The Blazing World · The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing-World (12/14)

The Empress being thus persuaded by the Duchess to make an imaginary world of her own, followed her advice; and after she had quite finished it, and framed all kinds of creatures proper and useful for it, strengthened it with good laws, and beautified it with arts and sciences; having nothing else to do, unless she did dissolve her imaginary world, or made some alterations in the Blazing-World, she lived in; which yet she could hardly do, by reason it was so well ordered that it could not be mended; for it was governed without secret and deceiving policy; neither was there any ambitious, factions, malicious detractions, civil dissentions, or home-bred quarrels, divisions in religion, foreign wars, etc. but all the people lived in a peaceful society, united tranquility, and religious conformity. She was desirous to see the world the Duchess came from, and observe therein the several sovereign governments, laws and customs of several nations. The Duchess used all the means she could, to divert her from that journey, telling her, that the world she came from, was very much disturbed with factions, divisions and wars; but the Empress would not be persuaded from her design; and lest the Emperor, or any of his subjects should know of her travel, and obstruct her design, she sent for some of the spirits she had formerly conversed withal, and enquired whether none of them could supply the place of her soul in her body at such a time, when she was gone to travel into another world? They answered, yes, they could; for not only one, said they, but many spirits may enter into your body, if you please. The Empress replied, she desired but one spirit to be viceroy of her body in the absence of her soul, but it must be an honest and ingenious spirit; and if it was possible, a female spirit. The spirits told her, that there was no difference of sexes amongst them; but, said they, we will choose an honest and ingenious spirit, and such a one as shall so resemble your soul, that neither the Emperor, nor any of his subjects, although the most divine, shall know whether it be your own soul, or not: which the Empress was very glad at; and after the spirits were gone, asked the Duchess, how her body was supplied in the absence of her soul? who answered her Majesty, that her body, in the absence of her soul, was governed by her sensitive and rational corporeal motions. Thus those two female souls travelled together as lightly as two thoughts into the Duchess her native world; and, which is remarkable, in a moment viewed all the parts of it, and all the actions of all the creatures therein, especially did the Empress’s soul take much notice of the several actions of human creatures in all the several nations and parts of that world, and wondered that for all there were so many several nations, governments, laws, religions, opinions, etc. they should all yet so generally agree in being ambitious, proud, self-conceited, vain, prodigal, deceitful, envious, malicious, unjust, revengeful, irreligious, factious, etc. She did also admire, that not any particular state, kingdom or commonwealth, was contented with their own shares, but endeavoured to encroach upon their neighbours, and that their greatest glory was in plunder and slaughter, and yet their victories less than their expenses, and their losses more than their gains; but their being overcome, in a manner their utter ruin: But that she wondered most at, was, that they should prize or value dirt more than men’s lives, and vanity more than tranquility: for the Emperor of a world, said she, enjoys but a part, not the whole; so that his pleasure consists in the opinions of others. It is strange to me, answered the Duchess, that you should say thus, being yourself, an Empress of a world; and not only of a world, but of a peaceable, quiet, and obedient world. ’Tis true, replied the Empress: but although it is a peaceable and obedient world, yet the government thereof is rather a trouble, than a pleasure; for order cannot be without industry, contrivance, and direction: besides, the magnificent state, that great princes keep or ought to keep, is troublesome. Then by your Majesty’s discourse, said the Duchess, I perceive that the greatest happiness in all worlds consist in moderation: No doubt of it, replied the Empress; and after these two souls had visited all the several places, congregations and assemblies both in religion and state, the several courts of judicature and the like, in several nations, the Empress said, that of all the monarchs of the several parts of the world, she had observed the grand-seignior was the greatest; for his word was a law, and his power absolute. But the Duchess prayed the Empress to pardon her that she was of another mind; for, said she, he cannot alter Muhammad’s laws and religion; so that the law and church do govern the Emperor, and not the Emperor them. But, replied the Empress, he has power in some particulars; as for example, to place and displace subjects in their particular governments of church and state; and having that, he has the command both over church and state, and none dares oppose him. ’Tis true, said the Duchess; but if it pleases your Majesty, we will go into that part of the world whence I came to wait on your Majesty, and there you shall see as powerful a monarch as the grand-seignior; for though his dominions are not of so large extent, yet they are much stronger, his laws are easy and safe, and he governs so justly and wisely, that his subjects are the happiest people of all the nations or parts of that world. This monarch, said the Empress, I have a great mind to see. Then they both went, and in a short time arrived into his dominions; but coming into the metropolitan city, the Empress’s soul observed many gallants go into an house; and enquiring of the Duchess’s soul, what house that was? She told her, it was one of the theatres where comedies and tragedies were acted. The Empress asked, whether they were real? No, said the Duchess, they are feigned. Then the Empress desired to enter into the theatre; and when she had seen the play that was asked, the Duchess asked her how she liked that recreation? I like it very well, said the Empress; but I observe that the actors make a better show than the spectators; and the scenes a better than the actors, and the music and dancing is more pleasant and acceptable than the play itself; for I see, the scenes stand for wit, the dancing for humour, and the music is the chorus. I am sorry, replied the Duchess, to hear your Majesty say so; for if the wits of this part of the world should hear you, they would condemn you. What, said the Empress, would they condemn me for preferring a natural face before a signpost; or a natural humour before an artificial dance; or music before a true and profitable relation? As for relation, replied the Duchess, our poets defy and condemn it into a chimney-corner, fitter for old women’s tales, than theatres. Why, said the Empress, do not your poets’ actions comply with their judgments? For their plays are composed of old stories, either of Greek or Roman, or some newfound world. The Duchess answered her Majesty, that it was true, that all or most of their plays were taken out of old stories; but yet they had new actions, which being joined to old stories, together with the addition of new prologues, scenes, music and dancing, made new plays.

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 splendor: 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.