The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing-World — John Shaqi
The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing-WorldNewcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Science
The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing-World
Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Science fiction; Utopias -- Fiction; Voyages, Imaginary -- Early works to 1800
After they had thus argued, the Empress began to grow angry at their
Telescopes, that they could give no better Intelligence; for, said she,
now I do plainly perceive, that your Glasses are false Informers, and
instead of discovering the Truth, delude your Senses; Wherefore I
Command you to break them, and let the Bird-men trust onely to their
natural eyes, and examine Cœlestial Objects by the motions of their own
Sense and Reason. The Bear-men replied, That it was not the fault of
their Glasses, which caused such differences in their Opinions, but the
sensitive motions in their Optick organs did not move alike, nor were
their rational judgments always regular: To which the Empress answered,
That if their Glasses were true Informers, they would rectifie their
irregular Sense and Reason; But, said she, Nature has made your Sense
and Reason more regular then Art has your Glasses; for they are meer
deluders, and will never lead you to the knowledg of Truth; Wherefore I
command you again to break them; for you may observe the progressive
motions of Cœlestial Bodies with your natural eyes better then through
Artificial Glasses. The Bear-men being exceedingly troubled at her
Majesties displeasure concerning their Telescopes, kneel'd down, and in
the humblest manner petitioned, that they might not be broken; for, said
they, we take more delight in Artificial delusions, then in Natural
truths. Besides, we shall want Imployments for our Senses, and Subjects
for Arguments; for, were there nothing but truth, and no falshood, there
would be no occasion to dispute, and by this means we should want the
aim and pleasure of our endeavors in confuting and contradicting each
other; neither would one man be thought wiser then another, but all
would either be alike knowing and wise, or all would be fools; wherefore
we most humbly beseech your Imperial Majesty to spare our Glasses, which
are our onely delight, and as dear to us as our lives. The Empress at
last consented to their request, but upon condition, that their disputes
and quarrels should remain within their Schools, and cause no factions
or disturbances in State, or Government. The Bear-men, full of joy,
returned their most humble thanks to the Empress; and to make her amends
for the displeasure which their Telescopes had occasioned, told her
Majesty, that they had several other artificial Optick-Glasses, which
they were sure would give her Majesty a great deal more satisfaction.
Amongst the rest, they brought forth several Microscopes, by the means
of which they could enlarge the shapes of little bodies, and make a
Lowse appear as big as an Elephant, and a Mite as big as a Whale. First
of all they shewed the Empress a gray Drone-flye, wherein they observed
that the greatest part of her face, nay, of her head, consisted of two
large bunches all cover'd over with a multitude of small Pearls or
Hemispheres in a Trigonal order: Which Pearls were of two degrees,
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