Then she asked, whether the first man did give names to all the various sorts of creatures that live on the earth? Yes, answered they, to all those that were presented to him, or he had knowledge of, that is, to all the prime sorts; but not to every particular: for of mankind, said they, there were but two at first; and as they did increase, so did their names. But, said the Empress, who gave the names to the several sorts of fish? The posterity of mankind, answered they. Then she enquired, whether there were no more kinds of creatures now, than at the first creation? They answered, that there were no more nor fewer kinds of creatures than there are now; but there are, without question, more particular sorts of creatures now, than there were then. She asked again, whether all those creatures that were in Paradise, were also in Noah’s Ark? They answered, that the principal kinds had been there, but not all the particulars. Then she would fain know, how it came, that both spirits and men did fall from a blessed into so miserable a state and condition as they are now in. The spirits answered, by disobedience. The Empress asked, whence this disobedient sin did proceed? But the spirits desired the Empress not to ask them any such questions, because they went beyond their knowledge.
No sooner had the Empress declared her mind, but the spirits immediately disappeared out of her sight; which startled the Empress so much, that she fell into a trance, wherein she lay for some while; at last being come to herself again, she grew very studious, and considering with herself what might be the cause of this strange disaster, conceived at first, that perhaps the spirits were tired with hearing and giving answers to her questions; but thinking by herself, that spirits could not be tired, she imagined that this was not the true cause of their disappearing, till, after divers debates with her own thoughts, she did verily believe that the spirits had committed some fault in their answers, and that for their punishment they were condemned to the lowest and darkest vehicles. This belief was so fixed in her mind, that it put her into a very melancholic humour; and then she sent both for her Fly- and Worm-men, and declared to them the cause of her sadness. ’Tis not so much, said she, the vanishing of those spirits that makes me melancholic, but that I should be the cause of their miserable condition, and that those harmless spirits should, for my sake, sink down into the black and dark abyss of the earth.
The Worm-men comforted the Empress, telling her, that the earth was not so horrid a dwelling, as she did imagine; for, said they, not only all minerals and vegetables, but several sorts of animals can witness, that the earth is a warm, fruitful, quiet, safe, and happy habitation; and though they want the light of the sun, yet are they not in the dark, but there is light even within the earth, by which those creatures do see that dwell therein. This relation settled her Majesty’s mind a little; but yet she being desirous to know the truth, where, and in what condition those spirits were, commanded both the Fly- and Worm-men to use all labour and industry to find them out; whereupon the Worm-men straight descended into the earth, and the Fly-men ascended into the air. After some short time, the Worm-men returned, and told the Empress, that when they went into the earth, they enquired of all the creatures they met withal, whether none of them had perceived such or such spirits; until at last coming to the very center of the earth, they were truly informed, that those spirits had stayed some time there, but at last were gone to the antipodes on the other side of the terrestrial globe, diametrically opposite to theirs.
H. More, etc.