A Trip to the Moon/Preface

by Murtagh McDermot

 

THE

PREFACE.

 

AM not ignorant to what Danger Treatises of this Nature are liable, on account of a Mistake that prevails among the more ignorant Sort, who deny the Transmigration of an Inhabitant of one Planet to another, as firmly as they deny the Transmigration of Souls from one Body to another, But tho' I do not take upon me to defend the latter, since I dare not pretend to argue better than Pythagoras has done, yet I hold the former, and bring the most convincing Argument for it, Experience. I went, I saw, I return'd; I ventur'd my Life many Times for the Information of my Countrymen, who, I hope, will shortly by their own Ingenuity, confirm what I have said. There is one Objection against this Piece, which I think ought to be remov'd. It may be said, that the Author never has been in the Moon, since he relates very little, but what is observable among us, for he talks of Plays, Coffee-Houses, Balls, Ladies, Teas Intriguing, Pythagoreans, and other Things, which may be easily apply'd to our selves, and are in Use among us. To this I answer,

First, That to condemn a Man without sufficient Evidence, is contrary to our Irish Statutes, neither can suck Evidence be had, till some Body arrives from the Moon, who I am sure will bear Witness to all I have set down.

Secondly, The Similitude of Manners is but a weak Objection. Does not every Body know that Nature in all her Works delights in Uniformity? Why then may not the Inhabitants of our secondary Planet be like us in their Behaviour? I doubt not, but if I had seen more of them I should have been able to describe Persons like some of our Neighbours. As to what is said concerning Government, let none misapply it: I had sworn Allegiance to King George the First of glorious Memory, before my Departure, and was always firmly attach'd to the Hanoverian Succession, against the base Pretensions of a cowardly, spurious, Popish Pretender; besides, a monarchical Government can never be applied with the the least probability to the Crown of Great Britain. In the next Place, let me make some Apology for endeavouring to account for some Things in an uncommon Manner.

The best Philosophers have been famous for their own Conjectures, some of which I have follow'd, and made bold to add my own, where they were not very positive. Other Accounts I have related according to the receiv'd Doctrine of the Moon, for which I am oblig'd to my dear Friend Tckbrff.

What has been said, may suffice to vindicate me from such Aspersions as evil-minded Persons may cast upon me, who look no higher than their own native Earth. It remains that I address my self to those of a more generous Disposition, who I hope will excuse small Faults, and impute them rather to my Ignorance, than to any design of imposing on the Publick.