The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-12
CYRANO AND HIS VOYAGE TO THE NOON"
Curious Book BY the the


Cyrano de Bergerac-he of the bic
nose. whom Edmund Rostand has sc
recently immortalxed in his play-was
great man in his day. Not only did
be assume all the airs of the swash-
buckling cavalier and gallant, so famil-
lar to the sixteenth century, but he was
also an author and wit of no small pre-
tentiOns. A queer old French book
written by Cyrano, bears the title "A
Voyage 70 the Moon-With Some Ac-
count of the Solar World" which the
author designates as a Comical Ro-
nance. Nearly 100. years ago this re-
markable book was translated into
English by a Mrs. Derrick, and pub
iished in London, and it is now about
60 appear again in English. from the
press of an American publishing house
Outside of the value that attaches to
ii as the work Of Cyrano, it has a Gu
riOuS interest of its own.
On the title page of her translation
which, by the way, is exceedingly rare
and Valuable-Mrs. Derrick gives the
following breezy characterization of
Cyrano from Lord Owney's Life of
Swift'':
.Cyrano de Bergerac is a French
author of a singular character, who had
a very peculiar wit and humor, in
many respects resembling that Of
Swift. lie wanted the advantage Of
learning and regular education. His
imagination was less guarded and cor
rect. but more agreeably eXtravagant."
In this odd old volume, whose SIS are
printed like rs, with a catch word at
the bottom of each page, there is much
fascinating reading as well as good
literature. showing that the ancient
Cyrano, If he lived in this day, might
have written humorous wonder books
without end. He tells in the most
spirited way. and with the guise of
striking reality to the miraculous way
in which he went to the moon, Of the
peculiarities of its people and of the
odd way in which they treated him.
All through the narrative runs the de-
licOus sparkle of Wit, humor and Sar-
casln. Swift, in his "Gulliver's Trav
els was hardly more than a follower
of Cyrano.
HOW THE STORY BEGINS.
"a Voyage to the Moon begins with
a discussion among Cyrano and his
friends as to the nature of the moon.
lone affirmed it to he a, window from
heaven" he says; another said it
might as well be the sun itself which.
deprived of its rays. made use of this
peep-hole to see what was transacted
on earth in his absence
But Cyrano can agree with none Of
these views. Allow me- he says,
to advance my opinion. honestly be
lieve it to be an inhabited world, like
this we live in, and to which ours
serves as a MOON To the laugh which
some CT the company raised in conse-
quence of this declaration, [ only re-
piled that it was not impossible. but at
that time some inhabitant of the moon
might be ridiculed by his friends for
advancing the same tenet with respect
TO our world; and when 1 alleged that
many great men had been of the same
opinion, I found that 1 only excited
the more merriment."
After returning to his home, Cyrano
says, he pondered long or the subject
of the world of the moon. and he final
ly hit upon the following eXpedient to
climb the skies. 1 procured several
bottles to be filled with dew, which
made safe to my body, upon which the
sun darling very strongly his beams,
the heat attracted by them was pro-
ductive of thick, heavy clouds; which,
rising upward bore me with them
alOft. and I soon found myself above
the middle region Cyrano says he
found himself carried too far, and had
10 break some of the bottles, as one
would drop sandbags from a balloon,
and he fell. entirely unexpected to him
self. in Canada. then called New
France. where he has some most aston
isbing experiences. and the inevitable
discussions.
FALLS IN a LUNAR APPLE TREE.
After a stay of some time in Canada
he resumed his purpose of reaching the
moon. He built himself a marvellous
machine to be propelled by fireworks.
and having taken his place on a small
platform, ne was fired bodily into the
air. L expected at last, when the force
of power was exhausted, to knock my
head against that of a mountain. but
to my surprise my ascent was continued
after my chariot quilted me, which I
saw fall to the earth After falling
for a day or two, until our globe
seemed a large silver plate" 1 found
myself entangled among the branches