the shape of the whale was so big, that its circumference went beyond the magnifying quality of the glass; whether the error proceeded from the glass, or from a wrong position of the whale against the reflection of light, I cannot certainly tell. The Empress seeing the insufficiency of those magnifying-glasses, that they were not able to enlarge all sorts of objects, asked the Bear-men, whether they could not make glasses of a contrary nature to those they had showed her, to wit, such as instead of enlarging or magnifying the shape or figure of an object, could contract it beneath its natural proportion: Which, in obedience to her Majesty’s commands, they did; and viewing through one of the best of them, a huge and mighty whale appeared no bigger than a sprat; nay, through some no bigger than a vinegar-eel; and through their ordinary ones, an elephant seemed no bigger than a flea; a camel no bigger than a louse; and an ostrich no bigger than a mite.
To relate all their optic observations through the several sorts of their glasses, would be a tedious work, and tire even the most patient reader, wherefore I’ll pass them by; only this was very remarkable and worthy to be taken notice of, that notwithstanding their great skill, industry and ingenuity in experimental philosophy, they could yet by no means contrive such glasses, by the help of which they could spy out a vacuum, with all its dimensions, nor immaterial substances, non-beings, and mixed-beings, or such as are between something and nothing; which they were very much troubled at, hoping that yet, in time, by long study and practice, they might perhaps attain to it.
After this, the Empress enquired, whether they had observed, that all animal creatures within the seas and other waters, had blood? They answered, that some had blood, more or less, but some had none. In cray-fishes and lobsters, said they, we perceive but little blood; but in crabs, oysters, cockles, etc.
The Bird- and Bear-men being dismissed, the Empress called both the Syrens or Fish-men, and the Worm-men, to deliver their observations which they had made, both within the seas, and the earth. First, she enquired of the Fish-men whence the saltness of the sea did proceed? To which they answered, that there was a volatile salt in those parts of the earth, which as a bosom contain the waters of the sea, which salt being imbibed by the sea, became fixed; and this imbibing motion was that they called the ebbing and flowing of the sea; for, said they, the rising and swelling of the water, is caused by those parts of the volatile salt as are not so easily imbibed, which striving to ascend above the water, bear it up with such a motion, as man, or some other animal creature, in a violent exercise uses to take breath. This they affirmed to be the true cause both of the saltness, and the ebbing and flowing-motion of the sea, and not the jogging of the earth, or the secret influence of the moon, as some others had made the world believe.
They answered, that blood was not a necessary propriety to the life of an animal; and that that which was commonly called animal spirits, was nothing else but corporeal motions proper to the nature and figure of an animal. Then she asked both the Fish- and Worm-men, whether all those creatures that have blood, had a circulation of blood in their veins and arteries? But they answered, that it was impossible to give her Majesty an exact account thereof, by reason the circulation of blood was an interior motion, which their senses, neither of themselves, nor by the help of any optic instrument could perceive; but as soon as they had dissected an animal creature, to find out the truth thereof, the interior corporeal motions proper to that particular figure or creature, were altered. Then said the Empress, if all animal creatures have not blood, it is certain, they all have neither muscles, tendons, nerves,