so that his plea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sure | |
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 | |
onely 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 Ma<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>jestie's | |
discourse, said the Duchess, I perceive that the | |
greatest happiness in all Worlds consist in Modera<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tion: | |
No doubt of it, replied the Empress; and af<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ter | |
these two souls had visited all the several places, Con<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>gregations | |
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 Mo<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>narchs | |
of the several parts of that World, she had ob<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>served | |
the <hi>Grand-Seignior</hi> was the greatest, for his | |
word was a Law, and his power absolute. But the | |
Duchess pray'd the Empress to pardon her that she was | |
of another mind; for, said she, he cannot alter <hi>Ma<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>homets</hi> | |
Laws and Religion; so that the Law and | |
Church do govern the Emperor, and not the Empe<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ror | |
<pb n="105" facs="tcp:57346:56"/> | |
them. But, replied the Empress, he has power | |
in some particulars; as for example, To place and dis<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>place | |
Subjects in their particular Governments of | |
Church and State; and having that, he has the Com<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>mand | |
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 easie and safe, and he governs so justly and wisely, | |
that his Subjects are the happiest people of all the Na<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tions | |
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 Come<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dies | |
and Tragedies were acted. The Empress asked, | |
Whether they were real? No, said the Duchess, | |
they are feigned. Then the Empress desired to en<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ter | |
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 Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press; | |
but I observe that the Actors make a better | |
show than the Spectators; and the Scenes a better than | |
<pb n="106" facs="tcp:57346:57"/> | |
the Actors, and the Musick and Dancing is more plea<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>sant | |
and acceptable than the Play it self; for I see, the | |
Scenes stand for Wit, the Dancing for Humour, and | |
the Musick 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 Musick before a true and profitable Rela<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>tion? | |
As for Relation, replied the Duchess, our Po<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ets | |
defie and condemn it into a Chimney-corner, fitter | |
for old Womens 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 <hi>Greek</hi> or <hi>Roman,</hi> 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, Musick and Dancing, made | |
new Plays.</p> | |
<p>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 | |
<pb n="107" facs="tcp:57346:57"/> | |
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 mixt so exactly | |
together, that none did overshadow or eclipse the other; | |
and as for the Queen, she said, that Vertue sate Tri<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>umphant | |
in her face, and Piety was dwelling in her | |
heart; and that all the Royal Family seem'd to be en<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dued | |
with a Divine splendor: but when she had heard | |
the King discourse, she believ'd that <hi>Mercury</hi> and <hi>Apollo</hi> | |
had been his Coelestial 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 Em<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>press | |
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 King<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>dom | |
where the Duke of <hi>Newcastle</hi> was.</p> | |
<p>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, | |
<pb n="108" facs="tcp:57346:58"/> | |
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 <hi>Ze<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>phyrus.</hi> | |
</p> | |
<p>And now to return to my former Story; when the | |
Empress's and Duchess's Soul were travelling into | |
<hi>Nottinghamshire,</hi> (for that was the place where the | |
Duke did reside) passing through the Forrest of <hi>Shere<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>wood,</hi> | |
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 <hi>Welbeck,</hi> a House where the Duke | |
dwell'd, surrounded all with Wood, so close and full, | |
that the Empress took great pleasure and delight there<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>in, | |
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 Warr in | |
that Kingdom, in which most of the best Timber-trees | |
and Principal Palaces were ruined and destroyed; and | |
<pb n="109" facs="tcp:57346:58"/> | |
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 particu<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>lar | |
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 los<g ref="char:EOLhyphen"/>ses. | |
The Duchess most humbly thank'd 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 enter'd 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 <hi>Bolesover.</hi> 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 Ve<g ref= |