A trip to the moon: Containing an account of the island of Noibla. Its inhabitants, religious and political customs, &c. By Sir Humphrey Lunatic, Bart.

CHAP. II.

Sir HUMPHREY's Translation to the MOON; his Reception in the Island of NOIBLA; Ceremony at the NOTLAM; and his En|try into the City of NODNOL.

HAving always attentively busied my|self in the Contemplation of those innumerable and wonderful Bodies, which catching Light from the Sun, when he descends below our Hemisphere, adorn the Firmament with golden Specks, for such they seem to unassisted mortal Eyes; and being always extremely curious to examine whatever related to those Bo|dies, I form'd great Expectations from a Piece which once fell into my Hands, called BERGERAC'S VOYAGE to the MOON; the Title indeed gave me parti|cular Pleasure, as I hoped to find some|what very extraordinary in the Con|tents; yet was I vastly deceived, for tho'

there are strong Marks of Genius in that Production, upon the whole I could dis|cover nothing very interesting; however the Thought of a Journey to the LUNAR WORLD struck very deep, and all my Calculations, all my Wishes, were ever after assiduously employed on the effect|ing such a Jaunt; till at last, without any apparent Merit of mine, it happened in the following Manner.

The latter End of last MAY, taking a nightly Walk of Contemplation, I ascend|ed a green Hill of considerable Height, whose Top was shaded with Trees, from whence, in awful Silence, broke only by lulling Notes from the plaintive Nightin|gale, I beheld, below me, a spacious Vale, intersected by the slow and stately Stream of a well-known River, skirted by a venerable Grove, whose Branches, as SHAKESPEAR has it, were silvered by the MOONSHINE'S watry Beams; that Planet

having then filled its Orb with most un|usual Lustre, wrapped up in pleasing Melancholy, Slumber insensibly fell up|on me, and from thence I dropp'd into a profound Sleep.

How long this soft Semblance of Death remained upon me I cannot say; but ima|gine, Reader, if thou canst, my Surprize, and let me add some Terror also, when, upon waking, I found myself seated in a Kind of Triumphal Car, surrounded by a great Number of human Figures, not one of which I had the least Idea of; yet all shewing many Marks of Respect, and murmuring out an extraordinary Kind of Joy. My Astonishment being too visible for Disguise, a Person of vene|rable Aspect addressed me as follows, most profound Attention being given by the surrounding Crowd, who seemed to have much more Pleasure in the Prac|tice

of good Manners, than many of our polite Assemblies:

SON of EARTH, said he, fear not, thou art in the Regions of Safety: Tenderness and Hospitality ever smile here: Envy never shewed her snaky Locks, nor Slan|der her envenom'd Tongue, nor Cruelty her blood-stain'd Sword, in these Realms of soft Repose; rejoice therefore that thou art so highly favoured as to have an Op|portunity of gratifying that Curiosity which has so long possessed thee; it was laudably ambitious, and stirred up to raise thee above the common Race of Men. Receive from me, in Behalf of all present, and of a much greater Number whom we represent, a zealous and unaf|fected Welcome; may every Thing thou meet'st, during thy Stay amongst us, con|tribute to thy Information and Pleasure; it shall be our Care to consult and to

••romote both: May our Endeavours be ••uccessful to thy Approbation.

Here, turning round, and repeating to •…•…e Multitude a few Words which I did ••ot understand, they again made Obei|•…•…nce. Having by this Time collected ••onfidence, I replied,

VENERABLE SAGE, whom yet I know ••ot either in Person or Dignity, how shall •• fitly acknowledge this most hospitable ••alutation? How pay the due Respect to •…•…ch unmerited Kindness? Yet let it not •…•…and as a Doubt of that Cordiality you •…•…ofess, to ask where I am, and by what Means I came hither, both being utterly ••nknown to me. You, Sir, by your Lan|••uage and Appearance, are ENGLISH; yet ••any I see around you so different from ••hat I have ever seen before, that I am most persuaded to believe some super|•…•…tural Means have removed me from

my native Land; besides, however con|spicuous BRITAIN may be in the Rolls of Fame, the Character you give of this untainted Region far surpasses her proud|est Boast; wherefore, good Sir, you cannot be displeased if I inquire where, and among whom I am at present pla|ced.

Thy Desire, my Son, returns he, is na|tural, and that thou may'st not be kep•• longer in Suspence, know that what tho•• hast so long earnestly wished, is at lengt•• come to pass; thou art now within the Limits of th•• LUNAR WORLD; the im|perceptible Method of thy Conveyanc•• I cannot explain to thy Comprehension; let it suffice to say that some Rays of At|traction, sent down from the Mount o•• Observation, a Spot which from Eart•• appears to be the Nose of the MAN i•• the MOON, drew thee from the Plac•• where thou lay'st asleep; which powerfu••

Operation was not a little facilitated by ••ome sympathetic Pamphlets thou hadst ••n thy Pockets, Pieces originally planned ••n a certain Province of this LUNAR WORLD, and thence inspired into the •…•…oon-struck Authors of them. Upon this ••nformation examining my Pockets, I ••ound three of WHITEFIELD'S Sermons, ••alf a Dozen NORTH-BRITONS, and as ••any Schemes for paying off the Na|••ional Debt, by JACOB HENRIQUES.

At this Point of Time my HOST, as I ••ay call my sage Welcomer, directed a ••ind of Procession, which tho' not grand, ••or very regular, appeared to be calcula|••ed as a high Compliment to me; my •…•…ar of State was drawn by six Animals, ••wo of a Sort, with a Youth of about fif|••een leading each; they were ELEPHANTS, HORSES, and LIONS, all remarkable in ••heir Kinds; the ELEPHANTS were of ••hose which so remarkably contributed to

Victory in a Battle between the ROMANS and PYRRHUS; the Horses were BUCE|PHALUS, and that on which CURTIUS leap'd into the gaping Gulph for the Good of his Country; and as to the LIONS, one of those that let DANIEL pass unmolested, was paired with him that gratefully remembered the Slave who freed his Foot from a tormenting Thorn. These, as well as many extraordinary Creatures of the Human Species, had been translated to the MOON, and are there held in great Regard.

I was shaded by a thin silken Canopy, held over me with great Exactness by six EAGLES of the SUN, their Plumes shining like his Beams, whose Wings kept Pace with the Car, and fanned the Breezes very agreeably around me. A Band of Music preceded the Car, not much unlike that Kind of rude Harmony with which we are told the Antients saluted the

MOON in an Eclipse, supposing her to be at that Time in Labour.

As we approached a Gate, which I per|ceived led into the City, we stopped before a beautiful Arbor, formed by a Circle of most pleasing correspondent Trees; within this Arbor stood a small neat Building, which inclosed a Well call|ed the NOTLAM, or SPRING of PURIFI|CATION: I was led towards it, being told that I was to undergo a Ceremony neces|sary to every Sublunary Being before his Admission into the City.

On each Side the Well stood six beau|tiful Virgins in flowing Robes of Azure, each holding in her Hand something like a Censer of transparent Chrystal: On my Entrance one of them, with the most courteous Solemnity, slowly approached me, and, according to my Conductor's Interpretation, spoke thus:

May'st thou, earth-born Mortal, by drink|ing of this holy Spring, become as cold to Pas|sion, and as pure to Virtue, as its deep and lucid Stream. Having ended, and pre|sented me the Water, she retired; when a second came forward, and sprinkling my Hands, said, May these be the Instru|ments of Industry, and not of Violence. A third, my Breast being bared, sprinkled it, with these Words: May Content ever dwell here, and social Hoppiness be the reign|ing Principle. A fourth bedewed my Head, saying, As Heaven's kindly Rain raises and cherishes the vegetable World, so may these consecrated Drops here bring forth the Fruits of Wisdom and Virtue.

So much of the Ceremony being over, the TWELVE VIRGINS circling round me, dancing all the Time with very odd Ge|stures, and singing a Hymn of Exulta|tion, gave me so plentiful an Ablution, that I began to be weary. Having finish|ed

these Rites, they all prostrated them|••elves before me, and then retired to their ••laces on each Side the WELL.

Sensible of the Pains they had taken, ••nd forgetting where I was, I intended to ••ave made a pecuniary Acknowledge|••ent; but my HOST perceiving the De|••ign, Hold, SON of EARTH, says he, the Works of Religion and Hospitality are ••ot sold here; nor have we any Coin but ••ocial Intercourse and mutual Regard; ••id I not tell thee we had no Envy or Dis|••ord among us, and after that could'st ••hou imagine any Regard would be paid ••o such Dross as Gold? Did we want to •…•…troduce Flames among our Fields, ••earth among our Cattle, Dissensions ••mong our Families, Bloodshed into our ••ities, Diseases into our Bodies, and pe|•…•…ilential Passions into our Minds, that •…•…flammatory Trash would soon effect our •…•…ational and vicious Purposes. Yet,

hold, one pleasing and useful Purpose the Sight of it may serve; lend me what thou hast, that, displaying it to public View, and briefly explaining its pernicious Ef|fects, I may render it, if possible, still more contemptible and hateful to my Brethren of this World.

Here I gave him my Purse, from whence taking some Pieces of Gold, he held them in each Hand, and addressed the Multitude in the following Manner, as he afterwards explained it to me:

Behold, my Friends and Brothers of the ISLAND of NOIBLA, the most favour|ed Spot of all this LUNAR WORLD, be|hold, ye Sons of natural and untainted Liberty, the Fiend who, having got Foot|ing on the Terrestrial Globe, rules every Government, and every Individual, of all Sexes, Ages, and Degrees; for the Sake of Bits like these, dug, by half-fed Slaves,

out of the Bowels of the Earth, to pam|per Pride and Luxury; thousands and ten Thousands march into the bloody Field of War, hung round with the most destructive Weapons of Cruelty, to muti|late and butcher their Fellow-Creatures; for these their Clergy pray; their Law|yers wrangle; their Physicians kill: For these Fathers and their Sons, Mothers and their Daughters, Brethren and Sis|ters, run into the most uncharitable Dis|sensions: Gilded with these, Vice claims Respect, while thread bare Virtue stands shiv'ring and helpless at the unhospitable Doors of Luxury and Pride.

For these Parents match their Chil|dren without the least Regard to mutual Affection; hence splendid Misery glares in so many Places, while calm Content flies their mercenary Dwellings.—Would you persuade; here lies the most power|ful Eloquence:—Would you prove the

Steadiness of a professing Patriot; here is the Touch-stone of intrinsic Worth:—Would you smooth the Wrinkles of Age, or proportion and harmonize Deformity; here is the necromantic Beautifier that can work such Miracles; and that too amongst Animals which boast themselves of Rationality, and yet are so wrapp'd up in Infatuation, that, while they most cau|tiously avoid whatever might be hurtful to the Body, devour, with insatiable and voratious Appetites, this more dangerous Poison of the Mind.—Oh Reason, where is thy Power? Mount, mount for Shame thy Throne, nor longer abdicate thy Judgment-Seat, lest usurping Passions create universal and incurable Confusion.

How, how should we rejoice, my Bre|thren, that, free from the fatal Influence of this Bane to social Happiness, no Blood stains our Fields; no Fears shake our Peace; that Religion is Gratitude, not

Interest; that Inclination, moderated by Prudence, joins every Couple here; that Sons, when arrived to Discretion, enjoy equal Advantages with their Fathers, whom therefore they never wish to bury; that such Failings as we have amongst us cannot either be hid or rendered less shameful by such Tinsel Covering; that here no Tongue will move, no Virgin yield her Honour for mercenary Bribes! Is not this, my Friends, a copious Field for Exultation? A beautiful and solid Ba|sis for just Self-esteem and Congratula|tion? Let Avarice glote upon its shining Heaps; let Glory nod under her blood|stained Plumage; let Ambition swell with fading Honours, while we, oh NOI|BLANS! wish no greater Happiness than an uninterrupted Possession of our virtu|ous Mediocrity; which we do, and ever must, esteem an inexhaustible Source of real and invariable Felicity.

This Oration, pronounced with great Sensibility of Expression, harmonious Ca|dence of Voice, and much Grace of Ac|tion, gained universal Applause from the Crowd: Nor could it fail, for tho' deli|vered to them in a Language which I did not understand, yet the Manner of it struck my Attention deeply. Being end|ed, we again moved on, and in a few Mi|nutes entered the City Gate.