The New Moon, page 18
I thanked him for his kindness, and he told me that he was glad to have been useful to me.
The beginning of my voyage commenced under good auspices, for, on the very day of my arrival, I acquired powerful friends. The generosity of the King, and the sympathy that the Ministers seemed to have for me, assured me of tranquility during my sojourn on the planet, where the inhabitants are generally good. Their stature is slightly less than ours; the women there are similar, although a trifle plump in the face and too gross in a certain part of the body, which probably comes from their being inhabitants of the Moon, for in certain regards they had a hint of the Hottentot Venus about them What would be a deformity among us is a beauty in the inhabitants of the moon; everything is for the best.
I took advantage of the privileges that my title as a guest of the palace gave me, and asked that I might be given some kind of vehicle and a guide in order to visit the realm. I was given a kind of litter carried by two small horses and I set out.
II
The landscape of the Moon is very hilly and mountainous. I saw mountains there of a considerable height, very steep and terminating in a peak. Crags of enormous size can be seen there, and precipices of great depth, which is doubtless why people think they can see eyes, a nose and a mouth on the Moon. The effect that it produces on our eyes when one gazes at it from Earth only comes from the parts of it that are illuminated by the sun, and those which, being are deprived of it, form shadows, and those shadows might come from profound cavities that do not receive any light. In addition to those cavities there are also seas, gulfs, lakes and rivers, which cannot transmit any light; they can, in consequence, be placed at the rank of shadows; and by a bizarrerie of nature, those different parts give the Moon, seen from our Earth, the appearance of a human face.
Seeing nothing very remarkable in the part of the realm that I visited, I climbed into my litter again and continued my journey on a less rugged road. The country was quite pleasant, but monotonous for me; I only saw things similar, or nearly so, to those of Earth. The vegetation and trees were beautiful; some were covered in flowers, others with fruits that were still green. A few birds animated the landscape somewhat; a few inhabitants were occupied in rustic labor, others were grazing flocks of small animals with some analogy to our sheep, and other, larger animals that had no resemblance to any of ours.
I therefore saw nothing that could interest me, or distract me from the ennui that I was beginning to experience, and I resolved to continue my great voyage. I asked my guide to take me back to Enul, from which I would depart to visit the planet Venus, where I hoped to find agreeable distractions
We set out, and that night I slept in my apartment in Enul. Before going to bed I received a visit from the Minister and announced my imminent departure to him. It was still daylight, whereas it was night in my homeland. I asked the Minister whether it would be possible to take my leave of the King; he replied affirmatively. And I followed him to the King, employing the same ceremony as I had on my arrival. I added my thanks for the royal welcome that he had made me, and told him that I was leaving penetrated by his generosity toward me.
When the ceremony was concluded I went back to my apartment and made my preparations. Night had fallen and, in a hurry to depart, I called out “Za, Za, Za.”
My good genius did not make me wait, for a soft voice said to me: “I know what you want of me. You want to leave.”
“Yes, I replied, and as soon as possible.”
“This very instant,” he replied. “Where do you want to go?”
“To Venus.”
“That’s easy, but it’s rather late, and to enjoy the beauty of that planet, it would be better to wait for daylight. Rest tonight, and tomorrow morning, before sunrise, I’ll deposit you near Venere, which is the capital city of that planet.”
“I’ll follow your advice,” I said. “I abandon myself entirely to you.”
I went to bed, but fully dressed, and slept so profoundly that I did not feel my good genius lift me up when, responding to my request, he carried me through the air, whose freshness woke me up.
“We’ll arrive momentarily in Venere,” my good genius said to me. “The Sun is about to appear and illuminate the monuments of that charming city, the most beautiful capital in all the planets. The Sun is rising and lighting it up; look and judge.”
I looked, and remained ecstatic in contemplating all the beautiful things offered to my gaze. I was enchanted.
When Za thought that my admiration and curiosity were satisfied, he said: “I shall now deposit you in the pretty summer-house that you can see from here, near to which are groups of young women lightly dressed in white; some are singing, others playing various instruments and others dancing. Those charming young women are the maids of honor of Queen Vénusté,76 thus named because of her grace, her beauty and the generosity of her mind. The Queen’s maids are quite curious; they won’t take long to see you in the summer-house and hasten to inform the Queen, who will come to visit you. All that will happen as I predict, and soon. I won’t leave you, although I shall still be invisible. Have no fear of anything; whatever happens, I shall always be nearby to protect you, and to defend you if necessary.”
In fact, I soon heard soft music full of harmony, which filled my heart with a keen emotion. I ran to the window of the summer-house and saw a numerous cortege approaching, preceded by richly-dressed individuals. They were followed by young women whose physiognomy respired pleasure and sensuality. They surrounded a palanquin in which a woman of great beauty was seated. She had a young child next to her, who was entirely naked; he was crowned with various flowers, which were in perfect harmony with the curls of his blond hair. He had wings attached to his shoulders and was carrying a quiver full of arrows; he was holding a bow in his left hand. He was the son of Queen Vénusté.
The cortege stopped at the door of the summer-house where I was stationed. One of the important individuals then approached, and I ran out to meet him. He came in and sat on the sofa. He told me that he had come on the Queen’s order to ask who I was and for what reason I had come to her estates. I answered all his questions and he left to make his report to the Queen, who descended from her palanquin shortly thereafter, at the door of my summer-house.
I went to meet her and received her with all the marks of respect due to her rank. She took her place on the sofa and did me the honor of asking me to sit next to her. I was delighted by admiration next to that Queen, so beautiful, so benevolent and so full of graces. She perceived my delight, and capped it by inviting me to go and live in her palace—and offer that I accepted gladly, for I would have at my disposal all the means of visiting the planet and discovering the customs and mores of its inhabitants.
However, a thought crossed my mind and darkened that brilliant dream of happiness slightly. Honored as I would be by the generosity of the Queen, would I not become an object of jealousy and envy for the important people she had with her? Would I not be the target of hatred, calumny and the dangers that might result therefrom?
Those thoughts were darkening my mind when a soft voice said to me: “Don’t worry; have no fear of hatred. As for calumny, a good man ought not to dread it; the testimony of his conscience ought to suffice for him. Don’t torment yourself; Zadir has put you under my protection, and I shall fulfill my mission.”
I therefore departed with Za, who transported me, without my being able to say how, to the door of the Palace, into which I entered. A man suddenly appeared, who excited my curiosity, and several people approached me. Among those people I recognized the man who had come to the summer-house. I asked him to present me to the Queen, which he did with pleasure.
I approached Vénusté with all the external signs of a profound respect. She greeted me graciously, without any other ceremony. We were alone, and she said to me with her characteristic bounty:
“I was waiting for you, and I have prepared an apartment for you in my palace, where you will find everything necessary, and everything that might be agreeable to you, I hope. You meals will be served in your apartment until further notice. My apartment communicates with yours by means of a secret passage and I shall come to see you in order to learn from you many things that I do not know, but which you ought to, for you must have as much science as courage to have succeeded in penetrating into this land, where no stranger has ever appeared before.”
I thanked her for the confidence that she was testifying and told her that I would be glad to be able to give her proofs of my gratitude and devotion. She held out her white hand to me, which I pressed lightly in mine, and I was bold enough to raise it to my lips. She was not offended, and from then on, a sentiment of amity reigned between us.
When I saw the Queen, she said to me: “I have thought that, in order to put an end to the conspiracy that is being woven, you would do well to visit my realm, which you desire to know. An officer will accompany you and provide everything that you might need during your journey. When you return, all the fuss will have died down, and you can remain tranquil next to me.”
I accepted the proposal the Queen had made and left.
III
The country was beautiful. The trees were laden with fruit, for it is hot on that planet, and everything feels that influence. I admired the beauty of meadows enameled with flowers, tall trees in the shade of which handsome young men were lying beside pretty young women, who were laughing as they listened to their affectionate words. I judged that they were affectionate because the couples seemed very animated, and their faces bore the imprint of joy.
All is amour and sensuality on that planet. At the commencement of the journey everything appeared to me to be very reminiscent of Tuscany; afterwards I saw locations that bore a strong resemblance to those one sees between Rome and Naples As much by virtue of the landscape as the heat, there is a good deal of analogy between the planet Venus and the southern part of Italy and Sicily.
Further away, the scene changed, but it lost none of its beauty. Mountains presented a magnificent aspect of waterfalls, cascades and torrents, which reminded me of those of Terni and Tivoli. Those waters alimented a beautiful lake in which pretty young women were bathing: beautiful women with contours as pure as statues by Phidias and Praxiteles. Some were shining whitely in the sunlight by virtue of the beauty of their skin; others were sheltering from the Sun, protected by large rocks and the huge braches of trees that grew among their fissures. They enjoyed an agreeable freshness there. They frolicked in the water like swans; their laughter and great hilarity testified to their happiness.
Further on, I saw beautiful hills covered with trees and bushes, among which I glimpsed a few pretty fabrications formed like little temples. I assumed that they were dedicated to some local deity.
From a bend on one of the hillside I perceived a certain number of buildings, including a few large edifices. I judged that it was a town, and asked my guide. He told me that it was Cyprine, the second city of the realm, and more beautiful than the capital. I wanted to see it and my guide took my carriage into it, which attracted a great deal of curiosity. When they perceived me, that intensified greatly. The news promptly spread through the entire town, and a large crowd surrounded my litter.
They found out from my guide who I was, and the distinction with which the Queen honored me; that was enough for me to obtain the highest regard, so it was not long before I saw the governor of the town arrive; he invited me to dinner and offered me an apartment in the palace where he lived. I thanked him for his courtesy, and accepted.
While waiting for dinner time, I continued my visit to the town and the port, which was known as Porto Venere. I was singularly surprised by that name, which is that of a small Italian town on the shore of the Gulf of Spezia, between Genoa and Livorno. How had that name reached the planet Venus? I don’t know. My genius Za might have known, but I did not want to disturb him merely to satisfy my curiosity.
A short distance from the port I noticed a little island, the sight of which charmed me, and I experienced a desire to visit it. I said so to my guide and he summoned a kind of launch. In very little time we arrived at the island of Cythera—not the ancient isle of Cythera, nowadays known as Cerigo. The interior of the little island was charming; myrtles that were still green, and rose-bushes covered with roses surrounded a little temple of elegant form, which I assumed to have been constructed and educated to the goddess whose name the planet bore.
I was confounded by astonishment. How had all those names reached that planet? How had they been able to construct a little temple in conformity with Greek architecture? I could not get over my surprise—or, rather, my amazement. I had therefore delivered myself profoundly to my reflections when my guide came to inform me that it was time to return to the town in order to respond to the governor’s invitation.
We left, and as soon as we arrived in Cyprine he took me to the governor’s palace, where he received me with distinction. He led me into the dining room, where I found everything prepared for dinner. Around the room there was a sort of vast sofa on which several women of distinction were sitting, all of ravishing beauty. The one who occupied the principal place was the governor’s wife. He introduced me to her.
I saluted by bowing deeply and placing my hands on my head. She replied to my salutation by placing two fingers of her right hand on her forehead and extending her left hand, which was very beautiful, toward me. I took it and bore it to my forehead, in accordance with the instructions I had received from my guide.
When the presentation was complete, a whistle-blast was heard, and all the ladies took their places at the table, each placed in accordance with her rank. The seats were three-legged stools; those which had a back were occupied by women of superior rank.
Dinner was served; it comprised several kinds of meat, principally that of large birds similar to pigeons, which are very numerous in that country, and a few fish, which includes a cyprian fish whose flesh is highly esteemed in the realm, which is very similar to our carp. Afterwards came vegetables, some cooked and others raw, which were seasoned with a kind of cream or piquant juice; that was the salad. It was cleared away, and a kind of dais that seemed to be part of the ceiling descended on to the table, and by that means brought a well-ordered dessert composed of various fruits, compotes and preserves.
During the dinner there were no other beverages than water, but during dessert jars were brought full of a spirituous but sweet liqueur, which I drank with pleasure. The cup that I had before me was filled with it. Because glass is unknown in that country, all liquids are drunk from vessels of fine clay, a sort of kaolin, which, when baked, takes on a transparency equal to our porcelain.
After dinner we went into the garden to an arbor covered in verdure, through which the sun’s rays could not penetrate; one enjoyed a mild coolness there, and breathed the air pleasurably, gently agitated by light breeze. A lady sang; her voice was soft and harmonious. Another lady accompanied her on an instrument similar to a mandolin , and another on a kind of harp, which she plucked with fingers as slender and delicate as those of the Medici Venus.
The agreeable evening was terminated by a few refreshments, brought to us by pretty young women with the gracious and delicate figures with which almost all the women of the planet Venus are endowed; then everyone retired.
When I woke up the next day, I thought that it was time to return to the capital and to Queen Vénusté. I hoped that the absence would have calmed jealous minds. A vain hope. I arrived in the presence of Queen Vénusté, and I read in her eyes that she was glad to see me; when we were alone she told me that the greatest tranquility had reigned since my departure and that she had taken the measures necessary to maintain order, but among the important people of the realm I noticed many somber faces. I pretended not to notice them and made polite advances, to which they responded coldly.
In sum, I read on many faces that they were not pleased to see me again. I had been convinced of that in advance and was not disconcerted. I had no fear of those people but I feared their secret plots, either to have me murdered or to irritate the people and excite them against me. I recalled what my good genius had said on that subject and was no longer anxious, but I expected to see some conspiracy burst forth.
Three days later a crowd of the people presented themselves in large square of the palace, loudly demanding the expulsion of the foreigner, and the leaders of the insurrection demanded to speak to the queen, who permitted the three principal chiefs to be admitted.
The Queen received them in the throne room, sitting on the throne. She was full of grace and majesty. Her throne was surrounded by guards, some of whom were guarding the entrance to the room in order to subdue the noise and ensure that there was no disorder. The three principal leaders of the insurrection were brought in, and the Queen, standing up, asked them what they wanted.
The men, however, dazzled by the Queen’s majesty, the splendor of the throne and everything surrounding them, were nonplused, and were only able to stammer that they had come to beg their gracious sovereign to send the foreigner away.
“Those who sent you,” the Queen said to them, “do not know this stranger. I know him, and I am informed as to the motives that brought him to my realm. What I can tell you, in order to testify to the confidence that I have in you, is that he only came here to ensure your wellbeing. Go tell those you have brought to lack the respect and confidence that you owe your Queen that I shall not send the foreigner away, and that I know how to make myself respected. You are the dupes of schemers who have abused your good faith. Go inform them of my reply. I know those who have prompted you to take this offensive step. Go; I forgive you and think only of making you happy.”
The three leaders withdrew after having sworn devotion and respect to the Queen.
