Who gaze, the night through, at the wonderful scene, Yet still are complaining of vapours between, Ah, seize the conveyance and fearlesly rise To peep at the lanthorns that light up the skies, And floating above, on our ocean of air, Inform us, by letter, what people are there. In Saturn, advise us if snow ever melts, And what are the uses of Jupiter's belts; (Mars being willing) pray send us word, greeting, If his people are fonder of fighting than eating. That Venus has horns we've no reason to doubt, (I forget what they call him who first found it out) And you'll find, I'm afraid, if you venture too near, That the spirits of cuckolds inhabit her sphere. Our folks of good morals it wofully grieves, That Mercury's people are villains and thieves, You'll see how it is--but I'll venture to shew For a dozen among them, twelve dozens below. From long observation one proof may be had That the men in the moon are incurably mad; However, compare us, and if they exceed They must be surprizingly crazy indeed. But now, to have done with our planets and moons-- Come, grant me a patent for making balloons-- For I find that the time is approaching--the day When horses shall fail, and the horsemen decay. Post riders, at present (call'd Centaurs of old) Who brave all the seasons, hot weather and cold, In future shall leave their dull poneys behind And travel, like ghosts, on the wings of the wind. The stagemen, whose gallopers scarce have the power Through the dirt to convey you ten miles in an hour, When advanc'd to balloons shall so furiously drive You'll hardly know whether you're dead or alive. The man who at Boston sets out with the sun, If the wind should be fair, may be with us at one, At Gunpowder Ferry drink whiskey at three And at six be at Edentown, ready for tea. (The machine shall be order'd, we hardly need say, To travel in darkness as well as by day) At Charleston by ten he for sleep shall prepare, And by twelve the next day be the devil knows where[292]. When the ladies grow sick of the city in June, What a jaunt they shall have in the flying balloon! Whole mornings shall see them at toilets preparing, And forty miles high be their afternoon's airing. Yet more with its fitness for commerce I'm struck; What loads of tobacco shall fly from Kentuck, What packs of best beaver--bar-iron and pig, What budgets of leather from Conocoheague! If Britain should ever disturb us again, (As they threaten to do in the next George's reign) No doubt they will play us a set of new tunes, And pepper us well from their fighting balloons. To market the farmers shall shortly repair With their hogs and potatoes, wholesale, thro' the air, Skim over the water as light as a feather, Themselves and their turkies conversing together. Such wonders as these from balloons shall arise-- And the giants of old, that assaulted the skies