The Consolidator; or, Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the Moon — John Shaqi
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
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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