the works of edgar allan poe-1-第19节

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crosses　any　of　the　dark　places；　the　line　of　division　is　found　to　be　　
rough　and　jagged；　but；　were　these　dark　places　liquid；　it　would　　
evidently　be　even。　

The　description　of　the　wings　of　the　man…bat；　on　page　21；　is　but　a　　
literal　copy　of　Peter　Wilkins'　account　of　the　wings　of　his　flying　　
islanders。　This　simple　fact　should　have　induced　suspicion；　at　least；　　
it　might　be　thought。　

On　page　23；　we　have　the　following：　〃What　a　prodigious　influence　must　　
our　thirteen　times　larger　globe　have　exercised　upon　this　satellite　　
when　an　embryo　in　the　womb　of　time；　the　passive　subject　of　chemical　　
affinity！〃　This　is　very　fine；　but　it　should　be　observed　that　no　　
astronomer　would　have　made　such　remark；　especially　to　any　journal　of　　
Science；　for　the　earth；　in　the　sense　intended；　is　not　only　thirteen；　　
but　forty…nine　times　larger　than　the　moon。　A　similar　objection　　
applies　to　the　whole　of　the　concluding　pages；　where；　by　way　of　　
introduction　to　some　discoveries　in　Saturn；　the　philosophical　　
correspondent　enters　into　a　minute　schoolboy　account　of　that　planet　　
　this　to　the　〃Edinburgh　journal　of　Science！〃　

But　there　is　one　point；　in　particular；　which　should　have　betrayed　the　　
fiction。　Let　us　imagine　the　power　actually　possessed　of　seeing　　
animals　upon　the　moon's　surface　　what　would　first　arrest　the　　
attention　of　an　observer　from　the　earth？　Certainly　neither　their　　
shape；　size；　nor　any　other　such　peculiarity；　so　soon　as　their　　
remarkable　_situation_。　They　would　appear　to　be　walking；　with　heels　　
up　and　head　down；　in　the　manner　of　flies　on　a　ceiling。　The　_real_　　
observer　would　have　uttered　an　instant　ejaculation　of　surprise　　
（however　prepared　by　previous　knowledge）　at　the　singularity　of　their　　
position；　the　_fictitious_　observer　has　not　even　mentioned　the　　
subject；　but　speaks　of　seeing　the　entire　bodies　of　such　creatures；　　
when　it　is　demonstrable　that　he　could　have　seen　only　the　diameter　of　　
their　heads！　

It　might　as　well　be　remarked；　in　conclusion；　that　the　size；　and　　
particularly　the　powers　of　the　man…bats　（for　example；　their　ability　　
to　fly　in　so　rare　an　atmosphereif；　indeed；　the　moon　have　any）；　with　　
most　of　the　other　fancies　in　regard　to　animal　and　vegetable　　
existence；　are　at　variance；　generally；　with　all　analogical　reasoning　　
on　these　themes；　and　that　analogy　here　will　often　amount　to　　
conclusive　demonstration。　It　is；　perhaps；　scarcely　necessary　to　add；　　
that　all　the　suggestions　attributed　to　Brewster　and　Herschel；　in　the　　
beginning　of　the　article；　about　〃a　transfusion　of　artificial　light　　
through　the　focal　object　of　vision；〃　etc。；　etc。；　belong　to　that　　
species　of　figurative　writing　which　comes；　most　properly；　under　the　　
denomination　of　rigmarole。　

There　is　a　real　and　very　definite　limit　to　optical　discovery　among　　
the　starsa　limit　whose　nature　need　only　be　stated　to　be　understood。　　
If；　indeed；　the　casting　of　large　lenses　were　all　that　is　required；　　
man's　ingenuity　would　ultimately　prove　equal　to　the　task；　and　we　　
might　have　them　of　any　size　demanded。　But；　unhappily；　in　proportion　　
to　the　increase　of　size　in　the　lens；　and　consequently　of　　
space…penetrating　power；　is　the　diminution　of　light　from　the　object；　　
by　diffusion　of　its　rays。　And　for　this　evil　there　is　no　remedy　within　　
human　ability；　for　an　object　is　seen　by　means　of　that　light　alone　　
which　proceeds　from　itself；　whether　direct　or　reflected。　Thus　the　　
only　〃artificial〃　light　which　could　avail　Mr。　Locke；　would　be　some　　
artificial　light　which　he　should　be　able　to　throw…not　upon　the　〃focal　　
object　of　vision；〃　but　upon　the　real　object　to　be　viewed…to　wit：　upon　　
the　moon。　It　has　been　easily　calculated　that；　when　the　light　　
proceeding　from　a　star　becomes　so　diffused　as　to　be　as　weak　as　the　　
natural　light　proceeding　from　the　whole　of　the　stars；　in　a　clear　and　　
moonless　night；　then　the　star　is　no　longer　visible　for　any　practical　　
purpose。　

The　Earl　of　Ross's　telescope；　lately　constructed　in　England；　has　a　　
_speculum_　with　a　reflecting　surface　of　4；071　square　inches；　the　　
Herschel　telescope　having　one　of　only　1；811。　The　metal　of　the　Earl　of　　
Ross's　is　6　feet　diameter；　it　is　5　1/2　inches　thick　at　the　edges；　and　　
5　at　the　centre。　The　weight　is　3　tons。　The　focal　length　is　50　feet。　

I　have　lately　read　a　singular　and　somewhat　ingenious　little　book；　　
whose　title…page　runs　thus：　〃L'Homme　dans　la　lvne　ou　le　Voyage　　
Chimerique　fait　au　Monde　de　la　Lvne；　nouuellement　decouuert　par　　
Dominique　Gonzales；　Aduanturier　Espagnol；　autrem閠　dit　le　Courier　　
volant。　Mis　en　notre　langve　par　J。　B。　D。　A。　Paris；　chez　Francois　　
Piot；　pres　la　Fontaine　de　Saint　Benoist。　Et　chez　J。　Goignard；　au　　
premier　pilier　de　la　grand'salle　du　Palais；　proche　les　Consultations；　　
MDCXLVII。〃　Pp。　76。　

The　writer　professes　to　have　translated　his　work　from　the　English　of　　
one　Mr。　D'Avisson　（Davidson？）　although　there　is　a　terrible　ambiguity　　
in　the　statement。　〃J'　en　ai　eu；〃　says　he　〃l'original　de　Monsieur　　
D'Avisson；　medecin　des　mieux　versez　qui　soient　aujourd'huy　dans　la　　
c騨oissance　des　Belles　Lettres；　et　sur　tout　de　la　Philosophic　　
Naturelle。　Je　lui　ai　cette　obligation　entre　les　autres；　de　m'　auoir　　
non　seulement　mis　en　main　cc　Livre　en　anglois；　mais　encore　le　　
Manuscrit　du　Sieur　Thomas　D'Anan；　gentilhomme　Eccossois；　　
recommandable　pour　sa　vertu；　sur　la　version　duquel　j'　advoue　que　j'　　
ay　tir？le　plan　de　la　mienne。〃　

After　some　irrelevant　adventures；　much　in　the　manner　of　Gil　Blas；　and　　
which　occupy　the　first　thirty　pages；　the　author　relates　that；　being　　
ill　during　a　sea　voyage；　the　crew　abandoned　him；　together　with　a　　
negro　servant；　on　the　island　of　St。　Helena。　To　increase　the　chances　　
of　obtaining　food；　the　two　separate；　and　live　as　far　apart　as　　
possible。　This　brings　about　a　training　of　birds；　to　serve　the　purpose　　
of　carrier…pigeons　between　them。　By　and　by　these　are　taught　to　carry　　
parcels　of　some　weight…and　this　weight　is　gradually　increased。　At　　
length　the　idea　is　entertained　of　uniting　the　force　of　a　great　number　　
of　the　birds；　with　a　view　to　raising　the　author　himself。　A　machine　is　　
contrived　for　the　purpose；　and　we　have　a　minute　description　of　it；　　
which　is　materially　helped　out　by　a　steel　engraving。　Here　we　perceive　　
the　Signor　Gonzales；　with　point　ruffles　and　a　huge　periwig；　seated　　
astride　something　which　resembles　very　closely　a　broomstick；　and　　
borne　aloft　by　a　multitude　of　wild　swans　_（ganzas）　_who　had　strings　　
reaching　from　their　tails　to　the　machine。　

The　main　event　detailed　in　the　Signor's　narrative　depends　upon　a　very　　
important　fact；　of　which　the　reader　is　kept　in　ignorance　until　near　　
the　end　of　the　book。　The　_ganzas；　_with　whom　he　had　become　so　　
familiar；　were　not　really　denizens　of　St。　Helena；　but　of　the　moon。　　
Thence　it　had　been　their　custom；　time　out　of　mind；　to　migrate　　
annually　to　some　portion　of　the　earth。　In　proper　season；　of　course；　　
they　would　return　home；　and　the　author；　happening；　one　day；　to　　
require　their　services　for　a　short　voyage；　is　unexpectedly　carried　　
straight　tip；　and　in　a　very　brief　period　arrives　at　the　satellite。　　
Here　he　finds；　among　other　odd　things；　that　the　people　enjoy　extreme　　
happiness；　that　they　have　no　_law；　_that　they　die　without　pain；　that　　
they　are　from　ten　to　thirty　feet　in　height；　that　they　live　five　　
thousand　years；　that　they　have　an　emperor　called　Irdonozur；　and　that　　
they　can　jump　sixty　feet　high；　when；　being　out　of　the　gravitating　　
influence；　they　fly　about　with　fans。　

I　cannot　forbear　giving　a　specimen　of　the　general　_philosophy　_of　the　　
volume。　

〃I　must　not　forget　here；　that　the　stars　appeared　only　on　that　side　of　　
the　globe　turned　toward　the　moon；　and　that　the　closer　they　were　to　it　　
the　larger　they　seemed。　I　have　also　me　and　the　earth。　As　to　the　　
stars；　_since　there　was　no　night　where　I　was；　they　always　had　the　　
same　appearance；　not　brilliant；　as　usual；　but　pale；　and　very　nearly　　
like　the　moon　of　a　morning。　_But　few　of　them　were　visible；　and　these　　
ten　times　larger　（as　well　as　I　could　judge）　than　they　seem　to　the　　
inhabitants　of　the　earth。　The　moon；　which　wanted　two　days　of　being　　
full；　was　of　a　terrible　bigness。　

　〃I　must　not　forget　here；　that　the　stars　appeared　only　on　that　side　　
of　the　globe　turned　toward　the　moon；　and　that　the　closer　they　were　to　　
it　the　larger　they　seemed。　I　have　also　to　inform　you　that；　whether　it　　
was　calm　weather　or　stormy；　I　found　myself　_always　immediately　　
between　the　moon　and　the　earth。_　I_　_was　convinced　of　this　for　two　　
reasons…because　my　birds　always　flew　in　a　straight　line；　and　because　　
whenever　we　attempted　to　rest；　_we　were　carried　insensibly　around　the　　
globe　of　the　earth。　_For　I　admit　the　opinion　of　Copernicus；　who　　
maintains　that　it　never　ceases　to　revolve　_from　the　east　to　the　west；　　
_not　upon　the　poles　of　the　Equinoctial；　commonly　called　the　poles　of　　
the　world；　but　upon　those　of　the　Zodiac；　a　question　of　which　I　　
propose　to　speak　more　at　length　here…after；　when　I　shall　have　leisure　　
to　refresh　my　memory　in　regard　to　the　astrology　which　I　learned　at　　
Salamanca　when　young；　and　have　since　forgotten。〃　

Notwithstanding　the　blunders　italicized；　the　book　is　not　without　s