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
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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