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The Consolidator; or, Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the Moon

by Daniel Defoe · English · Gutenberg #7089 · 378,558 chars · public domain (US)

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Title: The Consolidator; or, Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the Moon

Author: Daniel Defoe


        
Release date: December 1, 2004 [eBook #7089]
                Most recently updated: December 30, 2020

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7089

Credits: Produced by Lance Purple and Andrew Sly


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CONSOLIDATOR; OR, MEMOIRS OF SUNDRY TRANSACTIONS FROM THE WORLD IN THE MOON ***






Produced by Lance Purple and Andrew Sly.



The Consolidator: or,
Memoirs of Sundry Transactions
From the World in the Moon.

Translated from the Lunar Language,
By the Author of The True-born English Man.


It cannot be unknown to any that have travell'd into the Dominions of
the Czar of Muscovy, that this famous rising Monarch, having studied
all Methods for the Encrease of his Power, and the Enriching as well
as Polishing his Subjects, has travell'd through most part of Europe,
and visited the Courts of the greatest Princes; from whence, by his
own Observation, as well as by carrying with him Artists in most
useful Knowledge, he has transmitted most of our General Practice,
especially in War and Trade, to his own Unpolite People; and the
Effects of this Curiosity of his are exceeding visible in his present
Proceedings; for by the Improvements he obtained in his European
Travels, he has Modell'd his Armies, form'd new Fleets, settled
Foreign Negoce in several remote Parts of the World; and we now see
his Forces besieging strong Towns, with regular Approaches; and his
Engineers raising Batteries, throwing Bombs, &c. like other Nations;
whereas before, they had nothing of Order among them, but carried all
by Ouslaught and Scalado, wherein they either prevailed by the Force
of Irresistible Multitude, or were Slaughter'd by heaps, and left the
Ditches of their Enemies fill'd with their Dead Bodies.

We see their Armies now form'd into regular Battalions; and their
Strelitz Musqueteers, a People equivalent to the Turks Janizaries,
cloath'd like our Guards, firing in Platoons, and behaving themselves
with extraordinary Bravery and Order.

We see their Ships now compleatly fitted, built and furnish'd, by
the English and Dutch Artists, and their Men of War Cruize in the
Baltick. Their New City of Petersburgh built by the present Czar,
begins now to look like our Portsmouth, fitted with Wet and Dry
Docks, Storehouses, and Magazines of Naval Preparations, vast and
Incredible; which may serve to remind us, how we once taught the
French to build Ships, till they are grown able to teach us how to
use them.

As to Trade, our large Fleets to Arch-Angel may speak for it, where
we now send 100 Sail yearly, instead of 8 or 9, which were the
greatest number we ever sent before; and the Importation of Tobaccoes
from England into his Dominions, would still increase the Trade
thither, was not the Covetousness of our own Merchants the
Obstruction of their Advantages. But all this by the by.

As this great Monarch has Improved his Country, by introducing the
Manners and Customs of the Politer Nations of Europe; so, with
Indefatigable Industry, he has settled a new, but constant Trade,
between his Country and China, by Land; where his Carravans go twice
or thrice a Year, as Numerous almost, and as strong, as those from
Egypt to Persia: Nor is the Way shorter, or the Desarts they pass
over less wild and uninhabitable, only that they are not so subject
to Flouds of Sand, if that Term be proper, or to Troops of Arabs,
to destroy them by the way; for this powerful Prince, to make this
terrible Journey feazible to his Subjects, has built Forts, planted
Collonies and Garisons at proper Distances; where, though they are
seated in Countries intirely Barren, and among uninhabited Rocks and
Sands; yet, by his continual furnishing them from his own Stores, the
Merchants travelling are reliev'd on good Terms, and meet both with
Convoy and Refreshment.

More might be said of the admirable Decorations of this Journey, and
how so prodigious an Attempt is made easy; so that now they have an
exact Correspondence, and drive a prodigious Trade between Muscow and
Tonquin; but having a longer Voyage in Hand, I shall not detain the
Reader, nor keep him till he grows too big with Expectation.

Now, as all Men know the Chineses are an Ancient, Wise, Polite, and
most Ingenious People; so the Muscovites begun to reap the Benefit of
this open Trade; and not only to grow exceeding Rich by the bartering
for all the Wealth of those Eastern Countries; but to polish and
refine their Customs and Manners, as much on that side as they have
from their European Improvements on this.

And as the Chineses have many sorts of Learning which these Parts of
the World never heard of, so all those useful Inventions which we
admire ourselves so much for, are vulgar and common with them, and
were in use long before our Parts of the World were Inhabited. Thus
Gun-powder, Printing, and the use of the Magnet and Compass, which we
call Modern Inventions, are not only far from being Inventions, but
fall so far short of the Perfection of Art they have attained to,
that it is hardly Credible, what wonderful things we are told of
from thence, and all the Voyages the Author has made thither being
imploy'd another way, have not yet furnish'd him with the Particulars
fully enough to transmit them to view; not but that he is preparing a
Scheme of all those excellent Arts those Nations are Masters of, for
publick View, by way of Detection of the monstrous Ignorance and
Deficiencies of European Science; which may serve as a Lexicon
Technicum for this present Age, with useful Diagrams for that
purpose; wherein I shall not fail to acqaint the World, 1. With the
Art of Gunnery, as Practis'd in China long before the War of the
Giants, and by which those Presumptuous Animals fired Red-hot Bullets
right up into Heaven, and made a Breach sufficient to encourage them
to a General Storm; but being Repulsed with great Slaughter, they
gave over the Siege for that time. This memorable part of History
shall be a faithful Abridgement of Ibra chizra-le-peglizar,
Historiagrapher-Royal to the Emperor of China, who wrote Anno Mundi
114. his Volumes extant, in the Publick Library at Tonquin, Printed
in Leaves of Vitrify'd Diamond, by an admirable Dexterity, struck all
at an oblique Motion, the Engine remaining intire, and still fit for
use, in the Chamber of the Emperor's Rarities.

And here I shall give you a Draft of the Engine it self, and a Plan
of its Operation, and the wonderful Dexterity of its Performance.

If these Labours of mine shall prove successful, I may in my next
Journey that way, take an Abstract of their most admirable Tracts
in Navigation, and the Mysteries of Chinese Mathematicks; which
out-do all Modern Invention at that Rate, that 'tis Inconceivable:
In this Elaborate Work I must run thro' the 365 Volumes of
Augro-machi-lanquaro-zi, the most ancient Mathematician in all China:
From thence I shall give a Description of a Fleet of Ships of 100000
Sail, built at the Expence of the Emperor Tangro the 15th; who having
Notice of the General Deluge, prepar'd these Vessels, to every City
and Town in his Dominions One, and in Bulk proportion'd to the number
of its Inhabitants; into which Vessel all the People, with such
Moveables as they thought fit to save, and with 120 Days Provisions,
were receiv'd at the time of the Floud; and the rest of their Goods
being put into great Vessels made of China Ware, and fast luted down
on the top, were preserv'd unhurt by the Water: These Ships they
furnish'd with 600 Fathom of Chain instead of Cables; which being
fastned by wonderful Arts to the Earth, every Vessel rid out the
Deluge just at the Town's end; so that when the Waters abated,
the People had nothing to do, but to open the Doors made in the
Ship-sides, and come out, repair their Houses, open the great China
Pots their Goods were in, and so put themselves in Statu Quo.

The Draft of one of these Ships I may perhaps obtain by my Interest
in the present Emperor's Court, as it has been preserv'd ever since,
and constantly repair'd, riding at Anchor in a great Lake, about
100 Miles from Tonquin; in which all the People of that City were
preferv'd, amounting by their Computation to about a Million and half.

And as these things must be very useful in these Parts, to abate the
Pride and Arrogance of our Modern Undertakers of great Enterprizes,
Authors of strange Foreign Accounts, Philosophical Transactions, and
the like; if Time and Opportunity permit, I may let them know, how
Infinitely we are out-done by those refined Nations, in all manner of
Mechanick Improvements and Arts; and in discoursing of this, it will
necessarily come in my way to speak of a most Noble Invention, being
an Engine I would recommend to all People to whom 'tis necessary to
have a good Memory; and which I design, if possible, to obtain a
Draft of, that it may be Erected in our Royal Societies Laboratory:
It has the wonderfullest Operations in the World: One part of it
furnishes a Man of Business to dispatch his Affairs strangely; for if
he be a Merchant, he shall write his Letters with one Hand, and Copy
them with the other; if he is posting his Books, he shall post the
Debtor side with one Hand, and the Creditor with the other; if he be
a Lawyer, he draws his Drafts with one Hand, and Ingrosses them with
the other.

Another part of it furnishes him with such an Expeditious way of
Writing, or Transcribing, that a Man cannot speak so fast, but he
that hears shall have it down in Writing before 'tis spoken; and a
Preacher shall deliver himself to his Auditory, and having this
Engine before him, shall put down every thing he says in Writing at
the same time; and so exactly is this Engine squar'd by Lines and
Rules, that it does not require him that Writes to keep his Eye
upon it.

I am told, in some Parts of China, they had arriv'd to such a
Perfection of Knowledge, as to understand one anothers Thoughts; and
that it was found to be an excellent Preservative to humane Society,
against all sorts of Frauds, Cheats, Sharping, and many Thousand
European Inventions of that Nature, at which only we can be said
to out-do those Nations.

I confess, I have not yet had leisure to travel those Parts, having
been diverted by an accidental Opportunity of a new Voyage I had
occasion to make for farther Discoveries, and which the Pleasure and
Usefulness thereof having been very great, I have omitted the other
for the present, but shall not fail to make a Visit to those Parts
the first Opportunity, and shall give my Country-men the best Account
I can of those things; for I doubt not in Time to bring our Nation,
so fam'd for improving other People's Discoveries, to be as wise as
any of those Heathen Nations; I wish I had the same Prospect of
making them half so honest.

I had spent but a few Months in this Country, but my search after
the Prodigy of humane Knowledge the People abounds with, led me into
Acquaintance with some of their principal Artists, Engineers, and Men
of Letters; and I was astonish'd at every Day's Discovery of new and
of unheard-of Worlds of Learning; but I Improv'd in the Superficial
Knowledge of their General, by no body so much as by my Conversation
with the Library-keeper of Tonquin, by whom I had Admission into the
vast Collection of Books, which the Emperors of that Country have
treasur'd up.

It would be endless to give you a Catalogue, and they admit of no
Strangers to write any thing down, but what the Memory can retain,
you are welcome to carry away with you; and amongst the wonderful
Volumes of Antient and Modern Learning, I could not but take Notice
of a few; which, besides those I mentioned before, I saw, when I
lookt over this vast Collection; and a larger Account may be given
in our next.

It would be needless to Transcribe the Chinese Character, or to put
their Alphabet into our Letters, because the Words would be both
Unintelligible, and very hard to Pronounce; and therefore, to avoid
hard Words, and Hyroglyphicks, I'll translate them as well as I can.

The first Class I came to of Books, was the Constitutions of the
Empire; these are vast great Volumes, and have a sort of Engine like
our Magna Charta, to remove 'em, and with placing them in a Frame,
by turning a Screw, open'd the Leaves, and folded them this way,
or that, as the Reader desires. It was present Death for the
Library-keeper to refuse the meanest Chinese Subject to come in and
read them; for 'tis their Maxim, That all People ought to know the
Laws by which they are to be govern'd; and as above all People, we
find no Fools in this Country, so the Emperors, though they seem to
be Arbitrary, enjoy the greatest Authority in the World, by always
observing, with the greatest Exactness, the Pacta Conventa of their
Government: From these Principles it is impossible we should ever
hear, either of the Tyranny of Princes, or Rebellion of Subjects,
in all their Histories.

At the Entrance into this Class, you find some Ancient Comments,
upon the Constitution of the Empire, written many Ages before we
pretend the World began; but above all, One I took particular notice
of, which might bear this Title, Natural Right prov'd Superior to
Temporal Power; wherein the old Author proves, the Chinese Emperors
were Originally made so, by Nature's directing the People, to place
the Power of Government in the most worthy Person they could find;
and the Author giving a most exact History of 2000 Emperors, brings
them into about 35 or 36 Periods of Lines when the Race ended; and
when a Collective Assembly of the Nobles, Cities, and People,
Nominated a new Family to the Goverment.

This being an heretical Book as to European Politicks, and our
Learned Authors having long since exploded this Doctrine, and prov'd
that Kings and Emperors came down from Heaven with Crowns on their
Heads, and all their Subjects were born with Saddles on their Backs;
I thought fit to leave it where I found it, least our excellent
Tracts of Sir Robert Filmer, Dr. Hammond L...y, S....l, and Others,
who have so learnedly treated of the more useful Doctrine of Passive
Obedience, Divine Right, &c. should be blasphem'd by the Mob, grow
into Contempt of the People; and they should take upon them to
question their Superiors for the Blood of Algernon Sidney, and Argyle.

For I take the Doctrines of Passive Obedience, &c. among the
States-men, to be like the Copernican System of the Earths Motion
among Philosophers; which, though it be contrary to all antient
Knowledge, and not capable of Demonstration, yet is adher'd to in
general, because by this they can better solve, and give a more
rational Account of several dark Phanomena in Nature, than they could
before.

Thus our Modern States-men approve of this Scheme of Government; not
that it admits of any rational Defence, much less of Demonstration,
but because by this Method they can the better explain, as well as
defend, all Coertion in Cases invasive of Natural Right, than they
could before.

Here I found two famous Volumes in Chyrurgery, being an exact
Description of the Circulation of the Blood, discovered long before
King Solomon's Allegory of the Bucket's going to the Well; with
several curious Methods by which the Demonstration was to be made so
plain, as would make even the worthy Doctor B------ himself become a
Convert to his own Eye-sight, make him damn his own Elaborate Book,
and think it worse Nonsence than ever the Town had the Freedom to
imagine.

All our Philosophers are Fools, and their Transactions a parcel
of empty Stuff, to the Experiments of the Royal Societies in this
Country. Here I came to a Learned Tract of Winds, which outdoes even
the Sacred Text, and would make us believe it was not wrote to those
People; for they tell Folks whence it comes, and whither it goes.
There you have an Account how to make Glasses of Hogs Eyes, that can
see the Wind; and they give strange Accounts both of its regular and
irregular Motions, its Compositions and Quantities; from whence, by a
sort of Algebra, they can cast up its Duration, Violence, and Extent:
In these Calculations, some say, those Authors have been so exact,
that they can, as our Philosophers say of Comets, state their
Revolutions, and tell us how many Storms there shall happen to any
Period of time, and when; and perhaps this may be with much about the
same Truth.

It was a certain Sign Aristotle had never been at China; for, had he
seen the 216th Volume of the Chinese Navigation, in the Library I
am speaking of, a large Book in Double Folio, wrote by the Famous
Mira-cho-cho-lasmo, Vice-Admiral of China, and said to be printed
there about 2000 Years before the Deluge, in the Chapter of Tides he
would have seen the Reason of all the certain and uncertain Fluxes
and Refluxes of that Element, how the exact Pace is kept between the
Moon and the Tides, with a most elaborate Discourse there, of the
Power of Sympathy, and the manner how the heavenly Bodies Influence
the Earthly: Had he seen this, the Stagyrite would never have Drowned
himself, because he could not comprehend this Mystery.

'Tis farther related of this Famous Author, that he was no Native
of this World, but was Born in the Moon, and coming hither to make
Discoveries, by a strange Invention arrived to by the Virtuosoes of
that habitable World, the Emperor of China prevailed with him to stay
and improve his Subjects, in the most exquisite Accomplishments of
those Lunar Regions; and no wonder the Chinese are such exquisite
Artists, and Masters of such sublime Knowledge, when this Famous
Author has blest them with such unaccountable Methods of Improvement.

There was abundance of vast Classes full of the Works of this
wonderful Philosopher: He gave the how, the modus of all the secret
Operations of Nature; and told us, how Sensation is convey'd to and
from the Brain; why Respiration preserves Life; and how Locomotion
is directed to, as well as perform'd by the Parts. There are some
Anatomical Dissections of Thought, and a Mathematical Description of
Nature's strong Box, the Memory, with all its Locks and Keys.

There you have that part of the Head turn'd in-side outward, in which
Nature has placed the Materials of reflecting; and like a Glass
Bee-hive, represents to you all the several Cells in which are lodg'd
things past, even back to Infancy and Conception. There you have the
Repository, with all its Cells, Classically, Annually, Numerically,
and Alphabetically Dispos'd. There you may see how, when the perplext
Animal, on the loss of a Thought or Word, scratches his Pole: Every
Attack of his Invading Fingers knocks at Nature's Door, allarms all
the Register-keepers, and away they run, unlock all the Classes,
search diligently for what he calls for, and immediately deliver
it up to the Brain; if it cannot be found, they intreat a little
Patience, till they step into the Revolvary, where they run over
little Catalogues of the minutest Passages of Life, and so in time
never fail to hand on the thing; if not just when he calls for it,
yet at some other time.

And thus, when a thing lyes very Abstruse, and all the rumaging of
the whole House cannot find it; nay, when all the People in the House
have given it over, they very often find one thing when they are
looking for another.

Next you have the Retentive in the remotest part of the Place, which,
like the Records in the Tower, takes Possession of all Matters, as
they are removed from the Classes in the Repository, for want of
room. These are carefully Lockt, and kept safe, never to be open'd
but upon solemn Occasions, and have swinging great Bars and Bolts
upon them; so that what is kept here, is seldom lost. Here Conscience
has one large Ware-house, and the Devil another; the first is very
seldom open'd, but has a Chink or Till, where all the Follies and
Crimes of Life being minuted are dropt in; but as the Man seldom
cares to look in, the Locks are very Rusty, and not open'd but with
great Difficulty, and on extraordinary Occasions, as Sickness,
Afflictions, Jails, Casualties, and Death; and then the Bars all give
way at once; and being prest from within with a more than ordinary
Weight, burst as a Cask of Wine upon the Fret, which for want of
Vent, makes all the Hoops fly.

As for the Devil's Ware-house, he has two constant Warehouse-keepers,
Pride and Conceit, and these are always at the Door, showing their
Wares, and exposing the pretended Vertues and Accomplishments of the
Man, by way of Ostentation.

In the middle of this curious part of Nature, there is a clear
Thorough-fare, representing the World, through which so many Thousand
People pass so easily, and do so little worth taking notice of,
that 'tis for no manner of Signification to leave Word they have
been here. Thro' this Opening pass Millions of things not worth
remembring, and which the Register-Keepers, who stand at the Doors of
the Classes, as they go by, take no notice of; such as Friendships,
helps in Distress, Kindnesses in Affliction, Voluntary Services, and
all sorts of Importunate Merit; things which being but Trifles in
their own Nature, are made to be forgotten.

In another Angle is to be seen the Memory's Garden, in which her most
pleasant things are not only Deposited, but Planted, Transplanted,
Grafted, Inoculated, and obtain all possible Propagation and
Encrease; these are the most pleasant, delightful, and agreeable
things, call'd Envy, Slander, Revenge, Strife and Malice, with the
Additions of Ill-turns, Reproaches, and all manner of Wrong; these
are caressed in the Cabinet of the Memory, with a World of Pleasure
never let pass, and carefully Cultivated with all imaginable Art.

There are multitudes of Weeds, Toys, Chat, Story, Fiction, and Lying,
which in the great throng of passant Affairs, stop by the way, and
crowding up the Place, leave no room for their Betters that come
behind, which makes many a good Guess be put by, and left to go clear
thro' for want of Entertainment.

There are a multitude of things very curious and observable,
concerning this little, but very accurate thing, called Memory; but
above all, I see nothing so very curious, as the wonderful Art of
Wilful Forgetfulness; and as 'tis a thing, indeed, I never could find
any Person compleatly Master of, it pleased me very much, to find
this Author has made a large Essay, to prove there is really no such
Power in Nature; and that the Pretenders to it are all Impostors, and
put a Banter upon the World; for that it is impossible for any Man to
oblige himself to forget a thing, since he that can remember to
forget, and at the same time forget to remember, has an Art above
the Devil.

In his Laboratory you see a Fancy preserv'd a la Mummy, several
Thousand Years old; by examining which you may perfectly discern,
how Nature makes a Poet: Another you have taken from a meer Natural,
which discovers the Reasons of Nature's Negative in the Case of
humane Understanding; what Deprivation of Parts She suffers, in the
Composition of a Coxcomb; and with what wonderful Art She prepares a
Man to be a Fool.

Here being the product of this Author's wonderful Skill, you have the
Skeleton of a Wit, with all the Readings of Philosophy and Chyrurgery
upon the Parts: Here you see all the Lines Nature has drawn to form a
Genius, how it performs, and from what Principles.

Also you are Instructed to know the true reason of the Affinity
between Poetry and Poverty; and that it is equally derived from
what's Natural and Intrinsick, as from Accident and Circumstance; how
the World being always full of Fools and Knaves, Wit is sure to miss
of a good Market; especially, if Wit and Truth happen to come in
Company; for the Fools don't understand it, and the Knaves can't bear
it.

But still 'tis own'd, and is most apparent, there is something also
Natural in the Case too, since there are some particular Vessels
Nature thinks necessary, to the more exact Composition of this nice
thing call'd a Wit, which as they are, or are not Interrupted in the
peculiar Offices for which they are appointed, are subject to various
Distempers, and more particularly to Effluxions and Vapour, Diliriums
Giddiness of the Brain, and Lapsa, or Looseness of the Tongue; and as
these Distempers, occasion'd by the exceeding quantity of Volatiles,
Nature is obliged to make use of in the Composition, are hardly to
be avoided, the Disasters which generally they push the Animal into,
are as necessarily consequent to them as Night is to the Setting of
the Sun; and these are very many, as disobliging Parents, who have
frequently in this Country whipt their Sons for making Verses; and
here I could not but reflect how useful a Discipline early Correction
must be to a Poet; and how easy the Town had been had N---t, E---w,
T. B--- P---s, D-- S-- D---fy, and an Hundred more of the jingling
Train of our modern Rhymers, been Whipt young, very young, for
Poetasting, they had never perhaps suckt in that Venome of Ribaldry,
which all the Satyr of the Age has never been able to scourge out of
them to this Day.

The further fatal Consequences of these unhappy Defects in Nature,
where she has damn'd a Man to Wit and Rhyme, has been loss of
Inheritance, Parents being aggravated by the obstinate young Beaus,
resolving to be Wits in spight of Nature, the wiser Head has been
obliged to Confederate with Nature, and with-hold the Birth-right
of Brains, which otherwise the young Gentleman might have enjoy'd,
to the great support of his Family and Posterity. Thus the famous
Waller, Denham, Dryden, and sundry Others, were oblig'd to condemn
their Race to Lunacy and Blockheadism, only to prevent the fatal
Destruction of their Families, and entailing the Plague of Wit and
Weathercocks upon their Posterity.

The yet farther Extravagancies which naturally attend the Mischief of
Wit, are Beau-ism, Dogmaticality, Whimsification, Impudensity, and
various kinds of Fopperosities (according to Mr. Boyl,) which issuing
out of the Brain, descend into all the Faculties, and branch
themselves by infinite Variety, into all the Actions of Life.

These by Conseqence, Beggar the Head, the Tail, the Purse, and the
whole Man, till he becomes as poor and despicable as Negative Nature
can leave him, abandon'd of his Sense, his Manners, his Modesty, and
what's worse, his Money, having nothing left but his Poetry, dies in
a Ditch, or a Garret, A-la-mode de Tom Brown, uttering Rhymes and
Nonsence to the last Moment.

In Pity to all my unhappy Brethren, who suffer under these
Inconveniencies, I cannot but leave it on Record, that they may not
be reproached with being Agents of their own Misfortunes, since I
assure them, Nature has form'd them with the very Necessity of acting
like Coxcombs, fixt upon them by the force of Organick Consequences,
and placed down at the very Original Effusion of that fatal thing
call'd Wit.

Nor is the Discovery less wonderful than edifying, and no humane Art
on our side the World ever found out such a Sympathetick Influence,
between the Extreams of Wit and Folly, till this great Lunarian
Naturalist furnisht us with such unheard-of Demonstrations.

Nor is this all I learnt from him, tho' I cannot part with this, till
I have publisht a Memento Mori, and told 'em what I had discovered
of Nature in these remote Parts of the World, from whence I take
the Freedom to tell these Gentlemen, That if they please to Travel
to these distant Parts, and examine this great Master of Nature's
Secrets, they may every Man see what cross Strokes Nature has struck,
to finish and form every extravagant Species of that Heterogenious
Kind we call Wit.

There C--- S--- may be inform'd how he comes to be very Witty, and
a Mad-man all at once; and P---r may see, That with less Brains and
more P--x he is more a Wit and more a Mad-man than the Coll. Ad---son
may tell his Master my Lord ---- the reason from Nature, why he would
not take the Court's Word, nor write the Poem call'd, The Campaign,
till he had 200 l. per Annum secur'd to him; since 'tis known they
have but one Author in the Nation that writes for 'em for nothing,
and he is labouring very hard to obtain the Title of Blockhead, and
not be paid for it: Here D. might understand, how he came to be able
to banter all Mankind, and yet all Mankind be able to banter him; at
the fame time our numerous throng of Parnassians may see Reasons for
the variety of the Negative and Positive Blessings they enjoy; some
for having Wit and no Verse, some Verse and no Wit, some Mirth
without Jest, some Jest without Fore-cast, some Rhyme and no Jingle,
some all Jingle and no Rhyme, some Language without measure; some all
Quantity and no Cudence, some all Wit and no Sence, some all Sence
and no Flame, some Preach in Rhyme, some sing when they Preach,
some all Song and no Tune, some all Tune and no Song; all these
Unaccountables have their Originals, and can be answer'd for in
unerring Nature, tho' in our out-side Guesses we can say little to
it. Here is to be seen, why some are all Nature, some all Art; some
beat Verse out of the Twenty-four rough Letters, with Ten Hammers
and Anvils to every Line, and maul the Language as a Swede beats
Stock-Fish; Others buff Nature, and bully her out of whole Stanza's
of ready-made Lines at a time, carry all before them, and rumble like
distant Thunder in a black Cloud: Thus Degrees and Capacities are
fitted by Nature, according to Organick Efficacy; and the Reason and
Nature of Things are found in themselves: Had D---y seen his own
Draft by this Light of Chinese Knowledge, he might have known he
should be a Coxcomb without writing Twenty-two Plays, to stand as so
many Records against him. Dryden might have told his Fate, that
having his extraordinary Genius flung and pitcht upon a Swivle, it
would certainly turn round as fast as the Times, and instruct him how
to write Elegies to O. C. and King C. the Second, with all the
Coherence imaginable; how to write Religio Laicy, and the Hind and
Panther, and yet be the same Man, every Day to change his Principle,
change his Religion, change his Coat, change his Master, and yet
never change his Nature.

There are abundance of other Secrets in Nature discover'd in relation
to these things, too many to repeat, and yet too useful to omit, as
the reason why Phisicians are generally Atheists; and why Atheists
are universally Fools, and generally live to know it themselves, the
real Obstructions, which prevent fools being mad, all the Natural
Causes of Love, abundance of Demonstrations of the Synonimous Nature
of Love and Leachery, especially consider'd a la Modern, with an
absolute Specifick for the Frenzy of Love, found out in the
Constitution, Anglice, a Halter.

It would be endless to reckon up the numerous Improvements, and
wonderful Discoveries this extraordinary Person has brought down, and
which are to be seen in his curious Chamber of Rarities.

Particularly, a Map of Parnassus, with an exact Delineation of
all the Cells, Apartments, Palaces and Dungeons, of that most
famous Mountain; with a Description of its Heighth, and a learned
Dissertation, proving it to be the properest Place next to the P---e
House to take a Rise at, for a flight to the World in the Moon.

Also some Enquiries, whether Noah's Ark did not first rest upon
it; and this might be one of the Summits of Ararat, with some
Confutations of the gross and palpable Errors, which place this
extraordinary Skill among the Mountains of the Moon in Africa.

Also you have here a Muse calcin'd, a little of the Powder of which
given to a Woman big with Child, if it be a Boy it will be a Poet, if
a Girl she'll be a Whore, if an Hermaphrodite it will be Lunatick.

Strange things, they tell us, have been done with this calcin'd Womb
of Imagination; if the Body it came from was a Lyrick Poet, the Child
will be a Beau, or a Beauty; if an Heroick Poet, he will be a Bulley;
if his Talent was Satyr, he'll be a Philosopher.

Another Muse they tell us, they have dissolv'd into a Liquid, and
kept with wondrous Art, the Vertues of which are Soveraign against
Ideotism, Dullness, and all sorts of Lethargick Diseases; but if
given in too great a quantity, creates Poesy, Poverty, Lunacy, and
the Devil in the Head ever after.

I confess, I always thought these Muses strange intoxicating things,
and have heard much talk of their Original, but never was acquainted
with their Vertue a la Simple before; however, I would always advise
People against too large a Dose of Wit, and think the Physician must
be a Mad-man that will venture to prescribe it.

As all these noble Acquirements came down with this wonderful Man
from the World in the Moon, it furnisht me with these useful
Observations.

1. That Country must needs be a Place of strange Perfection, in all
parts of extraordinary Knowledge.

2. How useful a thing it would be for most sorts of our People,
especially Statesmen, P----t-men, Convocation-men, Phylosophers,
Physicians, Quacks, Mountebanks, Stock-jobbers, and all the Mob of
the Nation's Civil or Ecclesiastical Bone-setters, together with some
Men of the Law, some of the Sword, and all of the Pen: I say, how
useful and improving a thing it must be to them, to take a Journey up
to the World in the Moon; but above all, how much more beneficial it
would be to them that stay'd behind.

3. That it is not to be wonder'd at, why the Chinese excell so much
all these Parts of the World, since but for that Knowledge which
comes down to them from the World in the Moon, they would be like
other People.

4. No Man need to Wonder at my exceeding desire to go up to the World
in the Moon, having heard of such extraordinary Knowledge to be
obtained there, since in the search of Knowledge and Truth, wiser Men
than I have taken as unwarrantable Flights, and gone a great deal
higher than the Moon, into a strange Abbyss of dark Phanomena, which
they neither could make other People understand, nor ever rightly
understood themselves, witness Malbranch, Mr. Lock, Hobbs, the
Honourable Boyle and a great many others, besides Messieurs Norris,
Asgil, Coward, and the Tale of a Tub.

This great Searcher into Nature has, besides all this, left wonderful
Discoveries and Experiments behind him; but I was with nothing more
exceedingly diverted, than with his various Engines, and curious
Contrivances, to go to and from his own Native Country the Moon. All
our Mechanick Motions of Bishop Wilkins, or the artificial Wings of
the Learned Spaniard, who could have taught God Almighty how to have
mended the Creation, are Fools to this Gentleman; and because no
Man in China has made more Voyages up into the Moon than my self, I
cannot but give you some Account of the easyness of the Passage, as
well as of the Country.

Nor are his wonderful Tellescopes of a mean Quality, by which such
plain Discoveries are made, of the Lands and Seas in the Moon, and in
all the habitable Planets, that one may as plainly fee what a Clock
it is by one of the Dials in the Moon, as if it were no farther off
than Windsor-Castle; and had he liv'd to finish the Speaking-trumpet
which he had contriv'd to convey Sound thither, Harlequin's
Mock-Trumpet had been a Fool to it; and it had no doubt been an
admirable Experiment, to have given us a general Advantage from all
their acquir'd Knowledge in those Regions, where no doubt several
useful Discoveries are daily made by the Men of Thought for the
Improvement of all sorts of humane Understanding, and to have
discoursed with them on those things, must have been very pleasant,
besides, its being very much to our particular Advantage.

I confess, I have thought it might have been very useful to this
Nation, to have brought so wonderful an Invention hither, and I was
once very desirous to have set up my rest here, and for the Benefit
of my Native Country, have made my self Master of these Engines,
that I might in due time have convey'd them to our Royal Society,
that once in 40 Years they might have been said to do something for
Publick Good; and that the Reputation and Usefulness of the so so's
might be recover'd in England; but being told that in the Moon
there were many of these Glasses to be had very cheap, and I having
declar'd my Resolution of undertaking a Voyage thither, I deferred my
Design, and shall defer my treating of them, till I give some Account
of my Arrival there.

But above all his Inventions for making this Voyage, I saw none more
pleasant or profitable, than a certain Engine formed in the shape of
a Chariot, on the Backs of two vast Bodies with extended Wings, which
spread about 50 Yards in Breadth, compos'd of Feathers so nicely put
together, that no Air could pass; and as the Bodies were made of
Lunar Earth which would bear the Fire, the Cavities were fill'd with
an Ambient Flame, which fed on a certain Spirit deposited in a proper
quantity, to last out the Voyage; and this Fire so order'd as to move
about such Springs and Wheels as kept the Wings in a most exact and
regular Motion, always ascendant; thus the Person being placed in
this airy Chariot, drinks a certain dozing Draught, that throws him
into a gentle Slumber, and Dreaming all the way, never wakes till he
comes to his Journey's end.

Of the Consolidator.

These Engines are call'd in their Country Language, Dupekasses; and
according to the Ancient Chinese, or Tartarian, Apezolanthukanistes;
in English, a Consolidator.

The Composition of this Engine is very admirable; for, as is before
noted, 'tis all made up of Feathers, and the quality of the Feathers,
is no less wonderful than their Composition; and therefore, I hope
the Reader will bear with the Description for the sake of the
Novelty, since I assure him such things as these are not to be seen
in every Country.

The number of Feathers are just 513, they are all of a length and
breadth exactly, which is absolutely necessary to the floating
Figure, or else one side or any one part being wider or longer than
the rest, it would interrupt the motion of the whole Engine; only
there is one extraordinary Feather which, as there is an odd one in
the number, is placed in the Center, and is the Handle, or rather
Rudder to the whole Machine: This Feather is every way larger than
its Fellows, 'tis almost as long and broad again; but above all, its
Quill or Head is much larger, and it has as it were several small
bushing Feathers round the bottom of it, which all make but one
presiding or superintendent Feather, to guide, regulate, and pilot
the whole Body.

Nor are these common Feathers, but they are pickt and cull'd out of
all parts of the Lunar Country, by the Command of the Prince; and
every Province sends up the best they can find, or ought to do so at
least, or else they are very much to blame; for the Employment they
are put to being of so great use to the Publick, and the Voyage or
Flight so exceeding high, it would be very ill done if, when the King
sends his Letters about the Nation, to pick him up the best Feathers
they can lay their Hands on, they should send weak, decay'd, or
half-grown Feathers, and yet sometimes it happens so; and once there
was such rotten Feathers collected, whether it was a bad Year for
Feathers, or whether the People that gather'd them had a mind to
abuse their King; but the Feathers were so bad, the Engine was good
for nothing, but broke before it was got half way; and by a double
Misfortune, this happen'd to be at an unlucky time, when the King
himself had resolv'd on a Voyage, or Flight to to the Moon; but being
deceiv'd, by the unhappy Miscarriage of the deficient Feathers, he
fell down from so great a height, that he struck himself against his
own Palace, and beat his Head off.

Nor had the Sons of this Prince much better Success, tho' the first
of them was a Prince mightily belov'd by his Subjects; but his
Misfortunes chiefly proceeded from his having made use of one of the
Engines so very long, that the Feathers were quite worn out, and good
for nothing: He used to make a great many Voyages and Flights into
the Moon, and then would make his Subjects give him great Sums of
Money to come down to them again; and yet they were so fond of him,
That they always complyed with him, and would give him every thing he
askt, rather than to be without him: But they grew wiser since.

At last, this Prince used his Engine so long, it could hold together
no longer; and being obliged to write to his Subjects to pick him out
some new Feathers, they did so; but withall sent him such strong
Feathers, and so stiff, that when he had placed 'em in their proper
places, and made a very beautiful Engine, it was too heavy for him
to manage: He made a great many Essays at it, and had it placed on
the top of an old Idol Chappel, dedicated to an old Bramyn Saint of
those Countries, called, Phantosteinaschap; in Latin, chap. de Saint
Stephano; or in English, St. Stephen's: Here the Prince try'd all
possible Contrivances, and a vast deal of Money it cost him; but the
Feathers were so stiff they would not work, and the Fire within was
so choaked and smother'd with its own Smoak, for want of due Vent and
Circulation, that it would not burn; so he was oblig'd to take it
down again; and from thence he carried it to his College of Bramyn
Priests, and set it up in one of their Publick Buildings: There he
drew Circles of Ethicks and Politicks, and fell to casting of Figures
and Conjuring, but all would not do, the Feathers could not be
brought to move; and, indeed, I have observ'd, That these Engines
are seldom helpt by Art and Contrivance; there is no way with them,
but to have the People spoke to, to get good Feathers; and they are
easily placed, and perform all the several Motions with the greatest
Ease and Accuracy imaginable; but it must be all Nature; any thing of
Force distorts and dislocates them, and the whole Order is spoiled;
and if there be but one Feather out of place, or pincht, or stands
wrong, the D---l would not ride in the Chariot.

The Prince thus finding his Labour in vain, broke the Engine to
pieces, and sent his Subjects Word what bad Feathers they had sent
him: But the People, who knew it was his own want of Management, and
that the Feathers were good enough, only a little stiff at first, and
with good Usage would have been brought to be fit for use, took it
ill, and never would send him any other as long as he liv'd: However,
it had this good effect upon him, That he never made any more Voyages
to the Moon as long as he reign'd.

His Brother succeeded him; and truly he was resolved upon a Voyage
to the Moon, as soon as ever he came to the Crown. He had met with
some unkind Usage from the Religious Lunesses of his own Country; and
he turn'd Abogratziarian, a zealous fiery Sect something like our
Anti-every-body-arians in England. 'Tis confest, some of the Bramyns
of his Country were very false to him, put him upon several Ways of
extending his Power over his Subjects, contrary to the Customs of
the People, and contrary to his own Interest; and when the People
expressed their Dislike of it, he thought to have been supported
by those Clergy-men; but they failed him, and made good, that Old
English Verse;

That Priests of all Religions are the same.

He took this so hainously, that he conceiv'd a just Hatred against
those that had deceiv'd him; and as Resentments seldom keep Rules,
unhappily entertain'd Prejudices against all the rest; and not
finding it easy to bring all his Designs to pass better, he resolved
upon a Voyage to the Moon.

Accordingly, he sends a Summons to all his People according to
Custom, to collect the usual quantity of Feathers for that purpose;
and because he would be sure not be used as his Brother and Father
had been, he took care to send certain Cunning-men Express, all
over the Country, to bespeak the People's Care, in collecting,
picking and culling them out, these were call'd in their Language,
Tsopablesdetoo; which being Translated may signify in English, Men of
Zeal, or Booted Apostles: Nor was this the only Caution this Prince
used; for he took care, as the Feathers were sent up to him, to
search and examine them one by one in his own Closet, to see if
they were fit for his purpose; but, alas! he found himself in his
Brother's Case exactly; and perceived, That his Subjects were
generally disgusted at his former Conduct, about Abrogratzianism,
and such things, and particularly set in a Flame by some of their
Priests, call'd, Dullobardians, or Passive-Obedience-men, who had
lately turn'd their Tale, and their Tail too upon their own Princes;
and upon this, he laid aside any more Thoughts of the Engine, but
took up a desperate and implacable Resolution, viz. to fly up to the
Moon without it; in order to this, abundance of his Cunning-men were
summon'd together to assist him, strange Engines contriv'd, and
Methods propos'd; and a great many came from all Parts, to furnish
him with Inventions and equivalent for their Journey; but all were so
preposterous and ridiculous, that his Subjects seeing him going on to
ruin himself, and by Consequence them too, unanimously took Arms; and
if their Prince had not made his Escape into a foreign Country, 'tis
thought they would have secur'd him for a Mad-man.

And here 'tis observable, That as it is in most such Cases, the mad
Councellors of this Prince, when the People begun to gather about
him, fled; and every one shifted for themselves; nay, and some of
them plunder'd him first of his Jewels and Treasure, and never were
heard of since.

From this Prince none of the Kings or Government of that Country have
ever seem'd to incline to the hazardous Attempt of the Voyage to the
Moon, at least not in such a hair-brain'd manner.

However, the Engine has been very accurately Re-built and finish'd;
and the People are now oblig'd by a Law, to send up new Feathers
every three Years, to prevent the Mischiefs which happen'd by that
Prince aforesaid, keeping one Set so long that it was dangerous to
venture with them; and thus the Engine is preserved fit for use.

And yet has not this Engine been without its continual Disasters, and
often out of repair; for though the Kings of the Country, as has been
Noted, have done riding on the back of it, yet the restless Courtiers
and Ministers of State have frequently obtained the Management of it,
from the too easy Goodness of their Masters, or the Evils of the
Times.

To Cure this, the Princes frequently chang'd Hands, turn'd one Set of
Men out and put another in: But this made things still worse; for it
divided the People into Parties and Factions in the State, and still
the Strife was, who should ride in this Engine; and no sooner were
these Skaet-Riders got into it, but they were for driving all the
Nation up to the Moon: But of this by it self.

Authors differ concerning the Original of these Feathers, and by what
most exact Hand they were first appointed to this particular use; and
as their Original is hard to be found, so it seems a Difficulty to
resolve from what sort of Bird these Feathers are obtained: Some have
nam'd one, some another; but the most Learned in those Climates call
it by a hard Word, which the Printer having no Letters to express,
and being in that place Hierogliphical, I can translate no better,
than by the Name of a Collective: This must be a Strange Bird without
doubt; it has Heads, Claws, Eyes and Teeth innumerable; and if I
should go about to describe it to you, the History would be so
Romantick, it would spoil the Credit of these more Authentick
Relations which are yet behind.

'Tis sufficient, therefore, for the present, only to leave you this
short Abridgement of the Story, as follows: This great Monstrous
Bird, call'd the Collective, is very seldom seen, and indeed never,
but upon Great Revolutions, and portending terrible Desolations and
Destructions to a Country.

But he frequently sheds his Feathers; and they are carefully pickt
up, by the Proprietors of those Lands where they fall; for none but
those Proprietors may meddle with them; and they no sooner pick them
up but they are sent to Court, where they obtain a new Name, and are
called in a Word equally difficult to pronounce as the other, but
Very like our English Word, Representative; and being placed in their
proper Rows, with the Great Feather in the Center, and fitted for
use, they lately obtained the Venerable Title of, The Consolidators;
and the Machine it self, the Consolidator; and by that Name the
Reader is desir'd for the future to let it be dignified and
distinguish'd.

I cannot, however, forbear to descant a little here, on the Dignity
and Beauty of these Feathers, being such as are hardly to be seen in
any part of the World, but just in these remote Climates.

And First, Every Feather has various Colours, and according to the
Variety of the Weather, are apt to look brighter and clearer, or
paler and fainter, as the Sun happens to look on them with a stronger
or weaker Aspect. The Quill or Head of every Feather is or ought to
be full of a vigorous Substance, which gives Spirit, and supports the
brightness and colour of the Feather; and as this is more or less in
quantity, the bright Colour of the Feather is increased, or turns
languid and pale.

Tis true, some of those Quills are exceeding empty and dry; and the
Humid being totally exhal'd, those Feathers grow very useless and
insignificant in a short time.

Some again are so full of Wind, and puft up with the Vapour of the
Climate, that there's not Humid enough to Condence the Steam; and
these are so fleet, so light, and so continually fluttering and
troublesome, that they greatly serve to disturb and keep the Motion
unsteddy.

Others either placed too near the inward concealed Fire, or the Head
of the Quill being thin, the Fire causes too great a Fermentation;
and the Consequence of this is so fatal, that sometimes it mounts the
Engine up too fast, and indangers Precipitation: But 'tis happily
observed, That these ill Feathers are but a very few, compar'd to the
whole number; at the most, I never heard they were above 134 of the
whole number: As for the empty ones, they are not very dangerous, but
a sort of Good-for-nothing Feathers, that will fly when the greatest
number of the rest fly, or stand still when they stand still. The
fluttering hot-headed Feathers are the most dangerous, and frequently
struggle hard to mount the Engine to extravagant heights; but still
the greater number of the Feathers being stanch, and well fixt, as
well as well furnisht, they always prevail, and check the Disorders
the other would bring upon the Motion; so that upon the whole Matter,
tho' there has sometims been oblique Motions, Variations, and
sometimes great Wandrings out of the way, which may make the Passage
tedious, yet it has always been a certain and safe Voyage; and no
Engine was ever known to miscarry or overthrow, but that one
mentioned before, and that was very much owing to the precipitate
Methods the Prince took in guiding it; and tho' all the fault was
laid in the Feathers, and they were to blame enough, yet I never
heard any Wise Man, but what blam'd his Discretion, and particularly,
a certain great Man has wrote three large Tracts of those Affairs,
and call'd them, The History of the Opposition of the Feathers;
wherein, tho' it was expected he would have curst the Engine it self
and all the Feathers to the Devil, on the contrary, he lays equal
blame on the Prince, who guided the Chariot with so unsteddy a hand,
now as much too slack, as then too hard, turning them this way and
that so hastily, that the Feathers could not move in their proper
order; and this at last put the Fire in the Center quite out, and so
the Engine over-set at once. This Impartiality has done great Justice
to the Feathers, and set things in a clearer light: But of this I
shall say more, when I come to treat of the Works of the Learned in
this Lunar World.

This is hinted here only to inform the Reader, That this Engine is
the safest Passage that ever was found out; and that saving that
one time, it never miscarried; nor if the common Order of things
be observed, cannot Miscarry; for the good Feathers are always
Negatives, when any precipitant Motion is felt, and immediately
suppress it by their number; and these Negative Feathers are indeed
the Travellers safety; the other are always upon the flutter, and
upon every occasion hey for the Moon, up in the Clouds presently; but
these Negative Feathers are never for going up, but when there is
occasion for it; and from hence these fluttering fermented Feathers
were called by the Antients High-flying Feathers, and the blustering
things seem'd proud of the Name.

But to come to their general Character, the Feathers, speaking of
them all together, are generally very Comely, Strong, Large,
Beautiful things, their Quills or Heads well fixt, and the Cavities
fill'd with a solid substantial Matter, which tho' it is full of
Spirit, has a great deal of Temperament, and full of suitable
well-dispos'd Powers, to the Operation for which they are design'd.

These placed, as I Noted before, in an extended Form like two great
Wings, and operated by that sublime Flame; which being concealed in
proper Receptacles, obtains its vent at the Cavities appointed, are
supplied from thence with Life and Motion; and as Fire it fell, in
the Opinion of some Learned Men, is nothing but Motion, and Motion
tends to Fire: It can no more be a Wonder, if exalted in the Center
of this famous Engine, a whole Nation should be carried up to the
World in the Moon.

'Tis true, this Engine is frequently assaulted with fierce Winds, and
furious Storms, which sometimes drive it a great way out of its way;
and indeed, considering the length of the Passage, and the various
Regions it goes through, it would be strange if it should meet with
no Obstructions: These are oblique Gales, and cannot be said to blow
from any of the Thirty-two Points, but Retrograde and Thwart: Some of
these are call'd in their Language, Pensionazima, which is as much
as to say, being Interpreted, a Court-breeze; another sort of Wind,
which generally blows directly contrary to the Pensionazima, is
the Clamorio, or in English, a Country Gale; this is generally
Tempestuous, full of Gusts and Disgusts, Squauls and sudden Blasts,
not without claps of Thunder, and not a little flashing of Heat and
Party-fires.

There are a great many other Internal Blasts, which proceed from the
Fire within, which sometimes not circulating right, breaks out in
little Gusts of Wind and Heat, and is apt to indanger setting Fire to
the Feathers, and this is more or less dangerous, according as among
which of the Feathers it happens; for some of the Feathers are more
apt to take Fire than others, as their Quills or Heads are more or
less full of that solid Matter mention'd before.

The Engine suffers frequent Convulsions and Disorders from these
several Winds; and which if they chance to overblow very much, hinder
the Passage; but the Negative Feathers always apply Temper and
Moderation; and this brings all to rights again.

For a Body like this, what can it not do? what cannot such an
Extension perform in the Air? And when one thing is tackt to another,
and properly Cosolidated into one mighty Consolidator, no question
but whoever shall go up to the Moon, will find himself so improv'd
in this wonderful Experiment, that not a Man ever perform'd that
wonderful Flight, but he certainly came back again as wise as he went.

Well, Gentlemen, and what if we are called High-flyers now, and an
Hundred Names of Contempt and Distinction, what is this to the
purpose? who would not be a High-flyer, to be Tackt and Consolidated
in an Engine of such sublime Elevation, and which lifts Men,
Monarchs, Members, yea, and whole Nations, up into the Clouds; and
performs with such wondrous Art, the long expected Experiment of a
Voyage to the Moon? And thus much for the Description of the
Consolidator.

The first Voyage I ever made to this Country, was in one of these
Engines; and I can safely affirm, I never wak'd all the way; and now
having been as often there as most that have us'd that Trade, it may
be expected I should give some Account of the Country; for it
appears, I can give but little of the Road.

Only this I understand, That when this Engine, by help of these
Artificial Wings, has raised it self up to a certain height, the
Wings are as useful to keep it from falling into the Moon, as they
were before to raise it, and keep it from falling back into this
Region again.

This may happen from an Alteration of Centers, and Gravity having
past a certain Line, the Equipoise changes its Tendency, the
Magnetick Quality being beyond it, it inclines of Course, and pursues
a Center, which it finds in the Lunar World, and lands us safe upon
the Surface.

I was told, I need take no Bills of Exchange with me, nor Letters of
Credit; for that upon my first Arrival, the Inhabitants would be very
civil to me: That they never suffered any of Our World to want any
thing when they came there: That they were very free to show them
any thing, and inform them in all needful Cases; and that whatever
Rarities the Country afforded, should be expos'd immediately.

I shall not enter into the Customs, Geography, or History of the
Place, only acquaint the Reader, That I found no manner of Difference
in any thing Natural, except as hereafter excepted, but all was
exactly as is here, an Elementary World, peopled with Folks, as like
us as if they were only Inhabitants of the same Continent, but in a
remote Climate.

The Inhabitants were Men, Women, Beasts, Birds, Fishes, and Insects,
of the same individual Species as Ours, the latter excepted: The Men
no wiser, better, nor bigger than here; the Women no handsomer or
honester than Ours: There were Knaves and honest Men, honest Women
and Whores of all Sorts, Countries, Nations and Kindreds, as on this
side the Skies.

They had the same Sun to shine, the Planets were equally visible as
to us, and their Astrologers were as busily Impertinent as Ours, only
that those wonderful Glasses hinted before made strange Discoveries
that we were unacquainted with; by them they could plainly discover,
That this World was their Moon, and their World our Moon; and when I
came first among them, the People that flockt about me, distinguisht
me by the Name of, the Man that came out of the Moon.

I cannot, however, but acquaint the Reader, with some Remarks I made
in this new World, before I come to any thing Historical.

I have heard, that among the Generallity of our People, who being
not much addicted to Revelation, have much concern'd themselves
about Demonstrations, a Generation have risen up, who to solve
the Difficulties of Supernatural Systems, imagine a mighty vast
Something, who has no Form but what represents him to them as one
Great Eye: This infinite Optick they imagine to be Natura Naturans,
or Power-forming; and that as we pretend the Soul of Man has a
Similitude in quality to its Original, according to a Notion some
People have, who read that so much ridicul'd Old Legend, call'd
Bible, That Man was made in the Image of his Maker: The Soul of Man,
therefore, in the Opinion of these Naturallists, is one vast Optick
Power diffus'd through him into all his Parts, but seated principally
in his Head.

From hence they resolve all Beings to Eyes, some more capable of
Sight and receptive of Objects than others; and as to things
Invisible, they reckon nothing so, only so far as our Sight is
deficient, contracted or darkened by Accidents from without, as
Distance of Place, Interposition of Vapours, Clouds, liquid Air,
Exhalations, &c. or from within, as wandring Errors, wild Notions,
cloudy Understandings, and empty Fancies, with a Thousand other
interposing Obstacles to the Sight, which darken it, and prevent its
Operation; and particularly obstruct the perceptive Faculties, weaken
the Head, and bring Mankind in General to stand in need of the
Spectacles of Education as soon as ever they are born: Nay, and as
soon as they have made use of these Artificial Eyes, all they can do
is but to clear the Sight so far as to see that they can't see; the
utmost Wisdom of Mankind, and the highest Improvement a Man ought to
wish for, being but to be able to see that he was Born blind; this
pushes him upon search after Mediums for the Recovery of his Sight,
and away he runs to School to Art and Science, and there he is
furnisht with Horoscopes, Microscopes, Tellescopes, Caliscopes,
Money-scopes, and the D---l and and all of Glasses, to help and
assist his Moon-blind Understanding; these with wonderful Skill and
Ages of Application, after wandring thro' Bogs and Wildernesses of
Guess, Conjectures, Supposes, Calculations, and he knows not what,
which he meets with in Physicks, Politicks, Ethicks, Astronomy,
Mathematicks, and such sort of bewildring Things, bring him with vast
Difficulty to a little Minute-spot, call'd Demonstration; and as not
one in Ten Thousand ever finds the way thither, but are lost in the
tiresome uncouth Journey, so they that do, 'tis so long before
they come there, that they are grown Old and good for little in
the Journey; and no sooner have they obtained a glimering of this
Universal Eye-sight, this Eclaricissment General, but they Die, and
have hardly time to show the way to those that come after.

Now, as the earnest search after this thing call'd Demonstration
fill'd me with Desires of seeing every thing, so my Observations of
the strange multitude of Mysteries I met with in all Men's Actions
here, spurr'd my Curiosity to examine, if the Great Eye of the World
had no People to whom he had given a clearer Eye-sight, or at least,
that made a better use of it than we had here.

If pursuing this search I was much delighted at my Arrival into
China, it cannot be thought strange, since there we find Knowledge
as much advanc'd beyond our common Pitch, as it was pretended to be
deriv'd from a more Ancient Original.

We are told, that in the early Age of the World, the Strength of
Invention exceeded all that ever has been arrived to since: That we
in these latter Ages, having lost all that pristine Strength of
Reason and Invention, which died with the Ancients in the Flood,
and receiving no helps from that Age, have by long Search arriv'd
at several remote Parts of Knowledge, by the helps of reading
Conversation and Experience; but that all amounts to no more than
faint Imitations, Apings, and Resemblances of what was known in
those masterly Ages.

Now, if it be true as is hinted before, That the Chinese Empire was
Peopled long before the Flood; and that they were not destroyed in
the General Deluge in the Days of Noah; 'tis no such strange thing,
that they should so much out-do us in this sort of Eye-sight we call
General Knowledge, since the Perfections bestow'd on Nature, when in
her Youth and Prime met with no General Suffocation by that Calamity.

But if I was extreamly delighted with the extraordinary things I saw
in those Countries, you cannot but imagine I was exceedingly mov'd,
when I heard of a Lunar World; and that the way was passable from
these Parts.

I had heard of a World in the Moon among some of our Learned
Philosophers, and Moor, as I have been told, had a Moon in his Head;
but none of the fine Pretenders, no not Bishop Wilkins, ever found
Mechanick Engines, whose Motion was sufficient to attempt the
Passage. A late happy Author indeed, among his Mechanick Operations
of the Spirit, had found out an Enthusiasm, which if he could have
pursued to its proper Extream, without doubt might, either in the
Body or out of the Body, have Landed him somewhere hereabout; but
that he form'd his System wholly upon the mistaken Notion of Wind,
which Learned Hypothesis being directly contrary to the Nature of
things in this Climate, where the Elasticity of the Air is quite
different and where the pressure of the Atmosphere has for want of
Vapour no Force, all his Notion dissolv'd in its Native Vapour call'd
Wind, and flew upward in blew Strakes of a livid Flame call'd
Blasphemy, which burnt up all the Wit and Fancy of the Author, and
left a strange stench behind it, that has this unhappy quality in it,
that every Body that Reads the Book, smells the Author, tho' he be
never so far off; nay, tho' he took Shipping to Dublin, to secure his
Friends from the least danger of a Conjecture.

But to return, to the happy Regions of the Lunar Continent, I was no
sooner Landed there, and had lookt about me, but I was surpriz'd with
the strange Alteration of the Climate and Country; and particularly
a strange Salubrity and Fragrancy in the Air, which I felt so
Nourishing, so Pleasant and Delightful, that tho' I could perceive
some small Respiration, it was hardly discernable, and the least
requisite for Life, supplied so long that the Bellows of Nature were
hardly imployed.

But as I shall take occasion to consider this in a Critical
Examination into the Nature, Uses and Advantages of Good Lungs, of
which by it self, so I think fit to confine my present Observations
to things more particularly concerning the Eye-sight.

I was, you may be sure, not a little surprized, when being upon an
Eminence I found my self capable by common Observation, to see and
distinguish things at the distance of 100 Miles and more, and seeking
some Information on this point, I was acquainted by the People, that
there was a certain grave Philosopher hard by, that could give me a
very good Account of things.

It is not worth while to tell you this Man's Lunar Name, of whether
he had a Name, or no; 'tis plain, 'twas a Man in the Moon; but all
the Conference I had with him was very strange: At my first coming to
him, he askt me if I came from the World in the Moon? I told him, no:
At which he began to be angry, told me I Ly'd, he knew whence I came
as well as I did; for he saw me all the way. I told him, I came to
the World in the Moon, and began to be as surly as he. It was a long
time before we could agree about it, he would have it, that I came
down from the Moon; and I, that I came up to the Moon: From this,
we came to Explications, Demonstrations, Spheres, Globes, Regions,
Atmospheres, and a Thousand odd Diagrams, to make the thing out to
one another. I insisted on my part, as that my Experiment qualified
me to know, and challeng'd him to go back with me to prove it. He,
like a true Philosopher, raised a Thousand Scruples, Conjectures, and
Spherical Problems, to Confront me; and as for Demonstrations, he
call'd 'em Fancies of my own. Thus we differ'd a great many ways;
both of us were certain, and both uncertain; both right, and yet
both directly contrary; how to reconcile this Jangle was very hard,
till at last this Demonstration happen'd, the Moon as he call'd it,
turning her blind-side upon us three Days after the Change, by which,
with the help of his extraordinary Glasses, I that knew the Country,
perceived that side the Sun lookt upon was all Moon, and the other
was all world; and either I fancy'd I saw or else really saw all the
lofty Towers of the Immense Cities of China: Upon this, and a little
more Debate, we came to this Conclusion, and there the Old Man and I
agreed, That they were both Moons and both Worlds, this a Moon to
that, and that a Moon to this, like the Sun between two
Looking-Glasses, and shone upon one another by Reflection, according
to the oblique or direct Position of each other.

This afforded us a great deal of Pleasure; for all the World covet to
be found in the right, and are pleas'd when their Notions are
acknowledg'd by their Antagonists: It also afforded us many very
useful Speculations, such as these;

1. How easy it is for Men to fall out, and yet all sides to be in
the right?

2. How Natural it is for Opinion to despise Demonstration?

3. How proper mutual Enquiry is to mutual Satisfaction?

From the Observation of these Glasses, we also drew some Puns,
Crotchets and Conclusions.

1st, That the whole World has a Blind-side, a Dark-side, and a
Bright-side, and consequently so has every Body in it.

2dly, That the Dark-side of Affairs to Day, may be the Bright-side to
Morrow; from whence abundance of useful Morals were also raised; such
as,

1. No Man's Fate is so dark, but when the Sun shines upon it, it will
return its Rays, and shine for it self.

2. All things turn like the Moon, up to Day, down to Morrow, Full and
Change, Flux and Reflux.

3. Humane Understanding is like the Moon at the First Quarter, half
dark.

3dly, The Changing-sides ought not to be thought so strange, or
so much Condemn'd by Mankind, having its Original from the Lunar
Influence, and govern'd by the Powerful Operation of Heavenly Motion.

4thly, If there be any such thing as Destiny in the World, I know
nothing Man is so predestinated to, as to be eternally turning round;
and but that I purpose to entertain the Reader with at least a whole
Chapter or Section of the Philosophy of Humane Motion, Spherically
and Hypocritically Examin'd and Calculated, I should inlarge upon
that Thought in this place.

Having thus jumpt in our Opinions, and perfectly satisfied our selves
with Demonstration, That these Worlds were Sisters, both in Form,
Function, and all their Capacities; in short, a pair of Moons, and a
pair of Worlds, equally Magnetical, Sympathetical, and Influential,
we set up our rest as to that Affair, and went forward.

I desir'd no better Acquaintance in my new Travels, than this new
Sociate; never was there such a Couple of People met; he was the Man
in the Moon to me, and I the Man in the Moon to him; he wrote down
all I said, and made a Book of it, and call'd it, News from the World
in the Moon; and all the Town is like to see my Minutes under the
same Title; nay, and I have been told, he published some such bold
Truths there, from the Allegorical Relations he had of me from our
World: That he was call'd before the Publick Authority, who could not
bear the just Reflections of his damn'd Satyrical way of Writing;
and there they punisht the Poor Man, put him in Prison, ruin'd his
Family; and not only Fin'd him Ultra tenementum, but expos'd him in
the high Places of their Capital City, for the Mob to laugh at him
for a Fool: This is a Punishment not unlike our Pillory, and was
appointed for mean Criminals, Fellows that Cheat and Couzen People,
Forge Writings, Forswear themselves, and the like; and the People,
that it was expected would have treated this Man very ill, on the
contrary Pitied him, wisht those that set him there placed in his
room, and exprest their Affections, by loud Shouts and Acclamations,
when he was taken down.

But as this happen'd before my first Visit to that World, when I came
there all was over with him, his particular Enemies were disgrac'd
and turn'd out, and the Man was not at all the worse receiv'd by his
Country-folks than he was before; and so much for the Man in the Moon.

After we had settled the Debate between us, about the Nature and
Quality, I desir'd him to show me some Plan or Draft of this new
World of his; upon which, he brought me out a pair of very beautiful
Globes, and there I had an immediate Geographical Description of the
Place.

I found it less by Degrees than Our Terrestial Globe, but more Land
and less Water; and as I was particularly concern'd to see something
in or near the same Climate with Our selves, I observ'd a large
extended Country to the North, about the Latitude of 50 to 56
Northern Distance; and enquiring of that Country, he told me it was
one of the best Countries in all their World: That it was his Native
Climate, and he was just a going to it, and would take me with him.

He told me in General, the Country was Good, Wholsome, Fruitful,
rarely Scituate for Trade, extraordinarily Accommodated with
Harbours, Rivers and Bays for Shipping; full of Inhabitants; for it
had been Peopled from all Parts, and had in it some of the Blood of
all the Nations in the Moon.

He told me, as the Inhabitants were the most Numerous, so they
were the strangest People that liv'd; both their Natures, Tempers,
Qualities, Actions, and way of Living, was made up of innumerable
Contradictions: That they were the Wisest Fools, and the Foolishest
Wise Men in the World; the Weakest Strongest, Richest Poorest, most
Generous Covetous, Bold Cowardly, False Faithful, Sober Dissolute,
Surly Civil, Slothful Diligent, Peaceable Quarrelling, Loyal
Seditious Nation that ever was known.

Besides my Observations which I made my self, and which could only
furnish me with what was present, and which I shall take time to
inform my Reader with as much Care and Conciseness as possible; I was
beholding to this Old Lunarian, for every thing that was Historical
or Particular.

And First, He inform'd me, That in this new Country they had very
seldom any Clouds at all, and consequently no extraordinary Storms,
but a constant Serenity, moderate Breezes cooled the Air, and
constant Evening Exhalations kept the Earth moist and fruitful; and
as the Winds they had were various and strong enough to assist their
Navigation, so they were without the Terrors, Dangers, Ship-wrecks
and Destructions, which he knew we were troubled with in this our
Lunar World, as he call'd it.

The first just Observation I made of this was, That I suppos'd from
hence the wonderful Clearness of the Air, and the Advantage of so
vast Optick Capacities they enjoy'd, was obtained: Alas! says the Old
Fellow, You see nothing to what some of our Great Eyes see in some
Parts of this World, nor do you see any thing compar'd to what you
may see by the help of some new Invented Glasses, of which I may in
time let you see the Experiment; and perhaps you may find this to be
the reason why we do not so abound in Books as in your Lunar World;
and that except it be some extraordinary Translations out of your
Country, you will find but little in our Libraries, worth giving you
a great deal of Trouble.

We immediately quitted the Philosophical Discourse of Winds, and I
began to be mighty Inquisitive after these Glasses and Translations,
and

1st, I understood here was a strange sort of Glass that did not so
much bring to the Eye, as by I know not what wonderful Operation
carried out the Eye to the Object, and quite varies from all our
Doctrine of Opticks, by forming several strange Phanomena in Sight,
which we are utterly unacquainted with; nor could Vision,
Rarification, or any of our School-mens fine Terms, stand me in any
stead in this case; but here was such Additions of piercing Organs,
Particles of Transparence, Emission, Transmission, Mediums,
Contraction of Rays, and a Thousand Applications of things prepar'd
for the wondrous Operation, that you may be sure are requisite for
the bringing to pass something yet unheard of on this side the Moon.

First we were inform'd, by the help of these Glasses, strange things,
which pass in our World for Non-Entities, is to be seen, and very
perceptible; for Example:

State Polity, in all its Meanders, Shifts, Turns, Tricks, and
Contraries, are so exactly Delineated and Describ'd, That they are in
hopes in time to draw a pair of Globes out, to bring all those things
to a certainty.

Not but that it made some Puzzle, even among these Clear-sighted
Nations, to determine what Figure the Plans and Drafts of this
undiscover'd World of Mysteries ought to be describ'd in: Some were
of Opinion, it ought, to be an Irregular Centagon, a Figure with an
Hundred Cones or Angles: Since the Unaccountables of this
State-Science, are hid in a Million of undiscover'd Corners; as the
Craft, Subtilty and Hypocrisy of Knaves and Courtiers have concealed
them, never to be found out, but by this wonderful D---l-scope, which
seem'd to threaten a perfect Discovery of all those Nudities, which
have lain hid in the Embrio, and false Conceptions of Abortive
Policy, ever since the Foundation of the World.

Some were of Opinion, this Plan ought to be Circular, and in a
Globular Form, since it was on all sides alike, full of dark Spots,
untrod Mazes, waking Mischiefs, and sleeping Mysteries; and being
delineated like the Globes display'd, would discover all the Lines of
Wickedness to the Eye at one view: Besides, they fancied some sort of
Analogy in the Rotundity of the Figure, with the continued Circular
Motion of all Court-Policies, in the stated Round of Universal
Knavery.

Others would have had it Hyrogliphical as by a Hand in Hand, the Form
representing the Affinity between State Policy here, and State Policy
in the Infernal Regions, with some unkind Similies between the
Oeconomy of Satan's Kingdom, and those of most of the Temporal Powers
on Earth; but this was thought too unkind. At last it was determin'd,
That neither of these Schemes were capable of the vast Description;
and that, therefore, the Drafts must be made single, tho' not
dividing the Governments, yet dividing the Arts of Governing into
proper distinct Schemes, viz.

1. A particular Plan of Publick Faith; and here we had the Experiment
immediately made: The Representation is quallified for the Meridian
of any Country, as well in our World as theirs; and turning it
to'ards our own World, there I saw plainly an Exchequer shut up, and
20000 Mourning Families selling their Coaches, Horses, Whores,
Equipages, &c. for Bread, the Government standing by laughing, and
looking on: Hard by I saw the Chamber of a great City shut up, and
Forty Thousand Orphans turn'd adrift in the World; some had no
Cloaths, some no Shoes, some no Money; and still the City Magistrates
calling upon other Orphans, to pay their money in. These things put
me in mind of the Prophet Ezekiel, and methoughts I heard the same
Voice that spoke to him, calling me, and telling me, Come hither, and
I'll show thee greater Abominations than these: So looking still on
that vast Map, by the help of these Magnifying Glasses, I saw huge
Fleets hir'd for Transport-Service, but never paid; vast Taxes
Anticipated, that were never Collected; others Collected and
Appropriated, but Misapplied: Millions of Talleys struck to be
Discounted, and the Poor paying 40 per Cent, to receive their Money.
I saw huge Quantities of Money drawn in, and little or none issued
out; vast Prizes taken from the Enemy, and then taken away again at
home by Friends; Ships sav'd on the Sea, and sunk in the Prize
Offices; Merchants escaping from Enemies at Sea, and be Pirated by
Sham Embargoes, Counterfeit Claims, Confiscations, &c a-shoar: There
we saw Turkey-Fleets taken into Convoys, and Guarded to the very
Mouth of the Enemy, and then abandon'd for their better Security:
Here we saw Mons. Pouchartrain shutting up the Town-house of Paris,
and plundring the Bank of Lyons.

2. Here we law the State of the War among Nations; Here was the
French giving Sham-thanks for Victories they never got, and some body
else adressing and congratulating the sublime Glory of running away:
Here was Te Deum for Sham-Victories by Land; and there was
Thanksgiving for Ditto by Sea: Here we might see two Armies fight,
both run away, and both come and thank GOD for nothing: Here we saw a
Plan of a late War like that in Ireland; there was all the Officers
cursing a Dutch General, because the damn'd Rogue would fight, and
spoil a good War, that with decent Management and good Husbandry,
might have been eek't out this Twenty Years; there was whole Armies
hunting two Cows to one Irishman, and driving of black Cattle
declar'd the Noble End of the the War: Here we saw a Country full of
Stone Walls and strong Towns, where every Campaign, the Trade of War
was carried on by the Soldiers, with the same Intriguing as it was
carried on in the Council Chambers; there was Millions of
Contributions raised, and vast Sums Collected, but no Taxes lessen'd;
whole Plate Fleets surpriz'd, but no Treasure found; vaft Sums lost
by Enemies, and yet never found by Friends, Ships loaded with
Volatile Silver, that came away full, and gat home empty; whole
Voyages made to beat No body, and plunder Every body; two Millions
robb'd from the honest Merchants, and not a Groat sav'd for the
honest Subjects: There we saw Captains Lifting Men with the
Governments Money, and letting them go again for their own; Ships
fitted out at the Rates of Two Millions a Year, to fight but once in
Three Years, and then run away for want of Powder and Shot.

There we saw Partition Treaties damned, and the whole given away,
Confederations without Allies, Allies without Quota's, Princes
without Armies, Armies without Men, and Men without Money, Crowns
without Kings, Kings without Subjects, more Kings than Countries, and
more Countries than were worth fighting for.

Here we could see the King of France upbraiding his Neighbours with
dishonourably assisting his Rebels, though the Mischief was, they did
it not neither; and in the same Breath, assisting the Hungarian
Rebels against the Emperor; M. Ld N. refusing so dishonourable an
Action, as to aid the Rebellious Camisars, but Leaguing with the
Admirant de Castile, to Invade the Dominions of his Master to whom he
swore Allegiance: Here we saw Protestants fight against Protestants,
to help Papists, Papists against Papists to help Protestants,
Protestants call in Turks, to keep Faith against Christians that
break it: Here we could see Swedes fighting for Revenge, and call it
Religion; Cardinals deposing their Catholick Prince, to introduce the
Tyranny of a Lutheran and call it Liberty; Armies Electing Kings, and
call it Free Choice; French conquering Savoy, to secure the Liberty
of Italy.

3. The Map of State Policy contains abundance of Civil Transactions,
no where to be discover'd but in this wonderful Country, and by this
prodigious Invention: As first, it shows an Eminent Prelate running
in every body's Debt to relieve the Poor, and bring to God Robbery
for Burnt-Offering: It opens a Door to the Fate of Nations; and there
we might see the Duke of S--y bought three times, and his subjects
sold every time; Portugal bought twice, and neither time worth the
Earnest; Spain bought once, but loth to go with the Bidder; Venice
willing to be Bought, if there had been any Buyers; Bavaria Bought,
and run away with the Money; the Emperor Bought and Sold, but Bilkt
the Chapman; the French buying Kingdoms he can't keep, the Dutch keep
Kingdoms they never Bought; and the English paying their Money
without Purchase.

In Matters of Civil Concerns, here was to be seen Religion with no
out-side, and much Out-side with no Religion, much Strife about
Peace, and no Peace in the Design: Here was Plunder without Violence,
Violence without Persecution, Conscience without Good Works, and Good
Works without Charity; Parties cutting one anothers Throats for God's
Sake, pulling down Churches de propoganda fide, and making Divisions
by way of Association.

Here we have Peace and Union brought to pass The Shortest Way,
Extirpation and Destruction prov'd to be the Road to Plenty and
Pleasure: Here all the Wise Nations, a Learned Author would have
Quoted, if he could have found them, are to be seen, who carry on
Exclusive Laws to the general Safety and Satisfaction of their
Subjects.

Occasional Bills may have here a particular Historical, Categorical
Description: But of them by themselves.

Here you might have the Rise, Original, Lawfulness, Usefulness, and
Necessity of Passive Obedience, as fairly represented as a System of
Divinity, and as clearly demonstrated as by a Geographical
Description; and which exceeds our mean Understanding here, 'tis by
the wonderful Assistance of these Glasses, plainly discerned to be
Coherent with Resistance, taking Arms, calling in Foreign Powers, and
the like. --- Here you have a plain Discovery of C. of E. Politicks,
and a Map of Loyalty: Here 'tis as plainly demonstrated as the Nose
in a Man's Face, provided he has one, that a Man may Abdicate, drive
away, and Dethrone his Prince, and yet be absolutely and intirely
free from, and innocent of the least Fracture, Breach, Incroachment,
or Intrenchment, upon the Doctrine of Non-Resistance: Can shoot at
his Prince without any Design to kill him, fight against him without
raising Rebellion, and take up Arms, without leaving War against his
Prince.

Here they can persecute Dissenters, without desiring they should
Conform, conform to the Church they would overthrow; Pray for the
Prince they dare not Name, and Name the Prince they do not pray for.

By the help of these Glasses strange Insights are made, into the vast
mysterious dark World of State Policy; but that which is yet more
strange, and requires vast Volumes to descend to the Particulars of,
and huge Diagrams, Spheres, Charts, and a Thousand nice things to
display is, That in this vast Intelligent Discovery it is not only
made plain, that those things are so, but all the vast Contradictions
are made Rational, reconciled to Practice, and brought down to
Demonstration.

German Clock-Work, the perpetual Motions, the Prim Mobilies of Our
short-sighted World, are Trifles to these Nicer Disquisitions.

Here it would be plain and rational, why a Parliament-Man will spend
5000 l. to be Chosen, that cannot get a Groat Honestly by setting
there: It would be easily made out to be rational, why he that rails
most at a Court is soonest receiv'd into it: Here it would be very
plain, how great Estates are got in little Places, and Double in none
at all. 'Tis easy to be prov'd honest and faithful to Victual the
French Fleet out of English Stores, and let our own Navy want them; a
long Sight, or a large Lunar Perspective, will make all these things
not only plain in Fact, but Rational and Justifiable to all the World.

'Tis a strange thing to any body without doubt, that has not been in
that clear-sighted Region, to comprehend, That those we call
High-flyers in England are the only Friends to the Dissenters, and
have been the most Diligent and Faithful in their Interest, of any
People in the Nation; and yet so it is, Gentlemen, and they ought to
have the Thanks of the whole Body for it.

In this advanc'd Station, we see it plainly by Reflexion, That the
Dissenters, like a parcel of Knaves, have retained all the
High-Church-men in their Pay; they are certainly all in their
Pension-Roll: Indeed, I could not see the Money paid them there, it
was too remote; but I could plainly see the thing; all the deep Lines
of the Project are laid as true, they are so Tackt and Consolidated
together, that if any one will give themselves leave to consider,
they will be most effectually convinced, That the High-Church and the
Dissenters here, are all in a Caball, a meer Knot, a piece of
Clock-work; the Dissenters are the Dial-Plate, and the High-Church
the Movement, the Wheel within the Wheels, the Spring and the Screw
to bring all things to Motion, and make the Hand on the Dial-plate
point which way the Dissenters please.

For what else have been all the Shams they have put upon the
Governments, Kings, States, and People they have been concern'd with?
What Schemes have they laid on purpose to be broken? What vast
Contrivances, on purpose to be ridicul'd and expos'd? The Men are not
Fools, they had never V---d to Consolidate a B--- but that they were
willing to save the Dissenters, and put it into a posture, in which
they were sure it would miscarry. I defy all the Wise Men of the Moon
to show another good reason for it.

Methinks I begin to pity my Brethren, the moderate Men of the Church,
that they cannot see into this New Plot, and to wish they would but
get up into our Consolidator, and take a Journey to the Moon, and
there, by the help of these Glasses, they would see the Allegorical,
Symbollical, Hetrodoxicallity of all this Matter; it would make
immediate Converts of them; they would see plainly, that to Tack and
Consolidate, to make Exclusive Laws, to persecute for Conscience,
disturb, and distress Parties; these are all Phanatick Plots, meer
Combinations against the Church, to bring her into Contempt, and to
fix and establish the Dissenters to the end of the Chapter: But of
this I shall find occasion to speak Occasionally, when an Occasion
presents it self, to examine a certain Occasional Bill, transacting
in these Lunar Regions, some time before I had the Happiness to
arrive there.

In examining the Multitude and Variety of these most admirable
Glasses for the assisting the Opticks, or indeed the Formation of a
new perceptive Faculty; it was you may be sure most surprizing to
find there, that Art had exceeded Nature; and the Power of Vision was
assisted to that prodigious Degree, as even to distinguish Non-Entity
it self; and in these strange Engines of Light it could not but be
very pleasing, to distinguish plainly betwixt Being and Matter, and
to come to a Determination, in the so long Canvast Dispute of
Substance, vel Materialis, vel Spiritualis; and I can solidly affirm,
That in all our Contention between Entity and Non-Entity, there is so
little worth meddling with, that had we had these Glasses some Ages
ago, we should have left troubling our heads with it.

I take upon me, therefore, to assure my Reader, That whoever pleases
to take a Journey, or Voyage, or Flight up to these Lunar Regions, as
soon as ever he comes ashoar there, will presently be convinc'd, of
the Reasonableness of Immaterial Substance, and the Immortality, as
well as Immateriality of the Soul: He will no sooner look into these
Explicating Glasses, but he will be-able to know the separate meaning
of Body, Soul, Spirit, Life, Motion, Death, and a Thousand things
that Wise-men puzzle themselves about here, because they are not
Fools enough to understand.

Here too I find Glasses for the Second Sight, as our Old Women call
it. This Second Sight has been often pretended to in Our Regions, and
some Famous Old Wives have told us, they can see Death, the Soul,
Futurity, and the Neighbourhood of them, in the Countenance: By this
wonderful Art, these good People unfold strange Mysteries, as under
some Irrecoverable Disease, to foretell Death; under Hypocondriack
Melancholy, to presage Trouble of Mind; in pining Youth, to predict
Contagious Love; and an Hundred other Infallibilities, which never
fail to be true as soon as ever they come to pass, and are all
grounded upon the same Infallibility, by which a Shepherd may always
know when any one of his Sheep is Rotten, viz. when he shakes himself
to pieces.

But all this Guess and Uncertainty is a Trifle, to the vast
Discoveries of these Explicatory Optick-Glasses; for here are seen
the Nature and Consequences of Secret Mysteries: Here are read
strange Mysteries relating to Predestination, Eternal Decrees, and
the like: Here 'tis plainly prov'd, That Predestination is, in spight
of all Enthusiastick Pretences, so intirely committed into Man's
Power, that whoever pleases to hang himself to Day, won't Live till
to Morrow: no, though Forty Predestination Prophets were to tell him,
His time was not yet come. There abstruse Points are commonly and
solemnly Discuss'd here; and these People are such Hereticks, that
they say God's Decrees are all subservient to the means of his
Providence; That what we call Providence is a subjecting all things
to the great Chain of Causes and Consequences, by which that one
Grand Decree, That all Effects shall Obey, without reserve to their
proper moving Causes, supercedes all subsequent Doctrines, or
pretended Decrees, or Predestination in the World: That by this Rule,
he that will kill himself, GOD, Nature, Providence, or Decree, will
not be concern'd to hinder him, but he shall Die; any Decrees,
Predestination, or Fore-Knowledge of Infinite Power, to the contrary
in any wise, notwithstanding that it is in a Man's Power to throw
himself into the Water, and be Drown'd; and to kill another Man, and
he shall Die, and to say, God appointed it, is to make him the Author
of Murther, and to injure the Murtherer in putting him to Death for
what he could not help doing.

All these things are received Truths here, and no doubt would be so
every where else, if the Eyes of Reason were opened to the Testimony
of Nature, or if they had the helps of these most Incomparable
Glasses.

Some pretended, by the help of these Second-sight Glasses, to see the
common Periods of Life; and Others said, they could see a great way
beyond the leap in the Dark: I confess, all I could see of the first
was, that holding up the Glass against the Sea, I plainly saw, as it
were on the edge of the Horizon, these Words,

  The Verge of Life and Death is here.
  'Tis best to know where 'tis, but not how far.

As to seeing beyond Death, all the Glasses I lookt into for that
purpose, made but little of it; and these were the only Tubes that I
found Defective; for here I could discern nothing but Clouds, Mists,
and thick dark hazy Weather; but revolving in my Mind, that I had
read a certain Book in our own Country, called, Nature; it presently
occurr'd, That the Conclusion of it, to all such as gave themselves
the trouble of making out those foolish things call'd Inferences,
was always Look up; upon which, turning one of their Glasses Up, and
erecting the Point of it towards the Zenith, I saw these Words in the
Air, REVELATION, in large Capital Letters.

I had like to have rais'd the Mob upon me for looking upright with
this Glass; for this, they said, was prying into the Mysteries of the
Great Eye of the World; That we ought to enquire no farther than he
has inform'd us, and to believe what he had left us more Obscure:
Upon this, I laid down the Glasses, and concluded, that we had Moses
and the Prophets, and should be never the likelier to be taught by
One come from the Moon.

In short, I found, indeed, they had a great deal more Knowledge of
things than we in this World; and that Nature, Science, and Reason,
had obtained great Improvements in the Lunar World; but as to
Religion, it was the same equally resign'd to and concluded in Faith
and Redemption; so I shall give the World no great Information of
these things.

I come next to some other strange Acquirements obtained by the
helps of these Glasses; and particularly for the discerning the
Imperceptibles of Nature; such as, the Soul, Thought, Honesty,
Religion, Virginity, and an Hundred other nice things, too small
for humane Discerning.

The Discoveries made by these Glasses, as to the Soul, are of a very
diverting Variety; some Hieroglyphical, and Emblematical, and some
Demonstrative.

The Hieroglyphical Discoveries of the Soul make it appear in the
Image of its Maker; and the Analogy is remarkable, even in the very
Simily; for as they represent the Original of Nature as One Great
Eye, illuminating as well as discerning all things; so the Soul,
in its Allegorical, or Hieroglyphical Resemblance, appears as a
Great Eye, embracing the Man, enveloping, operating, and informing
every Part; from whence those sort of People who we falsly call
Politicians, acting so much to put out this Great Eye, by acting
against their common Understandings, are very aptly represented by a
great Eye, with Six or Seven pair of Spectacles on; not but that the
Eye of their Souls may be clear enough of it self, as to the common
Understanding; but that they happen to have occasion to look
sometimes so many ways at once, and to judge, conclude, and
understand so many contrary ways upon one and the same thing; that
they are fain to put double Glasses upon their Understanding, as we
look at the Solar Ecclipses, to represent 'em in different Lights,
least their Judgments should not be wheadled into a Compliance with
the Hellish Resolutions of their Wills; and this is what I call the
Emblematick Representation of the Soul.

As for the Demonstrations of the Soul's Existence, 'tis a plain case,
by these Explicative Glasses, that it is, some have pretended to give
us the Parts; and we have heard of Chyrurgeons, that could read an
Anatomical Lecture on the Parts Of the Soul; and these pretend it to
be a Creature in form, whether Camelion or Salamandar, Authors have
not determin'd; nor is it compleatly discover'd when it comes into
the Body, or how it goes out, or where its Locality or Habitation is,
while 'tis a Resident.

But they very aptly show it, like a Prince, in his Seat, in the
middle of his Palace the Brain, issuing out his incessant Orders
to innumerable Troops of Nerves, Sinews, Muscles, Tendons, Veins,
Arteries, Fibres, Capilaris, and useful Officers, call'd Organici,
who faithfully execute all the Parts of Sensation, Locomotion,
Concoction, &c. and in the Hundred Thousandth part of a Moment,
return with particular Messages for Information, and demand New
Instructions. If any part of his Kingdom, the Body, suffers a
Depredation, or an Invasion of the Enemy, the Expresses fly to the
Seat of the Soul, the Brain, and immediately are order'd back to
smart, that the Body may of course send more Messengers to complain;
immediately other Expresses are dispatcht to the Tongue, with Orders
to cry out, that the Neighbours may come in and help, or Friends send
for the Chyrurgeon: Upon the Application, and a Cure, all is quiet,
and the same Expresses are dispatcht to the Tongue to be hush, and
say no more of it till farther Orders: All this is as plain to be
seen in these Engines, as the Moon of Our World from the World in
the Moon.

As the Being, Nature, and Scituation of humane Soul is thus
Spherically and Mathematically discover'd, I could not find any
Second Thoughts about it in all their Books, whether of their own
Composition or by Translation; for it was a General received Notion,
That there could not be a greater Absurdity in humane Knowledge, than
to imploy the Thoughts in Questioning, what is as plainly known by
its Consequences, as if seen with the Eye; and that to doubt the
Being or Extent of the Soul's Operation, is to imploy her against her
self; and therefore, when I began to argue with my Old Philosopher,
against the Materiality and Immortality of this Mystery we call Soul,
he laught at me, and told me, he found we had none of their Glasses
in our World; and bid me send all our Scepticks, Soul-Sleepers, our
Cowards, Bakers, Kings and Bakewells, up to him into the Moon, if
they wanted Demonstrations; where, by the help of their Engines,
they would make it plain to them, that the Great Eye being one vast
Intellect, Infinite and Eternal, all Inferior Life is a Degree of
himself, and as exactly represents him as one little Flame the
whole Mass of Fire; That it is therefore uncapable of Dissolution,
being like its Original in Duration, as well as in its Powers and
Faculties, but that it goes and returns by Emission, Regression, as
the Great Eye governs and determines; and this was plainly made out,
by the Figure I had seen it in, viz. an Eye, the exact Image of its
Maker: 'Tis true, it was darkened by Ignorance, Folly and Crime, and
therefore oblig'd to wear Spectacles; but tho' these were Defects or
Interruptions in its Operation, they were none in its Nature; which
as it had its immediate Efflux from the Great Eye, and its return to
him must partake of himself, and could not but be of a Quality
uncomatable, by Casualty or Death.

From this Discourse we the more willingly adjourned our present
Thoughts, I being clearly convinced of the Matter; and as for our
Learned Doctors, with their Second and Third Thoughts, I told him
I would recommend them to the Man in the Moon for their farther
Illumination, which if they refuse to accept, it was but just they
should remain in a Wood, where they are, and are like to be, puzzling
themselves about Demonstrations, squaring of Circles, and converting
oblique into right Angles, to bring out a Mathematical Clock-Work
Soul, that will go till the Weight is down, and then stand still till
they know not who must wind it up again.

However, I cannot pass over a very strange and extraordinary piece of
Art which this Old Gentleman inform'd me of, and that was an Engine
to screw a Man into himself: Perhaps our Country-men may be at some
Difficulty to comprehend these things by my dull Description; and to
such I cannot but recommend, a Journey in my Engine to the Moon.

This Machine that I am speaking of, contains a multitude of strange
Springs and Screws, and a Man that puts himself into it, is very
insensibly carried into vast Speculations, Reflexions, and regular
Debates with himself: They have a very hard Name for it in those
Parts; but if I were to give it an English Name, it should be call'd,
The Cogitator, or the Chair of Reflection.

And First, The Person that is seated here feels some pain in passing
some Negative Springs, that are wound up, effectually to shut out
all Injecting, Disturbing Thoughts; and the better to prepare him for
the Operation that is to follow, and this is without doubt a very
rational way; for when a Man can absolutely shut out all manner of
thinking, but what he is upon, he shall think the more Intensly upon
the one object before him.

This Operation past, here are certain Screws that draw direct Lines
from every Angle of the Engine to the Brain of the Man, and at the
same time, other direct Lines to his Eyes; at the other end of which
Lines, there are Glasses which convey or reflect the Objects the
Person is desirous to think upon.

Then the main Wheels are turn'd, which wind up according to their
several Offices; this the Memory, that the Understanding; a third the
Will, a fourth the thinking Faculty; and these being put all into
regular Motions, pointed by direct Lines to their proper Objects,
and perfectly uninterrupted by the Intervention of Whimsy, Chimera,
and a Thousand fluttering Damons that Gender in the Fancy, but are
effectually Lockt out as before, assist one another to receive right
Notions, and form just Ideas of the things they are directed to, and
from thence the Man is impower'd to make right Conclusions, to think
and act like himself, suitable to the sublime Qualities his Soul was
originally blest with.

There never was a Man went into one of these thinking Engines, but he
came wiser out than he was before; and I am persuaded, it would be a
more effectual Cure to our Deism, Atheism, Scepticism, and all other
Scisms, than ever the Italian's Engine, for Curing the Gout by
cutting off the Toe.

This is a most wonderful Engine, and performs admirably, and my
Author gave me extraordinary Accounts of the good Effects of it; and
I cannot but tell my Reader, That our Sublunar World suffers Millions
of Inconveniencies, for want of this thinking Engine: I have had a
great many Projects in my Head, how to bring our People to regular
thinking, but 'tis in vain without this Engin; and how to get the
Model of it I know not; how to screw up the Will, the Understanding,
and the rest of the Powers; how to bring the Eye, the Thought, the
Fancy, and the Memory, into Mathematical Order, and obedient to
Mechanick Operation; help Boyl, Norris, Newton, Manton, Hammond,
Tillotson, and all the Learned Race, help Phylosophy, Divinity,
Physicks, Oeconomicks, all's in vain, a Mechanick Chair of Reflection
is the only Remedy that ever I found in my Life for this Work.

As to the Effects of Mathematical thinking, what Volumes might be
writ of it will more easily appear, if we consider the wondrous
Usefulness of this Engine in all humane Affairs; as of War, Peace,
Justice, Injuries, Passion, Love, Marriage, Trade, Policy, and
Religion.

When a Man has been screw'd into himself, and brought by this Art to
a Regularity of Thought, he never commits any Absurdity after it; his
Actions are squared by the same Lines, for Action is but the
Consequence of Thinking; and he that acts before he thinks, sets
humane Nature with the bottom upward.

M. would never have made his Speech, nor the famous B----ly wrote a
Book, if ever they had been in this thinking Engine: One would have
never told us of Nations he never saw, nor the other told us, he had
seen a great many, and was never the Wiser.

H. had never ruin'd his Family to Marry Whore, Thief and
Beggar-Woman, in one Salliant Lady, after having been told so
honestly, and so often of it by the very Woman her self.

Our late unhappy Monarch had never trusted the English Clergy, when
they preacht up that Non-Resistance, which he must needs see they
could never Practice; had his Majesty been screw'd up into this
Cogitator, he had presently reflected, that it was against Nature to
expect they should stand still, and let him tread upon them: That
they should, whatever they had preacht or pretended to, hold open
their Throats to have them be cut, and tye their own Hands from
resisting the Lord's Anointed.

Had some of our Clergy been screw'd in this Engine, they had never
turned Martyrs for their Allegiance to the Late King, only for the
Lechery of having Dr. S------- in their Company.

Had our Merchants been manag'd in this Engine, they had never trusted
their Turkey Fleet with a famous Squadron, that took a great deal of
care to Convoy them safe into the Enemies Hands.

Had some People been in this Engine, when they had made a certain
League in the World, in order to make amends for a better made
before, they would certainly have consider'd farther, before they had
embarkt with a Nation, that are neither fit to go abroad nor stay at
Home.

As for the Thinking practis'd in Noble Speeches, Occasional Bills,
Addressings about Prerogative, Convocation Disputes, Turnings in and
Turnings out at Ours, and all the Courts of Christendom, I have
nothing to say to it.

Had the Duke of Bavaria been in our Engine, he would never have begun
a Quarrel, which he knew all the Powers of Europe were concern'd to
suppress, and lay all other Business down till it was done.

Had the Elector of Saxony past the Operation of this Engine, he would
never have beggar'd a Rich Electorate, to ruin a beggar'd Crown, nor
sold himself for a Kingdom hardly worth any Man's taking: He would
never have made himself less than he was, in hopes of being really no
greater; and stept down from a Protestant Duke, and Imperial Elector,
to be a Nominal Mock King with a shadow of Power, and a Name without
honour, Dignity or Strength.

Had Mons. Tallard been in our Engine, he would not only not have
attackt the Confederates when they past the Morass and Rivulet in his
Front, but not have attackt them at all, nor have suffer'd them to
have attackt him, it being his Business not to have fought at all,
but have linger'd out the War, till the Duke of Savoy having been
reduced, the Confederate Army must have been forced to have divided
themselves of course, in order to defend their own.

Some that have been very forward to have us proceed The Shortest
Way with the Scots, may be said to stand in great need of this Chair
of Reflection, to find out a just Cause for such a War, and to make
a Neighbour-Nation making themselves secure, a sufficient Reason
for another Neighbour-Nation to fall upon them: Our Engine would
presently show it them in a clear sight, by way of Paralel, that 'tis
just with the fame Right as a Man may break open a House, because the
People bar and bolt the Windows.

If some-body has chang'd Hands there from bad to worse, and open'd
instead of closing Differences in those Cases, the Cogitator migyt
have brought them, by more regular Thinking, to have known that was
not at all the Method of bringing the S---s to Reason.

Our Cogitator would be a very necessary thing to show some People,
That Poverty and Weakness is not a sufficient Ground to oppress a
Nation, and their having but little Trade, cannot be a sufficient
Ground to equip Fleets to take away what they have.

I cannot deny, that I have often thought they have had something
of this Engine in our Neighbouring Antient Kingdom, since no Man,
however we pretend to be angry, but will own they are in the right
of it, as to themselves, to Vote and procure Bills for their own
Security, and not to do as others demand without Conditions fit to
be accepted: But of that by it self.

There are abundance of People in Our World, of all sorts and
Conditions, that stand in need of our thinking Engines, and to be
screw'd into themselves a little, that they might think as directly
as they speak absurdly: But of these also in a Class by it self.

This Engine has a great deal of Philosophy in it; and particularly,
'tis a wonderful Remedy against Poreing; and as it was said of Mons.
Jurieu at Amsterdam, that he us'd to lose himself in himself; by the
Assistance of this piece of Regularity, a Man is most effectually
secur'd against bewildring Thoughts, and by direct thinking, he
prevents all manner of dangerous wandring, since nothing can come to
more speedy Conclusions, than that which in right Lines, points to
the proper Subject of Debate.

All sorts of Confusion of Thoughts are perfectly avoided and
prevented in this case, and a Man is never troubled with Spleen,
Hyppo, or Mute Madness, when once he has been thus under the
Operation of the Screw: It prevents abundance of Capital Disasters
in Men, in private Affairs; it prevents hasty Marriages, rash Vows,
Duels, Quarrels, Suits at Law, and most sorts of Repentance. In the
State, it saves a Government from many Inconveniences; it checks
immoderate Ambition, stops Wars, Navies and Expeditions; especially
it prevents Members making long Speeches when they have nothing to
say; it keeps back Rebellions, Insurrections, Clashings of Houses,
Occasional Bills, Tacking, &c.

It has a wonderful Property in our Affairs at Sea, and has prevented
many a Bloody Fight, in which a great many honest Men might have lost
their Lives that are now useful Fellows, and help to Man and manage
Her Majesty's Navy.

What if some People are apt to charge Cowardice upon some People in
those Cases? 'Tis plain that cannot be it, for he that dare incur the
Resentment of the English Mob, shows more Courage than would be able
to carry him through Forty Sea-fights.

'Tis therefore for want of being in this Engine, that we censure
People, because they don't be knocking one another on the Head, like
the People at the Bear-Garden; where, if they do not see the Blood
run about, they always cry out, A Cheat; and the poor Fellows are
fain to cut one another, that they may not be pull'd a pieces; where
the Case is plain, they are bold for fear, and pull up Courage enough
to Fight, because they are afraid of the People.

This Engine prevents all sorts of Lunacies, Love-Frenzies, and
Melancholy-Madness, for preserving the Thought in right Lines to
direct Objects, it is impossible any Deliriums, Whimsies, or
fluttering Air of Ideas, can interrupt the Man, he can never be Mad;
for which reason I cannot but recommend it to my Lord S---, my Lord
N---, and my Lord H-----, as absolutely necesssary to defend them
from the State-Madness, which for some Ages has possest their
Families, and which runs too much in the Blood.

It is also an excellent Introduction to Thought, and therefore very
well adapted to those People whose peculiar Talent and Praise is,
That they never think at all. Of these, if his Grace of B---d would
please to accept Advice from the Man in the Moon, it should be to put
himself into this Engine, as a Soveraign Cure to the known Disease
call'd the Thoughtless Evil.

But above all, it is an excellent Remedy, and very useful to a sort
of People, who are always Travelling in Thought, but never Deliver'd
into Action; who are so exceeding busy at Thinking, they have no
leisure for Action; of whom the late Poet sung well to the purpose;

  ---- Some modern Coxcombs, who
  Retire to Think, 'cause they have nought to do;
  For Thoughts were giv'n for Actions Government,
  Where Action ceases, Thought Impertinent:
  The Sphere of Action is Life's Happiness,
  And he that Thinks beyond, Thinks like an Ass.
                                 Rochest. Poems, p. 9.

These Gentlemen would make excellent use of this Engine, for it would
teach 'em to dispatch one thing before they begin another; and
therefore is of singular use to honest S----, whose peculiar it was,
to be always beginning Projects, but never finish any.

The Variety of this Engine, its Uses, and Improvements, are
Innumerable, and the Reader must not expect I can give any thing like
a perfect Description of it.

There are yet another sort of Machine, which I never obtained a sight
of, till the last Voyage I made to this Lunar Orb, and these are
called Elevators: The Mechanick Operations of these are wonderful,
and helpt by Fire; by which the Sences are raised to all the strange
Extreames we can imagine, and whereby the Intelligent Soul is made to
converse with its own Species, whether embody'd or not.

Those that are rais'd to a due pitch in this wondrous Frame, have a
clear Prospect into the World of Spirits, and converse with Visions,
Guardian-Angels, Spirits departed, and what not: And as this is a
wonderful Knowledge, and not to be obtained, but by the help of this
Fire; so those that have try'd the Experiment, give strange Accounts
of Sympathy, Prexistence of Souls, Dreams, and the like.

I confess, I always believ'd a converse of Spirits, and have heard of
some who have experienced so much of it, as they could obtain upon no
Body else to believe.

I never saw any reason to doubt the Existent State of the Spirit
before embody'd, any more than I did of its Immortality after it
shall be uncas'd, and the Scriptures saying, the Spirit returns to
God that gave it, implies a coming from, or how could it be call'd a
return.

Nor can I see a reason why Embodying a Spirit should altogether
Interrupt its Converse with the World of Spirits, from whence it was
taken; and to what else shall we ascribe Guardian Angels, in which
the Scripture is also plain; and from whence come Secret Notices,
Impulse of Thought, pressing Urgencies of Inclination, to or from
this or that altogether Involuntary; but from some waking kind
Assistant wandring Spirit, which gives secret hints to its
Fellow-Creature, of some approaching Evil or Good, which it was not
able to foresee.

For Spirits without the helps of Voice converse.

I know we have supplied much of this with Enthusiasm and conceited
Revelation; but the People of this World convince us, that it may be
all Natural, by obtaining it in a Mechanick way, viz. by forming
something suitable to the sublime Nature, which working by Art, shall
only rectify the more vigorous Particles of the Soul, and work it up
to a suitable Elevation. This Engine is wholly applied to the Head,
and Works by Injection; the chief Influence being on what we call
Fancy, or Imagination, which by the heat of strong Ideas, is
fermented to a strange heighth, and is thus brought to see backward
and forward every way, beyond it self: By this a Man fancies himself
in the Moon, and realizes things there as distinctly, as if he was
actually talking to my Old Phylosopher.

This indeed is an admirable Engine, 'tis compos'd of an Hundred
Thousand rational Consequences, Five times the number of Conjectures,
Supposes, and Probabilities, besides an innumerable Company of
fluttering Suggestions, and Injections, which hover round the
Imagination, and are all taken in as fast as they can be Concocted
and Digested there: These are form'd into Ideas, and some of those so
well put together, so exactly shap'd, so well drest and set out by
the Additional Fire of Fancy, that it is no uncommon thing for the
Person to be intirely deceived by himself, not knowing the brat of
his own Begetting, nor be able to distinguish between Reality and
Representation: From hence we have some People talking to Images of
their own forming, and seeing more Devils and Spectres than ever
appear'd: From hence we have weaker Heads not able to bear the
Operation, seeing imperfect Visions, as of Horses and Men without
Heads or Arms, Light without Fire, hearing Voices without Sound, and
Noises without Shapes, as their own Fears or Fancies broke the
Phanomena before the intire Formation.

But the more Genuine and perfect Use of these vast Elevations of the
Fancy, which are perform'd, as I said, by the Mechanick Operation of
Innate Fire, is to guide Mankind to as much Fore-sight of things, as
either by Nature, or by the Aid of any thing Extranatural, may be
obtain'd; and by this exceeding Knowledge, a Man shall forebode to
himself approaching Evil or Good, so as to avoid this, or be in the
way of that; and what if I should say, That the Notices of these
things are not only frequent, but constant, and require nothing of
us, but to make use of this Elevator, to keep our Eyes, our Ears,
and our Fancies open to the hints; and observe them;

You may suppose me, if you please, come by this time into those
Northern Kingdoms I mention'd before, where my Old Philosopher was a
Native, and not to trouble you with any of the needful Observations,
Learned Inscriptions, &c. on the way, according to the laudable
practices of the Famous Mr. Br---mly, 'tis sufficient to tell you
I found there an Opulent, Populous, Potent and Terrible People.

I found them at War with one of the greatest Monarchs of the Lunar
World, and at the same time miserably rent and torn, mangl'd and
disorder'd among themselves.

As soon as I observ'd the Political posture of their Affairs, (for
here a Man sees things mighty soon by the helps of such a Masterly
Eye-sight as I have mention'd) and remembring what is said for our
Instruction, That a Kingdom divided against its self cannot stand; I
ask'd the Old Gentleman if he had any Estate in that Country? He told
me, no great matter; but ask'd me why I put that Question to him?
Because, said I, if this People go on fighting and snarling at all
the World, and one among another in this manner, they will certainly
be Ruin'd and Undone, either subdu'd by some more powerful Neighbour;
whilst one Party will stand still and see the t'others Throat cut,
tho' their own Turn immediately follows, or else they will destroy
and devour one another. Therefore I told him I would have him Turn
his Estate into Money, and go some where else; or go back to the
other World with me.

No, no, reply'd the Old Man, I am in no such Fear at this Time, the
Scale of Affairs is very lately chang'd here, says he, in but a very
few Years.

I know nothing of that, said I, but I am sure there never was but
one spot of Ground in that World which I came from, that was divided
like them, and that's that very Country I liv'd in. Here are three
Kingdoms of you in one spot, said I, One has already been Conquer'd
and Subdu'd, the t'other suppres'd its Native lnhabitants, and
planted it with her own, and now carries it with so high a Hand over
them of her own Breed, that she limits their Trade, stops their
Ports, when the Inhabitants have made their Manufactures, these wont
give them leave to send them abroad, impose Laws upon them, refuse to
alter and amend those they would make for themselves, make them pay
Customs, Excises, and Taxes, and yet pay the Garrisons and Guards
that defend them, themselves; Press their Inhabitants to their
Fleets, and carry away their Old Veteran Troops that should defend
them, and leave them to raise more to be serv'd in the same manner,
will let none of their Mony be carry'd over thither, nor let them
Coin any of their own; and a great many such hardships they suffer
under the Hand of this Nation as meer Slaves and Conquer'd People,
tho' the greatest part of the Traders are the People of the very
Nation that treats 'em thus.

On the other hand, this creates Eternal Murmurs, Heart-burnings and
Regret, both in the Natives and the Transplanted Inhabitants; the
first have shewn their Uneasiness by frequent Insurrections and
Rebellions, for Nature prompts the meanest Animal to struggle for
Liberty; and these struggles have often been attended with great
Cruelty, Ravages, Death, Massacres, and Ruin both of Families and the
Country it self: As to the Transplanted Inhabitants, they run into
Clandestine Trade, into corresponding with their Masters Enemies,
Victualling their Navies, Colonies and the like, receiving and
importing their Goods in spight of all the Orders and Directions
to the contrary.

These are the effects of Divisions, and Feuds on that side; on the
other hand there is a Kingdom Entire Unconquer'd and Independent, and
for the present, under the same Monarch with the rest.---- But here
their Feuds are greater than with the other, and more dangerous by
far because National: This Kingdom joins to the North part of the
first Kingdom, and Terrible Divisions ly among the two Nations.

The People of these two Kingdoms are call'd if you please for
distinction sake, for I cannot well make you understand their hard
Names, Solunarians and Nolunarians, these to the South and those
to the North, the Solunarians were divided in their Articles of
Religion; the Governing Party, or the Establish'd Church, I shall
call the Solunarian Church; but the whole Kingdom was full of a sort
of Religious People call'd Crolians, who like our Dissenters in
England profess divers sub-divided Opinions by themselves, and cou'd
not, or wou'd not, let it go which way it will, joyn with the
Establish'd Church.

On the other hand, the Establish'd Church in the Northern Kingdom
was all Crolians, but full of Solunarians in Opinions, who were
Dissenters there, as the Crolians were Dissenters in the South,
and this unhappy mixture occasion'd endless Feuds, Divisions,
Sub-divisions and Animosities without Number, of which hereafter.

The Northern Men are Bold, Terrible Numerous and Brave, to the last
Degree, but Poor, and by the Encroachments of their Neighbours,
growing poorer every Day.

The Southern are equally Brave, more Numerous and Terrible, but
Wealthy and care not for Wars, had rather stay at Home and Quarrel
with one another, than go Abroad to Fight, making good an Old Maxim,
Too Poor t'Agree, and yet too Rich to Fight.

Between these the Feud is great, and every Day growing greater; and
those People who pretend to have been in the Cogitator or thinking
Engine tell us, all the lines of Consequences in that Affair point at
a fatal period between the Kingdoms.

The Complaints also are great, and back'd with fiery Arguments on
both sides; the Northern Men say, the Solunarians have dealt unjustly
and unkindly by them in several Articles; but the Southern Men reply
with a most powerful Argument, viz. they are Poor, and therefore
ought to be Oppress'd, Suppress'd, or any thing.

But the main Debate is like to lye upon the Article of Choosing a
King; both the Nations being under one Government at present, but the
Settlement ending in the Reigning Line, the Northern Men refuse to
joyn in Government again, unless they have a rectification of some
Conditions in which, they say, they have the worst of it.

In this case, even the Southern Men themselves, say, they believe
the Nolunarians have been in the Chair of Reflection, the thinking
Engine, and that having screw'd their Understandings into a Direct
Position to that Matter before them, they have made a right Judgment
of their own Affairs, and with all their Poverty stand on the best
Foot as to Right.

But as the matter of this Northern Quarrel comes under a Second Head,
and is more properly the Subject of a Second Voyage to the Moon; the
Reader may have it more at large consider'd in another Class, and
some farther Enlightnings in that Affair than perhaps can be
reasonably expected of me here.

But of all the Feuds and Brangles that ever poor Nation was embroild
in, of all the Quarrels, the Factions and Parties that ever the
People of any Nation thought worth while to fall out for, none were
ever in reality so light, in effect so heavy, in appearance so great,
in substance so small, in name so terrible, in nature so trifling, as
those for which this Southern Country was altogether by the Ears
among themselves.

And this was one Reason why I so earnestly enquir'd of my Lunarian
Philosopher, whether he had an Estate in that Country or no. But
having told him the Cause of that enquiry, he reply'd, there was one
thing in the Nature of his Country-men which secur'd them from the
ruin which usually attended divided Nations, viz. that if any Foreign
Nation thinking to take the advantage of their Intestine Divisions
fell upon them in the highest of all their Feuds, they'd lay aside
their Parties and Quarrels and presently fall in together to beat out
the common Enemy; and then no sooner had they obtain'd Peace abroad,
by their Conduct and Bravery, but they would fall to cutting one
anothers Throats again at home as naturally as if it had been their
proper Calling, and that for Trifles too, meer Trifles.

Very well, said I to my learned Self, pretty like my own Country
still, that whatever Peace they have abroad, are sure to have none
at home.

To come at the historical Account of these Lunarian Dissentions, it
will be absolutely necessary to enter a little into the Story of the
Place, at least as far as relates to the present Constitution, both
of the People, the Government, and the Subject of their present
Quarrels.

And first we are to understand, that there has for some Ages been
carry'd on in these Countries, a private feud or quarrel among the
People, about a thing call'd by them Upogyla, with us very vulgarly
call'd Religion.

This Difference, as in its Original it was not great, nor indeed
upon Points accounted among themselves Essential, so it had never
been a Difference of any height, if there had not always been
some one thing, or other, hapning in the State which made the
Court-Polititians think it necessary to keep the People busy and
embroil'd, to prevent their more narrow Inspection into Depredations
and Encroachments on their Liberties, which was always making on
them by the Court.

'Tis not deny'd but there might be a Native want of Charity in the
Inhabitant, adapting them to Feud, and particularly qualifying them
to be alwavs Piquing one another; and some of their own Nation, who
by the help of the famous Perspectives before-mentioned, pretend to
have seen farther into the Insides of Nature and Constitution than
other People, tell us the cross Lines of Nature which appear in the
make of those particular People, signify a direct Negative as to the
Article of Charity and good Neighbour-hood.

'Twas particularly unhappy to this wrangling People, that Reasons
of State should always fall in, to make that uncharitableness and
continual quarrelling Humour necessary to carry on the Publick
Affairs of the Nation, and may pass for a certain Proof, that the
State was under some Diseases and Convulsions, which, like a Body
that digests nothing so well as what is hurtful to its Constitution,
makes use of those things for its Support, which are in their very
Nature, fatal to its being, and must at last tend to its Destruction.

But as this however enclin'd them to be continually Snarling at one
another, so as in all Quarrels it generally appears one Side must go
down.

The prevailing Party therefore always kept the Power in their Hands,
and as the under were always Subject to the lash they soon took
care to hook their Quarrel into the Affairs of State, and so join
Religious Differences, and Civil Differences together.

These things had long embroil'd the Nation, and frequently involv'd
them in bitter Enmities, Feuds, and Quarrels, and once in a tedious,
ruinous, and bloody War in their own Bowels, in which, contrary to
all expectation, this lesser Party prevail'd.

And since the allegorick Relation may bear great Similitude with
our European Affairs on this side the Moon: I shall for the ease of
Expression, and the better Understanding of the Reader, frequently
call them by the same Names our unhappy Parties are call'd by in
England, as Solunnarian Churchmen, and Crolian Dissenters, at the
same time desiring my Reader to observe, that he is always to
remember who it is we are talking of, and that he is by no means to
understand me of any Person, Party, People, Nation, or Place on this
side the Moon, any Expression, Circumstance, Similitude, or
Appearance to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

This premis'd, I am to tell the Reader that the last Civil War
in this Lunar Country ended in the Victors confounding their own
Conquests by their intestine Broils, they being as is already noted
a most Eternally Quarrelling Nation; upon this new Breach, they that
first began the War, turn'd about, and pleading that they took up
Arms to regulate the Government, not to overthrow it, fell in with
the Family of their Kings, who had been banish'd, and one of them
destroy'd, and restor'd the Crown to the Family, and the Nation to
the Crown, just for all the World as the Presbyterians in England
did, in the Case of King Charles the Second.

The Party that was thus restor'd, accepted the return the others made
to their Duty, and their Assistance in restoring the Family of their
Monarch, but abated not a Tittle of the old Rancour against them as a
Party which they entertain'd at their first taking Arms, not allowing
the return they had made to be any attonement at all for the Crimes
they had been guilty of before. 'Tis true they pass'd an Act or Grant
of General Pardon, and Oblivion, as in all such Cases is usual, and
as without which the other would never ha' come in, or have join'd
Powers to form the Restoration they were bringing to pass, but
the old Feud of Religion continu'd with this addition, that the
Dissenters were Rebels, Murtherers, King-killers, Enemies to Monarchy
and Civil Government, lovers of Confusion, popular, anarchial
Governments, and movers of Sedition; that this was in their very
Nature and Principles, and the like.

In this Condition, and under these Mortifications this Party of
People liv'd just an Egyptian Servitude, viz. of 40 Years, in
which time they were frequently vex'd with Persecution, Harass'd,
Plunder'd, Fin'd, Imprisoned, and very hardly Treated, insomuch that
they pretend to be able to give an account of vast Sums of their
Country-Mony, levy'd upon them on these Occasions, amounting as I
take it to 2 Millions of Lunatians, a Coin they keep their Accounts
by there, and much about the value of our Pound Sterling; besides
this they were hook't into a great many Sham Plots, and Sworn out of
their Lives and Estates in such a manner, that in the very next Reign
the Government was so sensible of their hard treatment, that they
revers'd several Sentences by the same Authority that had Executed
them; a most undeniable Proof they were asham'd of what had been
done; at last, the Prince who was restor'd as abovesaid, dyed, and
his Brother mounted the Throne; and now began a third Scene of
Affairs, for this Prince was neither Church-man, nor Dissenter, but
of a different Religion from them all, known in that Country by the
Name of Abrogratzianism, and this Religion of his had this one
absolutely necessary Consequence in it, that a Man could not be
sincerely and heartily of this, but he must be an Implacable hater
of both the other. As this is laid down as a previous Supposition,
we are with the same Reason to imagine this Prince to be entirely
bent upon the Suppression and Destruction of both the other, if not
absolutely as to Life and Estate, yet entirely as to Religion.

To bring this the more readily to pass like a true Polititian, had
his Methods and Particulars been equally Politick with his Generals,
he began at the right End, viz. to make the Breach between the
Solunnarian Church, and the Crolian Dissenters as wide as possible,
and to do this it was resolv'd to shift Sides, and as the Crown had
always took part with the Church, crush'd, humbl'd, persecuted, and
by all means possible mortify'd the Dissenters, as is noted in the
Reign of his Predecessor. This Prince resolv'd to caress, cherish,
and encourage the Crolians by all possible Arts and outward
Endearments, not so much that they purpos'd them any real Favour, for
the destruction of both was equally determin'd, nor so much that they
expected to draw them over to Abrogratzianism, but Two Reasons may be
suppos'd to give Rise to this Project.

1. The Lunarian Church Party had all along Preach'd up for a part of
their Religion, that Absolute undisputed Obedience, was due from
every Subject to their Prince without any Reserve, Reluctance or
Repining; that as to Resistance, it was Fatal to Body, Soul,
Religion, Justice and Government; and tho' the Doctrine was Repugnant
to Nature, and to the very Supreme Command it self, yet he that
resisted, receiv'd to himself Damnation, just for all the World
like our Doctrine of Passive Obedience. Now tho' these Solunarian
Church-Men did not absolutely believe all they said themselves to
be true, yet they found it necessary to push these things to the
uttermost Extremities, because they might the better fix upon the
Crolian Dissenters, the Charge of professing less Loyal Principles
than they. For as to the Crolians, they profess'd openly they would
pay Obedience to the Prince, as far as the Laws directed, but no
farther.

These things were run up to strange heights, and the People were
always falling out about what they would do, or wou'd not do, if
things were so or so, as they were not, and were never likely to be;
and the hot Men on both sides were every now and then going together
by the Ears about Chimeras, Shadows, May-be's and Supposes.

The hot Men of the Solunarian Church were for knocking the Crolians
in the Head, because as they said they were Rebels, their Fathers
were Rebels, and they would certainly turn Rebels again upon occasion.

The Crolians insisted upon it, that they had nothing to do with what
was done before they were Born, that if they were Criminal, because
their Fathers were so, then a great many who were now of the
Solunarian Church were as Guilty as they, several of the best Members
of that Church having been Born of Crolian Parents.

In the matter of Loyalty they insisted upon it, they were as Loyal as
the Solunarians, for that they were as Loyal as Nature, Reason and
the Laws both of God and Man requir'd, and what the Other talk'd of
more, was but a meer pretence, and so it would be found if ever their
Prince should have occasion to put them to the Tryal, that he that
pretended to go beyond the Power of Nature and Reason, must indeed go
beyond them, and they never desir'd to be brought into the extream,
but they were ready at any time to shew such Proofs, and give such
Demonstrations of their Loyalty, as would satisfy any reasonable
Prince, and for more they had nothing to say.

In this posture of Affairs, this new Prince found his Subjects when
he came to the Crown, the Solunarian Church Caress'd him, and
notwithstanding his being Devoted to the Abrogratzian Faith, they
Crown'd him with extraordinary Acclamations.

They were the rather enclin'd to push this forward by how much they
thought it would singularly mortify the Crolians, and all the sorts
of Dissenters, for they had all along declar'd their abhorrence of
the Abrogratzians to such a Degree that they publickly endeavour'd
to have got a general Concurrence of the whole Nation in the Publick
Cortez, or Dyet of the Kingdom, to have joyn'd with them in Excluding
this very Prince by Name, and all other Princes that should ever
embrace the Abrogratzian Faith.

And it wanted but a very little of bringing it to pass, for almost
all the Great Men of the Nation, tho' Solunarians, yet that were
Men of Temper, Moderation, and Fore-sight, were for this exclusive
Law. But the High Priests and Patriarchs of the Solunarian Church
prevented it, and upon pretence of this Passive Obedience Principle,
made their Interest and gave their Voices for Crowning, or Entailing
the Crown and Government on the Head of one of the most Implacable
Enemies both to their Religion and Civil Right that ever the Nation
saw; but they liv'd to Repent it too late.

This Conquest over the Crolians and the Moderate Solunarians, if it
did not suppress them entirely, it yet gave the other Part such an
ascendant over them, that they made no Doubt when that Prince came to
the Crown, they had done so much to oblige him, that he could deny
them nothing, and therefore in expectation they swallow'd up the
whole Body of the Crolians at once, and began to talk of nothing
less than Banishing them to the Northern part of the Country, or to
certain Islands, and Countries a vast way off, where formerly great
numbers of them had fled for shelter in like Cases.

And this was the more probable by an unhappy Stroke these Crolians
attempted to strike, but miscarry'd in at the very beginning of this
Prince's Reign: for as they had always profest an aversion to this
Prince on account of his Religion, as soon as their other King was
dead, they set up one of his Natural Sons against this King, which
the Solunarians had so joyfully Crown'd. This young Prince invaded
his Dominions, and great Numbers of the most zealous Crolians joyn'd
him---- But to cut the Story short, he was entirely routed by the
Forces of the new Prince, for all the Solunarian Church joyn'd with
him against the Crolians without any respect to the Interest of
Religion, so they overthrew their Brethren: The young invaded Prince
was taken and put to Death openly, and Great Cruelties were exercis'd
in cold Blood upon the poor unhappy People that were taken in the
Defeat!

Thus a second time these Loyal Solunarian Church-men Establish'd
their Enemy, and built up what they were glad afterwards to pull down
again, and to beg the assistance of those Crolians whom they had so
rudely handled, to help them demolish the Power they had erected
themselves, and which now began to set its foot upon the Throat of
those that nourish'd and supported it.

Upon this exceeding Loyalty and blind Assistance given to their
Prince, the Solunarians made no question but they had so Eternally
bound him to them, that it would be in their Power to pull down the
very Name of Crolianism, and utterly destroy it from the Nation.

But the time came on to Undeceive them, for this Prince, whose
Principle as an Abrogratzian, was to destroy them both, as it
happened, was furnish'd with Counsellors and Ecclesiasticks of his
own Profession, ten thousand Times more bent for their general Ruin,
than himself.

For abstracted from the Venom and Rancour of his Profession as an
Abrogratzian, and from the furious Zeal of his Bramin, Priests, and
Religious People, that continually hung about him, and that prompted
him to act against his Temper and Inclination, by which he ruin'd
all, he was else a forward and generous Prince, and likely to have
made his People Great and Flourishing.

But his furious Church-Men ruin'd all his good Designs, and turn'd
all his Projects to compass the Introduction of his own Religion into
his Dominions.

Nay, and had he not fatally been push'd on by such as really design'd
his Ruin, to drive this deep Design on too hastily and turn the
Scale of his Management from a close and conceal'd, to an open and
profess'd Design, he might have gone a great way with it.---------
Had he been content to have let that have been twenty Year a doing,
which he impatiently as well as preposterously attempted all at
once.------- Wise Men have thought he might in time have supprest the
Solunarian Religion, and have set up his own.

To give a short Scheme of his Proceedings, and with them of the
reason of his Miscarriage.

1. Having defeated the Rebellious Crolians, as is before noted, and
reflecting on the Danger he was in upon the sudden Progress of that
Rebellion, for indeed he was within a trifle of Ruin in that Affair;
and had not the Crolians been deceiv'd by the darkness of the Night
and led to a large Ditch of Water, which they could not pass over,
they had certainly surpriz'd and overthrown his Army, and cut them in
pieces, before they had known who had hurt them. Upon the Sense of
this Danger, he takes up a pretence of necessity for the being always
ready to resist the Factious Crolians, as he call'd them, and by that
Insinuation hooks himself into a standing Army in time of Peace;
----- nay, and so easy were the Solunarian Church to yield up any
point, which they did but imagin would help to crush their Brethren
the Crolians, that they not only consented to this unusual Invasion
of their antient Liberties, but sent up several Testimonials of their
free Consent, nay, and of their Joy of having arriv'd to so great a
Happiness, as to have a Prince that setting aside the formality of
Laws would vouchsafe to Govern them by the glorious Method of a
Standing Army.------

These Testimonials were things not much unlike our Addresses in
England, and which when I heard I could not but remember our Case, in
the time of the late King James, when the City of Carlisle in their
Address, Thankt his Majesty for the Establishing a Standing Army in
England in time of Peace, calling it the Strength, and Glory of the
Kingdom.

So strong is the Ambition and Envy of Parties, these Solunarian
Gentlemen not grudging to put out one of their own eyes, so they
might at the same time put out both the Eyes of their Enemies; the
Crolians rather consented to this badge of their own Slavery, and
brought themselves who were a free People before, under the Power and
Slavery of the Sword.

The ease with which this Prince got over so considerable a Point as
this, made him begin to be too credulous and to perswade himself
that the Solunarian Church-Men were really in earnest, as to their
Pageant-Doctrin of Non-Resistance, and that as he had seen them bear
with strange extravagancies on the Crolian Part, they were real and
in earnest when they Preach'd that Men ought to obey for Conscience's
sake, whatever hardship were impos'd upon them, and however unjust,
or contrary to the Laws of God, Nature, Reason, or their Country;
what Principle in the World could more readily prompt a Prince to
attempt what he so earnestly coveted, as this zealous Prince did the
restoring the Abrogratzian Faith, for since he had but two sorts of
People to do with; one he had crush'd by force, and had brought the
other to profess it their Religion, their Duty, and their Resolution
to bear every thing he thought fit to Impose upon them, and that they
should be Damn'd if they resisted, the Work seem'd half done to his
Hand.

And indeed when I reflected on the Coherence of things, I could not
so much blame this Prince for his venturing upon the probability, for
whoever was but to go up to this Lunar World and read the Stories of
that Time, with what Fury the hot Men of the Solunarian Church acted
against the Dissenting Crolians, and with what warmth they assisted
their Prince against them, and how Cruelly they insulted them after
they were defeated in their attempt of Dethroning him, how zealously
they Preach'd up the Doctrine of absolute undisputed Resignation to
his Will, how frequently they obey'd several of his encroachments
upon their Liberties, and what solemn Protestations they made to
submit to him in any thing, and to stand by and assist him in
whatever he Commanded them to the last Drop, much with the same Zeal
and Forwardness, as our Life-and-Fortune Men did here in England. I
say, when all this was consider'd, I could not so much condemn his
Credulity, nor blame him for believing them, for no Man could have
doubted their Sincerity, but he that at the same time must have Taxt
them with most unexampled Hipocrisie.

For the Solunarians now began to discern their Prince was not really
on their side, that neither in State Matters any more than Religion,
he had any affection for them, and the first absolute Shock he gave
them, was in Publishing a general Liberty to the Crolians. 'Tis true
this was not out of respect to the Crolian Religion any more than the
Solunarian, but purely because by that means he made way for an
Introduction of the Abrogratzian Religion which now began to appear
publickly in the Country.

But however, as this was directly contrary to the expectation of the
Solunarians, it gave them such a disgust against their Prince, that
from that very time being disappointed in the Soveraign Authority
they expected, they entred into the deepest and blackest Conspiracy
against their Prince and his Government that ever was heard of.

Many of the Crolians were deluded by the new Favour and Liberty they
receiv'd from the Prince to believe him real, and were glad of the
Mortification of their Brethren; but the more Judicious seeing
plainly the Prince's Design, declar'd against their own Liberty,
because given them by an illegal Authority, without the assent of the
whole Body legally assembled.

When the Solunarians saw this they easily reconcil'd themselves to
the Crolians, at least from the Outside of the Face, for the carrying
on their Design, and so here was a Nation full of Plots, here was the
Prince and his Abrogratzians plotting to introduce their Religion,
here was a parcel of blind short-sighted Crolians plotting to ruin
the Solunarian Establishment, and weakly joining with the
Abrogratzians to satisfy their private Resentments; and here was the
wiser Crolians joining heartily with the Solunarians of all sorts,
laying aside private Resentments, and forgetting old Grudges about
Religion, in order to ruin the invading Projects of the Prince and
his Party.

There was indeed some verbal Conditions past between them, and the
Solunarians willing to bring them into their Party promised them upon
the Faith of their Nation, and the Honour of the Solunarian Religion,
that there should be no more Hatred, Disturbance or Persecution
for the sake of Religion between them, but that they would come to
a Temper with them, and always be Brethren for the future. They
declared that Persecution ran contrary to their Religion in general,
and to their Doctrin in particular; and backt their Allegations with
some Truths they have not since thought fit to like, nor much to
regard.

However by this Artifice, and on these Conditions, they brought the
Crolians to join with them in their Resolutions to countermine their
designing Prince; these indeed were for doing it by the old way
down-right, and to oppose Oppression with Force, a Doctrin they
acknowledg'd, and profest to join with all the Lunar part of Mankind
in the practice, and began to tell their Brethren how they had
impos'd upon themselves and the World, in pretending to absolute
Submission against Nature and universal Lunarian Practice.

But a cunning Fellow personating a Solunarian, and who was in the
Plot, gravely answer'd them thus,

'Look ye, Gentlemen, we own with you that Nature, Reason, Law,
Justice, and Custom of Nations is on your side, and that all Power
Derives from, Centers in, and on all Recesses or Demises of Power
returns to its Great Original the Party Governed: Nay we own our
Great Eye from whom all the habitable Parts of this Globe are
inlightned, has always directed us to practice what Nature thus
dictates, always approv'd and generally succeeded the attempt of
Dethroning Tyrants. But our Case differs, we have always pretended
to this absolute undisputed Obedience, which we did indeed to gain
the Power of your Party; and if we should turn round at once to
your Opinion, tho' never so right, we should so fly in the Face of
our own Doctrin, Sermons, innumerable Pamphlets and Pretensions, as
would give all our Enemies too great a Power over us in Argument,
and we should never be able to look Mankind in the Face: But we
have laid our Measures so that by prompting the King to run upon us
in all sorts of bare-fac'd Extreams and Violences, we shall bring
him to exasperate the whole Nation; then we may underhand foment
the breach on this side, raise the Mob upon him, and by acting on
both sides seem to suffer a Force in falling in with the People,
and preserve our Reputation.

'Thus we shall bring the thing to pass, betray our Prince, take
Arms against his Power, call in Foreign Force to do the Work, and
even then keep our Hands seemingly out of the Broil, by being
pretended Sticklers for our former Prince; so save our Reputation,
and bring all to pass with Ease and Calmness; while the eager Party
of the Abrogratzians will do their own Work by expecting we will do
it for them.

The Crolians astonish'd both at the Policy, the Depth, the Knavery
and the Hypocrisy of the Design, left them to carry it on, owning it
was a Masterpiece of Craft, and so stood still to observe the Issue,
which every way answer'd the exactness of its Contrivance.

When I saw into the bottom of all this Deceit, I began to take up new
Resolutions of returning back into our Old World again, and going
home to England, where tho' I had conceiv'd great Indignation at the
Treatment our Passive Obedience Men gave their Prince here, and was
in hopes in these my remote Travels to have found out some Nations of
Honour and Principles. I was fill'd with Amazement to see our
Moderate Knaves so much out-done, and I was inform'd that all these
things were meer Amusements, Vizors, and Shams, to bring an Innocent
Prince into the Snare.

Would any Mortal imagin who has read this short Part of the Story,
that all this was a Solunarian Church Plot, a meer Conspiracy between
these Gentlemen and the Crolian Dissenters, only to wheedle in the
unhappy Prince to his own Destruction, and bring the popular
Advantage of the Mob, to a greater Ascendant on the Crown.

Of all the Richlieus, Mazarines, Gondamours, Oliver Cromwels, and the
whole Train of Polititians that our World has produc'd, the greatest
of their Arts are Follies to the unfathomable depth of these Lunarian
Policies; and for Wheedle, Lying, Swearing, Preaching, Printing, &c.
what is said in our World by Priests and Polititans, we thank God may
be believ'd; but if ever I believe a Solunarian Priest Preaching
Non-Resistance of Monarchs, or a Solunarian Polititian turning
Abrogratzian, I ought to be mark'd down for a Fool; nor will ever any
Prince in that Country take their Word again, if ever they have their
Senses about 'em, but as this is a most extraordinary Scene, so I
cannot omit a more particular and sufficient Relation of some Parts
of it, than I us'd to give.

The Solunarian Clergy had carry'd on their Non-Resistance Doctrin to
such Extremities, and had given this new Prince such unusual
demonstrations of it, that he fell absolutely into the Snare, and
entirely believ'd them; he had try'd them with such Impositions as
they would never have born from any Prince in the World, nor from him
neither, had they not had a deep Design, and consequently stood in
need of the deepest Disguise imaginable; they had yielded to a
Standing Army, and applauded it as a thing they had desir'd; they had
submitted to levying Taxes upon them by New Methods, and illegal
Practices; they had yielded to the abrogation or suspension at least
of their Laws, when the King's absolute Will requir'd it; not that
they were blind, and did not see what their Prince was doing, but
that the black Design was so deeply laid, they found it was the only
way to ruin him, to push him upon the highest Extreams, and then they
should have their turn serv'd.---- Thus if he desir'd one illegal
Thing of them, they would immediately grant two; one would have
thought they had read our Bible, and the Command, when a Man takes
away the Cloak, to give him the Coat also.

Nor was this enough, but they seem'd willing to admit of the publick
Exercise of the Abrogratzian Religion in all Parts; and when the
Prince set it up in his own Chappel, they suffered it to be set up in
their Cities, and Towns, and the Abrogratzian Clergy began to be seen
up and down in their very Habits; a thing which had never been
permitted before in that Country, and which the Common People began
to be very uneasy at. But still the Solunarian Clergy, and all such
of the Gentry, especially as were in the Plot, by their Sermons,
printed Books, and publick Discourses, carry'd on this high topping
Notion of absolute Submission, so that the People were kept under,
and began to submit to all the impositions of the Prince.

These things were so acted to the Life, that not only the Prince, but
none of his Abrogratzian Counsellors could see the Snare, the Hook
was so finely covered by the Church-Artificers, and the Bait so
delicious, that they all swallow'd it with eagerness and delight.

But the Conspirators willing to make a sure game of it, and not
thinking the King, or all his Counsellors would drive on so fast as
they would have them, tho' they had already made a fair progress for
the Time, resolv'd to play home, and accordingly they persuade their
Prince, that they will not only submit to his Arbitrary Will, in
Matters of State, and Government, but in Matters of Religion; and in
order to carry this Jest on, one of the heads of their Politicks, and
a Person of great Estem for his Abilities in Matters of State, being
without question one of the ablest Heads of all the Solunarian
Nobility, pretended to be converted, and turn'd Abrogratzian. This
immediately took as they desir'd, for the Prince caress'd him, and
entertain'd him with all possible endearments, proferr'd him to
several Posts of Honour and Advantage, always kept him near him,
consulted him in all Emergencies, took him with him to the Abrogian
Sacrifices, and he made no Scruple publickly to appear there, and by
these degrees and a super-achitophalian Hypocrisie, so insinuated
himself into the credulous Prince's favour, that he became his only
Confident, and absolute Master of all his Designs.

Now the Plot had its desir'd effect, for he push'd the King upon all
manner of Precipitations; and if even the Abrogratzians themselves
who were about the King, interpos'd for more temperate Proceedings,
he would call them Cowards, Strangers, ignorant of the Temper of the
Lunarians, who when they were a going, might be driven, but if they
were suffered to cool and consider, would face about and fall off.

Indeed the Men of Prudence and Estates among his own Party, I mean
the Abrogratzians in the Country, frequently warn'd him to take more
moderate Measures, and to proceed with more Caution; told him he
would certainly ruin them all, and himself, and that there must be
some Body about his Majesty that push'd him upon these Extremes, on
purpose to set all the Nation in a Flame, and to overthrow all the
good Designs, which with Temper and good Conduct, might be brought
to perfection.

Had these wary Councils been observ'd, and a Prudence and Policy
agreeable to the mighty consequence of Things been practis'd, the
Solunarian Church had run a great risque of being over thrown, and to
have sunk gradually in the Abrogian Errors, the People began to be
drawn off gradually, and the familiarity of the thing made it appear
less frightful to unthinking People, who had entertain'd strange
Notions of the monstrous things that were to be seen in it, so that
common Vogue had fill'd the Peoples Minds with ignorant Aversions,
that 'tis no absurdity to say, I believe there was 200000 People
who would have spent the last drop of their Blood against
Abrogratzianism, that did not know whether it was a Man or a Horse.

This thing consider'd well, would of it self have been sufficient to
have made the Prince and his Friends wary, and to have taught them to
suit their Measures to the Nature and Circumstances of Things before
them; but Success in their beginnings blinded their Eyes, and they
fell into this Church Snare with the most unpitied willingness that
could be imagin'd.

The first thing therefore this new Counsellor put his Master upon,
in order to the beginning his more certain Ruin, was to introduce
several of his Abrograzians into Places of all kinds, both in the
Army, Navy, Treasure, and Civil Affairs, tho' contrary to some of the
general Constitutions of Government; he had done it into the Army
before, tho' it had disgusted several of his Military Men, but now he
push'd him upon making it Universal, and still the Passive
Solunarians bore it with patience.

From this tameness and submission, his next Step was to argue that he
might depend upon it the Solunarian Church had so sincerely embrac'd
the Doctrine of Non-Resistance, that they were now ripen'd not only
to sit still, and see their Brethren the Crolians suppress'd, but to
stand still and be opprest themselves, and he might assure himself
the Matter was now ripe, he might do just what he wou'd himself with
them, they were prepar'd to bare any thing.

This was the fatal Stroke, for having possest the Prince with the
belief of this, he let loose the Reins to all his long conceal'd
Desires. Down went their Laws, their Liberties, their Corporations,
their Churches, their Colleges, all went to wreck, and the eager
Abrograzians thought the Day their own. The Solunarians made no
opposition, but what was contain'd within the narrow circumference of
Petitions, Addresses, Prayers, and Tears; and these the Prince was
prepar'd to reject, and upon all occasions to let them know he was
resolv'd to be obey'd.

Thus he drove on by the treacherous Advice of his new Counsels, till
he ripen'd all the Nation for the general Defection which afterward
follow'd.

For as the Encroachments of the Prince push'd especially at their
Church Liberties, and threatened the overthrow of all their
Ecclesiastical Privileges, the Clergy no sooner began to feel that
they were like to be the first Sacrifice, but they immediately
threw off the Vizor, and beat the Concionazimir; this is a certain
Ecclesiastick Engine which is usual in cases of general Alarm, as
the Churches Signal of Universal Tumult.

This is truly a strange Engine, and when a Clergy-Man gets into the
Inside of it, and beats it, it Roars, and makes such a terrible
Noise from the several Cavities, that 'tis heard a long way; and
there are always a competent number of them plac'd in all Parts so
conveniently, that the Alarm is heard all over the Kingdom in one Day.

I had some Thoughts to have given the Reader a Diagram of this piece
of Art, but as I am but a bad Drafts Man, I have not yet been able
so exactly to describe it, as that a Scheme can be drawn, but to the
best of my Skill, take it as follows. 'Tis a hollow Vessel, large
enough to hold the biggest Clergy-Man in the Nation; it is generally
an Octagon in Figure, open before, from the Wast upward, but whole
at the Back, with a Flat extended over it for Reverberation, or
doubling the Sound; doubling and redoubling, being frequently
thought necessary to be made use of on these occasions; 'tis very
Mathematically contriv'd, erected on a Pedestal of Wood like a
Windmil, and has a pair of winding Stairs up to it, like those at
the great Tun at Hiedlebergh.

I could make some Hierogliphical Discourses upon it, from these
References, thus. 1. That as it is erected on a Pedestal like a
Wind-Mill, so it is no new thing for the Clergy, who are the only
Persons permitted to make use of it, to make it turn round with the
Wind, and serve to all the Points of the Compass. 2. As the Flat
over it assists to encrease the Sound, by forming a kind of hollow,
or cavity proper to that purpose, so there is a certain natural
hollowness, or emptiness, made use of sometimes in it, by the
Gentlemen of the Gown, which serves exceedingly to the propogation
of all sorts of Clamour, Noise, Railing, and Disturbance. 3. As the
Stairs to it go winding up like those by which one mounts to the vast
Tun of Wine at Hiedleburgh, which has no equal in our World, so the
use made of these ascending Steps, is not altogether different, being
frequently employ'd to raise People up to all sorts of Enthusiasms,
spiritual Intoxications, mad and extravagant Action, high exalted
Flights, Precipitations, and all kinds of Ecclesiastick Drunkenness
and Excesses.

The sound of this Emblem of emptiness, the Concionazimir, was no
sooner heard over the Nation, but all the People discover'd their
readiness to join in with the Summons, and as the thing had been
concerted before, they send over their Messengers to demand
Assistance from a powerful Prince beyond the Sea, one of their
own Religion, and who was allied by Marriage to the Crown.

They made their Story out so plain, and their King had by the
contrivance of their Achitophel rendred himself so suspected to all
his Neighbours, that this Prince, without any hesitation, resolv'd
to join with them, and accordingly makes vast Preparations to invade
their King.

During this interval their Behaviour was quite altred at home, the
Doctrin of absolute Submission and Non-Resistance was heard no more
among them, the Concionazimir beat daily to tell all the People they
should stand up to Defend the Rights of the Church, and that it was
time to look about them for the Abrograzians were upon them. The
eager Clergy made this Ecclesiastick Engine sound as loud and make
all the Noise they could, and no Men in the Nation were so forward
as they to acknowledge that it was a State-Trick, and they were drawn
in to make such a stir about the pretended Doctrins of absolute
Submission, that they did not see the Snare which lay under it, that
now their Eyes were opened, and they had learnt to see the Power and
Superiority of Natural Right, and would be deceiv'd no longer. Others
were so honest to tell the Truth, that they knew the emptiness and
weakness of the pretence all along, and knew what they did when
they Preacht it up, viz. to suppress and pull down the Crolians: But
they thought their Prince who they always serv'd in crying up that
Doctrin, and whose Exclusion was prevented by it, would ha' had more
Gratitude, or at least more Sense, than to try the Experiment upon
them, since whatever to serve his Designs and their own, which they
always thought well united, they were willing to pretend, he could
not but see they always knew better than to suffer the practice of
it in their own Case. That since he had turn'd the Tables upon them,
'tis true he had them at an advantage and might pretend they were
Knaves, and perhaps had an opportunity to call them so with some
reason; but they were resolv'd, since he had drove them to the
necessity of being one or t'other, tho' he might call them Knaves,
they would take care he should have no reason to call them Fools too.

Thus the Vapour of absolute Subjection was lost on a suddain, and as
if it had been preparatory to what was coming after, the Experiment
was quickly made; for the King persuing his Encroachments upon the
Church, and being possest with a Belief that pursuant to their open
Professions they would submit to any thing, he made a beginning with
them, in sending his positive Command to one of his Superintendent
Priests, or Patriarchs, to forbid a certain Ecclesiastick to
officiate any more till his Royal Pleasure was known.

Now it happen'd very unluckily that this Patriarch, tho' none of the
most Learned of his Fraternity, yet had always been a mighty zealous
Promoter of this blind Doctrin of Non-Resistance, and had not a
little triumph'd over and insulted the Crolian Dissenters upon the
Notion of Rebellion, antimonarchical Principles and Obedience, with
a reserve for the Laws, and the like, as a scandalous practice, and
comprehensive of Faction, Sedition, dangerous to the Church and
State, and the like.

This Reverend Father was singl'd out as the first Mark of the King's
Design; the deluded Prince believ'd he could not but comply,
having so publickly profest his being all Submission and absolute
Subjection; but as this was all Conceit, he was pusht on to make
the Assault where he was most certain to meet a repulse; and this
Gentleman had long since thrown off the Mask, so his first Order
was disobey'd.

The Patriarch pretended to make humble Remonstrances, and to offer
his Reasons why he could not in Conscience, as he call'd it, comply.
The King, who was now made but a meer Engine, or Machine, screw'd up
or down by this false Counsellor to act his approaching Destruction
with his own Hand, was prompted to resent this Repulse with the
utmost Indignation, to reject all manner of Submissions, Excuses
or Arguments, or any thing but an immediate, absolute compliance,
according to the Doctrin so often inculcated; and this he run on so
high, as to put the Patriarch in Prison for Contumacy.

The Patriarch as absolutely refus'd to submit, and offer'd himself to
the Decision of the Law.

Now it was always a sacred Rule in these Lunar Countries, that both
King and People are bound to stand by the arbitrimnet of the Law in
all Cases of Right or Claim, whether publick or private; and this has
been the reason that all the Princes have endeavour'd to cover their
Actions with pretences of Law, whatever really has been in their
Design; for this reason the King could not refuse to bring the
Patriarch to a Tryal, where the Humour of the People first discover'd
it self, for here Passive Obedience was Try'd and Cast, the Law
prov'd to be superior to the King, the Patriarch was acquitted, his
Disobedience to the King justify'd, and the King's Command prov'd
unjust.

The Applause of the Patriarch, the Acclamations of the People, and
the general Rejoycings of the whole Nation at this Transaction, gave
a black prospect to the Abrograzians; and a great many of them came
very honestly and humbly to the King and told him, if he continued to
go on by these Measures he would ruin them all; they told him what
general Alarm had been over the whole Nation by the Clamours of the
Clergy; and the beating of the Concionazimir in all Parts, inform'd
him how the Doctrin of absolute Obedience was ridicul'd in all
Places, and how the Clergy began to preach it back again like a
Witches Prayer, and that it would infallibly raise the Devil of
Rebellion in all the Nation, they besought him to content himself
with the liberty of their Religion, and the freedom they enjoy'd of
being let into Places and Offices of Trust and Honour, and to wait
all reasonable Occasions to encrease their Advantages, and gradually
to gain Ground; they entreated him to consider the impossibility of
reducing so mighty, so obstinate, and so resolute a Nation all at
once. They pleaded how rational a thing it was to expect that by
Degrees and good Management, which by precipitate Measures would be
endanger'd and overthrown.

Had these wholsome Counsels taken place in the King's Mind he had
been King to his last hour, and the Solunarians and Crolians too had
been all undone, for he had certainly incroach'd upon them gradually,
and brought that to pass in time which by precipitant Measures he was
not likely to effect.

It was therefore a master-piece of Policy in the Solunarian
Church-men to place a feign'd Convert near their Prince, who shou'd
always biass him with contrary Advices, puff him up with vast
prospect of Success, prompt him to all Extreams, and always Fool
him with the certainty of bringing Things to pass his own way.

These Arts made him set light by the repulse he met with in the
Matter of the Patriarch, and now he proceeds to make two Attacks more
upon the Church; one was by putting some of his Abrograzian Priests
into a College among some of the Solunarian Clergy; and the other
was to oblige all the Solunarian Clergy to read a certain Act of
his Council, in which his Majesty admitted all the Abrograzians,
Crolians, and all sorts of Dissenters, to a freedom of their
Religious Exercises, Sacrifices, Exorcisms, Dippings, Preachings, &c.
and to prohibit the Solunarians to Molest or Disturb them.

Now as this last was a bitter reproach to the Solunarian Church for
all the ill Treatment the Dissenting Crolians had receiv'd from them,
and as it was exprest in the Act that all such Treatment was Unjust
and Unchristian, so for them to read it in their Temples, was to
acknowledge that they had been guilty of most unjust and irreligious
Dealings to the Crolians, and that their Prince had taken care to do
them Justice.

The matter of introducing the Abrograzians into the Colleges or
Seminaries of the Solunarian Priests, was actually against the Sacred
Constitutions and Foundation Laws of those Seminaries.

Wherefore in both these Articles they not only disobey'd their
Prince, but they oppos'd him with those trifling Things call'd Laws,
which they had before declar'd had no Defensive Force against their
Prince; these they had recourse to now, insisted upon the Justice and
Right devolv'd upon them by the Laws, and absolutely refus'd their
compliance with his Commands.

The Prince, pusht upon the Tenters before, receiv'd their Denial with
exceeding Resentment, and was heard with deep regret, to break out in
Exclamations at their unexpected faithless Proceedings, and sometimes
to express himself thus: Horrid Hypocrisy! Surprizing Treachery! Is
this the absolute Subjection which in such numerous Testimonials or
Addresses you profest, and for which you so often and so constantly
branded the poor Crolians, and told me that your Church was wholly
made up of Principles of Loyalty and Obedience! But I'll be fully
satisfied for this Treatment.

In the minute of one of those Excursions of his Passion, came into
his Presence the seemingly revolted Lunarian Noble Man, and falling
in with his present Passions, prompts him to a speedy revenge; and
propos'd his erecting a Court of Searches, something like the Spanish
Inquisition, giving them plenipotentiary Authority to hear and
determine all Ecclesiastical Causes absolutely, and without Appeal.

He empower'd these Judges to place by his absolute Will, all the
Abrograzian Students in the Solunarian College, and tho' they might
make a formal Hearing for the sake of the Form, yet that by Force it
should be done.

He gave them Power to displace all those Solunarian Clergy-Men that
had refus'd to read his Act of Demission to the Abrograzian, and
Crolian Dissenters, and 'twas thought he design'd to keep their
Revenues in Petto, till he might in time fill them up to some of his
own Religion.

The Commission accordingly began to act, and discovering a full
Resolution to fulfil his Command, they by Force proceeded with the
Students of the Solunarian College; and it was very remarkable, that
even some of the Solunarian Patriarchs were of this number, who
turn'd out their Brethren the Solunarian Students, to place
Abrograzians in their room.

This indeed they are said to have repented of since, but however,
these it seems were not of the Plot, and therefore did not foresee
what was at hand.

The rest of the Patriarchs who were all in the Grand Design, and saw
things ripening for its Execution, upon the apprehension of this
Court of Searches beginning with them, make an humble Address to
their Prince, containing the Reasons why they could not comply with
his Royal Command.------

The incens'd King upbraided them with his having been told by them
of their absolute and unreserv'd Obedience, and refusing their
Submissions or their Reasons, sent them all to Jail, and resolv'd to
have brought them before his new High Court of Searches, in order, as
was believ'd, to have them all displac'd.

And now all began to be in a Flame, the Sollicitations of the
Solunarian Party, having obtain'd powerful Relief Abroad, they began
to make suitable preparations at Home. The Gentry and Nobility who
the Clergy had brought to join with them, furnish'd themselves with
Horses and Arms, and prepar'd with their Tenants and Dependants to
join the Succours as soon as they should Arrive.

In short, the Forreign Troops they had procur'd, Arriv'd, Landed, and
publish'd a long Declaration of all the Grievances which they came to
redress.

No sooner was this Forreign Army arriv'd with the Prince at the head
of them, but the face of Affairs altred on a suddain. The King
indeed, like a brave Prince, drew all his Forces together, and
marching out of his Capital City, advanced above 500 Stages, things
they measure Land with in those Countries, and much about our
Furlong, to meet his Enemy.

He had a gallant Army well appointed and furnish'd, and all things
much superior to his Adversary, but alas the Poison of Disobedience
was gotten in there, and upon the first March he offer'd to make
towards the Enemy one of his great Captains with a strong Party of
his Men went over and revolted.

This Example was applauded all over the Nation, and by this time one
of the Patriarchs, even the same mention'd before that had so often
preacht Non-Resistance of Princes, lays by his Sacred Vestments,
Mitre, and Staff, and exchanging his Robes for a Soldier's Coat,
mounts on Horseback, and in short, appears in Arms against his
Lord.----- Nor was this all, but the Treacherous Prelate takes along
with him several Solunarian Lords, and Persons of the highest Figure,
and of the Houshold, and Family of the King, and with him went the
King's own Daughter, his principle Favourites and Friends.

At the News of this, the poor deserted Prince lost all Courage, and
abandoning himself to Despair, he causes his Army to retreat without
fighting a Stroke, quits them and the Kingdom at once, and takes
Sanctuary with such as could escape with him, in the Court of a
Neighbouring Prince.

I have heard this Prince exceedingly blam'd, for giving himself up to
Despair so soon. ----- That he thereby abandon'd the best and
faithfullest of his Friends, and Servants, and left them to the Mercy
of the Solunarians; that when all these that would have forsaken him
were gone, he had Forces equal to his Enemies; that his Men were in
Heart, fresh and forward; that he should have stood to the last;
retreated to a strong Town, where his Ships rod, and which was over
against the Territories of his great Allie, to whom he might have
deliver'd up the Ships which were there, and have thereby made him
Superior at Sea to his Enemies, and he was already much Superior at
Land; that there he might have been reliev'd with Forces too strong
for them to match, and at least might have put it to the issue of a
fair Battle.------ Others, that he might have retreated to his own
Court, and capital City, and taking possession of the Citadel, which
was his own, might so have aw'd the Citizens who were infinitely
Rich, and Numerous, with the apprehensions of having their Houses
burnt, they would not have dar'd to have declar'd for his Enemies,
for fear of being reduc'd to heaps and ruins; and that at last he
might have set the City on Fire in 500 Places, and left the
Solunarian Church-Men a Token to remember their Non-Resisting
Doctrine by, and yet have made an easy Retreat down the Harbour, to
other Forts he had below, and might with ease have destroy'd all the
Shipping, as he went.

'Tis confess'd had he done either, or both these things, he had left
them a dear bought Victory, but he was depriv'd of his Counsellor,
for as soon as things came to this height, the Achitophel we have so
often mention'd, left him also, and went away; all his Abrograzian
Priests too fosook him, and he was so bereft of Counsel that he fell
into the Hands of his Enemies as he was making his escape, but he got
away again, not without the connivance of the Enemy, who were willing
enough he should go; so he got a Vessel to carry him over to the
Neighbouring Kingdom, and all his Armies, Ships, Forts, Castles,
Magazines, and Treasure, fell into his Enemies Hands.

The Neighbouring Prince entertain'd him very kindly, Cherish'd him,
Succour'd him, and furnish'd him with Armies and Fleets for the
recovery of his Dominions, which has occasion'd a tedious War with
that Prince, which continues to this Day.

Thus far Passive Doctrins, and Absolute Submission serv'd a Turn,
bubl'd the Prince, wheedled him in to take their Word who profess'd
it, 'till he laid his Finger upon the Men themselves, and that
unravell'd all the Cheat; they were the first that call'd in Forreign
Power, and took up Arms against their Prince.

Nor did they end here, but all this Scene being over, and the
Forreign Prince having thus deliver'd them, and their own King being
thus chas'd away, the People call themselves together, and as Reason
good, having been deliver'd by him from the Miseries, Brangles,
Oppressions, and Divisions of the former Reign, they thought they
could do no less than to Crown their Deliverer; and having Summon'd a
general Assembly of all their Capital Men, they gave the Crown to
this Prince who had so generously sav'd them.

And here again I heard the first King exceedingly blam'd for quitting
his Dominions, for had he staid here, tho' he had actually been in
their Hands, unless they wou'd have Murther'd him, they could never
have proceeded to the Extremeties they did reach to, nor cou'd they
ever have Crown'd the other Prince, he being yet alive and in his own
Dominions.

But by quitting the Country, they fix'd a legal Period to their
Obedience, he having deserted their Protection, and Defence, and
openly laid down the Administration.

But as these sort of Politicks cannot be decided by us, unless we
know the Constitutions of those Lunar Regions, so we cannot pretend
to make a Decision of what might, or might not have happen'd.

It remains to examine how those Solunarians behav'd themselves, who
had so earnedly cryed up the Principles of Obedience, and absolute
Submission.

Nothing was so Ridiculous, now they saw what they had done, they
began to repent, and upon recollection of Thoughts some were so
asham'd of themselves, that having broken their Doctrin, and being
now call'd upon to tranfpose their Allegiance, truly they stopt in
the mid-way, and so became Martyrs on both sides.

I can liken these to nothing so well as to those Gentlemen of our
English Church, who tho' they broke into the Principles of Passive
Obedience by joining, and calling over the P. of O. yet suffer'd
deprivations of Benefices, and loss of their Livings, for not taking
the Oath; as if they had not as effectually perjur'd themselves by
taking up Arms against their King, and joyning a Forreign Power, as
they could possibly do afterward, by Swearing to live quietly under
the next King.

But these nice Gentlemen are infinitely outdone in these Countries,
for these Solunarians by a true Church turn, not only refuse to
transpose their Allegiance, but pretend to wipe their Mouths as to
former taking Arms, and return to their old Doctrins of absolute
Submission, boast of Martyrdom, and boldly reconcile the contraries
of taking up Arms, and Non-Resistance, charging all their Brethren
with Schism, Rebellion, Perjury, and the damnable Sin of Resistance.

Nor is this all, for as a great many of these Solunarian Church-Men
had no affection to this new Prince, but were not equally furnished,
or qualify'd for Martyrdom with their Brethren; they went to certain
Wise Men, who being cunning at splitting Hairs, and making
distinctions, might perhaps furnish them with some mediums between
Loyalty and Disloyalty; they apply'd themselves with great dilligence
to these Men, and they by deep Study, and long Search, either found
or made the quaintest Device for them that ever was heard of.

By this unheard of Discovery, to their great Joy and Satisfaction,
they have arriv'd at a Power, which all the Wise Men in our World
could never pretend to, and which 'tis thought, could the description
of it be regularly made, and brought down hither, would serve for the
Satisfaction and Repose of a great many tender Consciences, who are
very uneasy at Swearing to save their Benefices.

These great Makers of Distinction, have learn't to distinguish
between active Swearing, and passive Swearing, between de facto
Loyalty, and de jure Loyalty, and by this decent acquirement they
obtain'd the Art of reconciling Swearing Allegiance without Loyalty,
and Loyalty without Swearing, so that native and original Loyalty may
be preserv'd pure and uninterrupted, in spight of all subsequent
Oaths, to prevailing Usurpations.

Many are the Mysteries, and vast the Advantages of this new invented
Method, Mental Reservations, Inuendoes, and Double Meanings are Toys
to this, for they may be provided for in the litteral terms of an
Oath, but no Provision can be made against this; for these Men after
they have taken the Oath, make no Scruple to declare, they only Swear
to be quiet, as long as they can make no Disturbance; that they are
left liberty still to espouse the Interest and Cause of their former
Prince, they nicely distinguish between Obedience and Submission, and
tell you a Slave taken into Captivity, tho' he Swears to live
peaceably, does not thereby renounce his Allegiance to his natural
Prince, nor abridge himself of a Right to attempt his own Liberty if
ever opportunity present.

Had these neat Distinctions been found out before, none of our
Solunarian Clergy, no not the Patriarchs themselves surely would have
stood out, and suffer'd such Depredations on their Fortunes and
Characters as they did; they wou'd never have been such Fools to have
been turn'd out of their Livings for not Swearing, when they might
have learnt here that they might have swore to one Prince, and yet
have retain'd their Allegiance to another; might have taken an Oath
to the new, without impeachment of their old Oaths to the absent
Prince.------- It is great pity these Gentlemen had not gone up to
the Moon for Instruction in this difficult Case.

There they might have met with excellent Logicians, Men of most
sublime Reasons, Dr. Overall, Dr. Sherlock, and all our nice
Examiners of these things wou'd appear to be no Body to them; for as
the People in these Regions have an extraordinary Eye-sight, and the
clearness of the Air contributs much to the help of their Opticks, so
they have without doubt a proportion'd clearness of discerning, by
which they see as far into Mill-stones, and all sorts of Solids, as
the nature of things will permit, but above all, their Faculties are
blest with two exceeding Advantages.

1. With an extraordinary distinguishing Power, by which they can
distinguish even Indivisibles, part Unity it self, divide Principles,
and distinguish Truth into such and so many minute Particles, till
they dwindle it away into a very Nose of Wax, and mould it into any
Form they have occasion for, by which means they can distinguish
themselves into or out of any Opinion, either in Religion, Politicks
or Civil Right, that their present Emergencies may call for.

2. Their reasoning Faculties have this further advantage, that upon
occasion they can see clearly for themselves, and prevent others from
the same discovery, so that when they have occasion to see any thing
which presents for their own Advantage, they can search into the
Particulars, make it clear to themselves, and yet let it remain dark
and mysterious to all the World besides. Whether this is perform'd by
their exceeding Penetration, or by casting an artificial Veil over
the Understandings of the Vulgar, Authors have not yet determin'd;
but that the Fact is true, admits of no Dispute.

And the wonderful Benefit of these Things in point of Dispute is
extraordinary, for they can see clearly they have the better of an
Argument, when all the rest of the World think they have not a Word
to say for themselves: 'Tis plain to them that this or that proves a
thing, when Nature, by common Reasoning, knows no such Consequences.

I confess I have seen some weak Attempts at this extraordinary
Talent, particularly in the Disputes in England between the Church
and the Dissenter, and between the High and Low Church, wherein
People have tollerably well convinc'd themselves when no Body else
could see any thing of the Matter, as particularly the famous Mr.
W---ly about the Antimonarchical Principles taught in the Dissenters
Accademies; ditto in L----sly, about the Dissenters burning the City,
and setting Fire to their own Houses to destroy their Neighbours; and
another famous Author, who prov'd that Christopher Love lost his Head
for attempting to pull down Monarchy by restoring King Charles the
Second.

These indeed are some faint Resemblances of what I am upon; but alas!
these are tender sort of People, that han't obtain'd a compleat
Victory over their Consciences, but suffer that Trifle to reproach
them all the while they are doing it, to rebel against their resolv'd
Wills, and check them in the middle of the Design; from which
Interruptions arise Palpitations of the Heart, Sickness and
squeamishness of Stomach; and these have proceeded to Castings and
Vomit, whereby they have been forc'd sometimes to throw up some such
unhappy Truths as have confounded all the rest, and flown in their
own Faces so violently, as in spight of Custom has made them blush
and look downward; and tho' in kindness to one another they have
carefully lickt up one anothers Filth, yet this unhappy squeamishness
of Stomach has spoil'd all the Design, and turn'd the Appetites of
their Party, to the no small prejudice of a Cause that stood in need
of more Art and more Face to carry it on as it shou'd be with a
thoro'-pac'd Case-harden'd Policy, such as I have been relating, is
compleatly obtain'd in these Regions, where the Arts and Excellencies
of sublime Reasonings are carried up to all the extraordinaries of
banishing Scruples, reconciling Contradictions, uniting Opposites,
and all the necessary Circumstances requir'd in a compleat Casuist.

'Tis not easily conceivable to what extraordinary Flights they have
carry'd this strength of Reasoning, for besides the distinguishing
nicely between Truth and Error, they obtain a most refin'd Method of
distinguishing Truth it self into Seasons and Circumstances, and so
can bring any thing to be Truth, when it serves the turn that happens
just then to be needful, and make the same thing to be false at
another time.

And this method of circumstantiating Matters of Fact into Truth or
Falshood, suited to occasion, is found admirably useful to the
solving the most difficult Phanomena of State, for by this Art the
Solunarian Church made Persecution be against their Principles at one
time, and reducible to Practice at another. They made taking up Arms,
and calling in Foreign Power to depose their Prince, consistent with
Non-Resistance, and Passive Obedience; nay they went farther, they
distinguisht between a Crolian's taking Arms, and a Solunarians, and
fairly prov'd this to be Rebellion and that to be Non-Resistance.

Nay, and which exceeded all the Power of human Art in the highest
degrees of Attainment that ever it arriv'd to on our side the Moon;
they turn'd the Tables so dexterously, as to argument upon one sort
of Crolians, call'd Prestarians; that tho' they repented of the War
they had rais'd in former Times, and protested against the violence
offer'd their Prince; and after another Party had in spight of them
Beheaded him, took Arms against the other Party, and never left
contriving their Ruin, till they had brought in his Son, and set him
upon the Throne again.

Yet by this most dextrous way of Twisting, Extending, Contracting,
and Distinguishing of Phrases and Reasoning, they presently made it
as plain as the Sun at Noon Day; that these Prestarians were
King-killers, Common-wealths Men, Rebels, Traytors, and Enemies to
Monarchy; that they restor'd the Monarchy only in order to Destroy
it, and that they Preach'd up Sedition, Rebellion and the like: This
was prov'd so plain by these sublime Distinctions, that they
convinc'd themselves and their Posterity of it, by a rare and newly
acquir'd Art, found out by extraordinary Study, which proves the
wonderful power of Custom, insomuch, that let any Man by this method,
tell a Lye over a certain number of times, he shall arrive to a
Satisfaction of its certainty, tho' he knew it to be a Fiction
before, and shall freely tell it for a Truth all his life after.

Thus the Prestarians were call'd the Murtherers of the Father, tho'
they restor'd the Son, and all the Testimonials of their Sufferings,
Protests and Insurrections to prevent his Death, signify'd nothing,
for this method of Distinguishing has that powerful Charm in it, that
all those Trifles we call Proofs and Demonstration were of no use in
that Case. Custom brought the Story up to a Truth, and in an instant
all the Crolians were hookt in under the general Name of Prestarians,
at the same time to hook all Parties in the Crime.

Now as it happen'd at last that these Solunarian Gentlemen found it
necessary to do the same thing themselves, viz. To lay aside their
Loyalty, Depose, Fight against, shoot Bullets at, and throw Bombs at
their King till they frighted him away, and sent him abroad to beg
his Bread. The Crolians began to take Heart and tell them, now they
ought to be Friends with them, and tell them no more of Rebellion and
Disloyalty; nay, they carry'd it so far as to challenge them to bring
their Loyalty to the Test, and compare Crolian Loyalty and Solunarian
Loyalty together, and see who had rais'd more Wars, taken up Arms
oftenest, or appear'd in most Rebellions against their Kings; nay,
who had kill'd most Kings, the Crolians or the Solunarians, for there
having been then newly fought a great Battle between the Solunarian
Church-Men under their new Prince, and the Armies of Foreign Succours
under their old King, in which their old King was beaten and forc'd
to flie a second time, the Crolians told them that every Bullet they
shot at the Battle was as much a murthering their King, as cutting
off the Head with a Hatchet was a killing his Father.

These Arguments in our World would have been unanswerable, but when
they came to be brought to the Test of Lunar Reasoning, alas they
signify'd nothing; they distinguisht and distinguisht till they
brought the Prestarian War to be meer Rebellion, King-killing, Bloody
and Unnatural; and the Solunarian fighting against their King, and
turning him adrift to seek his Fortune, no prejudice at all to their
Loyalty, no, nor to the famous Doctrine of Passive Obedience and
Absolute Subjection.

When I saw this, I really bewail'd the unhappiness of some of our
Gentlemen in England, who standing exceedingly in need of such a
wonderful Dexterity of Argument to defend their share in our late
Revolution, and to reconcile it to their anticedent and subsequent
Conduct, should not be furnish'd from this more accurate World with
the suitable Powers, in order the better to defend them against the
Banter and just Raillery of their ill-natur'd Enemies the Whigs.

By this they might have attained suitable reserves of Argument to
distinguish themselves out of their Loyalty, and into their Loyalty,
as occasion presented to dismiss this Prince, and entertain that, as
they found it to their purpose; but above all, they might have learnt
a way how to justify Swearing to one King and Praying for another,
Eating one Prince's Bread and doing another Prince's Work, Serving
one King they don't Love and Loving another they don't Serve; they
might easily reconcile the Schisms of the Church, and prove they are
still Loyal Subjects to King James, while they are only forc'd
Bonds-Men to the Act of Settlement, for the sake of that comfortable
Importance, call'd Food and Rainment; and thus their Reputation might
have been sav'd, which is most unhappily tarnish'd and blur'd, with
the malicious Attacks of the Whigs on one Hand, and the Non-Jurants
on the other.

These Tax them as above with Rebellion by their own Principles, and
contradicting the Doctrin of Passive Submission and Non-Resistance,
by taking up Arms against their Prince, calling in a Foreign Power,
and deposing him: They charge them with killing the Lord's Anointed,
by Shooting at him at the Boyn, where if he was not kill'd it was his
own fault, at least 'tis plain 'twas none of theirs.

On the other Hand, the Non Jurant Clergy charge them with Schism,
declare the whole Church of England Schismaticks, and breakers off
from the general Union of the Church, in renouncing their Allegiance,
and Swearing to another Power, their former Prince being yet alive.

'Tis confest all the Answers they have been able to make to these
things, are very weak and mean, unworthy Men of their Rank and
Capacities, and 'tis pity they should not be assisted by some kind
Communication of these Lunar Arguments and Distinctions, without
which, and till they can obtain which, a Conforming Jacobite must be
the absurdest Contradiction in Nature; a thing that admits of no
manner of Defence, no, not by the People themselves, and which they
would willingly abandon, but that they can find no side to join with
them.

The Dissenting Jacobites have some Plea for themselves, for let their
Opinion be never so repugnant to their own Interest, or general
Vogue, they are faithful to some thing, and they wont joyn with these
People, because they have Perjur'd their Faith, and yet pretend to
adhere to it at the same time. The Conforming Whigs won't receive
them, because they pretend to rail at the Government they have Sworn
to, and espouse the Interest they have Sworn against; so that these
poor Creatures have but one way left them, which is to go along with
me, next time I Travel to the Moon, and that will most certainly do
their Business, for when they come down again, they will be quite
another sort of Men, the Distinctions, the Power of Argument, the way
of Reasoning, they will be then furnish'd with will quite change the
Scene of the World with them, they'll certainly be able to prove they
are the only People, both in Justice, in Politicks and in Prudence;
that the extremities of every side are in the Wrong, they'll prove
their Loyalty preserv'd, untainted, thro' all the Swearings,
Fightings, Shootings and the like, and no Body will be able to come
to the Test with them; so that upon the whole, they are all
distracted if they don't go up to the Moon for Illumination, and that
they may easily do in the next Consolidator.

But as this is a very long Digression, and for which I am to beg my
Reader's Pardon, being an Error I slipt into from my abundant respect
to these Gentlemen, and for their particular Instruction, I shall
endeavour to make my Reader amends, by keeping more close to my
Subject.

To return therefore to the Historical part of the Solunarian
Church-Men, in the World in the Moon.

Having as is related Depos'd their King, and plac'd the Crown upon
the Head of the Prince that came to their assistance, a new Scene
began all over the Kingdom.

1. A terrible and bloody War began thro' all the parts of the Lunar
World, where their banish'd Prince and his new Allie had any
Interest; and the new King having a universal Character over all the
Northern Kingdoms of the Moon, he brought in a great many Potent
Kings, Princes, Emperors and States, to take part with him, and so it
became the most general War that had happen'd in those Ages.

I did not trouble my self to enquire into the particular Successes of
this War, but at what had a more particular regard to the Country
from whence I came, and for whose Instruction I have design'd these
Sheets, the Strife of Parties, the Internal Feuds at home, and their
Analogy to ours; and whatever is instructively to be deduced from
them, was the Subject of immediate Inquiry.

No sooner was this Prince plac'd on the Throne, but according to his
Promises to them that invited him over, he conven'd the Estates of
the Realm, and giving them free Liberty to make, alter, add or
repeal, all such Laws as they thought fit, it must be their own fault
if they did not Establish themselves upon such Foundation of Liberty,
and Right, as they desir'd; for he gave them their full Swing, never
interpos'd one Negative upon them for several Years, and let them do
almost every thing they pleas'd.

This full Liberty had like to have spoil'd all, for as is before
noted, this Nation had one unhappy Quality they could never be broke
of, always to be falling out one among another.

The Crolians, according to Capitulation, demanded the full Liberty
and Toleration of Religion, which the Solunarians had condition'd
with them for, when they drew them off from joyning with the old
King, and when they promis'd to come to a Temper, and to be Brethren
in Peace and Love ever after.

Nor were the Solunarian Church-Men backward, either to remember, or
perform the Conditions but by the consent of the King, who had been
by agreement made Guarantee of their former Stipulations, an Act was
drawn up in full Form, and as compleat, as both satisfy'd the desires
of the Crolians, and testify'd the Honesty and Probity of the
Solunarians, as they were abstractedly and moderately consider'd.

During the whole Reign of this King, this Union of Parties continu'd
without any considerable Interruption, there was indeed brooding
Mischiefs which hovered over every accident, in order to generate
Strife, but the Candor of the Prince, and the Prudence of his
Ministers, kept it under for a long time.

At last an occasion offer'd it self, which gave an unhappy Stroke to
the Nation's Peace. The King thro' innumerable Hazards, terrible
Battles and a twelve Years War, had reduc'd his powerful Adversary to
such a necessity of Peace, that he became content to abandon the
fugitive King, and to own the Title of this Warlike Prince; and upon
these, among various other Conditions, very Honourable for him, and
his Allies, and by which vast Conquests were surrendred, and
disgorg'd to the Losers, a Peace was made to the Universal
Satisfaction of all those Parts of the Moon that had been involv'd in
a tiresome and expensive War.

This Peace was no sooner made, but the Inhabitants of this unhappy
Country, according to the constant Practice of the Place, fell out in
the most horrid manner among themselves, and with the very Prince
that had done all these great things for them; and I cannot forget
how the Old Gentleman I had these Relations from, being once deeply
engag'd in Discourse with some Senators of that Country, and hearing
them reproach the Memory of that Prince from whom they receiv'd so
much, and on the foot of whose Gallantry and Merit the Constitution
then subsisted, it put him into some heat, and he told them to their
Faces that they were guilty both of Murther and Ingratitude.

I thought the Charge was very high, but as they return'd upon him,
and challeng'd him to make it out, he answer'd he was ready to do it,
and went on thus.

His Majesty, said he, left a quiet, retir'd, compleatly happy
Condition, full of Honour, belov'd of his Country, Vallu'd and
Esteem'd, as well as Fear'd by his Enemies, to come over hither at
your own Request, to deliver you from the Encroachments and Tyranny
as you call'd it, of your Prince.

Ever since he came hither, he has been your meer Journy-Man, your
Servant, your Souldier of Fortune, he has Fought for you, Fatigu'd
and Harras'd his Person, and rob'd himself of all his Peace for you;
he has been in a constant Hurry, and run thro' a Million of Hazards
for you; he has convers'd with Fire and Blood, Storms at Sea, Camps
and Trenches ashore, and given himself no rest for twelve Years, and
all for your Use, Safety and Repose: In requital of which, he has
been always treated with Jealousies, and Suspitions, with Reproaches,
and Abuses of all Sorts, and on all Occasions, till the ungrateful
Treatment of the Solunarians eat into his very Soul, tir'd it with
serving an unthankful Nation, and absolutely broke his Heart; for

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