Noble Friends,
Thus with my masculine clothes I have laid by my masculine spirit; yet not so by, but I shall take it up again, if it be to serve the Queen and kingdom, to whom I owe my life for many obligations.
First, to my Queen, who bought me as a slave, yet used me as a friend; and loved me with that affection, as if nature had linked us in one line, [for] which Heaven reward her with glory and renown. Besides, her love did bestow upon me great honour, made me protector of her kingdom in her absence; and you her subjects out of loyalty obeyed all my commands, although I am young and inexperienced. And ’tis not only what your loyalty enforces, but I have found your affections of love to be such, as showed they came freely from your souls, expressing itself in grieving for my sickness, taking care for my health, joying in my company, mourning for my absence, glorying in my fame; and so much as you would lessen your own, to give it me: what shall I do to show my gratitude? Alas my life is too poor a sacrifice; had I the mansion of the gods, I would resign it for your felicity; but these are only words, not acts, to show you my thanks: yet here I do offer all that the gods or nature gave me, life, health, or beauty, peace, pleasure, or plenty; and these shall stand upon the altar of a thankful heart, ready to sacrifice to your service.
Whereupon all the army cried out, an angel, an angel, the gods had sent unto them.
Then was there a declaration read to the army of the agreement of peace: and when it was read that the Prince should be Viceroy in the Kingdom of Amity, all the soldiers, as if they had been one voice, cried out, Travellia shall be Viceregency; which was granted to pacify them. Whereupon there were great acclamations of joy.
But the Prince told his mistress, she should also govern him.
She answered, that he should govern her, and she would govern the kingdom.
Then went the King and Queen, the Prince and Travellia, the nobles and the chief commanders, to celebrate their nuptials; where on the wedding day, the Queen was adorned with a crown of diamonds, and hung about with rich jewels; yet her beauty did dim their lustre; but Travellia was only dressed in a white silk garment, which hung loosely about her: yet then32
Her Face did seem like to a Glory bright,
Where Gods and Goddesses did take delight;
And in her Eyes, new Worlds, you there might see
Love, flying Cupids there as Angels be;
And on her Lips Venus enthroned is,
Inviting duller Lovers there to kiss;
Winged Mercury upon her Tongue did sit,
Strewing out Flowers of Rhetoric and of Wit;
Pallas did circle in each Temple round,
Which with her Wisdom, as a Laurel crowned;
And in her Cheeks sweet Flowers for Love’s Poesies,
There Fates spun Threads of Lilies and of Roses;
And every loving Smile, as if each were
A Palace for the Graces to dwell there;
And chaste Diana on her Snow white Breast
There leaned her Head, with pure Thoughts to rest;
When viewed her Neck, great Jove turned all to wonder,
In Love’s soft Showers melting without Thunder;
The lesser Gods on her white Hands did lie,
Thinking each Vein to be their Azure Sky;
Her charming circling Arms made Mars to cease
All his fierce Battles, for a Love’s soft Peace;
And on our World’s Globe sate triumphing high,
Heaved there by Atlas up unto the Sky;
And sweet-breathed Zephyrus did blow her Name
Into the glorious Trumpet of good Fame.
After they were married, to set out their triumphs, they had masques, plays, balls, pageants, shows, processions, and the like; and when they had kept the festivals some days in the city, the Prince and Princess desired they might go and revel with the army for some days, that was without the city. The Queen being well pleased therewith, thither they went, where they had tiltings, running at the ring, fencing, wrestling, vaulting, jumping, running races of horse and foot, baiting of beasts, and many the like warlike pastimes; and such hospitality, that every common soldier was feasted; and after they were all satisfied with sports and good cheer, the Prince and Princess returned to the court again; and after they had remained there some time, the King and Queen sent them with the army into the Kingdom of Amity; and the soldiers returned, not only with all the spoils they got in the war, but the King did present all the chief commanders with presents; and the two kingdoms lived in peace and tranquility during the life of the King and Queen, and for all I can hear, do so to this day.
THE
DESCRIPTION
OF A NEW
WORLD,
CALLED
The Blazing World.
WRITTEN
By the Thrice Noble, Illustrious, and Excellent
PRINCESS,
THE
Duchess of Newcastle.
TO THE DUCHESS OF NEWCASTLE,
ON HER
NEW BLAZING WORLD.
Our Elder World, with all their Skill and Arts
Could but divide the World into three Parts:
Columbus then for Navigation fam’d,
Found a new World, America ’tis nam’d:
Now this new World was found, it was not made,
Only discovered, lying in Time’s shade.
Then what are You, having no Chaos found
To make a World, or any such least ground?
But your creating Fancy, thought it fit
To make your World of Nothing, but pure Wit.
Your Blazing-world, beyond the Stars mounts higher,
Enlightens all with a Celestial Fire.
William Newcastle
TO THE READER
If you wonder, that I join a work of fancy to my serious philosophical contemplations;1 think not that it is out of a disparagement to philosophy; or out of an opinion, as if this noble study were but a fiction of the mind; for though philosophers may err in searching and enquiring after the causes of natural effects, and many times embrace falshoods for truths; yet this doth not prove, that the ground of philosophy is merely fiction, but the error proceeds from the different motions of reason, which cause different opinions in different parts, and in some are more irregular than in others; for reason being dividable, because material, cannot move in all parts alike; and since there is but one truth in nature, all those that hit not this truth, do err, some more, some less; for though some may come nearer the mark than others, which makes their opinions seem more probable and rational than others; yet as long as they swerve from this only truth, they are in the wrong: nevertheless, all do ground their opinions upon reason; that is, upon rational probabilities, at least, they think they do: But fictions are an issue of man’s fancy, framed in his own mind, according as he pleases, without regard, whether the thing he fancies, be really existent without his mind or not; so that reason searches the depth of nature, and enquires after the true causes of natural effects; but fancy creates of its own accord whatsoever it pleases, and delights in its own work. The end of reason, is truth; the end of fancy, is fiction: but mistake me not, when I distinguish fancy from reason; I mean not as if fancy were not made by the rational parts of matter; but by reason I understand a rational search and enquiry into the causes of natural effects; and by fancy a voluntary creation or production of the mind, both being effects, or rather actions of the rational parts of matter; of which, as that is a more profitable and useful study than this, so it is also more laborious and difficult, and requires sometimes the help of fancy, to recreate the mind, and withdraw it from its more serious contemplations.
And this is the reason, why I added this piece of fancy to my philosophical observations, and joined them as two worlds at the ends of their poles; both for my own sake, to divert my studious thoughts, which I employed in the contemplation thereof, and to delight the reader with variety, which is always pleasing. But lest my fancy should stray too much, I chos
e such a fiction as would be agreeable to the subject treated of in the former parts; it is a description of a new world, not such as Lucian’s, or the French-man’s world in the moon;2 but a world of my own creating, which I call the Blazing World: the first part whereof is romancical, the second philosophical, and the third is merely fancy, or (as I may call it) fantastical, which if it add any satisfaction to you, I shall account my self a happy creatoress; if not, I must be content to live a melancholy life in my own world; I cannot call it a poor world, if poverty be only want of gold, silver, and jewels; for there is more gold in it than all the chemists ever did, and (as I verily believe) will ever be able to make. As for the rocks of diamonds, I wish with all my soul they might be shared amongst my noble female friends, and upon that condition, I would willingly quit my part; and of the gold I should only desire so much as might suffice to repair my noble lord and husband’s losses:3 for I am not covetous, but as ambitious as ever any of my sex was, is, or can be; which makes, that though I cannot be Henry the Fifth, or Charles the Second, yet I endeavour to be Margaret the First; and although I have neither power, time nor occasion to conquer the world as Alexander and Caesar did; yet rathr than not to be mistress of one, since Fortune and the Fates would give me none, I have made a world of my own: for which no body, I hope, will blame me, since it is in every one’s power to do the like.
THE DESCRIPTION OF
A NEW WORLD, CALLED
THE BLAZING WORLD.
A merchant travelling into a foreign country, fell extremely in love with a young Lady; but being a stranger in that nation, and beneath her both in birth and wealth, he could have but little hopes of obtaining his desire; however his love growing more and more vehement upon him, even to the slighting of all difficulties, he resolved at last to steal her away; which he had the better opportunity to do, because her father’s house was not far from the sea, and she often using to gather shells upon the shore, accompanied not with above two or three of her servants, it encouraged him the more to execute his design. Thus coming one time with a little light vessel, not unlike a packet-boat, manned with some few sea-men, and well victualled for fear of some accidents which might perhaps retard their journey to the place where she used to repair, he forced her away: But when he fancied himself the happiest man of the world, he proved to be the most unfortunate; for Heaven frowning at his theft, raised such a tempest, as they knew not what to do, or whither to steer their course; so that the vessel, both by its own lightness, and the violent motion of the wind, was carried as swift as an arrow out of a bow, towards the North Pole, and in a short time reached the Icy Sea, where the wind forced it amongst huge pieces of ice; but being little, and light, it did by assistance and favour of the Gods to this virtuous Lady, so turn and wind through those precipices, as if it had been guided by some experienced pilot, and skilful mariner: but alas! those few men which were in it, not knowing whither they went, nor what was to be done in so strange an adventure, and not being provided for so cold a voyage, were all frozen to death, the young Lady only, by the light of her beauty, the heat of her youth, and protection of the gods, remaining alive: neither was it a wonder that the men did freeze to death; for they were not only driven to the very end or point of the Pole of that world, but even to another Pole of another world, which joined close to it; so that the cold having a double strength at the conjunction of those two Poles, was insupportable: at last, the boat still passing on, was forced into another world, for it is impossible to round this world’s globe from Pole to Pole, so as we do from East to West; because the Poles of the other world, joining to the Poles of this, do not allow any further passage to surround the world that way; but if any one arrives to either of these Poles, he is either forced to return, or to enter into another world; and lest you should scruple at it, and think, if it were thus, those that live at the Poles would either see two suns at one time, or else they would never want the sun’s light for six months together, as it is commonly believed; you must know, that each of these worlds having its own sun to enlighten it, they move each one in their peculiar circles; which motion is so just and exact, that neither can hinder or obstruct the other; for they do not exceed their tropics, and although they should meet, yet we in this world cannot so well perceive them, by reason of the brightness of our sun, which being nearer to us, obstructs the splendour of the suns of the other worlds, they being too far off to be discerned by our optic perception, except we use very good telescopes, by which skilful astronomers have often observed two or three suns at once.
But to return to the wandering boat, and the distressed Lady, she seeing all the men dead, found small comfort in life; their bodies which were preserved all that while from putrefaction and stench, by the extremity of cold, began now to thaw, and corrupt; whereupon she having not strength enough to fling them over-board, was forced to remove out of her small cabin, upon the deck, to avoid that nauseous smell; and finding the boat swim between two plains of ice, as a stream that runs betwixt two shores, at last perceived land, but covered all with snow: from which came walking upon the ice strange creatures, in shape like bears, only they went upright as men; those creatures coming near the boat, catched hold of it with their paws, that served them instead of hands; some two or three of them entered first; and when they came out, the rest went in one after another; at last having viewed and observed all that was in the boat, they spoke to each other in a language which the Lady did not understand, and having carried her out of the boat, sunk it, together with the dead men.
The Lady now finding herself in so strange a place, and amongst such a wonderful kind of creatures, was extremely stricken with fear, and could entertain no other thoughts, but that every moment her life was to be a sacrifice to their cruelty; but those bear-like creatures, how terrible soever they appeared to her sight, yet were they so far from exercising any cruelty upon her, that rather they showed her all civility and kindness imaginable; for she being not able to go upon the ice, by reason of its slipperiness, they took her up in their rough arms, and carried her into their city, where instead of houses, they had caves under ground; and as soon as they entered the city, both males and females, young and old, flocked together to see this Lady, holding up their paws in admiration; at last having brought her into a certain large and spacious cave, which they intended for her reception, they left her to the custody of the females, who entertained her with all kindness and respect, and gave her such victuals as they were used to eat; but seeing her constitution neither agreed with the temper of that climate, nor their diet, they were resolved to carry her into another island of a warmer temper; in which were men like foxes, only walking in an upright shape, who received their neighbours the bear-men with great civility and courtship, very much admiring this beauteous Lady, and having discoursed some while together, agreed at last to make her a present to the Emperor of their world; to which end, after she had made some short stay in the same place, they brought her cross that island to a large river, whose stream ran smooth and clear, like crystal; in which were numerous boats, much like our fox-traps; in one whereof she was carried, some of the bear- and fox-men waiting on her; and as soon as they had crossed the river, they came into an island where there were men which had heads, beaks, and feathers, like wild-geese, only they went in an upright shape, like the bear-men and fox-men; their rumps they carried between their legs, their wings were of the same length with their bodies, and their tails of an indifferent size, trailing after them like a lady’s garment; and after the bear- and fox-men had declared their intention and design to their neighbours, the geese- or bird-men, some of them joined to the rest, and attended the Lady through that island, till they came to another great and large river, where there was a preparation made of many boats, much like birds’ nests, only of a bigger size; and having crossed that river, they arrived into another island, which was of a pleasant and mild temper, full of woods, and the inhabitants thereof were satyrs, who received both the bear-, fox- and bird-men, with all re
spect and civility; and after some conferences (for they all understood each other’s language) some chief of the satyrs joining to them, accompanied the Lady out of that island to another river, wherein were very handsome and commodious barges; and having crossed that river, they entered into a large and spacious kingdom, the men whereof were of a grass-green complexion, who entertained them very kindly, and provided all conveniences for their further voyage: hitherto they had only crossed rivers, but now they could not avoid the open seas any longer; wherefore they made their ships and tacklings ready to sail over into the island, where the Emperor of their Blazing World (for so it was called) kept his residence; very good navigators they were; and though they had no knowledge of the lodestone, or needle, or pendulous watches, yet (which was as serviceable to them) they had subtle observations, and great practice; insomuch that they could not only tell the depth of the sea in every place, but where there were shelves of sand, rocks, and other obstructions to be avoided by skilful and experienced sea-men: besides, they were excellent augurers, which skill they counted more necessary and beneficial than the use of compasses, cards, watches, and the like; but above the rest, they had an extraordinary art, much to be taken notice of by experimental philosophers, and that was a certain engine, which would draw in a great quantity of air, and shoot forth wind with a great force; this engine in a calm, they placed behind their ships, and in a storm, before; for it served against the raging waves, like canons against an hostile army, or besieged town. It would batter and beat the waves in pieces, were they as high as steeples; and as soon as a breach was made, they forced their passage through, in spight even of the most furious wind, using two of those engines at every ship, one before, to beat off the waves, and another behind to drive it on; so that the artificial wind had the better of the natural; for it had a greater advantage of the waves than the natural of the ships; the natural being above the face of the water, could not without a down-right motion enter or press into the ships, whereas the artificial with a sideward motion did pierce into the bowels of the waves: moreover, it is to be observed, that in a great tempest they would join their ships in battle array, and when they feared wind and waves would be too strong for them, if they divided their ships, they joined as many together as the compass or advantage of the places of the liquid element would give them leave; for their ships were so ingeniously contrived, that they could fasten them together as close as a honey-comb without waste of place; and being thus united, no wind nor waves were able to separate them. The Emperor’s ships were all of gold, but the merchants and skippers of leather; the golden ships were not much heavier than ours of wood, by reason they were neatly made, and required not such thickness, neither were they troubled with pitch, tar, pumps, guns, and the like, which make our wooden ships very heavy; for though they were not all of a piece, yet they were so well soddered,4 that there was no fear of leaks, chinks, or clefts; and as for guns, there was no use of them, because they had no other enemies but the winds; but the leather ships were not altogether so sure, although much lighter; besides, they were pitched to keep out water.
The Blazing World and Other Writings (Penguin Classics) Page 17