2. I have omitted the Account of a long and bloody War, which lasted a great many Years, and which the present Queens Predecessor, mannag'd with a great deal of Bravery and Conduct, and finisht very much to his own Glory, and the Nations Advantage.
3. I have too much omitted to Note, howBarbarouslytheHigh Solunarian Church Mentreated him for all his Services, upbraided him with the Expence of the War; and tho' he sav'd them all from Ruin andAbrogratzianism, yet had not one good Word for him, and indeed 'tis with some difficulty that I pass this over, because it might be necessary to observe, besides what is said before, that Ingratitude is a Vice in Nature, and practis'd every where, as well as inEngland. So that we need not upbraid thePartyamong us with their ill Treatment of the late King, for these People us'd their good King every Jot as bad, till their unkindness perfectly broke his Heart.
Here also I am oblig'd to omit the Historical Part of the War, and of the Peace that follow'd; only I must observe that this Peace was veryPrecarious, Short andUnhappy, and in a few Months the War broke out again, with as much Fury as ever.
In this War happen'd one of the strangest, unaccountable and most preposterous Actions, that ever a People in their National Capacity could be guilty of.
Certainly if our People inEngland, who pretend that Kingship isJure Divino, did but know the Story of which I speak, they would be quite of another Mind; wherefore I crave leave to relate part of the History, or Original of this last War, as a necessary Introduction to the proper Observations I shall make upon it.
There was a King of a certain Country in the Moon, call'd in their Language,Ebronia, who was formerly a Confederate with theSolunarians. This Prince dying without Issue, the great Monarch we speak of, seiz'd upon all his Dominions as his Right.----- Tho' if I remember right, he had formerly Sworn never to lay Claim to it, and after that by a subsequent Treaty had agreed with theSolunarianPrince, that another Monarch who claim'd a Right as well as he, should divide it between them.
The breach of this Agreement, and seizing this Kingdom, put almost all the Lunar World into a Flame, and War hung over the Heads of all the Northern Nations of the Moon, for several Claims were made to the Succession by other Princes, and particularly by a certain Potent Prince call'd theEagle, of an Ancient Family, whoseLunarName I cannot well express, but inEnglishit signifiesthe Men of the great Lip; whether it was Originally a sort of a Nick Name, or whether they had any such thing as a great Lip Hereditary to the Family, by which they were distinguisht, is not worth my while to Examine.
'Tis without question that the successive Right,if their Lunar Successions, are Govern'd as ours are in this world, devolv'd upon this Manwith the Lipand his Families; but theGallunarianMonarch brought things so to pass, by his extraordinary Conduct, that theEbronianKing was drawn in by some of his Nobility,who this Prince had Boughtand Brib'd to betray their Country to his Interest, and particularly a certainHigh Priestof that Country, to make an Assignment, ordeed of Giftof all his Dominions to the Grandson of thisGallunarianMonarch.
By Vertue of this Gift, or Legacy, as soon as the King dyed, who was then languishing, and as the other Parry alledg'd, not ina very good capacity to make a Will; theGallunarianKing sent his Grandson to seize upon the Crown, and backing him with suitable Forces, took Possession of all his strong Fortifications and Frontiers.
Nor was this all,the Man with the Lipindeed talkt big, and threatned War immediately, but theSolunarianswere so unsettl'd at Home, so unprepar'd for War, having but just dismist their Auxiliar Troops, and disbanded their own, and the Prince was so ill serv'd by his Subjects, that both he and a Powerful Neighbour, Nations in the same Interest, were meerly Bullyed by thisGallunarian; and as he threatned immediately to Invade them, which they were then in no Condition to prevent, he forc'd them both to submit to his Demand,tacitely allowwhat he had done in breaking the Treaty with him, and at last openlyacknowledgehis new King.
This was indeed a most unaccountable Step, but there was a necessity to plead, for he was at their very Doors with his Forces; and this Neighbouring People, who they callMogenites, could not resist him without help from theSolunarians, which they were very backward in, notwithstanding theearnest Sollicitations of their Prince, and notwithstanding they were oblig'd to do itby a solemn Treaty.
These delays oblig'd them to this strange Step ofacknowledgingthe Invasion of their Enemy, andpulling off the Hatto the New King he had set up.
'Tis true, the Policy of these Lunar Nations was very Remarkable in this Case, and they out-witted theGallunarianMonarch in it; for by the owning this Prince, whom they immediately afterDeclar'd a Usurper, and made War against; they stopt the Mouth of theGallunarianhis Grandfather, took from him all pretence of Invading them, andmaking him believe they were Sincere, Wheedl'd him to restore several Thousands of their Men who he had taken Prisoners in the Frontier Towns of theEbronians.
Had theGallunarianPrince had but the forecast to ha' seen, that this was but a forc'd pretence to gain Time, and that as soon as they hadtheir Troops clearand Time to raise more, they would certainly turn upon him again, he would never ha' been put by with so weak a Trifle as theCeremony of Congratulation; whereas had he immediately pusht at them with all his Forces, they must ha' been Ruin'd, and he had carry'd his Point without much Interruption.
But here he lost his Opportunity, which he never retriev'd;for 'tis in the Moon, just as 'tis here, when an Occasion is lost, it is not easy to be recover'd, for both theSolunariansand theMogenitesquickly threw off the Mask, and declaring this new Prince anUsurper, and his Grandfather anUnjust breaker of Treaties, they prepar'd for War against them both.
As to the Honesty of this matter, my Philosopher and I differ'd extremely, he exclaim'd against the Honour of acknowledging a King, with a design to Depose him, and pretending Peace when War is design'd; tho' 'tis true, they are too customary in our World; but however, as to him I insisted upon the lawfulness of it, from the universal Custom of Nations, who generally do things ten times more Preposterous and Inconsistent, when they suit their Occasions. Yet I hope no Body will think I am recommending them by this Relation to the Practice of our own Nations, but rather exposing them as unaccountable things never to be put in Practice, without quitting all pretences to Justice and national Honesty.
The Case was this.
As upon the Progress of Matters before related, theSolunariansandMogeniteshad made a formal acknowledgment of this new Monarch, the Grandson of theGallunarianKing, so as I have hinted already, they had no other design than to Depose him, and pull him down.
Accordingly, as soon asby the aforesaid Wilethey had gain'd Breath, and furnisht themselves with Forces, theydeclar'd Waragainst both theGallunarianKing, and his Grandson, and entred into strict Confederacy withthe Man of the great Lip, who was the Monarch of theEagle, and who by right of Succession, had the true Claim to theEbronianCrowns.
In these Declarations they alledge that Crowns do notdescend by Gift, nor are Kingdoms given awayby Legacy, like a GoldRing at a Funeral, and therefore this young Prince could have no Right, the former deceas'd King havingno Right to dispose it by Gift.
I must allow, that judging by our Reason, and the Practice in our Countries here,on this side the Moon; this seem'd plain, and I saw no difference in matters of Truth there, or here, but Right and Liberty both of Princes and People seems to be the same in that World, as it is in this, and upon this account I thought the Reasons of this War very Just, and that the Claim of Right to the Succession of theEbronianCrown, was undoubtedlyin the Man with the Lip, and his Heirs, and so far the War was most Just, and the Design reasonable.
And thus far my Lunar Companion agreed with me, and had they gone on so, says he, they had my good Wishes, and my Judgment had been Witness to my Pretences, that they were in the right.
But in the prosecution of this War, says he, they went on to one of the most Impolitick, Ridiculous, Dishonest, and Inconsistent Actions, that ever any Nation in the Moon was guilty of; the Fact was thus.
Having agreed among themselves that theEbronianCrown should not be possest by theGallunarianKing's Grandson, they in the next Place began to consider who should have it.
The Man with the Lip had the Title, but he had a great Government of his own, Powerful, Happy and Remote, being as is noted, the Lord of the greatEagle, and he told them he could not pretendto come to Ebronia to be a King there; his eldest Son truly was not only declar'd Heir apparent to his Father, but had anotherLunarian Kingdomof his own still more remote than that, and he would not quit all this for the Crown ofEbronia, so it was concerted by all the Confederated Parties, that thesecond Sonof this Prince,the Man with the Lip, should be declar'd King, and here lay the Injustice of all the Case.
I confess at my first examining this Matter, I did not see far into it, nor could I reach the Dishonesty of it, and perhaps the Reader of these Sheets may be in the same Case; but my oldLunarian Friendbeing continually exclaiming against the Matter, and blaming his Country-men theSolunariansfor the Dishonesty of it, but especially theMogenites, he began to be something peevish with me that I should be so dull as not to reach it, and askt me if he should screw me into theThinking-Pressfor the Clearing up my Understanding.
At last he told me he would write his particular Sentiments of this whole Affair in a Letter to me, which he would so order as it shouldeffectually open mine Eyes; which indeed it did, and so I believe it will the Eyes of all that read it; to which purpose I have obtain'd of the Authorto assist me in the Translationof it, he having some Knowledge also in ourSublunar Languages.
The Sustance of a Letter, wrote to the Author of these Sheets, while he was in the Regions of the Moon.
'Friend from the Moon,
'According to my promise, I hereby give you a Scheme ofSolunarianHonesty, join'd withMogenitePolicy, and my Opinion of the Action of my Country-men and their Confederates, in declaring their new madeEbronianKing.
'TheMogenitesandSolunariansare look'd upon here to be the Original Contrivers of this ridiculous piece of Pageantry, and tho' some of their Neighbours are suppos'd to have a Hand in it, yet we all lay it at the door of their Politicks, and for the Honesty of it let them answer it if they can.
''Tis observ'd here, that as soon as the King ofGallunariahad declar'd that he accepted the Will and Disposition of the Crown ofEbronia, in favour of his Grandson, and that according to the said Disposition, he had own'd him for King; and in order to make it effectual, had put him into immediate Possession of the Kingdom. TheMogenitesand their Confederates made wonderful Clamours at the Injustice of his Proceedings, and particularly on account of his breaking the Treaty then lately entred into with the King of theSolunariansand theMogenites, for the settling the Matter of Right and Possession, in case of the Demise of theEbronianKing.
'However, the King ofGallunariahad no sooner plac'd his Grandson on the Throne, but theMogenitesand other Nations, andto all our Wonder, the King ofSolunariahimself acknowledg'd him, own'd him, sent their Ministers, and Compliments of Congratulation, and the like, giving him the Title of King ofEbronia.
'Tho' this proceeding had something of Surprize in it, and all Men expected to see something more than ordinary Politick in the effect of it, yet it did not give half the astonishment to the Lunar World, as this unaccountable Monster of Politicks begins to do.
'We have here two unlucky Fellows, call'dPasquinandMarforio, these had a long Dialogue about this very Matter, andPasquinas he always lov'd Mischief, told a very unlucky Story to his Comrade, of a highMogeniteSkipper, as follows.
'AMogeniteShip coming from a far Country, the Custom House Officers found some Goods on Board, which were Controband, and for which they pretended the Ship and Goods were all Confiscated; the Skipper, orCaptainin a great Fright, comes up to the Custom-House, and being told he must Swear to something relating to his taking in those Goods, reply'd in his CountryJargon, Ya, dat sall Ick doen Myn Heer; or inEnglish, Ay, Ay, I'll Swear.----- But finding they did not assure him that it would clear his Ship he scruples the Oath again, at which they told him it would clear his Ship immediately.Hael, well Myn Heer, says theMogenMan,vat mot Ick sagen, Ick sall all Swear myn Skip to salvare, i.e. I shall Swear any thing to save my Skip.
'We apply this Story thus.
'If theMogenitesdid acknowledge the King ofEbronia, we did believe it was doneto save the Skip; and when they reproacht theGallunarianKing, with breaking the Treaty of Division, we us'd to say we would all break thro' twice as many Engagements for half as much Advantage.
'This setting up a new King, against a King on the Throne, Acknowledg'd and Congratulated by them, is not only look'd on in the Lunar World, as a thing Ridiculous, but particularly Infamous, that they should first acknowledge a King, and then set up the Title of another. If the Title of the firstEbronianKing be good, this must be an Impostor, an Usurper of another Man's Right; if it was not good, why did they acknowledge him, and give him the full Title of all theEbronianDominions? Caress and Congratulate him, and make a publick Action of it to his Ambassador.
'Will they tell us they were Bully'd, and Frighted into it? that is to own they may be hufft into an ill Action; for owing a Man in the Posession of what is none of his own, is an ill thing, and he that may be hufft into one ill Action, may by Consequence be hufft into another, and so into any thing.
'What will they say for doing it? we have heard there has been in the World you came from, a way found out to own Kingsde Facto, but notde Jure; if they will fly to that ridiculous Shift, let them tell the World so, that we may know what they mean, for those foolish things are not known here.
'If they own'd the King ofEbroniavoluntarily, and acknowledg'd his Right as we thought they had; how then can this young Gentleman have a Title, unless they have found out a new Division, and so will have two Kings ofEbronia, make them Partners, and have aGallunarianKing ofEbronia, and aMogeniteKing ofEbronia, both together?
'Our Lunar Nations, Princes and States, whatever they may do in your World, always seek for some Pretences at least to make their Actions seem Honest, whither they are so or no; and therefore they generally publish Memorials, Manifesto's and Declarations, of their Reasons why, and on what account they do so, or so; that those who have any Grounds to charge them with Unjustice, may be answer'd, and silenc'd; 'tis for the People in your Country, to fall upon their Neighbours, only because they will do it, and make probability of Conquest, a sufficient Reason of Conquest; theLunarianNations are seldom so destitute of Modesty, but that they will make a shew of Justice, and make out the Reasons of their Proceedings; and tho' sometimes we find even the Reasons given for some Actions are weak enough; yet it is a bad Cause indeed, that can neither have a true Reason, nor a pretended one. The custom of the Moon has oblig'd us to show so much respect to Honesty, that when our Actions have the least colour of Honesty, yet we will make Reasons to look like a Defence, whether it be so or no.
'But here is an Action that has neither reality, nor pretence, here is not Face enough upon it to bear an Apology. First, they acknowledge one King, and then set up another King against him; either they first acknowledg'd a wrong King, and thereby became Parties to a Usurper, or they act now against all the Rules of common Justice in the World, to set up a sham King, to pull down a true one, only because 'tis their Interest to have it so.
'This makes the very Name of aSolunarianscandalous to all the Moon, and Mankind look upon them with the utmost Prejudice, as if they were a Nation who had sold all their Honesty to their Interest; and who could act this way to Day, and that way to Morrow, without any regard to Truth, or the Rule of Honour, Equity or Conscience;This is Swearing any thing to save the Skip; and never let any Man Reproach theGallunarianKing with breaking the Treaty of Division, and disregarding the Faith and Stipulations of Leagues; for this is an Action so inconsistent with it self, so incongruous to common Justice, to the Reason and Nature of things, that no History of any of these latter Times can parallel it, and 'tis past the Power of Art to make any reasonable Defence for it.
'Indeed some lame Reasons are given for it by our Polititians. First, they say the Prince with the great Lip was extremely prest by theGallunariansat Home in his own Country, and not without apprehensions of seeing them e'er long, under the Walls of his capital City.
'From this circumstance of the Man with the Lip, 'twas not irrational to expect that he might be induc'd to make a separate Peace with theGallunarians, and serve them as he did once the Prince ofBerlindiaat the Treaty of Peace in a former War, where he deserted him after the solemnest Engagements never to make Peace without him; but his pressing Occasions requiring it, concluded a Peace without him, and left him to come out of the War, as well as he could, tho' he had come into it only for his Assistance. Now finding him in danger of being ruin'd by theGallunarianPower, and judging from former Practice in like Cases, that he might be hurry'd into a Peace, and leave them in the Lurch; they have drawn him into this Labrinth, as into a Step, which can never be receded from without the utmost Affront and Disgrace, either to the Family of theGallunarian, or of the Lip; an Action which in its own Nature, is a Defiance of the wholeGallunarianPower, and without any other Manifesto, may be taken as a Declaration from the House of theLip, to theGallunarian, that this War shall never end, till one of those two Families are ruin'd and reduc'd.
'What Condition the Prince with the Lip's Power is in, to make such a huff at this Time, shall come under Examination by and by; in the mean time theSolunarianshave clench'd the Nail, and secur'd the War to last as long as they think convenient.
'If theGallunariansshould get the better, and reduce theMan with the Lipto Terms never so disadvantageous, he cannot now make a Peace without leave from theSolunariansand theMogenites, least his Son should be ruin'd also.----- Or if he should make Articles for himself, it must be with ten times the Dishonour that he might have done before.
'Politicians say, 'tis never good for a Prince to put himself into a case of Desperation. This is drawing the Sword, and throwing away the Scabbard; if a Disaster should befal him, his Retreat is impossible, and this must have been done only to secure theMan with the Lipfrom being hufft, or frighted into a separate Peace.
'The second Reason People here give, why theSolunariansare concerning themselves in this Matter, is drawn from Trade.
'The continuing ofEbroniain the Hands of theGallunarians, will most certainly be the Destruction of theSolunarianandMogenitesTrade, both to that Kingdom, and the whole Seas on that side of the Moon; as this Article includes a fifth Part of all the Trade of the Moon, and would in Conjunction with theGallunariansat last bring the Mastership of the Sea, out of the Hands of the other, so it would in effect be more detriment to those two Nations, than ten Kingdoms lost, if they had them to part with.
'This theSolunariansforeseeing, and being extremely sensible of the entire Ruin of their Trade, have left no Stone unturn'd to bring this piece of Pageantry on the Stage, by which they have hook'd in the Old BlackEagleto plunge himself over Head and Ears in the Quarrel, in such a manner, as he can never go back with any tolerable Honour; he can never quit his Son and the Crown ofEbronia, without the greatest Reproach and Disgrace of all the World in the Moon.
'Now whether one, or both of these Reasons are true in this Case, as most believe both of them to be true; the Policy of my Country-men, theSolunariansis visible indeed, but as for their Honesty, it is past finding out.
'But it is objected here, this Sonof the Liphas an undoubted Right to the Crown ofEbronia. We do not Fight now to set up an Usurper, but to pull down an Usurper, and it has been made plain by the Manifesto, that the giving a Kingdom by Will, is no conveyance of Right; the Prince of theEaglehas an undoubted Right, and they Fight to maintain it.
'If this be true, then we must ask these High and Mighty Gentlemen how came they to recognize and acknowledge the present King on the Throne? why did they own an Usurper if he be such? either one or other must be an act of Cowardize and Injustice, and all the Politicks of the Moon cannot clear them of one of these two Charges; either they were Cowardly Knaves before, or else they must be Cunning Knaves now.
'If the YoungEaglehas an undoubted Title now, so he had before, and they knew it as well before, as they do now; what can they say for themselves, why they should own a King, who they knew had no Title, or what can they say for going to pull down one that has a Title?
'I must be allow'd to distinguish between Fighting with a Nation, and Fighting with the King. For Example. Our Quarrel with theGallunariansis with the whole Nation, as they are grown too strong for their Neighbours. But our Quarrel withEbroniais not with the Nation, but with their King, and this Quarrel seems to be unjust in this particular, at least in them who own'd him to be King, for that put an end to the Controversy.
''Tis true, the Justice of publick Actions, either in Princes, or in States, is no such nice Thing, that any Body should be surpriz'd, to see the Government forfeit their Faith, and it seems theSolunariansare no more careful this way, than their Neighbours. But then those People should in especial manner forbear to reproach Other Nations and Princes, with the breaches which they themselves are subject too.
'As to theEagle, we have nothing to say to the Honesty of his declaring his Son King ofEbronia, for as is hinted before, he never acknowledg'd the Title of the Usurper, but always declar'd, and insisted on his own undoubted Right, and that he would recover it if he could.
'Without doubt theEaglehas a Title by Proximity of Blood, founded on the renunciation of the King ofGallunariaformerly mention'd, and if the Will of the late King be Invalid, or he had no Right to give the Soveraignty of his Kingdoms away, then theEagleis next Heir.
'But as we quit his Morals, and justify the Honesty of his Proceedings in the War, against the present King ofEbronia, so in this Action of declaring his second Son. We must begin to question his Understanding, and saying a respect of decency, it looks as if his Musical Head was out of Tune, toIllus tratellus. I crave leave to tell you a Story out of your own Country, which we have heard of hither. AFrenchMan that could speak but brokenEnglish, was at the Court ofEngland, when on some occasion he happen'd to hear the Title of the King ofEnglandread thus,Charles theII.King of England, Scotland France and Ireland.
'Vat is dat you say? says Monsieur, being a little affronted, the Man reads it again, as before.Charles the Second, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland.------Charles the Second, King of France! Ma Foy, says theFrenchMan,you can no read, Charles the Second, King of France, ha! ha! ha! Charles the Second, King of France, when he can catch. Any one may apply the Story, whether it was a true one or no.
'All the Lunar World looks on it, therefore, as a most Ridiculous, Senseless Thing, to make a Man a King of a Country he has not one Foot of Land in, nor can have a Foot there, but what he must Fight for. As to the probability of gaining it, I have nothing to say to it, but if we may guess at his Success there, by what has been done in other Parts of the Moon, we find he has Fought three Campaigns, to lose every Foot he had got.
'It had been much more to the Honour of theEagle's Conduct, and of the young Hero himself, first to ha' let him ha' fac'd his Enemy in the Field, and as soon as he had beaten him, theEbronianswould have acknowledg'd him fast enough; or his own Victorious Troops might have Proclaim'd him at the Gate of their Capital City; and if after all, the Success of the War had deny'd him the Crown he had fought for, he had the Honour to have shown his Bravery, and he had been where he was, a Prince of the Great Lip. A Son of theEagleis a Title much more Honourable than a King Without a Crown, without Subjects, without a Kingdom, and another Man upon his Throne; but by this declaring him King, theold Eaglehas put him under a necessity of gaining the Kingdom ofEbronia, which at best is a great hazard, or if he fails to be miserably despicable, and to bear all his Life the constant Chagrin of a great Title and no Possession.
'How ridiculous will this poor Young Gentleman look, if at last he should be forc'd to come Home again without his Kingdom? what a King of Clouts will he pass for, and what will thisKing-making old Gentlemen, his Father say, when the young Hero shall tell him, your Majesty has made me Mock King for all the World to laugh at.
''Twas certainly the weakest Thing that could be, for theEaglethus to make him a King of that, which, were the probability greater than it is, he may easily, without the help of a Miracle, be disappointed of.
''Tis true, the Confederates talk big, and have lately had a great Victory, and if Talk will beat the King ofEbroniaout of his Kingdom, he is certainly undone, but we do not find theGallunarianspart with any thing they can keep, nor that they quit any thing without Blows; It must cost a great deal of Blood and Treasure before this War can be ended; if absolute Conquest on one side must be the Matter, and if the Design onEbroniashould miscarry, as one Voyage thither has done already, where are we then? Let any Man but look back, and consider what a sorry Figure your Confederate Fleet in your World had made, after theirAndalusian Expedition, if they had not more by Fate than Conduct, chopt upon a Booty atVigoas they came back.
'In the like condition, will this new King come back, if he should go for a Kingdom and should notCatch, as theFrenchMan call'd it. 'Tis in the Sense of the probability of this miscarriage, that most Men wonder at these unaccountable Measures, and think theEaglesCouncils look a little Wildish, as if some of his great Men were grown Dilirious and Whymsical, that fancy'd Crowns and Kingdoms were to come and go, just as the great Divan at their Court should direct. This confusion of Circumstances has occasion'd a certain Copy of Verses to appear about the Moon, which in our Characters may be read as follows.
Wondelis Idulasin na Perixola Metartos,Strigunia Crolias Xerin Hytale fylos;Farnicos Galvare Orpto sonamel Egonsberch,Sih lona Sipos Gullia Ropta Tylos.
'Which may be English'd thus.
Cæsar you Trifle with the World in vain,Think rather now ofGermanythanSpain;He's hardly fit to fill th'Eagle'sThrone,Who gives new Crowns, and can't protect his own.
'But after all to come closer to the Point, if I can now make it out that whatever it was before, this very Practice of declaring a second Son to be King ofEbronia, has publickly own'd the Proceedings of the King ofGallunariato be Just, and the Title of his Grandson to be much better than the Title of the now declar'd King, what shall we call it then?
'In order to this, 'tis first necessary to examine the Title of the present King, and to enter into the history of his coming to the Crown, in which I shall be very Brief.
'The last King ofEbroniadying without Issue, and a former Renunciation taking place, the Succession devolves on the House of theEagleas before, of whom the presentEagleis the eldest Branch.
'But the late King ofEbronia, to prevent the Succession of theEagle's Line, makes a Will, and supplies the Proviso of Renunciation by Devising, Giving or Bequeathing the Crown to the Grandson of his Sister.
'The King ofGallunariainsists that this is a lawful Title to the Crown, and seizes it accordingly, inflating his Grandson in the Possession.
'TheEaglealledges the Renunciation to confirm his Title as Heir; and as to the Will of the late King, he says Crowns cannot descend by Gift, and tho' the late King had an undoubted Right to enjoy it himself, he had none to give it away.
'To make the application of this History as short as may be, I demand then what Right has theEagleto give it to his second Son? if Crowns are not to descend by Gift, he may have a Right to enjoy it, but can have none to give it away, but if he has a Right to give it away; so had the former King, and then the present King has a better Title to it than the new one, because his Gift was Prior to this of theEagle.
'I would be glad to see this answer'd; and if it can't, then I Query whether theEagle'sSenses ought not to be question'd, for setting up a Title very Foundation for which he quarrels at him that is in Possession, and so confirm the honesty of the Possessor's Title by his own Practice.?
'From the whole, I make no Scruple to say that either theEagle's second Son has no Title to the Kingdom ofEbronia, or else giving of Crowns is a legal Practice; and if Crowns may descend by Gift, then has the other King a better Title than he, because it was given him first, and theEaglehas only given away what he had no Right to, because 'twas given away before he had any Title to it himself.
'Further, the Posterity of theEagle's eldest Son are manifestly injur'd in this Action, for Kings can no more give away their Crowns from their Posterity, than from themselves; if the Right be in theEagle, 'tis his, as he's the eldest Male Branch of the House ofthe great Lip, not as he isEagle, and from him the Crown ofEbroniaby the same Right of Devolution descends to his Posterity, and rests on the Male Line of every eldest Branch. If so, no Act of Renunciation can alter this Succession, for that is a Gift, and the Gift is exploded, or else the whole House ofthe great Lipis excluded; so that let the Argument be turn'd and twisted never so many ways, it all Centers in this, that the present Person can have no Title to the Crown ofEbronia.
'If he has any Title, 'tis from the Gift of his Father and elder Brother; if the Gift of a Crown is no good Title, then his Title cannot be good; If the Gift of a Crown is a good Title, then the Crown was given away before, and so neither he nor his Father has any Title.
'Let him that can answer these Paradoxes defend his Title if he can; and what shall we now say to the War inEbronia, only this, that they are going to fight for the Crown ofEbronia? and to take it away from one that has no Right to it, to give it to one that has a less Right than he, and 'tis to be fear'd that if Heaven be Righteous, 'twill succeed accordingly.
'The Gentlemen of Letters who have wrote of this in our Lunar World, on the Subject of theGallunariansTitle, have took a great deal of Liberty in theEagle's behalf, to Banter and Ridicule theGallunariansham of a Title, as if it were a pretence too weak for any Prince to make use of, to talk of Kings giving their Crowns by Will.
Kingdoms and Governments, says a Learned Lunar author, are not things of such indifferent Value to be given away, like a Token left for a Legacy. If any Prince has ever given or transferr'd his Government, it has been done by solemn Act, and the People have been call'd to assent and confirm such Concessions.
'Then the same Author goes on, to Treat the King ofGallunariawith a great deal of Severity, and exposes his Politicks, that he should think to put upon the Moon with so empty, so weak, so ridiculous a Pretence, as the Will of a weak Headed Prince, who neither had a Right to give his Crown, nor a Brain to know what he was doing, and he laughs to think what the King ofGallunariawould have said to have such a dull Trick as that, put upon him in any such Case.
'Now when we have been so Witty upon this very Article, of giving away the Crown to the King ofGallunaria's Grandson, as an incongruous and ridiculous Thing, shall we come to make the same Incongruity be the Foundation of a War?
'With what Justice can we make a War for a Prince who has only a good Title, by Vertue of the self same Action which makes the Grandson of his Enemy have a bad Title.
'I always thought we had a Just Ground to make War onEbronia, as we were bound by former Alliances to assist theEaglein the recovery of it in case of the death of the late King of that Country.
'But now theEaglehas refus'd the Succession, and his Eldest Son has refus'd it, I would be glad to see it prov'd how the second Son can have a Title, and yet the other King have no Title.
'What a strange sort of a Thing is the Crown ofEbronia, that two of the greatest Princes of the Lunar World should Fight, not who shall have it, for neither of them will accept of it, but who shall have the Power of giving it away.
'Here are four Princes refuse it; the King ofGallunaria's Sons had a Title in Right of their Mother, and 'twas not the former Renunciations that would have barr'd them, if this softer way had not been found out; for time was it has been pleaded on behalf of the eldest Son of theGallunarianKing, that his Mother could not give away his Right before he was born.
'Then theEaglehas a Right, and under him his eldest Son; and none of all these four will accept of the Crown; I believe all the Moon can't find four more that would refuse it.
'Now, tho' none of these think it worth accepting themselves, yet they fall out about the Right of giving it away. The King ofGallunariawill not accept of it himself, but he gets a Gift from the last Incumbent. This, says theEagle, can't be a good Title, for the late King had no Right to make a Deed of Gift of the Crown, since a King is only Tennant for Life, and Succession of Crowns either must descend by a Lineal Progression in the Right of Primogeniture, or else they lose the Tenure, and devolve on the People.
'Now as this Argument holds good theEaglehas an undoubted Title to the Crown ofEbronia:But then, says hisEaglish Majesty, I cannot accept of the Crown my self for I am theEagle, and my eldest Son has two Kingdoms already, and is in a fair way to beEagleafter me, and 'tis not worth while for him, but I have a second Son, and we will give it him.
'Now may the King ofGallunariasay, if one Gift is good, another is good, and ours is the first Gift, and therefore we will keep it; and tho' I solemnly declare I should be very sorry to see the Crown ofEbroniarest in the House of theGallunarian, because our Trade will suffer exceedingly; yet if never so much damage were to come of it, we ought to do Justice in the World; if neither theEaglenor his eldest Son will be King ofEbronia, but a Deed of Gift shall be made, the first Gift has the Right, for nothing can be given away to two People at once, and 'tis apparent that the late King had as much Right to give it away as any Body.
'The poorEbroniansare in a fine Condition all this while, that no Body concerns them in the Matter; neither Party has so much as thought it worth while to ask them who they would have to Reign over them, here has been no Assembly,no Cortez, no Meeting of the People ofEbronia, neither Collectively or Representatively, no general Convention of the Nobility, no House of Feathers, butEbronialies as the spoil of the Victor wholly passive, and her People and Princes, as if they were wholly unconcern'd, lie by and look on, whoever is like to be King, they are like to suffer deeply by the Strife, and yet neither side has thought fit to consult them about it.
'The conclusion of the whole Matter is in short this, here is certainly a false Step taken, how it shall be rectify'd is not the present Business, nor am I Wise enough to Prescribe. One Man may do in a Moment what all the Lunar World cannot undo in an Age. 'Tis not be thought theEaglewill be prevail'd on to undo it, nay he has Sworn not to alter it.
'I am not concern'd to prove the Title of the present King ofEbronia, no, nor of theEaglesneither; but I think I can never be answer'd in this, that this Gift of theEaglesto his second Son is preposterous, inconsistent with all his Claim to the Crown, and the greatest confirmation of the Title of his Enemy that it was possible to give, and no doubt theGallunarianswill lay hold of the Argument.
'If this Prince was theEagle'seldest Son, he might have a Just Right from the concession of his Father, because the Right being inherent, he only receiv'd from him an Investiture of Time, but as this young Gentleman is a second Son he has no more Right, his elder Brother being alive, than yourGrand Seignior, orCzarofMuscovyin your World.
'Let them Fight then for such a Cause, who valuing only the Pay, make War a Trade, and Fight for any thing they are bid to Fight for, and as such value not the Justice of the War, nor trouble their Heads about Causes and Consequences, so they have their Pay, 'tis well enough for them.
'But were the Justice of the War examin'd, I can see none, this Declaring a new King who has no Right but by a Gift, and pulling down one that had it by a Gift before, has so much Contradiction in it, that I am afraid no Wise Man, or Honest Man will embark in it.
YourHumble Servant,The Man in the Moon.
I wou'd have no Body now pretend to scandalize the Writer of this Letter, which being for theGallunarians, for noMan in the Moonhad more Aversion for them than he, but he would have had the War carry'd on upon a right Bottom, Justice and Honesty regarded in it, and as he said often, they had no need to go out of the Road of Justice, for had they made Warin the great Eagle's Nameall had been well.
Nor was he a false Prophet, for as this was ill grounded, so it was as ill carry'd on, met withShocks,RubsandDisappointmentsevery way. The very first Voyage the new King made, he had like to ha' been drown'd by a very violent Tempest, things not very usual in those Countries; and all the Progress that had been made in his behalf when I came away fromthat Lunar World, had not brought him so much as to be able to set his Foot upon his new Kingdom ofEbronia, but his Adversary by wonderful Dexterity, and the Assistance of his old Grandfather theGallunarianMonarch, beat his Troops upon all Occasions, invaded his Ally that pretended to assist him, and kept a quiet Possession of all the vastEbronian Monarchy; and but at last by the powerful Diversion of theSolunarianFleet, a Shock was given them on another Side, which if it had not happen'd, it was thought the new King had been sent home againRe Infecta.
Being very much Shockt in my Judgment of this Affair, by these unanswerable Reasons; I enquir'd of my Author who were the Directors of this Matter? he told me plainly it was done by those great States Men, which theSolunarianQueen had lately very Justly turn'd out, whose Politicks were very unaccountable in a great many other things, as well as in that.
'Tis true, the War was carry'd on under the new Ministry, and no War in the World can be Juster, on account of the Injustice and Encroachment of theGallunarianMonarch.
The Queen therefore and her present Ministers, go on with the War on Principles of Confederacy; 'tis the business of theSolunariansto beat the Invader out, and then let the People come and make a fair Decision who they will have to Reign over them.
This indeed justifies the War inEbroniato be Right, but for the Personal Proceedure as before, 'tis all Contradiction and can never be answer'd.
I hope no Man will be so malicious, as to say I am hereby reflecting on our War withSpain. I am very forward to say, it is a most Just and Reasonable War, as to paralels between the Case of the Princes, in defending the Matter of Personal Right,Hic labor, Hoc opus.
Thus however you seeHumanum eft Errare, whether in this World or in the Moon, 'tis all one, Infallibility of Councels any more than of Doctrine, is not in Man.
The Reader may observe, I have formerly noted there was a new Consolidator to be Built, and observ'd what struggle there was in the Moon about choosing the Feathers.
I cannot omit some further Remarks here, as
1. It is to be observ'd, that this last Consolidator was in a manner quite worn out.----- It had indeed continu'd but 3 Year, which was the stated Time by Law, but it had been soHurry'd, soParty Rid, so often had been up inthe Moon, and madeso manysuchextravagant Flights, and unnecessaryVoyages thither, that it began to be exceedinglywornand defective.
2. This occasion'd that the light fluttering Feathers, and the fermented Feathersmade strange Work of it; nay, sometimes they were so hot, they were like to ha' ruin'd the whole Fabrick, and had it not been for thegreat Featherin the Center, and a fewNegativeFeathers who were Wiser than the rest, all theMachineshad been broke to pieces, and the whole Nation put into a most strange Confusion.
Sometimes their Motion wasso violent an precipitant, that there was great apprehensions of its beingset on Fire by its own Velocity, for swiftness of Motion is allow'd by the Sages andso so'sto produceFireas inWheels,Millsand several sorts ofMechanick Engineswhich are frequently Fir'd, and so inThoughts,Brains,Assemblies,Consolidators, and all such combustible Things.
Indeed these things were of great Consequence, and therefore require some more nice Examination than ordinary, and the following Story will in part explain it.
Among the rest of the Broils they had with theGrandees, one happen'd on this occasion.
One of the TackingFeathersbeing accidentally met by aGrandee's Footman, whom it seems wanted some Manners, the Slave began to haloo him in the Street, with a Tacker, a Tacker, aFeather-Fool, a Tacker,&c.and so brought the Mob about him, and had not theGrandeehimself come in the very interim, and rescu'd theFeather, the Mob had demolisht him, they were so enrag'd.
As this Gentleman-Featherwas rescu'd with great Courtesie by theGrandee, taken into his Coach and carry'd home to his House, he desir'd to speak with the Footman.
The Fellow being call'd in, was ask't by him who employ'd him, or set him on to offer him this Insult? the Footman being a ready bold Fellow, told him no Body Sir, but you are all grown so ridiculous to the whole Nation, that if the 134 of you were left but to us Footmen, and it was not in more respect to our Masters, than you, we should Cure you of ever coming into theConsolidatoragain, and all the People in the Moon are of our Mind.
But says theFeather, why do you call me Fool too? why Sir, says he, because no Body could ever tell us what it was you drove at, and we ha' been told you never knew your selves; now if one of you TackingFeatherswould but tell the World what your real Design was, they would be satisfy'd, but to be leaders in theConsolidator, and to Act without Meaning, without Thought or Design, must argue your' Fools, or worse, and you will find all the Moon of my Mind.
But what if we had a meaning, says theFeather-Man? why then, says the Footman, we shall leave calling you Fools, and call you Knaves, for it could never be an Honest one, so that you had better stand as you do: and I make it out thus.
You knew, that upon your Tacking theCroliansto the Tribute Bill, theGrandeesmust reject both, they having declar'd against reading any Bills Tackt together, as being against their Priviledges. Now if you had any Design, it must be to have the Bill of Tribute lost, and that must be to disappoint all the publick Affairs, expose the Queen, break all Measures, discourage the Confederates, and putting all things backward, bring theGallunarianForces upon them, and put allSolunariainto Confusion. Now Sir, says he, we cannot have such course Thoughts of you, as to believe you could design such dark, mischievous things as these, and therefore we chose to believe you all Fools, and not fit to be put into aConsolidatoragain; than Knaves and Traytors to your Country, and consequently fit for a worse Place.
The plainness of the Footman was such, and so unanswerable, that his Master was fain to check him, and so the Discourse broke off, and we shall leave it there, and proceed to the Story.
The Men of the Feather as I have noted, who are represented here by theConsolidator, fell all together by the Ears, andall the Moonwas in a combustion. The Case was as follows.
They had three times losttheir quallifying Law, and particularly they observ'd theGrandeeswere the Men that threw it out, and notwithstandingthe Plot of the Tackers, as they call'd them, who wereas I noted, observ'd to be in Conjunctionwith the Crolians, yet the Law always pastthe Feathers, but still theGrandeesquasht it.
To show their Resentmentat the Grandees, they had often madeattempts to mortify them, sometimes Arraigning them in general, sometimesImpeaching private Membersof their House, but still all wou'd not do, theGrandeeshad the better of them, and going on with Regularity and Temper, theConsolidatorsor Feather-Men always had the worst, theGrandees had the applause of all the Moon, hadthe last Blowon every Occasion, and the other sunk in their Reputation exceedingly.
It is necessary to understand here, that the Men of the Feather serve in several Capacities, and under several Denominations, andact by themselves, singly consider'd, they are call'dthe Consolidator, and the Feathers we mention'd abstracted from their Persons, make the glorious Engine we speak of, and in which, when any suddain Motion takes them, they can all shut themselves up, and away for the Moon.
But when these arejoyn'd with the Grandees, and the Queen, so United, they make a greatCortez, or general Collection of all the Governing Authority of the Nation.
When this last Fraction happen'd, theMen of the Featherwere under an exceeding Ferment, they had in some Passion taken into their Custody, some good HonestLunar Country-Men, for an Offence, which indeed few but themselves ever immagin'd was a Crime, for the poor Men did nothing but pursue their own Right by the Law.
'Tis thought the Men of the Feather soon saw they were in the Wrong, but acted like some Men in our World, that when they make a mistake, being too Proud to own themselves in the wrong, run themselves into worse Errors to mend it.
Sothese Lunar Gentlemendisdaining to have it said theycould be mistaken, committed two Errors to conceal one, 'till at last they came to be laught at byall the Moon.
These poor Men having lain a long while in Prison, for little or no Crime, at last were advis'd to apply themselvesto the Law for Discharge; the Law would fairly have Discharg'd them; forin that Country, no Man may be Imprison'd, but he must in a certain Time be Tryed, or let go upon pledges of his Friends,much like our giving Bail on a Writ of Habeas Corpus; but the Judges, whether over-aw'd by the Feathers, or what was the Cause, Authors have not determin'd, did not care to venture Discharging them.
The poor Men thus remanded, apply'd themselvesto the Grandeeswho were then Sitting, and who arethe Soveraign Judicatureof the Country, and before whom Appeals lie from all Courts of Justice.The Grandeesas in Duty bound, appear'd ready to do them Justice, but the Queen was to be apply'd to, first to grant a Writ, or a Warrant for a Writ, call'd in their Countrya Writ of Follies, which is as much as to say Mistakes.
TheConsolidatorsforeseeing the Consequence, immediately apply'd themselves to the Queen with an Address, the Terms of which were soUndu----landUnman--ly, that had she not been a Queen of unusual Candor and Goodness, she would have Treated them as they deserv'd, for they upbraided her with their Freedom and Readiness in granting her Supplies, and therefore as good as told her they expected she should do as they desir'd.
These People that knew the Supplies given, were fromnecessity, Legal, and for theirown Defence, while the granting their Request, must have beenIllegal,Arbitrary, aDispensingwith the Laws, anddenying Justiceto her Subjects,the very thing they ruin'd her Father for, were justly provok'd to see their good Queen so barbarously Treated.
The Queen full of Goodness and Calmness, gave them a gentle kind Answer, but told them she must be careful to Act with due Regard to the Laws, and could not interrupt the course of Judicial Proceedings; and at the same time granted the Writ, having first consulted with her Council, and receiv'd the Opinion of all the Judges, that it was not only Safe, but Just and Reasonable, and a Right to her People which she could not deny.
This Proceeding gall'd the Feathers to the quick, and finding theGrandeesresolv'd to proceed Judicially upon the saidWrit of Follies, which if they did, the Prisoners would be deliver'd and the Follies fixt upon the Feathers, they sent their Poursuivants took them out of the Common Prison, and convey'd them separately and privately into Prisons of their own.
This rash and unprecedented Proceedings, pusht them farther into a Labrinth, from whence it was impossible they could ever find their way out, but with infinite Loss to their Reputation, like a Sheep in a thick Wood, that at every Briar pulls some of the Wool from her Back, till she comes out in a most scandalous Pickle of Nakedness and Scratches.
TheGrandeesimmediately publisht six Articles in Vindication of the Peoples Right, against the assum'd Priviledges of theFeathers, the Abstract of which is as follows.
1. That theFeathershad no Right to Claim, or make any new Priviledges for themselves, other than they had before.
2. That every Freeman of the Moon had a Right to repel Injury with Law.
3. That Imprisoning the 5 Countrymen by theFeathers, was assuming a new Priviledge they had no Right to, and a subjecting the Subjects Right to their Arbitrary Votes.
4. That aWrit of Deliverance, or removing the Body, is the legal Right of every Subject in the Moon, in order to his Liberty, in case of Imprisonment.
5. That to punish any Person for assisting the Subjects, in procuring or prosecuting the saidWrit of Deliverance, is a breach of the Laws, and a thing of dangerous Consequence.
6. That aWrit of Folliesis not a Grace, but a Right, and ought not to be deny'd to the Subject.
These Resolves struck the languishing Reputation of theFeatherswith the dead Palsie, and they began to stink in the Nostrils of all the Nations in the Moon.
But besides this, they had one strange effect, which was a prodigious disappointment to the Men of theFeather.
I had observ'd before, that there was to be a new Set ofFeathers, provided in order to Building anotherConsolidator, according to a late Law for a new Engine every three Years. Now several of these Men of theFeather, who thought theirFeatherscapable of serving again, had made great Interest, and been at great Cost to have their oldFeatherschosen again, but the People had entertain'd such scoundrel Opinions of these Proceedings, such as Tacking,Consolidating, Imprisoning Electors, Impeaching without Tryal,Writs of Folliesand the like, that if any one was known to be concern'd in any of these things, no Body would Vote for him.
The Gentlemen were so mortify'd at this, that even the hottest High-ChurchSolunarianof them all, if he put in any where to be re-chosen, the first thing he had to do, was to assure the People he was no Tacker, none of the 134, and a vast deal of difficulty they had to Purge themselves of this blessed Action, which they us'd to value themselves on before, as their Glory and Merit.
Thus they grew asham'd of it as a Crime, got Men to go about to vouch for them to the Country People, that they were no Tackers, nay, one of them to clear himself loudly forswore it, and taking a Glass of Wine wisht it might never pass thro' him, if he was a Tacker, tho' all Men suspected him to be of that Number too, he having been one of the forwardest that way on all Occasions, of any Person among theSouth Folk of the Moon.
In like manner, one of theFeathersfor themiddle Provinceof the Country, who us'd to think it his Honour to be for the qualifying Law, seeing which way the humour of the Country ran, took as much Pains now to tell the People he was no Tacker, as he did before, to promise them that he would do his utmost to have theCroliansreduc'd, and that Bill to pass, the Reason of which was plain, that he saw if it should be known he was a Tacker, he should never have hisFeatherreturn'd to be put into theConsolidator.
The Heats and Feuds that theFeathersand theGrandeeswere now run into, began to make the latter very uneasie, and they sent to theGrandeesto hasten them, and put them in mind of passing some Laws they had sent up to them for raising Mony, and which lay before them, knowing that as soon as those Laws were past, the Queen would break 'em up, and they being very willing to be gone, before these things came too far upon the Stage, urg'd them to dispatch.
But theGrandeesresolving to go thoro' with the Matter, sent to them to come to a Treaty on the foot of the six Articles, and to bring any Reasons they could, to prove the Power they had to Act as they had done with the Country-men, and with the Lawyers they had put in Prison for assisting them.
TheFeatherswere very backward and stiff about this Conference, or Treaty, 'till at last theGrandeeshaving sufficiently expos'd them to all the Nation, the Bills were past, theGrandeescaus'd the particulars to be Printed, and a Representation of their Proceedings, and theFeathersfoul Dealings to the Queen of the Country, and so her Majesty sent them Home.
But if they were asham'd of being call'd Tackers before, they were doubly mortify'd at this now, nay the Country resented it so exceedingly, that some of them began to consider whether they should venture to go Home or no; Printed Lists of their Names were Publish'd, tho' we do not say they were true Lists, for it was a hard thing to know which were true Lists, and which were not, nor indeed could a true List be made, no Man being able to retain the exact Account of who were the Men in his Memory.
For as there were 134 Tackers, so there were 141 of these, who by a Name of Distinction, were call'dLebusyraneim, inEnglish Ailesbury-men.
The People were so exasperated against these, that they express'd their Resentment upon all Occasions, and least the Queen should think that the Nation approv'd the Proceedings, they drew up a Representation or Complaint, full of most dutiful Expressions to their Queen, and full of Resentment against theFeathers, the Copy of which being handed about the Moon the last time I was there, I shall take the Pains to put it intoEnglishin the best manner I can, keeping as near the Originial as possible.
If any Man shall now wickedly suggest, that this Relation has any retrospect to the Affairs ofEngland, the Author declares them malitious Misconstruers of his honest Relation of Matters from this remote Country, and offers his positive Oath for their Satisfaction, that the very last Journy he made into those Lunar Regions, this Matter was upon the Stage, of which, if this Treatise was not so near its conclusion, the Reader might expect a more particular Account.
If there is any Analogy or similitude between the Transactions of either World, he cannot account for that, 'tis application makes the Ass.
And yet sometimes he has thought, as some People Fable of the Platonick Year, that after such a certain Revolution of Time, all Things are Transacted over again, and the same People live again, are the fame Fools, Knaves, Philosophers and Mad-men they were before, tho' without any Knowledge of, or Retrospect to what they acted before; so why should it be impossible, that as the Moon and this World are noted before to be Twins and Sisters, equal in Motion and in Influence, and perhaps in Qualities, the same secret Power should so act them, as thatlikeActions and Circumstances should happen in all Parts of both Worlds at the same time.
I leave this Thought to the improvement of our Royal Learned Societies of theAnticacofanums,Opposotians,Periodicarians,Antepredestinarians, UniversalSoulians, and such like unfathomable People, who, without question, upon mature Enquiry will find out the Truth of this Matter.
But if any one shall scruple the Matter of Fact as I have here related it, I freely give him leave to do as I did, and go up to the Moon for a Demonstration; and if upon his return he does not give ample Testimony to the Case in every part of it, as here related, I am content to pass for the Contriver of it my self, and be punish'd as the Law shall say I deserve.
Nor was this all the publick Matters, in which this Nation ofSolunarianstook wrong Measures, for about this time, the Misunderstandings between the Southern and Northern Men began again, and theSolunariansmade several Laws, as they call'd them, to secure themselves against the Dangers they pretended might accrue from the new Measures theNolunarianshad taken; but so unhappily were they blinded by the strife among themselves, and by-set by Opinion and Interest, that every Law they made, or so much as attempted to make, was really to the Advantage, and to the Interest of the Northern-Men, and to their own loss; so Ignorantly and Weak-headed was theseHigh SolunarianChurch-Men in the true Interest of their Country, led by their implacable Malice atCrolianism, which as is before noted, was the Establisht Religion of that Country.
But as this Matter was but Transacting when I took the other Remarks, and that I did not obtain a full Understanding of it, 'till my second Voyage, I refer it to a more full Relation of my farther Travels that way, when I shall not fail to give a clear State of the Debate of the two Kingdoms, in which the Southern Men had the least Reason, and the worst Success that ever they had in any Affair of that Nature for many Years before.
It was always my Opinion in Affairson this side the Moon, that tho' sometimes a foolish Bolt may hit the Point, and a random Shot kill the Enemy, yet that generally Discretion and Prudence of Mannagement, had the Advantage, and met with a proportion'd Success, find things were, or were not happy, in their Conclusion as they were, more or less wisely Contriv'd and Directed.
And tho' it may not be allow'd to be so here, yet I found it more constantly so there, Effects were true to their Causes, and confusion of Councils never fail'din the Moonto be follow'd by distracted and destructive Consequences.
This appear'd more eminently in the Dispute between these two Lunar Nations we are speaking of; never were People in the Moon,whatever they might be in other Places, so divided in their Opinions about a matter of such Consequence. Some were for declaring War immediately upon the Northern Men, tho' they could show no Reason at all why, only because they would not do as they would have 'em;a parcel of poor Scoundrel, Scabby Rogues, they ought to be made submit,what! won't they declare the same King as we do!hang them Rogues!a pack of Crolian Prestarian Devils, we must make them do it,down with them the shortest Way, declare War immediately, anddown with them.------ Nay some were for falling on them directly, without the formality of declaring War.
Others, more afraid than hurt, cry'd out Invasions, Depredation, Fire and Sword, the Northern Men would be upon them immediately, and propos'd to Fortify their Frontiers, and file off their Forces to the Borders; nay, so apprehensive did those Men of Prudence pretend to be, that they order'd Towns to be Fortify'd 100Mile off of the Place, when all this while the poor Northern Men did nothing but tell them, that unless they would come to Terms, they would not have the same King as they, and they took some Measures to let them see they did not purpose to be forc'd to it.
Another sort of Wiser Men than these, propos'd to Unite with them, hear their Reasons, and do them Right. These indeed were the only Men that were in the right Method of concluding this unhappy Broil, and for that Reason, were the most unlikely to succeed.
But the Wildest Notion of all, was, when some of theGrandeesmade a grave Address to the Queen of the Country, to desire the Northern Men to settle Matters first, and to tell them, that when that was done,they should see what these would do for them. This was a home Stroke, if it had but hit, and the Misfortune only lay in this,That the Northern Men were not Fools enough; the clearness of the Air in those cold Climates generally clearing the Head so early, that those People see much farther into a Mill-stone thanany Blind Man in all the Southern Nations of the Moon.
There was an another unhappiness in this Case, which made the Matter yet more confus'd, and that was, that the Souldiers had generally no gust to this War.--- This was an odd Case; for those sort of Gentlemen, especiallyin the World in the Moon, don't use to enquire into the Justice of the Case they Fight for, but they reckon 'tis their Business to go where they are sent, and kill any Body they are order'd to kill, leaving their Governors to answer for the Justice of it; but there was another Reason to be given whythe Men of the Swordwere so averse, and always talk't coldly of the fighting Part, and tho' the Northern Men call'd it fear, yet I cannot joyn with them in that, forto fearrequires Thinking; and some of ourSolunariansare absolutely protected from the first, because they never meddle with the last,except when they come to the Engine, and therefore 'tis plain it could not proceed from Fear.
It has puzzl'd the most discerning Heads of the Age, to give a Reason from whence this Aversion proceeded, and various Judgments have been given of it.
TheNolunariansjested with them, and when they talk't of Fighting, bad them look back into History, and examine what they ever made of aNolunarian War, and whether they had not been often well beaten, and sent short home, bid them have a careof catching a Tartar, as we call it, and always made themselves merry with it.
They banter'd theSolunarianstoo, about the Fears and Terrors they were under, from their Arming themselves, and putting themselves in a posture of Defence,----- When it was easy to see by the nature of the thing, that their Design wasnot a War, but a Unionupon just Conditions, that it was a plain Token that they design'd either to put some affront uponthe Nolunarians, to deny them some just Claims, or to impose something very Provoking upon them more than they had yet done, that they were so exceeding fearful of an Invasion from them.
Tho' these were sufficient to pass for Reasons in other Cases, yet it could not be so here, but I saw there must be something else in it. As I was thus wondering at this unusual backwardness of the Souldiers, I enquir'd a little farther into the meaning of it, and quickly found the Reason was plain,there was nothing to be got by it, that People wereBrave,DesperateandPoor, the CountryBarren, Mountainous andEmpty, so that in short there would be nothing but Blows, andSouldiers Fellowsto be had, and I always observ'd that Souldiers never care to be knockt on the Head, and get nothing by the Bargain.
In short, I saw plainly the Reasons that prompted theSolunariansto Insult their Neighbours of the North, were more deriv'd from the regret at their EstablishingCrolianism, than at any real Causes they had given, or indeed were in a condition to give them.
These, and abundance more particular Observations I made, but as I left the thing still in agitation, and undetermin'd, I shall refer it to another Voyage which I purpose to make thither, and at my return, may perhaps set that Case in a clearer Light than our Sight can yet bear to look at it in.
If in my second Vovage I should undeceive People in the Notions they entertain'd of those Northern People, and convince them that theSolunarianswere really the Aggressors, and had put great hardships upon them, I might possibly do a Work, that if it met with Encouragement, might bring theSolunariansto do them Justice, and that would set all to Rights, the two Nations might easily become one, and Unite for ever, or at least become Friends, and give mutual Assistance to each other; and I cannot but own such an Agreement would make them both very formidable, but this I refer to another time.-----
At the same time I cannot leave it without a Remark that this Jealousy between the two Nations, may perhaps in future Ages be necessary to be maintain'd, in order to find some better Reasons forFortifications,Standing Armies,Guards and Garisonsthan could be given in the Reign of the great Prince I speak of, the Queen's Predecessor, tho' his was against Forreign insulting Enemy.
But the Temper of theSolunarian High Partywas always such, that they would with much more case give thanks for a Standing Army against theNolunarians and Crolians, than agree to one Legion against theAbrogratziansandGallunarians.
But of these Things I am also promis'd a more particular Account upon my Journy into that Country.
I cannot however conclude this Matter, without giving some Account of my private Observations, upon what was farther to be seen in this Country.
And had not my Remarks on their State Matters taken up more of my Thoughts than I expected, I might have entred a little upon their other Affairs, such as theirCompanies, theirCommerce, theirPublick Offices, theirStock-Jobbers, theirTemper, theirConversation, theirWomen, theirStages,Universities, theirCourtiers, theirClergy, and the Characters ofthe severalsunder all these Denominations, but these must be referr'd to time, and my more perfect Observations.
But I cannot omit, that tho' I have very little Knowledge of Books, and had obtain'd less upon their Language, yet I could not but be very inquisitive after their Libraries and Men of Letters.
Among their Libraries I found not abundance of their own Books, their Learning having so much of Demonstration, and being very Hieroglyphical, but I found to my great Admiration vast quantities of Translated Books out of all Languages of our World.
As I thought my self one of the first, at least of our Nation, that ever came thus far; it was, you may be sure no small surprize to me to find all the most valluable parts of Modern Learning, especially of Politicks, Translated from our Tongue, into the Lunar Dialect, and stor'd up in their Libraries with the Remarks, Notes and Observations of the Learned Men of that Climate upon the Subject.
Here, among a vast croud ofFrenchAuthors condemn'd in this polite World for trifling, came a huge Volume containing,Les Oevres de scavans, which has 19 small Bells painted upon the Book of several disproportion'd sizes.
I enquir'd the meaning of that Hieroglyphick, which the Master of the Books told me, was to signify that the substance was all Jingle and Noise, and that of 30 Volumes which that one Book contains, 29 of them have neither Substance, Musick, Harmony nor value in them.
The History of the Fulsoms, or a Collection of 300 fine Speeches made in theFrenchAccademy atParis, and 1500 gay Flourishes out of MonsieurBoileau, all in Praise of the invincible Monarch ofFrance.
The Duke ofBavaria's Manifesto, shewing the Right of making War against our Sovereigns, from whence the People of that Lunar World have noted that the same Reasons which made it lawful to him to attempt the Imperial Power, entitle him to lose his own,viz.Conquest, and the longest Sword.
Jack a both Sides, or a Dialogue betweenPasquinandMarforio, upon the Subject Matter of the Pope's sincerity in Case of the War inItaly. Written by a Citizen ofFerrara. One side arguing upon the occasion of the Pope's General wheedling the Imperialists to quit that Country. The other bantering Imperial Policy, or theGermainspretending they were Trickt out ofItaly, when they could stay there no longer.
Lewisthe Invincible, by MonsieurBoileau. A Poem, on the Glory of his most Christian Majesties Arms atHochstedt, andVerue.
All these Translations have innumerable Hyerogliphical Notes, and Emblems painted on them, which pass as Comments, and are readily understood in that Climate. For Example, on the Vol. of Dialogues are two Cardinals washing the Pope's Hands under a Cloud that often bespatters them with Blood, signifying that in spight of all his Pretensions he has a Hand in the Broils ofItaly. And before him the Sun setting in a Cloud, and a Blind Ballad-Singer making Sonnets upon the brightness of its Lustre.