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
They answered, They did verily believe she might. Hereupon the Empress
commanded the Fly-men to ask some of the Spirits, Whether they would be
pleased to give her a Visit? This they did; and after the Spirits had
presented themselves to the Empress, (in what shapes and forms, I cannot
exactly tell) after some few Complements that passed between them, the
Empress told the Spirits that she questioned not, but they did know how
she was a stranger in that World, and by what miraculous means she was
arrived there; and since she had a great desire to know the condition of
the World she came from, her request to the Spirits was, To give her
some Information thereof, especially of those parts of the World where
she was born, bred, and educated; as also of her particular friends and
acquaintance: all which, the Spirits did according to her desire. At
last, after a great many conferences and particular intelligences, which
the Spirits gave the Empress, to her great satisfaction and content; she
enquired after the most famous Students, Writers, and Experimental
Philosophers in that World, which they gave her full relation of:
amongst the rest she enquired, Whether there were none that had found
out yet the Jews Cabbala? Several have endeavoured it, answered the
Spirits, but those that came nearest (although themselves denied it)
were one Dr. Dee, and one Edward Kelly, the one representing Moses, and
the other Aaron; for Kelly was to Dr. Dee, as Aaron to Moses; but yet
they proved at last but meer Cheats; and were described by one of their
own Country-men, a famous Poet, named Ben. Johnson, in a Play call'd, The
Alchymist, where he expressed Kelly by Capt. Face, and Dee by Dr.
Subtle, and their two Wives by Doll Common, and the Widow; by the
Spaniard the Play, he meant the Spanish Ambassador, and by Sir Epicure
Mammon, a Polish Lord. The Empress remembred that she had seen the Play,
and asked the Spirits, whom he meant by the name of Ananias? some
Zealous Brethren, answered they, in Holland, Germany, and several other
places. Then she asked them, Who was meant by the Druggist? Truly,
answered the Spirits, We have forgot, it being so long since it was made
and acted. What, replied the Empress, Can Spirits forget? Yes, said the
Spirits; for what is past, is onely kept in memory, if it be not
recorded. I did believe, said the Empress, That Spirits had no need of
Memory, or Remembrance, and could not be subject to Forgetfulness. How
can we, answered they, give an account of things present, if we had no
Memory, but especially of things past, unrecorded, if we had no
Remembrance? said the Empress, By present Knowledg and Understanding.
The Spirits answered, That present Knowledg and Understanding was of
actions or things present, not of past. But, said the Empress, you know
what is to come, without Memory or Remembrance; and therefore you may
know what is past without memory and remembrance. They answered, That
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