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
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
which reason I think him as much Murther'd as his Predecessor was,
whose Head was cut off by his Subjects.
I could not when this was over, but ask the Old Gentlemen, what was
the reason of his Exclamation, and how it was the People treated
their Prince upon this occasion?
He told me it was a grievous Subject, and a long one, and too long to
rehearse, but he would give me a short Abridgment of it; and not to
look back into his Wars, in which he was abominably ill serv'd, his
subjects constantly ill treated him in giving him Supplies too late,
that he cou'd not get into the Field, nor forward his Preparations in
time to be ready for his Enemies, who frequently were ready to insult
him in his Quarters.
By giving him sham Taxes and Funds, that raised little or no Mony, by
which he having borrow'd Mony of his People by Anticipation, the
Funds not answering, he contracted such vast Debts as the Nation
could never Pay which brought the War into disrepute, sunk the Credit
of his Exchequer, and fill'd the Nation with Murmurs and Complaint.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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