The Blazing World · The Second Part of the Description of the New Blazing-World (4/4)

One time the Duchess chanced to discourse with some of her acquaintance, of the Empress of the Blazing-World, who asked her what pastimes and recreations her Majesty did most delight in? The Duchess answered, that she spent most of her time in the study of natural causes and effects, which was her chief delight and pastime; and that she loved to discourse sometimes with the most learned persons of that world: And to please the Emperor and his nobles, who were all of the royal race, she went often abroad to take the air, but seldom in the daytime, always at night, if it might be called night; for, said she, the nights there, are as light as days, by reason of the numerous blazing-stars, which are very splendorous, only their light is whiter than the sun’s light; and as the sun’s light is hot, so their light is cool; not so cool as our twinkling starlight, nor is their sunlight so hot as ours, but more temperate: And that part of the Blazing-World where the Empress resides, is always clear, and never subject to any storms, tempests, fogs or mists, but has only refreshing-dews that nourish the earth: The air of it is sweet and temperate, and, as I said before, as much light in the sun’s absence, as in its presence, which makes that time we call night, more pleasant there than the day: And sometimes the Empress goes abroad by water in barges, sometimes by land in chariots, and sometimes on horseback; her royal chariots are very glorious, the body is one entire green diamond; the four small pillars that bear up the top-cover, are four white diamonds, cut in the form thereof; the top or roof of the chariot, is one entire blue diamond, and at the four corners are great springs of rubies; the seat is made of cloth of gold, stuffed with ambergris beaten small: the chariot is drawn by twelve unicorns, whose trappings are all chains of pearl; and as for her barges, they are only of gold. Her guard of state (for she needs none for security, there being no rebels or enemies) consists of Giants, but they seldom wait on their Majesties abroad, because their extraordinary height and bigness does hinder their prospect. Her entertainment when she is upon the water, is the music of the Fish- and Bird-men; and by land are horse and foot-matches; for the Empress takes much delight in making race-matches with the Emperor, and the nobility; some races are between the Fox- and Ape-men, which sometimes the Satyrs strive to outrun; and some are between the Spider-men and Lice-men. Also there are several flight-matches, between the several sorts of Bird-men, and the several sorts of Fly-men; and swimming-matches, between the several sorts of Fish-men. The Emperor, Empress, and their nobles, take also great delight to have collations; for in the Blazing-World, there are most delicious fruits of all sorts, and some such as in this world were never seen nor tasted; for there are most tempting sorts of fruit: After their collations are ended, they dance; and if they be upon the water, they dance upon the water, there lying so many Fish-men so close and thick together, as they can dance very evenly and easily upon their backs, and need not fear drowning. Their music, both vocal and instrumental, is according to their several places: Upon the water, it is of water-instruments, as shells filled with water, and so moved by art, which is a very sweet and delightful harmony; and those dances which they dance upon the water, are, for the most part, such as we in this world call swimming-dances, where they do not lift up their feet high: In lawns, or upon plains, they have wind-instruments, but much better than those in our world: And when they dance in the woods, they have horn-instruments, which although they are of a sort of wind-instruments, yet they are of another fashion than the former: In their houses they have such instruments as are somewhat like our viols, violins, theorbos, lutes, citherns, guitars, harpsichords, and the like; but yet so far beyond them, that the difference cannot well be expressed; and as their places of dancing, and their music is different, so is their manner or way of dancing. In these and the like recreations, the Emperor, Empress, and the nobility pass their time.