The Blazing World

all of diamonds and carbuncles; in one hand she held a buckler, made of one entire carbuncle; and in the other hand a spear of one entire diamond; on her head she had a cap of diamonds, and just upon the top of the crown, was a star made of the star-stone, mentioned heretofore; and a half-moon made of the same stone, was placed on her forehead; all her other garments were of several sorts of precious jewels; and having given her Fish-men directions how to destroy the enemies of her native country, she proceeded to effect her design. The Fish-men were to carry the fire-stones in cases of diamonds (for the diamonds in the Blazing-World, are in splendor so far beyond the diamonds of this world, as pebble-stones are to the best sort of this world’s diamonds) and to uncase or uncover those fire-stones no sooner but when they were just under the enemy’s ships, or close at their sides, and then to wet them, and set their ships on fire; which was no sooner done, but all the enemy’s fleet was of a flaming fire; and coming to the place where the powder was, it straight blew them up; so that all the several navies of the enemies, were destroyed in a short time: which when her countrymen did see, they all cried out with one voice, that she was an angel sent from God to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies: Neither would she return into the Blazing-World, until she had forced all the rest of that world to submit to that same nation.

In the meantime, the general of all their naval forces, sent to their sovereign to acquaint him with their miraculous delivery and conquest, and with the Empress’s design of making him the most powerful monarch of all that world. After a short time, the Empress sent herself, to the sovereign of that nation to know in what she could be serviceable to him; who returning her many thanks, both for her assistance against his enemies, and her kind proffer to do him further service for the good and benefit of his nations (for he was king over several kingdoms) sent her word, that although she did partly destroy his enemies by sea, yet, they were so powerful, that they did hinder the trade and traffic of his dominions. To which the Empress returned this answer, that she would burn and sink all those ships that would not pay him tribute; and forthwith sent to all the neighbouring nations, who had any traffic by sea, desiring them to pay tribute to the king and sovereign of that nation where she was born; But they denied it with great scorn. Whereupon, she immediately commanded her Fish-men, to destroy all strangers’ ships that trafficked on the seas; which they did according to the Empress’s command; and when the neighbouring nations and kingdoms perceived her power, they were so discomposed in their affairs and designs, that they knew not what to do: At last they sent to the Empress, and desired to treat with her, but could get no other conditions than to submit and pay tribute to the said king and sovereign of her native country, otherwise, she was resolved to ruin all their trade and traffic by burning their ships. Long was this treaty, but in fine, they could obtain nothing, so that at last they were enforced to submit; by which the king of the mentioned nations became absolute master of the seas, and consequently of that world; by reason, as I mentioned heretofore, the several nations of that world could not well live without traffic and commerce, by sea, as well as by land.

But after a short time, those neighbouring nations finding themselves so much enslaved, that they were hardly able to peep out of their own dominions without a chargeable tribute, they all agreed to join again their forces against the king and sovereign of the said dominions; which when the Empress received notice of, she sent out her Fish-men to destroy, as they had done before, the remainder of all their naval power, by which they were soon forced again to submit, except some nations which could live without foreign traffic, and some whose trade and traffic was merely by land; these would no ways be tributary to the mentioned king. The Empress sent them word, that in case they did not submit to him, she intended to fire all their towns and cities, and reduce them by force, to what they would not yield with a good will. But they rejected and scorned her Majesty’s message, which provoked her anger so much, that she resolved to send her Bird- and Worm-men thither, with order to begin first with their smaller towns, and set them on fire (for she was loath to make more spoil than she was forced to do) and if they remained still obstinate in their resolutions, to destroy also their greater cities. The only difficulty was, how to convey the Worm-men conveniently to those places; but they desired that her Majesty would but set them upon any part of the earth of those nations, and they could travel within the earth as easily, and as nimbly as men upon the face of the earth; which the Empress did according to their desire.

But before both the Bird- and Worm-men began their journey, the Empress commanded the Bear-men to view through their telescopes what towns and cities those were that would not submit; and having a full information thereof, she instructed the Bird- and Bear-men what towns they should begin withal; in the meanwhile she sent to all the princes and sovereigns of those nations, to let them know that she would give them a proof of her power, and check their obstinacies by burning some of their smaller towns; and if they continued still in their obstinate resolutions, that she would convert their smaller loss into