14
THE ELEPHANT
Of what we every one can swear,
Our Eyes themselves have seen appear;
That, when we publish the Account,
240 We all may take our Oaths upon’t.
This said, they all with one Consent,
Agreed to draw up th’ Instrument,
And, for the gen'ral Satisfaction,
To print it in the next Transaction.
245 But, whilst the Chiefs were drawing up
This strange Memoir o'th' Telescope,
One, peeping in the Tube by Chance,
Beheld the Elephant advance,
And, from the West-side of the Moon,
250 To th’East was in a Moment gone.
This b'ing related gave a Stop
To what the rest were drawing up;
And every Man amaz’d anew,
How it could possibly be true,
255 That any Beast should run a Race
So monstrous, in so short a Space,
Resolv'd, howe'er, to make it good,
At least, as possible as he cou'd;
And rather his own Eyes condemn,
260 Than question what h' had seen with them.
While all were thus resolv'd; a Man,
Of great Renown there, thus began———
'Tis strange, I grant! But who can say
What cannot be; what can, and may?
Our Eyes themselves have seen appear;
That, when we publish the Account,
240 We all may take our Oaths upon’t.
This said, they all with one Consent,
Agreed to draw up th’ Instrument,
And, for the gen'ral Satisfaction,
To print it in the next Transaction.
245 But, whilst the Chiefs were drawing up
This strange Memoir o'th' Telescope,
One, peeping in the Tube by Chance,
Beheld the Elephant advance,
And, from the West-side of the Moon,
250 To th’East was in a Moment gone.
This b'ing related gave a Stop
To what the rest were drawing up;
And every Man amaz’d anew,
How it could possibly be true,
255 That any Beast should run a Race
So monstrous, in so short a Space,
Resolv'd, howe'er, to make it good,
At least, as possible as he cou'd;
And rather his own Eyes condemn,
260 Than question what h' had seen with them.
While all were thus resolv'd; a Man,
Of great Renown there, thus began———
'Tis strange, I grant! But who can say
What cannot be; what can, and may?
