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
At last a rain came, and upon a sudden all their Houses appeared of a
flaming Fire; and the more Water there was poured on them, the more they
did flame and burn; which struck such a Fright and Terror into all the
Neighbouring Cities, Nations and Kingdoms, that for fear the like should
happen to them, they and all the rest of the parts of that World,
granted the Empress's desire, and submitted to the Monarch and sovereign
of her Native Countrey, the King of Esfi; save one, which having seldom
or never any rain, but onely dews, which would soon be spent in a great
fire, slighted her Power: The Empress being desirous to make it stoop as
well as the rest, knew that every year it was watered by a flowing Tide,
which lasted some Weeks; and although their Houses stood high from the
ground, yet they were built upon Supporters which were fixt into the
ground. Wherefore she commanded both her Bird- and Worm-men to lay some
of the Fire-stones at the bottom of those Supporters, and when the Tide
came in, all their Houses were of a Fire, which did so rarifie the
Water, that the Tide was soon turn'd into a Vapour, and this Vapour
again into Air; which caused not onely a destruction of their Houses,
but also a general barrenness over all their Countrey that year, and
forced them to submit, as well as the rest of the World had done.
Thus the Empress did not onely save her Native Country, but made it the
Absolute Monarchy of all that World; and both the effects of her Power
and her Beauty, did kindle a great desire in all the greatest Princes to
see her; who hearing that she was resolved to return into her own
Blazing-World, they all entreated the favour, that they might wait on
her Majesty before she went. The Empress sent word, That she should be
glad to grant their Requests; but having no other place of Reception for
them, she desired that they would be pleased to come into the open Seas
with their Ships, and make a Circle of a pretty large compass, and then
her own Ships should meet them, and close up the Circle, and she would
present her self to the view of all those that came to see her: Which
Answer was joyfully received by all the mentioned Princes, who came,
some sooner, and some later, each according to the distance of his
Countrey, and the length of the voyage. And being all met in the form
and manner aforesaid, the Empress appeared upon the face of the Water in
her Imperial Robes; in some part of her hair, near her face, she had
placed some of the Starr- Stone, which added such a luster and glory to
it, that it caused a great admiration in all that were present, who
believed her to be some Celestial Creature, or rather an uncreated
Goddess, and they all had a desire to worship her; for surely, said
they, no mortal creature can have such a splendid and transcendent
beauty, nor can any have so great a power as she has, to walk upon the
Waters, and to destroy whatever she pleases, not onely whole Nations,
but a whole World.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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