as i was amusing myself with these broken speeches, the prefect of giphantia presented me with a mirrour. thou canst only (says he) guess at things: but with thy rod and that glass, thou art going to hear and see both at once; nothing will escape thee; thou wilt be as present to whatever passes.
from space to space (continued the prefect) there are in the atmosphere portions of air which the spirits have so ranged, that they receive the rays reflected from the different parts of the earth, and remit them to this mirrour: 57so that by inclining the glass different ways, the several parts of the earth’s surface will be visible on it. they will all appear one after the other, if the mirrour is placed successively in all possible aspects. it is in thy power to view the habitations of every mortal.
i hastily took up the wonderful glass. in less than a quarter of an hour i surveyed the whole earth.
i perceived many void spaces, even in the most populous countries! and yet i saw men crowding, jostling and destroying one another, as if they had wanted room.
i looked about a good-while for happiness, and found it no where; not even in the most flourishing kingdoms. i saw 58only some signs of it in the villages, which by their remoteness were screened from the contagion of the cities.
i beheld in one view the vast countries which nature meant to separate by still vaster oceans; and i saw men cover the sea with ships, and by that means join even these distant countries. this is plainly acting (said i) against nature’s intentions: such proceedings cannot be crowned with success. accordingly, europe does not appear more happy since her junction with america: and i do not know whether she has not more reason to lament it.
i saw prejudices vary with the climates, and, every where, do much good and much harm.
59i beheld wise nations rejoice at the birth of their children, and deplore the death of their relations and friends: i beheld others more wise stand round the new-born babe, and weep bitterly at the thoughts of the storms he was to undergo in the course of his life; they reserved their rejoicings for funerals, and congratulated the deceased upon their being delivered from the miseries of this world.
i saw the earth covered with monuments of all kinds, which human weakness erects to the ambition of heroes. in the very temples, the brass and the marble, which contain the remains of the dead, present images of war, and breathe slaughter: the very statues of those friends of mankind, of those pacific sovereigns, whom the calamities of 60the times involve in short wars, are adorned with warlike instruments and nations in chains, as if laurels died in blood were only worthy to crown kings.
i saw the most respectable of human propensities carry men to the strangest excesses. some were addressing their prayers to the sun, others were imploring the aid of the moon, and others prostrating themselves before mountains; one was trembling at the aspect of thundering jove, another was bending the knee to an ape. the ox, the dog, the cat, had their altars. incense was burning even to vegetables; grain, beans, and onions had their worship and votaries.
i saw the race of mankind divide themselves into as many parties as religions; 61these parties i saw divest themselves of all humanity and cloath themselves with fanaticism, and these fanatics worrying one another like wild beasts.
i saw men who adored the same god, who sacrificed upon the same altar, who preached to the people the doctrine of peace and love, i saw these very men fall out about unintelligible questions, and mutually hate, persecute, and destroy one another. o god! what will become of man, if thy goodness doth not exceed their weakness and folly?
in a word, i saw the several nations, diversified in a thousand respects, all agree in their not being one better than another. all men are bad, the ultramontane 62by system, the iberian by pride, the batavian by interest, the german by roughness, the islander by humour, the babylonian by caprice, and all by a general corruption of heart.
