the works of edgar allan poe-1-第18节

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and　depending　upon；　that　of　the　orbs　of　the　planet　and　the　
satellites；　and　by　means　of　which　the　lives　and　destinies　of　the　
inhabitants　of　the　one　are　interwoven　with　the　lives　and　destinies　of　
the　inhabitants　of　the　other；　and　above　all；　if　it　so　please　your　
Excellencies　　above　all；　of　those　dark　and　hideous　mysteries　which　
lie　in　the　outer　regions　of　the　moon　　regions　which；　owing　to　the　
almost　miraculous　accordance　of　the　satellite's　rotation　on　its　own　
axis　with　its　sidereal　revolution　about　the　earth；　have　never　yet　
been　turned；　and；　by　God's　mercy；　never　shall　be　turned；　to　the　
scrutiny　of　the　telescopes　of　man。　All　this；　and　more…　much　more　　
would　I　most　willingly　detail。　But；　to　be　brief；　I　must　have　my　
reward。　I　am　pining　for　a　return　to　my　family　and　to　my　home；　and　as　
the　price　of　any　farther　communication　on　my　part　　in　consideration　
of　the　light　which　I　have　it　in　my　power　to　throw　upon　many　very　
important　branches　of　physical　and　metaphysical　science　　I　must　
solicit；　through　the　influence　of　your　honorable　body；　a　pardon　for　
the　crime　of　which　I　have　been　guilty　in　the　death　of　the　creditors　
upon　my　departure　from　Rotterdam。　This；　then；　is　the　object　of　the　
present　paper。　Its　bearer；　an　inhabitant　of　the　moon；　whom　I　have　
prevailed　upon；　and　properly　instructed；　to　be　my　messenger　to　the　
earth；　will　await　your　Excellencies'　pleasure；　and　return　to　me　with　
the　pardon　in　question；　if　it　can；　in　any　manner；　be　obtained。

〃I　have　the　honor　to　be；　etc。；　your　Excellencies'　very　humble　
servant；

HANS　PFAALL。〃

Upon　finishing　the　perusal　of　this　very　extraordinary　document；　
Professor　Rub…a…dub；　it　is　said；　dropped　his　pipe　upon　the　ground　in　
the　extremity　of　his　surprise；　and　Mynheer　Superbus　Von　Underduk　
having　taken　off　his　spectacles；　wiped　them；　and　deposited　them　in　
his　pocket；　so　far　forgot　both　himself　and　his　dignity；　as　to　turn　
round　three　times　upon　his　heel　in　the　quintessence　of　astonishment　
and　admiration。　There　was　no　doubt　about　the　matter　　the　pardon　
should　be　obtained。　So　at　least　swore；　with　a　round　oath；　Professor　
Rub…a…dub；　and　so　finally　thought　the　illustrious　Von　Underduk；　as　he　
took　the　arm　of　his　brother　in　science；　and　without　saying　a　word；　
began　to　make　the　best　of　his　way　home　to　deliberate　upon　the　
measures　to　be　adopted。　Having　reached　the　door；　however；　of　the　
burgomaster's　dwelling；　the　professor　ventured　to　suggest　that　as　the　
messenger　had　thought　proper　to　disappear　　no　doubt　frightened　to　
death　by　the　savage　appearance　of　the　burghers　of　Rotterdam　　the　
pardon　would　be　of　little　use；　as　no　one　but　a　man　of　the　moon　would　
undertake　a　voyage　to　so　vast　a　distance。　To　the　truth　of　this　
observation　the　burgomaster　assented；　and　the　matter　was　therefore　at　
an　end。　Not　so；　however；　rumors　and　speculations。　The　letter；　having　
been　published；　gave　rise　to　a　variety　of　gossip　and　opinion。　Some　of　
the　over…wise　even　made　themselves　ridiculous　by　decrying　the　whole　
business；　as　nothing　better　than　a　hoax。　But　hoax；　with　these　sort　of　
people；　is；　I　believe；　a　general　term　for　all　matters　above　their　
comprehension。　For　my　part；　I　cannot　conceive　upon　what　data　they　
have　founded　such　an　accusation。　Let　us　see　what　they　say：

Imprimus。　That　certain　wags　in　Rotterdam　have　certain　especial　
antipathies　to　certain　burgomasters　and　astronomers。

Don't　understand　at　all。

Secondly。　That　an　odd　little　dwarf　and　bottle　conjurer；　both　of　whose　
ears；　for　some　misdemeanor；　have　been　cut　off　close　to　his　head；　has　
been　missing　for　several　days　from　the　neighboring　city　of　Bruges。

Well　　what　of　that？

Thirdly。　That　the　newspapers　which　were　stuck　all　over　the　little　
balloon　were　newspapers　of　Holland；　and　therefore　could　not　have　been　
made　in　the　moon。　They　were　dirty　papers　　very　dirty　　and　Gluck；　
the　printer；　would　take　his　Bible　oath　to　their　having　been　printed　
in　Rotterdam。

He　was　mistaken　　undoubtedly　　mistaken。

Fourthly；　That　Hans　Pfaall　himself；　the　druken　villain；　and　the　three　
very　idle　gentlemen　styled　his　creditors；　were　all　seen；　no　longer　
than　two　or　three　days　ago；　in　a　tippling　house　in　the　suburbs；　
having　just　returned；　with　money　in　their　pockets；　from　a　trip　beyond　
the　sea。

Don't　believe　it　　don't　believe　a　word　of　it。

Lastly。　That　it　is　an　opinion　very　generally　received；　or　which　ought　
to　be　generally　received；　that　the　College　of　Astronomers　in　the　city　
of　Rotterdam；　as　well　as　other　colleges　in　all　other　parts　of　the　
world；　　not　to　mention　colleges　and　astronomers　in　general；　　are；　
to　say　the　least　of　the　matter；　not　a　whit　better；　nor　greater；　nor　
wiser　than　they　ought　to　be。

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~　

Notes　to　Hans　Pfaal　

｛*1｝　NOTEStrictly　speaking；　there　is　but　little　similarity　between　　　
the　above　sketchy　trifle　and　the　celebrated　〃Moon…Story〃　of　Mr。　　　
Locke；　but　as　both　have　the　character　of　_hoaxes　_（although　the　one　　　
is　in　a　tone　of　banter；　the　other　of　downright　earnest）；　and　as　both　　
hoaxes　are　on　the　same　subject；　the　moonmoreover；　as　both　attempt　　
to　give　plausibility　by　scientific　detailthe　author　of　〃Hans　　
Pfaall〃　thinks　it　necessary　to　say；　in　_self…defence；　_that　his　own　　
_jeu　d'esprit　_was　published　in　the　〃Southern　Literary　Messenger〃　　
about　three　weeks　before　the　commencement　of　Mr。　L's　in　the　〃New　York　　
Sun。〃　Fancying　a　likeness　which；　perhaps；　does　not　exist；　some　of　the　　
New　York　papers　copied　〃Hans　Pfaall；〃　and　collated　it　with　the　　
〃Moon…Hoax；〃　by　way　of　detecting　the　writer　of　the　one　in　the　writer　　
of　the　other。　

As　many　more　persons　were　actually　gulled　by　the　〃Moon…Hoax〃　than　　
would　be　willing　to　acknowledge　the　fact；　it　may　here　afford　some　　
little　amusement　to　show　why　no　one　should　have　been　deceived…to　　
point　out　those　particulars　of　the　story　which　should　have　been　　
sufficient　to　establish　its　real　character。　Indeed；　however　rich　the　　
imagination　displayed　in　this　ingenious　fiction；　it　wanted　much　of　　
the　force　which　might　have　been　given　it　by　a　more　scrupulous　　
attention　to　facts　and　to　general　analogy。　That　the　public　were　　
misled；　even　for　an　instant；　merely　proves　the　gross　ignorance　which　　
is　so　generally　prevalent　upon　subjects　of　an　astronomical　nature。　

The　moon's　distance　from　the　earth　is；　in　round　numbers；　240；000　　
miles。　If　we　desire　to　ascertain　how　near；　apparently；　a　lens　would　　
bring　the　satellite　（or　any　distant　object）；　we；　of　course；　have　but　　
to　divide　the　distance　by　the　magnifying　or；　more　strictly；　by　the　　
space…penetrating　power　of　the　glass。　Mr。　L。　makes　his　lens　have　a　　
power　of　42；000　times。　By　this　divide　240；000　（the　moon's　real　　
distance）；　and　we　have　five　miles　and　five　sevenths；　as　the　apparent　　
distance。　No　animal　at　all　could　be　seen　so　far；　much　less　the　minute　　
points　particularized　in　the　story。　Mr。　L。　speaks　about　Sir　John　　
Herschel's　perceiving　flowers　（the　Papaver　rheas；　etc。）；　and　even　　
detecting　the　color　and　the　shape　of　the　eyes　of　small　birds。　Shortly　　
before；　too；　he　has　himself　observed　that　the　lens　would　not　render　　
perceptible　objects　of　less　than　eighteen　inches　in　diameter；　but　　
even　this；　as　I　have　said；　is　giving　the　glass　by　far　too　great　　
power。　It　may　be　observed；　in　passing；　that　this　prodigious　glass　is　　
said　to　have　been　molded　at　the　glasshouse　of　Messrs。　Hartley　and　　
Grant；　in　Dumbarton；　but　Messrs。　H。　and　G。's　establishment　had　ceased　　
operations　for　many　years　previous　to　the　publication　of　the　hoax。　

On　page　13；　pamphlet　edition；　speaking　of　〃a　hairy　veil〃　over　the　　
eyes　of　a　species　of　bison；　the　author　says：　〃It　immediately　occurred　　
to　the　acute　mind　of　Dr。　Herschel　that　this　was　a　providential　　
contrivance　to　protect　the　eyes　of　the　animal　from　the　great　extremes　　
of　light　and　darkness　to　which　all　the　inhabitants　of　our　side　of　the　　
moon　are　periodically　subjected。〃　But　this　cannot　be　thought　a　very　　
〃acute〃　observation　of　the　Doctor's。　The　inhabitants　of　our　side　of　　
the　moon　have；　evidently；　no　darkness　at　all；　so　there　can　be　nothing　　
of　the　〃extremes〃　mentioned。　In　the　absence　of　the　sun　they　have　a　　
light　from　the　earth　equal　to　that　of　thirteen　full　unclouded　moons。　

The　topography　throughout；　even　when　professing　to　accord　with　　
Blunt's　Lunar　Chart；　is　entirely　at　variance　with　that　or　any　other　　
lunar　chart；　and　even　grossly　at　variance　with　itself。　The　points　of　　
the　compass；　too；　are　in　inextricable　confusion；　the　writer　appearing　　
to　be　ignorant　that；　on　a　lunar　map；　these　are　not　in　accordance　with　　
terrestrial　points；　the　east　being　to　the　left；　etc。　

Deceived；　perhaps；　by　the　vague　titles；　Mare　Nubium；　Mare　　
Tranquillitatis；　Mare　Faecunditatis；　etc。；　given　to　the　dark　spots　by　　
former　astronomers；　Mr。　L。　has　entered　into　details　regarding　oceans　　
and　other　large　bodies　of　water　in　the　moon；　whereas　there　is　no　　
astronomical　point　more　positively　ascertained　than　that　no　such　　
bodies　exist　there。　In　examining　the　boundary　between　light　and　　
darkness　（in　the　crescent　or　gibbous　moon）　where　this　boundary　　
crosses　any　of　the　dark　places；　the　line　of　division　is　found　to　be　　
rough　and　jagged；　but；　were　the