Had all paft Mufter, by mifchance, 490 Both for the Sub, and Privolvans. This, b'ing discover'd, put them all Into a fresh, and fiercer Brawl, Afham'd, that Men fo grave and wife Should be chaldes'd by Gnats and Flies, 495 And take the feeble Infects' Swarms For mighty Troops of Men at Arms; As vain as thofe, who when the Moon Bright in a crystal River shone, Threw Cafting-nets as fu'tly at her, 500 To catch and pull her out o' th' Water. But, when they had unfcrew'd the Glass, To find out, where th' Impoftor was, And faw the Moufe, that by mishap, Had made the Telescope a Trap, 494. Should be chaldes'd by Gnats, and Flies.] The Term chal des'd we meet with in Hudibras in the fame Senfe. He fiole your Cloak, and pick'd your Pocket, like a Blockhead. HUDIB. P. II. C. 3. ver. 1009, 509, 510. That thofe who greedily purfue-Things wonderful, &c.] From this moral Application of the Whole, one may obferve, that the Poet's real Intention in this Satire, was not to ridicule real and ufeful 505 Amaz'd, confounded, and afflicted, Not as they are, but as they pleafe, 510 And, for their Pains, are paid with Scorn. ufeful Philofophy, but only that conceited and whimsical Taste for the marvelous and furprizing, which prevailed fo much among the Learned of that Age. And though it would be ungrateful, not to acknowledge the many ufeful Improvements then made in natural Knowledge; yet, in juftice to the Satyrift, it must be confefs'd that thefe curious Inquirers into Nature did fometimes in their Researches run into a fuperftitious and unphilofophical Credulity, which deferved very well to be laughed at. A Virtuous, learn'd Society, of late Made an Agreement on a Summer's Night, 5 To take a perfect Invent'ry of all Her real Fortunes, or her Perfonal; After the Author had finished this Story in short Verfe, he took it in his Head to attempt it in long. That this was compos'd after the other is manifest from its being wrote oppofite to it upon a vacant Part of the fame Paper; and though in moft Places the Poet has done little more than fill up the Verfe with an additional Foot, preserving the fame Thought and Rhime, yet, as it is a fingular Instance in its Way, and has befides many confiderable Additions and Variations, which tend to illuftrate and explain the preceding Poem, it may be looked upon not only as a Curiofity in its Kind, but as a new Production of the Author's. This I mention only to obviate the Objections of thofe, who may think it inferted to fill up the Volume. To the Admirers of Butler, I am fure no Apology is neceffary. 17. And make a geometrical Survey, Of all her Lands, and how her Country lay, 10 The fly Surveyor's faid t' have funk a Shire: T'observe her Country's Climate, how 'twas planted, And what fhe most abounded with, or wanted ; And draw Maps of her prop'reft Situations For fettling, and erecting new Plantations; 15 If ever the Society fhould incline T'attempt fo great, and glorious a Design: For th' Ancients only took her for a Piece 17. A Talk in vain, unless the German Kepler] This and the following Verfes to the End of the Paragraph, are not in the foregoing Compofition; and are diftinguifhed, as well as the rest of the fame Kind, by being printed in the Italic Character. 21, 22. For th' Ancients only took her for a Piece-Of red-hot Iron as big as Peloponefe.] Similar to thefe Lines are thofe in Hudibras, And beld the Sun was but a Piece HUDIB. P. II. C. 3. ver. 739. 23, 24. Till he appear'd, for which fome write. fhe fentUpon his Tribe as ftrange a Punishment.] No doubt by the Punish ment 25 This was the onlyPurpose of their Meeting, For which they chose a Time, and Place most fitting; When, at the Full, her equal Shares of Light And Influence were at their greatest Height. And now the lofty Telescope, the Scale, 30 By which they venture Heav'n itself t' affail, Was rais'd, and planted full against the Moon; And all the reft ftood ready to fall on, Impatient, who should bear away the Honour To plant an Enfign, first of all, upon her. When one, who for his folid deep Belief, Was chofen Virtuofo then in chief; 35 Had been approv'd the most profound, and wife At folving all Impossibilities, With Gravity advancing, to apply 40 To th' Optick-glafs his penetrating Eye, Cry'd out, Oftrange! then reinforc'd his Sight Against the Moon with all his Art and Might; As if he meant to ftare and gaze her thro', ment here mentioned to be fent upon these fantastical and prefumptuous Speculators about the Ufe and Destination of the celestial Bodies, the Poet means Lunacy, or, as Milton expreffes it, Mon-ftruck Madness. Whether |