The Blazing World

By Margaret Cavendish.

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To the
Duchess of Newcastle,
on Her
New Blazing-World.

Our Elder World, with all their Skill and Arts,
Could but divide the World into three Parts:
Columbus, then for Navigation fam’d,
Found a new World, America ’tis nam’d;
Now this new World was found, it was not made,
Onely discovered, lying in Time’s shade.

Then what are You, having no Chaos found
To make a World, or any such least ground?
But your Creating Fancy, thought it fit
To make your World of Nothing, but pure Wit.
Your Blazing-World, beyond the Stars mounts higher,
Enlightens all with a Celestial Fire.

To All Noble and Worthy Ladies

This present Description of a New World, was made as an appendix to my Observations Upon Experimental Philosophy; and, having some sympathy and coherence with each other, were joined together as two several worlds, at their two poles. But, by reason most ladies take no delight in philosophical arguments, I separated some from the mentioned Observations, and caused them to go out by themselves, that I might express my respects, in presenting to them such fancies as my contemplations did afford. The first part is romancical; the second, philosophical; and the third is merely fancy; or, (as I may call it) fantastical. And if (noble ladies) you should chance to take pleasure in reading these fancies, I shall account myself a happy creatoress: If not, I must be content to live a melancholy life in my own world; which I cannot call a poor world, if poverty be only want of gold, and jewels: for, there is more gold in it, than all the chemists ever made; or, (as I verily believe) will ever be able to make. As for the rocks of diamonds, I wish, with all my soul, they might be shared amongst my noble female friends; upon which condition, I would willingly quit my part: And of the gold, I should desire only so much as might suffice to repair my noble lord and husband’s losses: for, I am not covetous, but as ambitious as ever any of my sex was, is, or can be; which is the cause, that though I cannot be Henry the Fifth, or Charles the Second; yet, I will endeavour to be, Margaret the First: and, though I have neither power, time, nor occasion, to be a great conqueror, like Alexander, or Caesar; yet, rather than not be mistress of a world, since Fortune and the Fates would give me none, I have made one of my own. And thus, believing, or, at least, hoping, that no creature can, or will, envy me for this world of mine, I remain,

The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing-World

A merchant travelling into a foreign country, fell extremely in love with a young lady; but being a stranger in that nation, and beneath her, both in birth and wealth, he could have but little hopes of obtaining his desire; however his love growing more and more vehement upon him, even to the slighting of all difficulties, he resolved at last to steal her away; which he had the better opportunity to do, because her father’s house was not far from the sea, and she often using to gather shells upon the shore, accompanied not with above two to three of her servants, it encouraged him the more to execute his design. Thus coming one time with a little light vessel, not unlike a packet-boat, manned with some few seamen, and well victualled, for fear of some accidents, which might perhaps retard their journey, to the place where she used to repair; he forced her away: But when he fancied himself the happiest man of the world, he proved to be the most unfortunate; for Heaven frowning at his theft, raised such a tempest, as they knew not what to do, or whither to steer their course; so that the vessel, both by its own lightness, and the violent motion of the wind, was carried as swift as an arrow out of a bow, towards the North-pole, and in a short time reached the Icy Sea, where the wind forced it amongst huge pieces of ice; but being little, and light, it did by the assistance and favour of the gods to this virtuous lady, so turn and