the works of edgar allan poe-1-第15章

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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　　
even　this；　as　I　have　said；　is　giving　the　glass　by　far　too　great　　
power。　It　may　be　observed；　in　passing；　that　this　prodigious　glass　is　　
said　to　have　been　molded　at　the　glasshouse　of　Messrs。　Hartley　and　　
Grant；　in　Dumbarton；　but　Messrs。　H。　and　G。's　establishment　had　ceased　　
operations　for　many　years　previous　to　the　publication　of　the　hoax。　

On　page　13；　pamphlet　edition；　speaking　of　〃a　hairy　veil〃　over　the　　
eyes　of　a　species　of　bison；　the　author　says：　〃It　immediately　occurred　　
to　the　acute　mind　of　Dr。　Herschel　that　this　was　a　providential　　
contrivance　to　protect　the　eyes　of　the　animal　from　the　great　extremes　　
of　light　and　darkness　to　which　all　the　inhabitants　of　our　side　of　the　　
moon　are　periodically　subjected。〃　But　this　cannot　be　thought　a　very　　
〃acute〃　observation　of　the　Doctor's。　The　inhabitants　of　our　side　of　　
the　moon　have；　evidently；　no　darkness　at　all；　so　there　can　be　nothing　　
of　the　〃extremes〃　mentioned。　In　the　absence　of　the　sun　they　have　a　　
light　from　the　earth　equal　to　that　of　thirteen　full　unclouded　moons。　

The　topography　throughout；　even　when　professing　to　accord　with　　
Blunt's　Lunar　Chart；　is　entirely　at　variance　with　that　or　any　other　　
lunar　chart；　and　even　grossly　at　variance　with　itself。　The　points　of　　
the　compass；　too；　are　in　inextricable　confusion；　the　writer　appearing　　
to　be　ignorant　that；　on　a　lunar　map；　these　are　not　in　accordance　with　　
terrestrial　points；　the　east　being　to　the　left；　etc。　

Deceived；　perhaps；　by　the　vague　titles；　Mare　Nubium；　Mare　　
Tranquillitatis；　Mare　Faecunditatis；　etc。；　given　to　the　dark　spots　by　　
former　astronomers；　Mr。　L。　has　entered　into　details　regarding　oceans　　
and　other　large　bodies　of　water　in　the　moon；　whereas　there　is　no　　
astronomical　point　more　positively　ascertained　than　that　no　such　　
bodies　exist　there。　In　examining　the　boundary　between　light　and　　
darkness　（in　the　crescent　or　gibbous　moon）　where　this　boundary　　
crosses　any　of　the　dark　places；　the　line　of　division　is　found　to　be　　
rough　and　jagged；　but；　were　these　dark　places　liquid；　it　would　　
evidently　be　even。　

The　description　of　the　wings　of　the　man…bat；　on　page　21；　is　but　a　　
literal　copy　of　Peter　Wilkins'　account　of　the　wings　of　his　flying　　
islanders。　This　simple　fact　should　have　induced　suspicion；　at　least；　　
it　might　be　thought。　

On　page　23；　we　have　the　following：　〃What　a　prodigious　influence　must　　
our　thirteen　times　larger　globe　have　exercised　upon　this　satellite　　
when　an　embryo　in　the　womb　of　time；　the　passive　subject　of　chemical　　
affinity！〃　This　is　very　fine；　but　it　should　be　observed　that　no　　
astronomer　would　have　made　such　remark；　especially　to　any　journal　of　　
Science；　for　the　earth；　in　the　sense　intended；　is　not　only　thirteen；　　
but　forty…nine　times　larger　than　the　moon。　A　similar　objection　　
applies　to　the　whole　of　the　concluding　pages；　where；　by　way　of　　
introduction　to　some　discoveries　in　Saturn；　the　philosophical　　
correspondent　enters　into　a　minute　schoolboy　account　of　that　planet　　
　this　to　the　〃Edinburgh　journal　of　Science！〃　

But　there　is　one　point；　in　particular；　which　should　have　betrayed　the　　
fiction。　Let　us　imagine　the　power　actually　possessed　of　seeing　　
animals　upon　the　moon's　surface　　what　would　first　arrest　the　　
attention　of　an　observer　from　the　earth？　Certainly　neither　their　　
shape；　size；　nor　any　other　such　peculiarity；　so　soon　as　their　　
remarkable　_situation_。　They　would　appear　to　be　walking；　with　heels　　
up　and　head　down；　in　the　manner　of　flies　on　a　ceiling。　The　_real_　　
observer　would　have　uttered　an　instant　ejaculation　of　surprise　　
（however　prepared　by　previous　knowledge）　at　the　singularity　of　their　　
position；　the　_fictitious_　observer　has　not　even　mentioned　the　　
subject；　but　speaks　of　seeing　the　entire　bodies　of　such　creatures；　　
when　it　is　demonstrable　that　he　could　have　seen　only　the　diameter　of　　
their　heads！　

It　might　as　well　be　remarked；　in　conclusion；　that　the　size；　and　　
particularly　the　powers　of　the　man…bats　（for　example；　their　ability　　
to　fly　in　so　rare　an　atmosphereif；　indeed；　the　moon　have　any）；　with　　
most　of　the　other　fancies　in　regard　to　animal　and　vegetable　　
existence；　are　at　variance；　generally；　with　all　analogical　reasoning　　
on　these　themes；　and　that　analogy　here　will　often　amount　to　　
conclusive　demonstration。　It　is；　perhaps；　scarcely　necessary　to　add；　　
that　all　the　suggestions　attributed　to　Brewster　and　Herschel；　in　the　　
beginning　of　the　article；　about　〃a　transfusion　of　artificial　light　　
through　the　focal　object　of　vision；〃　etc。；　etc。；　belong　to　that　　
species　of　figurative　writing　which　comes；　most　properly；　under　the　　
denomination　of　rigmarole。　

There　is　a　real　and　very　definite　limit　to　optical　discovery　among　　
the　starsa　limit　whose　nature　need　only　be　stated　to　be　understood。　　
If；　indeed；　the　casting　of　large　lenses　were　all　that　is　required；　　
man's　ingenuity　would　ultimately　prove　equal　to　the　task；　and　we　　
might　have　them　of　any　size　demanded。　But；　unhappily；　in　proportion　　
to　the　increase　of　size　in　the　lens；　and　consequentl