Moon -- Fiction; Science fiction, French -- Translations into English; Space flight to the moon -- Fiction
"_Moses_, the greatest of Philosophers, who drew the Knowledge of
Nature from the Fountain-Head, Nature her self, hinted this truth to us
when he spoke of the Tree of Knowledge; and without doubt he intended
to intimate to us under that Figure, that Plants, in Exclusion to
Mankind, possess perfect Philosophy. Remember, then, O thou Proudest
of Animals! that though a Cabbage which thou cuttest sayeth not a
Word, yet it pays it at Thinking; but the poor Vegetable has no fit
Organs to howl as you do, nor yet to frisk it about, and weep: Yet,
it hath those that are proper to complain of the Wrong you do it, and
to draw a Judgement from Heaven upon you for the Injustice. But if
you still demand of me, how I come to know that Cabbage and Coleworts
conceive such pretty Thoughts? Then will I ask you, how come you to
know that they do not; and that some amongst them, when they shut up at
Night, may not Compliment one another as you do, saying: Good Night,
Master _Cole-Curled-Pate_; your most humble Servant, good Master
_Cabbage-Round-Head_."
So far was he gone on in his Discourse, when the young Lad, who had led
out our Philosopher, led him in again; "What, Supped already?" cryed
my Spirit to him. He answered, yes, almost: The Physiognomist having
permitted him to take a little more with us. Our young Landlord stayed
not till I should ask him the meaning of that Mystery; "I perceive,"
said he, "you wonder at this way of Living; know then, that in your
World, the Government of Health is too much neglected, and that our
Method is not to be despised."
[Sidenote: The Physiognomist]
"In all Houses there is a Physiognomist entertained by the Publick,[8]
who in some manner resembles your Physicians, save that he only
prescribes to the Healthful, and judges of the different manners how
we are to be Treated only according to the Proportion, Figure, and
Symmetry of our Members; by the Features of the Face, the Complexion,
the Softness of the Skin, the Agility of the Body, the Sound of the
Voice, and the Colour, Strength, and Hardness of the Hair. Did not you
just now mind a Man, of a pretty low Stature, who ey'd you; he was the
Physiognomist of the House: Assure your self, that according as he
observed your Constitution, he hath diversified the Exhalation of your
Supper: Mark the Quilt on which you lie, how distant it is from our
Couches; without doubt, he judges your Constitution to be far different
from ours; since he feared that the Odour which evaporates from those
little Pipkins that stand under our Noses, might reach you, or that
yours might steam to us; at Night, you'll see him chuse the Flowers for
your Bed with the same Circumspection."
[1] The people, the populace. _Cf_. pp. 74 (starts with "... without any
difficulty, and...") and 168 ("... But you'll say, some are...").
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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