Than those rude peasants that are found
To live upon the upper ground,
Call'd Privolvans, with whom they are
Perpetually in open war;

And now both armies, highly 'nraged,
Are in a bloody fight engaged,

And many
fall on both sides slain,
As by the glass 'tis clear and plain.
Look quickly then, that every one
May see the fight before 'tis done.
With that a great philosopher,
Admired, and famous far and near,
As one of singular invention,
But universal comprehension,
Apply'd one eye, and half a nose,
Unto the optic engine close:
For he had lately undertook
To prove, and publish in a book,
That men whose nat'ral eyes are out,
May, by more pow'rful art, be brought
To see with th' empty holes, as plain
As if their eyes were in again;
And if they chanced to fail of those,
To make an optic of a nose,

As clearly it may, by those that wear
But spectacles, be made appear,
By which both senses being united,
Does render them much better sighted.
*K 2

This great man, having fixt both sights,
To view the formidable fights,

Observed his best, and then cry'd out, ́·
The battle's desperately fought;
The gallant Subvolvani rally,

And from their trenches make a sally
Upon the stubborn enemy,

Who now begin to rout and fly.

Quoth he, A stranger sight appears Than e'er was seen in all the spheres! A wonder more unparallel'd, Than ever mortal tube beheld; An elephant from one of those Two mighty armies is broke loose, And with the horror of the fight Appears amazed, and in a fright: Look quickly, lest the sight of us Should cause the startled beast t' imboss. It is a large one, far more great Than e'er was bred in Afric yet, From which we boldly may infer, The Moon is much the fruitfuller. And since the mighty Pyrrhus brought Those living castles first, 'tis thought, Against the Romans, in the field, It may an argument be held, (Arcadia being but a piece,

As his dominions were, of Greece)

To prove what this illustrious person

Has made so noble a discourse on,
And amply satisfy'd us all
Of the Privolvans' original.

That Elephants are in the Moon,
Though we had now discover'd none,
Is easily made manifest,

Since, from the greatest to the least,
All other stars and constellations
Have cattle of all sorts of nations,
And heaven, like a Tartar's hoard,
With great and num'rous droves is stored:
And if the Moon produce by nature

A people of so vast a stature,

'Tis consequent she should bring forth
Far greater beasts, too, than the earth,
(As by the best accounts appears
Of all our great'st discoverers)

And that those monstrous creatures there

Are not such rarities as here.

Meanwhile the rest had had a sight

Of all particulars o' th' fight,
And ev'ry man, with equal care,
Perused of th' Elephant his share,
Proud of his int'rest in the glory
Of so miraculous a story;

When one, who for his excellence

In height'ning words, and shad'wing sense,. *K 3