The Man in the Moone

Francis Godwin, William Poole

• Publisher: Broadview Press
• Year: 2009
• ISBN:
  9781460401309
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literature General
• Index: Literature

Arguably the first work of science fiction in English, Francis Godwin's The Man in the Moone was published in 1638, pseudonymously and posthumously. The novel, which tells the story of Domingo Gonsales, a Spaniard who flies to the moon by geese power and encounters an advanced lunar civilization, had an enormous impact on the European imagination for centuries after its initial publication. With its discussion of advanced ideas about astronomy and cosmology, the novel is an important example of both popular fiction and scientific speculation.

This Broadview Edition includes a critical introduction that places the text in its scientific and historical contexts. The rich selection of appendices includes related writings by Godwin and his predecessors and contemporaries on magnetism, human flight, voyages to real and unreal lands, and the possibility of extra-terrestrial life.

THE MAN IN THE
MOONE:

OR
A DISCOURSE OF A
VOYAGE THITHER
BY
DOMINGO GONSALES
THE SPEEDY MESSENGER

[A3r]
To the Ingenious Reader.

THOU hast here an essay of Fancy, where Invention is shewed with Judgment. It was not the Authors intention (I presume) to discourse thee into a beleife of each particular circumstance. [A3v] Tis fit thou allow him a liberty of conceite; where thou takest to thy selfe a liberty of judgment. In substance thou hast here a new discovery of a new world, which perchance may finde little better entertainment in thy opinion, than that of Columbus at first, in the esteeme of all men. Yet his than¹ but poore espiall of America, betray’d unto knowledge soe much as [A4r] hath since encreast into a vaste plantation. And the then unknowne, to be now of as large extent as all other the knowne world.

That there should be Antipodes was once thought as great a Paradox as now that the Moon should bee habitable.² But the knowledge of this may seeme more properly reserv’d for this our discovering age: In which our Galilæusses, [A4v] can by advantage of their spectacles³ gaze the Sunne into spots, & descry mountaines in the Moon.⁴ But this, and more in the ensuing discourse I leave to thy candid censure, & the faithfull relation of the little eye-witnesse,⁵ our great discoverer,ⁱ

E.M.⁶

[1]
THE MAN IN THE MOONE.

IT is well enough and sufficiently knowne to all the countries of Andaluzia, that I Domingo Gonsales, was borne of Noble parentage, and that in the renowned City of Sivill, to wit in the yeare 1552.⁷ my Fathers name being Therrandoⁱⁱ Gonsales, (that was neere kinsman by the mothers side unto Don [2] Pedro Sanchez that worthy Count of Almenara,) and as for my Mother, she was the daughter of the Reverend and famous Lawyer, Otho Perez de Sallaveda, Governour of Barcellona, and Corrigidor⁸ of Biscaia: being the youngest of 17 Children they had, I was put to schoole, and intended by them unto the Church. But our Lord purposing to use my service in matters of farre other nature and quality, inspired me with spending sometime in the warres. It was at the time that Don Fernando,ⁱⁱⁱ the Noble and thrice renowned Duke D’Alva,⁹ was sent into the Low Countries, viz. the yeare of Grace 1568. I then following the current of my foresaid desire, leaving the Vniversitie of Salamanca,¹⁰ (whither my Parents had sent me) without giving knowledge unto any of my dearest friends, got mee through France, unto Antwerp, where in the [3] moneth of Iune 1569, I arrived in something poore estate. For having sold my Bookes and Bedding, with such other stuffe as I had, which happily yeelded me some 30 duckats and borrowed of my Fathers friends some 20 more, I bought mee a little nagge with which I travailed more thriftily than young Gentlemen are wont ordinarily to doe: Vntill at last arriving within a league of Antwerp, certaine of the cursed Geuses¹¹ set upon mee, and bereaved me of Horse, monie, and all: Whereupon I was faine (through want and necessitie,) to enter into the service of Marshal Cossey¹² a French Nobleman, whom I served truly in honourable place, although mine enemies gave it out to my disgrace that I was his horse-keepers boy. But for that matter I shall referre my selfe unto the report of the Count Mansfield,¹³ Mounsieur Tavier,¹⁴ [4] and other men of knowne worth and estimation; who have often testified unto many of good credit yet living, the very truth in that behalfe, which indeed is this, that Mounsieur Cossey,^iv who about that time had been sent Embassador unto the Duke D’Alva; Governour of the Low Countries, he I say, understanding the Nobility of my birth, and my late misfortune; thinking it would bee no small honour to him, to have a Spanyard of that qualitie about him, furnished mee with horse, armour, and whatsoever I wanted, using my service in nothing so much (after once I had learned the French tongue)¹⁵ as writing his Letters, because my hand indeed was then very faire. In the time of warre, if upon necessitie I now and then dressed mine own Horse, it ought not to be cast in my teeth, seeing I hold it the part of a Gentleman, [5] for setting forward the service of his Prince, to submit himselfe unto the vilest office. The first expedition I was in, was against the Prince of Orange,¹⁶ at what time the Marshall my friend aforesaid, met him making a roade into France, and putting him to flight, chased him even unto the walls of Cambray.¹⁷ It was my good hap at that time to defeat a horseman of the enemy, by killing his Horse with my pistoll, which falling upon his leg, so as he could not stirre, hee yeelded himselfe to my mercie; but I knowing mine owne weaknesse of bodie, and seeing him a lustie tall fellow, thought it my surest way to dispatch him, which having done, I rifled him of a chaine, monie, and other things to the value of 200 ducats: no sooner was that money in my purse, but I began to resume the remembrance of my nobilitie, and [6] giving unto Mounsieur Cossey^v the Besa Los Manos,¹⁸ I got my selfe imediately unto the Dukes court, where were divers of my kindred, that (now they saw my purse full of good Crownes) were ready enough to take knowledge of mee; by their meanes I was received into pay, and in processe of time obtained a good degree of favour with the Duke, who sometimes would jeast a little more broadly at my personage than I could well brook. For although I must acknowledge my stature to be so little, as no man there is living I thinke lesse, yet in asmuch as it was the work of God, and not mine, hee ought not to have made that a meanes to dishonour a Gentleman with all. And those things which have happened unto mee, may bee an example, that great and wonderfull things may be performed by most unlikely bodies, if [7] the mind be good, and the blessing of our Lord doe second and follow the endeavours of the same. Well, howsoever the Dukes merriments went against my stomacke, I framed my selfe the best I could to dissemble my discontent, and by such my patience accommodating my selfe also unto some other his humors [sic], so wan his favour, as at his departure home into Spaine, (whither I attended him) the Year 1573¹⁹ by his favour and some other accidents, (I will say nothing of my owne industry, wherein I was not wanting to my selfe) I was able to carry home in my purse the value of 3000 Crownes. At my returne home my Parents, that were marvellously displeased with my departure, received mee with great joy; and the rather, for that they saw I brought with mee meanes to maintaine my selfe without their charge, [8] having a portion sufficient of mine owne, so that they needed not to defalke²⁰ any thing from my brethren or sisters for my setting up. But fearing I would spend it as lightly as I got it, they did never leave importuning mee, till I must needs marry the daughter of a Portugais a Merchant of Lisbon, a man of great wealth and dealings, called Iohn Figueres. Therein I satisfied their desire, and putting not onely my marriage money, but also a good part of mine owne Stock into the hands of my father in Law, or such as hee wished mee unto, I lived in good sort, even like a Gentleman, with great content for divers yeares. At last it fell out, that some disagreement happened between me and one Pedro Delgades a Gentleman of my kinne, the causes whereof are needlesse to be related, but so farre this dissention grew betweene us, [9] as when no mediation of friends could appease the same, into the field wee went together alone with our Rapiers, where my chance was to kill him, being a man of great strength, and tall stature. But what I wanted of him in strength, I supplied with courage, and my nimblenesse more then countervailed his stature. This fact²¹ being committed in Carmona, I fled with all the speed I could to Lisbone, thinking to lurke with some friend of my Father in-lawes, till the matter might bee compounded, and a course taken for a sentence of Acquittall by consent of the prosecutors. This matter fell out in the Yeare 1596. even at that time that a certaine great Count of ours came home from the West-Indies, in triumphant manner, boasting and sending out his declarations in print, of a [10] great victory hee had obtained against the English, neere the Isle of Pines. Whereas the truth is, he got of the English nothing at all in that Voyage, but blowes and a great losse.²²

Would to God that lying and Vanitie had beene all the faults he had; his covetousnesse was like to bee my utter undoing, although since it hath proved a meanes of eternizing my name for ever with all Posteritie, (I verily hope) and to the unspeakable good of all mortall men, that in succeeding ages the world shall have, if at the leastwise it may please God that I doe returne safe home againe into my Countrie, to give perfect instructions how those admirable devices, and past all credit²³ of possibilitie, which I have light upon, may be imparted unto publique use. You shal [11] then see men to flie from place to place in the ayre; you shall be able, (without moving or travailing of any creature,) to send messages in an instant many Miles off, and receive answer againe immediately; you shall bee able to declare your minde presently unto your friend, being in some private and remote place of a populous Citie, with a number of such like things:²⁴ but that which far surpasseth all the rest, you shall have notice of a new World, of many most rare and incredible secrets of Nature, that all the Philosophers of former ages could never so much as dreame off. But I must be advised, how I be over-liberall, in publishing these wonderfull mysteries, till the Sages of our State have considered how farre the use of these things may stand with the Policy and good government of our [12] Countrey, as also with the Fathers of the Church, how the publication of them, may not prove prejudiciall to the affaires of the Catholique faith and Religion, which I am taught (by those wonders I have seen above any mortall man that hath lived in many ages past) with all my best endeavours to advance, without all respect of temporall good, and soe I hope I shall.²⁵

But to goe forward with my narration, so it was that the bragging Captaine above named, made shew of great discontentment, for the death of the said Delgades, who was indeed some kinne unto him. Howbeit hee would have been intreated, so that I would have given him no lesse than 1000. Ducats (for his share) to have put up his Pipes,²⁶ and surceased all suite in his [13] Kinsmans behalfe; I had by this time (besides a wife) two sonnes, whom I liked not to beggar by satisfying the desire of this covetous braggart and the rest, and therefore constrained of necessity to take another course, I put my selfe in a good Caricke that went for the East Indies, taking with me the worth of 2000. Ducats to traffique withall, being yet able to leave so much more for the estate of my wife and children, whatsoever might become of me, and the goods I carried with me. In the Indies I prospered exceeding well, bestowing my stocke in Iewells, namely, for the most part in Diamonds, Emeraulds, and great Pearle; of which I had such peniworths, as my stocke being safely returned into Spaine, (so I heard it was) must needs yeeld ten for one. But my selfe upon...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Francis Godwin and his Contemporaries: A Brief Chronology
• A Note on the Text
• The Man in the Moone
• Textual Notes
• Appendix A: Francis Godwin, Nuncius Inanimatus (1629)
• Appendix B: From Lucian of Samosata, The True History
• Appendix C: From William of Newburgh, “On the Green Children” (1196-98)
• Appendix D: Arguments about Aliens (Philip Melanchthon, Tommaso Campanella, John Wilkins)
• Appendix E: From Jan Huygen van Linschoten, Discours of Voyages into the Easte and West Indies (1596)
• Appendix F: From Mark Ridley, A Short Treatise of Magneticall Bodies and Motions (1613)
• Appendix G: From Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy (1621, 1628)
• Appendix H: From John Wilkins, Mathematicall Magick (1648)
• Bibliography and Works Cited