66a] mother

66a] roof

66a] floor

66a] walls

66a] Emperors

66a] room

66a] West side

66a] room

66a] the rising and setting Sun

66a] arches

66a] bow or arch

66a] for in that World are Diamonds of all colours

66a] stones

66a] appartement

66a] Gold,

66a] once

66a] appartement

66a] Emperors appartement

66a] lights

66a] rooms

66a] Emperors

66a] Attendants,

66a] placed,

66a] arched

66a] mile

66a] men

66a] Emperors

66a] upon the top of the Arch

66a] Emperors

66a] offices

66a] large, and broad

66a] houses

66a] for our

66a] Gold,

66a] paved; the

66a] for Rivers

66a] rocks

66a] foreign invasions

66a] within

66a] world

66a] home-bred insurrections

66a] other foreign wars

66a] peace and happiness,

66a] world,

66a] complexions

66a] partitions;

66a] adventure

66a] lighter

66a] Storm, and

66a] prepared

66a] water

66a] ships

66a] winds; but

66a] leaks, chinks, or clefts

66a] Wooden-ships

66a] ships

66a] Skippers

66a] Gold,

66a] Emperors ships

66a] waves

66a] winds

66a] honey-comb

66a] give them leave; for their ships

66a] liquid

66a] ships,

66a] wind and waves

66a] battle array

66a] ships

66a] tempest

66a] waves

66a] sideward motion

66a] ships

66a] down-right

66a] water

66a] ships;

66a] waves

66a] Town,

66a] steeples

66a] Canons

66a] ships

66a] wind

66a] quanty of air

66a] experimental Philosophers

66a] skillful

66a] kept his residence; very good Navigators they were

66a] their Blazing-world

66a] Grass-green complexion

66a] many

66a] of Woods,

66a] inhabitants

66a] neighbors

66a] Ladies

66a] bodies

66a] Fox-men;

66a] Wild-geese

66a] world

66a] present

66a] Lady,

66a] courtship

66a] constitution

66a] as they were used to eat

66a] paws

66a] houses

66a] Ice

66a] such a wonderful kind of Creatures

66a] understand,

66a] from which came walking upon the Ice strange Creatures

66a] snow

66a] bodies

66a] Lady,

66a] by which skilful Astronomers

66a] Telescopes,

66a] the Suns of the other Worlds

66a] world

66a] Tropicks,

66a] circles

66a] believed;

66a] Suns

66a] World;

66a] least

66a] death,

66a] adventure

66a] those

66a] Experienced

66a] it did by assistance and favour of the Gods

66a] light

66a] lightness

66a] theft

66a] repair,

66a] light

66a] Fathers

66a] steal

66a] love

66a] and beneath her both in Birth and Wealth

66a] Blazing World

66a] TO THE READER.

If you wonder, that I join a work of Fancy to my serious Philosophical Contemplations; think not that it is out of a disparagement to Philosophy; or out of an opinion, as if this noble study were but a Fiction of the Mind; for though Philosophers may err in searching and enquiring after the Causes of Natural effects, and many times embrace falsehoods for Truths; yet this does not prove, that the Ground of Philosophy is merely Fiction, but the error proceeds from the different motions of Reason, which cause different Opinions in different parts, and in some are more irregular then in others; for Reason being dividable, because material, cannot move in all parts alike; and since there is but one Truth in Nature, all those that hit not this Truth, do err, some more, some less; for though some may come nearer the mark then others, which makes their Opinions seem more probable and rational then others; yet as long as they swerve from this only Truth, they are in the wrong: Nevertheless, all do ground their Opinions upon Reason; that is, upon rational probabilities, at least, they think they do: But Fictions are an issue of man's Fancy, framed in his own Mind, according as he pleases, without regard, whether the thing, he fancies, be really existent without his mind or not; so that Reason searches the depth of Nature, and enquires after the true Causes of Natural Effects; but Fancy creates of its own accord whatsoever it pleases, and delights in its own work. The end of Reason, is Truth; the end of Fancy, is Fiction: But mistake me not, when I distinguish Fancy from Reason; I mean not as if Fancy were not made by the Rational parts of Matter; but by Reason I understand a rational search and enquiry into the causes of natural effects; and by Fancy a voluntary creation or production of the Mind, both being effects, or rather actions of the rational part of Matter; of which, as that is a more profitable and useful study then this, so it is also more laborious and difficult, and requires sometimes the help of Fancy, to recreate the Mind, and withdraw it from its more serious Contemplations.

And this is the reason, why I added this Piece of Fancy to my Philosophical Observations, and joined them as two Worlds at the ends of their Poles; both for my own sake, to divert my studious thoughts, which I employed in the Contemplation thereof, and to delight the Reader with variety, which is always pleasing. But left my Fancy should stray too much, I chose such a Fiction as would be agreeable to the subject I treated of in the former parts; it is a Description of a New World, not such as Lucian's, or the French man's World in the Moon; but a World of my own Creating, which I call the Blazing-World: The first part whereof is Romancical, the second Philosophical, and the third is merely Fancy, or (as I may call it) Fantastical; which if it add any satisfaction to you, I shall account my self a Happy Creatoress; if not, I must be content to live a melancholy Life in my own World; I cannot call it a poor World, if poverty be only want of Gold, Silver, and Jewels; for there is more Gold in it then all the Chemists ever did, and (as I verily believe) will ever be able to make. As for the Rocks of Diamonds, I wish with all my soul they might be shared amongst my noble female friends, and upon that condition, I would willingly quit my part; and of the Gold I should only desire so much as might suffice to repair my Noble Lord and Husband's Losses: For I am not Covetous, but as Ambitious as ever any of my Sex was, is, or can be; which makes, that though I cannot be Henry the Fifth, or Charles the Second, yet I endeavor to be Margaret the First; and although I have neither power, time nor occasion to conquer the world as Alexander and Caesar did; yet rather then not to be Mistress of one, since Fortune and the Fates would give me none, I have made a World of my own: for which no body, I hope, will blame me, since it is in every ones power to do the like.

The 1666 appended version of the text contains a different preface, titled "TO THE READER," which justifies the publication of The Blazing World in the same volume as Observations upon Experimental Philosophy.

66a] Blazing-world

66a] creating

66a] Times

66a] Columbus then