DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY The Glenn Negley Collection of Utopian Literature Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2010 witii funding from Duke University Libraries littp://www.arcli ive.org/details/conversationsonpOOfont CONVERSATIONS O N T H E PLURALITY WORLDS By Monlieur F^o n t e n e l r. h. 'Tranflatedfrom the Lafl Paris Edition, Wh(rci?t are many Improvements throughout ; avd feme New O b s l r v a r i o K s o7i feveral Late Discovert %s which have heen made in the HEAVENS. By William Gardiner, Efq ; LONDO N: Printed for A. Bettes worth, at the Ped-Lyori in P'rter.Nofier.Bow, and E. Curll, at the Dial and Bdle^ aj^-iinft Sr. DutjJl.ui'iChuiQli m ileetfireet. 1715. . (Price z s. 6 d.') feS T^M^ •«♦■ »fc» ♦«♦ ♦«♦ ♦■« •«* ♦«» ♦»♦ •*♦■ *J(* *•* ♦■* *^»» ~I» T«» •i* *»* •«♦ *»•■ •■•■ ♦)!♦ '*^* •*♦■ ♦«! ♦*■♦■ Monlieur Fontenelle's PREFACE. f***^^® ^Mjretty much m the Cafi 1 M ^f Qc^i'O, when he undertook ^@^@ ^^ '^^^^^^ <9/Philofophy in his own Tongue^ there being then no Booh upon that SuhjeHy hut what were written in Greek ; He was toldy as he i7tform'^d us^ that he would take Pains to no Purj^o/ej lecaufefuchas were Admirer ^ of Thilofbphj', would make ufe gy will ren- der "^em ver)'j^erfpicuous, I have not composed 0t Airy Syftem, ziohich has no Foundation at all : / have made ufe of fotne true Philofofhical Jr- guments , and of as many as I thought necejjary ; hut it falls out very luckily in this Suhjetl, that f/j^ Phyfical-Ideas ar^ in tPt-mfelves very diverting-, and as they convince and fatisfie Keofon^ fo at the fcmic Time they ire fen t to the Ima- gination a Trofpeci which looks as if it were made on turpcfe tofleafe It. When I meet with any Fragments which are ?wt of this kind^ 1 fut thtm into fome pretty firange drcfs ; Virgil has done the like in his Georgicks^ wbe7i his Monfieur Fontenelle's his SuijeH is very dry^ he ^Jornsitwith fle^jliM Digrejjiofi^ : Ovid h/is done the fame in bis Art of Love, and tbd^ his SubjeB he of it felf very "^leafing^ yet he thought it tedious to talk of Nothing hut Love- My Sul'jeB has more need of Digrejfions than his^ yet I have made ufe of'^em very f^aringly^ andof fuch on- ly^ as the statural Liberty of Converfa- tion allows: I have f lac* d them only where 1 thought my Readers would he f leased to meet with "^em ; the great eji fart of^em are in the Beginning of the Booky hecaufe the Mind cannot at firfi he fo well acqiiainted with the Principal Ideas which are prefented to it ; and^ in- a Word^ they are taken from the Suhjeti itfelfy or^ are as near to ity as is pojji- hie. I have fane/ d nothing concerni?ig the Jnhalitants of the many Worlds, which mujtbave he en wholly Fabulous and Chi- merical ; I have f aid all that can he rea- fonably thought of them, and the ViJio?is which I have added, havefome real Foun- dation j what is true, and what isfalfe are PREFACE. me minted together^ hutfo rs to le eaflly diftif/gui(l)*d: I will not undertake to ju^ Jiijiefofantajikd and odd a Comj^qfttioUy ^vbich is tht^y'incifal Point of the iVorl^, and jetfor which I can give no very good Reafon, There remains 710 more to le [aid in this Preface^ hut to a fort ofPeofle^ who perhaps will 7iot he eafjljfatisfied^ tho* I have good Reafo;:s to give "^em^ hut he- caufe the heft that can Legive^i^ zvillnot cofitmt ^em : They are thoje fcrufulous Perfonsj who imagine^ th^t the placing * Inhabitants ^;y where^ hut t^l'On the Earth, will prove dangerous to Reli- gion: Ihiow t)ow excejjively tender fome are in Religious Matters^ and therefore J am very unwilling to give any Offence in what I puhliJJjj to People whoft Opi- nion is contrary to that I maintain: But Religion can receive no Prejudice hy my Syfem^ which Jills an Infinity of Worlds with Inhabitants, if a little Error of the Imagination he hutreiiiffd. When His faid the Moon is inhabited, fome prefently fancy that there are fuch Men there^ Monfieur Fontenelle's. there ^ as we are\ and Church-Men^ with^ cut any more ado^ think him an Atheifi^ who is of that Ofmion. None ^/ AdamV Fofierity ever travePd fo far as the Moon, nor were any Colonies ever fent thither '-i the Men then that are in the Moon, are not the Sons ^/Adam : And here again Theology would he pizled^ if there Jhould be Men anywhere^ who never defcended from him. To fay no more^ this is the great Difficulty to which all others may he reduced : To clear it by a larger ExvlapMion^ Imuft make ufe of Terms which deferve greater Refpecfy than to fut into a Treatife^ fo far from leing ferious as this is. But perhaps there is no need of anfwering the Olje- ciion^ for it concerns no Body but the Men in ^/;^Moon; andlneveryet faid there are Men there • // any ask what the Inhabitants there are^ if they be ?iot Men? AUIcanfayis^ that I never faw ^emb ^^^d ^tls not becaufe I have feen '*em^ that I fpeak of ^cm : Let none now think J that Ifiy there are no Men in the Moon, ^ur^oftly to avoid the Oljeciion made PREFACE. 'i made againfl me ; for it appears ^tis mt" \ {ojjihle there Jlwulu he a?i) Men there ^ ac- \ cording to the Idea / have framed of that \ injihite Diverjjtj md Variety^ which is to he olferv*d in the Works' of Nature ; this Idea run^ throi'gh the whole Booky i i2nd caunot he contradicted hy any Philo^ j foj^her : Nay^ Ihelieve^ IJhall only hear \ this Ohjetiion ftarted hy Cuch as pall ffeak ofthefe Difcourfes, without having read them. But is ibis a Point to he \ defended on ? No^ on the contrary, I . Jhould more ^rohMy fear, that the Oh* - jettion might he made to me from many Tajjages. ^ ^ ! The Reader will find in this Edition, ' lefides many Iml'rovements if^erfpers'^d \ in the Bpdy of the Work, one Ne^^^ Con- : verfation, in which I have ^ut together \ thofe Reafonings, which I had omitted in \ the foregoing ones ; and have fuhjoin^d j fome Late Difcovcries inthe Firmament, A feveral of which were never yet made \ Puhlich. THE' THE CONTENTS Of each Evening's CONVERSATlO>J. I. T^hat the Earth is a Vianet •*• which turns on it Self, and round the Sun. Page, 4. IL That the Moon is an Inhabited World. p. J 7. III. Some Particulars concerning the World in the Moon^ and Proofs of tlie other Planets being likewife Inhabited p. 70. IV* Some Particulars concerning the Wodds of Vemts^ Mtrcury^ Mars^ Jupiter and Saturn. p. 100. V. 1 hat the fix'd Stars are To many Suus^ every one of which gives Light to a World. p. i jj. VI. Some New Olfervations that confirm what has been laid down in the preceeding DifiO-urfes^ and fe- veral late D^jcoveries^ which have been made in the Heaveits, DIS^ ( • ) DISCOURSES ON THE Plurality of W o r l d s^^ To Monfieur i^ ^ ^ -^ O give you, Sir^ (as you de- fire ) a full Account liow I pafs'd my Time at the Coun- tefs of D^'^^s Country Seat, would make a large Volume ; and what is yet worfe, a Volume of Phik'foj-^hj : Whereas the Entertain- ments you expe£l are of another kind, viz. Danciitg^ Gaming^ Huntings mftead of which you muft take up with B Vortexes^ 2 TDifcourfes on the Vortexes^ Planets^ and New Worlds ; thefe were the SubjeQ: of our Conver- fation. Now, as good Luck wouM have it youVe a Philofopher, fo that it will be no great Difappointment ; nay, I fancy, you'll be pleas'd, that I have brought over the Countefs to our Par- ty, we could not have gainM a more confiderable Perfon, for Youth arid Beauty are ever ineftimable : If IVif dom wouM appear with Succefs to Man- kind, think you flie could do it more .effedually than in the Perfon of the Countefs ? And yet was her Company but half fo agreeable.- 1 am perfwaded all the World wou'd run Mad after Wifdom. But, tho' I tell you all the Difcourfe I Jiad with tlie Lady, youmuft not expe£t Miracles . from me. It is impolTible without her Wit, to exprefs her Senti- ments, in the fame manner flie deli- . verM them : For my part, I think her very Learned, from the great Difpofi- tion ihe has to Learning. It is not peering upon Books that makes a Man V v^liolar. I know many who have done Plurality ^WORLDS. j done nothing clfe, and yet I fancy are not one tittle the Wifer : But, perhaps you expeft, before I enter upon my Subjed, I fliould defcribe the Scituati- on, and Building of the Countefs's Houfe, many great Palaces have been turnM infide outward upon far lefs Oc- cafion : But, I Intend to fave you and my felf that labour ; let it fuffice, tliat I tell you, I found no Company with the Lady, which I w^as not at all dif- pleas'd with ; the tw^o firft Days drainM me of all the News I brought from Paris ; w^hat 1 now fend you is the reil: of our Converfation, which I will di- vide into fo many Parts, as wc were Evenings together. ^ 5^ ^ i*J I'J : ^ *^ ^ i^i -5J ^55 : »^ot ^ . »v,*i ;j't y.^ ,^» B 2 Thi 4 Difcourfes on the The Firft Evening's Co NVERSATION. That tide Earth is a Planet which turns on it felfy and round the Sun. N E Eveniiig after Supper, we went to take a turn in the =., Park, the Air, from the Heat ^^*^^ of the preceeciing Day was ex- tremely refrediing ; .the Mooii was a- bout an Hour high, and her Lultre between the Trees, made an agreeable mixture of Light and Shade ; the Stars were array'd in all their Glory, and not a Cloud appeared throughout the Azure Sky ; I was mufing on this aw- ful ProfpeSt, but who can think long of the Moon or Stars, in the Company of a Pretty Woman? 1 am much mi- ftaken if that's a Time for Contempla- tion : Well Madam J /^ J /, to the Qoun- Plurality ^/WORLDS, 5^ tefs^ is not the Night as Pleafant as the Day ? The Day, fays pe, hke a fair Beauty, is clear and dazling ; but the Night, like a brown Beauty, more foft and moving. You are Generous Ma- dam, reflyed 7, to prefer the Brown. You who have all the Charms that be- long to the Fair : But, is there any Thing more Beautiful in Nature tiian the Day ? The Heroines of Romances are generally fair, and that Beauty mufl be perfefl:, which has all the Advanta- ges of Imagination. Tell me not, [ays Jbe^ of perfeft Beauty, nothing can be fo that is not moving. But fmce you talk of Romances, why do Lovers in their Songs and Elegies addrefs them- felves to the Night ? 'Tis tlie Night, Madam, Jhys 7, that crowns their Joys, and therefore deferves their Thanks. But 'tis the Night, fays pe^ that hears their Complaints, and how comes it to pafs, the Day is fo httle trufted with their Secrets ? I confefs, Madam, f/ys 7, the Night has fomewhat a more Melancholy Air than the Day 5 we fan- B J cy 6 Difcourfes on the cy the Stars march more filently than 'the Sun^ and our Thoughts wander with the more liberty, whilft we think all the World at reft but our felves : Befides, the Day is more uniform ; we fee nothing but the Sun, and Light in the Firmament ; whilft the Night Ihews us variety of Objefts, and gives us ten Thoufand Stars, which infpire us with as many pleafant Ideas. She reply'd, what you fay is true, I love the Stars^ there is fomewhat charming ia them, and I could almoft be angry witli the Stm for effacing 'em. And I can't, fays 7, pardon him, for keeping all thofe "Worlds from my fight : What Worlds,. fays pe^ looking earneftly upon uie,. whu V/orJJs do you mean ? I beg your Pardon, Madam, fays /, you have put me upon my Folly, and I begin to Rave : What Folly, fays fie, I difcover none ? Alas, fays 7, I am a- fliam'd, I muft own it, I have liad a ftrong Fancy that every Star is a World. I will not fwear that it is true, but muft think fo, becaufe it is fo Pleafant to be- lieve Plurality of WOKLDS. 7-- Iieve it ; 'Tis a Fancy come into my Head, which is very diverting. If your- Folly be fo div^erting, pn's the Countefs^ Pray make me fenfible of it ; provided the Pleafure be fo great, I will believe as much of the Stars as you v/ould have me. A Diverfion, Madam, y>/)'j- 7, 'tis • a Diverfion I fear you Vv^on't relifli, 'tis • not like one of MoUere\ Plays, 'tis a> Pleafure rather of the Fancy than of the Jtidgment. I hope, reflfdjhe^ you do not think me incapable of it *, teach me your Stars^ I will fliew you the contrary. . No, No, reply dl^ it fliall never be faid I was talking Phtlofofhy at Ten a Clock at Night, to the moft amiable Crea- ture in the Univerfe, find your Philo- foPhers fomewhere clfe. But vain were my Excufes, who could refill fuch Charms? I was forc'd to yield, and yet I knew not where to begin ;" for to a Perfon who underftood nothing of A^atural'T/jilofjph% you muft go a great way about to prove - that tliQ Ea^th may be a Planet^ the TIauets fo many Earths^ and all the - B 4 Stars S Difcourfes on the Stars Worlds ; however, to give her a general Notion of Philofofhy^ at laft I refoIvM on this Method. Madam,y^j'j' J, all Philofophy is founded upon thefe two Propofitions. i . That we are too fl)OYt fight ed^ or, 2. We are too curious :, for, if our Eyes w^ere better than they are, we fhould foon fee whether the Stars were Worlds or not ; and if on the other fide we were lefs Curious, we fhould not care whether the Stars are Worlds or not, which I think is much to the fame Purpofe. But the Bufinefs is, we have a mind to know more than we fee : And again, if we could dif- cern well what we do fee, it would be fo much known to us; but we See Things quite otherwife than they are. So that your true Fhilofopher will not believe what he does fee, and is al- ways conjefturing at what he doth not, which I think is a Life not much to be envy'd : Upon this I fancy to my felf, that Nature very much refembles an Opera^ where you ftand, you do not fee the Stage as it really is ) but as 'tis plac'd Plurality ^/WORLDS. 9 placed with Advantage, and all the Wheels and Movements hid, to make ,the Reprefentation the more agreeable : Nor do you trouble your felf how, or by what Means the Machines are mov'd, tho' certainly an Engineer in the Pit is afFe£ted with what does not touch you ; he is pleasM with the Mo- tion, and is demonftrating to , himfelf on what it depends, and how it comes to pafs. This Engineer is like a Philo- fopher, tho' the Difficulty be greater on the Philofopher's part, the Machines of the Theatre being nothing fo Curi- ous as thofe of Nature, which difpofes her Wheels and Springs fo out of fight, that we have been a long while guefs- ing at the Movement of the Univerfe. Let us imagine, fome of the Ancient Sages, to be at an Opera, the Tytbago- r^s\ the Tlato\, the Jri/Utie\ and all the Wife Men who have made fuch a Noife in the World, for thefe many Ages : We will iiippofe 'em at the Re- prefentation of Pbadon^ where they fee the afpiring Youth lifted up by the B 5 Windsj '10 Difcourfes On the Winds, but do not difcover the Wires by which he mounts, nor know they any Thing of what is done behind the Scenes. Would you have all thefe Phi- lofophers own tnemfelves to be ftark Fools, and confefs ingenuoufly they don't know how it comes to pafs : No, no, they are not called Wijt^Men for nothing ; tho\ let me tell you, moft of their Wifdom depends upon the Igno- rance of their Neighbours. Every Man prefently gives liis Opinion, and how improbable foever, there are Fools enough of all forts to believe 'em : One tells you Phaeton is drawn up by a hidden Magnetick Vertue, no matter where it lies ; and perhaps the grave. Gentleman will take Pet, if you ask him the Qtieftion. Another fays, Phae^ ton is compos'd of certain Numbers that make him mount ; and after all, the Philofopher knows no more of thofe Numbers than a fucking Child does of Algebra: A third tells you, Pbaeton has a fecret love for the Top of the Theatre, and like a true Lover, can- not Plurality ^/WORLDS, ii not be at reft out of his Miiirefs's Com- pany, with an hundred fuch extrava- gant Fancies, that a Man muft con- clude the Old Sages were very good Banterers : But, now comes Monfieur Difcartesy with fome of the Moderns, and they tell you Phaeton afcends, be-s caufe a greater Weight than he de- fcends; fo that now we do not believe a Body can move without it is pufli'd and forc'd by another Body, and, as it were, drawn by Cords, (o that no* thing can rife or fall, but by the Means of a Counterpoife ; to fee Nature then, as file really is, one mull ftand beliind tlie Scenes at the Opem. I perceive, fays the Cotmtefs^ Philofophy is now be- come very Mechanical. 1>j, Madiim;^ [ays /, fo Mechanical, that i fear we fliall quickly be afliamM of it ; they will have the World to be in Large, what a Watch is in Small ; which is very regular, and depends only upon the juft difpofing of the feveral Parts of the Movement. But pray tell me, Madam, had you not formerly a more fublime II Difcourfes on the fublime Idea of the Univerfe ? Don't you think you then honoured it more than it defervM ? For moft People have the lefs Efteem for it fince they have pretended to know it. I am not of their Opinion, jGy^j/;^, I value it the morq fince I knov^ it refembles a Watch, and the more plain and eafy the whole order of Nature feems to be, to me it appears the more admirable. I don't know, fays flie, who has in- fpir'd you with thefe folid Notions, but I am certain there are but few who 'have them befides your felf, People ge- nerally admire what they do not com- prehend, they have a Veneration for Obfcurity, and look upon Nature, as a kind of Magick, while they don't un- derftand her, and defpife her below Le- gerdemain, when once they arc ac- quainted with her; but I find you. Madam, fo much better difpofed, that I have nothing to do but to draw the Curtain, and fliew you the V/orld. That then which appears fartheft from the Earth, (where werefide) is. called the Plurality ^/WORLDS. 13 the Heavens, that Azure Firmament where the Stars are faftned like fo ma- ny Nails, (and are calPd fix'd, becaufe they feem to have no other Motion than that of their Heaven, which carries them with it felf from Eaft to Weft.) Between the Earth and this great Vault (as I may call it) hang at different Heights th^Stiny and the Moou^ with the other five Stars, Mercury^ Ventis^ Marsj Jupiter and Sattirn^ which we call tho Planets, not being faftned to the fame Heaven, and having very unequal Mo- tions, have divers Afpefts and Pofitions. Whereas the fix'd Stars in refpe£t to one another, are always in the fame Scittiation : For Example, CAi^r/fj's Wain which is composed of thofe feven Stars, has been and ever will be as it now is, tho' the MooTi is fometimes nearer to the Sim^ and fometimes farther from it, and fo it is with the reft of the Planets. Thus things appeared to the Old ChaU daan Shepheids, whofe great Leifure produced thefc firft Obf^rvations, which have fince been the Foundation of Aftro- nomy ; 1 4 DifcouiTes on the nomy ; which Science had its Birth in Cbaldaa^ as Geometry fprung from Egypj where the Inundation of the Nile confounding the Bounds of their Fields, occafionM their inventing more exaft Meafures to diftinguilli every ones Land from that of his Neighbour. So that Aftronomj was the Daughter of Idlenefs^ Geometry the Daughter of J/^- terefi \ and if We did but examine Voe^ try^ we fliould certainly find her the Daughter of Love. I am glad, fays the Lady, I have learnt the Genealogy of the Sciences, and am convinced 1 mull: ftick to Aftro. nomy, my Soul is not mercenary enough for Geometry, nor is it tender enopugh for Poetry ; but I have as much Time to fpare as Aftronomy requires i befides we are now in the Country, and lead a kind of Paftoral Life, all which fuits beft with Aftronomy. Don\ deceive your felf, Madam, fays I, 'tis a true Shepherd's Life to talk of the Stars and Planets: See if they pafs their Time ib in J/haa. That fort of Shepherd's Craft, Plurality ^/WORLDS. ly Craft, r€flfdfl)e^ is too dangerous for me to learn ; I love tlie honeft CbaU drafts ^ and you muft teach me their Rules, if you'd have me improve in their Science. But let us proceed ; When they had rank'd the Heavens in the Manner you tell me, pray, what is the next Quellion ? The next, [ays /, is the difpofing the feveral Parts of the Univerfe, which the Learned call, ma- king a Syftem ; but before I expound the firil: Syftem, I would have you ob- ferve, we are all naturally like the Mad- man at Athens^ who iancy'd all the Ships that came into the Vyrosum Port, belonged to him : Nor is our Folly lefs extravagant, we believe all things in Nature defign'd for our Ufe \ and do but ask a Philofopher, to what Purpofe there is that pi'odigious company of Hx'd Stars, when a far Icfs Number would perform the Service they do us ? He an- fwers coldly, they were made to pleafe our Sight. Upon this Principle they imagined the Earth refted in the Center of the Univerfe, while all the Celeftial Bodies 1 6 Difcourfes on the Bodies fwhich were made for it) took the Pains to turn round to give Light to it. They plac'd the Moon above the Earthy Mercury above the M^?^;^,- after Venus ^ the Sun^ Mars^ Jupiter ^ Saturn:, above all thefe they fet the Heaven of fix'd Stars, the Earth was juft in the Middle of thofe Circles which contain the Planets, and the greater the Cir- cles were, they were the farther di- ftant from the Earth, and by Confe- quence the fartheft Planets took up the moft Time in finiiliing their Courle, which in effeft is true : But why, fays the Count ejs (^interrupting mej do you diflike this Syftem : It feems to me ve- ry clear and intelligible. However, fays I, Madam, I will make it plainer ; for lliould I give it you as it came from Ptolomey its Author, or fome others who have fince ftudied it, I fhouW fright you, 1 fancy, inftead of diverting you. Since the Motions of the Planets are not fo regular, but that fometimes they go falter, ibmetimes flower, fometimes are nearer the Earth, and fometimes farther Plurality ^/WORLDS. 17 farther from it; the Ancients invented I don't know how many Orbs or Cir« cles, involved one within another, which they thought would falve all Objedions ; this Confufion of Circles was fo great, that at that Time when they knew no better, a certain King ofjrago^^^ a great Mathematician, ("but not much troubled with Religion,; faid, That had God con- [tilted him when he made the Worlds he would have told him how to have fram'^d ithetter. The Saying was very Atheifti- cal, and no doubt the InftruSions he would have given the Almighty, was theSuppreffing thofe Circles with which they had clogM the Celeixial Motions, and the taking away two or three fuper- fluous Heavens, which they placM a- bove the fixM Stars ; for thefe Philofo- pliers, to explain the Motion of the Ce- leftial Bodies, had above the upper- moft Heaven (whvzh we feej found ano- ther of Cryftal, to influence and give Motion to the inferiour Heavens ; and wherever they heard of another Mo- tion, they prefently clap'd up a Cryftal Heaven 1 8 Difcourfes on the Heaven which coft 'em nothing. Biltr why, jQf-ys the Count efs^ muft their Hea- ven be of Ciyftal, wou'd nothing elfe ferve as v/ell? No, no, reflfd i, no- thing fo well ; for the Light was to come through them., and yet they v/ere to be foUd. ArijifAle would have it fo, he had found Solidity to be one of their Excellencies, and wlien he had oncefaid it, no Body would be fo rude .as to que- ftion it. But it fecms there were Co- mets much higher than the Philofophers expe(Sted, which as they pafs'd along broke the Cryftal Heavens, and con- founded the Univerfe. But to make the beft of a bad Market, they prefent- ly m^elted down their broken Glafs, and to uiriftotle\ Confufion, made the Hea- vens fluid ; and by the Obfervations af thefe latter Ages, it is nov/out of doubt, that Ve?ius and Mercury turn round the ^un^ and not round the Earthy accord- ing to the Ancient Syftem, v/hich is now every where exploded, and all the Au- thorities not worth a Rufli. But that which I am going to. lay down, will falve Plurality ^/WORLDS, i 9 falve all, and is fo clear, that the King o( o/lrago^ihimklfm^y fpare his Advice. Methinks, fajs the Countefs^ your Phi- lofophy is a kind of Out-cry, where he that offers to Ao the Work cheapeft, car- ries it from all the reft. This, fays /, is very true, Nature is a great Hufwife, ihe always makes ufeof what cofts lea ft, let the Difference be never fo inconfide- rable ; and yet this Frugality is accony panyM with an extraordinary Magni- ficence, which fhines through all her Works; that is, flie is Magnificent in the Defign, but Frugal in the Execution ; and what can be more Praife worthy, than a great Defign accomplifii'd with a little Expence ? But in our Ideas we turn Things topfy-turvy, we place our thrift in the Defign, and ai*e at ten times more Charge in WorkmanPnip than it requires, which is very ridiculous. Imi- tate Nature then, fajspe^ in your Sy- ftem, and give me as little trouble as you can to comprehend you. Madam, fays /, fear it not, we've done with our Impertinences : Imagin then a Ger- man 20 Difcoiirfes on the wan call'd Copermcus confounding eveiy Thing, tearing in Pieces the belov'd Circles of Antiquity, and fhattering their Cryftal Heavens like fo many Glafs Windows, feiz'd with the noble Rage of Aftronomy, he fnatches up the Earth from the Center of the Univerfe, fends her packing, and places the Su/i in the Center to which it did more juft- ly belong, the Planets no longer turn round the Earth, nor inclofe it in the Circles they defcribe ; if they give us Light, it is but by chance, and as they meet us in their way. All now goes round the Sun^ even the Earth herfelf j and Copernicus to punifh the Earth for her former Lazinefs, makes her con- tribute all he can to the Motion of the Planets and Heavens, and now ftrip'd of all the Heavenly Equipage with which file was fo glorioufly attended, fbe has nothing left her but the Moon^ which ftill turns round about her : Fair and foftly, fays the Count efs^ I fancy you your felf are feizM wich the Noble Fury of Aftroapniy ; a little lefs Rap- ture, Plurality ^/WORLDS. 21 ture, and I fliall underftand you bet- ter. The Sim you fay is in the Center of the Univerfe, and is immoveable; Merctiry^ fays /, follows next, he turns round the Sun, fo that the Sun is in the Center of the Circle wherein Mercury moves ; above Mercury is Venus^ who turns all round the Sun ; after, comes the Earth, which being plac'd higher than Mercury and Venusy makes a great- er Circle round the Sun than either of them ; at laft comes Mars^ Jupiter and Saturn^ in the fame Order I name 'em, fo that Saturn has the greateft Circle round the Sun, which is the Reafon he is a longer Time in making his Revo- lution than any of the other Planets. You have forgot the Moon^ fays the Countcfs^ we fliall quickly find her a- gain, fays /, the Moon turns round the Earthy and does not leave her, but as the Earth advances in the Circle, which firie defcribes about the Sm ; and if the Moon turns round the Sun^ it is becaufe flie won't quit the Earth ; I underftand you, fays Jhe^ and I love the Moon for iiaying 11 Difcoiirfcs on the flaying with us when all the other Pla- nets abandon us ; nay, I fcar your Ger- 7nan would have wiUiiigly#fetaken her away too if he could ; for in a!l his Proceedings, I find he had a great fpiglit to tlie Earth. 'Twas well done of him, fays 1, to abate the Vanity of Mankind, who had taken up the befb Place in the Univerfe, and it pleafes me to fee the Earth in the Crouds of the Planets. ^ Sure, [ays fie^ you don't think their Vanity extends it fcif fo far as Aftronomy 1 Do you believe you have humbled me, in telling me the Earth goes round the Srm ? For my part I don't think my ftlf the worfe for it. I confcfs, Madam, fays 7, it is my be- lief^ that a fair Xady wou'd be much more concerned for her Place at a Ball, than for her Rank in the Univerfe ; and the Precedence of two Planets will not make half fach a Noife in the World, as that of two Ambaffadors ; however, the fame Inclination w^liich reigns at a Ceremony, governs in a Syitem; and if you love the uppermoft Place -Plurality (?/ W O R L D S. 23 Place in the one, the Philofopher defires the Center in the other; he flitters himlclf that all Tilings were made for him, and iafenfibly beUeves a Alatter of pure Speculation to be a Point of Intereli. This is a Ca'uinny, /^j-j/;^, you have invented againfl: Mankind; why did they receive this Syftem if it was fo Erroijious? I knov/ not, flfys /, but I am fure Col'crmuis himfelif di- ftruRed the Succefs of his Opinion, 'twas a long time before he would ven- ture to publifii it, nor had he done it then, without the Importunity of liis Friends. But do you know what be- came of him? The very Day they brought him tlie tirll printed Sheet of his Book, he dyM ; forefeeing that he fliould never be able to clear all the Contradiftions, and thereiore very wifely Dipt out of the way. I would be Jull to all tiie World, JaAs the Coun- tefs ; but 'tis hard to tancy Vv^e move, and yet fee we do not change our Place ; we find our felves in tlie Morning where we lay down at Night : Per- haps 2-4 Difcourfes on the haps you'll tell me the whole Eartlj moves — Yes, certainly, fajs /, 'tis the fame Cafe as if you fell afleep in a Boat upon the River, when you wake you find your felf in the fame Place, and the fame Scituation, in refpeft to all the Parts of the Boat. 'Tis true, replfdjhe^ but here's a great Diiference, when I wake I find another Shoar, and that fiiows me, my Boat has chang'd its Place. But 'tis not the fame with the Earth, I find all Things as I left "^em. No, no, pys 7, there's another Shoar too ; You know that be- yond the Circles of the Planets are fix'd Stars, there's our Shoar, I am upon the Earth, and the Earth makes a great Circle round the Sun ; I look for the Center of the Circle and fee the Sun there, then I direct my fight beyond the Sun in a right Line, and lliould certainly difcover the fix'd Stars which anfwer to .the Sun, but that the Light of the Sun effaces 'em : But at Night I eafily perceive the Stars that corref- ponded with him in the Day, which is exatlly Plurality ^/WORLDS. 1$ exaflly the fame Thing ; if the Earth did not change its place in the Circle where it is, I Ihould fee the Sun always againft the fame fixM Stars ; but when, the Earth changes its place, the Sun muft anfwer to other Stars, and there again is your Shore which is always changing. And feeing the Earth makes her Circle in a Year, I fee the Sun like- wife in the fpace of a Year anfwer fuc- ceffively to the whole Circle of the fix'd Stars, which Circle is calPd the Zj;^diack : rU draw you the Figure of it, if you pleafe, on the Sand? 'Tis no matter, (ajs(Jje, I can do well enough without it ; befides it will give an Air of Learn- ing to my Park which I would not have in ic : For I've heard of a certain Philo- fopher, who being Shipwrack'd, and caft upon an unknown Ifland, feeing feveral Mathematical Figures traced on the Sea-fliore, cry'd out to thofe who foUow'd him, Cour^ge^ Courage^ my Com^anions^ the I/le is inhalited^ he- hold the foot ft e^s of Men. But you may C Iparc ^6 Difcourfes on the fpare your Figures, fuch Footfteps are not decent here. I confefs, Madam, fays /, the Foot- fteps of Lovers would better become tliis Place ; that is, your Name and Cy- pher cut on the Trees by your Adorers.' Tell me not, fays fie, of Lovers and Adorers, I am for my beloved ^tm and Planets, But how comes it to pafs that the Sun as to the fixM Stars, compleats his Courfe but in a Year, and yet goes over our Heads every Day? Did you never, refly'*d J, obferve a Bowl on the Green ? It runs towards the Block, and at the fame time turns very often round itfelfjfo that the Parts which were above are below, and thofe which were below are above ; juft fo it is with the Earth, at the fame time that fhe advances oa the Circle, which in a Year's fpace fli-e makes round the Sun, in twenty four Hours file turns round her felf ; fo that in twenty four Hours every Part of the Earth lofes the Sun, and recovers him again, and as it turns towards the Sun, it feems to rife^ and as it turns from him, Plurality ^WORLDS. 17 liim, it feems to fall. 'Tis very plea- fant, fays fhCj that the Earth muft take all upon her felf, and the Sua do no- thing : And when the Moon, the other Planets, and the fix'd Stars feem to go over our Heads every twenty four Hours, you'll fay That too is only Fan- cy ? Pure Fancy, fays /, which pro- ceeds from the fame Caufe, for the Pla- nets compleat their Courfes round the Sun at unequal times, according to their unequal Diilances ; and That which to Day we fee anfwer to a certain Point in the Zs^iach^ or Circle of the fix'd Stars, to Morrow will anfwer to ano- ther Point, becaufe it is advanced on its own Circle, as well as we are ad- vanced upon ours : We move, and the Planets move too, but with more or left Rapidity tlmn we ; tliis puts us in diffe- rent Points of Sight in refped to them, and makes us think their Courfes irregu- lar; but there is noOccafionofdifcourf ing to you on that Head ; 'tis fufficient to inform you that what feems irregular in the Planets, proceeds only from our C 2 Motion^ 1 2.5 Difcourfes en the Motion, when in Truth they are all very regular. I will fuppoie 'em fo, [ays the Countefs^ but I would not have their Regularity put the Earth to fo great Trouble ; methinks you exact too much Aftivity from fo ponderous a Mafs. But, fays 7, had you rather that the Sun anci all the Stars, wiiich are vaft great Bodies, fliould in twen- ty four Hours make a prodigious Tour round the Earth; and that the fix'd Stars which are in a Circle of infinite Extent, whofe Movement is always ex- treme, fhould run in a Day, three hun- dred Millions of Leagues, and go far- ther than from hence to Chhta ip the Time that you could fay, Away^ quick to China^ as they needs muft, if the Earth did not turn round it felf every twenty four Hours? To fay the Truth, "^tis much more reafonable to think that flie ihould make the Tour^ which at moft is not above nine thoufand Leagues ; you perceive plainly,, that to. . fet nine thoufand Leagues againft ^thr^e ,.Hun- xlred Millions^ is' no trifling Diffe- rence Plurality ^/WORLDS. 19 rtncQ. Oh, fays pe^ the Sun and the Stars are all Fire, their Motion is not verv difficult ; but the Earth I fan- cy, is a little unweildy. That, re^lfd 7, figniiies nothing; for what think you of ^ Firft Rate Ship, which car- ries 1 50 Guns, and above 3000 Men, befides her Provifions and other Furni- ture ? One Puff of Wind you fee fets it a failing, becaufe the Water is liquid, and being eafily fcpamted, very littb refuis the Motion of the Ship •, or if file lie in the Middle of a River, fhe will without Difficulty drive with the Stream, becaufe there is nothing to oppofe her Courfe. So the Earth, tho' never fo weighty, is as eafily born up by the Celeftial Matter, which is a thoufand times more fluid than the Water, and fills all that great fpace where the Planets float ; for how elfe would you have the Earth fafl:ned to refitt the Motion of the Celeftial Mat- ter, and not be driven by it ? You may as Well fancy a little Block of Wood can withltand the Current of a River. But C J pray, 50 Difcourfes on the pray, fays (he ^ how can the Earth with all its Weight be born up by your Cc- leftial Matter, which muft be very light, becaufe it is fo fluid ? It does not argue, Jays /, that what is mofl: fluid, is mofl: light : For what think you of the great Veflel I mentioned jufl: now, which with all its Burthen is yet lighter than the Water it floats on ? I'll have notliing to do with that great Veffel, fays fie, with ibme Warmth, and I begin to apprehend my Self in fome Danger upon fuch a Whirlegig as you have made of the Earth. There is no Danger, refly'^dl^ but Madam, if your Fears increafe, we'll have the Earth fupported by four Ele- phants, as the Indians believe it. Hey day, crysjhe^ here's another Syfl:em ; however . I love thofe People for taking care of themfelveS;they have a good Foundation to truft to, while we Co^ernicans are a little too venturous with the Celefl:ial Matter ; and yet I fancy if the Indians thought the Earth in the leafl: danger of finking, they would double their Number of Elephants. They Plurality ^/WORLDS. 51 They do well, fays /, laughing at her Fancy, who would fleep in fear ? And if you have occaiion tor 'em to Night, we will put as many as you pleafe in our Sy- ftem, we can take 'em away again by De- grees as you grow better confirmed. I don't think 'em very neceflary, fays /7;^, I have Courage enough to turn. You Ihall turn with Pleafure, Madam, y^^'j- /, and fliall find delightful Ideas in this Syftem. For Example, fometimes I fancy my felf fufpended in the Air, without any Motion, while the Earth turns round me in twenty four Hours 5 I fee I know not how many different Faces pafs under me, feme White, fome Black, and fome Tauny ; fometimes I fee Hats, and fometimes Turbants, now Heads with Hair, and then fhav'd Pates ; here I fee Cities with Steeples, fome with Spires and Crefcents, others with Towers of Vmcelain^ and anon great Countries with nothing but Huts ; here I fee vaft Oceans, and there moft horrible Defarts ; in fliort, I Ai'^- C 4 cover 5 1 Difcour fes on the cover the infinite Variety which is upon the Surface of the Earth. I confefs, [ays ^ej twenty four Houi^s would thus be very well bcliowM, fo that in the Place where we are now, I don'^t mean in the Park, but we will fuppofe our felves in the Air, other People con- tinually pafs by who take up our Place, and at the End of twenty four Hours we return to it again. Co^er/iicus himfelf, fays J, could not have comprehended it better: Firft then might we fee the Englijh paf- fing by us, up to the Ears in Poli- ticks, yet fetling the Nation no better than we do the World m the Moo?t ; then follows a great Sea, and there perhaps fome Veffel, not near in that Tranqui- lity as we are ; then come fome of the Iro^ quois going to eat a Prifoner for their Breakfaft, who feems as little concerned as his Devourers. After appear the Wo- men of the Land o(Jej]o^ who fpend all their Time in drefTmg their Husband's Dinners and Suppers, and painting their Lips and Eye-brows Blue^ only to pleafe the Plurality (?/ WORLDS. 55 thegreateft Brutes in the World. Then the Tartars going devoutly on Pilgri- mage to their Great Prefier John^ who never comes out of a Gloomy Appart- ment all hung with Lamps, by the Light of which they pay their Adora- tion to him : Then the fair Circajfia?iSy who make no Scruples of granting every thing to the firft Comer, except what they think effentially belongs to their Husbands: Then the Inhabitants of little Tartar)' going to fteal Concubines for the Tui ks and l^erjlans ; and at iaft,our owndear Countrym£n,it may be in fome Points as ridiculous as, the bell: of 'em. ' This^f ays the Cotmtefs^ is very pleafant, but to imagine what you tell me, tho' I were above, and faw all this, I would have the Liberty to haften or retard the Motion of the Earth, according as tlie Objefts pleas'd me more or lefsj and T alTure you I fliould quickly fend pack- ing the Toiitkiajts and Man-eaters.^ but fliould have a great Curiofity for the i^iv Circa ijiafis:^ tor methinksthey have a Cuftom very particular. But 1 have a C 5 Diffi:^ 5 4 Difcovirfes m the Difficulty to clear, and you muft be feri- ous. As the Earth moves, tlie Air changes every Moment, fo we breath the Air of another Country. Not at all, re^lfd 7, for the Air which encompaffes the Earth, does not extend above a certain Height, perhaps 20 Leagues; it follows us and turns with us : Have you not feen the Work of a Silk- Worm, the Shells which thofe little Animals imprifon themfelves in^ and weave with fo much Art ; they arc made of a Silk very clofe, but are cover'd with a Down very loofe and fofc : So the Earth which is folid, is co- verM from the Surface 20 Leagues up- wards witli a kind of Down, which is the Air, and all the Shell of the Silk- Worm turns at the fame Time. Be- yond the Air is the Celeftial Matter, incomparably more pure and fubtle, and much more agitated than the Air., Your Compariibn, fa)'sf])e^ is fome- what mean, and yet what Wonders are wrought, what Wars, what Changes in this little Shell ? 'Tis true, repfu 7, but Nature takes no notice of fuch little par- Plurality ^/WORLDS. 3? particular Motions, but drives us along with the general Motion, as if flie were at Bowls. Methinks, fays pe^ 'tis very ridicu- lous to be upon a Thing that turns, and be in all this Perplexity, and yet not be well alTurM that it does turn ; and to tell you the Truth, I be- gin to diftruft the Reafons you give, why we iliould not be fenfible of the Motion of the Earth ; for is it poffible there lliould not be fome little Mark left, by which we might perceive it ? Ail Motions, fays /, the more conir mon and natural they are, are the lefs perceptible, and this holds true even in Morality -, the Motion of Self love is fo natural to us, that for the moft part we are not fenfible of it, and v/e believe we ad by other Principles. Now, faysfhe^ are you moralizing to a Qiieilion of Na- tural'Poilofopby which is running wide of the Argument : But enough, this Le- ftureisfufficient for the firilTime, let us now go home, and meet here again to-Morrov/, You with your Sjftems, and I with my Ignorance.. In 3 6 Difcourfes on the In returning back to the Caftle, that I might fay all I could on the Subjeft, I told her of a third Syftem, invented by Ticho Brahe, who had fix'd the Earth in the Center of the World, turn'd the S-tm round the Earthy and the reft of the Planets round tlie Sun ; for fince tlie New Difcoveries, there was no Way left to have the Planets turn round the Earth. But the Cotintep with the quick- eft Apprehenfion, replfd^ fhe thought this tooafFeded a Syftem, that among fo many great Bodies, the Earth only fliould be exempted from turning round the Sun ; that it was improper to make the Sun turn round the Earthy when all the Tlanets turn round the Sun ; and that tho' this Scheme was to prove the Immobility of the Earthy yet flie thought it very improbable : So we re- folvM to ftick to Ccfernkus^ whofe Opi- nion we thought moft Uniform, Pro- bable, and Diverting. In a Word, the Simplicity of which convinces, and the Boldnefs furprizes with pleafure. ThQ Plurality c/ WORLDS. 37 The Second Evening's Conversation. That the Moon is a?i Inhabited World, ^.M,&& H E next Morning, as foon as S T C anyone could get admittance, "^'•^^"si'k I fenttotheCoimtefs'sAppart- ment, tO know how fhe had refted, andwhether the Motion of the Earth had not di[1:urbM her ? She re- turnM for Anfwer, (he began to beac- cuftom'd to it, and x\\2LtCoj'er7iicus him- felf had not flept better. Some time after there came fome Neighbours to Dinner, who ftay'd with lier till the Evening, according to the tirefom Cu- ftom in the Country ; nay, and they were very obliging in going tlien, for the Country likewife gives a Priviledge of extending their Vifit to the next Morning if they are fo dilpoicd^ and have 3 8 Difcourfes on the have not the Confcience to breakup. So the Cou>,tejs and I found our felves at Liberty, in the Evening : We went again to the Park, and immediately fell upon our Syftems ; She fo well retained what I told her the Night before, that file defirM I would proceed without any Repetition. Well, Madam, y^^;j /, Since the Sun^ which is now im.move- able, has left off being a TUmet ; and the Earth which turns round him is now become one, you'll not be furpriz'd whe^ you hear that the Moo?i is an Earth too, and an habitable World. I confefs, Jays fie, I have often heard talk of the IVorU in the Moo?^^ but I always lookM upon it as Viiionary and meer Fancy. And, fay^. /, it may be fo ftill '^ I am in this Cafe, as People in a Civil- War, where the uncertainty of of what may happen, makes 'em hold Inrtlligence with the oppofite Party, and correipond with their very Enemies ; for tlio' I verily believe the xViocm is In- habiced, I live civilly with thofe who do not believe it j and I am \^like fome honeit Plurality ^/WORLDS. 59 honeft Gentlemen in Point of Religion) ftill ready to embrace the prevailing Opi- nion, but till the Unbelievers have a more confiderable Advantage, I declare for the Inhabitants of the Moon. Suppofe there had never been any Communication between Pc-rh and St. Dennis^ and a Cockney who was ne- ver beyond the W^alls of his own City, faw St. Dermis from the Towers of Noftre-Dr^me ; you ask him if he be- lieves St. Dennis is Inhabited as Far is is ? He prefently anfwers boldly, No ; for, fays be^ I fee very well the People at Taris^ but thofe at St. Dennis I don't fee at all, nor did I ever hear of any there : 'Tis true, you tell him, that from the Towers of Nofirt'D^me, he cannot perceive any Inhabitants of St. Dennis^ becaufe of the diliance ; but all that he does difcover of St. Dtimis^ very much refembles what lie fees at Taris^ the Steeples, Houfcs, Walls, fo that it may very well be Inhabited as Paris is ; all this fignilies nothing, my Cockney ftill maintains that St. Dennis 40 Difcourfes on the De7tnis is not inhabited, becaule he fees no Body there. The Moon is our St. Dennis^ and every one of us is like this Parifian Cockney, who never went out of his o\^^n City. You are too fevere^/^n'j'/^e'jUpon your Fellow Citizens ; we are not all fure fo filly as your Cockney ; fince St. Dennis is juft like Faris^ , he is a Fool if he does not think it inhabited : But the Moon is not at all like the Earth. Take care what you fay, Madam, reflfd /, for if the Moon refembles the Earth, you are under a neceffity to believe it inhabited. If it be fo, fays pe^ I own I cannot be dif- pensM from believing it ; and you feem fo confident of it, that I fear I muft, w^hether I will or no. 'Tis true, the two Motions of the Earth, (which I could never Imagine till now ) do a lit- tle ftagger me as to all the reft ; but yet, how is it poffible the Earth fl^ould enlighten as the Moon does, without which they cannot be alike ? If that be all, fijs /, the Difference is not ^reat, for 'tis the Sun which is the fole Foua- taiii. Plurality (?/ WORLDS. 41 tain of Light \ that Quality proceeds only from him ; and if the Planets give Light to us,it is becaufe they firlt receive it from the Sun ; the Sun fends Light to the Moon, and flie reflects it back on the Earth ; the Earth in the fame manner receives Light from the Sun, and fends it to the Moon ; for the Diftance is the fame between the Earth and the Moon, as between the Moon and the Earth. But, fays the Countefs^ is the Earth as fit to fend back the Light of the Sun as the Moon is ? You are altogether for the Moon, fays I^ fhe is much oblig'd to you ; but you muft know tiiat Light is made up of certain little Balls, which rebound from what is Solid, but pafs through what admits of an entrance in a right Line, as Air or Glafs : So that what makes the Moon enlighten us, is that flie is a firm and folid Body, from which the little Balls rebound ; and we muit deny our Senfes, if we will not allow the Earth the fame Solidity ; in fhort, the Difference is how we are feated, for the 42. Difcourfes on the the Moon being at fo vaft a diftance from us, we can only difcover her to be a Body of Light, and don't perceive that Hie is a great Mafs, altogether like the Earth : V/hereas on the contrary, becaufe we are fo near the Earth, we know her to be a great Mafs, proper for the furnifhing Provifion for Animals, but don't difcover her to be a Body of Light, for want of the due Diftance : It is )uft fo with us all, fa)'s the Comtefs^ we are dazled with the Quality and For- tune of thofe who are above us, when, do but examine Things nicely, and we are all upon a Level. Its very true, fays /, we would judge of all Things, but ftill ftand in the wrong Places ; we are too near to judge of our felves, and too far off to knov/ others : So that the true way to fee Things as they are, is to be between the Moon and the Earth, to be purely a Speftator of this World, and not an In- habitant. I fhall never be fatisfy'd, fsfys pe^ for the Injuftice we do the Earth, and the too favourable Opinion we have of Plurality ^/WORLDS. 43 of the Moon, till you affure me tliat tlie Inhabitants of the Moon are as little ac- quainted with their Advantages, as we are with ours ; and that they take our Earth for a Planet, without knowing theirs is one too. Don't doubt it, fays 7, we appear to them to perform very re- gularly our Function of a Planet : 'Tis true, they don't fee us make a Circle round them, but that is no great mat- ter. That half of the Moon which was turn'd towards us at the beginning of the World, has been turn'd towards us ever fince ; the Eyes, Mouth and Face which we have fmcy'd of the Spots in her, are ftill the fame, and if the other oppofite half fliould appear to us, we fhould, no doubt, fancy another Figure from the different Spots that are in it : Not but that the Moon turns upon her felf, and in the fame time that ihe turns round the Earth, that is in a Month ; but while flie is makiag that turn upon herfelf, and that Ihe lliou'd hide a Cheek, for Example, and appear fomewhat elfe to us, flie makes a like part of her Circle round 44 Difcour fes on thd round the Earth, and ftill prefents to us the fame Cheek ; fo that the Moon, who in refpeft of the Sun and Stars turns round her felf, in refpeft of us does not turn at all ; they feem to her to rife and fet in the fpace of fifteen Days ; but for our Earth, it appears to her to be held up in the fame Place of the Hea- vens : 'Tis true, this apparent Immobi^ lity is not very agreeable to a Body which fliould pafs for a Planet, but it is not altogether perfed ; the Moon has a kind of trembling which caufes a lit- tle Corner of her Face to be fometimes hid from us, and a little corner of the oppofite half appears ) but then upon my Word fhe attributes tliat trembling to us, and fancies that we have in the Heavens the Motion of a Tendulumj which vibrates too and fro. I find, fjs the Cotmttfs^ tlie Planets are juit like us ; we caft that upon o- thers which is in our felves ; fays the •Earth, T/> not I that turn^ ^tis theSmr^ the Moon fays, Vij not I thcttjhake^ "'tis the Earth \ there is a great deal of Er- ror Plurality ^/WORLDS. 4^ ror every where. But I would not advife you, fays I, to undertake the re- forming it ; you had better convince your felf of the entire refemblance of the Earth and the Moon : Imagine then thefe two great Bowls held up in the Heavens, you know that the Sun always enlightens the one half of a Bo- dy that is round, and the other half is in the Shadow ; there is theij one half of the Earth, and oaQ half of the Moon which is enhghtned by the Sun ; that is, one half which is Day, and the other half whi Ji is Night. Obferve alfo, that as a Ball has lefs ^orce after it has been flruck a^ainlt a Wall, and rebounds to the other iide, fo is Liglit weakaed when it is reflefted. The Pale Light which comes to us from the Moon, is the very Light of the Sun, but it can- not come to us from the Moon, but by llefleflion ; it has loft much of the force andluftre it had when it came diredlly from the Sun upon the Moon ; and that bright Light which Ih.ines direftly upon us from the Sun, and which the Earth reflefts 4(5 DifcouiTes on the refle£ls upon the Moon, is as pale and weak when it arrives there ; fo that the Light which appears to us in the Moon, and enhghtcns our Nights, is tli^Part of the Moon which has Day; and that part of the Earth which has Day, when it is oppofite to the part of the Moon which has Night, gives Light to it : All depends upon, how the Moon and the Earth behold one ano- ther. At the beginning of the Month we don't fee the Moon, becaufe flie is between the Sun and us ; that half of her which has Day, is then tiirnM to- wards the Sun ; and that half which has Night, turnVl towards us; we can't fee it then, becaufe it has no Light upon it ; but that half of the Moon which has Night, being turn'd to the half of the Earth which has Day, fees us without being perceiv'd, and we then appear to them, juft as the full Moon does to us ; fo that, as I may fay, the Inhabitants of the Moon have then a full Earth ; but the Moon being advanced upon her Ciccle of a Month, comes Plurality (7/ WORLDS. 47 comes from under the Sun, and begins to turn towards us a little Corner of the half which is Light, there's the Crefcent ; then thofe Parts of the Moon which have Night don't fee all the half of the Earth which has Day, and we are then in the Wane to them. I underfland you perfeftly, fays the Cotmtefs^ without Hefitation, I can comprehend the reft at Pleafure, and I have nothing to do but thiiik a Mo- ment, and bring the Moon upon her Circle of a Month. I fee in general that, the Inhabitants of the Moon have a Month quite contrary to us ; when we have a full Moon, their half of the Moon which is Light, is turned to our half of the Earth which is Dark ; they don't fee us at a!l, and they have then a New^ Earth, this is plain. I would not ftand the Reproach of requiring a- long Explication on fo eafie aPoint : But, now tell me, how come the Eclipfcs ? You may eafily guefs that, fays /, when it is new Moon, that {ht is between the Sua and us, and all her Dark Half is 4? Difcourfes on the is turnM towards us who have Light, that obfcure Shadow is cafl: upon us : If the Moon be direQly under the Sun, that Shadow hides him from us, and at the fame Time obfcures a part of that half of the Earth which is Light, which was feen by that half of the Moon which was Dark, here then is an E- clipfe of the Sun to us during our Day, and an Eclipfe of the Earth to the Moon during her Night. When it is full Moon, the Earth is between her and the Sun, and all the Dark half of the Eartli is turn'd towards all the Light half of the Moon ; the Shadow then of the Earth cafts it felf towards the Moon, and if it falls on the Moon, it obfcures that Light half which we fee, which then has Day, and hinders the Sun from Ihining on it : Here then is an Eclipfe of the Moon to us during our Night, and ^ an Eclipfe of the Sun to the Moon during her Day : But the Reafon that we have not Eclipfes eve- ry Time that the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth, or the Earth be- tween Plurality ^/WORLDS. 49 tween the Sun and the Moon, is be- caufe thefe three Bodies are not exaSly placM in a right Line, and by Confe- quence that which fhould make the Eclipfe, cafts its Shadow a little befide that which (hould be obfcur'd. I am iuvpviz^dy fays the Countefs^ that there fliould be fo* little Miftery in E- clipfes, and that the whole World fliould not know tlxe Caufe of 'em* !N' or ever will, /-Jyj" /, as fome People go about it. In the Eajt Indies^ when the Sun and the Moon are in Eclipfe, they believe a certain Devil, who has black Claws, is feizing on thofe Planets with his Talons; and during that Time> the Rivers are covered with the Heads of Indians^ who are up to the Neck ia Water, becaufe they efteem it a very devout Pofture, to implore the Sun and the Moon to defend them againft the Devil. In America they are perfuaded that the Sun and the Moon, when E- clips'd, are angry ; And what is it they will not do to be reconciPd with them ? The Greeks^ who were fo refinM alfo, D believ'd 5*0 Difcourfes on the believM the Moon was then enchanted, and that the Magicians forc'd her to defcend from Heaven, and (hed a ma- lignant Juice on the Plants : Nay, what a pannick fear were we in not above 40 Years ago, at an Eclipfe of the Sun? How many People hid themfelves in Cellars^ and all the Philofophers who treated of its Caufe, could not perfwade them to come out till the Eclipfe was over ? In good FaithJi^vj-J/^t^'tis fcandalous for Men to be fuch Cowards ; there ought to be a general Law of Mankind to prohibit the difcourfing of Eciipfes, that we might not call to mind the Follies that have been laid, and done, upon that SubjeQ:. Your Law then, [ays /, muft abolifh even the Memory of all Things, and forbid us to fpeak at all, for I know nothing in the World which is not a Monument of the Folly of Man. But what d'ye think, pj J- J??^, of the Inhabitants of the Moon, are they as fearful of an Eclipfe as we are ? It would be a very good Jeft to fee the Indians there up to the Neck ia Water ; that the Plurality o/ WORLDS, yt the Amerka?ts fliould believe the Earth angry with them; the Greeks fancy we were bewitch'd, and would deftroy their Plants ; in fhort, that we fhould caufe the fame Confternation among them, as they among us. And why not, fays I J I don't at all doubt it ; for why lliould the People in the Moon have more Wit than we? What right have they to afright us and not we them ? For my part, contimi^dllangbing^ I believe that fiiice a prodigious Company of Men have been, and tlill are, fuch Fools to a- dore the Moon, there certainly are Peo- ple in the Moon that worfliip the Earth, and that we are upon our Knees the one to the odier. But iuvc^ fays pt^ we don't pretend to fend any Influences to the Moon, and to give a Crifis to her Sick ; if the People have any Wit in thofe Parts, they'll foon deftroy the Honour we flatter our felves with, and I fear, we fliall have the Diladvantage. Madam, fajs /, don't fear that, d^e think we are the only Fools of the Uni- verfe ? Is it not confiftent with Igno- D 2 rancc '^j* 2. Difcourfes on the ranee to fpread it felf every where? 'Tis true, we can only guefs at the Fol- ly of the People in the Moon, but I no more doubt it, than I do the moft Au- thentick News that comes from thence. What authentick News comes from thtncQ^ fay sjjje ? That which the Learn- ed bring us, replfal^ who travel thither every Day with their Tubes and Telef- copes ; they'll tell you of their Difcove. ries, of Lands, Seas, Lakes, high Moun- tains, and deep Abyffes. Indeed, fays fl:e^ I fancy they may difcover Mountains and Abyffes, be- caufe of the remarkable Inequahty; but how do they diilinguifli Lands and Seas? Very eafily, /^jj' /> for the Wa- ters letting part of the Light pafs thro' them, fend back but a very Httle, fo that they appear afar off like fo many dark Spots ; whereas the Lands being folid, reflefl: the whole Light, and. ap- pear to be more bright and (hining : The famous . Monfieur Cajfmij a Man ofthelargeft Acquaintance in the World .with the Firmament, difcover'd in the Moon / Plurality ^WORLDS, st M:on fomething which divided, tlien re- united, and funk in a fort of Wells : We may with very much probability fup- ppfe this was a River. Nay, they pre- tend- tQ be fo well acquainted with the fjveral Pkces, that they have given them all Names ; one they call Cofer- iiictfSj another Jrckrme^lesy and a third' Galikus\ there is the CaJjyianSea^ the- Black Lctke^ the Porj^hirite Mount ai7is\ m fliort, they have publiQi'd fuch ex- ad Defcriptions of the Moon, that a very Almanack-maker will be no more to feek tliere, than 1 am m Paris. I mud own then, faj's the Cotmtefs^ they are very exafl • but what do they fay to the iniide of the Country? I would very tain know that. 'Tis impoffible, refifdl^ the moft learned Aftronomers of our Age cannot inform you. You muil: ask that oi A'lolfo^ who was carri- ed into the Moon by St. "Johii. I am go- ing to tell you one of the agreeable Fol- lies oijfiolco^ which Fm confident you'll be well pleas'd to hear : I muft con- fefs he had better have let alone St. John^ D J whofe 54 Difccurfes on the whofe Name is worthy of Refpeft ; but 'tis a Poetical Licenfe, and muft be allow'd. The PoeiHy which is call'd Orlando Furiofo^ is dedicated to a Car- dinal, and a great Pope has honoured it with his Approbation^ which is pre- fixed to feveral of the Editions ; this is the Argument, Rowland Nej^hew to Charlemagne, /^//j" mad^ lecaufe the fair Angelica prefers Medore before him, Aftolfo a Kjiight Errant^ finding him- felf one Day in the Terreflrial Paradife^ which was ti^on the Top of a very high Mountain J where he was carried by his flying Horfe^ meets St. John there^ who tells hinij if he would have Rowland cured^ hemuji make a Voyage with him into the Moon. Aftolfo, who had a great Mind to fee New Countries^ did not ft and much upon intreaty, there im* mediately came a fiery Chariot which carrfd the Apoftleand the Kjtight up into the Air-, Aftolfo being no great Philofopher^ was furpriz^d to find the Moony2? much bigger than it appear'* d to him when he was upon the Earth j to fee Plurality ^/WORLDS. ? j fee Rivers^ Seas^ Mountains^ Cities^ for eft s^ nay^ what would have furp't^d- me tooy Njmphs bnnting in thofe Forejls ; tut that which ajfear^amofi remarkahle^ was a FalJe)' where you might find any Tbi?ig that was Jofi in our World, af what natme fever y Crowns^ Riches^ Fame^ and an infinity ofHofes ; the time we ffend in Piay^ and in fearching for the Pijilojo'her^s Stone^ the Alms voe give after our Death y the Verfes we fre* fent to great Men and Princes^ and the Sighs of Lovers. I don'^t know, fays the Count efy what became of the Sighs of Lovers in QArio/io\ Time, but I fan- cy there are very few of 'em afcend to the Moon in our Days. Ah, Madam, refifdl^ how many does Your Lady- fliip fend thither eveiy Day? Thofe that are addrefsM to you will make a confiderable Heap ; and I affure you the Moon keeps all .fofe that is loft here below : Yet I muft tell you, Jrio'^o does but whifper it ; tho' every Thing is there, even the Donation of Confian- tine J (/. e.) the Popes have pretended D 4 to ^6 DifcouiTes a^ the to be Mafters of Rome and Itdy^ by Virtue of a Donation which the Em- peror Co?tftardi?i€ made Stlvefter ; and the Truth on't is, no Body knows what's become of it: But what do you think is not to be found in the Moon ? Folly: All that ever was upon the Earth is kept there ftill, but in lieu of it, 'tis not to be imagined how many Witsfif I may fo call 'emj that are loll here, are got up into the Moon, they are fo ma- ny Vials full of a very fubtile Liquor, which evaporates immediately, if it be not well ftoppM ; and upon every one of thefe Vials the Names are written to whom the Wits belong: I think Ari- ofto has heapM 'em upon one another a little confufedly, but for Order's fake we will fancy 'em plac'd upon Shelves in a long Gallery ; JffoJfo wonder'd to fee feveral Vials full, infcrib'd with the Names of Perfons whom he thought confiderable for their Wifdom. To confefs the Truth, I begin to fear fince I have entertain'd you with thefe Philofophical and Poetical Vifions, mine Plurality (7/ WORLDS, y; mine there, is not very empty ; how- ever, 'tis fome Confolation to me, that while you are fo attentive, you have a httle Glafs full, as w^ell as your humble Servant : The good Knight found his own Wits among the reft, and with the Apoftle's leave fnufF'd it all up his Nofe, like fo much Hungary Water ; but Ari- ofio faid he did not carry it far, it re- turned again to the Moon a little after. Well, he did not forget Kovo]and\ Vial, which was the Occafion of his Voyage ; but he was curfedly plagu'd to carry it, for Htro^s Wiis are natu^ rally very heavy, and there did not want one Drop of it : To conclude, Ariofto^ according to his laudable Cu- flom of faying whatever he pleafes, ad- drelTes himfclf to his Miitrefs in very beautiful Verfes. * Fair 'Mfirepy ivhofor ine to Heaven fiaU fly^ To hring again from thence my "d-ahAririg IVit ? Which fJliHlofc'y JjKce from that piercing Eye The Dart ca?ne Jorth that firji my Heart did hit : D 5 Nor 3'/VJohii Harrington's Tranjlaimi of ArioAo. 58f Difcourfes On the Nor of my Lofs at all compla'm ivouU /, Migh I but keep that luh'tch retnatneth yet : IBut ifitfi'tlldecr^afey within Jhort Space, I douht IJhallhem RowlandoV C^y^ 5 Yetf 'well I ivotiihere to recover mtne, Tho* not in Paradife, nor CynthiaV Sphere, Yet donhtlefs in a Place no lef< Divine, In that fiveet Face cf yours, in that fair Hair, That rtihy Ltp, in thofe t-wo Star-like Eyn, There is my Wit, J k-'.ow it -wanders there, u4fidwith my LipSy ij you 'would give me leave, I. there ivould fearch, I thence ivould it receive. Is not this very pleafant? Toreafon like Anofioy the fafeft Way of lofing our Wits is to be in Love ; for you fee they don't go far from us, v^e may recover 'em again at our Lips ; but when we lofe 'em by otlier Means, as for Example, by Philofophizing, they are gone with a Jerk into the Moon, and there is no coming at 'em again when we would. However, [ays the Cotintefs^ our Vials have an honourable Station among the Phiiofophers, when 'tis Forty to One, but Love fixes our Wits on an Objeci: we cannot but be afham'd of: But to take Plurality ^/WORLDS. 59 take away mine entirely, pray tell me very ferioufly, if you believe there are any Men in the Moon, for methinks hitlierto you have not been very pofi- tive : For my Part, fays /, I don't be- lieve there are Men in the Moon, for do but obferve how much the Face of Nature is cliang'd bwJtween this and China \ other Vifages, Shapes, Man- ners ; nay, almoft other Principles of Reafon^ and therefore, between us and the Moon the alteration muft be much more confiderable. In the Lands that have been lately difcover'd, we can fcarce call the Inhabitants Men, they are rather Animals in Human Shape, and that too fometimes very imperfeft, almoft without ^uman Rea- fon ; he therefore that will travel to the Moon, muft not expeft to find Men there. What fort of People are they then, fays the Cou/itefs^ with an Air of Im- patience ? Troth, Madam, reflfd /, I don't know ; for put the Cafe that we our felves inhabited the Moon, and ^o Difcourfes on the and were not Men, but rational Crea- tures ; could we' imagine, d'ye think, fuch fantaftical People upon the Earth, as Mankind is ? Is it poflible we fhould have an Idea of fo ftrange a Compofi- tion, a Creature of fuch foolifli Paffions, and fuch wife Reflections? Granted but fuch a Span of Life, and yetpurfu- ing Views of fuch Extent ? So Learned In. Trifles, and fo ftupidly Ignorant in Matters of the grcatefl: Importance ? So much Concern for Liberty, and yet fuch great Inclinations to Servitude ? So de- fu'ous of Happinefs, and yet fo very in- capable of being fo ? The People in the Moon mufl: be wife indeed to fuppofe all this of us. But don't we fee our felves continually, and can't fo much as guefs how we were made ? So that we are forc'd to fay the Gods when they created us were drunk with Neciar ; and when they were fober again, could not chufe but laugh at their own Handy-work. Well, well, fays the Cpuntejs^ we are fafe enough then, they la the Moon know nothing of us \ but I Plurality ^/WORLDS. 61 I could wifli we were a little better ac- quainted with them, for it troubles me that we fliould fee the Moon above us, and yet not know what is done there. Why, faysl^ Are you not as much con- cern'd for that part of the Earth which IS not yet difcover'd ? What Creatures inhabit it, and what they do there ? For we and they are carryM in the fame VelTel : They polTefs the Prow, and we the Pbop. and yet there is no manner of Communication between us ; they don't know at one end of the Ship who lives, or what is done at the other end ; and you wou\l know what palTes in the Moon, which is another great Vef- fel, faihng in the Heavens at a vaft di- ftance from us. Oh, faysjhe^ for the Earth I reckon it all as good as difcover'd, and can guefs at the People, tho' I never heard a Word of 'em ; for 'tis certain they all very much refemble' us, and we may know 'em better when we have a mindto't; they'll ftay where they are, and 'tis no more but going to fee 'em ; but 6i Di^courfes c?7 the but we can't get into the Moon if we would, {o that I dcfpair of knowing what they do there. You'll laugh at me, Jays /, if I flhould ai^fwer you feri- oufly, perhaps J may deferve it, and yet, I fancy, I can fay a great deal to juftifie a ridiculous Thought that is juft now come into my Head ; nay, to ufe the Fools beft Argument, I'll lay a Wa- ger I make you own ( in fpire of Rea- fon ) that one of thefe Days there may be a Communication between the Earth and the Moon, and who knows what great Advantages we may reap by it ? Do but confider America before it was difcoverM by Cokmttis^ how profoundly Ignorant were thofe People, they knew nothing at all of Arts and Sciences, they went naked, had no o- ther Arms but Bows and Arrows, and did not apprehend they might be carried by Animals ; they lookM upon the Sea as a v/ide Space, not for the ufe of Men, that it was joynM to the Heavens, and beyond it was nothing : 'Tis true, af- ter having fpent wiiole Years in hol- lov/ing Plurality 0/ WORLDS. 5 5 lowing the Trunks of great Trees with fliarp Stones, they put themfelves to Sea in thefe Trunks, and floated from Land to Land, as the Wind and Waves drove 'em ; but how often was their Trough overfet, and they forc'd to re- cover it again by fwiming ? So that ( except when they were on Land ) it might be faid they were continually fwiming: And yet had any one but told 'em of another kind of Navigati- on incomparably more perfect and ufe- ful than their own, that wou'd eafily convey over that infinite Space of Wa- ter, that they might Itop in the middle of the Waves, and in fome Senfe com- mand the Winds, and make their Vef- fel go taft, or flow, as they pleasM ; in fliort, that this impa liable Ocean fliould be no Obftacle to their converfing with another different People ; d'ye think they'd have behev'd you? And yet at laft that Day is come ; the unheard of, and moft furprizing Sight appears; vaft great Bodies, with white Wings, are feen to fly upon the Sea, to vomit Fire from 6^ DifcouiTes on the from all Parts, and to caft on their Shores an unknown People, all fcaPd with Iron, who difpofe and govern Monfters as they pleafe ; carry Thun- der in their Hands, and overthrow and deiiroy who ever refirfs 'em: From whence came they ? Who brought 'em over the Sea? Who gave to 'em the Difpofal of the Fire of Heaven ? Are t!)ey Gods ? Are they the Offspring of the Sun, for certainly they are not Men. Do but confider. Madam, the furprize of the Jmtrica?/s^ there can be nothing greater ♦, and after this, will any one lay there fliall never be a Com- munication between the Moon and the Earth. Did the Jmerka?is believe there would ever be any between them and Eurofe^ till it came to pafs ? 'Tis true, you muft pafs this great Space of Air and Heaven which is between the Earth and the Moon ; but did not thofe vaft Seas feem at firft as impaiTa- ble to the J?nerka?/s? You rave, I think, fajsfit', Who denies it. Ma- dam ? faui 1. Nay, but Til prove it,! re- £Ues Plurality (?/ WORLDS. 6j l^iespe ; I don't care for your bare owning it : Did you not own the J- meric^tjis were fo ignorant, that tlicy had not the lead: conception of croffing the Sea;M3Ut we, w^ho know a great deal more than they, can iinagine and tancy the going through the Air, tho' we are affuPd it is not to be done. There is fomewhat more than Fancy, reply d /, when it has been aheady praftisVl, for feveral have found the fe- cret of faftening Wings, which bear them up in the Air, to move them as they pleafe, and to fly over Rivers, and from Steeple to Steeple ; I can't fay indeed they have yet made an Ea- gle's flight, or that it does not cofi: now and then a Leg or an Arm to one of thefe New Birds ; but tliis may ferve to reprefent the lirfl: Planks that were launchM on the Water, and which were the beginning of Navigation ; there were no Veffels then thought of to fail round the World, and yet you fee what great Ships are grown by lit- tle and Uctle from thofe rude Planks. Tlie 66 Difcourfes on the The Art of Flying is but newly invent- ed, 'twill improve by degrees, and in time grow perfeQ: ; then we may fly as far as the Moon. We don't yet pretend to have difcover'd ail Things, or that what we have difcover'd can receive no addition ; and therefore, - pray let us agree, there are yet many Things to be done in the Ages to come. Were you to live a thouiand Years, fays the Cotmtefs^ I can never believe you'll fly, but you muft endanger your Neck. I will not, replfd /, be fo un- mannerly as to contradi£t a fair Lady ; but tlio' we can't learn the Art here, t- hope you v^ill allow they may fly bet- ter in the Moon ; 'tis no great matter whether we go to them, or they come to us, we fhall then be like the Jmtri- cans^ who knew nothing of Navigati- on, and yet there were very good S!)ips at t'other end of the World. Were ic lb, fajspej in a fort of a Pailion, the Inha- bitants of the Moon would have been here before now. All in good timtjajs L the Europeans were not in Auerka till Plurality ^/WORLDS. 67 till about fome Six Thoufand Years •, they were fo long in improving Navi- gation to the Point of croiTing the Oce- an. The People in the Moon have al- ready made fome fliort Voyages in the Aiv , they are exercifing continually, and by degrees will be more expert, then we fhall fee 'em, and God knows how we fhall be furpriz'd. It is unfuf- ferable, fy'j pe, you Ihould banter me at this rate, and juftifie your ridiculous Fancy by fuch falfe Reafoning. Vm going to demonftrate, fa)s /, you Re- proach me very unjuilly : Confider, Madam, that the World is unfolded by degrees ; for the Ancients were very politive, that the Torrid and Frigjd Zones were not habitable, by reafon of their exceflive Heat and Cold ; and in the time of the Rofnans^ the general Map of the World was but very little extended beyond that of their tmj-ire ; which, tho' in one refpeti, exprefs'd much Grandeur, in another fenfe, was a fignof as great Ignorance ; however, there were Men found both in very hot and 68 Difcourfes on the and in very cold Countries, fo that yoii fee the World is ah^eady increased ; af- ter t!iat, it was thought that the Oceaa coverMthe whole Earth, except what was then difcoverM : There was no talk then of the Antifodes^ not fo mucli as a thought of 'em, for who could fancy their Heels at top, and their Heads at bottom ? And yet, after all their fine Reafoning, the Antipodes were diico- ver'd ; here's now another half of the World ftarts up, and a new Reforma- tion of the Map ; methinks this, Ma- dam, fiiould reftrain us, and teach us not to be fo pofitive in our Opinions, the World will unfold icielf more to us hereafter ; we iliall then know the Peo- ple in the Moon, as well as we do now the Antipodes ; but all Things muft be done in Order, the whole Earth muft be difcover'd ; and till we are perfeftly acquainted with cur own Habitation, we fnall never know that of our Neigh- bours. Without fooling, y^^'j' the Cotm- /^^/i", looking earneftly upon me, you are fo very profound in this Point, that I begia Plurality ^/ WORLDS. fiftance. This will furnifli us with Corn, Fruit, Water, and what we pleafe elfe \ I mean according to the Cuftom or Manner of the Moon, which I do not pretend to know ; and all pro- portioned to the Wants and Ufesof the Inhabitants, with whom I pretend to be as litde acquainted. That Plurality ^/WORLDS. 77 That is to fay, replfd the Countefs^ you know all is very well, without knowing how it is fo, which is a great deal of Ignorance upon a very little Knowledge ; however, I comfort my felf, that you have giyen the Moon her Inhabitants again, and have wrapM her* in an Air of her own, without which a Planet would feem to me but very naked. 'Tis thefe two different Airs, fays /, that hinder the Communication of the two Planets ; if it was only flying, as I told you Yefterday, who knows but we might improve it to Perfection, tho* I confefs there is but little hopes of it ; the great diftance between the Moon and the Earth is a Difficulty not eafily to be furmounted ; yet were the di- ftance but inconfiderable, and the two Planets almoft contiguous, it wouM be ftill impoffible to pafs from the Air of the one, 'uuo the Air of the other : The Water is the Air of FiHies, they never pafs into the Air of the Birds, nor the Birds into the Air of the Filli ; and yet E J \is r 78 Difcourfes op the 'tis not the diftance that hinders them but both are imprifonM by the Air they breath in ; we find our Air confifts of thicker and grolTer Vapours than the Air of the Moon. So that one of her Inhabitants arriv^ig at the Confines of our World, as foon as he enters our Air, will inevitably drown himfelf, and we fhall fee him fall dead on the Earth, I fhould rejoice at a Wreck, fays the Countefsy of a good Number of thefe Ltinar People, how pleafant wouM it be to fee 'em lie fcatterM on the Ground, where we might confider at our eafe, their extraordinary Figures ? But what, fays /, if they cou'd Iwim on the out- ward Surface of our Air, and be as cu- rious to fee us, as you are to fee them ; fhould they Angle or caft a Net for us, as for fo many Fifh, would that pleafe you ? Why not ? Says the Countefs fmiling ; for my part I would go into their Nets of my own accord, were it but for the Pleafure to fee fuch ftrange Fiihermen* Confi- Plurality ^WORLDS. 79 Confider, fays 7, you wouM be very Sick, when you were drawn to the top of our Air, for it is not refpirable in all its extent, as may be feen on the Tops of fome very high Mountains ; and I admire that they who have the Folly to believe that our Fairies^ whom they allow to be Corporeal, and to inhabit the moft pure and refin'd Air ; don't tell us that the Reafon why they give us fuch lliortand feldom Vifits, is that there are very few among them that can dive ; and thofe that can, if it be poilible to get through the thick Air where we are, cannot ftay half fo long in it, as your Diving Fowls can in the Water. Here then are natural Barri- cades, which defend the Paffage out of our World, as well as the Entry into that of the Moon ; fo thatfince wecaa only guefs at that World, let us fancy all we can of it. For Example, I will fuppofe that we may fee there the Fir* mament, the Sun, and the Stars, of a- nother Colour than what they are here; all thefe appear to us through a kind cf E 4 JNatu- 8o Difcourfes vn the Natural Spectacles, which change and alter the Objefts. Thefe Speftacles are our Air, mixM as it is with Vapours and Exhalations, and which does not extend itfelf very high. Some of our Modern Philofophers pretend, of itfelf it is blue, as well as the Water of the Sea, and that this Colour neither appears in the one nor in the other, but at a great depth ; the Firmament, fay they, where the fix'd Stars are faftned, has no peculiar Light of its own, and by confequence muft appear black, but we fee it through the Air, which is blue, and therefore to us it appears blue ; which if fo, the Beams of the Sun and Stars cannot pafs through the Air without being ting'd a little with its Colour, and lofing as much of their own ; yet were the Air of no Colour, it is very certain, that through a great Mift the Light of a Flambeau at fome diftance appears red- difh, though it be not its true natural Colour. Our Air is nothing but a great Mift, which changes the true Colour of the Sky, of the Sun, and of the Stars ; it Plurality ^/WORLDS, 8i It belongs only to the Celeftial Mattfer to bring us the Light and Colours as they really are in all their Purity ; fo chat fince the Air of the Moon is of a- nother Nature than our Air, or is ftain'd of another Colour, or at lead is another kind of Mirt:, which caufes o- ther Alterations to the Colours of the Celeftial Bodies ; in fliort, as to the People of the Moon, their Speftacles, through which they fee every Thing, are chang'd. If it be fo, fays the Count tf\, I prefer my abode before that of the Moon ; for I can't believe the Celeftial Colours are fo well fuired asthey are here ; for inftance, let us put green Stars on a red Sky, they can't be fo agreeable as Stars of Gold on an Azure Firmament. To hear you, fays 7, one wou'd think you was chufing a Petticoat, or a fuit of Knots; but believe me. Nature does not want F.ancy *, leave it to her to chufe Colours for the Moon, and Dl engage they fha1l be well forted ; fhe will not fail to vary the Profpe£l of the e 5 Uni- ga Difcourfes on the Univerfe, at evecy different Point of Sight, and the Alteration flhall always be very agreeable I know very well, [ays the Countefs^ her Skill in this Point ; fhe is not at the charge of changing the Objefts, but on- ly the Speftacles, and has the Credit of this great Variety, without being at any Expence ; with a blue Air, fhe gives us a blue Firraamejit ; and per- haps with a red Air, {ho, gives to the Inhabitants of the Moon a red Firma- ment, and yet ftill it is but the fame Fir- mament ; nay, I am of Opinion, fhe has placM a fort of Speftacles in our Ima- gination, through which we fee all Things, and which to every particular Man change the Objefts. Akxander look'd on the Earth as a fit Place to e- ftablifli a great Empire, it feem'd to Cf- Udon a proper Refidence for AJiraay and it appeared to a Philofopher, a great Planet in the Heavens, covered with Fools : I don't believe the Sights vary more betv/een the Earth and the Moon, than they do between one Man's Fan- cy and anothers. This. Plurality l(com(es on the is affign'd to be the Mother of Love,, and Shepherd's Star to Fenus ; for fuch Names are only proper for a little brisk airy Planet, bright, and fhining as the Goddefs herfelf. Oh, blefled Moon, how happy art thou to prefide over the Amours of thofe Inhabitants of Venus^ who muft be fuch Masters of Gallan- try ! Oh, doubtlefs, fays /, the very common People of Venus are all Cela-^ dons and Silvandersy and their moft tri- vial Difcourfes are infinitely finer than any in CleUa. Their very Climate in- fpires Love : Fenus is much nearer than the Earth is to the Sun, from whence fhe receives a more vigorous and aftive Influence. I find, fa)'s the Countefs^ it is eafie enough to guefs at the Inhabitants of Venus ; they refemble wliat I have read of the Moors of Granada^ who were a little black People, fcorch'd with the Sun, Witty, full of Fire, very Amorous, much inclined to Mufick and Poetry, and ever inventing Mafques and Tur- naments in Honour of their Miftrefles. Pardon Plura% ^/WORLDS. 103 Pardon me, Madam, fays 7, you are little acquainted with the Planet ; Gra- nada in all its Glory, was a perfect Greenland to it ; and your gallant Moorsy in compariibn with that Peo- ple, were as ftupid as fo many La£}a?i* ders. But what d'ye think then of the In- habitants of Mercury ? They are yet nearer to the Sun, and are fo full of Fire, that they are abfolately Mad ; I fancy they have no Memory at all, no more than moftof the Negroes; that riiey make no Refledions, and what they do is by fudden Starts, and perfect Hap-hazard; in {hort. Mercury is the Bedlam of the Univerfe ; the Sun ap- pears to them much greater than it does to us, becaufe they are much nearer to it than we ; it fends them fo vaft and ftrong a Light, that the moft glorious Day here, wou'd be no more with them, than a declining Twilight : I know not if they can diftinguilh Ob- jefts; but the Heat to which they are accumftom'd, is fo exceffive, that they * F 4 wou'd 104 Difcourfes on^the wouM be ftarvM with Cold in the Tor- rid Zone ; their Year is but three Months, but we know not the exaft length of their Day, becaufe iV/(?ra^r)' is fo httlcj and fo near the Sun ; it is, ( as it were) loft in his Rays, and is very hardly diicoverM by the Aftronomers ; fo that they cannot obferve how it moves on its Center ; but becauie it is fo fmall, they fancy it compleats its Motion in a httle Time ; fo that by Confequence, the Day there is very ftiort, and the Sun appears to them like a vaft fiery Furnace at a Httle Diftance, whofe Motion is prodigioufly fwift and rapid : This is fo much the better for them, fince 'tis evident they muft long for Night ; and during their Night, Ve- mis and the Earth ( which muft appear confiderably big) give Light to them: As for the other Planets which are be- yond the Earth, towards the JFirma- ment, they appear lefs to them in Mer- cury ^^ than they do to us here, and they receive but little Light from them, per- haps none at all ; the fixM Stars like- wife Plurality 17/ WORLDS. loy wife feem lefs to them, and fome of 'em totally diiappear, which, were I there, I fhould efteem a very great lofs. I fhould be very uneafie to fee this large Convex ftudded with but few Stars, and thofc of the lead Magnitude and Luftre. What fignlfies the lofs of a few fix'd Stars ? Says the Comitefs ; I pity 'em for the exceflive Heat they endure , let us give 'em fome relief, and fend Mer- cury a few of the refrefliing Showers they have fometimes four Months to- gether, in the hotteft Countries, during their greateft Extremity. Your Fancy is good, Madam, reph\.! I^ but we will relieve 'em another way : In C/rhra there are Countries which are extream- ly hot by their Scituation ; yet, in July and Augufi are fo cold, that the Riv^ers are Frozen ; the Reafon is, they are flill of Salt-Peter, which being exhal'd in great abundance, by the exceflive heat of the Sun, makes a perfe£t Winter at Mid-Summer. We will fill the Uttle Pla- net with Salt-Peter, and let the Sun fliine F 5 as io6 Difcourfes on the as hot as he pleafes. And yet after all, who knows but the Inhabitants o( Mer- cury may have no occafion either for Rain, or Salt-Peter ? If it is a certain Truth, that Nature never gives Life to any Creature, but where that Crea- ture may live ; then thro^ Cuftom, and Ignorance of a better Life, thofe Peo- ple may live happily. After Mercury y comes the Sun ; but there is no poffibility of Peopling it, nor no room left for a Wherefore. By the Earth which is inhabited, we judge that other Bodies of the fame Nature may be likewife inhabited : But the Sun is a Body not like the Earth, or any of the Planets ; the Sun^ is the Scxirce or Fountain of Light, wracli tho' it is fent from one Planet to ano- ther, and receives feveral Alterations by the way, yet all originally proceeds from the Sun : He draws from himfelf that precious Subftance which he emits from all fides, and which reflefts when it meets with a folid Body, and fpreads from one Planet to another thofe long. and Plurality of WOK LI5S. 107 and vaft Trains of Light which crofs, ftrike thro\ and intermingle in a thou- fand different Fadiions, and make ( if I may fo fay,) the richeft TilTues in the World. The Sun likewife is placM in the Center, from whence with moft Convenience, he may equally diftribute and animate by his Heat ; it is then a particular Body, but what fort of Body has often puzled better Heads than mine. It was thought formerly a Body of pure Fire, and that Opinion pafs'd currant till the beginning of this Age ; when they perceivM feveral Spots on its Sur- face. A little after they had difcoverM new Planets, (of which, hereafter) thefe fome faid were the Spots; for tliofe Planets moving round the Sun,^'when they turnM their Dark half to us, muft Receflarily hide part of it ; and had not the Learned with thefe pretended Pla- nets made their Court before to moft of the Princes in Euro'j^e^ giving the Name of this Prince to one, and of that Piince to another Planet ; I believe they would have quarrel'd who Ihould be Maftt^r of thefe io8 Difcovtrfes on the thefe Spots, that they might have natnM them as they pleas'd. I cannot approve that Notion ; 'twas but t'^other Day, fays the Count efs^ you were defcribing the Moon, and call'd federal Places by the Names of the mofl: famous Aftronomers. I was pleas'd with the Fancy ; for fince the Princes have feiz'd on the Earth ; 'tis fit the Philofophers (who are as proud as the beft of 'em) fhould referve the Heavens for themfelves without any Competitors. Oh ! Says /, Trouble not your felf, the Phibfopbers make the beft Advantage of their Territories ; and if they part with the leaft Star, 'tis on very good Terms ; but the Spots on the Sun are fallen to nothing ; 'tis now difcover'd that they are not Planets, but Clouds, Streams, or Drofs, which rife upon the Sun, fometimes in a great Quantity, fometimes in lefs ; fometimes they are dark, fometimes clear, fome- times they continue a great while, and fometimes they difappear as long. It feems the Sun is a Liquid Matter, fome think Plurality ^/WORLDS. 109 think of melted Gold, which boils over (as it were ) continually, and by the force of its Motion, carts the Scum or Drofs on its Surface, where it is con- fumM, and others arife. Imagine then what ftrange Bodies thefe are, when fome of them are as big as the Earth : What a vaft quantity muft there be of this melted Gold, and what muft be the Extent of this great Sea of Light and Fire which they call the Sun ? Ci- thers fay, the Sun appears,through their Telefcopes, full of Mountains, which vomit Fire continually, and are joynM together like Millions of jt.tna's. Yet there are thofe who fay thefe burning Mountains are pure Vifion, caus'd by a fault in the Spedacles ; but what fliall we Credit, if we muft diftruft our Telef- copes, to which we owe the Knowledge of fo many new Obieds ? But let the Sun be what it will, it cannot be at all proper for Habitation ; and what pity 'tis, for how Pleafant wou'd it be ? You might then be at the Center of the U- iiiverfe, where you wou'd fee all the Planets I 10 Difcoiirfes on the Planets turn regularly about you ; but now we know nothing but extravagant Fancies, becaufe we don't ftand in the proper Place ; there is but one Place in the World where the Study or Know- ledge of the Stars is eafily obtain^, and what pity 'tis there is no Body there. You forget your felf fure,/^jj^^, were. you in the Sun you wouM fee nothing, neither Planets nor fix'd Stars ; does not the Sun efface all ? So that could there be any Inhabitants there, they might juftly think themfelves the only People in Nature. I own, [ays 7, my Miftake ; I was thinking of the Scituation of the Sun, and not of the effeft of its Light : I thank you for your Correction ; but muft take the boldnefs to tell you, that you are in an Errour, as well as my felf ; for were there Inhabitants in the Sun, they would not fee at all, either they could not bear the Strength of its Light, or for want of a due diftance, they could not receive it ; fo that Things well confider'd, all the People there muft be Plurality ^/WORLDS, in be ftark blind, which is another Reafon why the Sun cannot be Inhabited ; but let us perfue our Voyage. We are now arrivM at the Center, which is always the Bottom, or loweft Place of what is round ; if we go on, we muft afcend ; we fhall find Mercurj^ Ve?iusy the Earthy the Moor/^ all the Tlanets we have al- ready vifited ; the next is Mars^ who has nothing Curious that I know of ; his Day is not quite an Hour longer than ours, but his Year is twice as much as ours ; he is a little lefs than the Earth, and the Sun feems not altogether fo large and fo bright to him, as it ap- pears to us : But let us leave Marsj he is not worth our ftay : But, what a pretty Thing is Jupiter^ with his Four Moons, or Yeomen of the Guard ; they are Four little Planets that turn round him, as our Moon turns round us. But why, fays fl;e, intermpi/jg me^ mufl there be Planets to turn round other Planets, that are no better than them- felves ? I fhould think it would be more regular and uniform, that all the Pla- nets, 1 1 i Difcourfes en the nets, little and great, without any di- jftinftion, fliould have one and the fame 'Motion round the Sun. Ah, Madam, [ays /, if you did but know what Deflartes'^s Whir pools or Vortexes were, (whofe Name is terri- ble, but their Idea pleafant ) you wou'd not asK as you do. Muft my Head, faj'spe^ fmilmgy turn round to compre- hend 'em, or mutt I become a perfect Fool to ivnderftand the Myfteries of Philofophy ? Well, let the World fay what it will, go on with your Whir- pools. I y^iWy jays 7, and you ftall fee the Whirpools are worthy of thefe Tranfports : That then which we call a Whirpool, or Vortex, is a Mafs of Matter, whofe Parts are feparated, or detacliM from one another, yet have all one uniform Motion ; and at the fame time, every one is allow'd, or has a particular Motion of its own, provid- ed it follows the general Motion : Thus a Vortex of Wind, or Whirlwind, is an infinity of httle Particles of Air, which turn round all together, and involve whatever Plurality c/' WORLDS. 1 1 >. whatever they meet with. You know the Planets are born up bv the Celeftial Matter, which is prodigioufly fubtile and aftive ; fo that this great Mafs, or Ocean of Celeftial Matter, which flows as far as from the Sun to the fixM Stars, turns round, and bears the Planets a- long with it, making them all turn af- ter the fame manner round the Sun who poffelTes the Center : But in a lon- ger, or a Ihortcr time, according as they are farther or nearer in diftance to it*; tliere is nothing to the very Sun, which does not turn, but he turns on himfelf, becaufe he is juil: 'm the middle of this Celeftial Matter ; and you muft know by the way, that were the Earth in his Place, it muft turn on it felf, as the Sun does. This is the great Vortex, of vyhich the Sun is Lord ; yet at the fame time, the Planets make little particular Vortexes, in imitation of that of the Sun, each of them in turning round the Sun, does at the fame time turn round It felf, and makes a certain quantity of Celeftial Matter turn round it likewife, which 114 Difcourfes on the xvhich is always prepared to follow the Motion the Planet gives it, provided it is not diverted from its general Motion ; this then is the particular Vortex of the Planet, which pufhes it as far as the ftrength of its Motion reaches : And if by chance, a leffer Planet falls into the Vortex of a greater Planet, it is imme- diately born away by the greater, and is indifpenfably forcM to turn round it, tho' at the fame time, the great Planet, the little Planet, and the Vortex which enclofes 'em, all turn round the Sun : 'Twas thus at the beginning of the World, when we made the Moon fol- low us, becaufe (he was within the reach of our Vortex, and therefore wholly at our difpofal : Jupter was ftronger, or more fortunate than we, he had Four little Planets in his Neigh- bourhood, and he brought 'email Four under his fubjedion ; and no doubt, we, tho' a principal Planet, had had the fame Fate, had we been within the Sphere of his Aftivity ; he is ninety times bigger than the Earth, and would certainly Plurality ^/WORLDS. 1 1 f certainly have fwallowM us into his Vortex ; we had then been no more than a Moon in his Family, when now wc have one to wait on us ; fo that you fee the Advantage of Scituation, decides often all our good Fortune. But pv^Yj fays fie^ who can affure us we fhall continue as we do now ? If we fhould be fuch Fools as to go near Jupter^ or he fo Ambitious as to ap- proach us, what will become of us ? For ili ( as you fay ) the Ceieftial Matter is continually under this great Motion, it muft needs agitate the Planets irregu- larly ; fometimes drive 'em together, and fometimes feparate'em. Luck is all, fays I ; we may win as well as lofe, and who knows, but wc flhould bring Mercury and l^enus under our Govern- ment ; they are little Planets, and can- not refift us ; but in this Particular, Ma- dam, we need not hope or fear ; the Pla- nets keep v/ithin their own Bounds, and are oblig'd ( as formerly the Kings of China were ) not to undertake new Con- quefts. Have you not ktn when you put 1 1 6 Difcourfes on the put Water and Oyl together, the Oyl fwims a top ; ^nd if to thefe two Li- quors,^ you add a very little Liquor, the Oyl bears it up, and it will not fink to the Water : But an heavier Liquor, of a juft Weight, and it will pafs thro' the Oyl, which is too weak to fuftaia it, and fink till it comes to the Water, which is ftrong enough to bear it up ; fo that in this Liquor, composM of twa Liquors, which do not mingle, two Bo- dies of an equal weight, will naturally alTume two difcrent Places ; the one will never afcend, the other will never defcend ; if we put fiill other Liquors, wliich do not mingle, and throw other Bodies on them, it will be the fame Thing : Fancy then that the Celeftial Matter which fills this great Vortex, has feveral refting Places, one by ano- ther, whofe weight are different, like that of Oyl, Water, and other Liquors ; the Planets too are of a different Weight, and confequently every Planet fettles in that Place whicli has a )ufl: Strength to fuftain and keep it equilibrate ; fo you fee Plurality ^/WORLDS. 117 fee 'tis impoflibie it flioukl ever go be- yond. I apprehend very well, fays the Couju tefs^ that thefe Weights keep their Sta- tions regularly. Would to God, our World were as well regulated, and eve- ry one among us knew their proper Place. I am now in no fear of being over- run by Jupiter ; and fince he lets us a- lone in our Vortex, with our Moon, I don't envy him the Four which he has. Did you envy him, replfa /, you would do him wrong, for he has no more than what he has occafion for ; at the diftance he is from the vSun, his Moons receive, and fend him but a very weak Light ; it is true, that as he turns upon him- felf in Ten Hours, his Nights, by con- fequence, are but Five Hours long ; fo one would think there is no great occa- iion for Four Moons, but there are o- ther Things to be confider'd. Here, under the Poles, they have Six Months Day, and Six Months Night, becaufe the Poles are the two Extremities of the Earth, the fartheft removM from thofe 1 1 8 Difcourfcs on the thofe Places where the Sun is over 'em in a Perpendicular Line. The Moon feems to keep almoft the fame Courfe as the Sun, and if the Inhabitants of the Pole fee the Sun during one half of his Courfe of a Year, and during the other half, don^t fee him at all ; they fee the Moon likewife during one half of her Courfe of a Month ; that is, fhe appea'rs to 'em Fifteen Days, but they don't fee her during the other half. Jupiter's Year is as much as Twelve of ours, fo that there muft be two oppo- fite Extremities in that Planet, where their Night and their Day are Six Years each. A Night Six Years long, is a little difconfolate, and 'tis for that Rea- lon, I fuppofe, they have Four Moons ; that which ( in regard to Jupter ) is upper moft, finifhes its Courfe about him in Seventeen Days, the Second in Se- ven, the Third three Days and an half, and the Fourth in two and forty Hours ; and tho' they are fo unfortunate as to have fix Years Night, yet their Courfe being exaCtly divided into halves, they never Plurality (7/ WQRLDS. up never pafs above one and twenty Hours, wherein they don't fee at lead the laft Moon, which is a great Comfort in fo tedious a Darknefs ; fo that be where you will, thefe Four Moons are fome- times the prettieft fight imaginable ; fometimes they rife all Four together, and then feparate according to the ine- quality of their Courfe ; fometimes they are all in their Meridian, rang'd one above another 5 fometimes you fee 'em at equal diftances on the Horizon ; fometimes when Two rife, the other Two go down. Oh, how I fhou'd love to fee their perpetual Sport of E- clipfes^ for there is not a Day paffes, but they Eclipfe the Sun, or one ano- ther ; and they are fo accuftom'd to thefe Eclipfes in that Planet, that they are certainly Objeds of Diverfion, and not of Fear as with us. Well, fays the Countefs^ I hope you will People thefe Four Moons, tho' yoii' fay they are but little fecondary Planets, appointed to give Light to a- nother Planet during its Night.. Don't doubt 1 2.0 Difcourfes on the doubt it, replfdl^ thefe Planets are not a jot the worfe to be inhabited, for be- ing forcM to turn round another Planet of greater Confequence. I would have then, firjs /7;^, the People of thefe Four Moons to be fo many Colonies under Juyitev^s Government ; they fhould, if It were poifible, receive their Laws and Cultoms from him ; and confe- quently render him a kind of Homage, and not view his great Planet without Deference. Would it not be conveni- ent too^ fays Ij that they fhould.fend Deputies with Addreffes to him, to af- fure him of their Fidelity ; for he has certainly a more abfolute Command over his Moon, than we have over ours ; tho' his Power after all, is but imaginary, and confifts chiefly in mak- ing 'em afraid ; for that Moon which is neareft to him, fees that he is three Hundred and fixty times bigger than our Moon appears to us ; for in truth, he is fo much bigger than flie ; he is alfo much nearer to them, than our Moon is to us, which makes him ap- pear Plurality ^/WORLDS. 121 pear the greater ; fo that this formida- ble Planet hangs continually over their Heads, at a very lictic diftance ; and if the Gauls were afraid heretofore, that the Heavens would fall on 'em, I think the Inabitants of that Moon may- well be apprehenfive that Jupiter will at fome time or other overwhelm 'em* I fancy, faj^s //;^, they are poffefs'd with that Fear, becaufe they are not con- cern'd at Ecliplbs : Every one has their peculiar Folly ; we are afraid of an E- clipfe, and they, that Jul her will fall on their Heads. It is very true, fays /, the Inventor of the third Syftem, I told you of t'other Night, the famous Tkho B.abe^ ( one of the greatcft Aftronomers that ever was, ) did not apprehend the leaft Danger from an EcHpfe, when e- very Body elfe was under the greateil Confternation ; but what Apprehenfi* ons do you think he entertain'd inftead of them ? This great Man was fo un- accountably fuperftitious, that if an -Hare did but crofs him, or an Old Wo- man bolt upon him firft at his coming \-..-i. G out^ rtit Dlfcourfes on the out, he prefently look'd upon his Jour- ney to be Ominous, fliut himfelf up for that Day, and would not meddle with the leaft Bufmefs. It would be very unreafonable, repl/dfie^ after fuch a Man could not redeem himfelf from the Fear of Eclipfes, without falling in- | to fome other Foible as troublefome, that the Inhabitants of that Moon of Jupiter, whereof we were talking, fliould come off upon eafier Terms : But we will give them no Quarter ; they Ihall come under the general Rule, and if they are free from one Errour, fhall fall into another to put 'em upon Equivalent : But as I don't trouble my felf, becaufe I can't guefs what, pray clear another Difficulty to me, which has given me fome Pain for feveral Minutes. Pray tell me, if the Earth be fo little in comparifon of Jupiter, whether his Inhabitants do difcover us ? Indeed, I believe not, fays I -, for if we appear to him ninety times lefs than he appears to us, judge you if there be a- ny poffibility : Yet this we may reafo- nably Plurality ^WOKLDS. 123 nably conjefture, that there are Aftro- nomers in JupHer^ who after they have made the moft curious Telefcopes, and taken the cleareft Night for their Ob- fervations, may have difcoverM a little Planet in the Heavens, which they ne- ver faw before ; if they publifh their difcovery moft People know not what they mean, or laugh at 'em for Fools ; nay, the Philofophers themfelves will not believe 'em, for fear of deftroying their own Opinions, yet fome few may be a little Curious ; they continue their Obfervations, dilcover the little Planet again, and are now aflur'd it is no Vi- fion ; then they conclude it has a Motion round the Sun, and after a thoufand Obfervations, find that it compleats this Motion in a Year ; and at laft, (thanks to the Learned,) they know in Jupiter that our Earth is a World, every Body runs to fee it at the end of the Telei- cope, tho' 'tis fo little, 'tis hardly dif- cover'd. G 2 It 11 1 24 Difcourfes on t It muft be Pleafant, fays JJye^ to fee | the Aftronomers of both Planets, level- ling their Tubes at one another, and mutually asking, what World is that ? What People inhabit it ? Not fo faft neither, re^lfd I\ for tho' they may . from Jupiter difcover our Earth, yet they may not know us ; that is, they [ don't in the leaft lufpefl: it is inhabited ; [ and fhould any One there chance to have fuch a Fancy, he might be fuffi- j ciently ridicuPd, if not profecuted for it ; for my part, I believe they have work enough to make Difcoveries on their own Planet, not to trouble their Heads with ours; and it is fo large, that if they have any fuch Thing as Navigation, thdv Chnjlo^her Cohmlus^ could never want Employment ; why, 1 warrant you, they have not yet diP, covered the hundredth part of their. Pla-, net. But if Mercury is fo little, they are all (as it were) near Neighbours, and 'tis but taking a Walk, to go round that Planet. But if we don't appear to 'em in Jupt^r^ they cannot certain- ly Plurality ^/WORLDS, iiy ly difcover Fenm and Mercury^ whfch are much lefs than the Earth, and at a greater diftance ; but in Heu of it, they feeM/rj, their own Four Moons, and' Saturn with his ; this I think is work enough for their Aflronomers ; and Na- ture has been fo kind to conceal from- 'em the reft of the Univerfe. Do you think it a Favour then, fays' Jhe? Yes certainly, fays /, for there are fixteen Planets in this great Vortex : Nature faves us the trouble of ftudying^ the Motions of 'em all, and fliows US' but Seven, which I think is very ob- liging, tho' we know not how to va- lue the Kindnefs, for we have reco- verM the other Nine which were hid^ from us, and fo render the Science of Aitronomy much more Difficult than Nature defign'd it. If there are fixteen VhnetSy fays JI;e^ Saturn muft have five Moons. 'Tis'^ very tKW^^fays /, and two of thefe five' are but lately difcover'd ; but there is' fomewhat that is more remarkable,- iince his Year is thirty of ours, and G 3 there ii6 Difcourfes on the there are confequently in him Ibm^ Countries, where their Night is fifteen Years long ; what can you imagine Nature has invented to give Light, du- ring fo dreadful a Night ? Why, fhe has not only given Saturn five Moons, but ihe has encompafs'd him round with a great Circle or Ring ; this be- ing placed beyond the reach of the Sha- dow, which the Body of that Planet cafts, refleftsthe Light of the Sun conr tinually on thofe Places where they cannot fee the Sun at all. I proteft, fays the Countefs^ this is ve- ry furprizing, and yet all is contrived in fuch great Order, that it is impojlfible not to think, but Nature took lime to confider the Neceffities of all Animate Beings, and that the difpofing of thefe Moons was not a work of Chance ; for they are only divided among thofe Pla- nets which are farthefl dillant from the. Sun^ the Earthy Jripiter^ Saturn \ in- deed it was not worth while to give any to Mercury or Venus^ they have too much Light already ; and they ac- count Plurality ^/WORLDS, i 27 count their Nights (as fhort as they are ) a greater Blefling than their Day. But pray, why has not Mars a MoorT- too ? It feems he has none, tho' he is much farther than the Earth from the Sun. It is very true, fays I \ no doubt but he has other helps, tho' we don't know 'em : You have feen the Fhof- fhoms^ both hquid and dry, how it re« ceives and imbibes tlie Rays of the Sun, and what a great Light it will caft in a dark Place : Perhaps Mars has many great high Rocks, which are fo many Natural Pbojl^horf^fesj which in the Day take in a certain provifion of Light, and return it again at Nights What think you. Madam, is it not ve- ry Pleafant, when the Sun is down, to fee thofe lighted Rocks, like fo many glorious Illuminations, made without any Art, and which can do no manner of Hurt by their Heat ? Befides, there is a kind of* Bird in America^ that yields fuch a Light, you may read by it in the ' darkeft Night ; and who knows but Mars may have great Flocks of thefe G 4 Birds, 1 2S Difcourfes on the Birds, that as foon as it is Night, dif- perfe themfelves into all Parts, and %read from their Wings another Day. I am not at all contented, fays Jhe, with your Rocks, or your Birds; 'tis a pretty Fancy indeed, but 'tis a fign that there fhould be Moons in Marsy fince Nature has given fo many to Saturn and Jufiter^ and if all the other Worlds that are diftant from the Stm^ have Moonsy why Ihould Mars only be ex- cepted ? Ah, Madam, f^ysl^ when you are a little more dipM in Philofo- phy, you will find Exceptions in the very beft Syftems; there are always fome Things that agree extreamly well, but then there are others that ao not accord at all, thofe you muft leave as you found 'em, if ever you intend to make an End : We will do fo by Mars^ if you pleafe, and fay no more of him, but return to Satunu What d'ye think of his great Ring, in the Form of a Semi-Circle, that reaches from one End of the Horizon to the other, which re- fleding the Light of the Sun, performs the Plurality ^WORLDS. lap tliC Office of a continual Moon ? And iTii^n we not inhabit this Ring too,y^^'j- Pe fmiling ? I confefs, fays /, m the hu- mour I am in, I could almofl: fend Co- lonies every where ; and yet I can'f well plant any there, it feems fo irre- gular a Habitation ; but for the five lit- tle Moons, they can't chufe but be in- habited; tho' fome think this Ring is a Circle of Moons, which follow clofe to one another, and have an equal Mo- tion ; and that the five little Moons fell out of this Circle ; how many Worlds are there then in the Vortex oi Saturn ? But let it be how it will, the People irr Saturn live very Miferably : 'Tis tr,ue,^ this Ring gives Light to 'em, but it muft be a very poor one, v/hen the Sun feems to 'em but a little pale Star, whofe Light and Heat cannot but be very weak at fo great a Diftance ; they fay Greenland is2i perfeQ: Bagnio in com- parifon of that Planet, and that they would expire with Heat in our coldefl: Countries. G 5 • You 130 Difcourfes on the You give me, fays Jhe^ fucli an Idea of Saturn^ that makes me ftiake with Cold, and that of Mercury^ puts me in- to a Fever. It cannot be otherwife, reply d I, for the two Worlds, which are the Extremities of this great Vor- tex, muft be oppofite in all Things. They muft then, fays fie^ be very wife, in Saturn^ for you told me they were all Fools in Mercury. If they are not wife, fays 7, yet they have all the Ap- pearances of being very Flegmatick : They are . People that know not what it is to laugh, they take a Days time to anfwer the leaft Queftion you can ask 'em ; and are fo very grave, that were Cato living among 'em, they would think him a Merry-Andrew. It is odd to confider, fayspe^ that the Inhabitants o£ Mercury are all Life, and the Inhabitants of Saturn quite contrary ; but among us fome are brisk, and fome are dull ; it is, I fuppofe, be- caufe our Earth is placM in the Middle of the other Worlds, and fo we pai'tici- pate of both Extreams, there is no fix'd Plurality ^/WORLDS, rjr fixM or determined Charafter; fome are made like the Inhabitants of Mer^ cury^ fome like thofe of Saturn ; we are a Mixture of the feveral Kinds that are found in the reft of the Planets. Why, fays 7, don't you approve of the Idea ? Methinks it is pleafant to be composed of fuch a fantaftical Affembly, that one would think we were colleflied out of different Worlds ; we need not travel, when we fee the other Worlds in Epi- tome at home. I am fure, fay s the Count efs^ we have one great Convenience in the Scituation. of our World ; it is not fo hot as Mer- cury and Venns^ nor fo cold as Jupter or Saturn ; and our Country is fo juftly plac'd, that we have no Excefs either of Heat or Cold. I have heard of a Philofopher, who gave Thanks to Na- ture that he was born a Man and not a Beaft, a Greek and not 2i Barbarian; and for my Part, I render Thanks that I am feated in the moft temperate Pla- net of the Uaiverfe, and in one of the moft temperate Regions of that Planet. You r 3 31 Difcourfes on the You have more Reafon, fays /, to give Thanks that you are Young and not Old ; that you are Young and Handfom, and not Young and Ugly ; that you are Young, Handfora, and a French Woman, and not Young, Handfom, and an ltalia7i ; thefe are Gther-guefs Subjefts for your Thanks, than the Scituation of your Vortex, or the Temperature of your Country. Pray Sir, faysjhe^ let me give Thanks for all Things, to the very Vortex in which I am planted : Our Proportion of Happinefs is fo very fmall, that v^e Ihould lofe none, but improve conti- nually what we have, and be grateful for every Thing, tho' never fo common or inconiiderable. If nothing but ex- quifite Pleafure will ferve us, we muft wait a long time, and be fure to pay too dear for it at laft. I willi, fays f that Philofophy was the Pleafure you pro- pofe, that when you think of Vortexes you would not forget an humble Ser- vant of your Ladyihips. I. efteem it a Pleafure,. y^^'j/;^, while it diverts me. with. Plurality (^/WORLDS. 133 with fomething new, but no longer. I will engage for it till To-morrow, re- plfd 7, for the fixM Stars are beyond what you have yet feen. gf>:oJ^?2J®i5Ji^J2f-:^^®^gJ^Sf®©^:g} The Fifth Evening's Conversation. That the fix'd Stars are fo many Suns, every one of which gives Light to a World. «^,i,.i,|^HE Countefs was very im- |l T || patient to know what would ^l¥¥?^> become o^\\\^fix\l Stars ; are they inhabited, fa^ys fhe^ as the Planets are, or are they not inha- bited at all, or in fliort, what {liall we do with 'em I You may ibon guefs, fays J, the/z^V Stars cannot be lets diitant from the Earth than Fifty Millions of Leagues 5 nay, if you anger an A(iro- nomer, 154 Difcourfes on the nomer, he will fet 'em farther. The Diftance from the Sun to the fartheft Vianet^ is nothing in Comparifon of the Diftance from the Smi^ or from the Earthy to the fix'^d Stars^ it is almoft beyond Arithmetick. You fee their Light is bright and fliining, and did they receive it from the Stm^ it muft needs be very vi^eak after a Paffage of Fifty Millions of Leagues ^ then judge how much it is waft:ed by Reflexion, for it comes back again as far to us, fo that forwards and backwards, here are an Hundred Millions of Leagues for it to pafs, and 'tis impoffible it fliould be fo clear and ftrong as the Light of a fixM Star, which cannot but proceed' from it felf ; fo that in a Word, all the fx^d Stars are luminous Bodies in them- felves, and fo many Sum. I p^vctivc^ fays the Countefs^ where you would carry me; you are going to tell me, that if the fixM Stars are fo many Suns, and our Sun the Center of a Vortex that turns round him, why, may not every fix'd Star he the Center of Plurality 0/ W O Fv L D S. 13^ of a Vortex that turns round the fixM Star? Our Sun enlightens the Planets; why may not every tixM Star have Pla- nets to which they give Light r' You have faid it, reflfdl^ and I will not contradi£l you. But you have made the Univerfe fo targe, Jhj'spe^ that I know not where I am, or what will become of me ; what is it all to be divided into Vortexes confufedly, one among another ? Is e- very Star the Center of a Vortex, as big as ours ? Is that vaft Space which comprehends our Sun and Planets, but an inconfiderable Part of the Uni- verfe? And are there as many fuch Spaces, as there are fixM Stars? I pro- teft it is dreadful, the Idea confounds and overpowers me. And for my Part, re^lfd J, it gives me Satisfadion ; when the Heavens were a little blue Arch, ftuck with Stars, methought the Uni- verfe was too iirait and clofe, I was almoft {lifted for want of Air ; but now it is enlargM in Hcighth and Breadth, and a Thoufand and a Thoufand Vor- texes 156 Difcourfes on the texes taken In ; I begin to breath with more Freedom, and think the Univerfe to be incomparably more magnificent than it was before. Nature has fpar'd no Coft, even to profufenefs, and no- thing can be fo glorious, as to fee fucli a prodigious Number of Vortexes, whofe feveral Centers are poffefsM by a parti- cular Sun, which makes the very Pla- nets turn round it. The Inhabitants of a Planet of one of thefe innumerable Vortexes, fee on all fides thefe luminous Centers of the Vortex, with which they are encompafs'd ; but perhaps they don't fee the Planets, who receiving but a faint Light from their Sun, can't fend it beyond their own World. You prefent me with a kind of Per- fpe9:ive of fo vafl: a Length, that no Eye can reach to the End of it : I plain- ly fee the Inhabitants of the Earth, and you have made me difcover thofe who dwell in the Moon, and in other Pla- nets of our Vortex ; thefe Inhabitants indeed I conceive pretty plainly, but I don't fee 'em fo clearly as thofe of the Earth :. Plurality 6/ WORLDS. 137 Earth : After thefe \vt come to the In- habitants of the Planets which are in the other Vortexes, but they are funk into fo great a Depth, that tho' I do all I can to fee them, yet I muft confefs I can hardly perceive 'em ; by the Ex- preffion you uie in fpeaking of 'em, they feem to be ahnoft annihilated ; you ought then to call 'em the Inhabi- tants of one of thofe innumerable Vor- texes : We our felves, for whom the fame Expreffion ferves, muft confefs, that we fcarce know where we are, in the Midft of fo many Worlds ; for my own Part, I begin to fee the Earth fo fearfully little, that I believe from hence- forth, I fhall never be concern'd at all for any Thing ; that we fo eagerly de- fire to make our felves Great, that we are always defigning, always troubling ■and haralling our felves, is certainly becaufe we are ignorant what thele Vortexes are ; but now I hope my new Lights will in part luftifie my Lazinefs, and when any one reproaches me with my Indolence, I will anfwer,, Abj did you 158 Difcourfes on the you lut know what the fix^d Stars are ! It was not fit, fays /, that Alexander Ihould know what they were ; for a certain Author who maintains that the Moon is inhabited, very gravely tells us, that Ariftotle (from \^^hom no Truth could be long conceal'd) muft neceffarily be of an Opinion, back'd with fo much Reafon ; but yet he ne- ver durft acquaint Alexander with the Secret, leaft he fhould run mad with Defpair, when he knew there was ano- ther World which he could not con- quer: With much more Reafon then was this Myiiery of Vortexes and fixM Stars, kept fecret in Alexandey\ Time, for tho' they had been known in thofe Days, yet it had been but an ill Way of making his Court to have faid any thing of them to that ambitious Prince; for my Part, I that know ^em, am not a little troubled to find my felf not one Jot the wifer for all the Knowledge I have of 'em ; the moft they can do, ac- cording to your Way of Reafoning, is but to cure People of their Ambition, and Plurality of WOKLDS. 139 and their unquiet reftlefs Humour, which are Difeafes I am not at all troubled with ; I confefs I am guilty of fo much Weaknefs, as to be in Love with what is Beautiful ; that'^s my Di- ftemper, and I am confident the Vor- texes can never cure it : What if the other Worlds render ours fb very little ? They cannot fpoil fine Eyes, or a pretty Mouth, their Value is iHU the fime, in fpite of all the Worlds that can pofli- bly exift. This Love^ reflfd the Coun^efs^ fmi- ling, is a ftrange Thing; let the World go how 'twill, 'tis never in Danger ; there is no Syftem can do it any harm. But tell me freely, is your Syftem true? Pray conceal noihing from me ; I will keep your Secret very faithfully ; it feems to have for its Foundation, but a flight Probability, which is, that if a fix'd Star be in it felf a Lumiuoas Body, like the Sun, then by confcqence, it muft, as the Sun is, be the Center and Soul of a World ; and have irs Planets turning round about it: Butis there an abfolute 140 Difcourfes on the abfolute neceffity it muft be fo ? Hear mey Madam, [ays 7, fince we are in the hu- mour of mingling Amorous Follies with- our moft ferious Difcourfe, I muft telF you, that in Love and the Mathema- ticks, People reafon alike : Allow never fo little to a Lover, yet prefently after you muft grant him more ; nay, more and more ; which will at laft go a great way : In like manner, grant but a Ma- thematician one little Principle, he im- mediately draws a Confequence from it,^ to which you muft neceffarily affent ; and from this Confequence another, tiff he leads you fo far (whether you will of n^p) that you have much ado to believe him. Thefe two forts of People, Lovers and Mathematicians, will always take more then you give 'em. You grant, that when two things are like one ano- ther in all vifible refpeSs, it is pofEble they may be like one another in thofe Refpects that are not vifible, if you have not fome good Reafon to believe other- wife : Now this way of arguing have I made ufe of. The Moon, [ays /, is inhabited, Plurality ^/WORLDS. 141 inhabited, becaufe fhe is like tke Earth ; and the other Planets are inhabited, be- caufe they are like the Moon ; I find the fixM Stars to be like our San, there- fore I attribute to them what is proper to that : You arc now gone too far to be able to retreat, therefore you muft go forward with a good Grace. But, jays toe Couittfi^ if you build upon this Refemblance, or Likencfs, which is be- tween our Sun and the fix'd Stars, then, to the People of another great Vortex, our Sun muft appear no bigger than a fmall fixM Star, and can be ktn only when 'tis Night with them. Without doubt. Madam, fays /, it muft be fo : Gur Sun is much nearer to us, than the Suns of other Vortexes, and therefore its Light makes a much greater Impref- fion on our Eyes than theirs do : We fee nothing but the Light of our own Sun ; and when we fee that, it darkens and liinders us from feeing any other Lights but in another great Vortex, there is another Sun, which rules and governs ; and, in its turn, extinguiflies the 142, Difcourfes on the the Light of our Sun, which is never feen there but in the Night, with the reft of the other Suns, that is, the fix'd Stars ; with them our Sun is faftned to the great arched Roofof Heaven, where it makes a part of fome Bear or Bull : For the Planets which turn round a- bout it, ( our Earth for Example ) as they are not feen at fo vaft a Diftance, fo no Body doth fo much as dream of 'em : All the Suns then are Day Suns in their own Vortexes, but Night Suns in other Vortexes: In his own World or Sphere every Sun is fingle, and there is but one to be feen ; but every where elfe, they ferve only to make a Number. May not the Worlds, reply d the Cotintefs^ notwithftanding this great Refemblance between 'em, differ in a thoufand other Things ; for tho' they may be alil^e in one Particu- lar, they may differ infinitely in Others. It is certainly true, fays I ; but the Difficulty is to know wherein they dif- fer. One Vortex has many Planets that turn round about its Sun ; another Vortex Plurality ^/WORLDS. 145 Vortex has but a few : In one Vortex, there are inferior or lefs Planets, which turn about thofe that are greater ; in another perhaps, there are no inferior Planets ; here, all the Planets are got round about their Sun, in form of a lit- tle Squadron, beyond which, is a great void Space, which reaches to the Neigh- bouring Vortexes : In anothei* Place, the Planets take their Courfe towards the outfide of their Vortex, and leave the middle void. There may be Vor- texes alfo quite void, without any Pla- nets at all ; others may have their Sun not exaftly in their Center ; and that Sun may fo move, as to carry its Pla- nets along with it : Others may have Planets, which in regard of their Sun, afcend, and defcend, according to the change of their Equilibration, which keeps them fufpended. In iliort, what Variety can you willi for ? But, I think, I have faid enough for a Man that was never out of his own Vortex. It is not fo much, rej^lfd the Conn- 'tefsj confidering what a 'Multitude of ^- World 144 D'ifcomfes on the Worlds there are ; what you have faid is fufficient for five or fix, and from hence I fee Thoufands. What wouM you fay, Madam, if I fliould tell you, there are many more fix'd Scars than thofe you fee ? And that an infiiiite Number are difcover'd with GlalTes, which are not Perceptible to our Eye-fight : In only one Conftel- lation, where, it may be, we count twelve or fifteen, there are as many to be found as ufually appear in the whole Hemifphere. I {ubmky fays the Count efs^ and beg your Pardon : You quite confound me with Worlds and Vortexes. Oh, Ma- dam, I've a great deal more to tell ye, reply dl^ you fee that whitenefs in the Sky, which fome call the Milky-way ; can you imagine what That is ? 'Tis nothing but an infinity of fmall Stars, not to be feen by our Eyes, becaule they are fo very little ; and they are fown fo thick, one by another, that they feem to be one continued White- nefs : I wifh you had a„Glafs, to fee this Plurality (7/ WORLDS- 14^ this Ant'HHl of Stars, and this Cltifter ofH^orlds^ if I may fo calPem : They are in fame fort, Hke the Maldivy Iflands : Thofe twelve thoufand Banks of Sand, feparated only by narrow- Channels of the Sea, which a Man may as eafily leap over as a Ditch : So near together are the Vortexes of the Milk)'' way^ that I prefume, the People in one World, may talk, and fhake Hands with thofe of another ; at leaft I believe the Birds of one World, may eafily fly into t'other ; and that Pidgeons may be trained up to carry Letters, as they do in the Levant, Thefe little Worlds are excepted out of that general Rule, by which one Sun in his own Vortex, as foon as he appears, effaces the Light of all other foreign Suns : If you were in one of thefe little Vortexes of the Milky-way, your Sun v/ould not be much nearer to you, and confequently, w^ould not make any much more fenil^ ble Impreffion on your Eyes, than a hundi'ed Thouiand other Suns of the neighbouring Vortexes ; You w^ould H t!im i^S Difcourfes on the then fee your Heaven fhine bright with an infinite Number of Fires, clofe to one another, and but a little diftant from you ; fo that tho' you fliould lofe the Light of your own particular Sun, yet there would ftill remain vifible Suns enough befide your own, to make your Night as light as Day, at leaft, the difference would hardly be perceiv'd ; for the Truth is, you would never have any Night at all : The Inhabitants of thefe Worlds, accuftomM to perpetual Brightnefs, would be ftrangely afto- nifh'd, if they fhould be told that there are a miferable fort of People, who, where they live, have very dark Nights, and when 'tis Day with them, they ne- ver fee more than one Sun ; certainly they would think Nature had very lit- tle Kindnefs for us, and would tremble with Horrour, to think what a fad Condition we are in. I don't ask you, fajs the Countefs^ whether in thofe Worlds of the Milky- way^ there are any Moons ; I fee they would be of no ufe to thofe principal Planets Plurality (/WORLDS. 147 Planets which have no Night, and move in Spaces too ftrait and narrow to cum- ber themfelves with the Baggage of in- feriour Planets : Yet pray take Notice^ that by your Hberal Multiplication of Worlds, you have ftarted an Ob|e£lion, not eafily anfwer'd : The Vortexes whofe Suns we fee, touch the Vortex in which we are ; and if it be true, that Vortexes are round, how then can fo many Bowls, or Globes all touch one fmgle one ? I would fain imagine how this may be done, but cannot reconcile it to my felf. Madam, fays J, You fliew a great deal of Wit, in raifing this Doubt, and likewife in not being able to refolve it ; for in itfelf the Thing is extreme Diffi- cult, and in the fame manner you con- ceive it^ no anfwer can be given to it ; ' and he muft be a Fool, who goes about to find Anfwers to Obje£lions which are unanfwerable. If our Vortex had the form of a Dye, it would have fix Squares or flat Faces, and would be far from being round ; and upon every one H 2 of 148 D'ifcoiuks on the of thefe SquarcSj might be placM a Vortex of the fame Figure ; but if in- ftead of thefe fix Square Faces, it had Twenty, Fifty, or a Thoufand ; then might a thoufand Vortexes be plac'd upon it, one upon every Flat ; and, you know very well, that the more flat Fa- ces any Body has on its outfide, the nearer it approaches to roundnefs, juft as a Diamond cut Face-wife on every fide, if the Faces be very many and little, it will look as round as a Pearl of the fame bignefs : 'Tis in this manner, that the Vortexes are round ; they have an infinite number of Faces on their outfide, and every one of 'em has upon it another Vortex ; thefe Faces are not all equal and alike ; but here, fome are greater, and there, fome lefs : The lead Faces of our Vortex, for Example, an- fwer to the Milhwa}'^ and fuilain all thofe little Worlds. When two Vor- texes are fupported by the two next Flats on which they ftand, if they leave be- neath any void Space between tbem, as- it mull often happen, Nature^ who is an Plmality ^/worlds. 149 « an excellent Hufwife, and fufFers no- thing to be ufelefs, prefently fills up this void Space with a little Vortex or two, perhaps with a Thoufand, which never incommode the others, and be- come one, two, or a thouiand Worlds more ; fo that there may be many more Worlds than our Vortex has flat Faces to bear 'cm : I will lay a good Wager, that tho' thefe little Worlds were made only to be thrown into the Corners of the Univerfe, which other wife would have been void and ufelefs ; and tho^ tiiey are unknown to other Worlds wliich they touch, yet they are well fitisfy'd with their being what they are : Thefe are the little Worlds, whofe Suns are not to be difcover'd but with a Telefcopc, and whofe Number is pro- digious : To conclude, all thefe Vor- texes are joinM to one another in fo ad- mirable a manner, that every one turns round about his Sun, without changing Place ; every one has fuch a turn as is moft eafie, and agreeable to its own Scituation : They take hold of one ano-^ H J ther,' I 50 Difcourfes on the ther, Tike the Wheels of a Watch, and mutually help one another's Motion : And yet 'tis true, that they aQ: contra- ry to one another. Every World, as fome fay, is like a Foot-Ball, made of a Bladder, coverM with Leather, which fometimes fwellsofits own accord, and would extend it felf, if it were not hin- dred. But this fwelling World being prefs'd by the next to it, returns to its firft Figure ; then fwells again, and is again deprefs'd ; and fome affirm, that the Reafon why the fixM Stars give a twinkling and trembling Light, and fometimes feem not to fliine at all, is becaufe their Vortexes perpetually pufh and prefs our Vortex, and ours again continually repulfes theirs. I am in love with thefe Fancies, y^jj- floe Count tfs'^ I am pleas'd with thefe Foot-Balls, which fwell every Moment, and fink again, and with thefe Worlds, which are continually ft riving and pufh- ing one another : But above all, I am pleas'd to fee how this joftling keeps up the Trade of Light, which is certainly the Plurality ^/WORLDS. 151 the only Correfpondence that is be- tween them. No, no, Madam, fays I ; Light is not their fole Commerce; the Nighbouring Worlds fometimes fend Vifits to us, and that in a very magnificent and fplendid manner : There come Comets to us from thence, adorn'd with bright fhin- ing Hair, Venerable Beards, or Maje- ftick Tails ; thefe, fays the Qoiintefs^ are Embaffadors, whofe V ifits may be well fpared, fince they ferve only to fright us. They fcare only Children, [ays /, with their extraordinary Train ; but in- deed, the Number of fuch Children is n jw a days very great. Comets are no- thing but Planets, which belong to a Neighbouring Vortex, they move to- wards the out-fide of it ; but perhaps this Vortex being differently prefs'd by thofe Vortexes which encompafs it, a- bove, it is rounder than below, and the lower Part is ftill towards us. Thefe Planets which have begun to move in a Circle above, are not aware, that belaw their Vortex will fail 'em, becaufe it is H 4 as 1 5* 2. Difcourfes on the as it were broken. Therefore, to conti- nue the Circular Motion, it is neceffary that they enter into another Vortex, which we will fuppofe is ours, and that they cut through the outfides of it. They appear to us very high, and are much higher than Saturn ; and accord- ing to our Syftem, it is abfolutely ne- ceffary they iliould be fo high, for Rea- fons that fignifie nothing to our prefent Subjeft. From Saturn downwards to the otherfide of our Vortex, there is a great void Space without any Planets. Our Adverfaries often ask us, to what purpofe this void Space ferves ? But let them not trouble themfelves any more, I have found a ufe for it. 'Tis the Apartment of thofe ftrange Planets, which come into our World. I underftand you, fayspe^ we don't fuffer them to come into the Heart of our Vortex, among our own Planets, but we receive them as the Grand Seig- nior dots the Embaffadours that are Tent to him ; he will not fhew them fo much Refped as to let 'eni lodge in Con/Ianti- noj^hj Plurality e/" WORLDS, in nophj but Qiiaiters 'em in one of the Suburbs of the City : Madam, fays /, we, and the Ottomans agree likewife in this, that as we receive EmbaiTadours, but never fend any, fo we never fend a- ny of our Planets into the Worlds that are next us. By this, fays fie^ it appears that we are very proud ; however, I don't yet very well know what I am to believe. Thefe foreign Planets with their Tails and their Beards have a terrible Counte- nance, it may be they are fent to affront us ; but ours that are of another Make, if they fliould get into other Worlds, are not fo proper to make People a- iraid. Their Beards and their Tails, Ma- dam, /^w /, are not real, they are P/;^- nomena^ and but meer Appearances. Thefe foreign Planets differ m nothino- from ours ; but entringinto our Vortex, they feem to us to have Tails or Beards by a certain fort of Illumination which they receive from the Sun, and which has not been yet well explained. Eu : H 5 'tis 154 Difcourfes On the 'tis certain, that is but a kind of Illu- mination, and when I am able I will tell you how 'tis done. I wifli then,y^j^.f Jhe^ that our Saturn would go take a Tail and a Beard in another Vortex, and fright all the Inhabitants of it. That done, I would have him come back again, leaving his terrible Accou- terments behind him, and taking his ufual Place amongft our other Planets, fall to his ordinary Bufinefs. 'Tis bet- ter for him, fays /, not to go out of our Vortex. I have told you how rude and violent the Shock is, when two Vortexes joftle one another, a poor Pla- net muft needs be terribly fhaken, and its Inhabitants in no better Condition. We think our felves very unhappy when a Comet appears, but 'tis the Comet that is in an ill Cafe. I don't believe that, fays Jhe^ it brings all its Inhabi- tants with it in very good Health ; there can be nothing fo diverting as to change Vortexes. We that never go out of our own, lead but a dull Life ; ii the inhabitants of a Comet had but the Plurality (7/ WORLDS, ijj the Wit to forefee the Time when they are to come into our World, they that had already made the Voyage, could tell their Neighbours beforehand what they would fee, they could tell them, that they would difcover a Pla- net with a great Ring about it, mean- ing our Satwnt ; they would alfo fay, you fhall fee another Planet which has four little ones to wait on it ; and per- haps fome of them, refolvM to obferve the very Moment of their entring into our World, would prefently cry out, A new SuHj a new SuUy as Sailors ufe to cry, Landj Land. You have no reafon then, fays 7, to pity the Inhabitants of a Comet, yet I fuppofe you will think their Condition lamentable, that inhabit a Vortex whofe Sun comes in Time to be quite extin- guilhed, and confequently who hve m Eternal Night. How, crfd the Coun- tefiy can Suns be put out ? Yes, with- out doubt, fays /, for People fome thou- fand Years ago iaw fix'd Stars in the Sky, which are now no more to be feenj I J (5 Difcourfes on the feen; thefe were Suns which have loft their Light, and certainly there muit be a ftrange Defolation in their Vortexes, and a general Mortality over all the Planets, for what can People do with- out a Sun ? This is a difmal Fancy, fays the Count efsy I would not, if I could help it^ let it come into my Head, I will tell you, if you pleafe, r^p/)V7, whatisthe Opinion of Learned Aftronomers as to this Particular: They think that the lix'd Stars which have difappcar'd, are not quite extinguifh'd, but that they are half Suns, that is, they have one half Dark, and the other half Light, and turning round upon their own Axis or Center, they fometimes fliew vis their Light fide, and afterwards turning to us their Dark fide, we fee them no more. To oblige you, Madam, I will be of this Opinion, becaufe it is not fo harfh as the other, tho' I cannot make it good but in relation to fome certain Stars, becaufe as fome .have lately obferv^d, thofe Stars have their regulated times of appearing, and difappearing, other- wife Plurality (?/ WORLDS. 1^7 wife there could be TiO fuch things as half Suns. But what fliall we fay of Stars, which totally difappear, and ne- ver fliew themfelves again after they have finilh'd their Courfe of turning round upon their own Axis ? You are too juft, Madam, to oblige me to be- lieve that Stars are half Suns. How- ever, I will try once more what I can do in favour of your Opinion : The Suns are not extinft, they are only funk fo low into tlie immenfe depth of Heaven, that we cannot poffibly fee them ; in this Cafe the Vortex follows his Sun and alPs well again. 'Tis true that the greateft Part of the lix'd Stars have not this Motion, by which they remove themfelves fo tar from us, be- caufe at other times they might return again nearer to us, and we Ihould fee them fom.etimes greater, and fome- times lefs, which never happens. But we will fuppofe that none but the little Light, and moil: active Vortexes which flip between the others, make certain Voyages, after vyhich they return again while 158 Dilccurfes on the while the mRin Bo iy of Vortexes re- main unmoved. Tis likewiie very jftrange that fome lix'd Stars Ihew themfelves to us, fpending a great deal of time in appearing, and difappear- ing, andatlaft, totally and entirely dif appear. Half Suns would appear again at their fet and regulated Time. But Suns, which fl^ould be funk low into the depths of Heaven, would difappear but once, and not appear again for a vaft fpace of Time. Now, Madam, declare your Opinion boldly : Muft not thefe Stars, of neceflity be Suns, which are fo much darkned, as not to be vifi- ble to us, yet afterwards fhine again, and at laft are wholly extinft ? How can a Sun,y^jj the Count e^s^ be darkned and quite extinguifh'd, when it is in its own Nature a Foundation of Light ? It may be done. Madam, fays 7, with all the Eafe in the World, if D.fcartts\ Opinion be true that our Sun has Spots ; now wdiether thefe Spots be Scum ou thick Milts, or what you p'eafe, they may tliicken and unite, till at lait they cover Plurality of WORLDS, i y 9 cover the Sun with a Cruft, which daily grows thicker, and then farewel Sun. We have hitherto fcap'd pretty well; but 'tis faid, that the Sun for fome whole Years together has looked very pale ; for Example, the Year af- ter C^far\ Death; it was this Cruft that then began to grow, but the Force of the Sun broke through, and diffipated it ; had it continued, we had been all loft People. You make me tremble, re^ fly* d the Count tfs^ and now I know the fatal Confequences of the Sun's Pale- nefs, I believe inftead of going every Morning to the Glafs, to fee how I look my felf, I fhall caft my Eyes up to Heaven, to fee whether or no the Sun looks pale. Oh, Madam, fays 7, there is a great deal of Time requir'd to ruin a World. I grant it, fays Jhe^ yet 'tis but Time, that is requir'd. I confefs it, fays 7, all this immenfe Mafs of Matter that compofes the Univerfe, is in ps the Countefs^ I find the Worlds are far from being able to pre- tend to it ; I will not do 'em fo much Honour, as to compare 'em to the Gardiner that hv'd fo much longer than the Rofes : I begin to think 'em like the Roles themfelves, which blow one Day, and die the next : For now 1 under- ftand, that if old Stars dilappear, new ones i6i Difcourfes on the ones will come in their Room, becaure every Species muft preferve it felf. No Species, Madam, fays /, can totally pe- rifh ; fome perhaps will tell you that fuch new Stars are Suns, which return to our Sight again, after they have been a long Time hid from us, in the Pro- fundity of Heaven : Others may tell you they are Suns cleared from that thick Cruft, which once cover'd them : If I fhould think all this poflible, yet I Hke- wife believe that the Univerfe may be fram'd in fuch a Manner, that from time to time it may produce new Suns ; why may not that Matter which is proper to" make a Sun, be difpers'd here and there, and gather it felf again at long run, into one certain Place, and lay the Foundation of a New World? I am very much inclin'd to believe fuch new Produftions, becauie they fuit with that Glorious and Admirable Idea which 1 have of the Works of Nature. Can we think that wife Nature knows no more than the Secret of making Herbs and Plants live and die by a con^ tinual Plurality (^/WORLDS. 163 tinual Revolution ? I am verily per- fwaded, and are not you fo too, Madam, that Nature, without much Coft or Pains, can put the fame Secret in Pra- ftice upon the Worlds ? I now find, fays the Count efs^ the Worlds, the Heavens, and Celeftial Bodies fo fubjecl to change, that I am come to my felf again. To recover our felves the better, re^lfdlj let us fay no rnore of thefe Matters. We are arriv'd at the very Roof and Top of all the Heavens ^ and to tell you whether there be any Stars beyond it, you mufthave an abler Aftronomer than I am; you may place Worlds there, or no Worlds, as you pleafe : 'Tis the Philofopher's Empire to def- cribe thofe vaft invifible Countries, Mdiich are, and are not, or are fuch as he pleafes to make 'em : It is enough for me to have carried your Mmd^ as far as you can fee with your Eyes. Well, I have now, fays the Countefsj the Syftemof the Univerfeinmy Head; How learned am I become? Indeed, Madam, fays 7, you are pretty know- ing, 1^4 Difcour fes on the ing, and with this Advantage, of be- lieving or disbelieving any thing I have faid ; all the Recompence I defire for the Pains I have taken, is, that you would never look upon the Sua^ the Heaven^ or the Stars J without thinking on me. The Sixth Evening's C O N V E R S A T I iN". [ Never before Tranflated. ] Some New Obfervations which confirm thoj'e in the ^rec€eaingY)\izo\x\{i:'>> and fever al late Difcoveries which have been made in the Heavens,. 0@SJ^5 T was a ^confiderable Time ^ I f! fince the Countefs and I had %W^^i any Talk of the Ha?ietary Worlds ; and it was fo' long indeed, that we began to forget we ever had held any Difcourfe on that Subjefl:. Plurality ^/WORLDS. i6j Subjeft. When I went one Day to Vilit her, I came in juft as two Gentle- men of Wit and CharaQier in tlie World had taken their leaves of her. Well ! jajs pe, the very Moment flie perceived. me, you fee what a Vifit I have been receiving ; a.nd, I proteft, it has given me fome room to fufpetl that it has been in your Pov/er to impofe upon my Judgment. I fliould be very Proud, Madam, reflfd 7, if I eould flatter my felf with inch a Power, be- caufe I look upon it to be the hardeft Task any one could attempt. As hard as it is,/./j J the Count efs^ I am afraid you have done it. Ido not know how it came about, but theConverfation turn'd upon the Plurality of Worlds with my two Friends who are jufl: gone.: I am not certain, if they did not introduce the Difcourfe with ij. Malicious Defign. I made no fcruple to tell them direclly, that all the Planets were Inhabited ; one cf them replyVl, he was very well fatisfied I did not believe a W^ord of it, and I with all the Simplicity imaginable, maintaifi'd i66 Difcourfes on the maintained, that it was my real Opini- on ; he ftill look'd upon it as a piece of Diflimulaiion defignM to divert the Company : And I thought what made him fo pofitive that I did not believe my own Sentiments was, tliat he had too high an Opinion of me to conceive that I could entertain fo extravagant a Notion. As for the other Gentlemen, who had not altogether that Efteem for me, they took me at my Word. For God's ake, why did you put a Thing in my Head, which People that value me cannot think I maintain feriouflyf Nay, Madam, fays 7, but why would you maintain it ferioufly among a fet of People, who, I am fure, never en- tered into a way of Reafoning which had the leaftcaft of Serioufnefsf Muft we intruft the Inhabitants of the Pla- nets fo highly ? We Hiould content our felves with being a little felecl Number of Advocates for them, and not com- municate ou\: Mjfteries to the Vulgar. How ! fays the Comitefs^ do you call my two'^laft Vifitants the Vulgar? They Plurality (?/ WORLDS, l6^ They may have Wit enough, fays /, but they never Reafon at all. And your Reafoners, who are a fevere fet of People, will make no DiiBculty of for ting them with the Vulgar. On the other Side, thefe Men of Fire revenge themfelves by ridiculing theReafoners ; and think it is a very )ull Principle in Nature, that every Species defpifes what it wants. It were right, if it was poffibic, to conform our felves to every Species ; and it had been much better for you to have rallied on the In- habitants of the Planets with your two Friends, bccaufe they are better at Rail- lery than Reafoning, which they never make Ufe of : You had then come off with their joint Eiteem ; and the Pla- nets had not loft a fmgle Inhabitant by it. Would you have had me facrifice the Truth to a Jell ! refly'^d the Coun- tefs : x4ind is that all the Confcience you have f I own to you, fays /, that I have no great Zeal for thefe forts of Truths, and I will facrifice them with all my Soul to the laft conveniencies of Com- 1(5 S Difcoiufcs on the Company. For Inftance, I fee what is, and always will be, theReafon, why the Opinion of the Planets being Inha- bited, is not received fo probable as it really is : The Planets always prefent themfelves to our View as Bodies which emit Light ; and not at all like great Plains and Meadows. We fliould readily agree that Plains and Meadows were Inhabited ; but for-Luminous Bo- dies to be fo too^ there is no Ground to be- lieve it. Reafon may come and tell us over and over, that there are Plains and Meadows in thefe Planets, but Reafon comes a Day too late; one Glance of our Eyes has had its Effefl. before her, we will not hear a Word flie fays, the Planets muil: be Luminous Bodies, and what fort of Inhabitants fliould they )iave ? Our Imagination of Courfe w^ould prefently reprefent their Figures to us, it is what ihe cannot do, and the iliortettWay is to believe there are no fuch Beings. Would you have me for tlie Ertabliiliment of thefe Planetary People, whofe Interefts are far from touching Plurality (?/ WORLDS. itSp touching me, go to attack thofe formi- dable Powers, caird Senfes and Imagi- nation ? It is an Encerprize would re- quire a good Stock of Courage, and we cannot eafily prevail on Men, to fiibltitute their Reaton in the Place of their Eyes. I Sometimes meet with reafonable People enough, who are willing, after a Thoufand Demonftra- tions, to believe that the Planets are fo many Earths : But their Belief is not fuch as it would be, if they had not feen them under a different Appearance ; they ftill remember the firft Idea they entertained, and they cannot well re- cover themfelves from it. It is thefe fort of People, who, in believing our Opinion, feem to do it a Courtefie, and only favour it for the Sake of a certain Pleafuoe which its Singularity gives them. Well, fays the Countefs, interrupting me, and is not this enough for an Opi- nion, which is but barely probable? You would be very much furpriz'd, fajs 7, if I fhould tell you, frolahle is y a very modeft Term. Is it fimply pro- 1 I bable 170 Difcourfes on the bable that fuch a one as Alexander ever was? You hold it very certain that there was, and upon what is this Cer- tainty founded ? Becaufe you have all the Proofs which you could defire in a like Matter, and there does not the leaft Subjed for Doubt prefent it felf, to fufpend or arreft your Determina- tion ; for elfe you never could fee this Alexander^ and you have not one Ma- thematical Demonftration that there e- ver was fuch a Man, Now what would you fay if the Inhabitants of the Planets were almoft in the very fame Cafe ? Wc cannot pretend to make you fee them, and you cannot infift upon die Demonftration here, as you would mic Mathematical Queftion; but you have all the Proofs you could defire in a like Matter : The entire Refemblance of the Planets with the Earth which is inhabited, the ImpofTibility of con- ceiving any other Uie for which they were created, the Fecundity, and Mag- nificence of Nature, the certain Re- ^ gards fhe feems to have had to the Ne- 1 ceifities of their Inhabitants, as in giving Plurality ^WORLDS. 171 giving Moons to thofe Planets remote from the Sun^ and more Moons ftill to thofe yet more remote ; and what is ftill very material, there are all things to be faid on this fide, and nothing on the other ; and you cannot comprehend the leaft Subjeft for a Doubt, unlels you will take the Eyes and Underftand- ing of the Vulgar. In fliort, fuppofing that thefc Inhabitants of the Planets really are, they could not declare them- felves by more Marks, or Marks more fenfible ; and after this you are to con- fider whether you are willing not to take their Cafe to be more than purely probable. But you would not have me, replies the Countefs^ look upon this to be as certain as that there was fuch a Man as Jlexander'? Not altogether, Madam, fajs I, for tho' we have as ma- ny Proofs touching the Inhabitants of the Planets, as we can have in the Sci- tuation we are, yet the Number of thefe Proofs is not great. I muft re- nounce thefe Planetary Inhabitants, re- ' fjiesjhey interrupting me, for I can't conceive how to rank 'em in my Ima- I 2 ginationj ri 7-2 "^Difcwurfes en the gination ; there is no abfolute Cei- rtainty of them, and yet there is more than a Probability; fo that Fm con- founded m my Notions. Ah, Madam, 'fays J, never put your felf out of conceit with them for that ; the moft common and ordinary Clocks ftiew the Hours, but thofc are wrought with more Art and Nicity which fhew the Minutes. Juft fo your ordinary Capacities are fen- fible of the Difference betwixt a Am- ple Probability, and a compleat Cer- tainty; but 'tis only your fine Spirits that difcern the exatl Proportions of Certainty or Probability, and can mark, if I may ufe the Phrafe, the Minutes \x\ their Sentiments. Now place the Inhabitants of the Planets a little below Alexander ; but above, 1 can't tell ho^V many Points of Hiftory which are not fo clearly proved : I believe this.Pofition will do well. I love Order, [ays the Countej'sy and you oblige me in ranging my Ideas for me : But pray, why didn't you take this Care before ? Becaufe^/^jj* /, Ihould you believe the Inhabitants of the Planets either a little more or lefs than Plurality ^/ W O R L D S. 17 5 • than they deferve, there will be no great Damage in it. Fm fure that you don't believe the Motion of the Earth fo fully as it ought to be believ'd ; and have you much Reafon to complain on that Score ? O! For that matter, re* flies (1)6^ I have difcharg'd my felf well, you have nothing to reproach me with on that Account, for I firmly believe that the Earth turns. And y^t^fays I^ Mada m, I ha ve not given you the fl I'ong- ell: Reafons in proving it. Ah ! Tray- tor, repl/es the CouMcfs^ to make me believe things upon feeble Proofs : Then^ you did not think me worthy of believ- ing upon fubrtantial Reafons f I only prov'd things, fays /, upon little enga- ging Reafons, and fuch as were a- dapted to your peculiar Ufe : Should I have conjur'd up as ftrong and folid Arguments, as if I had been to attack a Dodor in the Science ? Yes, fays the Cormtefs^ pray take me for a Do£tor from this Moment, and let me have your additional Demonftrations of the Earth's moving. I ? Withal 174 Difcourfes on the Withal my Heart, fays 7, Madam, and I own the Proof pleaies me ftrange- ly, perhaps becaufe I think it was of my own finding ; yet it is fo good and natural, that I muft not prefume pofi- tively to have been the Inventor of it : It is moft certain, that if a learned Man was puzled, and defirM to make Re- plications to it, he would be oblig'd to hold forth at large, which is the only Method in the World to confound a learned Man. We muft grant, that all the Celeftial Bodies, in four and twenty Hours, turn round the Earth, or that the Earth turning on it felf, im- parts this Motion to all the Celeftial Bodies, But that they really have this Revolution in four and twenty Hours round the Earth, is a Matter which has the learft Appearance in the World, tho' the Abfurdity does not prefently appear to our View. All the Planets certain- ly make their great Revolution about the Sun , but thefe Revolutions of theirs are unequal according to the Diftances of the refpeftive Planets from the Sun ; for the moft remote ones make their Courfe Plurality ^/WORLDS. 17? Courfe in a larger Time, which is moft agreeable to Nature : The fame Order is obferv'd among the little fecondary Planets in turning about a great one. The four Moons of Jufiter^ and the five of Saturn^ make their Circles in more or lefs Time round their great Planet, according as they are more or lefs remote. Befides, it is certain that the Planets have Motions upon their own Centers, and thefe Motions like- wife are unequal ; we cannot well tell how to account for this Inequality, whe- ther it proceeds from the different Mag- nitudes of the Planets, or on the diffe- rent Swiftnefs of the particular Vor- texes which inclofe them, and the li- quid Matters in which they are fuftain'd ; but, in fiiort, the Inequality is moft undoubted ; and fuch is the Order of Nature in general, that whatever is common to many things, is found at the fame Time to vary in fome diiferent Particulars. I underftand you, fays the Countefs^ interrupting me, and, I think, there's a great deal of Reafon in what you fay ; 1 4 Tm I 76 Difcourfes on the Ym entirely of your Mind, if the Pla- nets turn'd about the Earth, they wou'd do it in unequal Spaces of Time, ac- cording to their Diftances, as they do about the Sun : Is not that the Mean- ing of what you were faying ? Exaftly, Madam, fays /, their unequal Diftances, w^ith refpefb to the Earth, their difte- rent Magnitudes, and the different Ra- pidity of the particular Vortexes in- clofing them, fliould confequently pro- duce Differences in their pretended Mo- tion round the Earth, as well as in all their other Motions. And the fix'd Stars which are at fuch a prodigious Diftance from us, and fo much elevated above every thing that can take a ge- neral Motion round us, at leaft which are fcituated in a Place whence this Mo- tion fhould be very much weaken^, would there not be a very great Appea- rance that they did not turn at all a- bout us in four and twenty Hours, as the Moon does who is fo near us ? And fhould not Comets, which are Strangers in our Vortex, and which run Courfes fo differing one from another, and with fuch Plurality ^/WORLDS. 177 fuch unequal Rapidity, be excusM from turning round us in the fame Space of four and twenty Hours ? But no Mat- ter, fix'd Stars, and Comets, and all muft turn round the Earth in four and twenty Hours ; yet, if there were fome Minutes of Difference in thefe Motions,, we might be contented; and they all muft make them with the moft exaft Equality, or rather the only exafl; Equa- lity which is in the World, and not one Minute more or Icfs allowM. In Rea- ality, this Matter is ftrangely to be fuf- pefted. Oh ! fays the Countefs^ fince 'tis pof- fible that this grand Equality fliould be only in our Imagination, I'm entirely coavinc'd it is deriv'd only from thence : Fm very well pleas'd, that any which is againft the Genius of Nature, Hiould fall entirely upon our felves, and that flie fliould ftand difcharg'd, tho' at our Expence. For my part, fays 7, Fm fuch a Foe to a perfect Equality, that I cannot even allow that all the Turns which the Earth every Day makes on her feif, fliould be precifely in four and I 5 twentv r 78 Difcourfes 6n the twenty Hours, and always equal one to another ; I fliould be very much in- clin'd to think that there are Differences. Differences ! cry'*d the Count efs^ Why, do not our Pendulums mark an entire Equality ? Oh^fays lyto your Pendulums I muft objeft, for they cannot be al- together juft ; and fometimes when they are, in fliewing us that one Circuit of twenty four Hours, is longer or fliorter than another, we fliould rather be in- clin'd to believe them irregular, than to fufpeQ; the Earth of any Irregularity in her Revolutions. What a pleafant Re- fpeO: is this we have for her, I would no more depend on the Earth than on a Pendulum ! And the very fame Cafual- ties almoft which will difbrder the one, will make the other irregular / Only, I believe, there muft be fome more Time allowed for the Earth, than a Pendulum, to be vifibly put out of Order; and that's all the Advantage we can give on her fide. But might fhe not by Degrees draw nearer to the Sun ? And there finding herfelf in a Scituation, where the Matter is more agitated, and tlie tfi Plurality ^/WORLDS. 179 the Morion more rapid, flie will inlefs Time make her double Revolution both about the Sun and her felf ; fo confe* quently her Years and Days will be much Ihorten'd, but not to be perceiv'd, becaufe we muft ftill go on to divide the Years into three hundred and fixty five Days, and the Days into twenty four Hours : So that without living longer than we now do, we fliall live more Years ; and on the other Hand, as the Earth fhall withdraw from the Sun, we fliall hve fewer Years than we do now, and yet have our Lives of the fame Extent. There is a great deal of Probability, fajs the Count efs^ that whenever it fails out fo, long Succef- fions of Ages will make but very little Differences. I agree with you, Madam, repfd 7, the ConduQ: of Nature is very nice, and flie has a Method of ■ bringing about all Things by Degrees, v/hich are not fenfible, but in very ob- vious and eafie Changes : V/e are fcarce able to perceive the Change of the Sea- fons, and for fome odiecs which are made with a certain Deliberation, they do 1 8 o Difcourfes on the do not faii to efcape our Obfervance. However all is in a perpetual Whirl, and not lb much as the Ladies Face in the Moon, which was difcover'd with Telefcopes, within this twenty Years, but what is grown confiderably old. She had a good tolerable Countenance, but now her Cheeks are funk, her Nofe grown long, and her Chin and Fore- head meet, fo that all her Graces are vaniOi'd, and Age has made her a ter- rible Speftacle, What a Story do you tell me, fays the Countefs^ interrupting me ? 'Tis no Impofition, Madam, reflfd /, they have perceiv'd in the Moon a particular Figure which had the Air of a Wo- man's Head jetting out of Rocks, and it is owing to fome Changes that have happenM there. Some Fieces of Moun- tains have moulderM away, and left us to difcover three Points, which can on- ly ferve to make up the Forehead, Nofe, and Chin, of an old Woman. Well, faysfj^e^ but dotf t you think it is fome Deftiny that had a particular Spite to Beauty ? And very )uftly it was this Female- Plurality ^/WORLDS. i8i Female-Head, which flie would attack above all the Moon, Perhaps in Re- compence, repf^: Jy the Changes which happen upon our Earth. drcxS out ibme Face, which the People in the Moon fee; I mean fomethijig like what we conceive a Face in the Moon ; for eve- ry Oiie beftows on Objcfls thofe Ideas of which they themfelves are full. Our Altronomers fee on the Surface of the Moon, the Faces of Women, and ma\^ be, if the Ladies were to make thejr Speculations, they would difcern the Refembiance of fine Mens Faces. For my Part, Madam, I don't know whether I fliould not fancy your Lad^- fhip's Charms there. I proteft, faysjhe^ I can't help being oblig'd to any One who Hiould find me there. But to come back to what you were mention- ing juft now : Do any confiderable Changes affeft the Eartk ? In all Ap- pearance they do, reflfd I : Our Fa- bles tell us, that Hercules with his Hands fJDlit afunder the Two Moun- tains, call'd Calfe and oAbild, which ftand betwixt Jfrick and S^ain^ ftop'd the 1 S 2 Difcourfes on the the Ocean from flowing there, and that immediately the Sea rufh'd with Vio- lence over the Land, and made that great Gulph which we call the Medi- terranean. Now this is not wholly fa- bulous, but a Hiftory of thofe remote Times, which has been difguis'd, either from the Ignorance of the People, or thro' the love they had for the Mar- vellous, the two moft ancient Frailties of Mankind. That Hercules fhould feparate two Mountains with his two Hands, is abfolutely incredible ; but that in the time of one Hercules or o- ther, for there were Fifty of that Name, the Ocean fliould force down two Mountains, not fo ftrong as others m the World, and perhaps thro^ the Affift- anceoffome Earthquake, and fo take his Courfe betwixt Euro-pe and Afrkkj gives me no manner of Pain to believe. What a notable Spot might the Ltmar Inhabitants all on the fudden difcover on our Earth j for you know, Madam,, that Seas are Spots. It is no lefs the common Opinion, that SicHy was dii- joya'd from //-^yy and C)2rus from him very na rrow Bounds. Let us indulge him w^hilit we have him ^ the belt of it is, he is not fetter'd up to the Sciences and dry Speculations, but launches out with as much Succefs into Subiefts of Pleafure, in which Point I queftion whether any People equal us. Thcfe are Subjefts, Madam, that ought to give you Entertainment, and make up your whole Syjhm of Thilo- fo^hy. o.3e:c5^^3r^^.cQt5Q^i)$r/-^s^^ FINIS.