# A Trip to the Moon/Chapter 8

CHAP. VIII.
When Tckbrff had ended this Account, I took my Leave of him, and repair'd to my Lodgings, to go to Rest, being sufficiently tir'd with the Labours of the Day; but I must not omit that I supp'd before I lay down. I had not been long in Bed before I fell into a profound Sleep, in which I had the following Dream. I do not doubt but that lying down upon a full Stomach, might, partly by the Vapours which ascended from my Stomach to my Brain, contribute something to set my Imagination to work; and if the Vapours which ascend from the Stomach to the Head affect the Imagination, I can very well account for the Extravagance and Incoherence of my Dream, since those Vapours must consist of something compounded of the different Sorts of Things which I eat: Yet, not to beg the Question, I will confirm the Doctrine of I know not what Vapours ascending from the Stomach to the Brain, by the Testimony of every old Woman that can order a Vomit for the Head-Ach; and as those Vapours were material, that is, compos'd of Matter finely prepared, and as all Matter must have some Form, it is certain that the Parts of Matter which constituted those Vapours were of several different Forms. Now it is confess'd that those different Forms of the Parts of Matter, is the Reason of the Difference which we perceive in Bodies by ​tafting. Experience also tells us, that by mixing Bodies we may alter what we call their Taste, or Sapor: Now I will leave it to any Man to judge what a strange Confusion of Figures there must be in that Man's Stomach, who supp'd as I did before he lay down: I eat of Flesh of three Kinds, with five Modifications, or, as we call it in mine own Country, Ways of putting Sauce about it, and dressing it. I must be excus'd for not discovering all that I know of it, since I apprehend that it would encourage a new Sect to minister to the Luxury of our modern Epicureans: I eat of two Kinds of Fish, with four Modifications, with other Things which were called Eatables, tho' I am sure I could never make a Meal of them, that had above twenty seven different Modifications, which I counted; they were very like Sweetmeats. All this consider'd, plainly proves that those Vapours which were bred in Confusion, could never end in Regularity and Exactness, especially if we take into the Account the Variety of Liquors which I drank at my Meal, most of which were very volatile. Surely no Philosopher will deny that the Soul cannot be as easily, at least, affected in the Head, as in the Tongue, when he considers the Texture of both, and that the Vapours which affect the Soul in the Brain, bear the same Proportion to that which affects the Soul in the Tongue, that the Brain does to the Tongue.
But as Dreams are often very extravagant, there must be no great Exactness expected in mine: I thought that I was seated in the Play-House of Dublin upon the Earth, near two Criticks, (of the same Shape with those above mention'd,) before the Curtain was drawn, who were in earnest Dispute; each answered the Doubts which the other propos'd, by raising new ones; and they pass'd from one Question to another so fast, that they determin'd none. The Dispute was about the Curtain: One ask'd, whe​ther the Person who made it was a Wig or Tory? Upon the other's answering that he was a Wig, he affirm'd that he was a Tory, and a marry'd Man too, since the Stiches of his Wife, who had a Hand in it, might be distinguish'd from his. The other alledg'd, that the Difference in the Stitches proceeded from a small Prick which he gave his Finger, and that he sow'd it by Candle Light: The other affirm'd, that it was by Day Light, since one might see thro' it: To which was answer'd, that the Holes which were in it, were the Effect of the Taylor's Negligence in pressing it with a too hot Iron. This was obstinately deny'd; and then both quoted the Records of the Play-House, for a Proof of their contrary Opinions. At length they became so angry, by the Opposition they met with from each other, that they forgot what they first contended about, and proceeded to direct Abuse.
While these two were thus abusing each other, a Gentleman, with a very thinking Countenance, address'd himself to me, and said, You see, Sir, how those Persons dispute warmly about Trifles: It is certain, that a Philosopher may learn a good Lesson from any Thing; but these two cannot hit upon the Method of it. If a Man must choose that Curtain for a Subject, let him take the Actors and Audience into Consideration also. You may observe, that in the Curtain before us, there are three remarkable Holes, if we may call that Slit in the Middle one: The two outermost, by bare looking at them, discover that there was some Pains taken with them, and the Rent in the Middle, seems to be at first begun by some Body's Fury. Now to apply: May that those whom you see walking behind the Curtain, be justly compar'd to the learned Part of Mankind, who often look thro' the Curtain, to observe the Behaviour ​of the Audience, which may be compar'd to the World: The Curtain itself may be compared to Ignorance, which hinders them from seeing what they desire to see, without some Trouble; for you see that a Man must either stoop to look thro' the the outermost Holes, or else lift up the Hole to the Height of his Eyes which he comes to. These Holes are like the Works of Aristotle and his Correctors, which we must turn over before we are allow'd to be Part of the learned World, or, to speak more generally, like the beaten Paths of Knowledge. Men that take all upon Trust, stoop down to peep thro' the Holes: Those are mere Drudges, fit for nothing else, but to carry the Burthen of another's Knowledge: Others somewhat superior to them, disdain to stoop, without Reason, to another's Sentiments, and by a Strength of Mind, raise the Hole to their own Height, yet are too cowardly to attempt uncommon Paths. The Rent near the Middle is the Effect of a Genius far above others, and plainly shews that Art had no hand in it. For it is torn, not cut, and has rendered the Veil above it capable of being rent in the same Manner, if Art does not interpose. To this the Celebrated of all Ages came; and it may be observ'd, that the Top of the Slit does not rise higher than the tallest Person's Head that comes to it. These are the Men that find Truth by uncommon Methods, and every one that approaches, it stretches, if not breaks a Thread or two: Others being plac'd in a Way where they might find one of those Holes, thro' a Stupid Carelesness, despise them all, and intend to look at the World thro' the Distance of the Threads in the first Part of the Curtain they come to. To this End they push the Curtain somewhat before them, and if they see any Thing at all, they see it very confusedly; and tho' they remove the Curtain a little forward, ​yet it falls back again beyond its due Situation. We may next consider those that come to the Sides of the Curtain; of which some peep, others shew their whole Body: The former are those, which would observe the World and instruct it, without being known; the latter dare stand its Censure, and shew their Person to give an Authority to their Writings. The Walking of those behind the Curtain to and fro, may be called the Disputes which are among the Learned, each of which would fain prove the rest Block-heads, thro' a vain Conceit, that two of a Trade can never agree; but cannot all the Learned much better———Here I was awaken'd, much troubled that I had not Time to ask this visionary Gentleman some Questions.
I was awakened by a Noise that was made in the next House to me: I arose immediately, as well to see what was the Cause of this Noise which I heard, as to commit my sleeping Conference to my Writing, since I was very distrustful of my Memory. When I had taken this Abstract of my Dream, (for I dare not be very positive in saying that I heard nothing but what I set down) I went out to the Place where the Noise was made. I was mightily surpriz'd at my Entry, to see so many People making Fools of themselves by certain Rules, and dancing themselves into Brutes to Musick. They called this Assembly a Ball, by a Metaphorical Expression; for as in a round Piece of Matter, which is usually called a Ball, all the Parts which make up this Ball are equally subject to all the Motions that can be given to the Ball; so in this Assembly, every one that came into the Room was equally subject to be made a Beast and a Fool of. And further, since a Globe set upon a Plain, as Philosophers tells us, if once moved, would move for ever, if something did not hinder it; so when ​those People have once begun to dance, if their Strength did not fail them, they would never leave off. Besides, they call themselves a Ball, from a Custom which they have of forming a Circle with their Bodies, as Horses do about a Pond, when many go to drink at once. I could not but be griev'd, to see People applaud each other for their Imitation of Beasts, since every Motion of theirs was designed to imitate some Creature which they despised. The Creatures which they chiefly imitated, were Ducks, Horses, and a Pack of Dogs playing after a plentiful Meal: Their Imitation of Ducks, which was slow, and waddling, they called Drptxye; it may be render'd, without much Straining, a Minuet: Their Imitation of a Trooper's Horse, when he is exercising, may be render'd Jiggs: And their Imitation of Dogs, Country-Dances. Their Jiggs were called Csdmno, and their Country-Dances Glghdne. There were some who attempted to imitate the Flying of Birds; but those that could raise themselves highest from the Ground, were most hurted in their Fall. It is but trifling to urge, that by Dancing we learn a graceful Carriage and genteel Behaviour, since those Beasts which we imitate are void of both; and Reason alone should direct us in acquiring them, tho' Custom is now the universal Director: But still the Difficulty is to account, for this Propensity to imitate Brutes. Philosophers divide the Appetite into rational and sensitive; the former is peculiar to Men, the latter we have in common with Beasts: When the Rational governs, all Things are well, and we live as we ought to do: But, from the Moment that the sensitive gets the upper Hand, we commence Brutes. Now the Soul is suppos'd to have its rational End uppermost, when Men do the ordinary Offices of Life, which they are obliged to: But this is a grand Mistake; for the Generality of ​Men eat and sleep by mere Instinct. Besides, I never heard tell of a Medium, which the Philosophers cou'd agree to, between Man and Beast: Hence it is probable, that in a Man's learning to become a Fool, or to dance, that by the violent and frequent Motion of his Body, he shakes the rational End of his Soul into his Heels, which being accustom'd to govern, and impatient of Subjection, causes some Uneasiness in the lower Parts, and keeps them always in Motion. Besides, it is no great Wonder, that those who have the Soul of a Beast to direct their upper Parts, shou'd be strongly inclin'd to brutal Actions.