the works of edgar allan poe-1-第16部分

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boots；　I　cut　loose　from　the　balloon　the　car　itself；　which　was　of　no　
inconsiderable　weight；　and　thus；　clinging　with　both　hands　to　the　
net…work；　I　had　barely　time　to　observe　that　the　whole　country；　as　far　
as　the　eye　could　reach；　was　thickly　interspersed　with　diminutive　
habitations；　ere　I　tumbled　headlong　into　the　very　heart　of　a　
fantastical…looking　city；　and　into　the　middle　of　a　vast　crowd　of　ugly　
little　people；　who　none　of　them　uttered　a　single　syllable；　or　gave　
themselves　the　least　trouble　to　render　me　assistance；　but　stood；　like　
a　parcel　of　idiots；　grinning　in　a　ludicrous　manner；　and　eyeing　me　and　
my　balloon　askant；　with　their　arms　set　a…kimbo。　I　turned　from　them　in　
contempt；　and；　gazing　upward　at　the　earth　so　lately　left；　and　left　
perhaps　for　ever；　beheld　it　like　a　huge；　dull；　copper　shield；　about　
two　degrees　in　diameter；　fixed　immovably　in　the　heavens　overhead；　and　
tipped　on　one　of　its　edges　with　a　crescent　border　of　the　most　
brilliant　gold。　No　traces　of　land　or　water　could　be　discovered；　and　
the　whole　was　clouded　with　variable　spots；　and　belted　with　tropical　
and　equatorial　zones。

〃Thus；　may　it　please　your　Excellencies；　after　a　series　of　great　
anxieties；　unheard　of　dangers；　and　unparalleled　escapes；　I　had；　at　
length；　on　the　nineteenth　day　of　my　departure　from　Rotterdam；　arrived　
in　safety　at　the　conclusion　of　a　voyage　undoubtedly　the　most　
extraordinary；　and　the　most　momentous；　ever　accomplished；　undertaken；　
or　conceived　by　any　denizen　of　earth。　But　my　adventures　yet　remain　to　
be　related。　And　indeed　your　Excellencies　may　well　imagine　that；　after　
a　residence　of　five　years　upon　a　planet　not　only　deeply　interesting　
in　its　own　peculiar　character；　but　rendered　doubly　so　by　its　intimate　
connection；　in　capacity　of　satellite；　with　the　world　inhabited　by　
man；　I　may　have　intelligence　for　the　private　ear　of　the　States'　
College　of　Astronomers　of　far　more　importance　than　the　details；　
however　wonderful；　of　the　mere　voyage　which　so　happily　concluded。　
This　is；　in　fact；　the　case。　I　have　much　　very　much　which　it　would　
give　me　the　greatest　pleasure　to　communicate。　I　have　much　to　say　of　
the　climate　of　the　planet；　of　its　wonderful　alternations　of　heat　and　
cold；　of　unmitigated　and　burning　sunshine　for　one　fortnight；　and　more　
than　polar　frigidity　for　the　next；　of　a　constant　transfer　of　
moisture；　by　distillation　like　that　in　vacuo；　from　the　point　beneath　
the　sun　to　the　point　the　farthest　from　it；　of　a　variable　zone　of　
running　water；　of　the　people　themselves；　of　their　manners；　customs；　
and　political　institutions；　of　their　peculiar　physical　construction；　
of　their　ugliness；　of　their　want　of　ears；　those　useless　appendages　in　
an　atmosphere　so　peculiarly　modified；　of　their　consequent　ignorance　
of　the　use　and　properties　of　speech；　of　their　substitute　for　speech　
in　a　singular　method　of　inter…communication；　of　the　incomprehensible　
connection　between　each　particular　individual　in　the　moon　with　some　
particular　individual　on　the　earth　　a　connection　analogous　with；　
and　depending　upon；　that　of　the　orbs　of　the　planet　and　the　
satellites；　and　by　means　of　which　the　lives　and　destinies　of　the　
inhabitants　of　the　one　are　interwoven　with　the　lives　and　destinies　of　
the　inhabitants　of　the　other；　and　above　all；　if　it　so　please　your　
Excellencies　　above　all；　of　those　dark　and　hideous　mysteries　which　
lie　in　the　outer　regions　of　the　moon　　regions　which；　owing　to　the　
almost　miraculous　accordance　of　the　satellite's　rotation　on　its　own　
axis　with　its　sidereal　revolution　about　the　earth；　have　never　yet　
been　turned；　and；　by　God's　mercy；　never　shall　be　turned；　to　the　
scrutiny　of　the　telescopes　of　man。　All　this；　and　more…　much　more　　
would　I　most　willingly　detail。　But；　to　be　brief；　I　must　have　my　
reward。　I　am　pining　for　a　return　to　my　family　and　to　my　home；　and　as　
the　price　of　any　farther　communication　on　my　part　　in　consideration　
of　the　light　which　I　have　it　in　my　power　to　throw　upon　many　very　
important　branches　of　physical　and　metaphysical　science　　I　must　
solicit；　through　the　influence　of　your　honorable　body；　a　pardon　for　
the　crime　of　which　I　have　been　guilty　in　the　death　of　the　creditors　
upon　my　departure　from　Rotterdam。　This；　then；　is　the　object　of　the　
present　paper。　Its　bearer；　an　inhabitant　of　the　moon；　whom　I　have　
prevailed　upon；　and　properly　instructed；　to　be　my　messenger　to　the　
earth；　will　await　your　Excellencies'　pleasure；　and　return　to　me　with　
the　pardon　in　question；　if　it　can；　in　any　manner；　be　obtained。

〃I　have　the　honor　to　be；　etc。；　your　Excellencies'　very　humble　
servant；

HANS　PFAALL。〃

Upon　finishing　the　perusal　of　this　very　extraordinary　document；　
Professor　Rub…a…dub；　it　is　said；　dropped　his　pipe　upon　the　ground　in　
the　extremity　of　his　surprise；　and　Mynheer　Superbus　Von　Underduk　
having　taken　off　his　spectacles；　wiped　them；　and　deposited　them　in　
his　pocket；　so　far　forgot　both　himself　and　his　dignity；　as　to　turn　
round　three　times　upon　his　heel　in　the　quintessence　of　astonishment　
and　admiration。　There　was　no　doubt　about　the　matter　　the　pardon　
should　be　obtained。　So　at　least　swore；　with　a　round　oath；　Professor　
Rub…a…dub；　and　so　finally　thought　the　illustrious　Von　Underduk；　as　he　
took　the　arm　of　his　brother　in　science；　and　without　saying　a　word；　
began　to　make　the　best　of　his　way　home　to　deliberate　upon　the　
measures　to　be　adopted。　Having　reached　the　door；　however；　of　the　
burgomaster's　dwelling；　the　professor　ventured　to　suggest　that　as　the　
messenger　had　thought　proper　to　disappear　　no　doubt　frightened　to　
death　by　the　savage　appearance　of　the　burghers　of　Rotterdam　　the　
pardon　would　be　of　little　use；　as　no　one　but　a　man　of　the　moon　would　
undertake　a　voyage　to　so　vast　a　distance。　To　the　truth　of　this　
observation　the　burgomaster　assented；　and　the　matter　was　therefore　at　
an　end。　Not　so；　however；　rumors　and　speculations。　The　letter；　having　
been　published；　gave　rise　to　a　variety　of　gossip　and　opinion。　Some　of　
the　over…wise　even　made　themselves　ridiculous　by　decrying　the　whole　
business；　as　nothing　better　than　a　hoax。　But　hoax；　with　these　sort　of　
people；　is；　I　believe；　a　general　term　for　all　matters　above　their　
comprehension。　For　my　part；　I　cannot　conceive　upon　what　data　they　
have　founded　such　an　accusation。　Let　us　see　what　they　say：

Imprimus。　That　certain　wags　in　Rotterdam　have　certain　especial　
antipathies　to　certain　burgomasters　and　astronomers。

Don't　understand　at　all。

Secondly。　That　an　odd　little　dwarf　and　bottle　conjurer；　both　of　whose　
ears；　for　some　misdemeanor；　have　been　cut　off　close　to　his　head；　has　
been　missing　for　several　days　from　the　neighboring　city　of　Bruges。

Well　　what　of　that？

Thirdly。　That　the　newspapers　which　were　stuck　all　over　the　little　
balloon　were　newspapers　of　Holland；　and　therefore　could　not　have　been　
made　in　the　moon。　They　were　dirty　papers　　very　dirty　　and　Gluck；　
the　printer；　would　take　his　Bible　oath　to　their　having　been　printed　
in　Rotterdam。

He　was　mistaken　　undoubtedly　　mistaken。

Fourthly；　That　Hans　Pfaall　himself；　the　druken　villain；　and　the　three　
very　idle　gentlemen　styled　his　creditors；　were　all　seen；　no　longer　
than　two　or　three　days　ago；　in　a　tippling　house　in　the　suburbs；　
having　just　returned；　with　money　in　their　pockets；　from　a　trip　beyond　
the　sea。

Don't　believe　it　　don't　believe　a　word　of　it。

Lastly。　That　it　is　an　opinion　very　generally　received；　or　which　ought　
to　be　generally　received；　that　the　College　of　Astronomers　in　the　city　
of　Rotterdam；　as　well　as　other　colleges　in　all　other　parts　of　the　
world；　　not　to　mention　colleges　and　astronomers　in　general；　　are；　
to　say　the　least　of　the　matter；　not　a　whit　better；　nor　greater；　nor　
wiser　than　they　ought　to　be。

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~　

Notes　to　Hans　Pfaal　

｛*1｝　NOTEStrictly　speaking；　there　is　but　little　similarity　between　　　
the　above　sketchy　trifle　and　the　celebrated　〃Moon…Story〃　of　Mr。　　　
Locke；　but　as　both　have　the　character　of　_hoaxes　_（although　the　one　　　
is　in　a　tone　of　banter；　the　other　of　downright　earnest）；　and　as　both　　
hoaxes　are　on　the　same　subject；　the　moonmoreover；　as　both　attempt　　
to　give　plausibility　by　scientific　detailthe　author　of　〃Hans　　
Pfaall〃　thinks　it　necessary　to　say；　in　_self…defence；　_that　his　own　　
_jeu　d'esprit　_was　published　in　the　〃Southern　Literary　Messenger〃　　
about　three　weeks　before　the　commencement　of　Mr。　L's　in　the　〃New　York　　
Sun。〃　Fancying　a　likeness　which；　perhaps；　does　not　exist；　some　of　the　　
New　York　papers　copied　〃Hans　Pfaall；〃　and　collated　it　with　the　　
〃Moon…Hoax；〃　by　way　of　detecting　the　writer　of　the　one　in　the　writer　　
of　the　other。　

As　many　more　persons　were　actually　gulled　by　the　〃Moon…Hoax〃　than　　
would　be　willing　to　acknowledge　the　fact；　it　may　here　afford　some　　
little　amusement　to　show　why　no　one　should　have　been　deceived…to　　
point　out　those　particulars　of　the　story　which　should　have　been　　
sufficient　to　establish　its　real　character。　Indeed；　however　rich　the　　
imagination　displayed　in　this　ingenious　fiction；　it　wanted　much　of　　
the　force　which　might　have　been　given　it　by　a　more　scrupulous　　
attention　to　facts　and　to　general　analogy。　That　the　public　were　　
misled；　even　for　an　instant；　merely　proves　the　gross　ignorance　which　　
is　so　generally　prevalent　upon　subjects　of　an　astronomical　nature。　

The　moon's　distance　from　the　earth　is；　in　round　numbers；　240；000　　
miles。　If　we　desire　to　ascertain　how　near；　apparently；　a　lens　would　　
bring　the　satellite　（or　any　distant　object）；　we；　of　course；　have　but　　
to　divide　the　distance　by　the　magnifying　or；　more　strictly；　by　the　　
space…penetrating　power　of　the　glass。　Mr。　L。　makes　his　lens　have　a　　
power　of　42；000　times。　By　this　divide　240；000　（the　moon's　real　　
distance）；　and　we　have　five　miles　and　five　sevenths；　as　the　apparent　　
distance。　No　animal　at　all　could　be　seen　so　far；　much　less　the　minute　　
points　particularized　in　the　story。　Mr。　L。　speaks　about　Sir　John　　
Herschel's　perceiving　flowers　（the　Papaver　rheas；　etc。）；　and　even　　
detecting　the　color　and　the　shape　of　the　eyes　of　small　birds。　Shortly　　
before；　too；　he　has　himself　observed　that　the　lens　would　not　render　　
perceptible　objects　of　less　than　eighteen　inches　in　diameter；　but　　
ev