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
and tranquility, to conquer a gross material World? For you can enjoy no
more of a material world then a particular Creature is able to enjoy,
which is but a small part, considering the compass of such a world; and
you may plainly observe it by your friend the Empress here, which
although she possesses a whole World, yet enjoys she but a part thereof;
neither is she so much acquainted with it, that she know all the places,
Countries, and Dominions she Governs. The truth is, a soveraign Monarch
has the general trouble; but the Subjects enjoy all the delights and
pleasures in parts, for it is impossible, that a Kingdom, nay, a
Country, should be injoyed by one person at once, except he take the
pains to travel into every part, and endure the inconveniencies of going
from one place to another? wherefore, since glory, delight, and pleasure
lives but in other mens opinions, and can neither add tranquility to
your mind nor give ease to your body, Why should you desire to be
Empress of a Material World, and be troubled with the cares that attend
Government? when as by creating a World within your self, you may enjoy
all both in whole and in parts, without controle or opposition; and may
make what World you please, and alter it when you please, and enjoy as
much pleasure and delight as a World can afford you? You have converted
me, said the Duchess to the Spirits, from my ambitious desire;
wherefore, I'le take your advice, reject and despise all the Worlds
without me, and create a World of my own. The Empress said, If I do make
such a world, then I shall be Mistress of two Worlds, one within, and
the other without me. That your Majesty may, said the Spirits; and so
left these two Ladies to create two Worlds within themselves: who did
also part from each other, until such time as they had brought their
Worlds to perfection. The Duchess of Newcastle was most earnest and
industrious to make her World, because she had none at present; and
first she resolved to frame it according to the opinion of Thales, but
she found her self so much troubled with Dæmons, that they would not
suffer her to take her own will, but forced her to obey their orders and
commands; which she being unwilling to do, left off from making a world
that way, and began to frame one according to Pythagoras's Doctrine; but
in the Creation thereof, she was so puzled with numbers, how to order
and compose the several parts, that she having no skill in Arithmetick,
was forced also to desist from the making of that World. Then she
intended to create a World according to the opinion of Plato; but she
found more trouble and difficulty in that, then in the two former; for
the numerous Idea's having no other motion but what was derived from her
mind, whence they did flow and issue out, made it a far harder business
to her, to impart motion to them, then Puppit-players have in giving
motion to every several Puppit; in so much, that her patience was not
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