# The Genuine Remains in Verse and Prose of Mr. Samuel Butler/Volume 1/The Elephant in the Moon, with additions and alterations—in long Verse

THE
ELEPHANT
IN THE
MOON.
IN
LONG VERSE.
* ↑ After the Author had finished this Story in short Verse, he took it in his Head to attempt it in long. That this was compos'd after the other is manifest from its being wrote Opposite to it upon a vacant Part of the same Paper; and though in most Places the Poet has done little more than fill up the Verse with an additional Foot, preserving the same Thought and Rhime, yet, as it is a singular Instance in its Way, and has besides many considerable Additions and Variations, which tend to illustrate and explain the preceding Poem, it may be looked upon not only as a Curiosity in its Kind, but as a new Production of the Author's. This I mention only to obviate the Objections of those, who may think it inserted to fill up the Volume. To the Admirers of Butler, I am sure no Apology is necessary.
* ↑ A Task in vain, unless the German Kepler] This and the following Verses to the End of the Paragraph, are not in the foregoing Composition; and are distinguished, as well as the rest of the same Kind, by being printed in the Italic Character.
* ↑ For th' Ancients only took her for a Piece—Of red-hot Iron as big as Peloponese.] Similar to these are those in Hudibras, And held the Sun was but a Piece Of red-hot Iron, as big as Greece. Hudib. P. II. C. 3. ver 739.
* ↑ Till he appear'd, for which some write, she sent———Upon his Tribe as strange a Punishment.] No doubt by the punishment here mentioned to be sent upon these fantastical and presumptuous Speculators about the Use and Destination of the celestial Bodies, the Poet means Lunacy, or, as Milton expresses it, Moon-struck Madness. Whether Butler in these additional Lines intends to sneer Selenographists in general, or alludes to any particular Passage in Kepler's Deliriums upon this Subject, is more than I can ascertain, as I have not his Books to consult.
* ↑ 73. By which he had compos'd a Pedlar's Jargon, &c.] Butler imputes the same Invention to his Sydrophel, or Sir Paul Neal, where Hudibras, threatning to have him and his Man Whachum seized by the Constable for robbing him, says,They're guilty by their own Confessions Of Felony, and at the Sessions Upon the Bench I will so handle 'em, That the Vibration of this Pendulum Shall make all Taylor's Yards of one Unanimous Opinion: A Thing he long has vapour'd of, But now shall make it out by proof. Hudib. P. II. C. 2. ver. 1021. The Note upon this Passage in Hudibras, may with great Propriety be inserted here, and is as follows: "The Device of the Vibration of a Pendulum, was intended to settle a certain Measure of Ells and Yards, &c. (that should have its Foundation in Nature) all the World over: For by swinging a Weight at the End of a String, and calculating (by the Motion of the Sun, or any Star) how long the Vibration would last, in Proportion to the Length of the String, and Weight of the Pendulum; they thought to reduce it back again, and from any part of Time compute the exact Length of any String that must necessarily vibrate, into so much Space of Time: So that if a Man should ask in China for a Quarter of an Hour of Sattin or Taffata, they would know perfectly what it meant; and all Mankind learn a new Way to measure Things no more by the Yard, Foot, or Inch, but by the Hour, Quarter, or Minute. And here let me inform the Reader, that I have discovered by the Poet's Manuscripts, that this, as well as the other Notes published in the Edition of Hudibras of 1672, is the Author's own; the Ignorance of which has led succeeding Commentators into several Mistakes. To give one Instance only—A Saxon Duke did grow so fat That Mice, (as Histories relate) Eat Grots and Labyrinths to dwell in His postique Parts, without his feeling. Hudib. P. II. C. 1. ver. 205. Butler's own Note upon these Lines is,——— "This History of the Duke of Saxony, is not altogether so strange, as that of a Bishop his Countryman, who was quite eaten up with Rats, and Mice." Dr. Grey's Observation upon the Passage is—"He certainly alludes to the Case of Hatto, Bishop of Mentz (who was devoured by Mice) whom he mistakes for a Saxon Duke, because he is mentioned to have succeeded in that Bishoprick a Person who was advanced to the Dukedom of Saxony.———The above Story of the Saxon Duke could not, in this circumstance of the Mice, suit any of them: though amongst them there were some, that were very fat, namely Henry surnamed Crassus, who lived in the ⟨12th⟩ Century. Had the Doctor been aware, that the first Observation was Butler's he would certainly have spared his own; since it is plain ⟨from⟩ thence, that the Poet must allude either to a real or ⟨imaginary Duke⟩ of Saxony, whom he distinguishes from the Bishop.
* ↑ 100. I' th' Summer-Islands of the Orcades.] It may seem odd, that Butler should term the Orcades Summer-Islands; but it is only a figurative and poetic way of saying in the Orcades in the Summer-season—at which Time they are haunted by infinite Numbers of all kinds of Water-fowl.
* ↑ 121, 122. Another Sophist but of less Renown,—Though longer observation of the Moon.] In the shorter Verse it stands thus:Another of as great Renown And solid Judgment in the Moon. And though the Variation in Words is but small, it makes a considerable Difference in the Character.
* ↑ 125, 126. But for an unpaid weekly Shillings Pension—Had sin'd for Wit, and Judgment, and Invention.] These two Verses are inserted instead of the following in the other Copy in short Measure:And in the Register of Fame, Had entered his long-living Name. The weekly Shillings Pension is, if I am rightly informed, the customary Contribution of each Member of the Royal Society toward the Expences attending it. The Poet had added the two following Lines in this Character, but afterwards cross'd them out.And first found out the building Pauls And paving London with Sea Coals. I transcribe them to gratify the Curiosity of such as are desirous to investigate, who the particular Persons are, that are design'd by these Characters.
* ↑ 203, 204. Which Archimede, so many Years ago—Durst never venture, but to wish to know.] These two Lines are here inserted in a different and better Place, than they were in the shorter Verse, where they made a sort of Parenthesis, and the two following Lines are also omitted:Like Flames of Fires, as others guess, That shine i' th' Mouths of Furnaces.
* ↑ 213. Nor little Stories gain Belief among] In this latter Part of the Speech, Butler makes a considerable Variation, by adding, omitting, and altering, which it would be both tedious and unnecessary minutely to point out, as the Reader may so easily compare the two Poems.
* ↑ 217. Make Chips of Elmes produce the largest Trees,—Or sowing Saw-dust furnish Nurseries.] There wants here a Grammatical Connection, a Fault not very uncommon in Hudibras, and which cannot have escaped the Notice of critical Readers. The Poet alludes to Sprat's Account of the Relations of Things of Art and Nature communicated to the Royal Society, amongst which is that of Elms growing from Chips.—See Sprat's History, p. 197. The other Circumstance of sowing Saw-dust, &c. is added to heighten the Burlesque.
* ↑ 219, 220, 221, 222. No more our heading Darts (a swinging one!)—With Butter only harden'd in the Sun;—Or Men that use to whistle loud enough—To be heard by others plainly five Miles off.] These two ludicrous Particulars refer to Sprat's History, or rather to a small Tract inserted in it, called—A Relation of the Pico Teneriffe, received from some considerable Merchants, and Men worthy of Credit, who went to the Top of it—in which these two wonderful Stories are related. The first is, indeed, a little strained by the Poet, to make it fit his Satire the better.—The latter is literally told by the Relator, where, speaking of the Information he received from one of the Inhabitants, he says—"He told also (and the same was seriously confirmed by a Spaniard, and another Canary Merchant then in the Company) that they whistle so loud as to be heard five Miles off. And that to be in the same Room with them when they whistle, were enough to endanger breaking the Tympanum of the Ear; and added, that he (being in Company of one that whistled his loudest) could not hear perfectly for fifteen Days after, the Noise was so great." See Sprat's Hist, &c. p. 212, and 213.
* ↑ 487, 488. Until they had as many cross Resolves—As Irishmen, that have been turn'd to Wolves.] To what particular Story Butler alludes in these two additional Verses, I cannot discover, nor whether it be to one founded upon the Pythagorean Transmigration, taught by the Druids to the old Irish, or to the French Superstition about the Loups-garoux or Men-Wolves, adopted by the Moderns.
* ↑ And saw 'twas but a Mouse, that by mishap—Had catch'd himself, and them, in th' optic Trap.] It is worth the Reader's Observation, how great an Addition is made to the Wit by a very small Variation in these two Lines from the shorter ones. Butler, to compliment his Mouse for affording him an Opportunity of indulging his satyrical Turn, and displaying his Wit upon this Occasion, has to the End of this Poem subjoined the following Epigrammatical Note.A Mouse, whose martial Valour has so long Ago been try'd, and by old Homer sung, And purchas'd him more everlasting Glory Than all his Grecian, and his Trojan Story; Though he appears unequal matcht, I grant, In Bulk and Stature by the Elephant, Yet frequently has been observ'd in Battle To have reduc'd the proud and haughty Cattle, When having boldly entered the Redoubt, And storm'd the dreadful Outwork of his Snout, The little Vermin, like an Errant-Knight, Has slain the huge gigantick Beast in Fight. Butler formed a Design of writing another Satire upon the Royal Society, part of which I find among his Papers fairly and correctly transcribed. Whether he ever finished it, or the Remainder of it be lost, is uncertain: The Fragment, however, that is preserved, may not improperly be added to this place, as in some sort explanatory of the preceding Poem.A learned Man, whom once a Week A hundred Virtuoso's seek, And like an Oracle apply to, T' ask Questions, and admire, and lye to, Who entertain'd them all of Course (As Men take Wives for better or worse) And past them all for Men of Parts, Though some but Sceptics in their Hearts: For when they're cast into a Lump, Their Talents equally must jump; As Metals mixt, the rich and base Do both at equal Values pass.  With these the ord'nary Debate Was after News, and Things of State, Which Way the dreadful Comet went? In sixty-four, and what it meant! What Nations yet are to bewail The Operation of its Tail; Or whether France, or Holland yet, Or Germany be in its Debt? What Wars and Plagues in Christendom Have happened since, and what to come? What Kings are dead, how many Queens And Princesses are poison'd since; And who shall next of all by Turn Make Courts wear black, and Tradesmen mourn? What Parties next of Foot, or Horse Will rout, or routed be of Course? What German Marches, and Retreats Will furnish the next Month's Gazettes? What pestilent Contagion next, And what Part of the World infects? What dreadful Meteor, and where Shall in the Heavens next appear; And when again shall lay Embargo Upon the Admiral, the good Ship Argo? Why Currents turn in Seas of Ice Some thrice a Day, and some but twice; And why the Tides at Night and Noon Court, like Caligula, the Moon? What is the nat'ral Cause why Fish, That always drink, do never piss; Or whether in their Home the Deep By Night or Day they ever sleep? If Grass be green, or Snow be white, But only as they take the Light? Whether Possessions of the Devil, Or mere Temptations do most evil? What is't, that makes all Fountains still Within the Earth to run up Hill; But on the Outside down again, As if th' Attempt had been in vain? Or what's the strange magnetic Cause, The Steel or Loadstone's drawn, or draws, The Star, the Needle, which the Stone Has only been but touch'd upon? Whether the North-Star's Influence With both does hold Intelligence; (For red-hot Ir'n, held tow'rds the Pole, Turns of it self to't, when 'tis cool) Or whether Male and Female screws In th' Ir'n and Stone th' Effect produce? What makes the Body of the Sun, That such a rapid Course does run, To draw no Tail behind through th' Air, As Comets do, when they appear, Which other Planets cannot do, Because they do not burn, but glow? Whether the Moon be Sea, or Land, Or Charcoal, or a quench'd Firebrand; Or if the dark Holes that appear, Are only Pores, not Cities there? Whether the Atmosphere turn round, And keep a just Pace with the Ground; Or loiter lazily behind, And clog the Air with Gusts of Wind? Or whether Crescents in the Wane (For so an Author has it plain) Do burn quite out, or wear away Their Snuffs upon the Edge of Day? Whether the Sea increase, or waste, And, if it do, how long 'twill last; Or if the Sun approaches near The Earth, how soon it will be there?  These were their learned Speculations And all their constant Occupations; To measure Wind, and weigh the Air, And turn a Circle to a Square; To make a Powder of the Sun, By which all Doctors should b' undone; To find the North-west Passage out, Although the farthest Way about; If Chymists from a Rose's Ashes Can raise the Rose itself in Glasses; Whether the Line of Incidence Rise from the Object, or the Sense? To stew th' Elixir in a Bath Of Hope, Credulity, and Faith; To explicate by subtle Hints The Grain of Diamonds and Flints, And in the Braying of an Ass Find out the Treble and the Base; If Mares neigh alto, and a Cow A double Diapason low. ———————— The rest of this performance is wanting, but I am persuaded, that those, who have a Taste for Butler's Turn and Humour, will think this too curious a Fragment to be lost, though perhaps too imperfect to be formally published. How just this satirical Representation is, and to what particular Men and Treatises the Poet alludes, the Reader may best judge by consulting the Philosophical Transactions of that Age, but more particularly Sprat's Account of the Enquiries and Speculations in which the Members of the Royal Society at first employed themselves.