After this, both the souls went to the court, where all the royal family was together, attended by the chief of the nobles of their dominions, which made a very magnificent show; and when the soul of the Empress viewed the King and Queen, she seemed to be in amaze, which the Duchess’s soul perceiving, asked the Empress how she liked the King, the Queen, and all the royal race? She answered, that in all the monarchs she had seen in that world, she had not found so much majesty and affability mixed so exactly together, that none did overshadow or eclipse the other; and as for the Queen, she said, that virtue sat triumphant in her face, and piety was dwelling in her heart, and that all the royal family seemed to be endued with a divine splendour: but when she had heard the King discourse, she believed, that Mercury and Apollo had been his celestial instructors; and my dear lord and husband, added the Duchess, has been his earthly governor. But after some short stay in the court, the Duchess’s soul grew very melancholy; the Empress asking the cause of her sadness? she told her, that she had an extreme desire to converse with the soul of her noble lord and dear husband, and that she was impatient of a longer stay. The Empress desired the Duchess to have but patience so long, until the King, the Queen, and the royal family were retired, and then she would bear her company to her lord and husband’s soul, who at that time lived in the country some 112 miles off; which she did: and thus these two souls went towards those parts of the kingdom where the Duke of Newcastle was.
But one thing I forgot all this while, which is, that although thoughts are the natural language of souls, yet by reason souls cannot travel without vehicles, they use such language as the nature and propriety of their vehicles require, and the vehicles of those two souls being made of the purest and finest sort of air, and of a human shape; this purity and fineness was the cause that they could neither be seen nor heard by any human creature; when as, had they been of some grosser sort of air, the sound of that air’s language would have been as perceptible as the blowing of Zephyrus.27
And now to return to my former story; when the Empress’s and Duchess’s soul were travelling into Nottinghamshire, for that was the place where the Duke did reside; passing through the forest of Sherwood, the Empress’s soul was very much delighted with it, as being a dry, plain and woody place, very pleasant to travel in both in Winter and Summer; for it is neither much dirty, nor dusty at no time: at last they arrived at Welbeck,28 a house where the Duke dwelled, surrounded all with wood, so close and full, that the Empress took great pleasure and delight therein, and told the Duchess she never had observed more wood in so little a compass in any part of the kingdom she had passed through; the truth is, said she, there seems to be more wood on the seas, she meaning the ships, than on the land. The Duchess told her, the reason was, that there had been a long Civil War in that kingdom, in which most of the best timber-trees and principal palaces were ruined and destroyed; and my dear lord and husband, said she, has lost by it half his woods, besides many houses, land, and movable goods; so that all the loss out of his particular estate, did amount to above half a million of pounds. I wish, said the Empress, he had some of the gold that is in the Blazing World, to repair his losses. The Duchess most humbly thanked her Imperial Majesty for her kind wishes; but, said she, wishes will not repair his ruins: however, God has given my noble lord and husband great patience, by which he bears all his losses and misfortunes. At last, they entered into the Duke’s house, an habitation not so magnificent, as useful; and when the Empress saw it, Has the Duke, said she, no other house but this? Yes, answered the Duchess, some five miles from this place, he has a very fine castle, called Bolsover.29 That place then, said the Empress, I desire to see. Alas! replied the Duchess, it is but a naked house, and unclothed of all furniture. However, said the Empress, I may see the manner of its structure and building. That you may, replied the Duchess: and as they were thus discoursing, the Duke came out of the house into the court, to see his horses of manage; whom when the Duchess’s soul perceived, she was so overjoyed, that her aerial vehicle became so splendorous, as if it had been enlightened by the sun; by which we may perceive, that the passions of souls or spirits can alter their bodily vehicles. Then these two ladies’ spirits went close to him, but he could not perceive them; and after the Empress had observed the art of manage,30 she was much pleased with it, and commended it as a noble pastime, and an exercise fit and proper for noble and heroic persons; but when the Duke was gone into the house again, those two souls followed him; where the Empress observing, that he went to the exercise of the sword, and was such an excellent and unparallelled master thereof, she was as much pleased with that exercise, as she was with the former: but the Duchess’s soul being troubled, that her dear lord and husband used such a violent exercise before meat, for fear of overheating himself, without any consideration of the Empress’s soul, left her aerial vehicle, and entered into her lord. The Empress’s soul perceiving this, did the like: and then the Duke had three souls in one body; and had there been but some such souls more, the Duke would have been like the Grand Signior in his seraglio, only it would have been a platonic seraglio.31 But the Duke’s soul being wise, honest, witty, complaisant and noble, afforded such delight and pleasure to the Empress’s soul by her conversation, that these two souls became enamoured of each other; which the Duchess’s soul perceiving, grew jealous at first, but then considering that no adultery could be committed amongst Platonic lovers, and that Platonism was divine, as being derived from divine Plato, cast forth of her mind that Idea of jealousy. Then the conversation of these three souls was so pleasant, that it cannot be expressed; for the Duke’s soul entertained the Empress’s soul with scenes, songs, music, witty discourses, pleasant recreations, and all kinds of harmless sports; so that the time passed away faster than they expected. At last, a spirit came and told the Empress, that although neither the Emperor, nor any of his subjects knew that her soul was absent; yet the Empress’s soul was so sad and melancholy, for want of his own beloved soul, that all the imperial court took notice of it. Wherefore he advised the Empress’s soul to return into the Blazing World, into her own body she left there; which both the Duke’s and Duchess’s soul was very sorry for, and wished, that if it had been possible, the Empress’s soul might have stayed a longer time with diem; but seeing it could not be otherwise, they pacified themselves: but before the Empress returned into the Blazing World, the Duchess desired a favour of her, to wit, that she would be pleased to make an agreement between her noble lord, and Fortune. Why, said the Empress, are they enemies? Yes, answered the Duchess, and they have been so ever since I have been his wife; nay, I have heard my lord say, that she hath crossed him in all things ever since he could remember. I am sorry for that, replied the Empress, but I cannot discourse with Fortune without the help of an immaterial spirit, and that cannot be done in this world, for I have no fly- nor bird-men here, to send into the region of the air, where for the most part, their habitations are. The Duchess said, she would entreat her lord to send an attorney or lawyer, to plead his cause. Fortune will bribe them, replied the Empress, and so the Duke may chance to be cast;32 wherefore the best way will be for the Duke to choose a friend on his side, and let Fortune choose another, and try whether by this means it be possible to compose the difference. The Duchess said, they will never come to an agreement, unless there be a judge or umpire to decide the case. A judge, replied the Empress, is easy to be had, but to get an impartial judge, is a thing so difficult, that I doubt we shall hardly find one; for there is none to be had neither in nature, nor in Hell, but only from Heaven, and how to get such a divine and celestial judge I cannot tell: nevertheless, if you will go along with me into the Blazing World, I’ll try what may be done. Tis my duty, said the Duchess, to wait on your Majesty, and I shall most willingly do it, for I have no other interest to consider. Then the Duchess spake to the Duke concerning the difference between him and Fortune, and how it was her desire that they might be friends. The Duke answered, that for his part, he had always with great
industry, sought her friendship, but as yet he could never obtain it, for she had always been his enemy: however, said he, I’ll try, and send my two friends, Prudence and Honesty, to plead my cause. Then these two friends went with the Duchess and the Empress into the Blazing World; (for it is to be observed, that they are somewhat like spirits, because they are immaterial, although their actions are corporeal:) and after their arrival there, when the Empress had refreshed herself, and rejoiced with the Emperor, she sent her fly-men for some of the spirits, and desired their assistance, to compose the difference between Fortune, and the Duke of Newcastle. But they told her Majesty, that Fortune was so inconstant, that although she would perhaps promise to hear their cause pleaded, yet it was a thousand to one, but she would never have the patience to do it: nevertheless, upon her Majesty’s request, they tried their utmost, and at last prevailed with Fortune so far, that she chose Folly, and Rashness, for her friends, but they could not agree in choosing a judge; until at last, with much ado, they concluded, that Truth should hear, and decide the cause. Thus all being prepared, and the time appointed, both the Empress’s and Duchess’s soul went to hear them plead; and when all the immaterial company was met, Fortune standing upon a golden globe, made this following speech:
Noble Friends, We are met here to hear a cause pleaded concerning the difference between the Duke of Newcastle, and myself, and though I am willing upon the persuasions of the ambassadors of the Empress, the immaterial spirits, to yield to it, yet it had been fit, the Duke’s soul should be present also, to speak for herself; but since she is not here, I shall declare myself to his wife, and his friends, as also to my friends, especially the Empress, to whom I shall chiefly direct my speech. First, I desire, your Imperial Majesty may know, that this Duke who complains or exclaims so much against me, hath been always my enemy; for he has preferred Honesty and Prudence before me, and slighted all my favours; nay, not only thus, but he did fight against me, and preferred his innocence before my power. His friends Honesty and Prudence, said he most scornfully, are more to be regarded, than inconstant Fortune, who is only a friend to fools and knaves; for which neglect and scorn, whether I have not just reason to be his enemy, your Majesty may judge yourself.
After Fortune had thus ended her speech, the Duchess’s soul rose from her seat, and spake to the immaterial assembly in this manner:33
Noble Friends, I think it fit, by your leave, to answer Lady Fortune in the behalf of my noble lord and husband, since he is not here himself; and since you have heard her complaint concerning the choice my lord made of his friends, and the neglect and disrespect he seemed to cast upon her; give me leave to answer, that, first concerning the choice of his friends, he has proved himself a wise man in it; and as for the disrespect and rudeness, her Ladyship accuses him of, I dare say, he is so much a gentleman, that I am confident he would never slight, scorn or disrespect any of the female sex in all his lifetime; but was such a servant and champion for them, that he ventured life and estate in their service; but being of an honest, as well as an honourable nature, he could not trust Fortune with that which he preferred above his life, which was his reputation, by reason Fortune did not side with those that were honest and honourable, but renounced them; and since he could not be of both sides, he chose to be of that which was agreeable both to his conscience, nature and education; for which choice Fortune did not only declare herself his open enemy, but fought with him in several battles; nay, many times, hand to hand; at last, she being a powerful princess, and as some believe, a deity, overcame him, and cast him into a banishment, where she kept him in great misery, ruined his estate, and took away from him most of his friends; nay, even when she favoured many that were against her, she still frowned on him; all which he endured with the greatest patience, and with that respect to Lady Fortune, that he did never in the least endeavour to disoblige any of her favourites, but was only sorry that he, an honest man, could find no favour in her court;34 and since he did never injure any of those she favoured, he neither was an enemy to her Ladyship, but gave her always that respect and worship which belonged to her power and dignity, and is still ready at any time honestly and prudently to serve her; he only begs her Ladyship would be his friend for the future, as she hath been his enemy in times past.
As soon as the Duchess’s speech was ended, Folly and Rashness started up, and both spake so thick and fast at once, that not only the assembly, but themselves were not able to understand each other: at which Fortune was somewhat out of countenance, and commanded them either to speak singly, or be silent: but Prudence told her Ladyship, she should command them to speak wisely, as well as singly; otherwise, said she, it were best for them not to speak at all: which Fortune resented very ill, and told Prudence, she was too bold; and then commanded Folly to declare what she would have made known: but her speech was so foolish, mixed with such nonsense, that none knew what to make of it; besides, it was so tethous, that Fortune bid her to be silent, and commanded Rashness to speak for her, who began after this manner:
Great Fortune; The Duchess of Newcastle has proved herself, according to report, a very proud and ambitious lady, in presuming to answer you her own self, in this noble assembly without your command, in a speech wherein she did not only contradict you, but preferred Honesty and Prudence before you; saying, that her lord was ready to serve you honestly and prudently; which presumption is beyond all pardon; and if you allow Honesty and Prudence to be above you, none will admire, worship or serve you; but you’U Deforced to serve yourself, and will be despised, neglected and scorned by all; and from a deity, become a miserable, dirty, begging mortal in a churchyard porch, or nobleman’s gate: wherefore to prevent such disasters, fling as many misfortunes and neglects on the Duke and Duchess of Newcastle, and their two friends, as your power is able to do; otherwise Prudence and Honesty will be the chief and only moral deities of mortals.
The Blazing World and Other Writings (Penguin Classics) Page 25