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THE EPILOGUE TO THE READER.
By this Poetical Description, you may perceive, that
my ambition is not onely to be Emperess, but Authoress
of a whole World; and that the Worlds I have made,
both the Blazing- and the other Philosophical World, mentioned
in the latter part of this Description, are framed
and composed of the most pure, that is, the rational parts of
Matter, which are the parts of my Mind; which Creation
was more easily and suddenly effected, then the Conquests
of the two famous Monarchs of the World, Alexander
and Cæsar: Neither have I made such disturbances,
and caused so many dissolutions of particulars, otherwise named
deaths, as they did; for I have destroyed but some few men
in a little Boat, which died through the extremity of cold,
and that by the hand of Justice, which was necessitated to
punish their crime of stealing away a young and beauteous
Lady. And in the formation of those Worlds, I take
more delight and glory, then ever Alexander or Cæsar did
in conquering this terrestrial world; and though I have made
my Blazing-world, a Peaceable World, allowing it but one
Religion, one Language, and one Government; yet could
I make another World, as full of Factions, Divisions, and
Wars, as this is of Peace and Tranquility; and the rational
figures of my Mind might express as much courage to fight,
as Hector and Achilles had; and be as wise as Nestor, as
Eloquent as Ulysses, and as beautiful as Helen. But I esteeming
Peace before War, Wit before Policy, Honestly before
Beauty; instead of the figures of Alexander, Cæsar,
Hector, Achilles, Nestor, Ulysses, Helen, &c. chose rather
the figure of Honest Margaret Newcastle, which now
I would not change for all this terrestrivl World; and if any
should like the World I have made, and be willing to be my
Subjects, they may imagine themselves such, and they are
such; I mean, in their Minds, Fancies or Imaginations;
but if they cannot endure to be subjects, they may create
Worlds of their own, and Govern themselves as they please:
But yet let them have a care, not to prove unjust Usurpers,
and to rob me of mine; for concerning the Philosophical
World, I am Emperess of it my self; and as for the Blazing-world,
it having an Emperess already, who rules it
with great wisdom and conduct, which Emperess is my dear
Platonick Friend, I shall never prove so unjust, treacherous
and unworthy to her, as to disturb her Government,
much less to depose her from her Imperial Throne, for the
sake of any other; but rather chuse to create another World
for another Friend.
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And if any should like the world I have made,
and be willing to be my subjects, they may imagine themselves such, and they are such—I mean
in their minds, fancies or imaginations. But if they cannot endure to be subjects, they may
create worlds of their own and govern themselves as they please.
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© 2024 by Sarah Reitmeier, except text from The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World, published 1666 by Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle.
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