A Week's Converfation O N T H E PLURALITY WORLDS. By Monfieur D e Fo n t e n e l l e. The Sixth Edition. Tranflated by Mr.'. A. Behn, 751®"^ Hughes Efq; and Mr. J. Glanvil, J \ William Gari>ner VA\. To which is added. Mr. Addison's Defence ON THE NETVrONIAN PHILOSOPHT, LONDON: Printed for A. Bettes worth, \n?dter-NoJier.Rozo^ E. CuRLL, in Covent-Garden\ W. Féales, againll St. Clements-Church in the Strand \ J. Bk i n d l e y in Nezv-Bond-Jireet I R.Wellington, without W/^. ^j7r; C.CoRBETT, againft St. DiwJÎ^?h Church i« r k et -Jt recti and B.Wellington. MDCC XXXVII (Price 2 J 6ifcretion^ how far they will run their T^ifquijiti* ens : Thofe who have any Thoughts to lofe^ may throw them away uponfuch Subjects as the fey but^ I fuppofe^ fuch as can employ their Time better^ will not be at fo vain and fruit le fs an Ex* pence» In the/e Difcourfes, I have introdu^ ced ûLjAdy^ to be inJiru^îedinThings of which floe never heard \ and I have made ufe of this Fi&ion^ to render the Book the more except able^ and to give Encouragement to Gentlewomen^ by the Example of one oj their own Sex^ who without any fupernatural Tarts^ or Tin£iure of Learnings underjlands what is faid to her ; and without any Confufion^ rightly app'ehends what Vortexes PREFACE. V Vortexes and other Worlds are : And why may not there he a Woman like this imaginary March ion efs^ Jince her Conceptions are no other than fuch as Jhe could not chufe but have } To penetrate into things either ob-- /cure in them/elves^ or but darkly ex- pre/fed^ requires deep Meditation^ and an earne/i Application 0/ the Mind ^ but here J nothing more is requi/ite than to read and imprint an Idea of what is read in the Fancy y which wiU certainly be clear enough. I /hall de/tre no more 0/ the Fair SeXj than that they will peru/ethis Syftem of Philofophy, with the fame Application that they do a Ro- mance or Novel, when they would re* tain the Tlotj or find out all its Beau^ ties. It is true^ that the Uc^so/this are le fs familiar to mojt Ladies than tho/e of Romances, but they are not more obfcure ; for at mo/i^ twice or thrice thinkings willrender them very per/picuous. A 5 I have VI PREFACE. I have not compojedan airy Syrtem^ which has no Foundation at all : I have made itfe of fome trueThilofophical Ar- guments^ and of as many as I thought necejfary ; hut it falls out very luckily in this SubjeEl\^ ^/Ç?^/^ ^A^Phy fical- Ideas are in themfelves very diverting ; and as they convince and fatisfy Reafon^ fo at the fame Time they frefent to the Imagination a Vrofpeit which looks as if it were made onfurpofe to plea fe it* When I meet with any Fragments which are not of this kindy I fut them into fome fretty flrange T)refs : Virgil has done the like in his Georgicks; vjhen his SubjeB is very dry^ he adorns it with fie afant "Digreffions : Ovid has done the fame in his Art of Love; and though his Subject be of itfelf very fleafing^yet he thought it tedious to talk of nothingbut Love. My Subject has more need of T^igreffions than his ^ yet I have ma de ufe of them very fparinglyy andof fuch only^ as the natural Liberty of Converfat ion allows : I have placed them only where I thought my Readers would PREFACE. vii would be f leafed to meet with them > the greatejt Tart of them are in the Beginning of the Boo k^ becaufe the Mind cannot at Jirfi be Jo well acquainted with the principal Ideas which arepre- fentedto it -^ and^ in a IFord^ they are taken from the SubjeEt itfelfi or as near to it^ as is pojfible, I have related not hiftg concerningthe Inhabitants ^/^/;^reveralWor!ds,'ie'/6if/6 may feem fabulous J or chimerical ; but have faid whatever may be reafonably thought of them; and the Vijions which I have added ^ have fome real Founda- tion ; what is true, and what is falfe are mingled together^ but fo as to be ea- Jily diflinguijhed : I will not undertake to jufiify fo fantaflical and odd a Com- fofition^ which is the principal Toint x)f the F/ork^ andyetfor which^ I can give no very good Reafon. There remains no more to befazdin this Tlace^ to ajort of ^QOfle^ who per- haps will not be eafily fatisfied^ though I have goodRea/oHs to give them ; but^ that vnî. PREFACE. that the beft which can be given will not Satisfy them. Thefe are the fir u^ fulous Ver fins who imagine^ that the 'placing Inhabitants any where ^hut upon r/6^ Earth, will prove dangerous /(? Re- ligion : / know how exceffively tender fome are in religious yizX-i^x^^andthere^ fore I am very unwilling to give any Offence^ in what I publijh^ to Teople whofe Opinion ir contrary to that I maintain : But Religion can receive no prejudice by mySyJiem^ which fills an Infinity of Worlds with Inhabi- tants, if a little Error of the Imagi- nation be but re6iified. When it is /aid the Moon is inhabited, fome fre-^ fently fancy that there are fuch Men there ^ as ourfelves ; and Triejts with^ out any more ado^ think him an A- theift, who is of that Opinion. None of Adamh Poftcrity, cry they^ ever tra- velled fo far as the Moon ; nor were any Colonies ever planted in that Re- gion. I grant it. The Men in the Moon are not the Sons ^/ Adam : And here againThQology would be puzzledj ij there Jhould be Men any where ^ who PREFACE. ix 'who never defcended from him. To Jay no more^ this is the great T^ifficulty to which all others may be reduced : To clear it by a larger E«flanation^ I mufl make ufe of Terms which deferve greater Refpe&^than to put into aTrea" tife^ fo jar from being ferious as this jis. But fçrhaps tbere is no need of 2Lïï(w^v\wgtheOh]tdi\on^for it concerns no Body but the Men in the Moon ; ^nd I never y et ûffirmed there are Men there \ if any ask what the Inhabitants are^ if they be not Men? All lean Jay is, that 1 never Jaw them; and ic is not becaufe I have feen them\ that I fpeak of them : Let none however think J that I fay there are no Men in the Moon, furpojely to avoid the Ob- jeflion made againfl me; for it appears it is impojfible there fljould be zny Men there ^ according to the Idea I have fra» ntedofthat infinite T>iverjlty and Va* riety^ which is to be objerved in the fVorks of Nature; this Idea rufis through the whole Book^ and cannot be contradicted by any Philofopher: Nay^ Ï believe I /hall only hear this Objec- je£tion :^; PREFACE, )c&ion ftarted by fuch as jhallfptakof thefi Difcourfes, mithout having read them. But is this a Toint to be de- fended on ? No y on the contrary^ 1 Jhould more probably feavy that the Ob- jeftion might be made to me from many '^ ^ajies. The Reader will Jind in this Edition bejides manylmprovementsinterfperfed in the Body of the Work^ one New Converfation, in which I have fut to* get her thofe Reafonings^ which I bad omitted in the foregoing ones\ and have fub joined fome Late Difcovcries in the Firmament, feveral of which bave never yet been made "Public k . F0NTEi>lElLE To I. Mercury, x Yeims . -3 Tlie Earth . f . Mai^ -S ■ Jupiter, ù. Saîurti Iffîlllllllllll!ili|lllllll|l!l||lli;?:aiIMlMMP Iil|l.'l!li|!i!;!i'|lfi»^ FONTE lYELLE's Plurality of World To Moiifieur L. ^:p^f^^ O give you, Sir, a particular o account how Ipafs'd my time i^'^^iWà in the Country with the M>à^ Marchioncis of G^**^^ would amount to a Vokimc ; and what is worfc, a Volume of Philofo- phy. I know you cxpcded Entertain- ments of other kinds, inch as Dancing, Gaming, Hunting, &c, Indcad of wiiich, you muft take up with VoitexV, Planets, and New VV^orlds; thefc were the Subjed: of our Coiivcrfation. rAnd by good luck, as you ace a f hiloiopher, B it 2 F O NT EN EL LE *S it will be no great difappointment to you, but on the contrary, 1 fancy, you will be plcas'd, that I have brought ovei: the M.archionefs to our Party 5 we could not have gain'd a more confiderable Per- fon, for Youth and Beauty are ever in^ eftimable : If Wifdom would appear "With Succefs to Mankind, do you think fhe would not do well to take upon her the Pcrfonof the Countcfs? And yet was her Company but half fo agreeable, all theWorld would run mad after Wifdom. But tho' I tell you all the Difcourfe I had with the Lady, you mud not expeft Miracles from me. It is impoffible, without her Wit, to exprcfs what fhe faid, in the fame manner fhe fpake it : For my part, I think her very learned, from the great Difpofition Ilie has to Learning. It is not poring upon Books ■alone that makes a Man of Underftan- ding. I know many that have done nothing elfe, and yet 1 fancy are not one tittle the wifcr. But perhaps you expcd, before I enter upon my Subjed, 1 (hould dcfcribe the Lady's Houfe, with its Situation> &c. Many great Palaces have Plurality of Worlds. ^ fhave been turn'd infide outward upon far lefs occafion. But I intend to fave you and myfelf that Jabour; let it fufficc that I tell you, I found no Company with the Marchionefs, and 1 was not at all difpleas'd at it. The two firft Days drain d me of ail the News I brought from Taris 5 what I now fend you is the reft of our Con- verfation, which I will divide into fo many parts, as we were Evenings toge- ther. The Firft Evening. I'hat the Earth is a Planet which turns on itfelf a?2d round theSu?u WE went one Evening after Sup- per to walk in the Park : the Air was extremely refrefhing, becaufe that Day had been very hot 5 the Moon had been up about an hour, and her Luftre between the Trees made amoftagree- B 2 able 4 F O N T E N E L L E »/ ableMixtureofLightandDarkncls^ the Stars were in alLtheir Glory, and not a Cloud appear'd throughout the, Sky ; I* was naufing on this awful ProTpcci^ but who can think long of the Mpon and Stars in the Company of a pretty Wo- man ! I am much midaken if that's a time for Contemplation : We]l,iVladam,y^/W I.to.tkeMarchionefs, is not the Night as pleafant as the Day ? The Day, faid (loe^ like a fair Beauty, is clear and dazzling 5 but the Night, like a brown Beauty, more foft and moving. You are generous, Madam, I reply' d^ to prefer the Brown, you that have all the Charms that belong to the Fair i but is there any thing more beautiful in Nature than the Day ^ The Heroines of Romances are generally fair j and that Beauty mud be perfed, which has all the Advantages of Imagi- nation. Tell not me, fa^djhe, of perfed Beauty, nothing can be 16 that i*; not moving. But fmce you talk of Roman- ces, why do Lovers in their Songs and Elegies addrefs themfejves to the Night ? 'Tis the Night, Madam, faid /, ., that crowns their Joys, and therefore de- fer vc s Plurality of Worlds. 5 fervcs their thanks : But 'tis the Night, fa'td jhe, that hears their Coir.plaints 5 and how comes it to pals the Day is fo Jittle trnftcd with their Secrets ? I con- fefs, Madam, faid /, the Night has fomcwhac a more melancholy Air than the I>ay 5; we fancy the Stars march more filently thart the Sun, and our Thoughts wander with the more liberty, whilft we think all the World at reft but our felvcs : befides, theD^y is more uniform, we fee nothing but the Sun,and Light in the Firmament ; whilft the Night gives us variety of Objects, and flicws us ten thoufand Stars, which infpire us with, as many plcafint Ideas. What you fay is true; faidflje 5 1 love the Stars, there is fomewhat charming in them,and I could al moft be angry with the Sun for cft^acing *cm. I can never pardon him, Icrfd^ for keeping all thofe Worlds from my Sight. What Worlds, faid ^u\ look- ing earncftly upon me, what Worlds do you mean ? Ï beg your pardon, Midam, faid I h you have put mc upon my Folly, and I begin to rave. What Folly, fatd^K? I B 3 difcovcL* ,6 F O N T E N E L L eV difcovernone. Ahs^JaidI,lzm^{ham'dl> I muft own it, I have had a ftrong fancy every Star is a World. I will not fwear it is true, but muft think fo, be- caufc it is fopkaianrto believe it: 'tis a fancy come into my head, and is very diverting. If your Folly be fo diverting,.- faidthe Marchionefs^^vîiy make me fen- iible of it 5 provided the pleafurebe fo great, I will believe of the Stars all you would have me. It iSyy^/d^/,aDiverfion, Madam, 1 fear you will not relilTi 5 'tis not like reading oncof jlf(9//>r/s Plays : 'tis a Pleafure rather of the Fancy than of the Judgment. 1 hope, repl/afhe^ you do not think me incapable of it : teach me your Stars, I will fhew you the contrary. No, no, I repl/d, \\. ïhM never be faid I was talking Philofophy at ten of the clock at Night to the moft amiable Creature in the World ; find your Philofophersfome where elfe. But in vain I excused my&lf : who could refift fuchChurms? I was forc'd to yield, and yet knew not where ta begin : for to a Perfon who underftood nothing of Natural Philoipphy, you muft Plurality of Worlds. 7 niufl: go a great way about to prove that the Earth may be a Planet, the Pla- nets fo many Earths, and all the Stars Worlds : however, to give her a ge- neral Notion of Philofophy, I at laft rcfoiv'd on this xMethod. All Philofo- phy, faid Ij Madam, is founded upon two things, cither that wc arc too (hort- fighted, or that wc are too curious $ for if our Eyes were better than they are, we fhould foon fee whether the Scars were Worlds or not 5 and if on the othCc hand we were lefs curious, wc fhould not -care whether the Stars are Worlds di* not 5 which I think is much to the fan.ie purpofe. But the Bufinefs is, we have a mind to know more than wc fee : And again, if we could dlfcern well what wc do fee, it would be too much known to usrbutwc fee things quite otherwife than they are. So that your true Philofopheu will not believe what he docs fee, and is always conjcduring at what he does not, which is a Life 1 think not much to be envy'd. Upon this 1 fancy to myfclf, that Nature very much refembles an Opera 5 where vouftand^ you do not fee B 4 the 8 F O N T E N E L L E'J the Stage as it really is ; bur ns ir is plac d^ with advantage, and all the Wheels and Movements are hid, to make the Re- prcfcntation the more agreeable : Nor do you trouble yourfcif how, or by Avhat means the Machines are mov'd, tho' certainly an Engineer in the Pit is ^âifcdcd with what does not touch you 5 he is pleas'd with the Motion, and is demontharing tohimfelt, on what ir de- pends, and how it comes to pafs. This Engineer then is like a Philofopher, tho* the Difficulty is greater on the Philo- sopher's parr, the Machines of the The- atre being nothing fo curious as thofe of Nature, who dlfpoics her Wheels and Springs fo our of fightjthat we have been Jong a gucffing at the Movement of the Univerle. Suppofe then the Sages to be at an Opera, /. e. Tytkagoras^ Tlato^ Ari[}oîle^ and all the Wife Men who have niadc fuch a noife in thcWorld, for thefe many Ages , we will fuppofc 'em at the Reprcfentation of !P/^^^''/<9;7, where they fee the afpiring Youth lifted up by the Winds, but do not difcover the Wires by which he mounts, nor know they plurality of TVorlds. 9 they any thing of what is done behind the Scenes. -, Would you have alj thele Ehilofophers own them lei vcs to be ftark Fools, and confels in^enuoufly the^y know not how it comes to pais? No,no, they arc not called Wife Men tor no- thini!,5 tho', let me tell you, mofl ot tlicir Wilciom depends upon the Ignorance of their Neighbours. Every Man prc- fently gives his Opinion, and how im- probable foever, there arc Fools enough ofallibrtsro believe 'em : One tells you ^haetofi is drawn up by a hidden Magne- tick Virtue, no Uiatter where it liesj and perhaps the grave Gentleman will take Pet if you ask him the Qiicflion. Ano- ther hySyThaeton is compos'd of certain Numbers that make him mount j and af- ter all,thePhilofopher knows no more of thofeNumbersthanafuckingChilddoes OÏ Algebra. A third tells yo\.\,^haeton hath a fecret Love for the top of the Theatre ;and, like a true Lover, cannot be at reft out of his i\4iftrcfs'sCompany 5 with an hundred fuch extravagant Fan- cies, that a Man muil conclude the old Sages were very good Bantcrcrs. But B $ now lo Fonte NELLE'^ now Gomes Monficur T^efcartes with fome of the Moderns, and they tell you 7haeton alcends, becaufe a greater Weight than he dcfcends , (b that now we do not believe a Body can move un- lefs it is pufh'd and forc'd by another Body, and as it were drawn by Cords, fo that nothing can rife or fall but by means of a Counterpoife : to fee Na« ture then as fhe really i?y yotv muft ftand behind the Scenes at the Opera. I per- Q(:XvCyfaidîheMarchionefs,V\\\\oÇo'ç\'\Y is now become very mechanical. So me- chanical, Madam, faid /, that 1 fear we fnail quickly be afliam'd of it , they will have the World to be in great, what a Watch is in little, which is very regular, and depends only upon the jufl: difpofing of the lèverai parts of the Movement. But pray tell me, Madam, had you not formerly a more lublime Idea of the Univerfe ? Do not you think then that you honoured it more than it deferv'd ? for mod Folks have the lefs efteem for it fince they have pretended to know it. I am not of their opinion,y^/V/7;^-' , I va» lue it the more fince Iknov/ it refembles a Plurality of Worlds. 1 1 a Watch ; and the whole Order of Na- ture, the more plain and eafy it is, to me it appears the more admirable. I know nor, [aid 7, who has in- fpir'd you with thefe folid Notions ; but I am certain there are few that have them befidcs youiTelf. People general- ly admire what they do not compre- hend, they have a Veneration for Ob- fcurity, and look upon Nature while they do not underftand her, as a kind of Magic, and defpifc her below Le- gerdemain, when once they arc ac- quainted with her : but I find you. Madam, fo much better difpos'd, thac I have nothing to do but to draw the Curtain, and fhew you the World. That then which appears fartheft from the Earth (where we re fide) is called the Heavens, that azure Firmamenr, where the Stars arc faftcn'd like la many Nails, and are call'd fix'd, be- caufe they feem to have no other Mo- tion than that of their Heaven, which carries them with itfclf from Had ta Weft. Between the Earth and this great Vault (as I may call it) hang ar 12 FONTENËLLE'X at different Heights, the Suny and the Moon, with the five other Stars, Alcr^ cury, Venus ^Mar s ^Juph er ^^wà. Saturn^ which we call the Planets : thcfe Planets, liot being fadned to the fame Heaven, nnd having very unequal Motions, have divers Alpcdls and Pofuions 5 whereas the' fixed Stars in rcfped to one ano- ther, arc always in the fame Situation ; for exan-iple, the Chariot^ which is composed of the feven Stars, has been, and ever will be, as it nov/ is, tho' the Moon is fometimcs nearer to the Sun, and fometimcs farther from it ; and fo it is with the refl; of the Planets. Thus things appeared to the Old Chaldean Shepherds, whofe great Jeifiire produced thefc fiift Obfer- vations, which have fince been the Foundation of AHronomy; which Sci- ence had its birth in Chaldea^ as Geo- metry fprung from Egypt ^ where the Inundation of the iV/7^ confounding the Bounds of their Fields, was the ocçafioii «of their inventing exader Meafurcs, to diflinguiih, every one's Land from that of his Neighbour. So that Ailrono- my 'Plurality of Worlds. 13 my was the Daughter of Idlencfs, Gc^ omctry the Daughter of IntereH: 5 and if we did but examine Poetry, we fliould eertainly find her the Daughter of Love. I am glad, faid the Lady, I have learnt the Genealogy of the Sciences, and am convinc'd I mufl: {lick to A- ftronomy j my Soul is not mercenary enough for Geometry, nor is it tender enough for Poetry -, but I have as much time to fpare, as Aftronomy requires : befides, we are now in the Country, and lead a kind of Pailoral Life, which fuits bcft with Aftronomy. Do not deceive yourfelf. Madam, y^/V 7, 'tis not a true Shepherd's Life to talk of the Stars and Planets : See if they pafs their Time fo mAflraa. That ibrt of Shepherd's Craft, replied (he, is too dangerous for me to learn : I love the \\ov\ci\. Chaldeans^ and you mud teach me their Rules, if you would have mc improve in their Science. But let us proceed. When they had rank'd the lleavens in that manner you tell me, pray, what is the next QiielUon? The ncxt^ 14 F O N T E N E L L eV next, faid I^ is the difpofing the fevc- ral Parts of the Univerfe, which the Learned call Making a Syfiem : but before 1 expound the firft Syftem, I would have you obfcrvcy we are all naturally like that Madman at Athens^ who fancy'd all the Ships were his that came into the 7yrœum Port. Nor is our Folly \t^^ extravagant ; we be- lieve all things in Nature defign'd for our Ufe 5 and do but ask a Philofopher, to what purpofe there is that prodigious company of fixed Stars^ when a far lefs Number would perform the Service they do us? he anfwers coldly, they were made to pleafe our Sight. Up- on this Principle, they imagined the Earth rcfted in the Centre of the Uni- verfc, while all the Celeftial Bodies (which were made for it) took the pains to turn round to sive Light to it. They plac'd the Moon above the Earth, M^rrf/r/ above the Moon, after 1^^ Venus the Sun, Mars, Jupiter^ Saturn\ above all thefe they fct the Heaven of .fixed Stars, the Earth was juft in the middle of thofe Circles which contain riie Plurality of Worlds. 1 5 the Planets ; and the greater the Cir- cles were, they were the farther (^'w ftant from the Earth, and by confc- quence the fartheft Planets took up the mod Time m finiiliing their Goiirfe, which in efFed is true. But why, faid the Marchmiefs, interrupting mc, da you diflikc this Syftcm ? It fcems to me very clear and intelligible. However^ Madam, faid I^ Iwill mafceit plainerj for fnouid 1 give it you as it came from Ttolemf its Author, or fome other who have fince fludied it, I fhould fright you, I fancy, inftcad of diverting you. Since the Motions of the Planets are not fo regular, but tliat fometimes they go fafter, fometimes flower, fome- times are nearer the Earth, and fome- times farther from it ; the Anticnts invented 1 know not how many Orbs or Circles involv'd one within an- other, which they thought would Iblve all Objcdions : This Confufion of Cir- cles was fo great, that at that time^ when they knew no better, a certain King of Cafltle^ a great Mathematician, but not much troubled with Religion, faid, That ■ 1.6 F O N T E NÉ L L eV That had God confulîed him 'lii'hen hf made^ the World y he: "would have îold him how to have framed it better. The Saying was very athcifti :al,and no doubt the Inftrudions he would have eivcn the Almighty, was the fuppreflini^, thofe Circles with which he had clogg'd the Ccleiiial Motions, and the'taking away tv/o or three fuperfluous Heavens which were plac'd above the fixed Stars : for the Piiilofophers, to explain the Mo- tion of theCelcftial Bodies, had above the uppermoA Heaven (which we fee) found another of Crydal, to influence î^nd give Motion to the inferior Hea- vens 5 and where-evcr they heard of a- nothcr Motion, they prcfcntly clapp'cl up a Cryftal Heaven, which coft 'cm nothing. But why inuft their Heaven be of Cryftal, faid the Marchionefs 5 would nothing elfe ferve as well? No, no^ replied 1^ nothing fo well , for the Lieht was to come thro' them, and vet they were to be lolid. jirijlot le y^owlà, have it fo, he had found 5olidity to be one of their Excellencies i and when he had once faid it, no body would be fo rude Plurality of Worlds. 17 rude as to qucQion it. But it fcems there were Comets much higher than the Phi- lofophersexpeded, which, asthcypafs'd along, broke the Cryftal Heavens, and confounded the Univerfe : But to make the bcft of a bad Market, they prefcntly melted down their broken Glafs,,and to Ariflotle^ Confurion,made the Heavens fluid ; and by the Obfervations of thefe latter Ages it is now out of doubt, that Venus and Mercury turn round the Sun, and not round the Earth, according to theantient Syftem, which is now every where exploded, and all the Jpfe dïxits not worth a Ruih. But that which I am going to lay down^ will folve all, and is fo clear, that the King of Caftile him- felf may fpare his x\dvice. Methirrks, fays the Marchîonefs^ your Philolbphy is a kind of Outcry, where he that of- fers to do the Work cheaped, carries it from all the reft, 'lis very true, y^///, Nature is a great HoufewiCe, flic always makes ufe of what cods leaft, let the Difference be ever fo inconfiderable : and yet this Frugality is accompanied With an extraordinary Magnificence, which rS FON T E N E L L e'jT which fliines thro' all her Works 5 that is, fhe is magnificent in theDefign, but frugal in the Execution : and what can be more praife-worthy tiian a great De- fign accomplifh'd with a little Expence ï But in ourldeas we turn things topfy- turvy, we place our Thrift in the De- fign, and are at ten times more charge in Workmanfhip than it requires, which is very ridiculous. Imitate Nature then,, Jaid fhây in your Syftcm, and give me cas little Trouble as you can to compre- hend you. Fear it not, Madam,y^/^/, we have done with our Impertinences : Imagine then ^German c?i\VàCoperni^ ms confounding every thing, tearing in pieces the bclovedCirclcs of Antiquity,, and fhattering their Cryftal Heavens like lb mnny Glafb- Windows i feiz'd With the noble Rage of Aftronomy, he fiiatches up the Earth from the Centre of theUniverle, fends her packing, and places the Sun in the Center, to which it did more juftiy belong; the Planets •110 longer turn round the Eartli, norin> clofe it in the Cireles they defcribe : if tlicy give us Light, it is but by chance, and as Plurality of Worlds. 1 9 as they meet us in their way. All now turns rounS'* the Sun ^ even the Earth herfelf, and Copernicus^ to punifh the Earth for her former Lazinefs, makes her contribute all he can to the Motion of the Planets and Heavens; and now ftripp'd of all the heavenly Equipage with which fhe was foglorioufly attended, fhc has nothing left her but \\\zMoony which ftill turns round about her. Fairandfoft- l^y fays the Marchionefs, I fancy you yourfelf are feiz d with the noble Fury •of Aftronomy ; a little lefs Rapture, and I (hall underftand you the better. The Sun, you fay, is in the Center of the U- niverfe, and is immoveable 5 what fol- lows next litis Mercury, fa/dl'j he turns round the Sun; fo that the Sun is the Cen- tre of theCircle wherein M^ra/;7movcs5 ^bovcAIercurfis Venus^ who turns alfo' round the Sun : after comes the Earth, which being placed higher than Mercu- ry ^ind Venus, makes a greater Circle round the Sun than either of them 5 at laft come Mars^Jtipiter^ and Saturn, in the fame order 1 name 'em, fo that «5*^- turn has the greatcft Circle round the Sun, ■4 r*'^*^ ' * ••'^ 20 F O N T E N E L L E:V Sun, which is the rcafon ^^is longer m making his Revokition tUm'any of the other Planets. You have foruot the Moon, faid the Marckionefs, We fhall quickly find her again, /^/Wi; the Moon turns round the Earth, and docs not leave her* but as the Earth advances intheCir- -cle which fhe defcribes about the Suit 5 and if the Moon turns round the Sun, it is becaufe flic will not quit the Earth. I underhand you, faid flie, and I love the Moon for ftaying with us when all the other Planets abandon us, nay, I fear yourG^r/^^j^would have willingly taken •her away too if he could» for in all his Proceedings I find he had a great Spite to the Earth. 'Twaswell done of hini,y^/W J, to abate the Vanity of Mankind, who had taken up the beil: place in theUni- verfe, and it pi cafes me to fee the Earth in the Crouds of the Planets. Smc^/aid fhe, you do not think their Vanity at- tends itfelf fo far as Aftronomy! Do you believe you have humbled me, in telling me the Earth goes round the Sun? •Eor my part, I do not think myfelf at all the worfe for it. I confcfs, faid ly Ma- dam, Plurality of Worlds. 2 1 dam, 1 believe a fair Lady would be much more concerned io\: iicr Place ac a Ball, than for her Rank in thcUniverfe : and the Precedence of two Planets will not make halffucha Noife in the World as that of two Ambafladors. However, the fame Inclination which reigns at a Ceremony, governs in a Syftem j and if you l;ove the uppcrmoll Place iii the , one, the Philofopher defires the Centre; • in the other : he darters him felf that all - things were made for him, and infcnfi- bly believes a matter of pure Specula- • tian to be a point ot Intereil. This is a Calumny,' fi/dpje, you have invented againd. Mankind 3 why did they receive thisSyfîcm, if ic was fo er roneous ? I/^aJ^ know not, faid I^ but I am fure Copers njcus himfeif diftrufted the Succefs of his Opinion, he was a long time before he would venture, to publiih it, nor had " he d'Oiiv it then vvithout the Importunity : of his Friends. . But do you know what became of him ? the very Day they brought him the 6rft printed Sheet of his Book, he died :''he forclaw he fhould never be able (o reconcile all the Cqn-^ tra- 2^ 'F ON TE NELL KS tradidions, and therefore very wifely flipt out of the way. I would be juft to all the World, fai^ the Manhionefs, but 'tis hard to fancy we move, and yet fee we do not change our Place ^ we find ourfelves in the Morning where we lay down at Night : Perhaps you will tell me the whole Earth moves. Yes, cer- tainly, faid ly it is the fame .cafe as if you fell aflccp in a Boat upon the River, when you awake you find yourfelf in the fame Place and the fame Situation in refpeâ: to all the Parts of the Boat. 'Tis true, Jhe replfd, b^r here's a great diffe- rence, when I awake, I find another Shore, and that fhews me my Boat hath changed Place; but 'tis not the fame with the Earth, I find all things as I left 'em. No,no,y^/<^/,there is another Shore too; you know that beyond the Circles of tl\e j?ianets are fixed Stars,thcre is our Shore, lam upon the Earth, and the Earth makes a great Circle round the Sun, I look for the Centre of the Circle, and fee the Sun there 5 then I diredt my Sight beyond the Sun in a right Line, and fhould certainly, difcover the fixed Stars which anfwer to the Plurality of Worlds, -23 • the Sun, but that the Light of the Sun effaces 'em : But at night I eafily per- ceive the Stars which correfpondedwitli him in the Day, which is exadly the ;Xame thing 5 it the Earth did not change its Place in the Circle where it is, I fhould fee the Sun always againft the fame fixed Stars ; but v/hen the Earth does change its Place, the Sun muft an- fwcr to other Stars ; and there again is your Shore, which is always changingc And feeing the Earth makes her Circle m a Year, I fee the Sun likewife in the fpace of a Year anfwer fuccefllvely to the whole Circle of the fixed Stars, which Circle is called the Zodiack ^ I will draw you the Figure of it, if you pleafc, on the Sand. *Tis no matter, faïâ fhe, 1 can do well enough without it ; befides, it will give an Air of Learn- ing to my Park, which I would not Jiave in it : For I have heard of a cer- tain Philofophcr,who being fliipwreck'd and caft upon an unknown Ifland, fee- ing feveral Mathematical Figures tra- ced on the Sea-fhare, cry'd out to .thofe that followed him, Courage, my .Companions; the Ifle is inhabited ; be- hold 24 Fo N T E N E L L E*^ hold the Footfteps of Men: But you may (pare your Figures i fuchFootfteps are not decent here. I confefs, Madam, /aid I^ theFoot- ft^ps of Lovers would better become this Place 5 that is, your Name and Cypher carv'd on the Trees by your Adorers. Tell not me, fa'td fke, of Lovers and Adorers i I am for my be- loved Sun and Planets. But how comes it. to pafs that the Sun, as to the fixed Stars, compleats his Courfe but in a Year, and yet goes over our Head? eve- ry day ? Did you never, reply dly ob- ferve a Bowl on the Green ? It runs to- wards the Jack, and at the fame time turns very often round itfeif, fo that the Parts which were above are beloWj and thofc which were below are above i juil fo it is with the Earth, at the fame time that fhe advances on the Circle, which, in a Yjcar's fpace ihe makes round the Sun, in 24 Hours fhe turns round her felf 5 fo that in 24 Hours every Part of the Earth loles the Sun, and recovers him again, and as it turns towards the Sun, it fcems to rife : and as it turns from him, Plurality of Worlds. 25 hiin, it fccms to fall. It is very plca- fant, faid [he, that the Earth muft take all upon hcrfclf, and the Sun do no- thing. And when the Moon, the other Planets and the fixed Stars feem to go over our Heads every 24 Hours, you'll fay that too is only Fancy ? Mere Fancy, faid ly which proceeds from the fame Caufe,- for the Planets compleat their Courfes round the Sun at unequal times, according to their unequal Didances 5 and that which we fee to-day, anfwers to a certain Point in t\\Q Zodiack, or Circle of the fixed Stars, we fee to-morrow anfwer to another Point, becaufe it is advanced on its own Circle, as well as we are advanced upon ours. We move, and the Planets move too, which muft make a great Alteration i fo that what fecms irregular in the Planets, proceeds only from our Motion, when in truth, they are all very regular. I will fuppofe *em fo, faid the Marchionefs j but I would not have their Regularity put the Earth to fo great trouble : methinks you exad too much Aclivity from fo ponde- rous a Mafs. But, faid 7, had you ra- C ther 20 Fonte n e l l e/j ther that the Sun and ail the Stars, whicjti are vaft great Bodies, ^ould in 24 Hours travel luch an Infinity of Miles, and make lb prodigious a Tour as thcy needs muft, if the Earth did not turn round itfelf every 24 Hours? Oh^ faid fie, the Sun and the Stars are all Fire, their Motion is not very difficult 5 but the Earth, I fancy, is a little unwieldy. That fignifies nothing, J replied 5 for what do you think of a Firft-RateShip, which carries near a hundred and fifty Guns, and above 3000 Men, befides great Loads of Merchandize ? yet you fee one Puff of Wind fets her a failing, becaufe the Water is liquid, and being eafily feparated, very little refifts the Motion of the Ship. So the Earth, though never fo weighty, is as eafily fV^^^rne up by the Celtftfal Matter, which is a thoufand times more fluid than the Water, and fills all that great Space where the Planets float 5 for where would jou have the Earth faftned to refift the Motion of the Celeftial Mat- ter, and not be driven by it ? You may as well fancy a Uttle Block of Wood .can Plurality of Worlds. 27 can withftand the Current of a River. But pray, faid fhe^ how can the Earth with all its Weight, be borne up by your Celeftial Matter, which muft be very light, becaufe it is fo fluid? It does not argue, faU /, that what is moft fluid is moft light : for what think you of the great Ship I mentioned juft now, which with all its Burden is yet li2;hter than the Water it floats on? 1 will have nothing to do with that great Ship, faid fbe, with fome warmth; and I begin to apprehend myfelf in fome danger on fuch a Whirlygig as you have made of the Earth, There is no danger, replied I -y but, Madam, if you are afraid, we will have the Earth fupported by four Elephants, as the Indians believe it. Hey-day, cr/d jhCy here's another Syftcm; however, I love thofc People for taking care of themfelves 5 they have a good Founda- tion to truft to, while you Copernicans are a little too venturous with the Ce- leftial Matter : and yet I fancy, if the Indians thought the Earth in the lead danger of fmking, they wonld double C 2 their 28 F O N T E N E L L e'j their number of Eicphants. They would do weil, Ja/d /, laughing at her Fancy, who would lleep in fcni ? and if you have occafion for 'cm to- night; wc will put as many as you pleafc in our Syftcm ; wc can take "^em away again by degrees, as you grow better confirmed, i do not think 'em very ncceifary, Jaid fje ^ I have Courage enough to turn. You fhall t urn w i t il plea fii re, Mad a m , fa/d I, and fhall find delightful Ideas in this Sy- ftem : For example, fometimes I fan- cy my felf fufpended in the Air, with- out any Morion, while the Earth turns round me m 24 Hours ; I fee 1 know not how many different Faces pafs un- der me, fome w^iite, fome black, and •fome tauny 5 fometimes I fee Fiats, and fometimes Turbants 5 now Heads with Hair, and then Ihav'd Heads 5 here 1 fee Cities with Steeples, others with Spires and Crefcents, others with Towers of Porcelain, and anon great Countreys with nothing but Cottages: here 1 fee vaft Oceans, and there moft horrible Deferts : In fhort^ I difcover the Plurality of Worlds. 29 the iniinitc Variety which is upon the Surface of the Earth. I coufcfs, faid f])e^ 24 Hours would thus be very well bcftow'd, fo we were in the fame Place where we are now : I do not mean in the Park j but we will Ilippoic ourfelves in the Air, other People continually paf- fing by, who take up our Place, and at the end of 24 Hours wc return to it a- gaui. Copernicus himfelf, faid ly could not have comprehended it better : Firfl: then, we fee ibme of our Neighbours paf- fing by us, up to the cars in Politicks, yet fettling their Nation no better than we do the World in the Moon ; then follows a great Sea, perhaps^^a Fleet of Ships, perhaps a Mackrel-Boat, no mat- ter whether ^ then come fome of the /- roqnois going to eat a Prifoner for their Breakfad, who feems as little concernai as his Dcvourers ; after, appear the Wo- men of the Land oïjeffo, who fpcnd all their time in drelling their Husbands Dinners and Suppers, and painting their Lips and Eyebrows blue, only to pleafe the greatcH: Brutes in the C 3 Worlds 3© FONTENELL E '/ World 5 then the fair CircûjJianSy who^ are very free of their Favours^ and grant all to the firfl: Comer, except a' jittle they refcrve for their Husbands i then the Tartars going to ftcal Concu- bines for the Turks zniTerJians 5 and at laft our own dear Countrymen, it may be in fome Points as ridiculous as- the beft of 'cm. It is very pleafanti faid the Marchionefsy but to imagine what you tell me : tho' if I were abovCj, and faw all this, I would have the li- berty to haften or retard the Motion of the Earth, according as the Objefts- pleased me more or lefs j- and I alTure you I fhould quickly fend packing the Politicians and Man eaters^ but fhould ' have a great Curiofity for the fair Cir^ cafflanSy for methinks they have a Cuf- tom very particular. But I have a Diffi- culty to clear, and you muft be ferions. As the Earth moves, the Air changes every Moment, fo "we breathe the Air of another Country. Not at all, re- fly d Is for the Air which encompafles the Earth, does not extend above a cer- tain Height, perhaps 20 Leagues i it fol- lows plurality of Worlds. 3 1 lows us, and turns with us. Have you not feen the Work of a Silk- Worm, ffte Shells in which thofe little Animals imprifon themfelves, and weave with fo much Art ? they are made of a Silk very ciofc, but are covcrM with a Down very flack and foft : So the Earth, which is folid, is cover'd from the Surface 20 Leagues upwards with a kind of Down, which is the Air, and like the Shell of the Silk-Worm turns at the fame time. Bcyotld the Air is the Celeftial Matter, incomparably more pure and fubtle, and much more a<;itated than the Air. Your Comparilon,y^/W/]f7^, isfomcwhat mean, and yet what Wonders are wroup;ht> what Wars, what Changes in this little Shell? 'Tis true, I replied', but Nature takes no notice of fuch little particular Motions, but drives us along with the general Motion, as if (he were at Bowls. Methinks, faid ffoe^ 'tis very ridiculous to be upon a thing that turns, and yet not be well affurVi that it does tuni ; and to tell you the truth, 1 begin to dif- truft the Reafons you give why wc ihould not be fenfible of the Motion of G 4 tue 32 Fon'tenelleV the Earth 5 for is it pciliblc there fhould not fonie little Mark be left, by which we might perceive it ? Ail Motions, (aid /, the more com- imon and natural thcv are, are the Jefs perceptible 5 and this holds true even in Morality. The Motion of Self-love is fo natural to us, that for the mod part we are not fcnfible of it, and we be- lieve we afl by other Principles. You are Moralizing, faid floe, to a Qucftion of Natural Philofophy : But 'tis enough for the firft time ; let us now go home, and meet here again to-morrow, you with your Syftems, and I with my Ig- norance. In returning back to the Caftlc, that I might fay all I could on the Subject, I told her of a third SyUcm, invented by ITycho Brahé, who had fix'd the Earth in îhe Centre of the World, turn'd the Sun Tound the Earth, and the reft oï the Pla- nets round the Sun y for fince the new Difcoveries, there was no way left to have the Planets turn round the Earth. But the Marchionefs, who had a quick Apprehcnfion, faid, fhe thought it wa too Plurality of Worlds. 33 too affcd'cd, among (b many great Bo- dies, to exempt the Earth only from turning round the Sun j that it was im- proper to make the Sun turn round the Earth, when all the Planets turn round the Sun : and that tho' this Syftem was to prove the Immobility of the Earth, yet ilie thought it very improbable. So we refolv'd to (lick to Copernicus^ whofe Opinion we thought moil uniform, pro- bable and diverting. In fliort, the Sim- plicity of his Syftem convinces us, and the £oldneLs of it fui'prizes with Plea- fure. C 5 Th( 34 F ON T E n ELL E'i The Second Evening. That the Moon is an Habitable World, NEXT Morning I fent to the Mar- chionefs's Apartment, to know how fhe had refted, and whether the Motion of the Earth had not difturbed her ? She fent word back, fhe began to be accuftomcd to it, and that fhe had flept tis well or better than Copernicus himfeif, Soon after, there came fome Neighbours- to dinner, who, according to the tire- fomc rural Cuftom, flaid till Evening, ^nd were very obliging in going then ,■ for the Country alfo gives a Privilege of extending their Vifit to the next Mor- ning, if they are fo difpofed : when they were gone, we waik'd again into the Park, and immediately fell upon our Syftems. She fo well concciv'd what I told her the Kiglit before, that fhe de- fired Plurality of Worlds. 3 5 fired I would proceed without nny Re- petition. Well, Madam, faidl, fincc the Sun, which is now immoveable, has left off being a Planet, and the Earth which turns round him, is now become one, you will not be furpriz'd when you hear that the Moon is an Earth too, and that fhc is inhabited as ours \s, 1 con- i^k^ faid jhe^ I have often heard talk of the World in the Moon, but I always look'd upon it as vifionary, and mere Fancy. And it may be fo flill, faïd I; I am in this cafe as People in a Civil War, where the uncertainty of what may hap- pen makes Vm hold intelligence with the oppofite Party, and correfpond with their very Enemies : for tho' 1 verily believe the Moon is inhabited, I live civilly with thofc who do not believe it ; and I am (like fome honeft Gentlemen in point cf Religion) fiill ready to embrace the prevailing Opinion : but 'till the Un- believers have a more confidcrablc Ad- vantaiie, I am for the People in the Moon. Suppofe there had never been any eommunication between Taris and St, 'Dan/is, 36 FoNTENELLE*5 ^ennls^ and a Cockney who was never beyond the Walls of this City, Taw St, T> emits from the Towers of Notre- ^ame, you ask him if he b<:lieves St. ^Dennis is inhabited as ^Patis is ? He prefcntly anfwcrs, No : for, fays he, I i^ee People at Taris, but none at Sî, *De?mis^ nor did 1 ever hear of any there. ^Tis true, you tell him, that from tiic Towers of Notre-T^awe he cannot per- ceive any Inhabitants at St, "DenniSy be- eaufe of the Diftance; but all that he docs difcovcr of St. Tjennis-, very much "xefemblcs what he fees at Tarts, the . Stceplesj. Houles, \'\''alls, &c. fb that it inay very wcli be inhabited as Tarts is: all this fignifies nothing, my Cockney ilill pcrfifts, that St, T)ennis is not in- Ihabited, becaufe he fees no body there. The Moon is our St. l^emiïs^ and every pne of us as mere Cockneys as he that ii€ver v/as out of his own City. You are too fevere, faid fhe, upon your Fel- low-Citizens $ we arc not all lure Co filly as your Cockney i fince St, T>ennis is juft as Taris is, he is a Fool, if he does iiot think it inhabited : But the Mopn is Plurality of Worlds. 37 is not at all like the Earth. Have a care what you fay, reply'dli for if the Moon rcfembles the Earth, you are un- der a ncccfluy to believe it inhabited. If it be To, [aid fhe, I own 1 cannot be difpens'd from bcl.eving it 5 and you fccm fo confident ot it, that 1 fear, I mull:, whether I will or no. Tis true, the two Motions of the Earth, (which I could never imagine till now) do a little ftagger me as to all the red : But yet how is it polllble the Earth fhould enlighten as the Moon does, without which they cannot be alike? If that be all, /aid /, the Difference is not great, for 'tis the Sun which is the fole Foun- tain of Light : that Qiiality proceeds only from him j and if the Planets give Light to us, it is becaufe they tirfl: receive it from the Sun ; the Sun fends Light to the Moon, and fhe reflects it back on the Earth : the Earth in the fame man- ner receives Light from the Sun, and fends it to the Moon > for the Diftancc is the fame between the Earth and the Moon, as between the Moon and the Earth» But is the Earth, /aid the Mar- chionefe^ 38 F O N T E N E L L e'j chionefs^ as fit to fend back the Light of the Sun, as the Moon is ? You are al- together tor the Adoon, faïd /, fhe is much obliged to you ; but you mud know that Light is made up of certain little Balls, which rebound from what isfolid, but pafs thro' what admits of an entrance in a right Line, as Air or Glafs ; fo that what makes the Moon enhghtea us, is, that fhe is a firm and folid Body, from which the little Balls rebound: and we muft deny our Sen fes, if we will not allow the Earth the fame Solidity-. In fliort, the Difference is how we arc feated j for the Moon being at fo vaft a diftance from us, we can only difcover her to be a Body of Light, and do not perceive that (he is a great Mafs, altoge- ther like the Earth: whereas, on the contrary, becaufe we are fo near the Earth, we know her to be a great Mafs, proper to furniih Provifion for Animals, but do not difcover her to be a Body of Light, for want of the due diftance, \t is juft fo with us ail, faid the Lady j' we are dazzled with the Qiiality andFortmic- of thofe who are above us 5 when, db but Plurality of Worlds. 3 9 but look to the bottom, and we are all alike. Very true, faid T, we would judge of all things, but fliil (land in the wrong place : we are too near to judge of ourielves, and too far off to know 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 Spedatorof this World, and not an In- habitant. Ifhail never be fatisfy'd, faid fhe, for the Injuftice we do the Earth, and the too favourable Opinion we have of the Moon, 'till you afliire me that the People in the Moon arc as little ac- quainted with their Advantages as we are with ours, and that they take our Earth far a Planet, without knowing theirs is one too. Do not doubt it, /aid li we appear to them to perform very regularly our Fundion of a Planet. Tis true, they do not 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 bej:;innin2: of the VVorJd, hath been rurn'd towards us ever fincc; and thofe Spots inhcr^ which we 40 F O xN T E N E L L e'j- wc have thought to look like a Face, with Eyes, Nofe, and Mouth, arc dill thç fame ; and if the other oppofite half fhould nppcar to us, we Ihould no doubt fancy another Figure from the different Spots that are in it : Not but that the Moon turns upon herlelf and 'm the fame time that llic turns round the Earth, that is, in a Month 5 but while (he is ïuakiug that turn upon herielf, and that ftie would hide a Check, for example, and appear fomevv'hat clic to u?, fne inakcs a like part of her Circle round the Earth, and ftill prefents to us the fame Cheek : fo that the Moon, who in refped of the Sun and Stars, turns round herfelf, in refped of us, does not turn at all : they feem to her to rife and fet in the fpace of fifteen Days j 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 for a Body which fhould 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 Plurality of Worlds > 41 hid from us, and a little Corner of the oppoilte half appears; but then, upon my word, (he attributes that trembling to us, and fancies that we have in the Hea- vens the Motion of a ^Penduhtm, which vibrates to and fro. I find, fays the Marckionefs^ the Planets are jufl: like us; we call that upon others which is in ourfclvcs; the Earth fays, 'Tis not I that turn, 'tis the Sun y the Moon fays, 'Tis not I that foake, 'tis the Earth 5 the World is full of Error. But I would not ad- vife you, [aid /, to undertake the re- forming it ; you had better convince yourfelf of the entire Refembiance of the Earth and the Moon. Imagine then thcfc two great Bowls (afpendcd in the Heavens, you know^ that the Sun alwnys enlightens the one half of a Body that is round, and the other half is in the Shadow; there is then one half of the Earth, and one halt of ihe Moon,, which is enlightncd by the Sun ; that is, one half which is Day, and the other half which is Nifihr. Obfcrvc alio, that as a Ball lias lefs Force 42 F O N T E N E L L e'j' Force after it has been ftruck againft a>^| Wall, and rebounds to the other fide 5' fo Light is weakned when it is refleded. The pale Light which comes to us from the xMoon, is the very Light of the Sun 5 ' but it cannot come to us from the Moon but by Reflexion : it has loft much of the Force and Luftre it had • when it came direftly from the Sun ^ upon the Mboui and that bright Light which fhines diredly upon us from the Sun, and which the Earth reflcds upon- the Moon, is as pSle and weak when ' it arrives there : So that the Light which appears to us in the Moon, and which - enlight'-ns our Nights, is the Part of the Moon which has Day 5 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 this, how the Moon and the Eanh behold one another. At the beginning of the Month, we do not fee the Moon, becaufe fhe is be- tween the Sun and us j that half of her whiv-h has Day, is then turned toward the Sun,- and that half which hasNightj:. is Plurality of Worlds. 43 ' is turned towards us ; we cannot fee it then, becaufe it lias no Light upon it : but that half of the Moon which has Night, being turned to the half of the Earth which has Day, fees us without being perceived ; and wc then appear to them juft as the Full- Moon does to us. So that, as 1 may fay, the People of the xMoon have then a full Earth ; but the Moon being advancd upon her Circle of a Month, comes from under the Sun, and begins to turn towards us a little corner of the half which is Light j which is the Crefcent : then thofe Parts of the Moon which have Night, do not fee all that half of the Earth which has^ Day, and wc are then in the Wain ta them. I comprehend you very well, faidthe Lady ; the People in 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 do not fee us at all 5 and they have then a new Earth, this is plain. But now tell me how come the Eciipfcs? You may cafily. gucfs 44 F O N T E N E L L E^'j" \ giiefi. char, faid I --, when it is new Moon, fhc is between the Sun and us, and all her dark half is turned towards us wiio have Light, that obfcure Shadow is cad upon us f if the Moon be dircdly under the Sun, that Shadow hides him from us, and at the fame time obfcures a part of that half of the Eaith which is hght j this is feen by that half of the Moon which is dark: here then is an Eclipfe of the Sun to us during our Day, and an EcHpfe of the Earth to the Moon during her Night. When it is full Moon the Earrli is between- her and the Sun, and all the dark half of the Earth is turned towards all the light half of the Moon; the Shadow then of the Earth cafls itlelf towards the Moon, and if it falls on the Moon, it obfcures that light half which we fee, which has then Day, and hinders the Sun from Hiining 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 Ecliplcs every time that the Moon ib between the Sun and the Earth, or Plurality of Worlds. 45 or the Earth between the Sun and the Moon, is, becaufe thefe three Bodies are not exactly placed in a right Line, and by confcqucnce that which fliould make the Eclipfe, cads its Shadow a little be- fide that which Oiould be oblcurcd. I am furprJzcd, fuidthe MarchionefSy that there {hould be fo httle Myilery'^in Eclipfes, and that the whole World IhoLild not know the Caufe of 'em. They never will, faid I^ as Ibmc Peo- ple go about it. In û\z Eafi- Indies y when the Sun and the Moon are in Eclipfe, they believe a certain Devil who has black Claws, is fcizing on thofe Planets with his Talons i and du- ring that time the Rivers are covered with the Heads o^ Indians, who are up to the Neck in Water, becaufe they e- fteem it a very devout Pofture, to im- plore the Sun and the Moon to defend them againft the Devil. In America^ they are perfuaded that the Sun and the Moon, when eciipfed, are angry, and what is it they will not do to be reconciled with them ? The Greeks, who were io refined, did they not believe the 4.6 F O N T E N E L L n^S the Moon was enchanted, and that the Magicians forced her to defcend from Heaven, and fhed a dangerous Juice on the Plants? Nay, what a Panic were we in, not many Years ago, at an E- clipfe of the Sun ? How many People hid themfelves in their Cellars; and all the Philofophers could nor pcrfuade them to come out 'till the EcHpfe was over ? Methinks, faid pay 'tis fcandalous for Men to be fuch Cowards 5 there ought to be a general Law made to prohibit the difcourfing of Eclip fes, that w^ might not call to mind the Follies tliat have been faid and done upon that Subjeft. Your Law then, 4/2^////, 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 do you think, faid fhe, of the People in the Moonj are they as fearful of an Eclipfeas we are ? It would be a good Jeft to fee the Indians there up to the Neck in Water; that the Americans fhould believe the Earth angry Plurality of Worlds. 47 angry with them 5 the Greeks fancy we were bewitched, and would dcftroy their Plants 5 in (hort, rhat we fliould caufc the fame Confternation among them, as they do here. And why not, faid I? I do not doubt it at all 5 for why fhould the People of the Moon have more -Wit than we? What Right have they to affright us, and not we them ? For my part, I believe that fince a prodi- gious Company of Men have been, and ftili are inch Fools to adore the Moon, there certainly are People in the Moon that worfhip the Earth, and that we are upon our Knees the one to the other. But ixuc, faid fhey we don't pretend to fend any Influences to the Moon, and to give a Grills to her Sick; if the People have any Wit in thofe Parts, they will foon dcftroy the Honour we flatter our- felvcs with, and I fear we Ihallhave the Difadvantage. Fear it not. Madam, faid I-, do you think we are the only Fools of the Uni- verfe? Is it not common for Ignorance to fpread itfelf every where? Tis true, we can only guefs at ^he Folly of the People 48 Fo N T E N E L L e'j People in the Moon, but I no more doubt it, than I do the moft authen- tick News that comes from thence. What News comes from thence, faid Jhe? That which the Learned bring us, I replied^ who travel thitlier every Day with their Tubes and Teiefcopes : they will tell you of their Difcoverics there, of Lands, Seas, Lakes, high Mountains, and deep Abyffcs. I fancy indeed, faid fbe, they may difcover Mountains and Abyiles, becaufe of the remarkable Inequality ; but how do they diftinguifn Lands and Seas ? Ve- ry eafily, faid I-, for the Waters letting part of the Light pafs thro' them, fend back but a very little, fo that they ap- pear afar otf like fo many dark Spots ; whereas the Lands being fohd, refled the whole Light, and appear to be more bright and ihining. The illuflrious Monfieur CaJ/ini, a moft compleat Af- tronomer, has dlfcovered fomething in the Moon which divided, then re-uni- ted, and funk in a kind of Well : we may very probably fuppofe this was a River. Nay, they pretend to be fo well Plurality of TForlds, 49 well acquainted with the feveral Places, that they have given them all Names : one they call Copernicus^ another ^r- chimedes, another GaliUus : there is the Cafpian Sea, the Black Lake, the Torphyrite Mountains : in fnort, they have pubHfh'd fuch exaft Defcriptions of the Moon, that a very Ahnanack- maker will be no more to feek there, than I am in Taris. I muft own then, faid the Marchio- nefs^ they are very cxad ; but what do they fay to the Infide of the Country ? 1 would very fain know that. Tis im- poflible, I replied-, the moft learned Aftronomers of our Age cannot inform you. You muft ask that of u4ftolfo, who was carried into the Moon by St. John. I am going to tell you one of the agreeable follies of j^riojio, and I am confident you will be well pleafed to hear it : I muft confefs he had better have let alone St. John, whofe Name is fo worthy of Refped 5 but 'tis a poetical Licence, and muft be allowed. The Poem is called Orlando Furioso, is dedicated to a Cardinal, and a great D Pope ^O F O N T E N E L L eV « Pope has honoured it with his Appro- ] bation, which is prefix'd to fcvcral-of the Editions. This is the Argument ; Orlando, Nephew to Charlemain, runs I tnad becaufe the fair Angelica prefers ^ Medore before htm. Allolfo, a Knight- Errant, finding himfelf one day in the terreftrialVaradife^ "which was upon the top of a very high Mountain-, where he was carried by his flying Horfe^ meets St. John, who tells him^ if he would have Orlando cured, he mufl: make a Voyage with him into the Moon. Aftolfo, who had a great mind to fee new Countries y did not ft and much for ' entreaty ; and immediately there came , a fiery Chariot^ which carried the A- foflle and the Knight up into the Air. Aftolfo being no great Thilofopher, was furpriz,ed to find the Moon fo much higger than it appeared to him when he was upon the Earth i to fee River s,^ Seas, Mountains, Cities, Forefis, nay^ what would have furprized me tOQ^ Nymphs hunting in thofe F or efts: but that which was moft remarkable, was a Valley where you might find any thing that Plurality of Worlds. -^i that was loft in our IVorldy of what nature foever i Crowns^ Rtches^ Famây aiid an Infinity of Hopes î the Time we fpend in 'PUy^ and in fearching for the F hilofopher S'Stone ; the Alms we give after our "Deaths the Verfes we preffnt to great Men and 'PrtnceSy and the Sighs of Lovers. I know nor, fàid the Marchionefs^ what became of the Sighs of Lovers in Arioftos time, but I fancy there arc very few of them afcend to ■the Moon in our days. Ah, Madàni, replied /, ho\^ many does your L-ady- fhip fend thither every day? Thofe tliit are addrefled to you, will make a cort- fiderabie Heap ; and I affure yoy tlic Moon keeps all fafe that is loft here below. Ycr I muft tell yoii, Ariofio 'does but whifperit, though every thing is there, even the Donation of Conftan- trne, (the Popes having pretended rdbfe Mafters of Rome and Italy by virtue of a Donation which the Emperor Con^ fiant ine m^idQ Sjlvef 1er j and the truth is, nobody knows what is become of •it;)- But what do you think is not to 'be found in the Moon ? Folly ; all thai: D 2 ever 5 2 F O N T E N E L L E^J" ever was upon the Earth is kept there flillj but in lieu of it, it is not to be i- niagin'd how many Wits [if I may fo call them) that are loll here, are got up into the Moon , they are io many Vials full of a very fubtile Liquor, which e- vaporates immediately, if it be not well i^opp'd i and upon every one of thefe Vials the Names are written to whom the Wit^ belong 5 I think ^riojïo has heap'd 'cm upon one another a little confufedly 5 but for order fake, we will fancy 'em plac'd upon Shelves in a long Gallery. y^Jiolfo wonder'd to fee feveral Vials full, infcribed with the Names of Pcrfons Vv^hom he thought confiderable for their Wifdom. To confefs the truth, I begin to fear, fmce 1 have entertained you with thefe Phi- lofophical and Poetical Vifions, mine there is not very empty : however, 'tis fome Confolation to me, that while you are fo attentive, you have a little Glafs full, as well as your humble Ser- vant. The good Knight found hisown Wits among the reft, and with the A- poflle's leave fnuff' d it all up his Nofc, like Plurality of Worlds. 5 3 like fo much Hungary-WaK^v y but Ariofto faid, he did not carry it far, it returned again to the Moon a little after. * — ne Love of one fair Northern Lafs^ Sent back his Wit unto the Place it was. Well, he did not forget Orte^^'sViai, which was the occafion of his Voyage j but he was curfedly plagued to carry ir, for Heroes Wits are naturally very hea- vy, and there did not want one Drop •f it. To conclude, Ariojlo^ accord-- ing to his laudable Cuftom, addrelTes himfelf to his Miftrefs in the followinix beautiful Vcrfcs : Tair Miftrefsy ivho for me to Heaven fhall fly y To bring again from thence my wandring JVit ? Which I ft ill lofe y fince from that piercing. Eye^ The Bart came forth that firft my Heart did Nor of my lofs at all complain would /, {hit : Might I but keep that which renminelh yet :. But ff it ftill decreafe^ within fjjort fpace^ I doubt I fhall be in OrlandoV Cafe. * Sir J. Harrington' J Tranjlaiim ^Orlando Furiofo^ lib. 36. Dj Tet 54 F ON T E N E L L E»J Tet^ well I wot where to recover mine, 'Tho^ 'not in Paradife^ 7ior CynthiaV Sphere^ . Tet doubtkfs in a Place no lefs divine^ In that fweet Face of yours, in that fair Hair, "That ruby Lip, in thofe two flarlike Eyes, There is my Wit, Ihiow it wanders there % And with my Lips, if you would give me leave, I there would fear ch, Ithencewoiildit reaiv^. Is not this very merry ? To reafon like Afioflo, the fafeft way of Jofing our Wits is to be in love ^ for you fee they do not go far from us, we may recover 'em a- gain at our Lips 5 but when we lofe 'cm by other means, as for example, by phi- iofophizing, whip they are gone into the Moon, and there is no coming at cm again when we would. However, ,faid the Marchionefs, our Vials have: an honourable Station amono; thePhilo- fophers, when 'tis forty to one but Love fixeth our Wits on an Objed we can- not but be afham'd of. But to take a- way mine entirely, pray tell me, but tell me fcrioufly, if you believe there are a- ny Men in the Moon ; for me thinks hi- therto Plurality of Worlds. 5 5 fherto you hvive not been very pofitivc. For my part, [aid /, I do not belicvs there are Men in the Moon : for do but obierve how much the Face of Nature is changed between this and C/j/«^ j otheu Vifages, Shapes, Manners, nay, ahnoll other Principles of Rcafon ; and there-* fore between us and the Moon, the Al- teration rnufl: be much more confidera- ble. In the Lands that have been late- ly difcovered, we can fcarce call the In- habitants Men ^ they are rather Animals of human Shape, and that too feme- times very impcrfecl:, almoft without human Reafon : he therefore who will travel to the Moon, muft not cxpcdt to find Men there. What fort of People arc they then, faid fje. Troth, Madam, /aid /, I know not ; for put the cafe that wc ourfcivcs inhabited the Moon, and were not Men, but rational Creatures, could we imagine, do you think, fuch fan- taftical People upon the Earth as Man- kind is ? Is it poffible wc fliould have an Idea of fp ftrangc a CompcfitioU; a^ Creature of fucli foolifh. Paflîons, and D 4t fuch. 56 FONTENELLE*i- fuch wife Reflexions; allotted Co fmali a Span of Life, and yet purfuing Views of fucli extent ; fo learned in Trifles, and fo fl:upidly ignorant In Matters of the grcateft importance ; fo much con- cerned for Liberty, and yet fuch great Inclinations to Servitude 5 fo defirous of Happinefs, and yet fo very incapable of attaining it ? The People in the Moon mufl: be wife indeed to fuppofe all this of us. But do we not fee ourfelves continually, and cannot fo much asguefs how we were made ? So that we arc forc'd to fay the Godsy when they cre- ated us, were drunk with Nedlar, and when they were fobcr again, could not chufe but laugh at their own handy- work. Well, \jz\\,faidtheMarchionefs^ we are fafe enough then, they in the Moon know nothing of us 5 but I could wifli we were a little better acquainted with them 5 for it troubles me that we fliould fee the Moon above us, and yet not know what is done there. Why, faid 7, are you not as much concerned for that part of the Earth which is not yet difcovered? What Creatures inha- bit Plurality of Worlds. 57 bit ir, and what they do there? for we and they arc carried in the fame Veflcl : they poffcfs the Prow, and we the Poop, and yet there is no man- ner of Communication between us, they do not know at one End of the Shîp who lives, or what is done at the other, and you would know what pa (les in the Moon, which is another great Vciïel failing in the Heavens, at a vaft diftance from us. 0\\^faidfhey as for the Earth, I reckon it all as good as difcovcred, and can guefs at the Teople, tho' I never heard a word of 'cm , for certainly they all refemble us very much, and we may know 'em berter whenever we will, let them {lay where they are, 'tis only go- ing to fee 'em , but we cannot get in- to the Moon if we would ; fo that I dcfpair ot knowing what they do there. You would laugh at me, faid I, if l jfhould anfwer you fcrioudy ; perhaps I may deferve it; and yet, I fancy, f can fay a great deal to juftify a fidicu- lous Thought that is jurt now come into my head: nay, to ufe the FooTs D 5 bcli. 58 Fontenelle'5 beft Argument, I'll lay a Wager I make you own (in fpite of Reafon) that one of thefe days there may be a Commu- nication between the Earth and the Moon, and who knows what great Ad- vantages we may procure by it? Do but confidcr America^ before it was dif- cpvcred b'j Columbus, how profoundly ignorant were thole People ? they knew nothing at allot Arts and Sciences; they went naked, had no other Arms but ^ Bow and Arrows, and did not con- ceive they might be carried by Ani* îYials : they look'd upon the Sea as a widc:^ Space, not for the Ufe of Man, but thought it was join'd to the Heavens, and that beyond it was nothing. Ti& true, after having fpent whole years in making holiow the Trunks of grcac Trees with (harp Stones, they put them- felves to Sea in thefe Trunks, and float- ed from Land to Land, as the Wind and Waves drove them : But how often was their Trough overfet, and they forced to xecover it again by fwimming ? So that (except when they were, on the Land) it might be faid they wece V'M. con- Plurality of Worlds. 59 continually fwimming : and yet had any one but toid 'cm of another kind of Navigation, incomparably more per- fect and ufcful than their own 5 that they might eafily pafs over that in- finite Space of Water , that they might flop in the middle of the Waves, and in fomc fcnfc command the Winds, and make their Vcffel go faft or flow, as they pleas'd : in fliort, that this un- pafiable Ocean fhould be no Obftaclc to their convcrfing with another dif- ferent People; do you think they would have believed you ? And yet at laft that day is Come : the unheard- of and mod furprizing Sight appears^ vaft great Bodies, with white Wings, are fee n to fly upon the Sea, to vo- mit File from all Parts, and' to caff X)n their Shores an unknown People^ all fcaled with Iron, who difpofe and govern Monftcrs as they pleafe, carry Thunder in their hands, and dellrôy whoever refifts them. From whence came they ? Who brought them over the Sea? Who gave to them thé difpd- fal of the Fire of Heaven?' Aire they D 6 Gods? 6o Fontenelle'^ Gods ? Are they the Offspring of the Sun ? for certainly they are not Men. Do but confidcr, Madam, the Surprize of the Americans -, there can be no- thing greater : and after this, fiiall any one fay, there fhall never be a Commu- nication between the Moon and the Earth ? Did the Americans believe there would ever be any between them and Europe^ 'till they faw it ? 'Tis true, you muft pafs this great Space of Air and Heavtn, which is between the Earth and the Moon j but did not thole vaft Seas feem at firft as impaffable to the Ameri- cans ? You ravo, I think, faid fbe. Who denies ir, Madam, fays I? Nay^ but I will prove it, faj^s fhe h 1 do not care for your bare owning it : Did you not own the Americans were fo igno- rant, that they had not the leaft Con- ception of cioffing the Sea? but we who know a great deal more than they, can imagine and fancy the go- ing through the Air, tho' we are affurcd it is not to be done. There is fome- v/hat more in it than Fancy, / replied^ ,\vhcn it has been already praftis*d> for feveral Plurality of Worlds^. 6i fevcral have found the Secret of faflen- ing 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 cannot fay, indeed, they have y-t made an Eagle's Flight, or that it does not cofl: now and then a Leg or an Arm to one of thefe new Birds 5- but this may fcrve to reprefent the firft Planks that were launched on the Wa- ter, and which were the very begin- ning of Navigation. There were no Veflels then thought of to fail round the World in ; and yet you fee what great Ships are grown by little and little from thofe firll: Planks. The Art of Flying is but newly invented 5 it will improve by degrees, and in time grow perfed, then we may fly as far as the Moon. We do not yet pretend to have difcover'd all things, or that what we have difcover'd can receive na Ad- dition ; and therefore, pray let us agree there are yet many things to be done in the Ages to come. Were you to live a thoufand Years, faidthe Marchio» nefsy 1 can never believe you will fly, but 02 FoNTENELLE\r bat you muft endanger your Neck. V \^\\\ noly replied h be lb unmannerly a-s to contradiâ: a fair Lady j but tho*' \vc cannot learn the Art here, I h pe you will allow they may fly better in the Moon : 'tis no great matter whe- ther we eo to them, or they comd to us ; we (hall then be like the AmcricanÈ ' who knew nothing of Navigation, and yet there were very good Ships at t'other end of the World. Were it Co, faid fne^ the People in the Moon would have' been here before now. 'All- in good t\mc,faidlj the. Europeans were not in Âmericay 'x\\\ at- th-e'cnd of fomc^ thoufands ofYetirs, io long were they in improving Navigation to the point of crofllng the Ocean. The People in the Moon have already made fome fhort: Voyages in the Air; they arc cxerci- fing continually, and by degrees will be more expert; and when we fee 'em,' God knows how we Ihall be fur- priz'd. It is unfufFcrable, y^/<^y^(f, you fhould banter me at this rate, ^né juf-^ ' lify your ridiculous Fancy by fuch falfe Reaioning. Plurality of Worlds. 63 Rcafoning;. 1 am going to dcmonflrntc, faid /, that you reproach me very iinjulUy. Confider, Madam, that the World is unfolded by degrees; for the Aniunts were very pofitive. that the Torrid and Frigid Zones were nor in- habitable, by reafon of their exec (live Heat and Cold : and in the time of the Romans the general Map of the World was but very little extended beyond thatr of their own Empire 5 which, tho' in one fenfe, exprefs'd rauch Grandeur, in an- other lenfe, was a Sisn of as 2,reat 1^2;- norance : however, there were Men found both in very hot and \ï\ very cold Countries ; fo that you fee th T "^ HE Marchronefs was fo intent up- on her Notions, that llie would fain have engaged me next day, to go on where 1 left off 5 but I told her, fince the Moon and Stars Were become the Subjed of our Difcourfe, we Ihould trull our Chimera's with no body elfc. At Night we went again into the Park, which was now wholly dedicated to our learned Converfarion. Well,, Madam, fard /,, I have great News for you 5 that which 1 told you lad Night of the Moon'j) being inhabited, may not be othcrwife now. There is a new Fancy got into my Head, which, puts thofe People in great danger. 1 can- not fuâfer this, faidfhe 5 yefterday you were Plurality of Worlds. 6 7 were preparing me to receive a Vifit from the Lunarians, and now you would infi- nuate there are no fuch People in Nature : you muft not trifle with me thus 5 once you would have me believe the Moon was inhabited, I Turmounted the Diffi- culty I had, and did believe it. You are a little too nimble, I reply d', did I nor advife you never to be entirely convinced in things of this nature, but to rcfervc half of your Uuderftanding free and dif- engag'd, that you might admit of the contrary Opinion, if there be any occa- iion ? 1 care not for your Suppofitions, faid jhe^ let us come to Matter of Fad. Are we not to confider the Moon as St. 'Dennis? Noy faidl, the Moon dotli not fo much rciemble the Earth, as St. Dennis does "^Paris : The Sun draws from the Earth and Water, Exhalations and Vapours, which mounting to a cer- tain height in the Air, ào there aflembîc and form the Clouds 5 thcfe uncertain Clouds are driven irregularly round the Globe, fometi mes fhado wing one Coun- try, and fometimes another : he then who beholds the Earth from afar off,: will 68 F O N T E N E L L e'j will fee frequent Alterations upon its Surface, becaufe a great Country, over- caft with Clouds, will appear dark or light, as the Clouds flay, or pafs over it ; he will fee the Spots on the Earth often change their place, and appear or difappear as the Clouds remove : but we fee none of thefe Changes wrought upon the Moon, which would certainly be the fame, were there but Clouds a- bout her ; but on the contrary, all her Spots are fix'd and certain, and her light parts continue where they were at firft, which truly is a great Misfortune 5 for by this reafon, the Sun draws no Exhalations or Vapours above the Moon 5 fo that it appears fhe is a Body infi- nitely more hard and folid than the Earth, whofe fubtile parts are eafily fe- parated from the red, and mount up- wards as foon as Heat puts them in mo- tion s but it muft be a heap of Rock and Marble, where there is no Evapo- ration : Befides, Exhalations are fo na- tural and ncccflary, where there is Wa- ter, that there can be no Water at all, where there is no Exhalation 3 and what Plurality of Worlds. 6 9 what fort of Inhabitants muft thofc be, whole Country affords no Water, is all Rock, and produces nothnigî Very fine, [aid pje 5 you have forgot fince you ailur'd me, wc might from hence di- ftinguifh Seas in the Moon. Pray, what is become of your Cafp/an Sea^ and your Black Lake? All Conjee^ turc, Madam, replied I --^ tho' for your Ladylliip's fake, 1 am very ferry for it: for thofc dark places we took to be Seas, may perhaps be nothing but large Cavities; 'tis hard to guefs right at fo great a diftance. But will this fufficc then, faid flje^ to extirpate the People in the Moon ? Not altogether, / replied % we will neither determine for, nor a- gaind them. I muft own my Weaknefs (if it be one) faid flie ; 1 cannot be fo perfedly undetermin'd as you would have me to be, but muft believe one way, or the other 5 therefore pray fix me quickly in my Opinion, as to the Inhabitants of the Moon: prcfcrve or annihilate them, as you fhall think fit; and yet me- thinks I have a ftrange Inclination for 'cm, and would not have 'cm deftroy'd, if 70 F O N T E N E L L eV if it were poflible to fave 'em. You know, Madam, faid /, I can deny you nothing; the Moon Iliail be no longer a Deiart, but to do you Service, we will repcople her. Since to all ap- pearance the Spots in the Moon do not change, 1 cannot conceive there arc, any Clouds about her, that fometimes obicure one parr, and fometimes ano- ther; yet this does not hinder, but that the Moon fends forth Exhalations, and Vapours, The Clouds which we fee in the Air, are nothing but Exhala* lions and Vapours, which at their com- ing Out of the Earth, were feparated ihro fuch minute Particles, that they could not be difcern'd ; but as they af- cend higher, they are condensed by thôî Cold, and by the re-union of their Partsi ate rendered vifible ; after which they become great Clouds, which fluQuatc in the Air, their improper Region, 'till they return back again in Rain to us: however, thefe Exhalations and Vapours do fometimes keep themfclves fo dif- pers'd, that they are imperceptible; or if they i-do affemble, it is in forming fuch 4 Plurality of Woi^lds, 7 1 fuch labtileDcws that they cannot be dif- ccrn'd to fall from any Cloud. For as it kcmsincredible that the Moon flioald be fuch a Mafs, that all its Parts arc of an equal Solidity, all at reft with one another, and all incapable of any altera- tion from the Efficacy of the Sun ; I am furc we are yet unacquainted with fucli a Body : Marble itfelf is cf another Na- ture ,• and even that which is mod fol id, is fubjed to change and alteration; ei- ther from the fccrct and invifible motion it has within itfelf, or from that which it receives from without: it may fo hap- pen then, that the Vapours which iûue from the Moon, may not affemble round her in Clouds, and may not fall back again in Rain, but only in Dews. It is fufficient for this, that the Air with which the Moon is inviron'd, (for it is certain fhe is fo, as well as the Earth) fhould be a little different from our Air, and the Vapours of the Moon be a little different from thofe of the Earth, which is very probable. Hereupon the matter heing otherwife difpos'd in the Moon than on the Earth, the Effefts mud be different ^ 72 FONTENELLE'J difTcrcnt ; tho' it is of no great confe- quence whctlier they arc or no : for from the moment we have found an inward motion in the parts of the Moon, or one produced by foreign Caufes, here is enough for the new birth of its Inha- birants, and a fufficient and neceffary Fund for their Subfillence. This will furnifh us with Corn, Fruit, Water, and what clfc we plcafc, 1 mean according to the cuftom or manner of the Moon, which 1 do not pretend to know 5 and nil proportion'd to the wants and ufes of the Inhabitants, with whom 1 pretend to be as little acquainted. That is to fay, replied the Mar chionefs^ you know all is very well, without knowing how it is fo, which is a great deal of Ignorance founded upon a very little Knowledge : However, 1 comfort myfelf, that you have given the Moon her Inhabitants again, and have wrapp'd her in an Air of her own, without which a Planet would feem but very naked. Tis thefe two different Airs, Madam, tliat hinder the Communication of the two Planets: If it was only fiyins:, as I Plurality of Wo7'lds. 73 I told you yefterday, who knows but we might improve it to perredion, tho' I confefs there is but hitle hopes of it ? The great Diftance between the Moon and the Earth, is a Diflicuh.y not eafily to be lurmounted : yet were ihe Diftance but inconfiderable, and the two Planets ahnoft contiguous, it would be ftill impoftible to pafs from the Air of the one into the Air of the other. Hie Water is the Air of Fifhes, they never pafs into the Air of the Birds, nor the Birds into the Air of the Fidi ; and yet 'tis not the Diftance that hinders them, but both are imprifon'd by the Air they breathe in. We find our Air con- fifts of thicker and groffer Vapours than the Air of the Moon ; fo that one of her Inhabitants arriving at the Confines of our World, as foon as he enters our Air, will inevitably drown himfelf,and we fliaU fee him fall dead on the Earth. I fliould rejoice, fays the Marchioncfs^ at a Wreck of thefe Lunar Folks, as much as my Neighbours on the Coaft of Siiffex : how pleafant would it be to fee 'em lie fcattered on the Ground, E where 74 FoNTENELLE'i" where we might confider at our eafc their extraordinary Figures! But what, Jaid /, if they fliould fwim on the out- ward Surface of our Air, and be as cu- rious to fee us, as you are to fee them ; fliculd they angle or call a Net for us, as for fo many Fifhes, would that pleafe you ? Why not ? Jaid the Mar^ chio?ieJs^ jmil'uig. For my part, 1 would go into their Nets of my own accord, were it but for the pleafure of feeing fuch ftrange Fifhermen. You would be very fick, faid /, when you were drawn to the top of our Air ; for there is no Refpiiation in all its extent, as may be {^tn on the tops of fome very high Mountains : and I admire, that they who have the Folly to believe that F^/V/Vij whom they allow to be corporeal, and to inhabit the moil: pure and refined Air, do not tell us, that the Rewlon why they give lis fuch fliorr and leldom Viilts, is, that there are very few amoi'g them that can dive ; and thofe that can, if it be poffi- ble to get through the thick Air where we arcj cannot flay half fo long in it, as one Plurality of Woj'-lds. 75 one of your Diving Fowls can in the Water. Here then are natural Barricades, which defend the Paffige out of our World, as ueii as the Entry into that of the Moon : fo that fince wc can oidy guefs at that World, let us fancy all we can of it. For Example. I will fup- pofe til at we n>ay there fee the Firn.u- ment, the Sun, and the Stars, of ano- ther Colour than what they are here ; all thefe appear to us thro* a kind of na- tural Opticks, which change and alter t]:ie Objeds. Thefe Spedaclcs, as we may call *em, are our Air, mix*d as it is widi Vapours and Exhalations, and which does not extend itfi'lf very high. Some of our modern Philofophers pre- tend, 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 o- ther, but at a great Depth: the Firma- ment, fay they, where the fix'd Stars are placed, 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 it appears to us blue ; which, if fo, the Be.^ms of the Sun and Stars cannot pafs thro' E 2 the 76 FONTENELL e'x the Air without being ting'da Httle with its Colour, and lofing as much of their own : yet, were the Air of no Colour, it is very certain, that thro' a great Mift, the Light of a Flambeau at fome Di- ftance appears reddifh, tho* it be not its true natural Colour. Our Air is no- thing but a great Mift, which changes the true Colour of the Sky, Sun, and Stars J it belongs only to the celeflial Matter to bring us the Light and Co- lours, as they really are in al) their Pa- rity : fo that lince the Air of the Moon is of another Nature than our Air, or is diverfificd by another Colour, or at leaft is another kind of Mift, which varies the Colours of the Celeftial Bodies 5 in flaort, as to the People of the Moon, their Spedlacles thro' which they fee every thing, are chang'd. If it be fo, [aid the MarchionefSy I prefer this Abode before that of the Moon ; for I cannot believe the Cele- flial Colours are fo well fuited as they arc here ; for Inftance, if you put green Stars on a red Sky, they cannot be fo ag-ecible as Stars of Gold on an Azure Fiimanitnt. To hear you, one would imagine Plurality of Worlds, 77 imagine, Madam, [aid 7, you were chuling a Petticoat, or a fuit of Knots: but believe me, Nature docs not wane Fancy ; leave it to her to chule Co- lours for the Moon, and Til engage they (hall be well forted ; flie will not fail to vary the Profpedl of the Uni- verfe, at every different point of Sight, and always the Alteration (liall be very agreeable. I know very well, fard the Marckioriefsy her Skill in this Point ; (he is not at the Charge of changing the Objeds, but only the Spedacles, and has the Credit of this great Va- riety, without being at any Expence: with a blue Air flie gives us a blue Firmament; and perhaps with a red Air, fhe gives to the Inhabitants of the Moon a red Firmament : andvetfiill it is but the fame Firmament ; nay, I am of Opinion, ilie has plac'd a fort of Spectacles in oi)r Imagination, thro* which wz fee all things, and w^hich to every particular Man, change the Ohjeds. Alexander look\i on the Earrh as a fit Place to ertabli(h a great Empire -, it feem'd to Celadon a E 3 proper yS FONTENELL e'^ proper Refidence for Ajlrcea^ and it ap- pear'd to a Philofopher, a great Pla- net in the Heavens, covered with Fools. I do not believe the Sights vary more between the Earth and the iMoon, than they do between one Man's Fan- cy and another's. This Change in our Imaginations, fayî 7, is very furprizing \ for they are ftill the fame Objcdts, tho' they ap- pear different; when in the Moon, we may fee other Objeds we do not fee here, or at leafl not fee all there we do fee heie. Perhaps in that Country they know nothing of the Dawn and the I'wilight, before the Sun rifes, and after the Sun fets : the Air which en- cotT^palTes, and is elevated above us, receives the Rays, fo that they can- not (Irike on the Earth ; and being grof?, flops fome of them, and fends *em to us, tho* indeed they were never naturally defign'd us : fo that the Day-break and the Twilight are a Favour which Nature beftows on us; they are Lights which do not properly belong to us, and which flie gives us over and above Plurality of ÏVorlds. 79 above our due. But in the Moon, where apparently rhe Air is more pure, and therefore not lb proper to fend down the Beams it receives from the Sun before his riling, and after his fetting, they have not that Light of Grace (as I may call it) which growing ftronger by degrees, does more agreeably prepare them for the arrival of the Sun ; and which growing weaker, and diminifliing by degrees, does infenfibly prepare them for the Sun*s departure : but they are in a profound Darknefs, where a Curtain (as it were) is drawn all on a fudden, their Eyes are immediately dazzled with the whole Light of the Sun in all its Glory and Brightnefs \ fo likewife, they are on a fudden furprized with utter Dai*knefsj the Night and the Day have no medium between them, but they fall in a moment from one Extreme to the other. The Rainbow likewife is not known to the Inhabitants of the Moon ; for if the Dawn is an effed: of the grofP nefs of the Air and Vapours, the Rain- bow is formed in the Clouds, from whence the Rain falls : fo thai the moft E 4 beau- 8o FONTENELL e' S beautiful things in the World, are pro- duced by thofe which have no beauty at al 1. Since then there are no Vapours thick enough, nor no Clouds of Ê.ain about the Moon, farewel Dawn, adieu Rain- bow: What muft Lovers do for Similies in that Country, w^hen fuch an inex- hauftible Magazine of Comparifons is taken from them ? I iliall not much bemoan the lofs of their Similies or Comparifons, fays the Marchmiefs^ for I think them well enough recompenfed for the lofs of our Dawn and Rainbow; for by the famq reafon they have neither Thunder nor Lightning, both which are formed in the Clouds : How glorious are their Days, the Sun coniinuaily fliining! how plea- fant their Nights» not the leaft Star is hid from them 1 They never hear of Storms or Tempefts, which certainly are plain effeds of the Wrath of Heaven. Do you think then they iland in need of our Pity ? You are dcfcribing the Moon, I ?^eplydy like an inchanted Ifland; but do you think it fo pleafant to have a fcorching Sun always over cur Heads, and Plurality of TVorlds. 8 ï and not the lead Cloud to moderate its Heat ? Tho' I fancy 'tis for this reafon that Nature harh made great Cavities in the Moon : we. can difcern 'em ealily with our Telelcopes, for they are not Mountains, but fo many Wells or Vaults in the middle of a plain \ and how do we know but the Inhabitants of the Moon, being continually broil'd by the excelfive Heat of the Sun, do retire into thofe great Wells ? perhaps they live no where elfe, and 'tis there they build 'em Cities; for we Hill fee in the Ruias of old Romc^ that that part of the City which was under- ground, was almoft as large as that which was above-ground. We need but take that part away, and the reft would remain like one of thefe Lunar Towns ; the whole People refide in Wells, and from one Well to another, there are fubterraneous Pa/Tagcs for the Communication of the Inhabitants. I perceive. Madam, you laugh at mej y t i 1 may be fo free vviih a fair Lady, y u deferve it much better than I : for y u believe the People in the Moon muft live upon the Surface of their E 5 Planer, 82 FON TEN ELLE 'i" Planet, becaufe we do fo upon ojiirs ; but quite the contrary : for as we dwell upon the Saperficies of our Planer, they fliould not dwell upon the Superficies of Theirs : If things differ fo much in this World, what muil they do in an- other ? 'Tis no matter, [aid the Marchionefs^ I can never fuffer the Inhabitcints of the Moon to live in perpetual Darknefs. You will be more concerned for 'em, / r^- plydy when I tell you, that one of the antient Philofophers long fince difco- ver'd the Moon to be the Abode of the blelTed Souls departed out of this Life, atid that all their Happinefs confiiled in hearing the Plarmony of the Spheres, which is made by the Motion of the Celeftial Bodies : And the Philofopher pretending to know cxaclly all they da there, he tells you, that when the Moon is obfcured by the Shadow of rlie Earth, they no longer hear the hea-. venly Mufick, but howl like fo many Souls in Purgatory J fo that the Moon taking Pity of 'en), makes all the hafte file can to get into the Light again. Methinks Plurality of TP^orMs. 83^ Methinks then, /?z)\j the Lady, we fliould now and then fee Ibme of the blefled Souls arrive here from the Moon ; for cer- tainly they are fent to us. I confefs indeed, J'aid /, it would be very plea- fant to fee different Worlds ; fuch a Voyage, tho* but in Imagination, is ve- ry delightful ; what would it be in Reality? It would be much better cer- tainly than to go to Japan^ which at beft, is but crawling from one end of the Globe to t'other, and afrer all to fee nothing but Men. Well then. Jays Jhe^ let us travel over the Planets as faft as we can; what fhould hinder us? Let us place ourfelves at all the diffe- rent Profpeds, and from thence con- fider the Univerfe. But firfl:, have we any thing more to fee in the Moon? Yes Madam, fiys I, our Defcription of that World is not quite exhaufted ; you mud remember, that the two Move- ments which turn the Moon on herfelf^ and about us, being equal, the one al- ways prefents to our Eyes that part of which the other muff confequently de- prive us, and fo Hie always to us wears the 84 FONTENELL E'i" the fime Face. We have then but one Moiety of her which looks on us; and as the Moon mufl be fuppofed not to turn on her own Center, in refpedl to us, that Moiety which fees us always, and that which never fees us, remains fixed in the fame point of the Firmament, When it is Night with her, and her Nights are equal to fifteen of our Days, fhe at firft lees but a little Corner of the Earth enlightned, after that a larger Spot, and fo almoft by hourly Grada- tions fpreads her Light, till it covers the Face of the whole Globe ; whereas thefe fame Changes do not appear to us to affed: the Moon, but from one Night to another; becaufe we lofe her a long time out of our Sight. I would give any thing that I could poffiblv fathom îhe awkard Reafonings of the Philofo- phers of their World upon our Earth's appearing immoveable to them, when all the o(her celeftial Bodies rife and ièt over their Heads widun the Compafs of fifreen Days : It is plain they attri- bute this Immobility to her Bignefs, for flie is forty times larger than the Moon ; and Plurality of Worlds, 85 and when their Poets have a mind to ex- tol indolent Princes, I doubt not but they take Care to compare their Inaâivity to thismajeftic Repofe of the Earth : How- ever, this Opinion is attended with one Difficulty; they muft very fenfibly per- ceive in the Moon, that our Earth turns upon her own Center. For inftance, fuppofe that Europe^ JJia^ and America preknt themfelves one after another to them in Miniature, and in different Shapes and Figures, almoft as we fee them upon Maps : Now this Sight muft be a No- velty to fuch Travellers, as pafs from that Moiety of the Moon which never fees us, to that which alw^aysdoes. Ah ! how cautious would they be of believing the Relation of the firft Travellers, who fliould fpeak of it after their Return to that great Country, to which we are fo entineiy unknown! Now I fancy, y^^^ the Marchionefsj they make a fort of Voyage from one Side of their Country to the other, to try to make Difcoveries in our World ; and that there are certain Honours and Privileges affigned to fuch as have, once in their Lives, had a View of 86 FONTEN ELLE'i" of our great Planet. At leafl, replied L thofe who have had this View, obtained the Privilege of being better lighted du- ring their Nights -, the Refidence in the other Moiety of the Moon muft of Ne- celîity be much lefs commodious in that '] Refpefl. But now let us continue the Journey we propofed ro take from one Planet to another, for I think we have had a pretty curious Survey of the Moon, at leaft, you have feen all I can fhew you. Leaving the Moon on the Side next the Sun, we fee Venus^ which puts me again in mind of St. Dennis. Venus turns upon herfelf, and round the Sun, as well as the Moon j they hkewife dif- cover by their Telefcopes, that Venus, like the Moon (if I may fpeak after the fame manner) is fometimcs new, fome- times full, and fometimes in the Wain, according to the different Situations fhe is in with refpc(ft of the Earth. The Moon, to all appearance, is inha- bited ; why fhould not Venus be fo too ? You are fo full of your Why's and your Wherefore's, fays the MarchioftefSy inter- rupting mCy that I fancy you are fending Colouiesi Plurality of TFcrlds. 87 Colonies to all the Planers. You may be certain, Madam, / reply' d, that I will ; for I fee no reafon to the contrary: We find that all the Planets are of the fame Nati3re, all obfcure Bodies, which receive no Light but from the Sun, and then fertd it to one another : their Motions are the fame, fo that hitherto they are alike; and yet, if we are to believe that thefe vaft Bodies are not inhabited, I think they were made but to little Purpofe: Why fliould Nature be fo partial, as to ex- cept only the Earth ? But let who will fay the contrary, I muft believe the Pla- nets are peopled as well as the Earth. I find. Jays the Marcbionefs with fome Concern^ a Philofophcr will never make a good Martyr, you can fo quickly (hifc your Opinion; 'twas not many Minutes fince, t'^e Moon was a perfedl Defert; now I fee you would be very angry, if any one {hould fay all the reft of the Planets are not inhabited. Why truly. Madam, faid 7, there is a rime for all things; and your true Philosopher be- lieves any thing, or nothing, as the Mag- got bites. And this is not fo very im- probable 88 FoNTENELLE'i" probable as you think it: For I cannot help thinking it wo'uld be very ftrange, that theEarrh fhould be fo well peopled, and the o:her Planets not inhabited at all ; for do you believe we difcover (as I fnay fay) all the Inhabitants of the Earth? There are as many kinds of invifible as vifible Creatures. We fee from the Ele- phant to the very Pifmire, beyond which our Sight fliils us ; and yet, counting from that minute Creature, there are an Infinity of lefler Animals, which would be imperceptible without the Aid of Glafîès. But our magnifying Glaffes (hew us, that in the leaft Drop of Rain-water, Vinegar, or any other Liquid, there are great Numbers of little Fifties or Ser- pents, which we could never have fuf- peâed there; and Phil ofophers believe, that the acid Tafte of thefe Liquids proceeds from a Sharpnefs iiTued thro' the forked Stings of thefe Animals, lodged under their Tongues ; and fur- ther, that by mixing certain Things with any one of thefç Liquors, and letting them (land and corrupt, v/ill produce anew Species of little Animak. Several Plurality of Worlds, 89 Several, even of the mofl folid Bodies, are nothing but an immenfe Swarm of imperceptible Infeds. Do but conlider this Mulberry Leaf : It is a great World inhabited by Multitudes of thefe invi- fible Worlds ; it is to them a Country of a vaft Extent ; what Mountains, what Abylfes are there in it ! The Infeds of one fide know no more of their Fellow- Creatures on t'other, than you and I can tell what they are now doing at the Anti- podes : is it not reafonable then to ima- gine that a great Planet (hould be inha- bited? In the hardeft Stones, for example, in Marble there are an Infinity of Worms, which fill up the Vacuums, and feed upon the Subftance of the Stone. Fancy then Millions of living Creatures to fub- fid: many Years on a Grain of Sand 3 fo that were the Moon but one continued Rock, I would rather fhe fliould be gnaw'd by thefe invifible Mites than not be inhabited. In fiiorr, every thing is animated. Imagine then thofc Animals which are yet undircovered,andadd them and thofc which are but lately difcover- ed, to thofe we have always feen, you will go F O N t E N E L L E'y will find theEarih fwarms with Inhabi- tanrs, and that Nature has fo liberallv furnifhed it with Animals, that Ihe is not in the leaft concerned for our not feeing above one half of them. Why then {hould Nature, which is fruitful to an Excefs here, be fo very barren as to produce no living Things in the reft of the Planets? I muft own, /^/^ the Marchionejs^ you have convinced my Reafon, but you have confounded my Fancy with fuch Variety, that I can- not imagine how Nature, which hates Repetitions, (hould produce fo many different Kinds. There is no need of Fancy, reply d I ; do but truft your Eyes, and you will eafily perceive how Nature diverfifics in thcfe feveral Worlds. All human Faces in general are of the fame Model, and yet the Europeans and the Africans have two particular Molds: nay, commonly every Family has a dif- ferent Afpeâ:. What Secret then has Nature to fhew fo much Variety in a fingle Face ? Our World, in refpeâ: of the Univerie, is but a little Family: where Plurality of Worlds. 91 where all the Faces bear fome Refem- blance to each other 5 in another Place is another Family, whofe Faces have quite a different Air and Make. The Dif- ference too increafes with the Difiance ; for whofoever fhould fee an Inhabitant of the Moon, and an Inhabitant of the Earth, would foon perceive they were nearer Neighbours than one of the Earth, and one of Saturn : here, for Example, we have the ufe of Voice ; in another World they fpeak by Signs ; and at a greater Diftance they do not fpeak at all. Here our Reafon is form 'd by Experience ; in the next World, Experience contributes lit- tle towards it ; and in the next to that, old Men know no more than Children* Here we are troubled more with what is to come, than with what is part : in the next World they are more trou- bled for what is pafl, than for what it to come : further off they are not concern'd with either, which, by the way, I think is much the better. Here 'tis thought we want a fixth Senfe, which would teach us many things of which we 92 FoNTENELLE'i" we are now ignorant: this lixth Senfe is apparently in another World, where they want one of the five which we enjoy. Nay, pi::rhaps there is a much greater Number of Senfes ; but in the Partition we have made of 'em with the Inhabitants of the other Planets, there are but five fallen to our Share, with which we are well contented, for want of being acquainted with the reft. Our Sciences have Bounds, which the Wit of Man could never pafs; there is a Point where they fail us on a fudden, the reft is relerved for other Worlds, where fomewhat which we know, is unknown to them. This Planet enjoys the Pleafures of Love, but hes defolate in feveral Placeg by the Fury of War : in another Planet they enjoy perpetual Peace, yet in the midft of that Peace, know nothing of Love, and Time lies on their Hands. In a Word, that which Nature pradi- fes here in little, in diftnbuting her Gifts among Mankind, (he does at large in other Worlds, where flie makes ufe of that admirable Secret ilie has to diverfify Plurality of TVorlds. 93 diverfity all thijigs, an.] ar the fame time makes 'em equal, by compcivfat- ing for tlje Inequality. But is it not time, Midim, to be ferions ? how will you difpofe of all thefe Notions ? Trouble not y^^urfelf, fiys fie. Fancy is a great Traveller i I already comprehend thefe feveral Worlds, and reprefent to myfclf their difFerent Charaders and Cuftoms : fome of 'em, I affure you, are very extra- ordinary. I fee at this Moment a thou- fand different Figures, tho' I cannot well defcribe 'em. Oh leave them, Jaid /, to your Dreams : we fliall know To- morrow whether they reprefent the Matter faithfully, and what they have taught you in relation to the Inhabi- tants of any of the Planets. The 94 FONTENELL e'^ The Fourth Evening. P arttculars of the Worlds of Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupi- ter, and Saturn. 'TI^^HE Dreams of the Marchionefs J^ were not very fuccefsful ; they fill I reprefented to her the fame Ob- jedls we are acquainted with here on Earth. We were therefore forced to conclude ourfelves ignorant what fort of Inhabitants all thefe Planets had, and content ourfelves only to guefs at them, and continue the Voyage we had begun thro' thefe feveral Worlds. We were come to Venu s ^ and I told her, that Venus certainly turn'd on itfelf, tho' nobody could tell in what time ; and confequentiy were ignorant how long her Day lafted^ but her Year was compos'd of 8 Months, becaufe it is in that time (he turns round the Sun. And feeing Venus is 40 times lefs than the Plurality of Wo7^lds. 95 the Earth, the Earth appears to them in Vemn to be a Planer, 40 limes b*g- ger than Venus appears to us on the Earth : and as the Moon is 40 times leflcr than the Earth, fo flie leems to be juft of the fame Magnitude, to the Inhabitants of Venus ^ as Venus feems here to us. I fee then, fays the Marchionefs^ that the Earth is not to Venus ^ what Ve7ius is to the Earth : I mean, that tlie Earth is too big to be the Mother of Love, or the Shepherd*s Star to Venus ; but the Moon which appears to Venus of the fame Bignefs as Venus appears to ais, is aflign'd to be the Mother of Love, and Shepherd's Star to Ve?ius -, for fuch Names are only proper for a htilebrif]^,giving the Name of tills Prince to one, and of that Prince ■to another Planet, I believe they would havequarreird who fhould be Mafterof thefe Spots, tint they might have nam'd them as they pleas'd. *Twas but t'other day, fap the Lady^ you were defcribing the Moon, and call'd fevenil Places by the Names of the mod famous Aflronomers. I was pleas'd with the Fancy : For fince the Princes have feiz'd on the Earth, 'tis fic the Philofophers (who are as proud as the beft of 'em) fliould referve the Heavens for themfelves without any Competitors. Oh ! trouble not your felf, Jaid /, the Philofophers make the beft advantage of their Territories ; and if they pare with the leaft Star, 'tis on very good Terms : But the Spots on the Sun are flillen to nothing. 'Tis now dilcover'd that they are not Planets, but Clouds, Streams, or Drofs, which rife upon the S:m, fometimes in a great quanti.y, fometimes in a lefs -, fome- limcs they are dark, fometimes clear; F 3 fome- 1C2 Fontenelle'^ fometimes they continue a great while, and fometinnes they difappear as long. It feems the Sun is a liquid Matter ; ibme think, of melted Gold, which boils over as it were continually, and by the Force of its Motion calls the Scum of Drofs on its Surface, where it is con- ium'd, 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 ? O- thers fay, the Sun appears thro' their Telefcopes full of Mountains, which vomit Fire contiimally, and are joined together like Millions of Etnas, Yet there are thofe that fay, thefe burning Mountains are pure Vifion, caus'd by a fault in the Spedacles 3 but what ftiall we truft, if we muft diftruft our Tele- fcopes, to which we owe the knowledge of fo many new Objeds ? But let the Sun be what it will, it cannot be at all proper for Habitation ; and what pity that is ! for how pleafant would it be ! You Plier all ty of Worlds. 103 You might then be at the Center of the Univerfe, where yoa would fee all the Planets turn regularly about you ; but now we know^ nothing but extravagant Fancies, becaufe we do not (land in the proper Place. There is but one place in the World, Vv^here the Study or Know- ledge of the Scars is eafily obtain'd, and what pity 'tis there is no body there ! You forget your felf, {ur^^ fays fie-, were you in the Sun you would fee nothing, neither Planets nor fixed Stars : doth not the Sun efface all ? So that could tliere be any Inhabitants there, they might juftly think themfelves the only People in Nature. I own, /aid /, my Miftake : I was thinking of the Situation of the Sun, and not of the Effedl of iis Light : I thank you for your Corredlion ; but muit take the Boldnefs to tell you, that you are in an Error as well as my vfelf : for were there Inhabitants in the Sun, they would not fee at all ; either they cnuld not bear the S:rength of its Light, or for want of a due diflance, thev could not receive it; fo tliat thing-s F 4 well 104 F O N T E N E L L p/i* wellconfiderV^, all the People there murt be ftark blind, which is another reafon why the Sun cannot be iiihabitcd. But let us purfue our Voyage, We are now arriv'd at the Center, wliich is always the Bottom or loweft Place of what is round : if we go on, we muft afcend : we fliall find Mercury^ Venus ^ the Earth, the Moon, all the Planets we have alrea- dy vifited; the next is Mars^ who af- fords nothing curious that I know of ; \ his Day is not quite an hour longer than ours, but his Year is twice as long : He is a little lefs than the Earth ; and the Sun feems not altogether fo large and fo bright to him, as it appears to us. But let us leave Mcirs^ he is not worth our ftay. But what a pretty thing is yupiter, with his four Moons, or Yeo- men of the Guard ! they are four little Planets that turn round him, as our Moon turns round us. But \Nhy^fay5jhe^ interrupting me, muft there be Planets to turn round other Planets, that are no better than themfelves ? I fliould think it would be more regular and uniform, that all the Planets, little and grcar^ without Phirality of Worlds, 105 without any diftindion, fliould have one and the lume Motion round the Sun, Ah, Madam, I aid I, if you knew what were iD^y^Ti^r/^/s Whirlpools or Vortexes (whofe Name is terrible, but their Idea plcafant) you would not talk as you do. Muit my Hccid ( faysjke, jmil'wg) turn round to compreliend 'em, or muft I be- come a perfed Fool to underftand the Myfleries of Philofbphy ? Well, let the World lay what it will, go on with your Whirlpools. I will,y^?/W / ; and you fhali fee the Whirlpools are worthy of thefe Tranfport?. That then which we call a Whirlpool or Vortex, is a Mafs of Matter, whofe Parts are feparated orde- lach'd one from another, yet have all one uniform Motion ; and at the fame time every one is allowed, or has a par- ticular Motion of its own, provided it follows the general Motion. Thus a Vortex of Wind, or Whirlwind, is an Infinity of little Particles of Air, which turn round all together, and involve whatever they meet with. You know the Planets are borne up by the Celeftial Matter, w])ich is very fubtile and active -, Î06 F O N T E N E L L e'j" ib that this great Mais, or Ocean of Ce-t left'al Matter, which flows as far as from the Sun to the fixed Scars, turns round, and te rd the Planets along with it, ma- king them all turn after the fame man-' ner round the Sun, who pofTefles the Center, but in a longer or a fliorcer time, according as they are farther or nearer in diftance to it. There is not any Planet next the Sun, which does not turn, but he turns on himfelf, becaufe he is juft in the middle of this Celefiial Matter: And you mud 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 which 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 lime turn round itfelf, and makes a certain Quantity of Celellial Matter turn round it like wife, which is always prepared to follow the Motion the Planet gives it, provided it is not di- verted from its general Motion : this then is the particular Vortex of the Planet, Plurality of TVorlds. 107 Planet, which pulLes it as flir as the Strength of its Motion reaches; and if by chance a leller Planet falls into the Vortex of a greater Planet, it is imme- diately borne away by the greater, and is indifpenfably forc'd to turn round ir, tho' at the fune the great Planer, the a t^m little PI met, and tlie Vortex which en- clofes 'em, all turn round the Sun. 'Twas thus at the beginning of the World, when we made the Moon fol- low us, becaufc flie was within the reach of our Vortex, and therefore wholly at our difpofal. Jupiter was llronger, or more fortunate than we; he had four little Planets in his Neigh- bourhood, and he brought 'em all four under his Subjection ; and no doubt we, tho* a principal Planet, had met the fame Fate, had we been widiin the Sphere of h'\i Adlivity : he is ninety times bigger than the Earth, and would certainly have fwallow'd us into his Vortex 5 we had then been no more than a Moon in his Family, when now we have one to wait on us : fo that, you fee, the advantage of Situation decides of- ten all our good Fortune. But io8 Fonte NELL e'^ Biitpray, fays fr:e^ who can afllire us VVQ. fhall ilill continue as we do now ? If we fliould be fuch Fools as to go near yupitef\ or he fo ambitious as to ap- proach us, wliat will become of us ? For if (as you fay) the Celeftial Matter is continually under tliis great Motion, it muft needs agitate the Planets irregu- larly ; fomeiimes drive 'em together, and fometimes feparate 'cm. Luck is all, faid I', we may win as well as lofe j and who knows but we Height bring Mercu- ry and FtJius under our Government ? they are little Planets, and cannot re- fift us. But in tin? Particular, Mad:im, we need neither hope nor fear j the Pla- nets keep within their own Bounds, and are obliged (as formerly the Kings of China were) not to undertake new Con- quers. Have you not feen when you put Water and Oil together, the Oil fvvims a-top ? and if to thefe two Li» quors, you add a very light Liquor, the Oil bears it up, and it will not fink to the Water ; but put an heavier Liquor, of a juft weight, and it will pafs through the Oilj which is too weak to fuftain it, and Plurality of Woî^lds. 109 and fink till it comes to the Water, which is flrong enough to bear it up : So that in this Liquid compos*d of two , Liquors, which do not mingle, two Bodies of an unequal weight will natu- xally aiTiime two different places ; the one will never afcend, the other will never defend, If we put ftill other Liquors wîiich do not mingle, and throw other Bodies on them, it will be the fame Thing. Fancy then chat the Ce- leftial Matter, which fills this great Vor- tex, has feveral refting-places one by another, whcfe weight are different, like that of Oil, Water, and other Liquors ; the Planets too are of a different weight, and co: kquently every Planet fettles in that place w^hich has a juft flrength to faAain and keep it equilibrate : fo you fee 'tis impoffible it fhould ever go be- yond, I very well apprehend, fays ff:e^ that thefe Weights keep their flations regu- larly. Would to God our World were as well regulated, and every one among us knew their proper place. I am now in no fear of being over-run by Jupiter y and no Fonte NELL e V and fince he lees us alone in our Vortex with our Moon, I do not envy him the four which he has. Did you envy him, I reply d^ you would do him wrong, for he has no more than whathehasoccafion for ', at the diliance he is from the Sun, his Moons receive and fend him but a very weak Light. It is true, that as he turns upon himfelf in lo Hours, liis Nights, by confequence, are but 5 Flours Ion?; io one would think there' is no great occafion for 4 Moons. But there are other things to be confidered : Here under thePoles they have 6 Months Day, and 6 Months Night, becaufe the Poles are the two Extremities of the Earth, the far theft removed from thofe Places where the Sun is over 'em in a perpen- dicular Line. The Moon feems to keep almoft the fame courfe as the Sun 5 and if the Lihabitants of the Pole fee the Sim during one half of his courfe of a Year, and during the other half do not fee him at all ; they fee the Moon like- wife during one half of her courfe of a Month; that is, fhe appears to 'em 15 Days, but they do not fee her during the orher Plurality of Worlds . 1 1 1 other half. ynpitc?''s Year is as much as 12 of ours ; fo that there mud be two oppofire Extremities in that Planet, where their Night and their Day are 6 Years each. A Night 6 Years long is a little difconfolate, and 'tis for that reafon, I fuppofe, they have 4 Moons j that which (in regard to Jupiter) is uppermoft, fi- nilLeth its courfe about him in 17 Days, the fécond in 7, the third in 3 days and an hah^, and the fourth in 42 Hours : and tho' they are fo unfortunate as to have 6 years Night, yet their courfe be- ing exadly divided into halves, they ne- ver pafs above 2 i Hours, wherein they do not fee at lead the laft Moon, which is a great Comfort in fo tedious a Dark- nefs : fo that be where you will, thefe 4 Moons are fometimes the pretcieft fight imaginable ; fometimes they rife all 4 together, and then feparate according to the Inequality of their courfe ; fometimes they are all in their Meridian, rang'd one above another ; fometimes you fee 'emi at equal Diftances on the Horizon ; fome- times when two rife, the other two go down. Oh ! hov/ 1 fliouid love to fee this 112 FoNTENELLE'i- this pleafant Sport of Eclipfes ! for there is not a Day paffes, but they eclipfe the Sun, or one another ; and they are fo accu domed to thefe EcHpfes in that Planer, that they are certainly more of Diverfion than of Fear. Well, jays the Marcbtoyiejs^ I hope you will people thefe four Moons, tho' you fay rhey are but little fecondary Planets, appointed to give Light to another Pla- net during its Night. Do not doubt it, / reply d ; thefe Planets are not a Jot the worfe to be inhabited, for being forc'd to turn round another Planet of greater Confequence. I would have then, J'aysjhe, the Ptople of thefe four Moons, to be fo many Colonies under Jupiter's Governn:ient -, they fliould, if it w^ere poffible, receive their Lav/s and Cuftoms from him, and confequently pay him a kind. of Homage, and not view his great Planet without paying a Deference. Would it not be convenient too, faid /, that they fliould fend Deputies with Ad- drefles to him ? for he has certainly a more abfo^ute Command over his Moon, than we have over ours j tho' his Power, after Plurality of Worlds. 1 1 3 after all, is but imaginary, and confifts chiefly in making them afraid : for that Moon which is neareft CO him, fees that lie is 360 times bigger than our Moon appears co us; for in truth, he is fo much bigger than fl:ie : he is alfo much near- er to them, than our Moon is to us, the which makes him appear the greater, fo that this formidable Planet hangs conrinually over their Heads at a very little Dillance. And if the Gauls were afraid heretofore that the Heavens would fall on 'em, I think the Inhabitants of that Moon may well be apprehenfive that Jupiter will at feme time or o- thcr overwhelm them. I fancy, fays floe y they are poffcfled with that Fear, becaufe tliey are not concerned at Eclipfes. Every one has their particular Folly : we are afraid of an Eclipfe, and they, that "Jupiter will fall on their Heads. It is very true, [aid /; the Inventer of the third Syftem, I told you t'other Night, the ïàvciOXi^T^ycho Braht\ one of the grcateft Aftronomers that ever was, did not apprehend the leaft Danger from an Eclipfe, when every body elfe was under 114 F O N TE NELL e'^ under the greatefl: Confternation ; yet this great Man had as an unaccountable a Fear, did a Hare crofs him, or if the firft Perfon he met in a Morning was an old Woman, home prefently went 'T'ycho Brahe, he finit himfelf up for that Day, and would not meddle with the leall Bufinefs. It would be very unreafonable, re- ply'd Jbcy when fuch a Man could not redeem himfelf from the Fear of Eclipfes, without falling into fome o- ther Whimfy as troublefome, that the Inhabitants of that Moon of Jupiter, of which we are talking, fhould come off upon eafier Terms. But wc will give them no Qiiarter, they fhall come un- der the general Rule, and if they are free from one Error, fliall fall into an- other to put them upon an Equiva- lent. But as I do not trouble niyfelf, becaufe I cannot guefs Vvdiat the next Error may be, pray clear up one more Difficulty to me, which has given me Pain for fome Minutes. Tell me, if; the Earth be fo iiule in comparifon of Jupiter^ whether his Inhabitants do dif- cover Plurality of Worlds. 115 cover us ? Indeed, y^/W /, I believe not ; for if we appear to him ninety times lefs than he appears to us, judge you if there be any Poffibility : yet this v^e may reafonably conjecture, that there are Aftronomers in Jupiter^ who after they have made the moft curious Tele- fcopes, and taken the cleared Night for their Obfervations, they may have diC- cover'd a little Planet in the Heavens, which they never faw before. If they publifli their Difcovery, mod People know not what they mean, or laugh at them for Fools : nay, the Philofophers themlelves will not believe 'em, for fear of deftroying their own Opinions 5 yet fome îcw may be a little curious ; they connnue their Obfervations, difcover the little Planet again, and are now aflur'd it is noVifion^ then they conclude it has a Morion round the Sun, v/hich it compleats in a Year: and at lad (thanks to the Learned) they know in Jupiter our Earth is a World, every body runs to fee it ai the end of the Telcfjope, tho' 'tis fo little, 'tis hardly to be difcern'd. It ïi6 Fontenelle'j It muft be ph^hntj fays J/je, to fee tlie Aftronomers of both Planets level- ling their Tubes at one another, like two Files of Mufqueteers, and mutually asking, what World that is? What Peo- ple inhabit it? Not fo faft neither, / reply* d -, for tho' they may from Jupiter difcover our Earth, yet they may not know us ; that is, they may not have the leafl: Sufpicion it is inhabited : and fhould any one there chance to have fuch a Fancy, he might be fufficiently ridicul'd, if not profecuted for it. For my part, I believe they have Work e- nough to make Difcoveries on their own Planet, not to trouble their Heads with ours : And had S'w Francis Drake and Co- linnbus been in Jupiter^ they might have had good Employments: why, I warrant you they have not yet difcover Vi the hundredth part of their Planet. But if Mercury isfo little, they are all as it were near Neighbours 5 and 'tis but taking a Walk, to go round that Planet. But if vvc do not appear to 'em in Jupiter, they cannot certainly difcover Venus and Mercury, which are much lefs than the Earth, Plurality of TForlds. iij Earch, and at a greater diflance ; but in lieu of it, they fee Mars, their own four Moons, and Saturn with his : This, I think, is work enough for their Aftro- nomers -, and Nature has been fo kind to conceal from them the reft of the U- niverfe. Do you think it a Favour then, fays p^e^ Yes, certainly, [aid I; for there are fixteen Planets in this great Vortex. Nature faves us the trouble of ftudying the Motions of them all, and fliews us but feven, which, I think, is very obliging, tho* we know not how to value the Kindnefs ; for we have re- cover'd the other nine which were hid from us, and fo render the Science of Aftronomy much more difficult than Nature defign'd it. If there are fixteen Planets, faidjhey Saturn muft have five Moons. 'Tis very true, faid I-, and two of thefe five are but lately difcover'd : but there is fome- what that is more remarkable ; fince his Year makes thirty of ours, there are con- fcquently in him fome Countries, where their Night is fifteen Years long ; and what can you imagine Nature has in- vented Il8 FoNTENELLE'i" vented to give Light, during fo dreadful a Nip-ht ? Why, (lie has not only given Saturn five Moons, but flie has encom- pafs'd him round with a great Circle or Ring, which being plac'd beyond the reach of the Shadow which the Bo- dy of that Planet cafts, refleds the Light of the Sun continually on thofe Places where they cannot fee the Sun at all. I proteft, fays the Marcbionejs^ this is very furprizing ; and yet all is contriv'd in fuch great Order, that it is impoffible not to think but nature took time to con- fider the Neceffities of all animate Be- ings, and that the difpofing of thefe Moons was not a work of Chance ; for they are only divided among thofe Planets which are fartheft diftant from the Sun,, the Earth, "J up ter and Saturn, Indeed it was not worth while to give any to Mer- cury or Venus \ they have too much Light already ; and they account their Nights (as fliort as they are) a greater Bleffing than their Days. But pray, why has not Mars a Moon too ? It feems he has none, tho' he is much farther than the Earth from the Sun. It is very true, faid Plurality of Worlds. 1 1 g [aid I \ no doubt but he has other helps tho* we don't know 'em : You have feen the Pbofpbdrus^ both Hquid and dry, how it receives and imbibes the Rays of the Sun, and what a great Light it will caft in a dark Place. Perhaps Ma?'s has ma- ny great high Rocks, which are fo many natural Pbo/phorus'Sy which in the Day take in a certain Proviiion of Light, and return it again at Night. What think yoj, Madam, is it not very pleafanr, when the Sun is down, to fee thofe lighted Rocks, like fo many Illumina- tions at a Birth-day Night ? Befides, there is a kind of Bird in America xh2ii yittlds fuch a Light, you may read by it in the darkefl Night : and who knows but Mars may have great Flocks of thefe Birds, that as foonas it is Night, difperfe themfelves into all Parts, and fpread from their Wings another Day ? I am not at all contented, fays Jhe^ j wiih your Rocks or your Birds : 'tis a I pretty fancy indeed ; but 'tis a fign that \ there fliouid be Moons in Mars, iince Nature has given fo many to Saturn and Jupiter: and if all the other Worlds that are I 20 F O N T E N E L L e'j- are diflant from the Sun have Moons ^ why iliould Mars only be excepted ? Ah, Madam, y^/^ /, when you are a lirtlc more dipt in Philofophy, you will find Exceptions in the very beft Syftems. There are always fome things that agree extremely well ; but then there are others that do not accord at all: thofe you muft leave as you found 'em, if ever you in- tend to make an end. We will do fo by Mars^ if you pleaie, and fay no more of him, but return to Saturn. What do you think of this great Ring in the Form of a Semicircle, that reaches from one end of the Horizon to the other, which refledling the Light of the Sun, performs the Office of a continual Moon? And muft not we inhabit this Ring \oo^faysjl:e fmiling ? I confefs, Jaid /, in the Hu- mour I am in, I could almoft fend Co- lonies every where ; and yet I can't well plant any there, it feems fo irregular a Habitation : but for the five little Moons, they cannot chufe but be inhabited ; tho' fome think this Ring is a Circle of Moons, which follows clofe to one another, and have an equal Morion, and that the five little Plurality of Worlds. i 2 i little Moons fell out of this Circle : how many Worlds are there then in the Vortex of Saturn ? But let it be how it will, the People in Saturn live very miferably. 'Tis true, this Ring gives Light to 'em, but it muft be a very poor one, when the Sun feems to 'em but a little pale Star, whofe Light and Heat cannot but be very weak at fo great a Dirtance : they fay, Greefiland is a perfed: Bagnio in comparifon of that Planet, and that they would ex- pire with Heat in our coldell Coun^ tries. You give me, fays fie^ fuch an Idea of Saturn^ that makes me fliake with Cold, and that of Mercury puts me into a Fever. It cannot be otherwife, / replfd \ for the two Worlds, which are the Extremities of this great Vor- tex, muft be oppofite in all things. They muft then, jays Jle, be very wife in Saturn j for you told me they were all Fools in Mercury» If they are not w'lk, /aid i, yet they have all the Appearances of being very phleg- matick. They are People that know G not 122 FoNTENELLE'j not what it is to laugh ; they take a Day's time to anfwer the leafl: Que- flion you can afk them ; and are fo very grave, that were Cato living a- inong them, they would think him a Merry- Andrew, It is odd to confider, fays Jhe, that the Inhabitants of Mercury are all Life, and the Inhabitants of Saturn quite con- trary J but among us, fome are brifk, and fome are dull : It is, I fuppofe, becaufe our Earth is plac'd in the Mid- dle of the other Worlds, and fo we participate of both Extremes; there is^ no fix'd or determined Charadter ; fome are made like the Inhabitants of Mer^ cury^ fome like thofe of Saturn ; we are a Mixture of the feveral Kinds thati arc found in the reft of the PlanetsJ Why, /aid /, do you not approve of thej Idea ? Methinks it is pleafant to be composed of fuch a fantaftical Affem- bly, that one would think we were colledled out of different Worlds. We need not travel abroad, when we fee the other Worlds in Epitome at home. lam Plurality of Worlds. 123 I am fure, fa^s the Marchionefs^ we have one great Convenience in the Situ- ation of our World ; it is not fo hot as Mercury or Venus^ nor fo cold as yu- piter or Satur?i : and our Cjunrry is fo temperately placed, that we have no Excefs either of Heat or Cold. I have heard of a Piiilofopher, who gave Thanks to Nature, that he was born a Man, and not a Beaft ; a Greek, and net a Barbarian : and for my part, I render Thanks, that I am feated in the mildcft Planet of the Univerfe, and in one of the moil temperate Regions of that Planet. You have more reafon, /aid /, to give Thanks that you are young, and not old ; that you are young and handfome, and not young and ugly ; that you are young, handfome, and a Frejich Woman, and not young, handfome, and an Italian : thefe are more proper Subjeds for your Thanks, than the Situation of your Vortex, or the Temperature of your Country. Pray, Sir, fays Jlje ^ let me give Thanks for all things, to the very Vor- tex in which I am planted. Our Pro- G 2 portion 124 Fontenelle'j portion of Happinefs is To very fmall, that we ftiould not lofe any, but im- prove continually what we have, and be grateful for every thing, tho* ever fo common or inconfiderable. If no- thing but exquifite Pleafure will ferve us, we muft wait a long time, and be fure to pay too dear for it at laft. I wifli, /aid /, that Philofophy was the Plea- fure you propofe, that when you think of Vortexes, you would not forget an humble Servant of your Ladyfliip's. I efteem it a Pleafure, fays Jhe, while it diverts innocently, but no longer. I will engage for it till To-morrow, / reply d\ for the fixed Stars are beyond what you have yet feen. The Plurality of Worlds, i 2 5 The Fifth Evening. Shewinçr^ that the fixed Stars are Jo many Stms^ every one : of which gives Light to a World. '^"^HE Marchloncfs was very im- \ patient to know what would become of the fixed Stars : Are they peopled, y^n'^yZ»^, as the Planets are ? Or lire they not inhabited at all ? Or in fhort, what fliall we do with 'em ? You may foon guefs, y2z/V / ; the fixed Stars can't be lefs diftant from the Earth than fifty millions of Leagues ; nay, if you anger an Aftronomer, he will fee 'em farther. The Ditlance from the Sun to the fartheft Planet is nothing, in compariion of the Diftance from the Sun or from the Earth to the fixed Stars ; it is almoft beyond Arithmetick. You fee their Lie^ht is bright and fliin- G 3 ingi I 20 FONTEN ELLE V ing ; and did they receive it from the Sun, it muft needs be very v\^cak after a Paflage of fif y Millions of Leagues : then judge hov/ much it is wafted by Refledtion j for it comes back again as far to us : fo that forwards and back- wards, here are an hundred Millions of Leagues for it to pafs -, and it is im- poffible it fliould be fo clear and ftrong as the Light of a fixed Star, which cannot but proceed from itfelf : fa that, in a Word, all the fixed Stars are luminous Bodies in themfelves, and fo many Suns. I perceive, /2?y^ the March'tGitefs^yNhtvQ you v^^ould carry me : you are going ta lell me, that if the fixed Stars are fo many Suns, and our Sun the Center of a Vorcex that turns round him ; why may not every fixed Star be the Center of a Vortex, that turns round the fixed Star? Our Sun enlightens the Planets : why may not every fixed Star have Planets to which they give Light ? You have faid it, I reply dy and I (hall not contradid you. You Plurality of Worlds. 127 You have made the Univerfe fo large, [aid P^e^ 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 every 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 Univerfe ? And are there as many fuch Spaces, as there are fixed Stars? I proteft it is dreadful, the very Idea of it confounds and overwhelms me. Dreadful ! Madam,/^//W /; I think it very pleafant : When the Heavens v^ere a little blue Arch, ftuck with Stars, methought the Univerfe was too ftraic and clofe^ I was almoft ftifled for want of Air : but now it is enlarg'd in Height and Breadth, and a thoufand and a thou- fand Vortexes taken in, I begin to breathe with imore freedom, and think the Uni- verfe to be incomparably more magni- ficent than it was before. Nature has fpar'd no Coft, even toProfufenefs; and nothing can be fo glorious, as to fee fuch a prodigious Number of Vortexes, whole feveral Centers are pofîèfs'd by a par- G 4 ticulac 128 F O N TE NELL u' S ticular Sun, which makes the very Pla- ners turn round it. Trie Inhabitants of a Planet of one of thefe innumerable Vortexes, behold on all Sides thefe lumi- nous Centers of the Vortex, with which they are encompafs'd: but perhaps they do not fee the Planets, who receiving but a faint Light from their Sun, cannot fend it beyond their own World. You prefent me with a Profped: of fo vaft a length, that no Eye can reach to the end of it. I plainly fee the Inhabi- tants of the Earth, and you have made me difcover thofe that dwell in the Moon, and in other Planets of our Vor- tex; now thefe indeed I conceive pretty plainly, but do not fee fo clearly as thofe of the Earth : afrer thefe, we come to the Inhabitants 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 ufe in fpeaking of 'cm, they feem to be almofl annihilated ; you ought then to call 'em the Inhabitants of one of thofe innumerable Vortexes : We Plurality of Worlds. 129 We ourfelves, for whom the fame Ex- preffion fervcs, muft confefs, that we fcarce know where we are, in the mldtl of fo many Worlds \ for my own parr, I begin to fee the Earth fo fearfully little, that I believe from henceforward I fliall never be concern'd at all for any thing. That we ïo eagerly defire to make our- felves great, that we are always defigning, always troubling and haraflmg ourfelves, is certainly becaufe we are ignorant what thefe Vortexes are: but now I hope my new Lights will in part juilify my Lazi- nefsi and when any one reproaches me with my Carelcflhefs, I will anfwer, Al\ did you but know ivhat the fixed Sfa7's are ! It was not fit, faidl^ that Alex- ander fliould know what they were \ for a certain Author*, who maintains that the Moon is inhabited, very gravely tells us, that Arijlotle (from whom no Truth could be long conceal'd) muft neccflarily be of an Opinion back'd with fo much •Reafon; but yet he never durft acquaint \Alexander with the Secret, fearing he might run mad with Defpair, wdienhe * HuYGENf. G 5 knew 130 FontenelleV knew there was another World whicli he could not conquer. With much more reafon then was this Myftcry of Vortexes, and iix'd Stars kept fecret in Alexû7ider^ tim.e: for tho' they had been known in thofe days, yet a Man would have been a great Fool to have fa id any thing of 'em to Alexander ; it would have been but an ill way of making his court to that ambitious Prince: for my part, I that know 'cm, am not a little troubled to find myfelf not one jot the wifer for ail the knowledge I have of 'em ; the moil: they can do, according to your way of reafon log, is but to core People of their Ambition, and tlieir unquiet refllefs Hu- mour, which are Difcafes I am not at all- troubled with : I confcfs, I am guilty of fo much V/eaknefs, as to be in love with] what is beautiful 3 that's my Diftemper,. and I am confident the Vortexes can ne- ver cure if. What if the other Worlds, render ours fo very little? they cannot- ipoil fine Eyes, or a pretty Mouthy their Value is iiill the fame, in fpite of all ■ the Worlds that can poffibly exift. . Tim Plurality of Worlds. 1 3 r . This Love, reply d the Marchionefs Jmlling^ is a ftrange thing ; let the World go how 'twill, 'tis never in danger j there is no Syftem can do ic any harm. But tell me freely, is your Syftem true ? Pray conceal nothing 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 itfelf a luminous Body, like the Sun, then by confequence ic muft, as the San is, be the Center and Soul of a World, and have itsPlanets turn- ing round about it. But is there an abfolute Neceflity it muft be fo ? Madam^ Jaid /, fince we are in the Humour of mingling amorous Follies with our moft ferions Difcourfe, I muft tell you, that in Love and the Mathematicks, People reafon much alike. Allow ever fo little to a Lover, yet prefently you muft grant him more, nay more and more, which will at laft go a great way. In like man- ner, grant but a Mathematician one little Principle, he immediately draws a Con- fequence from it, to which you muft ne- cefTarily affent \ and from this Confe- quence 132 Fontenelle'^ quence another, till he leads you fo far (whether you will or no) chat you have much ado to believe him. Theie two forrs of People, Lovers and Maihemati- cians, will always take more than you give 'em. You grant, that when two things are like one another in all viiible Refpeds, it is poffible they may be like one another in thofe things that are not vifible, if you have not fome good Reafon to believe otherwife. Now this way of arguing have I made ufe of. The Moon, fays 7, is inhabited, becaufe ilie is like the Earth ; and the other Planets are inhabited, becaufe they are like the Moon : I find the fix'd Stars to be like our Sun, therefore I attribute to them what is proper to him. You are now gone too far to be able to retreat, therefore you mufi: go forward with a good Grace. Bur, fays the Marchumcfs^ if you build upon thisRcfemblanceor Like- nefs which is between our Sun and the fix'd Stars, then, to the People of ano- ther great Vortex, our Sun muft appear no bieeer than a fmall fix'd Star, and can be {^t\\ only when 'cis Night with them. Without Plurality of Worlds. 133 Without doubt, Madam, /^/^/, itmuft be lb : Our Sun is much nearer to us, than the Suns of other Vortexes, and therefore its Light makes a much greater Impreifion on our Eyes, than theirs do. We fee nothing but the Light of our own Sun ; and when we fee that, it darkens and hinders us from feeing any other Light : But in another great Vor- tex, there is another Sun, which rules and governs, and in its turn extinguilh- es the Light of our Sun, which is ne- ver feen there but in the Night, with the reft of the other Suns, that is, the hx'd Stars : with them, our Sun is faftned to the great arched Roof of Heaven, where it makes a part of fome Bear or Bull ; for the Planets which turn round about it, (our Earth for example) as they are not k^x\ at fo vaft a diftance, f j no body does 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 i^zn ; but every where elfe, they ferve only to make a number. May noc 134 FontenelleV not the Worlds, reply d the Marckionefs, notwithftanding this great Refem- blance between *em, differ in a thoii- fand other things ? For tho' they may be alike in one Particular, they may differ infinitely in others. It is certainly true, /aid I -, but the Difficulty is to know wherein they dif- fer. One Vortex hath many Planers, that turn round about its Sun ; another Vortex has but a few. In one Vor- tex there are inferior or lefs Planets, which turnabout thofe that are greater; in another, perhaps, there are no infe- rior Planets : here, all the Planets are got round about their Sun, in Form of a little Squadron ; beyond which is a great void Space, which reacheth to the neighbouring Vortexes : in another Place, the Planets take their Courfe to- wards the Outfide of their Vortex, and leave the Middle void. There may be Vortexes alfo quite void, without any Planets at all ; others may have their Sun not exadlly in their Center, and that Sun may fo move, as to carry its Pla- aets along with it 5 others may have Planets, Plurality of Worlds. 135 Planets, which in regard of their Sun, afcend and defcend, according to the change of their Equilibration, which keeps them fufpended. In fliorr, what Variety can you wifh for ? But I think I have fa id enough for a Man that was never out of his own Vortex. It is not fo much, reply d the Marchi- onefs^ confidering what a multitude of Worlds there are: what you have faid is fufficient but for 5 or 6, and froin hence I fee thoufands. What would you fay, Madatn, if I fliould tell you, there are many more fix*d Stars than thofe you fee ? And that an infinite Number are difcovered with Glaifes, which cannot be (ttn by the naked Eye ? One fingle Conftellation, where perhaps we count only 12 or 15, there are as many more to be found as ufually appear in the whole Hemifphere. I fubmit, fays fie^ and beg your Pardon ; you quite confound me with Worlds and Vortexes. I have more to tell you, Madam, /aid 1 : You fee that Whitenefs in the Sky, which fome call the 136 FONTENELL E ' J* the Milky-way -, can you imagine what that is ? 'Tis nothing but an Infinity of fmall Stars, not to be feen by our Eyes, becaufe they are fo very little j and they are fown fo thick one by an- other, that they feem to be one con- tinued Whicenefs. I wifli you had a Glafs to fee this Ant-hill of Stars, and this Clufter of Worlds, if I may fo call *em : they are in fome fort, like the Maldivian Iflands. Thofe twelve thou- fand Banks of Sand, feparated by nar- row Channels of the Sea, whicli a Man may leap as eafily as over a Dicch ; fo near together are the Vortexes of the Milky-way, that 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 an- other ; and that Pigeons may be trained up to carry Letters, as they ào in the Levant. Thefe little Worlds are ex- cepted, out of that general Rule, by which one Sun in his own Vortex, as oon as he appears, effaces the Light of all other foreign Suns. If you were in one of thefe little Vortexes of the Milky-way, Plurality of Worlds. 137 Milky-way, your Sun would not be much nearer to you, and confequently would not make any much greater fen- fible Imprefllon on your Eyes, than 100,000 other Suns of the neighbouring Vortexes. You would 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 fhould 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, accuftomed to perpetual Bright- nefs, would be (trangely aftonifh'd, if thev iliould 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 never fee more than one Sim ; certainly they would think Nature had very little Kindnefs for us, and would tremble with 138 Fontenelle'j' with Horror, to think what a fad Condition we are in. I do not ask you, J aid the Marchionefsy whether in thofe Worlds of the Milky- way, there be any Moons ; I fee they would be of no ufe to thofe princi- pal Planets which have no Night, and move in Spaces too ftrait and narrow to cumber themfelves with the Baggage of inferior Planets: yet pray take notice, that by your liberal Multiplication of Worlds, you have ftarted an Objecftion not ealily anfwer'd. The Vortexes whofe Suns we fee, touch the Vortex in which we are J and if it be true, that Vor- texes are round, how then can fo ma- ny Bowls or Globes all touch one fingle one? I would fain know how this may be done, but cannot well re- concile it. You fliew a great deal ofWit, Ma- dam, y^/^ 7, in railing this Doubt, and likewjfe in not being able to refolve it y for in itfelf the thing is extreme diffi- cult, and in the manner you conceive it, no Anfwer can be given to it 5 and he muft be a Fool who goes about to find Plurality of Worlds . 139 find Anfwers to Objeâions which are un- anfwerable. 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 of thefe Squares might be plac'd a Vor- rex of the fame Figure ; but if inflead of thefe fix fquare Faces, it had 20, 50, or 1000, then might 1000 Vortexes be plac'd upon it, one upon every Flat : and you know very well, that the more flat Faces any Body hath on its Outfide, the nearer it approacheth to Roundnefs^ jufl as a Diamond cut face- wife on every Side, 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 leafl: Faces of our Vortex, for Example, anfwer to the Milky-way, and fufl:ain all thofe little VVorlds, When two Vortexes are fup- ported 140 F O N T E N E L L e'x ported by the two next Flats on whiclil they flaPid, if they leave beneath any | void Space between them, as it mufl ofcen happen, Nature, who is an ex- ^ cellent Houfewife, and fuflfers nothing to be ufelefs, prefently fills up this void Space with a little Vortex or two, per- haps with a thoufand, which never in- commode the others, and become one, two, or a thoufand Worlds more ; fo that there may be many more Worlds than our Vortex has flat Faces to bear 'em. I will lay a good Wager, that the' thefe little Worlds were made only to be thrown into the Corners of the Uni- verfe, which otherwife would have been void and ufelefs; and tho' they are un- known to other Worlds which they touch, yet they are v^ell fatisfy'd with their being where they are. Thefe are the little Worlds whofe Suns are not to be difcovered but with a Telefcope, and whofe Number is prodigious. To conclude, all thefe Vortexes are join'd to one another in fo admirable a man- ner, that every one turns round about his Sun, without changing Place 5 every one Plurality of Worlds. 141 one has fuch a Turn as is moft eafy and agreeable to its own Situation; they take hold of one another Hke the Wheels of a Watch, and mutually help one another's Motion : and yet 'tis cer- tain that they adl contrary to one an- other. Every World, as fome fay, is like a Foot- ball, made of a Bladder, covered with Leather, which fometimes fwells of its own accord, and would extend itfelf if it were not hinder'd. But this fwel- ling World being prefs*d by the next to it, returns to its firft Figure ; then fwcUs again, and is again deprefs'd : and fome affirm, that the Reafon why the fixed Stars give a twinkling and trembling Light, and fometimes feem not to fliine at all, is becaufe their Vor- texes perpetually pufh andprefs our Vor- tex, and ours again continually repulfes theirs, I am in love with thefeFancies,y^?/^ the Marchionefs ; I am pleased with thefe Foot-balls, which fwell every Moment, and fink again, and with thefe Worlds, wl ichare continually ftriving and puili- ing one another : but above all, I am pleas'd 142 Fo N T E N E L L E'i" pleas'd to fee how this juftling keeps up the Trade of Light, which is certainly the only Correfpondence that is between them. No, no, Madam, /aid I-, Light is not their fole Commerce 3 the neighbouring Worlds fometimes pay Vilits to us, and that in a very magnificent and fplendid manner : There come Comets to us from thence, adorn'd with bright finn- ing Hair, venerable Beards, or Majef- tick Tails. Thefe, /aid J/je, are Am- baffadors, whofe Vifits may be well fpared, fince they ferve only to affright us. They fcare only Children, Ja^d I, with their extraordinary Train ; but in- deed, the number of fuch Children is now-a-days very great. Comets are no- thing but Planets, which belong to a neighbouring Vortex, they move to- wards the outfide of it : but perhaps this Vortex being differently prefs'd by thofe Vortexes which enccmpafs it, 'tis round- er above than it is below, and it is the lower part that is flill towards us. Thefe Planers which have begun to move in a .Circle above, are aware that below '^ ^^-- . their Plurality of T^orlds. 143 their Vortex will fail 'em, becaufe it is 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 according to our Syftem, it is abfolutely neceffary they (hould be fo high, for Reafons that fignify nothing to our prefent Subjeéh From Saturn downwards to the other fide of our Vortex, there is a great void fpace 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^ fays /Joe ; we do not fuffer them to come into the Heart of our Vortex, among our own Planets, but we receive them as the Grand Sig- nior does the Ambafladors that are fent to him ; he will not fhew them fo much Refpefl:, as to let 'em lodge in Confiant tinopky 144 F O N T E N E L L e'^ iinople^ but quarters 'em in one of the Suburbs of the City. Madam, jaid /, we and the Ottomans agree likewife in this, that as they receive Ambaffadors, but never fend any, fo we never fend a- ny of our Planets into the Worlds that are next us. . By this, fays JJje, it appears, that we are very proud ; however, I do not yet very well know what I am to beheve. Thefe foreign Planets, with their Tails and their Beards, have a terrible Coun- tenance, it may be they are fent to affront us; but ours that are of another make, if they fhould get into other Worlds, are not fo proper to make People a- fraid. Their Beards and their Tails^ Madam, faid /, are not real, they are Phceitome- na^ and but mere Appearances. Thefe foreign Planets differ in nothing from ours ,; but entring into 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. But certain it is, that 'tis but a kind of Illu- mination y I 1 Plurality of Worlds. 145 ruination j and when I am able, I will tell you how 'tis done. I wifh then. Jays [he ^ that onr Saturn would go take a Tail and a Beard in another Vortex, and affright all the Inhabitants of it. That done, I would have him come tack a- gain, leaving his terrible Accoutrements behind him, and taking his ufual place amongfl: our other Planets, fall to his ordinary Bufinefs. 'Tis better for him, [aid 7, not to go out of our Vortex. I have told you how rude and violent the fliock is, when two Vortexes joftle one another; a poor Planet muft needs be terribly fliaken, and its Inhabitants in no better Condition. We think our felves very unhappy when a Comet ap- pears; but 'tis the Comet that is in an ill Cafe. I do not believe that, /^^^yZje»; it brings all its Inhabitants with it in very good Health ; there can be nothing fo diverting as to change Vortexes. We that never go out of our own Sphere, lead but a dull Life. If the Inhabitants of a Co- met had but the Wit to forefee the time when they are to come nto our World, they who had already made the Voyage* H would 146 Fontenelle'j would tell their Neighbours before-hand what they would fee ; they would tell them, that they would difcover a Planet with a great Ring about it, meaning our Saturn -, they would alfo fay, you (hall fee another Planet which has four little ones to wait on it : and perhaps fome of them, refolved to obferve the very Moment of their Entrance into our World, would prefently cry out, A 7iew SuUy a new Sun ! as Sailors ufe to cry, Land^ hand ! You have no Reafon then, /aid /, to pity the Inhabitants of a Comet ; yet I fuppofe you will think their Condition lamentable, who inhabit a Vortex, whofe Sun comes in time to be quite extinguish- ed, and confequently live in eternal Night. How ! crfd the Marcbionefi^ can Suns be extinguifli'd ? Yes, without doubt, [aid 1 , for People fome thou- fand Years ago faw fixed Stars in the Sky, which are now no more to be feen ; thefe were Suns which have loft their Light, and certainly there muftbe a ftrangc Defolation in their Vortexes, and a general Mortality over all the Planets : Plurality of Worlds, 14.7 Planets: for what can People do with- out a Sun ? This is a dilmal Fancy, Jaid the Lad)\ I would not if I could help it, let it come into my Head. I will tell you, if you pleafe, / replfd^ what in this Particular is the Opinion of learned Aftronomers. They think, that the fixed Stars which have dif- appear'd, are not quite extinguiih'd, but that they are half Suns, that is, they have one half dark, and the other half lights and turning round upon their own Axis or Center, they fometimes fhew us 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 I not fo harfli as the other; but I cannot \ make it good, but in relation to fome i certain Stars ; becaufe, zs>Huyge?is has late- : ly obferv'd, thofe Stars have their regula- ' ted times of appearing and difappearing, • other wife there could be no fuch thing as half Suns. But what fhall we fay of ' Stars, which totally difappear, and never 1 fhew themfelves again after they have finifli'd their Courfe of turning round H 2 upon 148 F O N T E NE L L E'i" upon their own Axis ? You are too juft. Madam, to oblige me to believe, that fuch Stars are half Suns. However, I will try once more what I can do in fa- vour of your Opinion: The Suns are not extincfl, they are only funk fo low into the immenfe Depth of Heaven, that we cannot poffibly fee them : in this cafe the Vortex follows his Sun, and all's well again. 'Tis true, that the greateft part of the fixed Stars have not this Mo- tion, by which they remove themfelves fo far from us,becaufe at other times they might return again nearer to us, and we fhould fee them fometimes greater, and fometimes lefs, which never happens. But we will fuppofe that none but the little, light, and moft active Vortexes, which flip between the others, make cer- tain Voyages, after which they return again, while the main Body of Vortexes remain unmoved. 'Tis likewife very fl:range,thatfome fixed Stars fhew them- felves to us, fpendinga great deal of time in appearing and difappearing, and at laft totally and entirely difappear. Half Suns would appear again at their fet and regulated I Plurality of Worlds. 149 regulated time. But Suns which fhould be funk low into the Depths of Heaven, would difappear but once, and not appeaar again for a vaft fpace of Time. Now, Madam, boldly declare your Opinion : Mud not thefe Stars of neceffity be Suns, which are fo much darkned, as not to be vifible to us, and yet afterwards fliine again, and at laft are wholly ex- tind? How can a Sun, faid the Marchi-^ onefs^ho, darkned, and quite extinguifh'd, when it is in its own Nature a Fountain of Light ? It may be done, Madam,y2?/^ /, with all the cafe in the World, if Defcartes's Opinion be true, that our Sun has Spots: now, whether thefe Spots be Scum or thick Mifts, or what you pleafe, they may thicken and unite, till at laft they thicken the Sun with aCruft, which daily grows thicker, and then fare- wel Sun. We have hitherto Tcap'd pret- ty well ; but 'tis faid, that the Sun for fome whole Years together has look'd very pale : for Example, the Year after Cœjars Death, it was this Cruft that then began to grow ; but the Force of the Sun broke and diffipated it: had it H 3 continued. 150 FONTEN ELLe'^" continued, we had been all loft People. You make tremble, reply d the Lady, And now I know the fatal Confequcnces of the Sun's Palenefs, I believe, infteadof going every Morning to my Glafs, to fee how I lock, I (hall caft my Eyes up ta Heaven, to fee whether or no the Sun looks pale. Oh, Madam, I'aid 7, th.ere is a great deal of time required to ruin a World. I grant ir, /aid pe -, yet 'tis but time that is requir'd. I confefs n^ /aid I 'y all this immenfeMafs of Matter, that compofes the Univerfe, is in perpetual Motion, no part of it excepted : And fince every part is moved, you may be fure that Changes muft happen fooner or later ; but ftlll in times proportioned to the EfFe6t. The Antients were pleafant Gentlemen, to im.iginethat the celeftial Bodies were in their own Nature un- changeable, becaufe they obfcrved no change in them -, but they did not live long enough to confirm their Opinion 'by their own Experience ; they were Boys in comparifjn of us. Give me leave, Madam, to explain myfclfbvan Allegory : If Rofes, which laft but a Day, could Plurality of TVoj^lds. 151 could write Hiilories, and leave Memoirs one to another; and if tlie firft Rofe fhould draw an exacft Pidure of his Gardener, and after fifteen thoufandRofe- Ages, it niould be left to other Rofes, and fo on ftill to thofe that fliould fiic- ceed without any change in it; fliould the Rofes hereupon fay, we have every Day {//>//, ifwitlyn this little Time there have not been feveral burnt Vi^'in Jupiter, Whaty Provinces burnt up in Jupiter / crys Jhe^ upon my Word, that would be- confiderable News. Very confiderable, fays 7, Madam : We have remarked thefe 20 Years in JufiterB. long Trail of Light, more glaring than the reft of that Planet's Body. We have, here,, had Deluges, perhaps they may have fuffered great Conflagrations in Ju- fiter: How do we know to the con-, trary? Jupiter is 90 Times bigger than xh^ Earthy and turns on his own Center in 10 Hours, whereas we do not turn in lefs than 24, which implies that his Motion is 216 Times ftronger than ours. May it not be poffible^ that in fo rapid a Circulation, itsmoft dry andcombuftible Parts fhould take fire, as we fee the Axle-trees in Wheels, from the Rapidity of their Motions, will break out into Flames? But how- ever it i^ this Light of Jupiter is by no Pturàtity of Tf^orlds. 175 no means comparable to another,which in all Probability is as ancient as th« World, and yet we have never fecn it* How docs aLight order it tobeconceal- éd^/ays /he ; there mull bcfome Angu- lar Addrefs to compafs that Point* This Light, replied I ^ never appears but at Twilight, which is often ftrong enough to drown it; and even when Twilight fuffers it to appear, eitherjthc Vapours of the Horizon rob us of it, or it is fo very faint, and hardly to be perceived, that for want of Exa£lnefs in our Knowledge, we miftake it for the Twilight. Butin fhort, they have of late years with much Certainty diftinguifhed it; and it has been for fomc Time the Delight of the Aftrono- mers, whofe Curiofity wanted to be roufed by fome Novelty, and they could not well have been more touched if they had difcovered fome new lecon- dary Planets. The two latter Moons of Saturn^ïov Inftancc, did not ravifli them to that Degree which the Guards or Moons of Jupiter did : But now we are fully accuftomed to it; we fee, one I 4 Month 176 Font EN ELLENS Month before, and after, the Vernal Equinox, when the Sun is fet and the Twilight over, a certain whitifh Light rcfcmbling the Tail of a Comet. Wc fee the fame before 5«» rife, and before the Twilight, towards the Autumnal Equinox ; and towards the Winter Solfticc we fee it Night and Morning, except at thele Times it cannot, as I but now obfcrved, difengage itfelf from the Twilights, which are too ftrong and lafting; for we fuppofe it to be a continued Light,and in all Pro- bability it is lo. We have begun to conjeûure that it is produced from fome prodigious Quantity of Matter ' crouded together, which circles round ' the Su» to a certain Extent : The greatcft Part of his Rays pierce thro' this grofs Cirait, and come down to lis in a right Line ; but fome refting on the inner Surface of this Matter, arc from thence reflefted to us, and come with the direft Rays, or elfc we cannot have them either Alorning or Even- ing. Now as thefe reflefted Rays are ihot from a greater Height than thoft which Pluralttj of Worlds. \^^h whîch are dircO, we muft confequenti ly have them fooner, and keep them longer. On thi« Foot, I muft acqiiiefce in what Ihave aheady mentioned, that the Moon muft have no Twilight for want of being lurrounded by fuch a grofs Air as the Earth. Bjt flie can be no Lofer; her Twilights will pro- ceed from that kind of gi ofs Air which furrounds the J«», and reflefts his Rays on Places which his direâ; one can- not reach. 'But pray let me know,y^>'i the Marchionefs^ are not there Twi-'^ lights fettled for all the Planets, who will not need every one to be clothed withadiftindt grofs Air, becaufethat which furrounds the iî"»» alone, may have one general Effeâ: for all the Tla» vets in thi^ Vortex? lam mighty wil- ling to think Danie- Nature, agreeable to that Inclination which I know fhe has toOecohomy, and good Manage- ment, Ihould make that fingle Means anl'wer her Purpofe; Yet, replkdl^ norwithftanding this fuppofed Oeco-' ' Jicn^y? ihe mutt have, with Refpefti- to 178 Fo N T E N ELL eV to our Earth, twoCaufes for Twilight; one whereof, which is the thick Air about the •$*«//, will be wholly ufelefs, and can only be an Objeft of Curiofity forthe Students of the Obfervatory '-, but not to conceal any Things it is poflible that only the Earth knA"^ out fronm herfelf Vapours and Exhalations grols enough to prod uceTwilrghts,and that Nature had Reafon to provide, by one general Means, for the Necelfities of all the other Tlanets, which arc, if I may fo lay, of a purer Mold, and their Evaporations confequently more fubtle. We are perhaps, among all thp Inhabitants of the Worlds vBiQwxVor- 4ex^ the only Perfons who required to have a more grofs and thick Air given us to breathe in. With what Contempt would the Inhabitants of tho^other Planets confider us, if they Wewthis? They would be out in their Reafon- jng, fays the Marchionefs, we are not tobedefpifedfor being enveloped with a thick Air, fince the Sun himfelf is fo furrounded. Pray tell me, is not this Aif 'Plurality of Worlds. 170 Air produced by certain/^<;r/^«rj,which you have formerly told mc ilTued from the Sun^ and docs it not fer ve to break the firft Force of his Rays, which had clfe probably been to Excefs ? I conceive that the Sun may be veiled by Nature, to be more proportioned to our Ufc. SKtW^Madam^ replied /, this is fome fmall Introdu^ion to a Syjiem which you have very happily ftarted. We may add, that rbefe Vapours pro- duce a kind of Rain^ which falling back upon the Sun^ may cool and re- frelhic, as we fometimes throw Water into a Forge, when the Fire is too fierce. There is not any Thing but what wc ma)[ imagine, to aflift Nature's Ad- drefs, but fhe has another kind of Ad- drefs very particular, which is to con- ceal herfelf from us, and we fliould not willingly be confident that wc have found out her Method of adlingon her Defigns in it : In cafe of new Difco» veries, we fhouid not be too importu- nate in our Reafonings, tho' we are al ways fond enough to do it ; and your true Thilofophers are like Elephants^ who i8o Fonte n e ll ê*8 who as they go, never put their fé- cond Foot to the Ground, 'till their firft be well fixed. The Comparifon fcems th% more rational to nie, fays Jhe^ as the Merit of thofctwo Species of Animals, Elephants and Thilofo* fhers^ does not at allconfift in exterior Agreements. I am willing to miftake the Judgment of both ; now teach mcfome of the latter Difcoveries, and I promifc you not to make any rafli Syftems. I will tell you, Mcidam^ replied /, all the News I know from the Firma- inent, and I believe the freflieft Advi- ces you can haye, lamforrythey are cot as furprizing and wonderful, as fomc Obkrvations which I read the other Day in An Abridgment af the Chinese Annals. Written in Latin. Thofe People fee Thou funds of Stars at a Time, jail from the Sky into the Sea^ with a prodigious Noife,or are diffolved, and melt into Rains ; and thefe are Things which have been feen more than once in China. I met with this Obfervation at two Plurality ofîVorldi. i8i two fcveral Times, pretty diftant from each other, without reckoning a ccr- tain Star which goes Eajlward^ and burfts like a Squib, always with a great noife. It is great Pity that thefe Kinds of Thanomena flnould be referv'd for China only, and that our Part of the Globe fliould never have their Share of thefe Sights. Itis not long, fince all our Philofophers were of Opi- nion, that they might affirm on good Grounds, that the Heavens and aH the CeleJtialBodies were incorruptible, and therefore incapable of Change; and yet at the fame Time, there were fome Men in the otlier Part of the JStjirrZ? who faw Stars dijfolve by Thou- fands^ which muft produce a very dif- ferent Opinion. Bur, fays the Mar- chionefs^ did we ever hear it allowed that the Chine fe were fuch great Aftro- Eomers ? It is true, we did not,/rys /, but the Çhinefe have an Advantage from being divided from us by fuch a prodigious Trad of Earthy as the Greeh had over the Romans^ by being ^fQjTi.uch prior in Time : Diftances of every l82 FON TEN ELLe's, ^C. every fort pretend a Right of impofing on us. In reality, I think ftiU more and more, that there is a certain Genius which has never yet been out of the^ Limits of Europe^ or at leaft not much beyond them ; perhaps he may not be permitted to Ipread over any great Ex- tent of the Earth at once, and that fome Fatality prefcribes him very nar- row Bounds Let us indulge him whilft we have him ; the bcftof it is, he is not linkM to the Sciences and dry Speculations, but launches out with as much Saccefs into Subjefts of Pleafure, in which PoirO:! queftion whether any People equal us. Thcfe are fuch To- picks. Madam, as ought to give you Entertainment, and compleat your whole Sypm of "Philo/ophy. ^M A N ORATION, IN D E F E N C E OF THE New P h I l o s o p h y, Spokeλ In the Th 1 A T R E at Oxford^ July 7, iS^^l by Mr. Addison. Done from the Latin Original. O W long, Gentlemen of the Univerfity,fhall we flavifhly tread in the Steps of the An- cients, and be afraid of being wifer than our Anceftors r How long ihall we religioufly worfliip the i'84 ^^- AddiscnV Defence the triflings of Antiquity asfome do old Wives Stories ? It is indeed (hanfieful^ When we furvey \\\t great Ornament of the prefent Age ^, to transfer our Applaufcs to the Ancients, and to take pains to fearch into Ages paft for Per- lons fit for Panegyrick. The ancient Philofopby has had more allowed than it could reafonably pretend t6j how often has Sh^ let^gm^s Theatre rung with Encomia on the Stagyrite^ who, greater than his own Alexander^ has long, un-oppoled, tri- umphed in our School' Desks, and had the whole World for his Pupils. At length rofe Cartesius, a happier GcniuSj who has bravely alTerted the Truth againrt the united Force of all Oppofers,and has brought on the Stage a new'Method of Philofcphizing. But fhall we ftigmatize with the Name of. Novelty that Philofophy, which, tho' but lately revived, is more ancient than the Teripatetic^ and as old as the Mat- **. Newt o n, tCf Mr. Addison's Defence. ïSiJ ter from whence it is derived. A great Man indeed He was, and the only one we envy France ^. He folved the Difficulties of the Univerfe, almoft as well as if he had been its Architeft. Hedeftroyed thofe Orbs ofglafs,which the Whinfis of Antiquity had fixed abovCj brought to light that Troop of Forms till then unknown, and has al- moft extinguifhed the Element of Fire; nay he with fo much clearnefs traced out the whole Mafs of Matter, as to leave no occult Quality untouched. This Philofopher fcorned to be any longer bounded within the Streights and Chryftalline Wall of an Arifioteltc World ; no, his Delight is to fearch the Regions above, to difcover new SunSj and new Worlds^ which lay hid among the Stars; his Satisfaftion is to view that large Kingdom of Airamidft the unfixed Stars, and Lands that pafs the Milky Way, and more accurately meafure this vaft Machine, a Machine • DesCaftih fit J 86 Mr, Ai>T)no^\ Defence fit for Mankind to Philofophize OT^f and worthy of the Deity, that firft framed it. Here we have not only new Heavens opened to us, but we look down on our Earth ; this Philofophy afïcH'ds us feve- ral Kinds of Animals ; where, by the Help of Microfcopes, our Eyes are fo far aififted, that we may difcern the Produftionsof thefmalleft Creatures, while we confider with a curious Eye the animated Particles of Matter, and behold with Aftonrfhment, tlie reptile Mountains of living Atoms. Thus^ are our Eyes become nr^ore penetrating by modern Helps, and even that work which Nature boafts for her Mafter- Piece, is rendered more correcl and finifhed. We n^ longer pay a blind Veneration to that barbarous Terifa- f/'^/V- Jingle, thofe Scholaftic Terms of Art, once held as Oracles, but confult the Délicates of our own Senfes, and by late invented Engines force Nature herfelf to difcover plainly her moft valued Secrets, her moft hidden Re- cedes. Bjr of the New Philosophy. 187 By the Help of Inftruments like thefc, that Air, with which bountiful Nature has indulged us, we as often as we pleafe, by the Force of Art, a- bridge other Animals of,and keep them in our Pneumatick Pumps, from its common Benefit : What a Pleafure is jt to fee the fruitlels Heavings of the Lights, to exhauft their Lives, and by a moft artful Sort of Theft rob them of their Breath? From this nothing is fafe, nothing fo long lived, which gradually does not languifh, and fall dead without a Wound. A divine Piece of Art this, and worthy its Au- thor *, who in the Condu£t of his Life, and the Force of his Arguments, has fo nobly honoured ourNatioM,and the new Philofophy ; one who for this Reafon too deferves never to want the Benefit of his own Air^ or that he, who has fo often deprived other Ani- mals of their Life, fhould ever breathe out his ov/n. • Boyle. On ^S8 Mr. A^msoNhDë/é^^'âê On no fuch Grounds, as thefe has- Aristotle built lïis Philofophy, who from his own Brain furnifhetf out all his Rules of Arts and Sciences,^ and left nothing untouched on, nothing'; unregarded but Truth. If therefoi'c he precipitated. himfelf into the River Euripus^ becaufe he could not under- ftand its Ebb and Flow, by the fame Logic he might at his firft Entrance on Philofophy have deftroyed hirrifelf, and we may fairly doubt, in which of the Elements he ought to have perifhed. After A R I s T o T L E^s Fate amidflr the Waves of Eurtpus, a new Race of Peripatetics ftarted u'p, even worlTc than their Founder, who handed their Philofophy to after-Agesinfo thick an Obfcurity, that it has preferved it from the Satire and Ridicule of all Mankind, as underftood by very few. Some there iare to be found, who fpend their Tirrie amidft the Rubbifli which thefe Commentators have filled the World with, and pore more than once on thefc God-like Treafures of Learning, and ftick to them to no other Purpofe, un- lefs of the New Philosophy, i 89 îlefs to (hew the World the vaft Pains they take to be deceived. Can theie be a more pfëafant Sight than to fee thefe wife Champions wrangling with each other ? The one armed with Pro- pofitionsand Syllogifms,attackshisAn- tagonift in the fame Armour : Both Bell -weathers grow angry, and ftorm, fond of a Vidory, which is worth but a Trifle, when obtained: Each, with all his Might, darts out his Barbarifms at the other, they entangle themfelves in their Follies, and as neither knows how .to extricate himfelf, they (butid to a Re- treaty and when all the Ammunition is fpcnt oa both 5idcs, they think fit to Jieep Silence. Thus far. Gentlemen J and no farther, launches out the ancient Philpfophy: Let us therefore fentence for ever this Troop of Commentators, to be tied up in Chains and Libraries, Food only fpr' Moths and Worms, and there let them quietly grow Oldj free froni the Sightt 4of any Reader. Jofe^h Addifon. THE CONTENTS. I NtroduBion to the Conversations ctncerning the Plurality of Wo r l d s, with the Marchionefi of G ***** /^ Monfieur L * * * * *. The First Evening. fhat the Earth iV tf Planet, which turns en itfelf, ani rcund the Su n Page i The Second Evening. ^at the Mom is an Habitable World. p. 3 5 The Third Evening. particulars concerning the World in the Moon, and Proofs of the other F l a n e t s being HabiiabU. p. 70. TheFouRTH Evening. particulars of the Worlds o/" Venus, */" Mercury, of Mars, g^ Jupiter tf/?