IX 



NAVIGATING THE AIR 



IF it were possible to regard all medieval litera- 

 ture without more than a grain of doubt, we 

 must believe that aerial flight by human beings 

 was accomplished long before science had risen even to 

 the dignity of acquiring its name. Thus, it is recorded 

 by a medieval historian that during the reign of Charle- 

 magne some mysterious persons having acquired some 

 knowledge of aerostatics from the astrologers, who were 

 credited with numerous supernatural powers, construct- 

 ed a flying-machine, and compelling a few peasants to 

 enter it, sent them off on an aerial voyage. Unfor- 

 tunately for the unwilling voyagers, so the story runs, 

 they landed in the city of Lyons, where they were im- 

 mediately seized and condemned to death as sorcerers. 

 But the wise bishop of the city, doubting the story of 

 their aerial journey, pardoned them and allowed them 

 to escape. 



That such a fabulous tale could gain credence is ex- 

 plained by the prevailing belief in the powers of the 

 astrologers and sorcerers at that time. People who 

 could seriously believe that an alchemist could create 

 gold and prolong life and youth indefinitely, would find 

 nothing startling in the announcement that he could also 

 perform the relatively simple feat of flying — a, thing that 



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