ARTES
1817
SCIENTIA
VERITAS
LIBRARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
ZAL FLURIOUS UNLI
TUEBOR
SI-QUÆRIS PENINSULAM-AMLENAM
CIRCUMSPICE
&
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Į
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
3 9015 01080 3677
A 426844
}
5.4
F633
1157
hp
1. Mercury, 2 Venus, 3The Earth. 4 Mars, 5 Jupiter, 6 Saturn
B. Colcoc
728111 IKIIKITHUBUTE A
isamQAMIUI
Great Fontenelle the Heavens did Dovery,
An! taught the Ladies his Philosophy.
A
Week's Converſation
ON THE
PLURALITY
OF
WORLDS
Pa Border
By Monfieur DE FONTENELLE.
Tranſlated from the laft Edition, wherein are many
Improvements; and New Obfervations on feveral
Discoveries which have been made in the HEAVENS.
By WILLIAM GARDINER, Efq:
THE FOURTH EDITION.
To which is added,
Mr.ADDISON's Defence
OF THE
NEWTONIAN PHILOSOPHY.
LONDON:
Printed for C. HITCH and L. HAWES, in Paters
Nofter-Row; and J. HODGES, at the Looking-Glass,
facing 6t, Magnus Church, on Londen-Bridge, £757•
(Price 21. 6d.)
hops
B2B-4
поло
F683*
157
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Alter
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PREFACE.
I
AM pretty much in the
fame CASE with CICERO,
when he undertook to write
***** of Philofophical Matters in
the Latin Tongue, there be-
ing, then, no Books upon that Subject,
but what were in Greek: He was told,
that fuch an Attempt would be useless;
becauſe, thoſe who were Lovers of Phi-
lofophy, would rather take the Pains to
fearch for it in Greek Writers, than
make ufe of Latin ones, which treated of
it, but at fecond Hand; and that thofe
who had no Relish for this Science, would
never trouble their Heads with either
Greek or Latin. To thefe Objectors, be
anfwered, it would happen quite other-
wife; for, ſays he, the great Eafe People
A 3
will
ii
PREFACE.
will find in reading Latin Books, will
tempt thofe to be Philofophers who are none,
and they who already are Philofophers, by
reading Greek Books, will be very glad
to fee how the Subject is handled in Latin.
CICERO might with good Reafon an-
fwer as he did, because the Excellency of
his Genius, and the great Reputation he
had acquired, warranted the Succeſs of
all be wrote: But in a Defign, not much
unlike bis, I am far from having thoſe
Grounds of Confidence which he had. My
Purpose is to difcourfe of Philofophy, but
not directly in a Philofophical Manner
and to raiſe it to fuch a Pitch, that it
fhall not be too dry and infipid a Subject
to pleafe Gentlemen; nor too mean and
trifling to entertain Scholars. Should I be
told (as Cicero was) that fuch a Difcourfe
as this, would not pleafe the Learned, be-
cauſe it cannot teach them any Thing; nor
the Illiterate, becaufe they will have no
Mind to learn; I will not answer as be
did: It may be, endeavouring to pleaſe
every Body, I have pleafed no Body;
now, to keep a Medium betwixt two Ex-
treams,
PREFACE.
111
treams, is ſo very difficult, that, I be
lieve, I fhall never defire to put myself a
Second Time to the like Trouble.
If I should acquaint Thoſe who are
to read this Book, and have any Know
ledge of Natural Philofophy, that I do
not pretend to Inftruct, but only to Di-
vert them; by prefenting to their View,
in a gay and pleafing Drefs, what they
have already feen in a more grave and
folid Habit: Not but They, to whom
the Subject is New, may be both Divert-
ed and Inſtructed: The firft will act con-
trary to my Intention, if they look for
Profit, and the laft, if they feek for
nothing but Pleafure.
I have chofen that Part of Philofophy
which is most likely to excite Curiofity;
for I think nothing concerns us more,
than to enquire how this World, which
we inhabit, is made; and whether there
be
any other Worlds like it, which are
alfo inhabited as This is? But after all,
it is at every Body's Difcretion, how far
they will run their Difquifitions: Thofe
A 4
who
iv
PREFACE.
who have any Thoughts to loſe, may throw
them away upon fuch Subjects as thefe;
but, I fuppofe, fuch as can employ their
Time better, will not be at fo vain and
fruitless an Expence.
In theſe Diſcourſes, I have introduced
LADY, to be inftructed in Things of
which she never heard, and I have made
ufe of this Fiction, to render the Book
the more acceptable, and to give Encou-
ragement to Gentlewoman, by the Ex-
ample of one of their own Sex, who
without any fupernatural Parts, or
Tincture of Learning, understands what
is Jaid to her; and without any Confu-
fion, rightly apprehends what Vortexes
and other Worlds are: And why may
not there be a Woman like this imaginary
Marchionefs, fince her Conceptions are no
other than fuch as ſhe could not chuſe but
bave?
·
To penetrate into things either obfcure
in themfelves, or but darkly expreffed,
requires deep Meditation, and an earnest
Application of the Mind; but here, noth-
ing
PREFACE.
ing more is requifite than to read, and to
imprint an Idea of what is read, in the
Fancy, which will certainly be clear enough.
I ſhall defire no more of the Fair Sex,
than that they will perufe this Syftem of
Philofophy, with the fame Application
that they do a Romance or Novel when
they would retain the Plot, or find out
all its Beauties. It is true, that the I-
deas of this are lefs familiar to moſt
Ladies, than thofe of Romances, but
they are not more obfcure; for at most,
twice or thrice thinking, will render them
very perspicuous.
I have not compofed an airy Syſtem,
which has no Foundation at all: I have
made uſe of ſome true Philofophical Ar-
guments, and of as many as I thought
neceſſary; but it falls out very luckily in
this Subject, that the Phyfical-Ideas are
in themſelves very diverting; and as they
convince and fatisfy Reafon, fo at the
Same Time they prefent to the Imagination
a Profpect which looks as if it were made
on purpoſe to pleaſe it.
A S
When
vi PREFACE.
When I meet with any Fragments which
are not of this kind, I put them into fome
pretty strange Drefs: Virgil has done the
like in his Georgicks? when his Subject
is very dry, he adorns it with pleasant
Digreffions: Ovid has done the fame in
his Art of Love; and though his Subject
be of itſelf very pleafing, yet he thought
it tedious to talk of nothing but Love.
My Subject has more need of Digreffions
than his, yet I have made ufe of them
very sparingly, and of fuch only, as the
natural Liberty of Converfation allows:
I bave placed them only where I thought
my Readers would be pleafed to meet with
them; the greatest Part of them are in
the Beginning of the Book, becauſe the
Mind cannot at first be fo well acquainted
with the principal Ideas which are pre-
fented to it; and, in a Word, they are
taken from the Subject itſelf; or, as near
to it, as is poffible.
I have related nothing concerning the
Inhabitants of the feveral Worlds, which
may feem fabulous, or chimerical; but
have faid whatever may be reasonably
thought
PREFACE.
vii
thought of them; and the Visions which I
have added, have fome real Foundation;
what is true, and what is falſe are ming-
led together, but ſo as to be easily diftin-
guifhed: I will not undertake to justify
So fantastical and odd a Compofition,
which is the principal Point of the Work,
and yet, for which, I can give no very
good Reafon.
There remains no more to be faid in
this Place, to a fort of People, who per-
haps will not be eafily fatisfied, though
I have good Reasons to give them; but,
that the beſt which can be given will
not fatisfy them. Theſe are the fcrupu-
lous Perfons, who imagine, that the pla-
cing Inhabitants any where, but upon
the Earth, will prove dangerous to Reli-
gion: I know how exceffively tender fome
are in religious Matters, and therefore I
am very unwilling to give any Offence,
in what I publiſh, to People whofe Opi-
nion is contrary to that I maintain: But
Religion can receive no Prejudice by my
Syſtem, which fills an Infinity of Worlds
with Inhabitants, if a little Error
A 6
the
viii
PREFACE.
the Imagination be but rectified. When
it is faid the Moon is inhabited, fome
preſently fancy that there are fuch Men
there, as ourselves; and Priests with-
out any more ado, think him an Atheist,
who is of that Opinion. None of Adam's
Pofterity, cry they, ever travelled fo far
as the Moon; nor were any Colonies
ever planted in that Region. I grant it.
The Men in the Moon are not the Sons
of Adam: And here again Theology
would be puzzled, if there fhould be Men
any where, who never defcended from him.
To Say no more, this is the great Difficulty
to which all others may be reduced: To
clear it by a larger Explanation, I muſt
make use of Terms which deferve greater
Refpect, than to put into a Treatife, fo
far from being Jerious as this is. But
perhaps there is no need of anſwering the
Objection, for it concerns no Body but the
Men in the Moon; and I never yet af-
firmed there are Men there; if any afk
what the Inhabitants are, if they be not
Men? All I can fay is, that I never
Saw them; and it is not becauſe I have
Seen them, that I speak of them: Let
none
7
PREFACE.
ix
none however think, that I fay there are
no Men in the Moon, purpofely to avoid
the Objection made against me; for it
appears it is impoffible there should be any
Men there, according to the Idea I have
framed of that infinite Diversity and
Variety, which is to be observed in the
the Works of Nature; this Idea runs
through the whole Book, and cannot be
contradicted by any Philofopher: Nay,
I believe, I fhall only hear this Objection
Started by fuch as ſhall ſpeak of thefe
Difcourfes, without having read them.
But is this a Point: to be depended on?
No, on the contrary, I should more pro-
bably fear, that the Objection might be
made to me from many Paffages.
The Reader will find in this Edition,
befides many Improvements interfperfed in
the Body of the Work, one New Con-
verfation, in which I have put together
thofe Reafonings, which I had omitted
in the foregoing ones; and have fubjoined
Some Late Difcoveries in the Firmament,
Several of w have never yet been
made Publick.
FONTENELLE,
THE
CONTENTS.
I
Ntroduction to the CONVERSATI-
ONS concerning the PLURALITY of
WORLDS, with the Marchioness of
G***** to Monfieur L****.
The FIRST EVENING.
That the EARTH is a PLANET, which
turns on itſelf and round the SUN.
The SECOND EVENING.
Page 1
That the Moon is an Habitable World.
The THIRD EVENING.
P. 36
Particulars concerning the WORLD in
the Moon, and Proofs of the other
PLANETS being Habitable.
P. 79
The
The CONTENTS.
The FOURTH EVENING.
Particulars of the WORLDS of Venus of
Mercury, of Mars, of Jupiter, and
of Saturn.
The FIFTH EVENING.
p. 100
Shewing that the fixed Stars are fo many
Suns, every one of which gives Light
to a World.
The SIXTH EVENING.
p. 133
New Obfervations confirming the prece-
ding Ones, And fome farther Dif
coveries made in the Heavens. p. 165
1
VERSES, fent with this Book to
Mrs. OLDFIELD. Written by Mrs.
Centlivre.
P. 193
A Defence of the New Philofophy.
By JOSEPH ADDISON, Efq; p. 194
Τα
To MONSIEUR L****
T
O give you, Sir, a particu-
lar Detail how I paffed my
Time in the Country, with
the Marchioneſs of G*****
would make a large Volume; and
what is yet worſe, a Volume of Phi-
lofophy: Whereas the Entertainments
you expect are of another kind, as
Balls, Parties at Play, or Hunting,
inſtead of which you must take up
with Vortexes, Planets, and New
Worlds; theſe were the Subject of our
Converfation. Now, a you have the
Happineſs to be a Philofopher, one
Entertainment is the fame to you as a-
nother. And I fancy, you will be
pleaſed, that I have brought over the
Marchionefs to our Party; we could not
have gained a more confiderable Perfon,
for Youth and Beauty are ever inefti-
mable: If Wiſdom would
appear with
Succefs to Mankind, think you fhe
could
}
}
TO MONSIEUR L****
could do it more effectually than in the
Perfon of this Lady? And yet was her
Company but half fo agreeable, I am
perfuaded all the World would run
mad after Wisdom. But, tho' I tell you
all the Difcourfe I had with the Lady,
you muſt not expect Miracles from me.
It is impoffible, without her Wit, to
exprefs her fentiments, in the fame
manner the delivered them. For my
Part, I think her very learned, from
the great Difpofition fhe has to Learn-
ing. It is not poring upon Books that
makes a Man a Scholar. I know many
who have done nothing elfe, and yet I
fancy are not one Tittle the wiſer: But
perhaps you expect, before I enter upon
my Subject, I ſhould defcribe the Si
tuation, and Building of the Marchio-
nefs's Seat; many great Palaces have
been turned infide outward upon far leſs
Occafion: But I intend to fave you and
myſelf that labour; let it fuffice, that I
tell you, I found no Company with
the Lady; this I was not at all diſplea-
fed at; the first two Days drained me
all the News I brought from Paris;
what
TO MONSIEUR L****
}
what I now fend you is Aftronomical
Converfation, which I will divide into
fo many Parts, as we were Evenings
together.
*
CON-
CONVERSATIONS
ΟΝ ΤΗΕ
Pluraliy of Worlds.
The FIRST EVENING.
That the Earth is a Planet, which turns
on itſelf, “and round the Sun.
O
NE Evening after Supper,
we went to take a Turn in
the Park; the Air, from the
Heat of the preceding Day,
was extremely refreſhing;
the Moon about an Hour high, and
her Luftre, between the Trees, made
an agreeable Mixture of Light and
Shade,
2 The Plurality of Worlds.
Shade; the Stars were, arrayed in all
their Glory, and not a Cloud appeared
throughout the Hemifphere. I was
mufing on this aweful Profpect---but
who can long contemplate on the Moon
or Stars in the Company of a pretty
Woman? I am much miſtaken if that
is a Time for Contemplation: Well
Madam, fays I, to the Marchioneſs, is
not the Night as pleaſant as the Day?
The Day, replied he, like a Fair Beau-
ty, is clear and dazzling; but the Night,
like a Brown one, more foft and moving,
You are generous Madam, anfwered I,
to prefer the Brown, who have all the
Charms that belong to the Fair: But,
is there any Thing more beautiful in
Nature than the Day? The Heroines
of Romances are generally fair; and
that Beauty muſt be perfect, which has
all the Advantages of Imagination. Tell
me not, fays he, of perfect Beauty;
nothing can be fo that is not moving.
But fince you talk of Romances, why
do Lovers in their Songs and Eligies
addreſs themſelves to the Night? It is
the Night, Madam, replied I, that
crowns
EVENING I.
3
}
crowns their Joys, and therefore de-
ferves their Thanks. But it is the
Night, anfwered he, that hears their
Complaints, and how comes it to paſs,
the Day is fo little trufted with their
Secrets? I confefs, Madam, fays I, the
Night has fomewhat a more melancholy
Air than the Day; we fancy the Stars
march more filently than the Sun; and
our Thoughts wander with the more
Liberty, whilſt we think all the World
at Reſt but ourſelves: Beſides, the Day
is more uniform; we ſee nothing but
the Sun, and one Light in the Firma-
ment; whilft the Night fhews us Vari-
ety of Objects, and gives us Ten
Thoufand Stars, which infpire us with
as many pleaſant Ideas. She replied,
what you ſay is true, I love the Stars;
there is fomewhat charming in them, I
could almoſt be angry with the Sun for
effacing them. And I cannot, fays I,
pardon him, for keeping all thoſe
WORLDS from my Sight: What
WORLDS, fays fhe, looking ear-
neſtly upon me, do
you mean?
I beg
{
4 The Plurality of Worlds.
}
I beg your Pardon, Madam, replied I,
you have put me upon my Folly, and
I begin to rave: What Folly, anfwered
fhe, I diſcover none? Alas, fays I, I
am aſhamed, I muft own it, I have
had a ſtrong Fancy that every Star is a
World: I will not fwear that it is true,
✅ but muſt think fo, becauſe it is ſo plea-
fant to believe it; it is a Fancy come
into my Head, which is very diverting.
If your Folly be fo diverting, fays the
Marchionefs, pray make me fenfible of
it; provided the Pleaſure be ſo great, I
will believe as much of the Stars as you
would have me. I fear, Madam, replied
I, it is a Diverfion you will not reliſh;
it is not like reading one of Moliere's
Plays; it is a Pleaſure rather of the
Fancy than of the Judgment. I hope,
anfwered she, you do not think me in-*
capable of it; teach me your Stars, I
will fhew you the contrary. No, no,
fays I, it fhall never be faid I was talking
Philofophy at Ten o'Clock at Night, to
the most amiable Creature in the Uni-
verfe; find your Philofophers fomewhere
elfe:
But
EVENING I.
5
ÁRAMIGMEN
But vain were my Excufes; who
could refift fuch Charms? Iwas forced
to yield, and yet I knew not where to
begin; for to a Perfon who underſtands
not any thing of Natural Philofophy,
you muſt go a great Way about to prove
that the Earth may be a Planet; the
Planets fo many Earths; and all the
Stars diftinct Worlds; however, to
give her a general Notion of Philofophy
at laft I refolved on this Method, Ma-
dam, fays I, all Philofophy is founded
upon theſe two Propofitions. 1. That
we are too fhort-fighted; or, 2. That we
are too curious; for if our Eyes were
better than they are, we ſhould foon fee
whether the Stars were Worlds or not;
and if, on the other hand, we were lefs
curious, we ſhould not care whether
the Stars are Worlds or not, which I
think is much to the fame Purpoſe.
But the Bufinefs is, we have a mind to
know more than we fee: And again, if
we could difcern well what we do fee,
it would be too much known to us;
but we ſee Things quite otherwiſe than
they are. So that your true Philofopher
will
6 The Plurality of Worlds.
will not believe what he does fee, and is
always conjecturing at what he doth not;
which I think is a Life not much to be
envied: Upon this I fancy to myſelf,
that Nature very much reſembles an
Opera; where you ftand, you do not
fee the Stage as it really is, but as it is
placed with Advantage, and all the
Wheels and Movements hid, to make
the Repreſentation the more agreeable:
Nor do you trouble yourſelf how, or
by what Means the Machines are moved,
tho' certainly an Engineer in the Pit is
affected with what does not touch you; he
is pleaſed with the Motion, and is demon-
ſtrating to himſelf on what it depends,
and how it comes to paſs. This Engi-
neer is like a Philofopher, tho' the Dif
ficulty be greater on the Philofopher's
Part, the Machines of the Theatre being
not near fo curious as thoſe of Nature,
who difpoſes her Wheels and Springs fo
much out of Sight, that we have been
a long while gueffing at the Movement
of the Univerſe. Let us imagine, fome
of the ancient Sages to be at an Opera,
fuch as Pythagorus, Plato, or Ariftotle,
and all the Wife Men who have made
fuch
1
EVENING I.
fuch a Noife in the World, for thefe
many Ages: We will ſuppoſe them at
the Repreſentation of PHAETON, where
they ſee the aſpiring Youth lifted up by
the Winds, but do not difcover the
Wires by which he mounts, nor know
they any Thing of what is done be-
hind the Scenes. Would you have all
the Philofophers own themſelves to be
ftark Fools, and confefs ingenuouſly
they do not know how it comes to pafs:
No, no, they are not called Wife Men
for nothing; tho' let me tell you, moft
of their Wiſdom depends upon the Ig-
norance of their Neighbours. Every
Man preſently give his Opinion, and
how improbable foever, there are Fools
enough of all Sorts to believe them:
One tells you Phaeton is drawn up by
a hidden magnetic Virtue, no matter
where it lies; and perhaps the grave
Gentleman will take Pet, if you alk
him the Queſtion Another fays, Pha-
eton is compofed of certain Numbers.
that make hiin mount; and after all,
the Philofopher knows no more of thoſe
Numbers than a fucking Child does of
B
Algebra:
8 The Plurality of Worlds.
Algebra: A third tells you, Phaeton
has a fecret Love for the Top of the
Theatre, and, like a true Lover cannot
be at reft out of his Miftrefs's Com-
pany, with an hundred fuch extrava-·
gant Fancies, that a Man muſt con-
clude the old Sages were very good
Banterers: But now comes Monfieur
Descartes, with ſome of the Moderns,
and they tell you Phaeton aſcends, be-
cauſe a greater Weight than he def-
cends; fo that now we do not believe a
Body can move without it is puſhed
and forced by another Body, and, as
it were, drawn by Cords, fo that noth-
ing can rife or fall, but by the Means
of a Counterpoiſe; to ſee Nature then,
as fhe really is, one muft ftand behind
the Scenes at the Opera. I perceive,
fays the Lady, Philofophy is now be-
come very mechanical, Yes, Madam,
replied I, fo mechanical, that I fear we
fhall quickly be ashamed of it; they will
have the World to be in Large, what a
Watch is in Small,, that is very regular,
and depends only upon the juft Difpo-
fition of the feveral Parts of the Move-
ment.
EVENING- I.
9
ment. But pray tell me, Madam, hađ
´you not formerly a more fublime Idea
of the Univerſe? Do not you think then
that you honoured it more than it de-
ſerved? For moſt People have the lefs
Efteem for it, fince they have pretended
to know it. I am not of their Opinion,
fays fhe; I value it the more fince I
know it reſembles a Watch; and the
more plain and eafy the whole Order
of Nature feems, to me it
appears to
be the more admirable.
I do not know, anfwered I, who has
infpired you with theſe folid Notions,
but I am certain there are few who
have them befides yourfelf: People ge-
nerally admire what they do not com-
prehend; they have a Veneration for
Obfcurity, and look upon Nature, as a
kind of Magic, while they do not un-
derſtand her; and defpife her below Le-
gerdemain, when once they are acquain-
ted with her; but I find you, Madam,
fo much better difpofed, that I have
nothing to do but to draw the Curtain,
and fhew you the World. That noble
Expanſe which appears fartheft from
B 2
the
10 The Pirrality of Worlds.
the Earth (where we refide) is called
the Heavens, that Azure Firmament
where the Stars are faſtened like ſo many
Nails, (and are called fixed, becauſe
they ſeem to have no other Motion than
that of their Horizon, which carries
them with itſelf from Eaft to Weſt.)
Between the Earth and this great Vault
(as I may call it) hang, at different
Heights, the Sun, and the Moon, with
the other five Stars, Mercury, Venus,
Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, which we
call the Planets, not being faftned to
the fame Heaven, and having very
unequal Motions, have divers Afpects
and Pofitions: Whereas the fixed Stars,
in reſpect to one another, are always in
the fame Situation: For Example, the
Chariot, which you fee is compofed of
thefe Seven Stars, has been, and ever
will be as it now is, tho' the Moon is
fometimes farther from it; and ſo it is
with the rest of the Flanets. Thus
Things appeared to the old Chaldean
Shepherds, whofe great Leiſure produ-
ced theſe firſt Obfervations, which have
fince been the Foundation of Aftrono-
my;
EVENING I.
II
ray; which Science had its Birth in
Chaldea, as Geometry fprung from
Egypt, where the Inundation of the
Nile confounding the Bounds of the
Fields, occafioned their inventing more
exact Meafures to diftinguish every one's
Land from that of his Neighbour. So
that Aftronomy was the Daughter of
Idleness, Geometry the Daughter of In-
tereft; and if we did but examine Poe-
try, we should certainly find her the
Daughter of Love.
I am glad, fays the Lady, I have
learned the Genealogy of the Sciences,
and am convinced I muſt ſtick to Aſtro-
nomy, my Soul is not mercenary enough
for Geometry, nor is it tender enough for
Poetry; but I have as much Time to
fpare as Aftronomy requires; befides,
we are now in the Country, and lead a
kind of Paftoral Life, all which fuits
beſt with Aſtronomy. Do not deceive
yourſelf, Madam, replied I, it is a true
Shepherd's Life to talk of the Stars and
Planets: See if they pafs their Time ſo
in Aftrea. That fort of Shepherd's-
Craft, answered fhe, is too dangerous
B 3
for
12 The Plurality of Worlds.
you
for me to learn; I love the honeft Chal-
deans, and you must teach me their
Rules, if would have me improve
in their Science. But let us proceed;
When they had placed the Heavens in
the Difpofition you tell me, pray, what
is the next Queftion? The next, fays I,
is the difpofing the feveral Parts of the
Univerfe, which the Learned call, ma-
king a Syftem; but before I expound
the first Syſtem, I would have you ob-
ſerve, we are all naturally like the
Athenian-Idiot, who fancied all the
Ships that came into the Pyreum Port,
belonged to him: Nor is our Folly leſs
extravagant, we believe all Things in
Nature defigned for our Ufe; and do
but afk a Philofopher, to what Purpofe
there is that prodigious Company of
fixed Stars, when a far lefs Number
would perform the Service they do us?
He anſwers coldly, they were made to
pleafe our Sight. Upon this Principle
they imagined the Earth reſted in the
Center of the Univerſe, while all the
Celestial Bodies (which were made for
it) took the Pains to turn round to give
Light
EVENING I.
13
Light to it. They placed the Moon
above the Earth, Mercury above the
Moon, after Venus, the Sun, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn; above all theſe they
fet the Heaven of fixed Stars, the Earth
was juft in the Middle of thofe Circles
which contain the Planets, and the
greater the Circles were, they were the
farther diftant from the Earth, and by
confequence the fartheft Planets took
up the most Time in finishing their
Courfe; which in Effect is true; But
why, fays the Marchionefs (interrupting
me) do you dislike this Syftem: It feems
to me very clear and intelligible. How-
ever, replied 1, Madam, I will make
it plainer; for ſhould I give it you as it
came from Ptolemy its Author, or fome
others who have fince ftudied it, I should
frighten you, I fancy, inftead of diverting
you. Since the Motions of the Planets
are not fo regular, but that fometimes
they go fafter, fometimes flower, fome-
times are nearer the Earth, and fometimes
farther from it; the Ancients invented
I do not know how many Orbs or Cir-
cles, involved one within another, which
they
B 4
14 The Plurality of Worlds.
they thought would falve all Objections;
this Confufion of Circles was fo great,
that, at the Time, when they knew
no better, a certain King of Cafile, a
great Mathematician,(but not much
troubled with Religion) faid, That, bad
God confulted him when he made the
World, he would have told him how to
have framed it better. The Saying was
very Atheistical, and no doubt the In-
ſtructions he would have given the Al-
mighty, were the fuppreffing thofe Cir-
cles with which he had clogged the
Celeſtial Motions, and the taking away
two or three fuperfluous Heavens, which
were placed above the fixed Stars; for
the Philofophers, to explain the Motion
of the Celeſtial Bodies, had above the
uppermost Heaven (which we fee)
found another of Cryſtal, to influence
and give Motion to the inferior Hea-
vens; and where-ever they heard of
another Motion, they prefently clapped
up a Cryſtal Heaven, which coft them
nothing. But why, fays the Lady, muſt
their Heaven be of Cryſtal, would no-
thing elſe ſerve as well? No, no replied
I,
EVENING I.
15
❤
I, nothing fo well; for the Light is to
come thro' them, and yet they are to
be folid. Aristotle would have it ſo, he
had found Solidity to be one of their
Excellencies, and when he had once
`faid it, no Body would be fo rude as to
queftion him. But it ſeems there were
Comets much higher than the Philofo-
phers expected, which as they paffed
along, broke the Cryſtal Heavens, and
confounded the Univerfe. But to make
the beft of a bad Market, they prefent-
ly melted down their broken Glaſs, and
to Ariftotle's Confufion, made the Hea-
vens fluid; and by the Obfervations of
thefe latter Ages, it is now out of Doubt,
that Venus and Mercury turn round the
Sun, and not round the Earth, accord-
ing to the Ancient Syftem, which is
every where exploded, and all the Au-
thorities not worth a Ruſh. But that
which I am going to lay down, will
falve all, and is fo clear, that the King
of Caftile himſelf may fpare his Advice.
Methinks, anfwered the Marchioness,
your Philofophy is a kind of Out-cry,
where he that offers to do the Work
cheapeſt,
B 5
16 The Plurality of Worlds.
cheapeſt, carries it from all the reft.
This, fays I, is very true, Nature is a
great Houſewife, fhe always makes uſe
of what cofts leaft, let the Difference
be ever fo inconfiderable; and yet this
Frugality is accompanied with an extra-
ordinary Magnificence, which fhines
thro' all her Works; that is, fhe is
magnificent in the Defign, but frugal
in the Execution, and what can be
more Praiſe-worthy, than a great De-
fign accomplished with a little Expence?
But in our Ideas we turn Things topfy-
turvy, we place our Thrift in the De-
fign, and are at Ten times more Charge
in Workmanſhip than it requires; which
is very ridiculous. Imitate Nature then,
replied fhe, in your Syftem, and give
me as little trouble as you can to com-
prehend you. Madam, Jays I, fear it
not, we have done with our Imperti-
r
-nences: Imagine then a German called
COPERNICUS Confounding every Thing,
tearing in Pieces the beloved Circles of
Antiquity, and fhattering their Crystal
Heavens like fo many Glafs Windows;
feized with the noble Rage of Aftro-
nomy,
EVENING I.
17
}
nomy, he fnatches up the Earth from
the Center of the Univerfe, fends her
packing, and places the Sun in the
Center, to which it did more juftly
belong; the Planets no longer turn
round the Earth, nor inclofe it in the
Circles they defcribe; if they give us
Light, it is but by Chance, and as they
meet us in their Way: All now goes
round the Sun, even the Earth herfelf;
and Copernicus, to punish the Earth for
her former Lazinefs, makes her con-
tribute all he can to the Motion of the
Planets and Heavens; and now depriv-
ed of all the Heavenly Equipage with
which ſhe was ſo gloriously attended,
fhe has nothing left her but the Moon,
which ſtill turns round about her: Fair
and foftly, fays the Marchionefs, I fancy
you yourſelf are feized with the Noble
Fury of Aftronomy; a little lefs Rapture,
and I ſhall underſtand you better. The
Sun, you affirm, is in the Center of the
Univerſe, and is immoveable; Mercury,
fays I, follows next, he turns round the
Sun, fo that the Sun is in the Center of
the Circle wherein Mercury moves;
B 6
above
18 The Plurality of Worlds.
1
above Mercury, is Venus, who turns all
round the Sun; after, comes the Earth,
which being placed higher than Mer-
cury and Venus, makes a greater Circle
round the Sun than either of them; at
laſt comes Mars, Jupiter and Saturn,
in the fame Order I name them, fo
that Saturn has the greateſt Circle round
the Sun, which is the Reafon he is
longer in making his Revolution than
any of the other Planets. You have
forgot the Moon, fays the Marchioness.
We fhall quickly find her again, replied
I; the Moon turns round the Earth, and
does not leave her, but as the Earth ad-
vances in the Circle, which ſhe defcribes
about the Sun; and if the Moon turns
round the Sun, it is becauſe ſhe will not
quit the Earth, I underſtand you, an-
fwered fhe, and I love the Moon for ſtay-
ing with us when all the other Planets
abandon us; nay, I fear your German
would have willingly taken her away
too if he could; for in all his Proceed-
ings, I find he had a great ſpite to the
Earth. It was well done of him, fays
I, to abate the Vanity of Mankind, who
had
EVENING I.
19
up
had taken the beſt Place in the Uni-
verfe; and it pleaſes me to ſee the Earth
in the Crouds of the Planets. Sure,
anfwered she, you do not think their
Vanity extends itſelf fo far as Aftronomy!
Do you believe you have humbled me,
in telling me the Earth goes round the
Sun? For my part I do not think my-
felf the worfe for it. I confefs, Madam,
replied I, it is my Belief, that a fair
Lady would be much more concerned
for her Place at a Ball, than for her
Rank in the Univerſe; and the Prece-
dence of two Planets will not make.
half fuch a Noiſe in the World, as that
of two Ambaffadors; however, the fame
Inclination which reigns at a Ceremony,
governs in a Syftem; and if you love
the uppermoft Place in one, the Philo-
fopher defires the Center in the other;
he flatters himself that all Things were
made for him, and infenfibly believes a
Matter of pure Speculation to be a Point
of Intereft. This is a Culumny, fays
She, you have invented againſt Mankind;
why did they receive this Syſtem if it
was fo erroneous? I know not, answered
Is
20 The Plrrality of Worlds.
I, but I am fure Copernicus himſelf di-
ftrufted the Succefs of his Opinion; it
was a long Time before he would ven-
ture to publifh it; nor had he done it
then, without the Importunity of his
Friends. But do you know what be-
came of him? The very Day they
brought him the firft printed Sheet of
his Book, he died; foreſeeing, that he
fhould never be able to reconcile all the
Contradictions, and therefore
very wife-
ly flipt out of the Way. I would be
juſt to all the World, fays the Lady, but
it is hard to fancy we move, and yet
find we do not change our Place; we
perceive ourſelves in the Morning where
we lay down at Night: Perhaps you will
tell me the whole Earth moves--- Yes,
certainly adds 1; it is the fame Cafe as
you fell aſleep in a Boat upon the
River, when you wake you find your-
felf in the farme Place, and the fame
Situation, in refpect to all the Parts of
the Boat. It is true, replied fhe, but
there is a great Difference, when I wake
I find another Shore, and that ſhows
me, my Boat has changed its Place. But
if
it
EVENING I.
21
it is not the fame with the Earth, I find
all Things as I left them. No, no frys
I, there is another Shore too; You know
that beyond the Circles of the Planets
are fixed Stars, there is our Shore, I am
upon the Earth, and the Earth makes a
great Circle round the Sun; I look for
the Center of the Circle and fee the Sun
there, then I direct my Sight beyond
the Sun in a right Line, and fhould cer-
tainly diſcover the fixed Stars which an-
fwer to the Sun, but that the Light of
the Sun effaces them: But at Night I
eafily perceive the Stars that correfpon-
ded with him in the Day, which is ex
actly the fame Thing; if the Earth did
not change its Place in the Circle where
it is, I fhould fee the Sun always againſt
the fame fixed Stars; but when the
Earth changes its Place, the Sun muft
anſwer to other Stars, and there again
is your Shore, which is always chang-
ing. And ſeeing the Earth makes her
Circle in a Year, I fee the Sun likewife in
the Space of a Year anfwer fucceffively to
the whole Circle of the fixed Stars,
which
22 The Plurality of Worlds.
which Circle is called the Zodiac; I will
draw you the Figure of it, if you pleafe,
on the Sand? It is no matter, replied
the Lady, I can do well enough without
it; befides, it will give an Air of Learn-
ing to my Park, which I would not have
in it: For I have heard of a certain Phi-
lofopher, who being fhipwrecked upon
an unknown Iſland, feeing feveral Ma-
thematical Figures traced on the Sea
fhore, cryed out to thofe who followed
him, Courage, my Companions, the fle
is inhabited, behold the Footsteps of Men.
But you may fpare your Figures, fuch
Footſteps are not decent here.
I confefs, Madam, added I, the Foot-
fteps of Lovers, would better become
this Place; that is, your Name and Cy-
pher cut on the Trees by your Adorers.
Tell me not, fays fhe, of Lovers and
Adorers, I am for my beloved Sun and
Planets. But how comes it to paſs, that
the Sun, as to the fixed Stars, compleats
his Courſe but in a Year, and yet goes
over our Heads every Day? Did you
never, replied I, obferve a Bowl on the
Green? It runs towards the Jack, and
at
"
EVENING I.
23
at the fame Time turns very often round
itſelf, fo that the Parts which were above
are below, and thoſe which were below
are above; juft fo it is with the Earth,
at the fame Time that the advances on
the Circle, which in a Year's Space ſhe
makes round the Sun, in 24 Hours fhe
turns round herself; fo that in 24 Hours
every part of the Earth lofes the Sun,
and recovers him again, and as it turns
towards the Sun, it feems to rife, and as it
turns from him, it ſeems to fall: It is
very pleafant, fays he, that the Earth
muſt take all upon herſelf, and the Sun
do nothing: And when the Moon, the
other Planets, and the fixed Stars ſeem
to go over our Heads every 24 Hours,
you will fay, That too is only Fancy?
Mere Fancy, Madam, which proceeds
from the fame Caufe, for the Planets
compleat their Courſes round the Sun
at unequal Times, according to their
unequal Diſtances; and that which To-
day we ſee anſwer to a certain Point in
the Zodiac, or Circle of the fixed Stars,
To-morrow will answer to another Point,
becauſe it is advanced on its own Circle,
as
24 The Plurality of Worlds.
as well as we are advanced upon ours:
We move, and the Planets move too,
but with more or lefs Rapidity than we
do; this puts us in different Points of
Sight in reſpect to them, and makes us
think their Courſes irregular; but their
is no Occafion of difcourfing to you on
that Head; it is fufficient to inform you
that what ſeems irregular in the Planets,
proceeds only from our Motion, when
in Truth they are all very regular. I
will fuppofe them fo, fays the Lady,
but I would not have their Regularity
put the Earth to fo great Trouble; me-
thinks you exact too much Activity from
ſo ponderous a Mafs. But, Jays I, had
you rather that the Sun and all the Stars,
which are vaſt great Bodies, fhould in
24 Hours make a prodigious Tour
round the Earth; and that the fixed
Stars, which are in a Circle of infinite
Extent, whofe Movement is always ex-
trems, ſhould run in a Day, 300,000,000
of Leagues, and go farther than from
hence to China in the Time that you
could ſay, Away quick to China, as they
needs muft, if the Earth did not turn
round
EVENING I
25
round itself every 24 Hours? To fay the
Truth, it is much more reaſonable to
think that ſhe ſhould make the Tour,
which at moſt is not above 9000
Leagues; you perceive plainly, that to
fet 9000 Leagues, againſt 300,000,000
is no trifling Difference. Oh, fays fhe,
the Sun and the Stars are all Fire, their
Motion is not very flow; but the Earth
I fancy, is a little unwieldy. That,
replied I, fignifies nothing; for what
think you of a Firſt Rate Ship, which
carries 150 Guns, and above 3000 Men,
befides great Quantities of Merchandize?
One Puff of Wind, you fee, fets her
a failing, becauſe the Water is liquid,
and being eaſily feperated, very little
refifts the Motion of the Ship; or if
the lie in the Middle of a River,, fhe
will without Difficulty drive with the
Stream, becauſe there is nothing to op-
pofe her Courſe. So the Earth, tho'
never fo weighty, is as eaſily borné up
by the Celeſtial Matter, which is a
thouſand Times more fluid than the
Water, and fills all that great Space
where the Planets float; for how elfe
would
26 The Plurality of Worlds.
would you have the Earth faftned to
refift the Motion of the Celeſtial Mat-
ter, and not be driven by it? You may
as well fancy a little Block of Wood
can withſtand the Current of a River.
But pray, Jays he, how can the Earth,
with all its Weight, be borne up by
your Celeſtial Matter, which must be
very light, becauſe it is fo fluid? It
does not argue, anfwered I, that what
is moft fluid, is moſt light: For what
think you of the great Ship I mentioned
juft now, which with all its Burthen is
yet lighter than the Water it floats on?
I will have nothing to do with the great
Ship, fays he, with fome Warmth, and
I begin to apprehend myſelf in fome
Danger upon fuch a Whirligig as you
have made of the Earth. There is no
Danger replied I; but, Madam, if
your Fears increafe, we will have the
Earth fupported by four Elephants, as
the Indians believe it. Hey Day, cryed
fhe, here is another Syftem; however,
I love thofe People for taking Care of
themſelves, they have a good Founda-
tion to truſt to, while we Copernicans are a
little
EVENING I.
27
little too venturous with the Celeſtial
Matter; and yet I fancy, if the Indians
thought the Earth in the leaft Danger
of finking, they would double their
Number of Elephants.
They do well, fays I, laughing at
her Fancy; who would fleep in Fear?
And if you have occafion for them
To-night, we will put as many as you
pleaſe in our Syftem, we can take them
away again by Degrees, as you grow
better confirmed. I do not think them
very neceffary, replied she, I have
Courage enough to turn. You fhall
turn with Pleaſure, Madam, ſays I, and
fhall find delightful Ideas in this Syftem.
For Example, fometimes I fancy my-
felf fufpended in the Air, without any
Motion, while the Earth turns round me
in 24 Hours; I fee I know not how
many different Faces pafs under me,
fome White, fome Black, and fome
Tauny; fometimes I fee Hats, and
fometimes Turbants; now Heads with
Hair, and then bald Pates; here I fee
Cities with Steeples, fome with Spires
and Creſcents, others with Towers of
Porcelain,
28 The Plurality of Worlds.
Porcelaine, and, anon, great Countries
with nothing but Huts; here I fee vaſt
Oceans, and there moft horrible Defarts;
in fhort, I diſcover the infinite Variety
which is upon the Surface of the Earth.
I confefs, fays he, 24 Hours would
thus be very well beftowed, fo that in
the Place where we are now, I do not
mean in the Park, but we will fuppoſe
ourſelves in the Air, other People con-
tinually paſs by who take up our Place,
and at the End of 24 Hours we return
to it again.
Copernicus himſelf, anfwered I, could
not have comprehended it better: Firft
then we might fee the Engliſh paffing
by us, up to the Ears in Politicks, yet
fettling the Nation no better than we
do the World in the Moon; then follows
a great Sea, and there perhaps fome
Veffel, not near in that Tranquillity as
we are; then come fome of the Iro-
quois going to eat a Prifoner for their
Breakfaſt, who ſeems as little concerned
as his Devourers. After appear the
Women of the Land of Feo, who
ſpend all their Time in dreffing Provi-
fions
EVENING I.
29
&
fions for their Hufbands, and painting
their Lips and Eye-brows Blue, only
to pleaſe the greateſt Brutes in the
World, Then the Tartars going de-
voutly on Pilgrimage to their Great
Prefter John, who never comes out of
a Gloomy Apartment all hung with
Lamps, by the Light of which they
pay their Adoration to him: Then the
fair Circaffians, who make no Scruples
of granting every thing to the firft Co-
mer, except what they think effentially
belongs to their Hufbands: Then the
Inhabitants of little Tartary, going to
fteal Concubines for the Turks and Per-
fians; and at laft, our own dear Coun-
trymen, it may be in fome Points, as
ridiculous, as the beſt of 'em.
you
tell
This, fays the Marchionefs, is very
pleaſant; but, to imagine what
me, tho' I were above, and faw all this,
I would have the Liberty to haften or
retard the Motion of the Earth, ac-
cording as the Objets pleafed me more
or lefs; and I affure you I ſhould quick-
ly fend packing the Politicians and
Man-eaters, but hould have a great
Curiofity.
30 The Plurality of Worlds.
Curiofity for the fair Circaffians; for me-
thinks they have a cuſtom very particular.
But I have a Difficulty to folve, and you
muſt be ſerious. As the Earth moves,
the Air changes every Moment, fo we
breathe the Air of another Country.
Not at all, replied I, for the Air
which encompaſſes the Earth, does
not- extend above a certain Height,
perhaps 20 Leagues; it follows us
and turns with us: Have you not
feen the Labours of the Silk-Worm, the
Shells which thofe little, Infects impri-
fon themſelves in, and weave with fo
much Art and Clofenefs; but yet their
Covering is of a Down very loofe and
foft: So the Earth which is folid, is
covered from the Surface 20 Leagues
upwards with a kind of Down, which
is the Air, and like the Shell of the
Silk-Worm turns at the fame Time.
Beyond the Air is the Celestial Matter,
incomparably more pure and fubtle, and
much more agitated than the Air.
Your Compariſon, fays fhe, is fome-
what low, and yet what Wonders are
wrought, what Wars, what Changes
in
EVENING I.
31
in this little Shell? It is true, replied I,
but Nature takes no Notice of fuch
minute particular Motions, but drives
us along with the general Motion, as
if fhe were at Bowls.
Methinks, fays fhe, it is very ridicu-
lous to be upon a Thing that turns, and
be in all this Perplexity, and yet not be
well affured that it does turn; and to
tell you the Truth, I begin to diſtruſt
the Reaſons you give, why we ſhould
not be fenfible of the Motion of the
Earth; for is it poffible there fhould
not be fome little Mark left, by which
we might perceive it?
All Motions, replied I, the more
common and natural howfoever are the
lefs perceptible, and this holds true
even in Morality; the Motion of Love
is fo natural to us, that for the moft
part we are not fenfible of it, and we
believe we act by other Principles. Ah!
fays the Marchioness, now are you
Moralizing, to a Queſtion of Natural-
Philofophy which is running wide of
the Argument: But enough, this Le-
C
Єture
32 The Plurality of Worlds.
cture is fufficient for the firſt Time;
let us now depart and meet here again
To-morrow, You with your Syſtems,
and I with my Ignorance.
In returning back to the Caſtle, that
1 might fay all I could on the Subject,
I told her of a third Syftem, invented
by Ticho-Brabè, who had fixed the
Earth in the Center of the World, turned,
the Sun round the Earth, and the reſt
of the Planets round the Sun; for fince
the New Diſcoveries, there was no Way
left to have the Planets turn round the
Earth. But the Lady, with the quick-
eſt Apprehenfion, replied, fhe thought
this too affected a Syſtem, that among
fo many great Bodies, the Earth only
fhould be exempted from turning round
the Sun; that it was improper to make
the Sun turn round the Earth, when
all the Planets turn round the Sun; and
that tho' this Scheme was to prove the
Immobility of the Earth, yet the
thought it very improbable: So we
refolved to ſtick to Copernicus, whofe
Opinion we thought moft uniform,
probable,
EVENING I. -
33
AS
1
€ 2
probable, and diverting. In a Word,
the Simplicity of his Syftem convinces
us; and the Boldneſs of it furprizes
with Pleaſure.
>
The
"
好​味
​די
*
The SECOND EVENING.
That the Moon is an Habitable World.
T
HE next Morning, as foon
as any one could get Admit-
tance, I fent to the Marchi-
onefs's Apartment, to know
how she had refted, and whether the
Motion of the Earth had not difturbed
her? She returned for Anfwer, that the
began to be accuſtomed to it, and that
Copernicus himſelf had not ſlept better.
Soon after, there came fome Neigh-
bours to Dinner, who ftaid with her
till the Evening, according to a tire-
fome Rural Cuftom; nay, and they
were very obliging in going then, for
the Country likewife gives a Privelege
of extending their Vifit to the next
Morning, if they are fo difpofed, and
have not the Confcience to break
up.
The Lady and myſelf, finding ourſelves
at. Liberty, in the Evening, went again,
to the Park, and immediately fell upon
our
EVENING II.
35
our Systems: She fo well retained what
I told her the Night before, that ſhe
defired I would proceed, without any
Repetition. Well, Madam, Jays I,
fince the Sun, which is now immovea-
ble, has left off being a Planet, and the
Earth which turns round him is now
become one, you will not be furprized
when you hear that the Moon is an
Earth too, and a habitable World. I
confeſs, ſays ſhe, I have often heard
talk of the World in the Moon, but I
always looked upon it as Vifionary, and
mere Fancy. And, replied I, it may
be fo ftill; I am in this Cafe, as People
in a Civil War, where the Uncertainty
of what may happen, makes them hold
Intelligence with the oppofite Party,
and correfpond with their very Enemies;
for tho' I do verily belive the Moon is
inhabited, I live civilly with thoſe who
do not believe it; and I am (like fome
honeſt Gentlemen in Point of Religion)
ftill ready to embrace the prevailing
Opinion, but till the Unbelievers have
a more confiderable Advantage, I de
clare for the Inhabitants of the Moon.
Suppofe
36 The Plurality of Worlds.
Suppoſe there had never been any
Communication between Paris and St.
Dennis, and one who was never beyond
the Walls of this City, faw St. Dennis
from the Towers of Notre-Dame; you
afk him if he believes St. Dennis is
inhabited as Paris is? He prefently an-
fwers boldly, No; for, fays he, I fee
very well the People as Paris, but thoſe
at St. Dennis I do not fee at all, nor
did I ever hear of any there: It is true,
you tell him, that from the Towers of
Notre-Dame, he cannot perceive any
Inhabitants of St. Dennis, becauſe of
the Diſtance; but all that he does dif-
cover of St. Dennis, very much refem-
bles what he ſees at Paris, the Steeples,
Houſes, and Walls, fo that it may
very well be inhabited at Paris is. All
this fignifies nothing, my Cockneigh
ftill maintains that St. Dennis is not in-
habited, becauſe he fees no Body there.
The Moon is our St. Dennis, and every
one of us, like this Parifian Cockneigh,
who never went out of his own City.
You are too fevere, fays she, upon
your Fellow Citizens; we are not all
fure
EVENING II.
37
fure fo filly as the Cockneigh; fince St.
Dennis is just like Paris, he is a Fool
if he does not think it inhabited: But
the Moon is not at all like the Earth.
Take care what you fay, Madam, re-
plied I, for if the Moon reſembles the
Earth, you are under a Neceffity to
belive it inhabited. If it be ſo, ſays
fhe, I own I cannot be diſpenſed from
believing it; and you ſeem ſo confident-
of it, that I fear I muft, whether I
will or no. It is true, the two Motions
of the Earth, (which I could never
imagine till now) do a little ſtagger me
as to all the reft; but yet, how is it
poffible the Earth ſhould enlighten as
the Moon does, without which they
cannot be alike? If that be all, adds İ
the Difference is not great; for it is the
Sun which is the fole Fountain of Light;
that Quality proceeds only from him;
and if the Planets give Light to us, it
is becauſe they firft receive it from the
Sun; the Sun fends Light to the Moon,
and the reflects it back on the Earth;
the Earth in the fame Manner receives
Light from the Sun, and fends it to the
Moon;
C4
38 The Plurality of Worlds.
Moon; for the Diſtance is the fame
between the Earth and the Moon, as
between the Moon and the Earth.
But, Jays the Marchionefs, is the
Earth as fit to fend back the Light of
the Sun as the Moon is? You are alto-
gether for the Moon, faid I; fhe is
much obliged to you; but you muſt
know that Light is made up of certain
little Balls, which rebound from what
is folid, but paſs thro' what admits of
an Entrance in a right Line, as Air
into Glafs: So that what makes the
Moon enlighten us, is that ſhe is a firm
and folid Body, from which the little
Balls rebound; and we must deny our
Senfes, if we will not allow the Earth
the fame Solidity: In fhort, the Differ-
ence is how we are feated; for the
Moon being at ſo vaft a Diſtance from
us, we can only diſcover her to be a
Body of Light, and do not perceive
that ſhe is a great Mafs, altogether like
the Earth: Whereas on the contrary,
becauſe we are fo near the Earth, we
know her to be a great Mafs, proper
for the furniſhing Provifion for Ani-
mals;
1.
EVENING II.
39
mals; but do not difcover her to be a
Body of Light, for want of the due
Distance: It is just fo with us all, fays
the Lady, we are dazzled with the
Quality and Fortune of thoſe who are
above us, when did we but examime
Things nicely, we fhould find ourſelves
upon a Level.
It is the very fame Thing, fays I.
We would judge of all Things, but
yet ſtand in the wrong Places; we are
too near to judge of ourſelves, and too
far off to know others: So that the true
Way to ſee Things as they are, is to
ftand between the Moon and the Earth;
to be purely a Spectator of this World,
and not an Inhabitant. I fhall never be
fatisfied, fays fhe, for the Injuftice we
do the Earth, and the too favourable
Opinion we have of the Moon, till you
affure me that the Inhabitants of the
Moon are as little acquainted with their
own Advantages, as we are with ours;
and that they take our Earth for a Planet,
without knowing theirs is one too. Do
not doubt it, anfwered I, we appear to
them to perform very regularly our
Function
C 5
40 The Plurality of Worlds.
Function of a Planet: It is true, they
do not fee us make a Circle round them,
but that is no great Matter. That
Half of the Moon which was turned
towards us at the Beginning of the
World, has been turned towards us ever
fince; and thoſe Spots in her, which
we have fancied look like a Face, with
Eyes, Nofe and Mouth, are ſtill the
fame, and if the other oppofite Half
fhould appear to us, we ſhould, no
doubt, fancy another Figure, from the
different Spots that are in it: Not but
that the Moon turns upon herſelf, and
in the fame Time that fhe turns round
the Earth, that is in a Month; but
while fhe is making that Turn upon
herſelf, and that the fhould hide a
Cheek, for Example, and appear fome-
what elſe to us, the makes a like Part
of her Circle round the Earth, and
ftill preſents to us the fame Cheek; fo
that the Moon, who in reſpect of the
Sun and Stars, turns round herſelf, in
reſpect of us does not turn at all; they
feem to her to rife and ſet in the Space
of fifteen Days; but for our Earth, it
appears
EVENING II.
41
appears to her to be held up in the fame
Place of the Heavens. It is true, this
apparent Immobility is not very agree-
able to a Body which ſhould pafs for a
Planet, but it is not altogether perfect;
the Moon has a kind of trembling,
which caufes a little Corner of her Face
to be fometimes hid from us, and a lit-
tle Corner of the oppofite Half appears;
but then, upon my Word, the attributes
that Trembling to us, and fancies that
we have in the Heavens the Motion of
a Pendulum, which vibrates to and fro.
I find, fays the Marchionefs, the
Planets are juſt like us; we caft that
upon others which is in ourſelves. Says
the Earth, It is not I that turn, it is
the Sun. Says the Moon, it is not I
that ſhake, it is the Earth; the World
is full of Error: But I would not adviſe
you, Madam, to undertake the reform-
ing it; you had better convince yourſelf
of the entire Refemblance of the Earth
and the Moon: Imagine then theſe two
great Bowls fufpended in the Heavens;
you know that the Sun always inligh-
tens the one Half of a Body that is
C 6
round,
$
42 The Plurality of Worlds.
round, and the other Half is in the Sha-
dow; there is then one Half of the
Earth, and one Half of the Moon,
which is inlighten'd by the Sun; that
is, one Half, which is Day, and the
other Half, which is Night. Obferve
alſo, that as a Ball has lefs Force after
it has been ſtruck againſt a Wall, and
rebounds to the other Side, fo is Light
weakned when it is reflected. The
pale Light, which comes to us from
the Mcon, is the very Light of the Sun,
but it cannot come to us from the Moon,
but by Reflexion; it has loft much of the
Force and Luftre it had when it came
directly from the Sun upon the Moon;
and that bright Light, which fhines
directly upon us from the Sun, and
which the Earth reflects upon the Moon,
is as pale and weak when it arrives there;
fo that the Light which appears to us in
the Moon, and inlightens our Nights, is
the part of the Moon which has Day;
and that part of the Earth which has
Day, when it is oppofite to the Part of
the Moon which has Night, gives Light
to it: All depends upon this, how the
Moon
f
EVENING II.
43
Moon and the Earth beheld one another.
At the Beginning of the Month we do
not fee the Moon, becaufe fhe is between
the Sun and us; that Half of her
which has Day, is then turned towards
the Sun; and that Half which has
Night, is turned towards us; we cannot
fee it then, becauſe it has no Light
upon it; but that Half of the Moon
which has Night, being turned to that
Half of the Earth which has Day,
fees us without being perceived, and
we then appear to them, juft as the
full Moon does to us; fo that, as I may
fay, the Inhabitants of the Moon have
then a full Earth; but the Moon being
advanced upon her Circle of a Month,
comes from under the Sun, and begins
to ture towards us a little Corner of
that Half which is Light, which is,
the Crefcent; then thofe Parts of the
Moon which have Night do not fee all
that Half of the Earth which has Day;
we are then in the Wain to them.
·
I understand you perfectly, fays the
Marchionefs, without Hefitation, I can
comprehend the reft at Fleafure, ani
have
44 The Plurality of Worlds.
have nothing to do, but think a Mo-
ment, and bring the Moon upon her.
Circle of a Month. I fee, in general,
that the Inhabitants of the Moon have
a Month quite contrary to us; when
we have a full Moon, their Half of the
Moon which is light, is turned to our
Half of the Earth which is dark; they
do not fee us at all, and they have then
a New Earth; this is plain. I would
not ſtand the Reproach of requiring
a long Explication of fo eafy a Point:
But now tell me, how come the Eclipfes?
You may eaſily guefs that, Madam,
when it is new Moon, fhe is between
the Sun and Us, and all her dark Half
is turned towards us who have Light,
that obfcure Shadow is caft upon us:
If the Moon be directly under the Sun,
that Shadow hides him from us, and at
the fame Time obfcures a Part of that
Half of the Earth which is light, this
is feen by that Half of the Moon which
is dark; here then is an Eclipfe of the
Sun to us during our Day, and an Eclipfe of
the Earth to the Moon during her Night.
When it is full Moon, the Earth is be-
tween
EVENING II.
45
tween her and the Sun, and all the dark
Half of the Earth is turned towards
all the light Half of the Moon; the
Shadow then of the Earth cafts itſelf
towards the Moon, and if it falls on the
Moon, it obfcures that Light-Half which
we fee, which then has Day, and hin-
ders the Sun from fhining on it: Here
then is an Eclipfe of the Moon to us
during our Night, and an Eclipfe of
the Sun to the Moon during her Day:
But the Reason that we have not Eclipfes
every Time that the Moon is between
the Sun and the Earth, or the Earth
between the Sun and Moon, is becauſe
theſe three Bodies are not exactly plac-
ed in a right Line, and by Confequence
that which ſhould make the Eclipfe,
cafts its Shadow a little befide that which
ſhould be obfcured.
I am greatly furprized, fays the Mar-
chioness, that there fhould be fo little
Myſtery in Eclipfes, and that the whole
World fhould not know the Caufe of
them. They never will, faid I, as
fome Folks go about it. In the Eaſt
Indies, when the Sun and the Moon are
in
46 The Plurality of Worlds.
in Eclipfe, they believe a certain Da-
mon, who has black Claws, is feizing
on thoſe Planets with his Talons; and
during that Time, the Rivers are cover-
ed with the Heads of Indians, who are
up to the Neck in Water, becauſe they
eſteem it a very devout Pofture, to im-
plore the Sun and Moon to defend them
againſt the Devil. In America they
are perfuaded that the Sun and the Moon,
when Eclipfed, are angry: And what is
it they will not do to be reconciled with
them? The Greeks, who were fo refined
a People, believed the Moon was then
inchanted, and that the Magicians forced
her do defcend from Heaven, and fhed
a malignant Juice on the Plants;.
nay, what a Panick were we in, not
many Years ago, at an Eclipfe of the
Sun, when People hid themſelves in
Cellars, and all the Philofophers, who
treated of its Caufe, could not perfuade
them to come out till the Eclipfe was
over?
In good Truth, Jays the Lady, it is
fcandalous for Men to be fuch Cowards *
there ought to be a Law made to prohi-
bit
EVENING II. 47
bit the Difcourfing of Eclipfes, that
we might not call to Mind the Follies
which have been occafioned thereby.
Your Law then, fays I, muft aboliſh
even the Memory of every Thing, and
forbid us to ſpeak at all; for I know
nothing in the World which is not a
Monument of the Folly of Man.
But what do you think, adds fhe, of
the Inhabitants of the Moon, are they
as fearful of an Eclipfe as we are? It
would be a very good Jeft to fee the
Indians there up to the Neck in Water;
that the Americans fhould believe the
Earth angry with them, the Greeks
fancy we were bewitched, and would
deftroy their Plants; in ſhort, that we
ſhould cauſe the fame Confternation
among them, as they do among us.
Why not, Madam, I do not at all
doubt it; why ſhould the People in the
Moon have more Wit than we? What
Right have they to fright us, and not
we them? Formy part, continued I laugh-
ing, I believe, that fince a prodigious.
Company of Men have been, and ſtill
are, fuch Fools to adore the Moon,
there
48 The Plurality of Worlds.
there certainly are People in the Moon,
who worship the Earth, and we really
are upon our Knees the one to the other.
But fure, fays fhe, we do not pretend
to fend any Influences to the Moon, and
to give a Crifis to her Sick; if the Peo-
ple have any Wit in thoſe Parts, they
will foon deftroy the Honour we flatter
ourſelves with, and, I fear, we ſhall
have the Diſadvantage.
Madam, Says I, pray fear not that,
do
you think we are the only Fools of
the Univerfe? Is it not common for Ig-
norance to ſpread itſelf every where?
It is true, we can only gueſs at the
Folly of the People in the Moon, but I
no more doubt it, than I do the moſt
authentic News that comes from thence.
What authentic News comes from
thence, fays fhe? That which the learned
bring us, replied I, who travel thither
every Day with their Tubes and Telef-
copes; they will tell you of their Difco-
veries, of Lands, Seas, Lakes, high
Mountains, and deep Abyffes
Indeed, anfwered he, I fancy they
may diſcover Mountains and Abyffes,
becauſe
+
EVENING II.
49
becauſe of the remarkable Inequality ;
but how do they diſtinguiſh Lands and
Seas? Very eafily, Madam, for the
Waters letting part of the Light pafs.
thro' them, fend back but a very little,
ſo that they appear afar off like ſo many
dark Spots; whereas the Lands being
folid, reflect the whole Light, and ap-
pear to be more bright and fhining. The
Illuſtrious Monfieur Caffini, a moſt com-
pleat Aftronomer, has difcovered in the
Moon fomething which Divided, then
Re-united, and funk in a kind of Well:
We may very probably ſuppoſe this was
a River. Nay, they pretend to be fo
weil acquainted with the feveral Places,
that they have given them all Names;
one they call Copernicus, another Ar-
chimedes, and a third Galileus; there is
the Cafpian-Sea, the Black-Lake, the
Porphirite Mountains; in fhort, they
have publiſhed fuch exact Deſcriptions
of the Moon, that a mere Almanack-
maker will be no more to feek there,
than I am in Paris.
I must own then, fays the Marchio-
ness, they are very exact; but what
they
50 The Plurality of Worlds.
they ſay to the Infide of the Country,
I would very fain know? It is impoffi-
ble, replied I; the moſt learned Aftro-
nomers of our Age cannot inform you.
You muſt aſk Aftolfo this Queſtion,
who was carried into the Moon by St.
John. I am going to tell you one of
the agreeable Follies of Ariofto, which
I am fure you will be well pleaſed to
hear: I must confeſs he had better have
let St. John alone, whofe Name is fo
worthy of Refpect; but it is a Poetical
Licenfe, and must be allow'd. The
Poem, which is calle ORLANDO
FURIOSO, is dedicated to a Car-
dinal, and a great Pope has honoured
it with his Approbation, which is pre-
fixed to feveral of the Editions: This
is the ARGUMENT.
Orlando, Nephew to Charlemagne,
runs mad, because the fair Angelica
prefers Medore to him. Aftolfo, a
Knight-Errant, finding himself one Day
in the Terreftial Paradife, which was
upon the Top of a very high Mountain,
where he was carried by his flying Horfe,
meets St. John there, who tells him, if
be
EVENING I.
51
he would have Orlando cured, he muſt
make a Voyage with him into the Moon.
Aftolfo, who had a great Mind, to fee
New Countries, did not ftand much upon
Intreaty; there immediately came a fiery
Chariot. which carried the Apoſtle and
the Knight, up into the Air; Aftolfo
being no great Philofopher, was furprized
to find the Moon ſo much bigger than it
appeared to him when he was upon the
Earth; to fee Rivers, Seas, Mountains,
Cities, Forefts; nay, what would fur-
prized me too, Nymphs bunting in
thofe Forefts; but that which appeared
most remarkable, was a Valley where
you might find any Thing that was lost
in our World, of what Nature foever;
Crowns, Richés, Fame, and an Infinity
of Hopes; the time we spend in Play,
and in fearching for the Philofopher's
Stone, the Alms we give after our Death,
the Verſes we preſent to great Men and
Princes, and the Sight of Lovers.
I do not know, fays the Marchioness,
what became of the Sighs of Lovers in
Ariofto's Time, but I fancy there are
few of them afcend to the Moon
very
in
52 The Plurality of Worlds.
in our Days. Ah, Madam, replied I,
how many does your Ladyfhip, fend
thither every Day? Thofe that are ad-
dreffed to you will make a confiderable
Heap; and I affure you the Moon keeps
all fafe that is loft here below: Yet I
muft tell you, Ariofto does but whiſper
it; tho' every Thing is there, even the
Donation of Conftantine; (the Popes
having pretended to be Mafters of Rome
and Italy, by Virtue of a Donation
which the Emperor Conftantine made
Silveſter; and the Truth of it is, no
Body knows what is become of it:)
But what do you think is not to be
found in the Moon? Folly: All that
ever was upon the Earth is kept there
ftill; but in lieu of it, it is not to be
imagined how many Wits (if I may fo
call them) that are loft here, are got
up into the Moon, they are fo many
Phials full of a very fubtile Liquor,
which evaporates immediataly, if it be
not well stopped; and upon every one
of thefe Phials the Names are written
to whom the Wits belong: I think A-
riofte has heaped them upon one another
a
EVENING II.
53
a little confuſedly, but for Order's fake
we will fancy them placed upon Shelves
in a long Gallery; Aftolfo wondered to
fee ſeveral Phials full infcribed with the
Names of Perfons whom he thought
confiderable for their Wiſdom. To
confefs the Truth, I begin to fear,
fince I have entertained you with theſe
Philofophical and Poetical Vifions, mine
there is not very empty; however, it
is fome Confolation to me, that while
you are fo attentive, you have a little
Glaſs full, as well as your humble Ser-
vant: The good Knight found his own
Wits among the reft, and with St.
John's Leave, fnuffed it all up his
Nofe, like fo much Hungary Water;
but Arioſto ſaid he did not carry it far,
it returned again to the Moon a little
after.
The Love of one fair Northern Lafs,
Sent back his Wit unto the Place it was.
Well, he did not forget Orlando's
Phial, which was the Occaſion of his
Voyage; but he was curfadly plagued
to
54 The Plurality of Worlds.
to carry it, for the Hero's Wits were
naturally very heavy, and there did
not want one Drop of it: To con-
clude, Ariofto, according to his lauda-
ble Cuftom of faying whatever he
pleaſes, addreffes himſelf to his Mi-
ſtreſs in very beautiful Verfes.
Fair Miftrefs, who for me to Heav'n fhall fly,
To bring again from thence my wand'ring Wit?
Which I ſtill loſe, fince from that piercing Eye
The Dart came forth that firft my Heart did hit
Nor of my Lofs at all complain would I,
Might I but keep that which remaineth yet:
But if it ftill decrease, within fhort Space,
I doubt I ſhall be in Orlando's Cafe.
Yet, well I wit where to recover mine,
Tho'.not in Paradife, nor Cynthia's Sphere,
Yet doubtless in a Place no lefs Divine,
In that fweet Face of yours, in that fair Hair,
That ruby Lip, in theſe two Star-like Eyn,
There is my Wit, I know it wanders there,
And with my Lips, if you would give me leave,
Ithere would fearch, I thence would it receive.
[Sir J. Harrington, Tranflation.
Is
Page Missing
in Original
Volume
Page Missing
in Original
Volume
EVENING II.
57
Is not this very merry? To reafon
like Ariofto, the fafeft Way of lofing
our Wits, is, to be in Love; for you
fee they do not go far from us, we may
recover them again at our Lips; but
when we loſe them by other Means,
as for Example, by Philofophizing,
they are gone with a Jerk into the
Moon, and there is no coming at them
again when we would. However, ſays
the Marchioness, our Phials have an
honourable Station among the Philofo-
phers, among whom it is Forty to One,
but Love fixes our Wits on an Object
we cannot but be aſhamed of: But to
take away mine entirely, pray tell me
very ſeriouſly, if you believe there are
any Men in the Moon, for methinks
hitherto you have not been very pofi-
tive: For my part, fays I, I don't be-
lieve there are Men in the Moon; do
but obſerve how much the Face of
Nature is changed between this and
China; other Vifages, Shapes, Manners;
nay, almoſt other Principles of Reaſon;
and therefore between Us and the
D
1
58 The Plurality of Worlds.
Moon the Alteration must be much
more confiderable. In the Lands that
have been lately difcovered, we can
fcarce call the Inhabitants Men, they
are rather Animals in Human Shape,
and that too fometimes very imperfect,
almoft without Human Reafon; he
therefore who will travel to the Moon,
muſt not expect to find Men there.
What fort of People are they then,
fays the Lady, with an Air of Impati-
ence? Troth, Madam, replied I, I do
not know; for put the Cafe that we
ourſelves inhabited the Moon, and were
not Men, but rational Creatures; could
we imagine, do you think, fuch fan-
taftical People upon the Earth, as Man-
kind is? Is it poffible we ſhould have
an Idea of ftrange a Compofition, a
Creature of fuch fooliſh Paffions, and
fuch wife Reflections? Allotted fo fmall
a Span of Life, and yet purfuing Views
of fueh Extent? So learned in Trifles,
and fo ftupidly ignorant in Matters of
the greateſt Importance? So much con-
cerned for Liberty, and yet fuch great
Incli-
EVENING. II.
59.
Inclinations to Servitude? So defirous
of Happineſs, and yet fo very incapable
of obtaining it? The People in the
Moon muſt be wife indeed to ſuppoſe all
this of us.
But do not we fee ourſelves
continually, and cannot fo much as
guefs how we were made? So that we
are forced to ſay the Gods when they
created us were drunk with Nectar;
and when they were fober again,
could not chufe but laugh at their
own Handy-work. Well, well, fays
the Marchioness, then we are fafe
enough; the Inhabitants of the
Moon know nothing of Us, but I could
wiſh we were a little better acquainted
with them; for it troubles me that we
ſhould ſee the Moon above us, and yet
not know what is done there. Why,
Says I, are not you concerned for that
Part of the Earth which is not yet
difcovered? What Creatures inhabit it,
and what they do there? For we and
they are aboard the fame Ship; they
poffels the Prow, and we the Poop,
and yet there is no manner of Commu-
D 2
nication
60 The Plurality of Worlds.
nication between us; they know not at
one End of the Veffel, who lives, or
what is done at the other; and you
know what paffes in the Moon, which
is another great Ship, failing in the
Heavens at a vaſt Diſtance from us.
Oh, fays fhe, as for the Earth, I
reckon it All as good as difcovered, and
can gueſs at the People, tho' I never
heard a Word of them. It is certain
they All very much reſemble us, and
we may know them better, whenever
we will. Let them ftay where they
are. It is only going to fee them; but
we cannot get into the Moon if we would,
ſo that I defpair of knowing what they
do there. You will laugh at me, fays
I, if I fhould anſwer you ſeriouſly;
perhaps I may deſerve it, and yet, I
fancy, I can fay a great deal in Defence
of a Whim that is juſt now come into
my Head; nay, to ufe the Fool's beſt
Argument, I will lay a Wager I will
make you own (in fpite of Reafon) that
one of theſe Days there may be a Com-
munication between the Earth and the
Moon,
EVENING II.
61
Moon, and who knows what great Ad-
vantages we may reap by it? Do but
confider America before it was difco-
vered by Columbus, how profoundly
ignorant where thofe People; they
knew nothing at all of Arts and Sciences
they went naked, had no other Arms
but Bows and Arrows, and did not ap-
prehend they might be carried by Ani-
mals; they looked upon the Sea as a
wide Space, not for the Ufe of Men,
but thought it was joined to the Hea-
vens, and beyond it was nothing: It
is true, after having ſpent whole Years
in hollowing the Trunks of great Trees
with fharp Stones, they put themſelves
to Sea in thefe Trunks, and floated
from Land to Land, as the Wind and
Waves drove them; but how often was
their Trough overfet, and they forced
to recover it again by fwimming? So
that (except when they were on Land)
it might be faid they were continually
fwimming: And yet had any one but
told them of another kind of Naviga-
tion, incomparably more perfect and
D 3
ufeful
1
62 The Plurality of Worlds.
uſeful than their own, that would eafily
convey over that infinite Space of Wa-
ter, that they might ſtop in the middle
of the Waves, and in fome Senſe com-
mand the Winds, and make their Ship
fail faft, or flow, as they pleaſed; in
fhort, that this impaffable Ocean ſhould
be no Obſtacle to their converfing with
another different People; do you think
they would have believed you? And
yet at laft that Day is come; the un-
heard of, and moſt furprizing Sight ap-
pears; enormous Bodies, with white
Wings, are feen to fly upon the Sea;
to vomit Fire from all Parts; and to caſt
on their Shores, an unknown People,
fcaled over with Iron; who difpofe and
govern Monfers as they pleaſe, carry
Thunder in their Hands, and deſtroy
whoever refifts them: From whence
came they? Who brought them over
the Sea? Who gave them the Diſpoſal
of the Fire of Heaven? Are they
Gods? Are they the Off-fpring of the
Sun? For certainly they are not Men.
We
EVENING II.
63
We think ourſelves oblig'd, in Juftice
to the Memory of Monfieur Fontenelle,
to obſerve in this place, that Mr. Dry-
den's celebrated Defcription of a SHIP
was taken from our Author; the Plu-
rality of Worlds being written by him,
and tranflated by Mrs. Behn, fome
Years before the Indian Emperor was
brought upon the Stage.
Compare Guyomar's Deſcription with
Fontenelle, as it here follows:
The Object I could firſt diſtinctly view,
Was tall ftrait Trees which on the Waters flew,
Wings on their Sides inſtead of Leaves did grow,
Which gather'd all the breath the winds could blow
And at their Roots grew floating Palaces,
Whofe out-blow'd Bellies cut the yielding Seas.
All turn'd their Sides, and to each other spoke,
I faw their Words break out in Fire and Smoke.
Sure'tis their Voice that thunders from on high,
Or theſe the younger Brothers of the Sky.
D 4
Do
64 The Plurality of Worlds.
Do but confider, Madam, the Sur-
prize of the Americans, there can be
nothing greater; aud after this, will
any one fay there fhall never be a
Communication between the Moon and
the Earth. Did not the Americans be-
lieve there would ever be any between
them and Europe, till they faw it? It
is true, you muſt paſs this great Space
of Air and Heaven, which is between
the Earth and the Moon; but did not
thofe vaft Seas feem at firft as impaffa-
ble to the Americans? You rave, I
think, fays fhe. Who denies it, Ma-
dam? Jaid I. Nay, but I will prove
it, replies fhe; I do not care for your
bare owning it: Did you not own the
Americans were fo ignorant, that they
had not the leaft Conception of croffing
the Sea; but we, who know a great
deal more than they, can imagine and
fancy the going thro' the Air, tho' we
are affured it is not to be done. It is
fomewhat more than Fancy, replied I,
when it has been already practifed; for
feveral have found the fecret of faften-
ing
EVENING II. 65
ing Wings, which bear them up in the
Air, to move them as they pleaſe, and
to fly over Rivers, and from Steeple to
Steeple; I cannot fay indeed they have
yet made an Eagle's Flight, or that it
does not coft now and then a Leg or
an Arm to one of thefe New-Birds;
but this may ſerve to repreſent the firſt
Planks that were launched on the Wa-
ter, and which were the beginning of
Navigation; there were no Veffels then
thought of to fail round the World in,
and yet you ſee what great Ships are
grown, by little and little, from thoſe
rude Planks. The Art of Flying is but
newly invented; it will improve by
degrees, and in time grow perfect; then
we may fly as far as the Moon. We
do not yet pretend to have diſcovered
all Things, or that what we have dif-
covered can receive no Addition; and
therefore, pray let us agree, there are
yet many Things to be done in the Ages
to come. Were you to live a Thou-
fand Years, fays the Marchionefs, I can
never believe you will fly, but you
muft
D 5
1
66 The Plurality of Worlds..
muſt endanger your Neck, I will not,
replied I, be fo unmannerly as to con-
tradict a fair Lady; but tho' we cannot
learn the Art here, I hope you will
allow they may fly better in the Moon;
is no great matter whether we go to
them, or they come to us, we ſhall
then be like the Americans, who knew
nothing of Navigation, and yet there
were very good Ships at the other End
of the World. Were it fo, fays fhe, in
a Sort of a Paffion, the Inhabitants of
the Moon would have been here before
now. All in good Time, fays I; the
Europeans were not in America till
about 6000 Years; fo long were they
in improving Navigation to the Point
of croffing the Ocean. The People in
the Moon have already made fome ſhort
Voyages in the Air; they are exercifing
continually, and by Degrees will be
more expert, and when we ſee them,
God knows how we fhall be furprized.
It is unfufferable, fays fhe, you should
banter me at this rate, and juftify your
ridiculous Fancy by fuch falfe Reafon-
ing.
,
EVENING II. 67
ing. I am going to demonftrate, fays
I that you reproach me very unjustly:
Confider, Madam, that the World is
unfolded by degrees; for the Ancients
were very poſitive, that both the Torrid
and Frigid-Zones were not habitable,
by Reaſon of their exceffive Heat and
Cold; and in the Time of the Romans,
the general Map of the World was
but very little extended beyond that
of their own Empire; which, tho' in
one Refpect, expreffed much Gran-
deur; in another Senfe, was a Sign of
as great Ignorance; however, there
were Men found both in very hot and
in very cold Countries, fo that you fee
the World is already increaſed; after
this, it was thought that the Ocean co-
vered the whole Earth, except what
was then difcovered: There was no
Talk of the Antipodes, nor fo much as
a Thought of them, for who could
fancy their Heels at Top, and their
Heads at Bottom? And yet, after all
their fine Reaſoning, the Antipodes
were diſcovered: Here is now another
half
D 6
68 The Plurality of Worlds.
half of the World ſtarts up, and a new
Reformation of the Map, Methinks
this, Madam, fhould reftrain us, and
teach us not to be fo pofitive in our
Opinions, the World will unfold itſelf
more to us hereafter; we ſhall then
know the People of the Moon, as well
as we do now the Antipodes; but all
Things must be done in Order, the
whole Earth muſt be diſcovered; and
till we are perfectly acquainted with
our own Habitation, we fhall never
know that of our Neighbours. With-
out fooling, fays the Marchionefs, look-
ing carneftly upon me, you are fo
very profound in this Point, that I
begin to think you are in Earneft, and
believe what you fay. Not fo neither,
fays I, but I would fhew you, Madam,
how eafy it is to maintain a Chimerical
Notion, that may perplex a Man of
Underſtanding, but never convince him;
there is not any Argument fo perfuafive
as Truth, which has no need to exert
all its Proofs, but enters naturally into
our Underſtanding; and when once
we
EVENING II.
69
we have learned it, we do nothing but
think of it. I thank you then, fays
fhe, for impofing on me no longer;
for I confefs your falfe Reaſoning
diſturbed me, but now I fhall fleep
very quietly, if you think fit to retire
for To-night.
XXXX
**
The
*
The THIRD EVENING.
Particulars concerning the WORLD in
the Moon, and Proofs of the other
PLANETS being habitable.
T
HE Marchioness was fo in-
tent upon the Notions, that
ſhe would fain have engaged
me next Day, to proceed
where I left off; but I told her, fince
the Moon and Stars were become the
Subject of our Difcourfe, we ſhould
truft our Chimeras with nobody elſe;
at Night, therefore, we went again into
the Park, which was now wholly dedi-
cated to our learned Coverfation.
you;
Well, Madam fays I, I have great
News for that which I told you
laft Night, of the Moon's being inhabi-
ted, may be otherwiſe now. There
is a new Fancy got into my Head,
which puts thofe People in great Dan-
ger.
EVENING III. 7.3
ger, I cannot fays her Ladyſhip, ſuffer
fuch Whims to take Place. Yeſterday
you were preparing me to receive a
Vifit from the Lunarians, and now
would infinuate there are no fuch
you
Folks. You must not trifle with me
thus; once you would have me believe the
Moon was inhabited; I furmounted that
Difficulty, and do now believe it. You
are a little too nimble, did not I adviſe
you never to be intirely convinced of
Things of this Nature, but to reſerve
Half of your understanding free and
difengaged, that you might admit of
a contrary Opinion, if there fhould be
Occafion. I care not for your Suppofi-
tions, fays he, let us come to Mat-
ter of Fact. Are we not to confider
the Moon at St. Dennis? No, Jays I,
the Moon does not fo much reſemble
the Earth, as St. Dennis does Paris :
The Sun draws Vapours from the Earth
and Exhalations from the Water, which
mounting to a certain Height in the
Air, do there affemble, and form the
Clouds; thefe uncertain Clouds are dri-
ven
72 The Plurality of Worlds.
ven irregularly round the Globe, fome-
times fhadowing one Country, and
fometimes another; he then who be-
holds the Earth from afar off, will fee
frequent Alteration upon its Surface,
becauſe a great Country overcaft with
Clouds, will appear dark
dark or light, as the
Clouds ftay, or pafs over it; he will fee
the Spots on the Earth often change
their Place, and appear or diſappear as
the Clouds remove; but we ſee none
of theſe Changes wrought. upon the
Moon, which would certainly be the
fame, were there but Clouds about her;
yet on the contrary, all her Spots are
fixed and certain, and her light Parts
continue where they were at firſt, which
indeed is a great Misfortune; for by
this Reaſon, the Sun draws no Exhala-
tions or Vapours above the Moon; fo
that it appears ſhe is a Body infinitely
more hard and folid than the Earth:
whofe fubtile Parts are eaſily feperated
from the reft, and mount upwards as
oon as Heat put them in Motion: But
t muſt be a Heap of Rock and Marble,
where
EVENING III. 73
where there is no Evaporation; befides
Exhalations are ſo natural and neceffary
where there is Water, that there can
be no Water at all, where there is no
Exhalation; and what fort of Inhabi-
tants muſt thoſe be, whofe Country af-
fords no Water, is all Rock, and pro-
duces nothing? This is very fine fays the
Marchioness, you have forgot fince you
affured me, we might from hence dif-
tinguiſh Seas in the Moon. Pray what
is become of your Caspian Sea, and
your Black Lake? All Conjecture,
Madam, reply'd I, tho' for your Lady-
fhip's Sake, I am very forry for it, for
thofe dark Places we took to be Seas,
may perhaps be nothing but large Ca-
vities it is hard to gueſs right at fo
great a Diſtance. But will this fuffice
then, ſays ſhe, to extirpate the People
in the Moon? Not altogether, replied I,
we will neither determine for nor a-
gainst them. I must own my Weak-
nefs, (if it be one) fays fhe, I cannot
be fo perfectly undetermined as you
would have me to be, but muſt believe
one
74 The Plurality of Worlds.
one Way or other; therefore, pray fix
me quickly in my Opinion, as to the
Inhabitants of the Moon; preferve or
annihilate them, as you pleaſe; and yet
methinks I have a ftrange Inclination
for them, and would not have them
deſtroyed, if it were poffible to fave
them. You know fays I, Madam, I
can deny you nothing; the Moon fhall
be no longer a Defart, but to do you
Service, we will re-people her. Since
to all Appearance the Spots in the Moon
do not change, I cannot conceive there
are any Clouds about her, that ſome-
times obfcure one part, and fometimes
another, yet this does not hinder. but
that the Moon fends forth Exhalations
and Vapours. The Clouds, which we
fee in the Air, are nothing but exha-
lations and Vapours, which at their
coming out of the Earth, were fepe-
rated into fuch minute Particles, that
they could not be difcerned; but as
they afcend higher, they are condenfed
by the Cold, and by the Re-union of
their Parts, are rendered viſible; after
which
EVENING III. 75
which they become great Clouds, which
fluctuate in the Air, their improper
Region, till they return back again to
us in Rain: however, thefe Exhalations
and Vapours fometimes keep themſelves
fo difperfed, that they are impercepti-
ble; or if they do affemble, it is in
forming fuch fubtile Dews, that they
cannot be difcerned to fall from any
Cloud. Now, as it feems incredible
the Moon fhould be fuch a Maſs, that
all its Parts are of an equal Solidity,
all at Reft one with another, and all
incapable of any Alterations from the
Efficacy of the Sun; I am fure we are
yet unacquainted with fuch a Body:
Marble itſelf is of another Nature, and
even that which is moſt folid, is fub-
ject to Change and Alteration; either
from the fecret and invifible Motion it
has within itſelf, or from that which
it receives from without: It may fo
happen that the Vapours which iffue
from the Moon, may not affemble round
her in Clouds, and may not fall back
agin in Rain, but only in Dews. It is
fufficient
76 The Plurality of Worlds.
fufficient for this, that the Air with
which the Moon is furrounded (for it
is certain She is fo, as well as the Earth)
ſhould ſomewhat vary from our Air,
and the Vapours of Moon be a little
different from thoſe of the Earth
which is very probable. Hereupon the
Matter being otherwife difpofed in the
Moon than on the Earth, the Effects
muſt be different; tho' it is of no great
Confequence whether they are or no;
for from the Moment we have found
an inward Motion in the Parts of the
Moon, or one produced by foreign
Caufes, here is enough for the new
Birth of its Inhabitants, and a fuffici-
ent and neceffary Fund for their Sub-
fiftence. This will furniſh. us with
Corn, Fruit, Water, and what elſe we
pleaſe; I mean according to the Cuſtom
or Manner of the Moon, which I do
not pretend to know; and all
propor-
tioned to the Wants and Uſes of the
Inhabitants, with whom, I own, I am
as little acquainted.
That
EVENING III.
77
That is to ſay, replied the Marchio-
ness, you know all is very well, with-
out knowing how it is fo; which is a
great deal of Ignorance founded upon
a very little Knowledge; however, I
comfort myſelf, that you have reſtored
the Moon her Inhabitants again, and
have enveloped her in an Air of her
own, without which a Planet would
ſeem to me but very naked.
It is theſe two different Airs, Ma-
dam, that hinder the Communication
of the two Planets; if it was only fly-
ing, as I told you Yefterday, who
knows but we might improve it to Per-
fection, tho' I confefs there is but little
Hores of it; the great Diſtance between
the Moon and the Earth is a Difficulty
not eafily to be furmounted; yet were
the Diſtance but inconfiderable, and the
two Planets almoft contiguous, it would
be ſtill impoffible to paſs from the Air'
of the one, into the Air of the other:
The Water is the Air of Fishes, they
never paſs into the Air of the Birds,
nor the Birds into the Air of the Fish;
and
78 The Plurality of Worlds.
and yet it is not the Diſtance that hin-
ders them, but both are impriſoned by
the Air they breathe in; we find our
Air confifts of thicker and groffer Va-
pours than the Air of the Moon. So
that one of her Inhabitants arriving at
the Confines of our World, as foon as
he enters our Air, will inevitably drown
himſelf, and we fhall fee him fall dead
on the Earth.
I fhould rejoice, fays the Marchioness,
to ſee a Wreck of a good Number fo
theſe Lunar People; how pleaſant
would it be to behold them lie fcattered
on the Ground, where we might con-
fider at our Eafe, their extraordinary
Figures? But, replied I, fuppofe they
could fwim on the outward Surface of
our Air, and be as curious to fee us, as
you are to ſee them; fhould they angle,
or caft a Net for us, as for fo many
Fiſh, would that pleaſe you? Why
not, fays he, fmiling? For my part I
would go into their Nets of my own
Accord, were it but for the Pleaſure of
ſeeing ſuch ſtrange Fiſhermen.
Confider,
EVENING III. 79
t
Confider, Madam, you would be
very fick, when you were drawn to the
Top of our Air, for there is no Reſpi-
ration in its whole Extent, as may be
ſeen on the Tops of fome very high
Mountains: And I admire that they
who have the Folly to believe that
Fairies, whom they allow to be cor-
poreal, and to inhabit the moſt pure
and refined Air; do not tell us that the
Reaſon why they give us fuch fhort
and feldom Vifits, is, that there are
very few among them who can dive;
and thoſe that can, if it be poffible to
get thro' the thick Air where we are,
cannot ſtay half fo long in it, as your
diving Fowls can in the Water. Here
then are natural Barricades, which de-
fend the Paffage out of our World, as
well as the Entrance into the Moon;
and as we can only gueſs at that World,
let us fancy all we can of it. For Ex-
ample, I will fuppofe that we may
there
ſee the Firmament, the Sun, and the
Stars, of another Colour than what they
are here; all theſe appear to us thro'
a kind
80 The Plurality of Worlds.
a kind of natural Opticks, which change
and alter the Objects. Thefe Specta-
cles, as we may call them, are our Air,
mixed as it is with Vapours and Exha-
lations, and which does not extend it-
felf very high. Some of our modern
Philofophers pretend, that of itſelf it
is Blue, as well as the Water of the Sea,
and that this Colour neither appears in
the one nor in the other, but at a great
Depth; the Firmament, fay they,
where the fixed Stars are placed, has
no peculiar Light of its own, and by
Confequence muft appear Black; but
we fee it thro' the Air, which is Blue,
and therefore to us it appears Blue;
which, if fo, the Beams of the Sun and
Stars cannot pafs thro' the Air without
being tinged a little with its Colour, and
lofing as much of their own; yet, were
the Air of no Colour it is very certain,
that thro' a great Mift the Light of a
Flambeaux at fome Diſtance appears
Red, tho' it be not its true natural
Colour. Our Air is nothing but a great
Mift, which changes the true Colour
both
EVENING III. 81
both the Sky, Sun, and Stars, it
belongs only to the Celeſtial Matter to
bring us the Light and Colours as they
really are, in all their Purity; fo that
fince the Air of the Moon is of another
Nature than our Air, or is diverfified
by another Colour, or at leaft is another
kind of Mift, which varies the Colours
of the Celestial Bodies; in fhort, as to
the People of the Moon, their Spectacles,
through which they fee every Thing,
are changed.
If it be fo, fays the Marchioness, I
prefer this Abode before that of the
Moon; I cannot believe the Celestial
Colours are fo well mixed as they are
here; for Inftance, let us put Green
Stars on a Red Sky, they cannot be ſo
agreeable as Stars of Gold on an Azure
Firmament. One would think, Madam,
you was chufing a Petticoat, or a Suit
of Knots; but, believe me, Nature
does not want Fancy; leave it to her to
chufe Colours for the Moon, and I will
engage they fhall be well forted; fhe
will not fail to vary the Proſpect of
the Univerſe, at every different Point
E
of
82 The Plurality of Worlds.
of Sight and the Alteration fhall always
be very agreeable.
I know very well, fays the Marchio-
nefs, her Skill in this Point, fhe is not
at the Charge of changing the Objects,
but only the Optics, and has the Cre-
dit of this great Variety, without being
at any Expence; with a Blue Air, fhe
gives us a Blue Firmament; and per-
haps with a Red Air, ſhe gives to the
Inhabitants of the Moon a Red Firma-
ment, and yet ftill it is but the fame
Firmament; nay, I am of Opinion,
fhe has placed this Sort of Spectacles
in our Imagination, thro' which we fee
all Things, and which to every parti-
cular Man change the Objects. Alex-
ander looked on the Earth as a fit
Place to eſtabliſh a great Empire, it
feemed to Celadon a proper Refidence
for Aftræa, and it appeared to a Philo-
Sopher, a great Planet in the Heavens,
covered with Fools; I do not believe
the Sights vary more between Earth
and the Moon, than they do between
the Fancies of two different Men.
This
EVENING III.
85
This Change in our Imaginations,
fays I, is very furprizing; for they are
ftill the fame Objects, tho' they appear
different; when in the Moon we may
fee other Objects we do not fee here,
or at leaſt, not fee all there, we do fee
here; perhaps, in that Country they
know not any thing of the Dawn and
the Twilight, before the Sun rifes, and
after the Sun fets; the Air which en-
compaffeth, and is above us, receives the
Rays, fo that they cannot ftrike on the
Earth; and being grofs, ſtops ſome of
them, and fends them hither, tho'
indeed they were never naturally defign-
ed us; fo that the Day-break, and the
Twilight, are a Favour which Nature,
beſtows on us; they are Lights which
do not fall to our Share, and which ſhe
gives us over and obove our Due; but
in the Moon, where the Air is appa-
rently more,pure, and therefore not fo
proper to fend down the Beams it
receives from the Sun before his rifing,
and after his ſetting, theſe poor Wretches
have not that Light of Grace (as I may
call it) which growing larger by Degrees,
E 2
does
84 The Plurality of Worlds.
ព
does more agreeably prepare them for
the Arrival of the Sun; and which
growing weaker, and diminiſhing by
Degrees, does infenfibly prepare them
for the Sun's Departure: But they are
in a profound Darkneſs, where a Çur-
tain (as it were) is drawn all on a fudden,
their Eyes are immediately dazzled with
the whole Light of the Sun, in all its
Glory and Brightnefs; fo likewife, they
are on a fudden enveloped with utter
Darkness; the Night and the Day have
no Medium between them, but they
fall in a Moment from one Extreme
into the other. The Rainbow likewife
is not known to the Inhabitants of the
Moon, for if the Dawn is an Effect of
the Groffneſs of the Air and Vapours,
the Rainbow is formed in the Clouds,
from whence the Rain falls; ſo that the
moſt beautiful Things in the World,
are produced by thofe Things which
have no Beauty at all. Since then there
are no Vapours thick enough, nor no
Clouds of Rain about the Moon, fare-
wel Dawn, adieu Rainbow: What
muſt Lovers do for Similies to compare
their
EVENING III.
85
their Miftreffes to, in that Country,
when fuch an inexhauftible Fund of
Compariſons is taken from them?
Nay, I fhall never lay the Lofs of
their Compariſons much to Heart, fays
the Lady, and I think them well enough
recompenſed for the Lofs of our Dawn,
and Rainbow; for by the fame Reafon
they have neither Thunder nor Light-
ning, both which are formed in the
Clouds: How glorious are their Days,
the Sun continually fhining? How plea-
fant their Nights, when not the leaft
Star is hid from them? They never here
of Storms or Tempefts, which ſeem
plain Effects of the Wrath of Heaven.
Do ye think then they ftand in need of
our Pity? You are defcribing the Moon,
fays I, like an inchanted Ifland; but do
you think it is fo pleaſant to have a
fcorching Sun always over our Heads,
where the Days are 15 Times as long
as ours, and not the leaft Cloud to
moderate its Heat? Tho' I fancy it is
for this Reaſon that Nature has made
great Cavities in the Moon; we can
diſcern them eafily with our Teleſcopes,
E 3
for
-
1
86 The Plurality of Worlds.
for they are not Mountains, but fo
many
Wells or Vaults in the Middle of a
Plain; and how can we tell but the
Inhabitants of the Moon, (being con-
tinually broiled by the exceffive Heat
of the Sun) retire into thofe great Wells;
perhaps, they live no where elfe, and
it is there they build them Cities; for
we ftill fee in the Ruins of Old Rome,
that Part of the City which was under
Ground, was almoft as large as That
which was above. We need but take
that Part away, and the reſt would
remain like one of thefe Lunar Towns;
the whole People refide in Wells, and
from one Well to another there are fub-
terraneous Paffages for the Communica-
tion of the Inhabitants. I perceive,
Madam, you laugh at me, and you are
welcome; but to be free with
your La-
'dyſhip, the Ridicule turns more againſt
you than me: For you believe the People
in the Moon muſt live upon the Surface
of their Planet, becauſe we do fo upon
Ours, but the contrary is evident; for
as we dwell upon the Superficies of our
Planet, they cannot dwell upon the
Super-
EVENING III. 87
B
Superficies of Theirs; if Things differ
fo much in This World, what muſt
they do in Another?
It is no matter, fays the Lady, I can
never fuffer the Inhabitants of the Moon
to live in perpetual Darkneſs. You will
be more concerned for them, Madam,
when I tell you that one of the ancient
Philofophers long fince diſcovered the
- Moon to be the Refidence of Bleffed
Souls, departed out of this Life, and
that all their Happineſs confifted in
hearing the Mufic of the Spheres, which
is made by the Motion of the Celestial-
Bodies: And that Philofopher pretend-
ing to know exactly all they do there,
he tells you, that when the Moon is
obfcured by the Shadow of the Earth,
they no longer hear the heavenly Har-
mony, but howl like fo many Souls in
Purgatory; fo that the Moon taking Pity
on them, makes all the Hafte fhe can
to get into the Light again. Methinks
then, fays the Marchioness, we fhould
now and then fee fome of theſe Bleffed
Souls arrive here from the Moon, for
certainly they are fent to us; and be-
E 4
tween
1
88 The Plurality of Worlds.
It
tween the two Planets, fome think,
there is a fufficient Proviſion made for
the Felicity of Souls, by their Tranf-
portation into a new World, I confefs
indeed, fays I, it would be very pleaſant
to fee New Worlds; fuch a Voyage tho'
but in Imagination, is very delightful;
but what would it be in Reality.
would be much better certainly than to
go to Japan, which at beft, is but craw-
ling from one End of the Globe to the
other, and after all, to fee nothing but
Men. Well then, fays fhe, let us travel
over the Planets as faft as we can; what
ſhould hinder us? Let us place ourſelves
at all the different Profpects, and from
thence confider the Univerſe. But first,
have we any more to fee in the Moon?
Yes, Madam, replied I, our Defcrip-
tion of that World is not entirely ex-
hauſted; you cannot but remember
that the two Movements, which turn
the Moon on herſelf and about us, being
equal; the One always prefents to our
Eyes that Part, of which the Other
muſt conſequently deprive us; and fo
fhe always to us wears the fame Face:
We
EVENING III.
89
We have then but one Moiety of her
which looks on us, and as the Moon
muſt be ſuppoſed not to turn on her own
Center, in reſpect to us, that Moiety
which fees us always, and that which
never fees us, remains fixed in the fame
Point of the Firmament. When it is
Night with her, and her Nights are
equal to 15 of our Days, fhe at firſt
fees but a little Corner of the Earth en-
lightened, after that a larger Spot, and
fo almoſt by hourly Gradations, ſpreads
her Light till it covers the whole Face
of the Globe; whereas thefe fame
Changes do not appear to us to affect
the Moon, but from one Night to ano-
ther, becauſe we loſe her a long Time
out of our Sight. I would give any
Thing that I could poffibly fathom the
awkard Reaſonings of the Philofophers
of their World, upon our Earth's ap-
pearing immoveable to them, when all
the other Celeſtial Bodies riſe, and ſet
over their Heads, within the Compafs
of 15 Days. It is plain they attribute
this Immobility to her Bignefs, for ſhe
40 Times larger than the Moon; and
E 5
is
when
90 The Plurality of Worlds.
when their Poets have a mind to ex-
tol indolent Princes, I doubt not but
they take care to compare their Inac-
tivity to this Majeſtic Repofe of the
Earth. However, this Opinion is attend
ed with one Difficulty; they muft very
fenfible perceive in the Moon, that
our Earth turns upon her own Center.
For Inftance, imagine that Europe, Afia,
and America prefent themſelves one after
another to them in Miniature, and in
different Shapes and Figures, almoſt as
we ſee them upon Maps. Now this
Sight muſt be a Novelty to fuch Tra-
vellers as paſs from that Moiety of the
Moon which never fees us, to that which
always does. Good God! How cautious
would they be of believing the Relation
of the firft Travellers, who ſhould
ſpeak of it after their Return to that
great Country, to which we are fo ut-
terly unknown? Now I fancy, fays the
Marchioness, that they make a Sort of
Filgrimage from one Šide of the Coun➡
try to the other, for their Diſcoveries in
Our World; and that there are certain
Hon-
į
EVENING III. 91
Honours and Privileges affigned to fuch
as have once in their Lives had a View
of our grofs Planet. At leaſt, replied
I, thofe who have had this a View,
obtained the Priviledge of being better
lighted, during their Nights; the Refi-
dence in the other Moiety of the Moon
muft of Neceffity be much lefs com-
modious in that Refpect. But let us
continue the Journey we propofed to
take, Madam, from one Planet to ano-
ther, for we have now had a pretty
curious Survey of the Moon.
As we leave the Moon, on that Side
next the Sun, we fee Venus, which puts
me again in mind of St. Dennis, Venus,
turns upon herſelf, and round the Sun,
as well as the Moon; they likewiſe dif-
cover by their Teleſcopes, that Venus,
like the Moon (if I may fpeak after the
fame Manner) is fometimes New, fome-
times Full, and fometimes in the Wane,
according to the different Situations ſhe
is in, with Refpect of the Earth.
The Moon, to all Appearance, is In-
habited, Why fhould not Venus be fo
too? You are fo full of your Whys, and
E 6
your
92 The Plurality of Worlds.
-
your Wherefores, fays the Marchioness,
interrupting me, that I fancy you are
fending Colonies to All the Planets.
You may be certain, Madam, that is
my
Intention, and I fee no Reaſon to
the contrary; we find that All the Pla-
nets are of the fame Nature, All Obf-
cure Bodies, which receive no Light
but from the Sun, and then ſend it to
one another; their Motions are the fame,
fo that hitherto they are alike; and yet,
if we are to believe that theſe vaft Bo-
dies are not Inhabited, I think they
were made but to little Purpoſe: Why
ſhould Nature be fo partial, as to except
only the Earth? But let who will fay
the contrary, I must believe the Planets
are Peopled as well as the Earth. I find,
Says the Lady, you have been very well
confirmed in your Notions this pretty
while: It was but fome Moments fince,
that the Moon was a Defart, and you
were in no Concern at it; and at this
Inſtant, I fee you would be in a violent
Paffion, if any one ſhould prefume to
fay, that all the Planets are not as
well stocked with Inhabitants as the
Earth.
i
EVENING III.
93
Earth. It is true, Madam, at the
Inftant you furprized me with your
Objections, if you had difputed with
me, the Inhabitants of the Planets, I
fhould not only have maintained their
Exiſtence, but perhaps likewiſe have
treated on the Creation We have
our Seaſons of Credulity, and I never
believed theſe Things more firmly than
at that Juncture: And even now, and
when my Senfes are fomewhat cooler
on the Matter, I cannot help thinking
it would be ftrange that the Earth
fhould be fo well Peopled, and the
other Planets not Inhabited at all: For
do you believe we difcover (as I may
fay) all the Inhabitants of the Earth?
There are as many Kinds of invifible,
as visible Creatures; we fee from the
Elephant to the very Pifmire, beyond
which our Sight fails us, and yet count-
ing from that Minute Creature, there
are an Infinity of leffer Animals, which
would be imperceptible, without the
Aid of Glaffes. We fee with Mag-
nifying Glaffes that the leaft Drop of
Rain-Water, Vinegar, and all other
Liquids
94 The Plurality of Worlds.
Liquids, are full of little Fishes, or
Serpents, which we could never have
fufpected there; and Fhilofophers be-
lieve that the Acid Tafte of thefe Li-
quids, proceeds from a Sharpneſs iffu-
ed thro' the forked Stings of theſe
Animals lodged under their Tongues.
And therefore, by mixing certain
Things with any one of thefe Liquors,
and expofing them in the Sun, or letting
them ſtand and corrupt, will produce
a new Species of little Animals.
Some even of the moft folid Bodies,
are nothing but an immenfe Swarm of
imperceptible Infects, who find for their
reſpective Motions as much Room and
Liberty as they require. A Mulberry-
Leaf is a Little-World, inhabited by
Multitudes of thefe invifible Worms,
which, to them, is a Country of vaſt
Extent. What Mountains, what Abyffes
are there in it? The Infects on one Side
of this Leaf, know no more of their
Fellow Creatures on the other, than
you and I can tell what they are now
doing at the Antipodes: Does it not
appear therefore, more reaſonable, that
a great
EVENING III.
95
a great Planet fhould be inhabited? In
the hardeſt Stones, for Example, in
Marble, there are an Infinity of Worms,
which fill up the Vacuums, and feed
upon the Subſtance of the Stone; fancy
then Millions of living Creatures to ſub-
fift many Years on a Grain of Sand;
fo that were the Moon but one conti-
nued Rock, I would fooner allow her
to be knawed by theſe invifible Mites,
than not to be inhabited: In fhort
every Thing is animated; imagine then
thofe Animals which are yet undifco-
vered, and acd Them and Thefe which
are but lately diſcovered, to what we
have always feen, and you will find
the Earth fwarm with Inhabitants, and
that Nature has fo liberally furniſhed it
with Animals, that he is not at all
concerned for our not ſeeing above one
half of them: Why then ſhould Na-
ture, which is fruitful to an Exceſs
here, be fo very fterile in the reſt of
the Planets, as to produce no living
Things in them? I muft own, fays the
Marchioness, you have convinced my
Reaſon, but you have confounded my
Fancy
96 The Plurality of Worlds.
Fancy, with fuch Variety, that I can-
not imagine how Nature, which ab-
hors Repetition, fhould produce fo
many different Kinds. There is no
need of Fancy, Madam, do but truft
your Eyes, and you will eafily per-
ceive how Nature diverfifies in theſe
feveral Worlds. -
All Human Faces, in general, are of
the fame Model; and yet the Europeans
and the Africans have two particular
Moulds, nay, commonly every Family
has a different Afpect, what Secret then
has Nature to fhew fo much Variety in
the fingle Face? Our World, in reſpect
of the Univerſe, is but a little Family,
wherein every Face' has fome Refem-
blance to each other; in another Planet,
is another Family, whofe Faces have a
different Air and Make; the Difference
too increaſes with the Diſtance, for
whofoever ſhould fee an Inhabitant of
the Moon, and an Inhabitant of the
Earth, would foon perceive they were
nearer Neighbours than one of the Earth,
and one of Saturn: Here, for Example
we have the Ufe of Voice; in another
World,
EVENING III. 97
World, they speak by Signs; and, at a
greater Diſtance they do not speak at all
here our Reaſon is formed by Experi-
ence, in the next World, Experience
contributes but little towards Reaſon
and, in the next to that, Old Men know
no more than Children. Here we are
troubled more with what is to come,
than with what is paſt. In the next World
they are more troubled for what is paſt,
than what is to come; and farther off,
they are not concerned with either,
which, by the bye, I think, is much
the better: Here, it is thought we want
a Sixth Senfe, that would teach us
many Things, of which we are now
ignorant; this Sixth Senfe is apparently
in another World, where they want one
of the Five which we enjoy; nay, per-
haps there is a much greater Number
of Senfes, but in the Partition we have
made of them with the Inhabitants of
the other Planets, there are but Five
fallen to our Share, with which we are
well contented, for want of being ac-
quainted with the reft: Our Sciences
have Bounds, which the Wit of Man
they
7
98 The Plurality of Worlds.
1
·
could never pafs; there is a Point where
they fail us on a fudden, the reſt is re-
ſerved for other Worlds, where fome-
what which we know, is unknown to
them. This Planet enjoys the Plea-
fures of Love, but lies defolate in feve-
ral Places by the Fury of War; in a-
nother Planet they enjoy perpetual Peace,
yet in the midft of that Peace, know
not any thing of Love, and Time lies
on their Hands; in a Word, that which
Nature practiſes here in little, in diftri-
buting her Gifts among Mankind; fhe
does at large in other Worlds, where
fhe makes uſe of that admirable Secret
fhe has to diverfify all Things, and at
the fame Time makes them equal, by
compenfating for the Inequality.
But it is not time, Madam, now to
be ſerious, how will you difpofe of all
thefe Notions? Trouble not yourſelf,
fays fhe, Fancy is a great Traveller; I
already comprehend all theſe Worlds,
and form to myſelf their different Cha-
racters and Cuſtoms; fome of them, I
affure you, are very extraordinary; I
fee, at this Moment, a Thouſand vari
ous
EVENING III.
99
ous Figures, tho' I cannot well defcribe
them. O leave them, fays I, to your
Dreams, we fhall know To-morrow
whether they reprefent the Matter
faithfully, and what they have taught
you, in Relation to the Inhabitants of
any of the Planets.
The
The FOURTH EVENING.
PARTICULARS of the WORLDS of
Venus, of Mercury, of Mars, of
Jupiter, and of Saturn.
T
HE Dreams of the Mar-
chioness, were not very fuc-
ceſsful; they ftill reprefent-
ed to her, the fame Objects
we are acquainted with here on Earth;
and I had room to reproach her Lady-
ſhip, as thofe People do us at the Sight
of our regular Pictures, who themſelves
make only wild and grotefque Paintings.
Well, fay they, This is only an Imitati-
on of Men, there is no manner of Fancy
in it. We were therefore forced to
conclude ourſelves ignorant, what fort
of Inhabitants all thefe Planets had,
and content ourſelves only to gueſs at
them, and continue the Voyage we
had begun thro' thefe feveral Worlds.
We
EVENING IV.
IOI
We were come to Venus, and I told
her, that Planet certainly turned on it-
felf, tho' no Body. could tell in what
Time, and confequently were ignorant
how long her Day lafted; but her
Year was compoſed of 8 Months,
becauſe it is in that Time fhe turns
round the Sun; and feeing Venus is 40
Times lefs than the Earth, the Earth
appears (to them in Venus) to be a
Planet 40 Times bigger than Venus
appears to us on the Earth; and as the
Moon is 40 Times leffer than the Earth,
fo fhe feems to be just of the fame
Magnitude, to the Inhabitants of Venus,
as Venus ſeems here to us.
I fee then, Says the Lady, that the
Earth is not to Venus, what Venus is
to the Earth; I mean, that the Earth
is too big to be the Mother of Love, or
the Shepherd's-Star to Venus; but the
Moon, which appears to Venus of the
fame Bignefs which Venus appears to
us, is affigned to be the Mother of
Love, and Shepherd's-Star to Venus;
for fuch Names are only proper for a
little briſk airy Planet, bright, and
fhining
102 The Plurality of Worlds.
fhining as the Goddeſs herſelf. O,
bleffed Moon, how happy art thou to
prefide over the Amours of thofe Inha-
bitants of Venus, who must be fuch
Mafters of Gallantry! O, doubtlefs,
fays I, the very common People of
Venus are all Celadons and Sylvanders,
and their moſt trivial Difcourfes are in-
finitely finer than any in Clelia. Their
very Climate infpires Love: Venus is
much nearer than the Earth is to the
Sun, from whence the receives a more
vigorous and active Influence.
find, fays the Marchionefs, it is
eafy enough to gueſs at the Inhabitants
of Venus; they refemble what I have
read of the Moors of Granada, who
were a little black People, fcorched
with the Sun, witty, full of Fire, very
amorous, much inclined to Mufic and
Poetry, and ever inventing Mafques
and Tournaments in Honour of their
Miftreffes. Pardon me, Madam, fays
I, you are little acquainted with this
Planet; Granada in all its Glory, was
a perfect Greenland to it; and your
gallant Moors, in Compariſon with that
People
EVENING IV. 103
People, were as ftupid as fo many
Laplanders.
But what do you think then of the
Inhabitants of Mercury? They are yet
nearer the Sun, and are fo full of Fire,
that they are abfolutely mad; I fancy
they have not any Memory at all,
no more than moſt of the Negroes;
that they make no Reflections, and
what they do is by fudden Stars, and
perfect Hap-hazard; in ſhort, Mercury
is the Bedlam of the Univerfe; the Sun
appears to them much greater than it
does to us, becauſe they are much near-
er to it than we; it fends them ſo vaſt
and ſtrong a Light, that the moft glori-.
ous Day here, would be no more with
them, than a declining Twilight: I
know not, whether they can diftinguish
Objects; but the Heat to which they
are accuſtomed, is fo exceffive, that
they would be ftarved with Cold in
the Torrid Zone; their Year is but
three Months, and we know not the
exact Length of their Day, becauſe
Mercury is fo little, and fo near the
Sun;
104 The Plurality of Worlds.
Sun; it is (as it were) loft in his Rays,
and is very hardly diſcovered by the
Aftronomers; fo that they cannot ob-
ferve how it moves on its Center; but
becauſe it is ſo ſmall, they fancy it com-
pleats its Motion in a little Time; fo
that by Confequence, the Day there
is very fhort, and the Sun appears to
them like a vaſt fiery Furnace, at a lit-
tle Diſtance, whoſe Motion is prodigi-
ouſly ſwift and rapid: This is fo much
the better for them, fince it is evident
they muſt long for Night; and during
their Night, Venus and the Earth
(which must appear confiderably large)
give Light to them: As for the other
Planets which are beyond the Earth,
towards the Firmament, they appear
leſs to the Inhabitants of Mercury, than
they do to us here, and they receive
but little Light from them, perhaps
none at all; the fixed Stars likewife
ſeem to them lefs, and fome of them
totally diſappear; which, were I there
I ſhould efteem a very great Lofs. I
should be very uneafy to fee this
large
EVENING IV. 105
large Convex Studded with but few
Stars, and thofe of the leaft Magni-
tude and Luftre.
What fignifies the Lofs of a few
fixed Stars? fays the Lady; I pity them
for the exceffive Heat they endure; let
us give them fome Relief, and fend
Mercury a few of thoſe refreſhing
Showers, which continue, fometimes,
four Months together, in the hotteſt
Countries, during their greateſt Extre-
mity. Your Fancy is good, Madam,
replied I, but we will relieve them a-
nother way: In China there are Coun-
tries which are extreamly hot by their
Situation; yet, in July and August are
fo cold, that the Rivers are frozen;
the Reaſon is, they are full of Salt-
Petre, which being exhaled in great
Abundance, by the exceffive Heat of
the Sun, makes a perfect Winter at
Midfummer. We will fill the little
Planet with Salt-Petre, and let the Sun
fhine as hot as he pleafes. And yet af-
ter all, who knows but the Inhabitants
of Mercury may have no Occafion
either for Rain, or Salt-Petre? If it
F
is
}
106 The Plurality of Worlds.
is a certain Truth, that Nature never
gives Life to any Creature, but where..
that Creature may live; then thro'
Cuſtom, and Ignorance of a better
Life, thofe People may live happily.
After Mercury, comes the Sun; but
there is no Poffibility of Peopling it,
nor any Room left for a Wherefore.
By the Earth which is inhabited, we
judge that other Bodies of the fame
Nature may be likewife inhabited: But
the Sun is a Body not like the Earth,
or any of the Planets; the Sun is the
Source or Fountain of Light, which
thro' it is fent from one Planet to a-
nother, and receive feveral Alterations
by the way, yet all originally proceeds
from the Sun: He draws from him-
felf that precious Subftance which he
emits from all Sides, and which reflects
when it meets with a folid Body, and
ſpreads from one Planet to another
thofe long and vaft Trains of Light
which croſs, ftrike thro', and inter-
mingle in a thouſand different Faſhions
and make (if I may fo fay) the richeſt
Tiffues in the World. The Sun like-
wife
EVENING IV.
107
wife is placed in the Center, from
whence with moft Convenience, he
may equally diſtribute and animate by
his Heat; it is then a particular Body,
but what kind of Body has often
puz-
zled better Heads than mine. It was
thought formerly a Body of pure Fire,
and that Opinion paffed current till the
Beginning of this Age; when they
perceived feveral Spots on its Surface.
A little after they had diſcovered new
Planets, (as we ſhall preſently hear of)
theſe ſome ſaid were the Spots; for
thoſe Planets moving round the Sun,
when they turned their Dark half to us,
muſt neceffarily hide Part of it; and
had not the Learned with theſe pre-
tended Planets made their Court before.
to moſt of the Princes in Europe, giv-
ing the Name of this Prince to One,
and of that Prince to another Planet, I
believe they would have quarrelled who
ſhould be Maſter of thefe Spots, that
they might have named them as they
pleaſed.
I cannot approve that Notion; it
was but the other Day, fays fhe, you
F 2
were
108 The Plurality of Worlds.
were defcribing the Moon, and called
feveral Places by the Names of the
moſt famous Aftronomers. *I was
pleaſed with the Fancy; for fince the
Princes have feized on the Earth, it is
fit the Philofophers (who are as proud
as the beſt of them) fhould referve the
Heavens for themſelves, without any
Competitors. O, anſwered I, trouble
not yourſelf, the Philofophers make
the beſt Advantage of their Territories,
and if they part with the leaſt ſtar, it
is upon very good Terms; but the
Spots on the Sun are fallen to nothing,
is is now diſcovered that they are not
Planets, but Clouds, Streams, or Drofs,
which riſe upon the Sun, fometimes in
a great Quantity, fometimes in a lefs;
fometimes they are dark, fometimes
clear, fometimes they continue a great
while, and fometimes they diſappear
as long. It ſeems the Sun is a liquid
Matter, fome think of melted Gold,
which feems to boil over continually,
and by the Force of its Motion, cafts
the Scum or Drofs on its Surface,
where it is confumed, and others riſe.
Imagine
EVENING IV.
109
Imagine then what ſtrange Bodies theſe
are, when fome of them are as big as
the Earth: What a vaſt Quantity muſt
there be of this melted Gold, and what
muſt be the Extent of this great Sea
of Light and Fire which they call the
Sun? Others fay, the Sun appears
thro' their Teleſcopes, full of Moun-
tains, which vomit Fire continually,
and are joined together like Millions
of Etnas. Yet there are thoſe who
ſay theſe burning Mountains are pure
Vifion, cauſed by a Fault in the Op-
tics; but what fhall we credit, if we
muſt diſtruſt our Telefcopes, to which
we own the Knowledge of fo many
new Objects? But let the Sun be what
it will, it cannot be at all proper for
Habitation; and what Pity that is, for
how pleaſant would it be? You might
then be at the Center of the Univerfe,
where you would fee all the Planets
turn regularly about you; but now
we are only poffeffed with extravagant
Fancies, becauſe we do not ftand in
the proper Place; there is but one
Place in the World where the Study or
F 3
Know-
110 The Plurality of Worlds.
Knowledge of the Stars is eafily ob-
tained, and what Pity it is there is no
Body there. You forget yourſelf fure,
Says he, were you in the Sun you
would fee nothing, neither Planets nor
fixed Stars; does not the Sun efface all?
So that could there be any Inhabitants
there, they might juftly think them-
felves the only People in Nature.
I own my Miſtake, Madam; I was
thinking of the Situation of the Sun,
and not of the Effect of its Light: I
thank you for your Correction; but
muft take the Freedom to tell you,
that you are in an Error, as well as
myſelf; for where there Inhabitants in
the Sun, they would not fee at all, ei-
ther they could not bear the ſtrength
of its Light, or for wants of a due
Diſtance, they could not receive it; fo
that Things well confidered, all the
People there muſt be ftone blind;
which is another Reaton why the Sun
cannot be inhabited; but let us purfue
our Voyage. We are now arrived at
the Center, which is always the Bot-
tom, or loweſt Place of what is round ;
if
EVENING IV. III
it
if we go on, we muft afcend; then we
fhall find Mercury, Venus, the Earth,
the Moon, all the Planets we have al-
ready vifited; the next is Mars, who
affords nothing curious that I know
off; his Days is not quite an Hour
longer than ours, but his Year is twice
as long; he is a little lefs than the
Earth, and the Sun feems not altogé-
ther fo large and fo bright to him, as
appears to us. But let us leave Mars,
he is not worth our Stay: But what
a pretty Thing is Jupiter, with his
Four Moons, or Yeomen of the Guard;
they are Four little Planets which turn
round him, as our Moon turn round us.
But why, fays the Marchionefs, inter-
rupting me, muft there be Planets to
turn round other Planets, that are no
better than themſelves? I fhould think
it would be more regular and uniform,
that all the Planets, fmall and great,
without any Diftinction, fhould have
one and the fame Motion round the
Sun.
Ah, Madam, ſays I, if you did but
know what Descartes's Whirlpools or
F 4
Vortex-
\
112 The Plurality of Worlds.
Vortexes were (whofe Name is terri-
ble, but their Idea pleaſant) you would
not be of that Opinion. Why, fays
fhe, fmiling, muft my Head turn round
to comprehend them, or muſt I be-
come a natural Fool to underſtand the
Myſteries of Philofophy? Well, let
the World ſay what it will, go on
with your Whirlpools. I will, Jays I,
and you fhall fee the Whirlpools are
worthy of theſe Tranſports: That
then which we call a Whirlpool, or
Vortex, is a Maſs of Matter, whofe
Parts are ſeparated, or detached from
one another, yet have all one uniform
Motion; and at the fame time, every
one is allowed, or has a particular
Motion of its own, provided it follows
the general Motion: Thus a Vortex
of Wind, or Whirlwind, is an Infi-
nity of little Particles of Air, which
turn round all together, and involve
whatever they meet with. You know
the Planets are borne up by the Celeſ-
tial Matter, which is very fubtile and
active; ſo that this great Mafs, or O-
ceans of Celeſtial Matter, which flows
as
EVENING IV. 113
as far as the Sun to the fixed Stars,
turns round, and bears the Planets
along with it, making them all turn
after the fame Manner round the Sun,
who poffeffes the Center; but in a
longer, or a fhorter Time, according
as they are farther or nearer in Dif
tance to it: There is not any Planet
next the Sun, which does not turn,
but he turns on himſelf, becauſe he is
juft in the Middle of this Celeftial
Matter; and you muſt know, by the
way, that were the Earth in his Place,
it muſt turn on itſelf, as the Sun does.
This is the great Vortex, of which the
Sun is Lord; yet at the fame time, the
Planets make little peculiar Vortexes,
in Imitation of that of the Sun; each
of them in turning round the Sun 3
does at the fame time turn round itſeif,
and makes a certain Quantity of Celef-
tial Matter turn round it likewife,
which is always prepared to follow the
Motion, which the Planet gives it,
provided it is not diverted from its
general Motion, this then is the parti-
cular Vortex of the Planet,
F 5
which
puſhe's
114 The Plurality of Worlds.
puſhes it as far as the Strength of its
Motion reaches: And if by chance a
leffer Planet falls into the Vortex of a
greater Planet, it is immediately borne
away by the greater and is indifpenfa-
bly forced to turn round, tho' at the
fame time, the great Planet, the little
Planet, and the Vortex which enclo-
fes them, all turn round the Sun: It
was thus at the Beginning of the
World, when we made the Moon fol-
low us, becaufe fhe was within the
Reach of our Vertex, and therefore
wholly at our Difpofal: Jupiter was
ftronger, or more fortunate than We,
he had Four little Planets in his
Neighbourhood, and he brought them
all Four under his Subjection; and no
doubt, We, tho' a principal Planet,
had the fame Fate, had we been with
in the Sphere of his Activity; he is
90 Times bigger than the Earth, and
would certainly have fwallowed us in
to his Vortex; we had then been no
more than a Moon in his Family, but
now we have one to wait on us; fo
that
EVENING IV.
115
that you fee the Advantage of Situation,
often decides all our good Fortune.
But pray, fays he, who can affure
us we ſhall continue as we do now?
If we ſhould be fuch Fools as to go
near Jupiter, or he ſo ambitious as to
approach us, what will become of us?
For if (as you fay) the Celeſtial Matter
is continually under this great Motion,
it muft needs agitate the Planets irre-
gularly; fometimes drive them toge-
ther, and fometimes feperates them.
Luck is all, fays I, we may win as
well as lofe; and who knows, but we
might bring Mercury and Venus under
our Government; they are little Planets
and cannot reſiſt us; but in this parti-
cular, Madam, we need neither hope,
nor fear; for the Planets keep within
their own Bounds, and are obliged, as
the Kings of China were formerly, not
to undertake new Conquefts. Have
you not feen when you put Water and
Oil together, the Oil fwims a Top;
and if to theſe two Liquors, you add a
very little more, the Oil bears it up,
and it will not fink to the Water: Put
F 6
an
116 The Plurality of Worlds.
an heavier Liquor, of a juft Weight,
and it will pafs thro' the Oil, which is
too weak to ſuſtain it, and fink till it
comes to the Water, which is ſtrong
enough to bear it up; fo that in this
liquid, compofed of two Liquors,
which do not mingle, two Bodies of
an equal Weight, will naturally af-
fume two different Places; the one will
never aſcend, the other will never def-
cend; if we put ftill other Liquors,
which do not mingle, and throw other
Bodies on them, it will be the fame
Thing: Fancy then that the Celeſtial'
Matter which fill this great Vortex, has
feveral refting Places, one by another,
whofe Weight are different, like that
of Oil, Water, and other Liquors, the
Planets too are of a different Weight,
and confequently every Planet ſettles in
that Place which has a juft Strength to
ſuſtain and keep it equilibrate; fo, you
fee, it is impoffible it fhould ever go
.beyond.
I very well apprehend, fays the
Marchioness, that thefe Weights keep
their Stations regularly. Would to
God,
EVENING IV. 117
God, our World were as well regula-
ted, and every one among us knew
their proper Place. I am not now in
any Fear of being over-run by Jupiter;
and fince he lets us alone in our Vortex,
with our Moon, I do not envy him
the Four which he has. Did you envy
him, replied I, you would do him
wrong, for he has no more than, what
he has occafion for; at the Diſtance he
is from the Sun, his Moons receive, and
fend him but a very weak Light; it
is true, that as he turns upon himſelf
in 10 Hours, his Nights, by Confe-
quence, are but
are but 5 Hours long; fo
one would think there is no great
Occafion for Four Moons, but there
are other Thing to be confidered. Here,
under the Poles, they have 6 Months
Day, and 6 Months Nights, becauſe
the Poles are the two Extremities of the
Earth, the fartheft removed from thoſe
Places where the Sun is over them, in
a Perpendicular Line. The Moon feems
to keep almoſt the fame Courſe as the
Sun, and if the Inhabitants of the Pole
fee the Sun during one half of his
Courie
118 The Plurality of Worlds.
Courſe in the Year, and during the o-
ther half do not fee him at all; they
fee the Moon likewife during one half
of her Courfe of a Month; that is, the
appears to them 15 Days, but they do
not fee her during the other half. Jupi-
ter's Year is as much as 12 of ours, fo
that there muſt be two oppofite Extre-
mities in that Planet, where their Night
and their Day are 6 Years each A
Night 6 Years long, is a little difconfo-
late, and it is for that Reafon, I fuppofe
they have four Moons; that which ( in
regard to Jupiter) is uppermoft, finiſh-
es its Courfe about him in 17 Days, the
Second in 7, the Third in 3 Days and
an half, and the Fourth in 42 Hours;
and tho' they are ſo unfortunate as to
have 6 Years Night, yet their Courſe
being exactly divided into Halves, they
never paſs above 21 Hours, wherein
they do not fee at leaſt the laſt Moon,
which is a great Comfort in fo tedious a
Darknefs; fo that be where
you will,
thefe four Moons are fometimes the
prettiest Sight imaginable; fometimes
they rife all Four together, and then
feperate
EVENING IV.
119
feperate according to the Inequality of
their Courfe: fometimes they are all in
their Meridian, ranged one above ano-
ther; fometimes you fee them at equal
Diſtances on the Horizon; fometimes
when Two rife, the other two go
down. O, how I fhould like to fee
their perpetual Sport of Eclipfes; for
there is not a Day pafles, but they e-
elipfe the Sun, or one another; and
they are fo accuſtomed to theſe Eclipfes
in that Planet, that they are certainly
Objects of Diverſion, and not of Fear,
as with us.
Well, fays the Marchioness, I hope
you will People thefe Four Moons tho'
you fay they are but little fecondary
Planets, appointed to give Light to
another Planet during its Night. De
not doubt it, replied I, theſe Planets
are not a Jot the worfe to be inhabited,
for being forced to turn round another
Planet of greater Confequence. I would
have then ſays ſhe, the People of theſe
Four Moons to be fo many Colonies
under Jupiter's Government, they
ſhould if it were poffible, receive their
Laws
120 The Plurality of Worlds.
Laws and Cuftoms from him, and con-
fequently pay him a kind of Homage,
and not view his great Planet without
Deference. Would it not be conveni-
ent too, fays I, that they ſhould ſend
Deputies with Addieffes to him, to af-
fure him of their Fidelity; for he has
certainly a more abfolute Command o-
ver his Moon, than we have over Ours
tho' his Power, after all, is but imagi-
nary, and confifts chiefly in making
them afraid; for that Moon which is
neareſt to him, fees that he is 360
Times bigger than our Moon appears to
us; for in Truth, he is fo much bigger
than fhe; he is alfo much nearer to
them, than our Moon is to us, which
mikes him appear the greater; fo that
this formidable Planet hangs continu-
ally over their Heads, at a very little
Diſtance; and if the Gauls were afraid
heretofore, that the Heavens would
fall on them, I think the Inhabitants of
that Moon may well be apprehenfive
that Jupiter will at fome Time or other
overwhelm them. I fancy, fays the
Lady, they are poffeffed with that Fear,
becauſe
EVENING IV.
121
becauſe they are not concerned at Eclip-
fes: Every one has their peculiar Folly;
we are afraid of Eclipfe, and they, that
Jupiter will fall on their Heads. It is
very true, fays I, the Inventer of the
third Syftem I told you of the other
Night, the famous Tycho-Brabè, (one
of the greateſt Aftronomers that ever
lived) did not apprehend the leaft Dan-
ger from an Eclipfe, when every Body
elfe was under the greateſt Confternati-
on; but what Apprehenfions do you
think he entertained inſtead of them?
This great Man was fo unaccountably
fuperftitious, that if an Hare did but
croſs him, or an Old Woman bolt upon
him at his firſt coming out, he inftantly
looked upon his Journey to be Ominous
fhut himfelf up for that Day, and would
not be concerned in the leaft Buſineſs.
It would be very unreaſonable, replied
She, after fuch a Man could not redeem
himſelf from the Fear of Eclipfes, with
out falling into ſome other Whimſy as
troubleſome, that the Inhabitants of
that Moon of Jupiter, whereof we were
talking, fhould come off upon eaſier
Terms:
>
122 The Plurality of Worlds.
Terms: But we will give them no
Quarters; they fhall come under the
general Rule, and if they are free from
one Error, fhall fall into another, to put
them upon an Equivalent: But as I do
not trouble myſelf, becauſe I cannot
gueſs what the next Error may be, pray
clear up one more Difficulty to me,
which has given me fome Pain for
feveral Minutes. Tell me, if the Earth
be fo little in Compariſon of Jupiter,
whether his Inhabitants do difcover us?
Indeed, I believe not, fays I, for if we
appear to him 90 Times lefs than he
appears to us, judge you if there be any
Poffibility: Yet this we may reaſonably
conjecture, that there are Aftronomers
in Jupiter, who after they have made
the moſt curious Teleſcopes, and taken
the cleareſt Night for their Obfervations
may
have difcovered a little Planet in
the Heavens, which they never faw
before; if they publish their Diſcovery,
moſt People know not what they mean
or laugh at them for Fools; nay, the
Philofophers themſelves will not believe
them, for fear of deſtroying their own
Opinions,
EVENING IV.
123
Opinions; yet fome few
may be a lit-
tle curious, they continue their Obfer-
vations, diſcover the little Planet again,
and are now affured it is no Vifion;
then they conclud it has a Motion
round the Sun, and after a thouſand
Obſervations, find that it compleats this
Motion in a Year; and at laft, (thanks
to the Learned) they know in Jupiter
that our Earth is a World; every Body
runs to fee it at the End of a Teleſcope,
tho' it appears fo fmall, as to be ſcarce
by difcernible.
It must be pleaſant, fays he, to ſee
the Aftronomers of both Planets, level-
ling their Tubes at one another, and
mutually aſking, What World is that?
What People inhabit it? Not fo faft
neither, replied I, for tho' they may
from Jupiter, diſcover our Earth. yet
they may not know Us; that is, they
do not in the leaſt fufpect it is Inhabited;
and ſhould any one there, chance to
have fuch a Fancy, he might be ſuffi-
ciently ridiculed, if not profecuted for
it; for my part, I believe they have
Work enough to make Diſcoveries on
their
124 The Plurality of Worlds.
their own Planet, not to trouble their
Heads with ours. It is fo large that if
they have any fuch Thing as Navigati-
on, their Chriftopher Columbus could
never want Employment; why I war-
rant you, they have not yet diſcovered
the hundredth Part of their Planet. But
if Mercury is fo fmall, they are all (as
it were) near Neighbours, and it is but
taking a turn to go round that Planet,
But if we do not appear to them in
Jupiter, they cannot certainly diſcover
Venus and Mercury, which are much
lefs than the Earth, and at a greater
Diſtance; but in lieu of it, they fee
Mars, their own Four Moons, and Sa-
turn with his; this I think is Work
enough for their Aftronomers, and
Nature has been fo kind to conceal from
them the rest of the Univerſe.
Do you think
think it a Favour then,
Says She? Yes certainly, replied I, for
there are 16 Planets in this great Vortex:
Nature faves us the Trouble of ſtudy-
ing the Motions of them All, and
ſhows us but 7, which I think is very
obliging, tho' we know not how to
value
EVENING IV. 125
value the Kindneſs, for we have reco-
vered the other 9 which were hid from
us, and fo render the Science of Aſtro-
nomy much more difficult than Nature
defigned it.
If there are 16 Planets, Says the
Marchiones, Saturn muſt have 5 Moons.
It is very true, replied I, and 2 of theſe
5 are but lately difcovered; but there
is fomewhat that is more remarkable,
fince his Year makes 30 of Ours, and
there are confequently in him fome
Countries, where there Night is 15
Years long; what can you imagine Na-
ture has invented to give Light, during
a Night fo dreadful? Why, the has
not only given Saturn five Moons, but
ſhe has encompaffed him round with
a great Circle or Ring; this being plac-
ed beyond the Reach of the Shadow,
which the Body of that Planet caſts,
reflects the Light of the Sun continual-
ly on thoſe Places where they cannot
ſee the Sun at all.
I proteft, fays the Marchioness, this
is very furprifing, and yet all is con-
trived
126 The Plurality of Worlds.
trived in fuch great Order, that it is
impoffible not to think, but Nature
took Time to confider the Neceffities
of all animate Beings, and that the dif
pofing of theſe Moons was not a Work
of Chance; for they are only divided
among thoſe Planets which are fartheft
diſtance from the Sun, the Earth, Ju-
piter, and Saturn; indeed it was not
worth while to give any to Mercury or
Venus they have too much Light alrea-
dy; and they account their Nights (as
fhort as they are) a greater Bleffing than
their Day. But pray, why has not Mars
a Moon too? It ſeems he has none, tho'
he is much farther than the Earth
from the Sun, It is very true, fays I,
no doubt but he has other Helps, tho'
we do not know them. You have
ſeen the Philofophers, both liquid and
dry, how it receives and imbibes the
Rays of the Sun, and what a great
Light it will caft in a dark Place; Per-
haps Mars has many great high Rocks
which are ſo many Natural Phofporus's,
which in the Day-time take in a certain
provifion
EVENING IV.
127
Provifion of Light, and return it again
at Night, What think you, Madam,
is it not very pleaſant, when the Sun is
down, to fee thofe lighted Rocks, like
fo many glorious Illuminations, made
without any Art, and which can do
no manner of Hurt by their Heat?
Beſides, there is a Species of Birds in
America, which reflect fuch a Light,
that, you may read by it in the darkeſt
Night; and who knows but Mars may
have great Flocks of thefe Birds, that
as foon as it is Night, difperfe them-
ſelves into all Parts, and fpread from
their Wings a New Day.
I am not at all contented, fays he,
either with your Rocks, or your Birds;
it is a pretty Fancy indeed, but it is a
Sign that there should be Moons in
Mars, fince Nature has given ſo many
to Saturn and Jupiter, and if all the
other Worlds that are diftant from the
Sun, have Moons, why fhould Mars
only be excepted? Ah, Madam, fays
I, when you are a little more dipped
in Philoſophy, you will find Exceptions
in
128 The Plurality of Worlds.
in the very best Syftem; there are al-
ways fome Thing that agree extreamly
well, but then there are others which
do not accord at all, thofe you muſt
leave as you found them, if ever you
intend to make an End: We will do
fo by Mars, if you pleaſe, and ſay no
more of him, but return to Saturn.
What do you think of this great Ring,
in the Form of a Semi-Circle, that
reaches from one End of the Horizon
to the other, which reflecting the Light
of the Sun, performs the Office of a
continual Moon? And muft we not
inhabit this King to, fays fhe, fmiling?
I confefs, ſays I, in the Humour I am
in, I could almoft fend Colonies every
where; and yet I cannot well plant
any there, it ſeems fo irregular a Ha-
bitation; but for the five little Moons,
they cannot chufe but be inhabited;
tho' fome think this Ring is a Circle
of Moons, which follow clofe to one
another, and have an equal Motion;
and that the five little Moons fell out of
this Circle; how many Worlds are
there
EVENING IV.
129
there then in the Vortex of Saturn?
But let it be how it will, the People in
Saturn lives very miferably: It is true,
this Ring gives Light to them, but it
muſt be a very poor one, when the Sun
ſeems to them but a little pale Star,
whofe Light and Heat cannot but be
very weak at fo great a Diſtance; they
fay Greenland is a perfect Bagnio, in
Compariſon of this Planet, and that
they would expire with Heat in our
coldeft Countries.
You give me, ſays fhe, fuch an Idea
of Saturn, as makes me ſhake with
Cold, and that of Mercury, puts me
into a Fever. It cannot be otherwife,
replied I, for the two Worlds, which
are the Extremities of this great Vor-
tex, muſt be oppofite in all Things.
They must then, fays he, be very wife
in Saturn, for you told me they were
all Fools in Mercury. If they are not
wife, Says I, yet they have all the Ap-
pearances of being very flegmatic:
They are People that know not what
it is to laugh, they take a Day's time
to anſwer the leaſt Queſtion you can aſk
them;
G
130 The Plurality of Worlds.
them; and are ſo very grave, that were
Cato living among them, they would
think him a Merry-Andrew.
It is very odd to confider, fays fhe,
that the Inhabitants of Mercury are all
Life, and the Inhabitants of Saturn
quite contrary; but among Us, fome
are briſk, and fome are dull; it is, I
fuppofe, becauſe our Earth is placed in
the Middle of the other Worlds, and
ſo we participate of both Extreams,
there is no fixed or determinate Cha-
racter; ſome are made like the Inha-
bitants of Mercury, others like thoſe
of Saturn; we are a Mixture of the
feveral Kinds which are found in the
reit of the Planets. Why, fays I, do
not you approve of the ldea? Me-
thinks it is pleaſant to be compoſed of
fuch a fantaſtical Affembly, that one
would think we were collected out of
different Worlds; we need not travel
Abroad, when we fee the other Worlds
in Epitome at Home.
I am fure, fays the Marchioness, we
have one great Convenience in the
Situation of our World; it is not fo hot
as
EVENING IV.
131
I
as Mercury and Venus, nor fo cold as
Jupiter or Saturn; and our Country
is fo temperately placed, that we have
no Exceſs either of Heat or Cold.
have heard of a Philofopher, who
gave
Thanks to Nature that he was born a
Man, and not a Beaft, a Greek, and
not a Barbarian; and for my Part, I
render Thanks that I am feated in the
mildeſt Planet of the Univerſe, and in
one of the moſt temperate Regions of
that Planet. You have more Reafon,
Says I, to give Thanks that you are
Young, and not Old; that you are
Young and Handfome, not Young
and Homely; that you are Young,
Handſome, and a French Woman, and
not Young, Handfome, and an Italian;
thefe are more proper Subjects for your
Thanks, than the Situation of your
Vortex, or the Temperature of your
Country.
Pray Sir, fays he, let me give Thanks,
for all Things, to the very Vortex in
which I am planted: Our Proportion
of Happineſs is ſo very ſmall, that we
ſhould not loſe any, but improve conti-
G 2
nually
132 The Plurality of Worlds.
nually what we have, and be grateful
for every Thing, tho' ever fo common
or inconfiderable. If nothing but ex-
quifite Pleaſure will ferve us, we muſt
wait a long time, and be fure to pay too
dear for it at laſt. I wish, fays I, that
Philoſophy was the Pleafure you pro-
pofe, that when you think of Vortexes,
you would not forget an humble Ser-
vant of your Ladyfhip's. I efteem it a
Pleaſure, anfwered the Lady, while it
diverts me with ſomething new, but no
longer. I will engage for it till To-
morrow, replied I, for the fixed Stars
are fuperior to whatever you have yet
feen.
***
The
*
The FIFTH EVENING.
Shewing that the fixed Stars are fo many
Suns, every one of which gives Light
to a World.
T
HE. Marchioness was very
impatient to know what
would become of the fixed
Stars; are they peopled, Says
he, as the Planets are, or are they not
inhabited at all, or in fhort, what ſhall
we do with them? You may foon gueſs,
Says I, the fixed Stars cannot be lefs
diftant from the Earth than Fifty Mil-
lions of Leagues; nay, if you anger
an Aftronomer, he will fet them farther.
The Diſtance from the Sun to the far-
theft Planet, is nothing in Compariſon
of the Diſtance from the Sun, or from
the Earth, to the fixed Stars, it is al-
moſt beyond Arithmetic. You ſee their
Light is bright and fhining, and did
G 3
they
134 The Plurality of Worlds.
they receive it from the Sun, it muſt
needs be very weak, after a paffage of
Fifty Millions of Leagues; then judge
how much it is wafted by Reflexion,
for it comes back again as far to us; fo
that forwards and backwards, here are
an Hundred Millions of Leagues for
it to paſs, and it is impoffible it ſhould
be fo clear and ftrong as the Light of
a fixed Star, which cannot but proceed
from itſelf, fo that in a Word, all the
fixed Stars are luminous Bodies in them-
felves, and fo many Suns.
I perceive, Jays the Marchioness,
where you would carry me; you are
going to tell me, that if the fixed Stars
are fo many Suns, and our Sun the
Center of a Vortex which turns round
him, why may not every fixed Star
be the Center of a Vortex that turns
round the fixed Star? Our Sun en-
lightens the Planets; why may not
every fixed Star have Planets to which
they give Light? You have faid it,
replied I, and I will not contradict you.
But you have made the Univerſe ſo
large, fays fhe, that I know not where
I am
EVENING V.
135
I am, or what will become of me;
what is it all to be divided into Vortexes
confufedly, one among another? Is
every Star the Center of a Vortex, as
big as ours? Is that vaft Space which
comprehends our Sun and Planets,
but an inconfiderable Part of the Uni-
verfe? And are there as many fuch
Spaces, as there are fixed Stars? I pro-
teft it is dreadful, the Idea confounds
and overwhelms me. And for my part,
replied I, it gives me Satisfaction;
when the Heavens were a little blue
Arch, ftuck with Stars, methought the
Univerfe was too ftrait and cloſe, I was
almoſt ſtifled for want of Air; but now
it is enlarged in Heigth and Breadth,
and a Thouſand and a Thouſand Vor-
texes taken in; I begin to breathe with
more Freedom, and think the Univerſe
to be incomparably more magnificent
than it was before. Nature has ſpared
no Còft, even to Profufenefs, and no-
thing can be fo glorious, as to fee fuch
a prodigious Number of Vortexes,
whoſe ſeveral Centers are poffeffed by a
particular Sun, which makes the very
G 4
Planets
136 The Plurality of Worlds.
-
Planets turn round it. The Inhabitants
of a Planet of one of theſe innumera-
ble Vortexes, behold on all Sides thefe
luminous Centers of the Vortex, with
which they are encompaffed; but per-
haps they do not fee the Planets, who
receiving but a faint Light from their
Sun, cannot fend it beyond their own
World.
You preſent me with a Proſpect of
fo vaft a Length, that no Eye can
reach to the End of it: I plainly fee
the Inhabitants of the Earth, and you
have made me diſcover thoſe who dwell
in the Moon, and in other Planets of
our Vortex; theſe Inhabitants indeed I
can conceive pretty plainly, but I do
not ſee them fo clearly as thofe of the
Earth: After thefe, we come to the
Inhabitants of the Planets which are in
the other Vortexes, but they are funk
into fo great a Depth, that tho' I do all
I can to ſee them, yet I muſt confefs 1
can hardly perceive them; by the Ex-
preffion you make uſe of in mentioning
them, they feem to be almoſt annihila-
ted; you ought then to call them the
Inhabi-
EVENING V. 137
Inhabitants of one of thofe innumerable
Vortexes: We ourfelves, for whom the
fame Expreffion ferves, muft confeſs,
that we fcarce know where we are, in
the Midſt of ſo many Worlds; for my
own Part, I begin to fee the Earth fo
minutely fmall, that I believe from
henceforward, I ſhall never be concern-
ed at all for any Thing; that we fo
eagerly defire to make ourſelves Great,
that we are always defigning, always
troubling and haraffing ourſelves, is
certainly becauſe we are ignorant what
theſe Vortexes are; but now I hope my
new Lights will in Part juſtify my La-
zinefs, and when any one reproaches
me with my Indolence, I will anfwer,
Ab, did you but know what the fixed
Stars are! It was not fit, fays I, that
Alexander ſhould know what they were
for a certain Author *, who maintains
that the Moon is inhabited, very gravely
tells us, that Ariftotle (from whom no
Truth could be long concealed) muft
neceffarily be of an Opinion, backed
with fo much Reafon; but yet he never
durft acquaint Alexander with the Se-
G 5
cret,
* HUYGENS.
138 The Plurality of Worlds.
cret, left he ſhould run mad with Def
pair, when he knew there was another
World which he could not conquer.
With much more Reaſon then was this
Myfiery of Vortexes and fixed Stars,
kept ſecret in Alexander's Time, for
tho' they had been known in thofe Days,
yet it had been but an ill Way of ma-
king one's Court, to have faid any thing
of them to that ambitious Prince; for
my Part, I that know them, am not a
little troubled to find myſelf not a Jot
the wiſer for all the Knowledge I have
of them; the moſt they can do, ac-
cording to your Way of Reaſoning,
is but to cure People of their Ambition,
and their unquiet reftlefs Humour,
which are Diſeaſes I am not at all trou-
bled with; I confefs I am guilty of fo
much Weakneſs, as to be in Love with
what is Beautiful; that is my Diftemper,
I am confident the Vortexes can never
cure it: What if the other Worlds ren-
der ours fo very little? They cannot
fpoil fine Eyes, or a pretty Mouth,
their Value is ſtill the fame, in fpite of
all the Worlds that can poffibly exiſt.
This
EVENING V. · 139
This Love, replied the Marchioness,
laughing, is a strange Thing; let the
World go how it will, it is never in
Danger; there is no Syftem can do it
any harm. But, tell me freely, is your
System true? Pray do not conceal any
Thing from me; I will keep your Se-
cret very faithfully; it feems to have
for its Foundation, but a flight Proba-
bility, which is, that if a fixed-Star be
in itſelf a luminous Body, like the Sun,
then by Conſequence, it muſt, as the
Sun is, be the Center and Soul of a
World; and have its Planets turning
round about it: But is there an abfolute
Neceffity it must be fo? Hear me,
Madam, fays I, fince we are in the
Humour of mingling light Gallantries,
with a ferious Difcourfe, I muſt tell
you, that in Love and the Mathematics,
People reafon much alike: Allow ever
fo little to a Lover, yet preſently after
you muſt grant him more; nay, more
and more; which will at last go a great
way: In like manner, grant but a Ma-
thematician one minute Principle, he
immediately draws a Confequence from
G 6
it,
140 The Plurality of Worlds.
it, to which you muſt neceffarily affent;
and from this Confequence another, till
he leads you fo far (whether you will
or no) that you have much ado to be-
lieve him. Theſe two Sorts of People,
Lovers and Mathematicians, will al-
ways take more than you give them.
You grant, that when two Things are
like one another in all viſible Refpects;
it is poffible they may be like one ano-
ther in thoſe Reſpects which are not
vifible, if you have not fome good Rea-
fon to believe otherwife: Now this
way of arguing have I made uſe of. The
Moon, fays I, is inhabited, becauſe ſhe
is-like the Earth; and the other Pla-
nets are inhabited, becauſe they are
like the Moon; I find the fixed Stars,
to be like our Sun, therefore I attribute
to them what is proper to Him: You
are now going too far to be able to re-
treat, therefore muft
you
with a good Grace. But, fays the
Lady, if you build upon this Refem-
blance, or Likenefs, which is between
our Sun and the fixed Stars, then, to
the People of another great Vortex,
go
forward
our.
EVENING V.
141
our Sun muſt appear no bigger than a
fmall fixed Star, and can be feen only
when it is Night with them, Without
doubt, Madam, fays I, it must be fo:
Our Sun is much nearer to us, than the
Suns of other Vortexes, and therefore
its Light makes a much greater Impref-
fion on our Eyes than theirs do: We
fee nothing but the Light of our own
Sun; and when we fee Him, it darkens
and hinders us from feeing any other
Light; but in another great Vortex,
there is another Sun, which rules and
governs; and, in his Turn extinguishes
the Light of our Sun, which is never.
ſeen there but in the Night, with the
reſt of the other Suns; that is, the
fixed Stars; with them our Sun is
faftened to the great arched Roof of
Heaven, where it makes a Part of
fome Bear or Bull: For the Planets
which turn round about it, (our Earth
for Example) as they are not feen at fo
vaft a Diſtance, fo no Body will fo
much as dream of them: All the Suns
then are Day-Suns in their own. Vor-
texes, but Night-Suns in other Vor-
texes:
142 The Plurality of Worlds.
texes: In his own World or Sphere,
every Sun is fingle, and there is but one
to be feen; but every where elfe, they
ſerve only to make a Number. May
not thefe Worlds, reflied fhe, notwith-
ſtanding this great Refemblance between
them, differ in a Thouſand other
Things; for tho' they may be ſome-
what alike in one Particular, they may
greatly differ in Others.
It is certainly true, fays fhe; but the
Difficulty is to know wherein they dif-
fer. One Vortex has many Planets that
turn round about its Sun, another
Vortex has but few: In one Vortex,
there are inferior or lefs Planets, which
turn about thofe that are greater; in
another, perhaps, there are no inferior
Planets; here, all the Planets are got
round about the Sun, in form of a lit-
tle Squadron; beyond which, is a large
void Space, which reaches to the neigh-
bouring Vortexes: In another Place,
"the Planets take their Courfe towards
the outfide of their Vortex, and leave
the middle void. There may be Vor-
texes alfo quite void, without any Pla-
nets
EVENING V.
143
nets at all; others may have their Sun
not exactly in their Center; and that
Sun may fo move, as to carry its Pla-
nets along with it: Some may have
Planets, which in regard of their Sun,
aſcend, and defcend, according to the
Change of their Equilibration, which
keeps them fufpended, In fhort, what
Variety can you wish for? But, I
think, I have faid enough for a Man
that was never out of his own Vortex.
It is not fo much, replied the Mar-
chioness, confidering what a Multitude
of Worlds there are ; what you have
faid is fufficient for five or fix, and
from hence I fee Thoufands.
What would you fay, Madam, if I
ſhould tell you, there are many more
fixed Stars than thoſe you fee? And
that an infinite Number are difcovered
with Glaffes, which are not perceptible
to the naked-Eye, and that in one
fingle Conſtellation, where perhaps we
count 12 or 15, there are as many to
be found as ufually appear in the whole
Hemiſphere.
I fubmit
144 The Plurality of. Worlds.
I fubmit. fays he, and beg your
Pardon: You quite confound me with
Worlds and Vortexės. O, Madam, I
have a great deal more to tell you,
replied I, you fee that Whiteness in the
Sky, which fome call the Milky-Way;
can you imagine what that is? Why,
it is nothing bat an Infinity of finall
Stars, not to be feen by our Eyes,
becauſe they are fo very little; and
they are fown fo thick, one by another,
that they ſeem to be one continued
Whiteness: I wish you had a Glaſs, to
fee this Ant-Hill of Stars, and this
Clufter of Worlds, if I may fo call them:
They are in fome Sort like the Mal-
divy-Iland: Thoſe twelve-thoufand
Banks of Sand, feperated only by
narrow Channels of the Sea, which a
Man may as eafily leap over as a Ditch :
So near together are the Vortexes of the
Milky Way, that I prefume, the Peo-
ple in one World, may talk, and ſhake
Hands with thoſe of another; at leaſt
I believe the Birds of one World,. may
eafily fly into the other; and that Pi-
geons may be trained up to carry
to carry Let-
ters,
EVENING V.145
ters, as they do in the Levant. Theſe
little Worlds are excepted out of that
general Rule, by which one Sun in
his own Vortex, as foon as he appears,
effaces the Light of all other foreign
Suns: If you were in one of theſe
little Vortexes of the Milky-Way, your
Sun would not be much nearer to you,
and confequently, would not make any
much more fenfible Impreffion on your
Eyes, than a Hundred-Thouſand other
Suns of the neighbouring Vortexes :
You would then fee your Heaven ſhine
bright with an infinite Number of Fires,
clofe to one another, and but a little
diſtance from you; fo that tho' you
ſhould loſe the Light of your own
particular Sun, yet there would ftill re-
main vifible Suns fufficient befide your
own, to make your Night as light as
Day, at leaſt, the Difference would
hardly be perceived; for the Truth is,
you would never have any Night at
all: The Inhabitants of thefe Worlds,
accuſtomed to perpetual Brightneſs,
would be ftrangely aftoniſhed, if they
fhould be told that there are a mifera-
ble
146 The Plurality of Worlds.
ble Sort of People, who, where they
live, have very dark Nights, and when
it is Day with them, they never fee
more than one Sun; certainly they
would think Nature had very little
Kindness for us, and would tremblé
with Horror, to think what a fad Con-
dition we are in.
I do not afk you fays the Marchi-
onefs, whether in thofe Worlds of the
Milky-Way, there are any Moons; I
fee they would be of no Ufe to thofe
principal Planets which have no Night,
and move in Spaces too ftrait and nar-
row to cumber themſelves with the
Baggage of inferior Planets: Yet pray
take Notice, that by your liberal Mul-
tiplication of Worlds, you have ſtarted
an Objection, not eafily anfwered:
The Vortexes whofe Suns we fee touch
the Vortex in which we are; and if it
be true, that Vortexes are round, how
then can ſo many Bowls or Globes, all
touch a fingle one? I would fain know
how this may be done, but cannot re-
concile it to myſelf.
Madam,
EVENING V.
147
Madam, fays I, you fhew a great
deal of Wit, in raifing this Doubt, and
likewife in not being able to refolve it,
for, in itſelf, the Thing feems extream-
ly difficult; and, as you ftate the Que-
tion, no Anſwer can be given to it;
and he muſt be a Fool, who goes about
to find Anſwers to Objections which
are unanswerable. If our Vortex had
the Form of a Dye, it would have 6
Squares, or flat Surfaces, and would
be far from being round; and upon e-
very one of theſe Squares, might be plac-
ed a Vortex of the fame Figure; but if
inſtead of theſe 6 Squares, it had 20,
50, or 1000; then might a 1000 Vor-
texes be placed upon it, one upon every
Flat; and, you know very well, that
the more flat Faces any Body has on
its Outfide, the nearer it approaches to
Roundneſs, juſt as a Diamond cut Face-
wife on every Side, if the Faces be ve-
ry many and little, it will look as round
as a Pearl of the fame Bignefs: It is in
this manner, that the Vortexes are
round; they have an infinite Number of
Faces
148 The Plurality of Worlds.
!
Faces on their Outfide, and every one
of them has upon it another Vortex ;
theſe Faces are not all equal and alike;
but here, fome are greater and there
fome lefs: The leaft Faces of our
Vortex, for Example, anfwer to the
Milky-Way, and fuftain all thofe little
Worlds. When two Vortexes are fup-
ported by the two next Flats on which
they ftand, if they leave beneath any
void Space between them, as it must
often happen, Nature, who is an ex-
cellent Houſewife, and will not fuffer
any Thing to be uſeleſs, preſently fills
up this void Space with a fmall Vortex
or two, perhaps with 1000, which
never incommode the others, and be-
come 1, 2, or 1000, Worlds more; fo
that there may be many more Worlds
than our Vortex has flat Surfaces to
bear them. I will lay a Wager, that
tho' theſe little Worlds were made only
to be thrown into the Corners of the
Univerſe, which otherwiſe would have
been void and ufelefs; and tho' they
are unknown to other Worlds which
檸
​they
EVENING V.
149
they touch, yet they are well fatisfied
Theſe are
with being what they are :
the little Worlds, whofe Suns are not to
be diſcovered but with a Teleſcope,
and whoſe Number is prodigious: To
conclude, all thefe Vortexes are joined to
one another in fo admirable a Manner,
that every one turns round about his
own Sun, without changing Place;
every one has fuch a turn as is moft
eafy, and agreeable to its own Situation:
They take hold of one another, like
the Wheels of a Watch, and mutually
help each other's Motion: And yet it
is certain that they act contrary to one
another. Every World, as fome fay,
is like a Foot-ball, made of a Bladder,
covered with Leather, which fome-
times fwells of its own Accord, and
would extend itſelf, if it were not pre-
vented. But this fwelling World being
preffed by the next to it, returns to its
firft Figure; then fwells again, and is
again depreffed; and fome affirm, that
the Reaſon why the fixed Stars give a
twinkling and trembling Light, and
fome-
150 The Plurality of Worlds.
fometimes feemnot to fhine at all, is
becauſe their Vortexes perpetually puſh
and prefs our Vortex, and ours again
continually repulfes theirs.
I am in love with theſe Fancies, fays
Madam, and pleafed with the Foot-
Balls, which fwell every Moment, and
fink again; and with thefe Worlds,
which are continually ftriving and
puſhing one another: But above all,
I am pleaſed to fee how this juftling
keeps up the Trade of Light, which is
certainly the only Correfpondence that
is between them.
No, no, Madam, fays I, Light is
Not their fole Commerce; the neigh-
bouring Worlds fometimes pay Vifits
to us, and that in a very magnificent
and fplended Manner: Comets arrive
from thence, adorned with bright ſhi-
ning Hair, Venerabie Beards, and Ma-
jeſtic Tails; thefe, fay the Marchioness,
are Ambaffadors, whofe Vifits may be
well fpared, fince they ferve only to
fright us. They fcare only Children,
Says I, with their extraordinary Train;
but
EVENING V. 151
but, indeed, the Number of fuch Chil-
dren is now a-days very great. Comets
are nothing but Planets which belong
to a neighbouring Vortex, they move
towards the Outfide of it; but perhaps
this Vortex being differently preſſed by
thoſe Vortexes which encompaſs it A-
bove, it is rounder than Below, and
the loweſt Part is ftill towards us.
Theſe Planets which have begun to
move in a Circle Above, are not aware,
that Below their Vortex will fail them,
becauſe it is, as it were, broken, There-
fore, to continue the circular Motion,
it is neceffary that they enter into ano-
ther Vortex, which we will fuppofe is
ours, and that they cut thro' the Out-
fides of it. They appear to us very high
and are much higher than Saturn; and
according to our Syftem, it is abfolutely
neceffary they ſhould be fo high, for
Reaſons that do not fignify any Thing
to our prefent Subject. From Saturn
downwards to the other Side of our
Vortex, there is a large void Space with
out any Planets. Our Adverfaries of-
ten
152 The Plurality of Worlds.
ten aſk us, to what Purpoſe this void
Space ferves? But let them not trouble
themſelves any more, I have found a
Ufe for it. It is the Apartment of
thoſe ſtrange Planets, which come into
our World.
I underſtand you, fays she, we do
not fuffer them to come into the Heart
of our Vortex, among our own Planets,
but we receive them as the Grand
Seignor does the Ambaffadors who are
fent to him; he will not fhew them fo
much reſpect as to let them refide
within the Walls of Conftantinople, but
configns them one of the Suburbs of
the City: Madam, fays I, we, and
the Ottomans agree likewife in this,
that as they receive Ambaſſadors, but
never fend any, fo we never find any
of our Planets into the Worlds that are
next us.
By this, fays she, it appears that we
are very proud; however, I do not
yet very well know what I am to be-
lieve. Theſe foreign Planets with their
Tails and their Beards have a terrible
Count-
EVENING V.
153
Countenance, it may be they are fent
to affront us; but ours that are of ano-
ther Make, if they ſhould get into other
Worlds, are not fo proper to make
People afraid.
Neither their Beards, nor Tails, Ma-
dam, fays I, are real; only Phæno-
mina, mere Appearances. Thefe fo-
reign Planets differ in nothing from
ours; but entring into our Vortex,
they feem to us to have Tails or Beards,
by a certain Sort of Illumination which
they receive from the Sun, and which
has not been yet well explained. But
it is certain, that is but a kind of Illu-
mination, and when I am able, I will
tell you how it is done. I wish then,
Says he, that our Saturn, would go
take a Tail and a Beard in another Vor-
tex, and fright all the Inhabitants of it.
Then I would have him come back
again, leaving his terrible Accoutre-
ments behind him, and taking his uſual
Place amongſt our other Planets, fall
to his ordinary Bufinefs. It is better
for, him, fays I, not to go out of our
Vortex.
H
154 The Plurality of Worlds.
Vortex. I have told you how rude
and violent the Shock is, when two
Vortexes juftle one another, a poor
Planet muft needs be terribly fhaken,
and its Inhabitants in no better Condi-
tion. We think ourſelves very unhappy
when a Comet appears, but it is the
Comet which is in an ill Cafe, I do not
believe that, fays fhe, it brings all its
Inhabitants with it in very good
Health; there can be nothing fo divert-
ing as to change Vortexes, We that
never go out of our own Sphere, lead
but a dull Life; if the Inhabitants of a
Comet had but the Wit to foreſee the
Time when they are to come into our
World, they who had already made the
Voyage, could tell their Neigbours
before-hand what they would fee, and
could inform them, that they would
diſcover a Planet with a great Ring
about it, meaning our Saturn; they
would alfo fay, you fhall fee another
Planet which has four little ones to
wait on it, and perhaps fome of them,
refolving to obferve the very Moment
of
EVENING V. 155
of their Entrance into our World,
would prefently cry out, A new Sun,
a new Sun, as Sailors ufe to cry Land,
Land.
You have no Reafon then, fays I,
to pity the Inhabitants of a Comet, yet
I ſuppoſe you will think their Condition
lamentable, who inhabit a Vortex
whofe Sun comes in Time to be quite
extinguiſhed, and confequently who
live in eternal Night. How cried the
Marchioness, can Suns be extinguiſhed?
Yes, without doubt, fays I, for People
fome thouſand Years ago faw fixed Stars
in the Sky, which are now no more to
be feen; Theſe were Suns which have
loft their Light, and certainly there muſt
be a ſtrange Defolation in their Vortexes,
and a general Mortality over all the
Planets, for what can People do with-
out a Sun? This is a difmal Fancy,
fays the Lady, I would not, if I could
help it, let it come into my Head. I
will tell
you, if you pleafe, replied I,
what is the Opinion of Learned Aftro-
nomers as to this Particular: They
H 2
think
156 The Plurality of Worlds.
think that the fixed Stars which have
difappeared, are not quite extinguiſhed,
but that they are half Suns, that is,
they have one half Dark, and the other
half Light, and turning round upon
their own Axis or Center, they fome-
times fhew us their Light Side, and af-
terwards turning to us their Dark one,
we ſee them no more. To oblige you,
Madam, I will be of this Opinion,
becauſe it is not fo harfh as the other,
tho' I cannot make it good but in relati-
on to fome certain Stars, becauſe as Huy-
gens has lately obferved, thofe Stars
have their regulated Times of Appear-
ing, and Diſappearing, otherwife there
could be no fuch Thing as half-Suns.
But what ſhall we fay of Stars, which
totally diſappear, and never fhew them-
felves again after they have finished
their Courſe of turning round upon their
own Axis? You are too juft, Madam,
to oblige me to believe that Stars are
half-Suns. However, I will try once
more what I can do in favour of your
Opinion: The Suns are not extinct,
they
EVENING V.
157
they are only funk fo low into the im-
menfe Depth of Heaven, that we can-
not poffibly ſee them; in this Cafe, the
Vortex follows his Sun, and all is well
again. It is true, that the greateſt Part
of the fixed Stars have not this Motion,
by which they remove themſelves fo
far from us, becauſe at other Times
they might return again nearer to us,
and we ſhould ſee them ſometimes big-
ger, and fometimes leſs, which never
happens. But we will fuppofe that none
but the little, light, and moſt active
Vortexes, which flip between the others,
make certain Voyages, after which they
return again, while the main Body of
Vortexes remain unmoved. It is like-.
wife very ſtrange that fome fixed Stars.
fhew themſelves to us, and take up a
great deal of Time in appearing, and
diſappearing, and at laft, totally and
entirely diſappear. Half-Suns would
appear again at their fixed and regulated
Time. But Suns, which ſhould be funk
low into the Depths of Heaven, would
diſappear but once, and not appear again
H 3
for
158 The Plurality of Worlds.
for a vaſt Space of Time. Now, Ma-
dum, declare your Opinion boldly:
Muft not theſe Stars, of neceffity be
Suns, which are fo much darkned, as
not to be viſible to us, yet afterwards
ſhine´again, and at laſt are wholly ex-
tinct? How can a Sun, fays the Mar-
chioness, be darkned and quite extin-
guiſhed, when it is in its own Nature a
Foundation of Light? It may be done,
Madam, Jays I, with all the Eafe in the
World, if Descartes's Opinion be true,
that our Sun has Spots; now whether
thefe Spots be Scum, or thick Mifts, or
what you pleaſe, they may thicken and
unite, till at laft they cover the Sun
with a Cruft, which daily grows thicker
and then farewel Sun. We have hi-
therto eſcaped pretty well; but it is
reported, that the Sun for fome whole
Years together has looked very pale;
for Example, the Year after Cæfar's
Death; it was this Cruft that then be-
gan to grow, but the Force of the
Sun broke thro', and it was diffipated;
had it continued, we had been all a loft
People.
EVENING V.
159
People. You make me tremble, replied
Madam, and now I know the fatal
Confequences of the Sun's Paleneſs, I
believe, inſtead of going every Morn-
ing to the Glafs, to fee how I look my-
felf, I fhall caft my Eyes up to Heaven,
to fee whether or no the Sun looks
pale. O! Lady, fays I, there is a
great deal of Time required to ruin a
World. I grant it, fays he, yet it is
but Time that is required. I confefs
it, Madam; all this immenfe Mafs of
Matter which compofes the Univerſe,
is in perpetual Motion, no Part of it
excepted, and fince every Part is moved,
you may be fure that Changes muſt
happen fooner or later; but fill in
Times proportioned to the Effect. The
Ancients were merry Gentlemen, to
imagine that the Celestial Bodies were
in their own Nature unchangeable, be-
cauſe they obferved no Alteration in
them; but they did not live long
enough to confirm their Opinion by
their own Experience; they were Boys
in Compariſon of us. Give me leave,
H 4
Madam,
160 The Plurality of Worlds.
Madam, to explain myſelf by an Alle-
gory: If Rofes, which laft but a Day,
could write Hiftories, and leave Memoirs
one to another, and if the firſt Roſe
fhould draw an exact Picture of his
Gardener, and after 15,000 Rofe-Ages,
it ſhould be left to other Roſes, and fo
on ftill to thofe that fhould fucceed,
without any Change in it; fhould the
Roſes hereupon fay, We have Jeen every
Day the fame Gardener, and in the
Memory of Rofes, none ever faw any
Gardener but this; he is still the fame
he was, and therefore certainly He will
die, as We do, for there is no Change at
all in him. Would not thefe Rofes,
Madam, talk very foolishly? And yet
there would be more Reaſon in their
Diſcourſe, than there was in what
the Ancients faid concerning Ce-
leftial Bodies; and tho' even to this
very Day there ſhould appear no viſible
Change in the Heavens, and the Mat-
ter of which they are made, ſhould
have all the Signs of an Eternal Du-
ration, without any Change; yet I
would
EVENING V.
161
would not believe them unchangeable,
till I had the Experience of many more
Ages, Ought we, whofe Lives are but
a Span long to make our Continuance
the menfurate Duration of any other
Being? It is not ſo eaſy a Matter to be
Eternal: To have lafted many Ages of
Men, one after another, is no Sign of
Immortality. Truly, fays the Marchi-
oneſs, I find theſe Worlds are far from
being able to pretend to it; I will not do
them fo much Honour, as to compare
them to the Gardener, who lived fo much
longer than the Rofes: I begin to think
them like the Rofes themſelves, which
Blow one Day, and Die the next: For
now I understand, that if old Stars
diſappear, new ones will come in their
Room, becauſe every Species muſt
preferve itſelf. No Species, Madam,
Jays I, can totally perish; fome perhaps
will tell you that fuch new Stars are
Suns, which return to our Sight again,
after they have been a long Time hid
from us, in the Profundity of Heaven:
Others may tell you they are Suns
H 5
cleared
162 The Plurality of Worlds.
cleared from that thick Cruft, which
once covered them: If I fhould think
all this poffible, yet I likewife believe
that the Univerfe may be framed
in fuch a Manner, that from Time
to Time it may produce New Suns;
why may not that Matter which
is proper to make a Sun, be difper-
fed here and there, and gather itſelf
again at long run, into one cer-
tain Place, and lay the Foundation
of a New World? I am very much
inclined to believe fuch New Pro-
ductions, becauſe they fuit with that
Glorious and Admirable Idea which I
have of the Works of Nature:
Can we think that All-wife Nature
knows no more than the Secret of
making Herbs and Plants live and
die by a continual Revolution? I
am verily perfwaded, and are not
you ſo too, Madam, that Nature,
without much Coft or Pains, can
put the fame Secret in Practice up-
on the Worlds? I now find, fays
fbe, the Worlds, the Heavens, and
Celes
EVENING V. 163
Celestial Bodies fo fubject to change,
that I am come to myſelf again. To
recover ourſelves the better, replied
I, let us fay no more of theſe
Matters. We are arrived at the
very Roof and Top of all the
Heavens; and to tell you whether
there be any Stars beyond it, you
muſt have a more able Aftronomer
than I am; you may place Worlds
there, or no Worlds, as you pleafe:
It is the Philofopher's Empire to
deſcribe thoſe vaſt inviſible Countries,
which are, and are not, or are ſuch
as he pleaſes to make them: It is
enough for me to have carried your
Mind, as far as you can fee with
your Eyes.
Well now, fays the Marchioness,
I have the whole System of the
Univerſe in my Head; "how learned
am I become? Indeed,
Indeed, Madam
fays I, you are pretty knowing, and
with this Advantage, either of be-
lieving, or disbelieving any Thing
I have faid; all the Recompence I
H 6
defire
4
164, The Plurality of Worlds.
defire for the Pains I have taken, is,
that you would never look upon the
Sun, the Heaven, or the Stars, with
out Thinking on Me.
*
The
愛
​The SIXTH EVENING.
New Obfervations confirming the Pre-
ceding Ones. And fome farther
Difcoveries made in the HEAVEns.
T is ſo long, fince the Marchionefs
of G**** and I, had any Difcourfe
concerning the Planetary Worlds,
that we began to question whether
we had ever had any on that Subject.
When I went one Day to vifit her, I
came in juſt as two very polite
Gentlemen had taked their Leaves of
her. Well! fays Madam, the very Mo-
ment the perceived me, you fee who
have honoured me with a Vifit; and,
I proteft, it has given me fome room
to ſuſpect that it has been in your Power
to impoſe upon my Judgment. I fhould
be very proud, replied I, if I could
flatter myſelf with fuch a Power, be-
cauſe I look upon it to be the hardeſt
Taſk any one could attempt. As hard
as it is, fays fhe, I am afraid you have
done
166 The Plurality of Worlds.
on.
done it. I do not know how it cam
about, but our Converfation turned up-.
the Plurality of Worlds with my
two Friends who are just gone: I am
not certain, but they might introduce
the Difcourfe with a malicious Defign.
I made no Scruple to tell them directly,
that all the Planets were Inhabited:
one of them replied, he was very well
fatisfied I did not believe a Word of it;
and I, with all the Simplicity imagine-
able, maintained, that it was real
my
Opinion; he ſtill looked upon it as a
Piece of Diffimulation, defigned to
divert the Company: And I thought,
what made him ſo poſitive that I did
not believe my own Sentiments, was,
that he had too high an Opinion of me
to conceive that I could entertain fo ex-
travagant a Notion. As for the other
Gentleman, who had not altogether
that Efteem for me, he took me at my
Word. For God's fake, why did you
put a Thing in my Head, which People
that value me cannot think I maintain
feriouſly? Nay, Madam, Jays I, but
why
i
EVENING VI.
167
why would you attempt to maintain
any ferious Pofition among a Set of
People, who, I am fure, never entered
into a Way of Reaſoning which had
the leaft Caft of Seriouſneſs? We ſhould
not affront the Inhabitants of the Pla-
nets fo highly; but content ourſelves
with being a little felect Number of
Advocates for them, and not commu-
nicate our Mysteries to the Vulgar.
How! Says the Marchionefs, do you call
my two laft Vifitants the Vulgar? They
may have Wit enough, fays I, but they
never Reaſon at all. And your Rea-
foners, who are a fevere Set of People,
will not make any Difficulty of forting
them with the Vulgar. On the other
Side, theſe Men of Fire revenge them-
felves by ridiculing the Reafoners; and
think it is a very juſt Principle in Nature,
that every Species defpifes what it
wants. It were right, if it was poffi-
ble, to conform ourſelves to every
Species; and it had been much better
for you to have rallied on the Inhabi-
tants of the Planets with your two
Friends,
168 The Plurality of Words.
1
Friends, becauſe they are better at Rail-
lery than Reaſoning, which they never
make Ufe of: You had then come off
with their joint Efteem; and the Pla-
nets had not loft a ſingle Inhabitant by
it. Would you have had me facrifice
the Truth to a Jeft! fays fhe: And is
that all the Confcience you have? I
own, anfwered I, that I have no great
Zeal for thefe kind of Truths, and I
will facrifice them with all my Soul to
the leaſt Conveniencies of Company.
For Inftance, I ſee what is, and always
will be, the Reaſon, why the Opinion
of the Planets being Inhabited, is not
thought fo probable as it really is: The
Planets always prefent themſelves to
our View as Bodies which emit Light;
and not at all like great Plains and
Meadows. We ſhould readily agree
that Plains and Meadows were Inha-
bited; but for luminous Bodies to be
fo too, there is no Ground to believe
it. Reafon may come and tell us over
and over, that there are Plains and
Meadows in theſe Planets, but Reaſon
comes
EVENING V. 169
comes a Day too late; one Glance of
our Eyes has had its Effect before her,
we will not hear a Word fhe fays, the
Planets muſt be luminous Bodies, and
what Sort of Inhabitants ſhould they
have, our Imagination of Courſe would
preſently repreſent their Figures to us?
It is what he cannot do, and the
ſhorteſt Way is to believe there are no
fuch beings Would you have me,
for the Eſtabliſhments of theſe Planetary
People, whofe Interefts are far from
touching me, go to attack thofe formi-
dable Powers, called Senfe and Imagi-
nation? It is an Enterprize would re-
quire a good Stock of Courage, and
we cannot eafily prevail on Men, to
fubftitute their Reaſon in the Place of
their Eyes. I fometimes meet with
reaſonable People enow, who are willing,
after a thouſand Demonftrations, to
believe that the Planets are ſo many
Earths: But their Belief is not fuch as
it would be, if they had not ſeen them
under a different Appearance; they
ftill remember the firft Idea they en-
tertained,
170 The Plurality of Worlds.
tertained, and they cannot well recover
themſelves from it. It is thefe kind of
People, who, in believing our Opinion,
feem to do it a Courtefy, and only fa-
vour it for the Sake of a certain Plea-
fure which its Singularity gives them.
Well, fays the Marchioness, inter-
rupting me, and is not this fufficient for
an Opinion, which is but barely proba-
ble? You would be very much fur-
prized, fays I, if I should tell you,
probable is a very modeſt Term. Is it
fimple probable that there ever was
fuch a Man as Alexander the Great ?
you hold it very certain that there was,
and upon what is this certainty found-
ed? Becauſe you have all the Proofs
which you could defire in a like Matter?
and there does not the leaſt Subject for
Doubt prefent itſelf, to fufpend or ar-
reft your Determination? for you never
could ſee this Alexander, and you have
not one Mathematical Demonftration
that there ever was ſuch a Man. Now
what would you fay if the Inhabitants
of the Planets were almoſt in the very
fame
EVENING VI.
171
fame Cafe?
We cannot pretend to
make you ſee them, and you cannot
infift upon the Demonſtration here, as
you would in a Mathematical Queſtion;
but you have all the Proofs you could
defire in our World. The entire Re-
femblance of the Planets with the Earth
which is inhabited, the Impoffibility
of conceiving any other Ufe for which
they were created, the Fecundity, and
Magnificence of Nature, the certain
Regards the feems to have had to the
Neceffities of their Inhabitants, as in
giving Moons to thoſe Planets remote
from the Sun, and more Moons ſtill
to thoſe yet more remote; and what
is ſtill very material, there are all
Things to be faid on one Side, and
nothing on the other; and you can-
not comprehend the leaft Subject for a
Doubt, unleſs you will take the Eyes
and Underſtanding of the Vulgar. In
fhort, fuppofing that theſe Inhabitants
of the Planets really exiſt, they could
not declare themſelves by more Marks,
or Marks more fenfible; and after this
you
172 The Plurality of Worlds.
:
you are to confider whether you are
willing not to take their Cafe to be
more than purely probable. But you
would not have me, fays he, look
upon this to be as certain as that there
was fuch a Man as Alexander ? Not
altogether, Madam, fays I, for tho'
we have as many Proofs touching the
Inhabitants of the Planets, as we can
have in the Situation we are, yet the
Number of thefe Proofs is not great.
I muſt renounce theſe Planetary Inha-
bitants, fays her Ladyship, interrupting
me, for I cannot conceive how to rank
them in my Imagination; there is no
abfolute Certainty of them, and yet
there is more than a Probability; fo
that I am confounded in my Notions.
Ah, Madam, fays I, never put your-:
ſelf out of Conceit with them for that;:
the moſt common and ordinary Clocks.
fhew the Hours, but thofe are wrought
with more Art and Nicety which fhew
the Minutes. Juft fo your ordinary Ca-
pacities are fenfible of the Difference.
betwixt a fimple Probability, and an
evident
EVENING VI. 173
ny
evident Certainty; but it is only your
fine Spirits that difcern the exact Pro-
portions of Certainty or Probability,
and can mark, if I may uſe the Phrafe,
the Minutes in their Sentiments. Now
place the Inhabitants of the Planets a
little below Alexander; yet above ma-
other Hiftorical Facts which are not
fo clearly proved: I believe this Po-
fition will do. I love Order, ſays ſhe,
and you oblige me in thus ranging my
Ideas for me: But pray, why did not
you take this Care before? Becauſe,
Says I, fhould you believe the Inhabi-
tants of the Planets either a little more
or less than they deferve, there will be
no great Damage in it. I am fure that
you do not believe the Motion of the
Earth fo fully as it ought to be believ-
ed; and have you much Reafon to
complain on that Score? O! For that
matter, replied she, I have diſcharged
myſelf very well, you have nothing to
reproach me with on that Account, for
I firmly believe that the Earth turns.
And yet, fays I, Madam, I have not
given
$
174 The Plurality of Worlds.
given you the ftrongeſt Reaſons in
proving it. Ah! Traytor, fhe cryed,
to make me believe Things upon feeble
Proofs Then you did not think me
worthy of believing upon fubftantial
Reafons? I only proved Things, fays I,
upon little plauſible Reaſons, and fuch
as were adapted to your peculiar Uſe:
Should I have conjured up as ſtrong
and folid Arguments, as if I had been
to attack a Doctor in the Science? Yes,
Jays he, pray take me for a Doctor
from this Moment, and let me have
your full Demonftrations of the Earth's
moving.
With all my Heart, fays I, Madam,.
and I own the Proof pleaſes me ftrange-
ly, perhaps becauſe I think it was of
my own finding; yet it is fo good and
natural, that I muſt not prefume pofi-
tively to have been the Inventor of it:
It is moſt certain, that if a learned Man
was puzzled, and defired to make Re-
plications to it, he would be obliged to
declaim at large, which is the only
Method in the World to confound a
learned
EVENING VI.
175
learned Man. We muſt grant, that
all the Celestial Bodies, in 24 Hours,
turn round the Earth, or that the Earth
turning on itſelf, imparts this Motion
to all the Celestial Bodies. But that
they really have this Revolution in 24
Hours round the Earth, is a Matter
which has the leaſt Probability in the
World, tho' the Abfurdity does not
preſently appear to our View. All the
Planets certainly make their great Re-
volution about the Sun; but theſe Re-
volutions of theirs are unequal, accord-
ing to the Diſtances of the refpective
Planets from the Sun; for the moft re-
mote Ones make their Courfe in a lon-
ger Time, which is moſt agreeable to
Nature: The fame Order is obferved
among the little fecondary Planets in
turning about a great one. The four
Moons of Jupiter, and the five of
Saturn, make their Circles in more or
lefs Time round their great Planet; ac-
cording as they are more or lefs remote.
Befides, it is certain that the Planets
have Motions upon their own Centers,
and
176 The Plurality of Worlds.
and theſe Motions likewiſe are unequal;
we cannot tell well how to account for
this Inequality, whether it proceeds
from the different Magnitudes of the
Planets, or on the different Swiftneſs of
the particular Vortexes which inclofe
them, and the liquid Matters in which
they are fuftained; but, in fhort, the
Inequality is moft undoubted; and fuch
is the Order of Nature in general, that
whatever is common to many Things,
is found at the fame Time to vary in
fome different Particulars.
I underſtand you, fays the Marchio-
nefs, inten upting me, and I think, there
is a great deal of Reaſon in what you
fay; I am entirely of your Mind, if the
Planets turned about the Earth, they
would do it in unequal Spaces of Time,
according to their Diſtances, as they do
about the Sun: Is not that the Mean-
ing of what you were ſaying? Exactly,
Madam, fays I, their unequal Diſtances,
with reſpect to the Earth, as well as
in all their other Motions. And the
fixed
EVENING VI.
177
fixed Stars which are at fuch a prodigi-
ous Diſtance from us, and fo much
elevated above every Thing that can
take a general Motion round us, at
leaft which are fituated in a Place
whence this Motion fhould be very
much weakned, would there not be a
very great Probability that they did not
turn at all about us in 24 Hours, as the
Moon does who is fo near us? And
ſhould not Comets, which are Strangers
in our Vortex, and which run Courſes
fo different one from the other, and
with fuch unequal Rapidity, be excufed
from turning round us in the fame
Space of 24 Hours? But no Matter,
fixed Stars, and Comets, and all muſt
turn round the Earth in 24 Hours; yet,
if there were fome Minutes Difference
in thefe Motions, we might be content-
ed; and they all muſt make them with
the moſt or rather the only exac Equa-
lity which is in the World, and not one
Minute more or lefs allowed. In Reality,
this Matter is ſtrangely to be fufpected.
O! fays the Lady, fince it is poffible
that this grand Equality ſhould be only
I
in
178 The Plurality of Worlds.
in our Imagination, I am entirely con-
vinced it is derived only from thence.
I am very well pleaſed, that any Pofi-
tion, which is againſt the Genius of
Nature, fhould fall entirely upon our-
felves, and that ſhe ſhould ſtand dif-
charged, tho' at our Expence. For my
Part, fays I, I am 'fuch a Foe to a per-
fect Equality, that I cannot even allow,
all the Turns which the Earth every
Day makes on herſelf, fhould be pre-
cifely in 24 Hours, and always equal
one to another, I fhould be very much
inclined to think that there are Varia-
tions. Variations! cried the Lady, why,
do not our Pendulums mark an entire
Equality? O, Jays I, to your Pendu-
lums I muft object, for they cannot be
altogether juft; and fometimes when
they are, in fhewing us that one Circuit
of 24 Hours, is longer or fhorter than
another, we ſhould rather be inclined
to believe them irregular, than to fuf-,
pect the Earth of any Irregularity in
her Revolutions. What a complaifant
Reſpect is this we have for her, I would
no more depend on the Earth, than on
a
EVENING VI.
179
a Pendulum! And the very fame Cafu-
alties almoſt which will diſorder the
one, will make the other irregular!
Only, I believe, there must be more
Time allowed for the Earth, than a
Pendulum, to be vifibly put out of
Order; and that is all the Advantage
we can give on her Side. But might
ſhe not by Degrees draw nearer to the
Sun? And there finding herfelf in a
Situation, where the Matter is more
agitated, and the Motion more rapid,
fhe will in leſs Time make her double-
Revolution both about the Sun and
herſelf; fo confequently her Years and
Days will be much fhortned, but not
to be perceived, becauſe we muſt ſtill
go on to divide the Year into 365 Days,
and the Days into 24 Hours: So that
without living longer than we now do,
we ſhall live more Years; and on the
other Hand, as the Earth withdraws
from the Sun, we ſhall live fewer Years
than we do now, and yet have our
Lives of the fame Extent. There is a
great deal of Probability, fays he, that
whenever it falls out thus, long Suc-
I 2
ceffions
180 The Plurality of Worlds.
ceffions of Ages will make but very
little Variation. I agree with
you, Ma-
dam, replied I, the Conduct of Nature
is very nice, and fhe has a Method of
bringing about all Things by Degrees,
which are not fenfible, but in very ob-
vious and eafy Changes: We are fcarce
able to perceive the Change of the Sea-
fons, and for fome others which are
made with a certain Deliberation, they
do not fail to eſcape our Obſervance.
However, all is in a perpetual Rotation,
and not ſo much as the Lady's Face in
the Moon, which was difcovered with
Teleſcopes, within thefe 40 Years, but
what is grown confiderably old. She
had a good tolerable Countenance, but
now her Cheeks are funk, her Nofe
grown long, and her Chin and Forehead
meet, fo that all Graces are vaniſhed,
and Age has made her a terrible Spec-
tacle.
What a Story do you tell, fays the
Lady, interrupting me! It is no Impo-
fition, Madam, replied I, they have
perceived in the Moon a particular Fi-
ure, which had the Air of a Woman's
Head
EVENING VI.
181
-
Head jutting out of Rocks, and it is.
owing to fome Changes that have hap
pened there. Some Pieces of Moun
tains have mouldered away, and left us
to diſcover three Points, which can on-
ly ferve to make up the Forehead, Noſe,
and Chin, of an old Woman. Well,
fays fhe, but do not you think it is fome
Deftiny that had a particular Spite to
Beauty? And very juftly was this
Female-Head, which he would attack
above all the Moon. Perhaps in Re-
compence, replied I, the Changes which
happen upon our Earth, drefs out fome
Face, which the People in the Moon
fee; I mean fomething like what we
conceive a Face in the Moon; for every
one beſtows on Objects thoſe Ideas of
which they themſelves are full. Our
Aftronomers fee on the Surface of the
Moon, the Faces of Women, and may
be, if the Ladies were to make their
Speculations, they would difcern the
Phyfiognomy of fine Men.
For my
Part, Madam, I do not know whether
I ſhould not fancy your Ladyſhip's
Charms there. I proteft, fays she, I
I 3
cannot
182 The Plurality of Worlds.
cannot help being obliged to any one
who fhould find me there. But to come
back to what you were mentioning juft
now: Do any confiderable Changes
affect the Earth? In all Appearance
they do, replied I: Old Fables tell us,
that Hercules fplit afunder with his
Hands, the two Mountains, called
Calpe and Abila, which ftand betwixt
Afric and Spain, ftopped the Ocean
from flowing there, and that immedi-
ately the Sea ruſhed with Violence over
the Land, and made that great Gulph
which we call the Mediterranean.
Now this is not only fabulous, but a
Hiſtory of thoſe remote Times, which
has been diſguiſed, either from the Ig-
norance of the People, or thro' the
Love they had for the Marvellous, the
two most ancient Frailties of Mankind.
That Hercules fhould feperate two
Mountains with his two Hands, is ab-
folutely incredible; but that in the
Time of one Hercules, or other, for
there were 50 of that Name, the Ocean
fhould force down two Mountains, not
fo ſtrong as others in the World, per-
haps
EVENING VI. 183
haps thro' the Affiftance of fome Earth-
quake, and fo take his Courſe betwixt
Europe and Afric, gives me no manner
of Pain to believe What a notable
Spot might the Lunar-Inhabitants all
of a fudden diſcover on our Earth;
for you know, Madam, that Seas are
Spots. It is no leſs than the common
Opinion, that Sicily was feparated from
Italy, and Cyprus from Syria: There
are fometimes new Iflands formed in the
Seas: Earthquakes have fwallowed up
Mountains, others have rofe and altered
the Courfe of the Planets. The Philo-
fophers give us Apprehenfions, that
the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily,
which are Countries founded upon
great fubterranean Vaults, full of Sul-
phur, will one Day fink in, when thofe
Vaults fhall no longer be able to reſiſt
the Flames which they contain, and at
this Time exhale at thoſe Vent-holes
the Mouth of Vefuvius and Ætna. Is
not here enough to diverfify the Sight
which we give to the People in thè
Moon?
1 4
}
I
184 The Plurality of Worlds.
I had much rather, fays the Marchio-
nefs, that we had difgufted them with
the fame Object always, than diverted
them with the fwallowing up of Pro-
vinces.
I do not know, replied I, if within
this little Time there have not been fe
veral burnt up in Jupiter. What, Pro-
vincies burnt up in Jupiter! crys She,
upon my Word, that would be confi-
derable News. Very confiderable, fays
I, Madam: We have remarked thefe
20 Years in Jupiter a long Trail of
Light, more glaring than the reſt of
that Planet's Body. We have, here,
had Deluges, perhaps they may have
fuffered great Conflagrations in Jupiter:
How do we know to the contrary?
Jupiter is 90 Times bigger than the
Earth, and turns on his own Center in
Jo Hours, whereas we do not turn in
leſs than 24, which implies that his
Motion is 216 Times ftronger than
ours. May it not be poffible, that in
fo rapid a Circulation, its moft dry and
combuftible Parts fhould take fire, as we
fee the Axle-trees in Wheels, from the
Rapidity
EVENING VI.
185
Rapidity of their Motion, will break
out into Flames? But however it is,
this Light of Jupiter is by no means
comparable to another, which in all
Probability is as ancient as the World,
and yet we have never feen it. How
does a Light order it to be concealed,
fays fhe; there must be fome fingular
Addreſs to compaſs that Point.
This Light, replied I, never appears
but at Twilight, which is often ſtrong
enough to drown it; and even when
Twilight fuffers it to appear, either
the Vapours of the Horizon rob us of
it, or it is fo very faint, and hardly to
be perceived, that for want of Exactneſs
in our Knowledge we miſtake it for the
Twilight. But, in fhort, they have of
late Years with much Certainty diſtin-
guished it; and it has been for fome
Time the Delight of the Aftronomers,
whoſe Curioſity wanted to be rouſed
by fome Novelty, and they could not
well have been more touched, if they
had diſcovered fome new fecondary
Planet's. The two latter Moons of
Saturn, for Inftance, did not raviſh
I 5
them
186 The Plurality of Worlds.
them to that Degree which the Guards
or Moons of Jupiter did: But now we
are fully accuſtomed to it; we ſee, one
Month before, and after, the Vernal
Equinox, when the Sun is fet and the
Twilight over, a certain whitiſh Light
refembling the Tail of a Comet. We
fee the fame before Sun rife, and before
the Twilight, towards the Autumnal
Equinox; and towards the Winter
Solſtice we ſee it Night and Morning,
except at theſe Times it cannot, as I but
now obſerved, difengage itſelf from the
Twilights which are too ftrong and
lafting; for we ſuppoſe it to be a conti-
nued Light, and in all Probability it is
fo. We have begun to conjecture that
it is produced from fome prodigious
Quantity of Matter crouded together,
which circles round the Sun to a certain
Extent: The greateſt Part of his Rays
pierce thro' this grofs Circuit, and come
down to us in a right Line; but fome
refting on the inner Surface of this
Matter, are from thence reflected to us,
and come with the direct Rays, or elfe
we cannot have them either Morning or
Evening. Now as thefe reflected kays,
are
EVENING VI.
187
are ſhot from a greater Height than
thoſe which are direct, we must confe-
quently have them fooner, and keep
them longer.
On this Foot, I muft acquiefce in
what I have already mentioned, that
the Moon muſt have no Twilight for
want of being furrounded by fuch a
grofs Air as the Earth. But the can
be no Lofer; her Twilights will
pro-
ceed from that kind of groſs Air which
furrounds the Sun, and reflects his Rays
on Places which his direct ones cannot
reach. But pray let me know, fays
the Marchioness, are not the Twilights
fettled for all the Planets, who will not
need every one to be clothed with a
diſtinct grofs Air, becauſe that which
furrounds the Sun alone, may have one
general Effect for all the Planets in the
Vortex? I am mighty willing to think,
Dame-Nature, agreeable to that Incli-
nation which 1 know ſhe has to Oeco-
nomy, and good Management, fhould
make that fingle Means aufwer her
Purpoſe: Yet, replied I, notwithſtanding
this fuppofed Oeconomy, the muft have,
I 6
with
188 The Plurality of Worlds.
with Reſpect to our Earth, two Cauſes
for Twilight; one whereof, which is
the thick Air about the Sun, will be
wholly uſeleſs, and can only be an Ob-
ject of Curiofity for the Students of the
Obfervatory; but not to conceal any
Thing, it is poffible that only the Earth
fends out from herſelf Vapours and Ex-
halations grofs enough to produce Twi-
lights, and that Nature had Reaſon to
provide, by one general Means, for
the Neceffities of all the other Planets,
which are, if I may fo fay, of a purer
Mold, and their Evaporations confe-
quently more fubtle. We are perhaps,
among all the Inhabitants of the Worlds
in our Vortex, the only Perfons who
required to have a more grofs and thick
Air given us to breathe in. With what
Contempt would the Inhabitants of the
other Planets confider us, if they knew
this?
They would be out in their Reaſon-
ing, fays the Marchioness, we are not
to be deſpiſed for being enveloped with
a thick Air, fince the Sun himſelf is ſo
furrounded, Pray tell me, is not this
Air
EVENING VI. 189
Air produced by certain Vapours, which
you have formerly told me iffued from
the Sun, and does it not ferve to break
the firſt Force of his Rays, which had
elfe probably been to Excefs? I con-
ceive that the Sun may be veiled by
Nature, to be more proportioned to our
Ufe. Well, Madam, replied I, this is
fome fmall Introduction to a System
which you have very happily ftarted.
We may add, that theſe Vapours pro-
duce a kind of Rain, which falling
back upon the Sun, may cool and refreſh
it, as we fometimes throw Water into a
Forge, when the Fire is too fierce.
There is not any thing but what we
may imagine, to affift Nature's Addrefs,
but he has another kind of Addrefs
very particular, which is to conceal
herſelf from us, and we ſhould not
willingly be confident that we have
found out a Method of acting on her
Defigns in it: In cafe of New Difco-
veries, we ſhould not be too importu-
nate in our Reaſonings, tho' we are
always fond enough to do it; and your
true Philofophers are like Elephants, who
as
190 The Plurality of Worlds.
as they go, never put their fecond
Foot to the Ground, till their firſt be
well fixed. The Compariſon feems the
more rational to me, fays fhe, as the
Merit of thoſe two Suecies of Animals,
Elephants and Philofophers, does not at
all confift in exterior Agreements.
am willing to miſtake the Judgment of -
both; now teach me fome of the latter
Diſcoveries, and I promiſe you not to
make any raſh Syſtems.
I
I will tell you Madam, replied I, all
the News I know from the Firmament,
and I believe the freſheſt Advices you
can have. I am forry they are not
as furprizing and wonderful, as fome
Obfervations which I read the other
Day in An Abridgment of the CHINESE
ANNALS. Written in Latin. Thoſe
People fee Thouſands of Stars at a Time,
fall from the Sky into the Sea, with a
prodigious Naife, or are diffolved, and
melt into Rains; and theſe are Things
which have been ſeen more than once
in China. I met with this Obfervation
at two feveral Times, pretty diſtant
from each other without reckoning a
certain
EVENING VI.
191
certain Star which goes Eastward, and
burſts like a Squib, always with a great
Noife. It is great Pity that theſe Kinds
of Phænomina fhould be reſerved for
China only, and that our Part of the
Globe ſhould never have their Share of
theſe Sights. It is not long, fince all
our Philofophers were of Opinion, that
they might affirm on good Grounds,
that the Heavens and all the Celeſtial
Bodies were incorruptible, and therefore
incapable of Change; and yet at the
fame Time, there were fome Men in
the other Part of the Earth who faw
Stars diffolve by Thouſands, which muſt
produce a very different Opinion. But,
Jays the Marchioness, did we ever hear
it allowed that the Chineſe were fuch
great Aftronomers? It is true, we did
not, fays I, but the Chinefe have an
Advantage from being divided from us
by fuch a prodigious Tract of Earth,
as the Greeks had over the Romans, by
being fo much prior in Time: Diſtances
of every Sort pretend à Right of im-
pofing on us. In Reality, I think ſtill
more and more, that there is a certain
Genius
192 The Plurality of Words.
Genius which has never yet been out of
the Limits of Europe, or at leaſt not
much beyond them; perhaps he may
not be permitted to fpread over any
great Extent of the Earth at once, and
that fome Fatality preſcribes him very
narrow Bounds. Let us indulge him
whilft we have him; the best of it is,
he is not link'd to the Sciences and dry
Speculations, but launches out with as
much Succefs into Subjects of Pleaſure,
in which Point I queftion whether any
People equal us. Theſe are fuch To-
picks, Madam, as ought to give you
Entertainment, and compleat your
whole Syftem of Philofophy.
XXXX
* * * * *
XXXX
礼
​Verfess
V
You
VERSES,
Sent with this BOOK to Mrs.
OLDFIELD, by Mrs. CENT-
LIVRE.
P Lurality of Worlds! fuch Things may be!
But I am beſt convinc'd by what 】 fee:
Yet tho' Philofophers thefe Schemes purſue,
And fancy'd Worlds in ev'ry Planet view,
They can but gueſs at Orbs above the Skies,
And darkly paint the Lakes and Hills that rife;
But CUPID, fkill'd in Myſteries profound,
Points where moreCertainty of Worlds abound
Bright Globes that ftrike the Gazer with
Surprize,
For they are Worlds of Love, and in OPHELIA'S
Eyes.
Α Ν
Y & Y*XX
足
​A N
ORATION,
IN
DEFENCE
OF THE
NEW PHILOSOPHY.
SPOKEN
In the THEATRE at Oxford, July 7, 1693,
by Mr. ADDISON.
Done from the Latin Original.
H
OW long, Gentlemen of
Univerſity, fhall we flavifh-
ly tread in the Steps of the
Ancients, and be afraid of
being wifer than our Ance-
ftors? How long fhall we religiouſly
worſhip the Triflings of Antiquity, as
fome do old Wives Stories? It is indeed
fhameful, when we furvey the great
Ornament of the prefent Age, to
transfer our Applauſes to the Ancients,
NEWTON,
and
of the NEW PHILOSOPHY. 195
and to take Pains to fearch into Ages
paft for Perfons fit for Panegyrick.
The ancient Philofophy has had
more allowed than it could reafonably
pretend to, how often has SHELDON'S
Theatre rung with Encomia on the
Stagyrite, who, greater than his own
Alexander, has long, un-oppofed, tri-
umphed in our School-Defks, and had
the whole World for his Pupils. At
length rofe CARTESIUS, a happier
Genius, who has bravely afferted the
Truth against the united Force of all
Oppofers, and has brought on the Stage
a new Method of philofophizing. But
fhall we ftigmatize with the Name of
Novelty that Philofophy, which, tho'
but lately revived, is more ancient than
the Peripatetic, and as old as the Mat-
ter from whence it is derived. A great
Man indeed He was, and the only one
we envy FRANCE *.
FRANCE *. He folved the
Difficulties of the Univerſe, almoſt as
well as if he had been its Architect.
He deſtroyed thoſe Orbs of Glaſs, which
the Whims of Antiquity had fixed
above,
*Des Cartes.
196 Mr. ADDISON's Defence
above, brought to light that Troop of
Forms till then unknown, and has al-
moſt extinguiſhed the Element of Fire;
nay, he with ſo much Clearneſs traced
out the whole Mafs of Matter, as to
leave no occult Quality untouched.
This Philofopher fcorned to be any.
longer bounded within the Straights
and Cryſtalline Walls of an Ariftotelic
World; no, his Delight is to fearch
the Regions above, to diſcover new
Suns, and new Worlds, which lay
hid among the Stars; his Satisfaction
is to view that large Kingdom of Air
amidft the unfixed Stars, and Lands
that paſs the Milky Way, and more
accurately meaſure this vaft Machine,
a Machine fit for Mankind to philofo-
phize on, and worthy of the Deity,
that firſt framed it.
Here we have not only new Heavens
opened to us, but we look down on
our Earth; this Philofophy affords us
feveral Kinds of Animals; where, by
the Help of Microſcopes, our Eyes are
fo far affifted, that we may difcern the
Productions of the ſmalleſt Creatures,
while
of the NEW PHILOSOPHY. 197
while we confider with a curious Eye
the animated Particles of Matter, and
behold with Aſtoniſhment, the reptile
Mountains of living Atoms. Thus are
our Eyes become more penetrating by
modern Helps, and even that Work
which Nature boafts for her Mafter-
Piece, is rendered more correct and
finiſhed. We no longer pay a blind
Veneration to that barbarous Peripatetic
Jingle, thofe obfcure Scholaftic Terms
of Art, once held as Oracles, but con-
fult the Dictates of our own Senfes,
and by late invented Engines force Na-
ture herſelf to diſcover plainly her moſt
hidden Receffes.
By the Help of Inſtruments like theſe,
that Air, which a bountiful Nature has
indulged us, we as often as we pleaſe,
by the Force of Art abridge other Ani-
mals of, and keep them in our Penu-
matick Pumps, from its common Be-
nefit. What a Pleaſure is it to fee the
fruitlefs Heavings of the Lights, to ex-
hauſt their Lives, and by a moft artful
Sort of Theft rob them of their Breath?
From this nothing is fafe, nothing fo
long
198 Mr. ADDISON's Defence
long lived, which gradually does not
languiſh, and fall dead withouta Wound.
A divine Piece of Art this, and worthy
its Author *, who in the Conduct of
his Life, and the Force of his Argu-
ments, has fo nobly honoured our Na-
tion, and the New Philofophy, one who
for this Reafon too deſerves never to
want the Benefit of his own Air, or
that he, who has fo often deprived other
Animals of their Life, fhould ever
breathe out his own.
On no fuch Grounds, as theſe has
ARISTOTLE built his Philofophy, who
from his own Brain furniſhed out all
his Rules of Arts and Sciences, and
left nothing untouched on, nothing un-
regarded but Truth. If therefore he
precipitated himſelf into the River Eu-
ripus, becauſe he could not underſtand
its Ebb and Flow, by the fame Logic
he might at his firſt Entrance on Philo-
fophy have deſtroyed himſelf; and we
may fairly doubt, in which of the Ele-
ments he ought to have perished.
* BOYLE.
After
of the NEW PHILOSOPHY 199
After ARISTOTLE'S Fate amidſt
the Waves of Euripus, a new Race of
Peripatetics ſtarted up, even worſe than
their Founder, who handed their Phi-
loſophy to After-ages in fo thick an
Obfcurity, that it has preferved it from
the Satire and Ridicule of all Mankind,
as underſtood by very few. Some
there are to be found, who ipend there
Time amidft the Rubbiſh which thefe
Commentators have filled the World
with, and pore more than once. on
thefe God-like Treafures of Learning,
and flick to them to no other Purpoſe,
unleſs to ſhew the World the vaſt
Pains they take to be deceived. Can
there be a more pleafant Sight than to
fee theſe wife Champions wrangling
with each other? The one, armed with
Propofitions and Syllogifms, attacks his
Antagoniſt in the fame Armour: Both
Bell-weathers grow angry, and ftorm,
fond of a Victory, which is worth but
a Trifle, when obtained: Each, with
all his Might, darts out his Barbariſms
at the other, they entangle themſelves
in their Follies, and as neither knows.
how
M
1
200 Mr. ADDISON's Defence, &c.
how to extricate himſelf, they found to
a Retreat, and when all the Ammuni-
tion is ſpent on both Sides, they think
fit to keep Silence.
Thus far, Gentlemen, and no farther
launches out the ancient Philofophy:
Let us therefore ſentence for ever this
Troop of Commentators, to be tied up
in Chains and Libraries, Food only for
Moths and Worms, and there let them
quietly grow Old, free from the Sight
of any Reader.
* Jofeph Addifon.
FINI S.
2.