The Consolidator; or, Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the MoonDefoe, Daniel
Science
The Consolidator; or, Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the Moon
Defoe, Daniel
Fantasy fiction; Interplanetary voyages -- Fiction; Moon -- Fiction; Political fiction; Satire
'The last King of Ebronia dying without Issue, and a former
Renunciation taking place, the Succession devolves on the House of
the Eagle as before, of whom the present Eagle is the eldest Branch.
'But the late King of Ebronia, to prevent the Succession of the
Eagle's Line, makes a Will, and supplies the Proviso of Renunciation
by Devising, Giving or Bequeathing the Crown to the Grandson of his
Sister.
'The King of Gallunaria insists that this is a lawful Title to the
Crown, and seizes it accordingly, inflating his Grandson in the
Possession.
'The Eagle alledges the Renunciation to confirm his Title as Heir;
and as to the Will of the late King, he says Crowns cannot descend by
Gift, and tho' the late King had an undoubted Right to enjoy it
himself, he had none to give it away.
'To make the application of this History as short as may be, I demand
then what Right has the Eagle to give it to his second Son? if Crowns
are not to descend by Gift, he may have a Right to enjoy it, but can
have none to give it away, but if he has a Right to give it away; so
had the former King, and then the present King has a better Title to
it than the new one, because his Gift was Prior to this of the Eagle.
'I would be glad to see this answer'd; and if it can't, then I Query
whether the Eagle's Senses ought not to be question'd, for setting up
a Title very Foundation for which he quarrels at him that is in
Possession, and so confirm the honesty of the Possessor's Title by
his own Practice.?
'From the whole, I make no Scruple to say that either the Eagle's
second Son has no Title to the Kingdom of Ebronia, or else giving of
Crowns is a legal Practice; and if Crowns may descend by Gift, then
has the other King a better Title than he, because it was given him
first, and the Eagle has only given away what he had no Right to,
because 'twas given away before he had any Title to it himself.
'Further, the Posterity of the Eagle's eldest Son are manifestly
injur'd in this Action, for Kings can no more give away their Crowns
from their Posterity, than from themselves; if the Right be in the
Eagle, 'tis his, as he's the eldest Male Branch of the House of the
great Lip, not as he is Eagle, and from him the Crown of Ebronia by
the same Right of Devolution descends to his Posterity, and rests on
the Male Line of every eldest Branch. If so, no Act of Renunciation
can alter this Succession, for that is a Gift, and the Gift is
exploded, or else the whole House of the great Lip is excluded; so
that let the Argument be turn'd and twisted never so many ways, it
all Centers in this, that the present Person can have no Title to the
Crown of Ebronia.
'If he has any Title, 'tis from the Gift of his Father and elder
Brother; if the Gift of a Crown is no good Title, then his Title
cannot be good; If the Gift of a Crown is a good Title, then the
Crown was given away before, and so neither he nor his Father has any
Title.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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