82 THE NEW SCIENCE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE 



telescope is pointed at the moon ready for new observations, but 

 at that moment a visitor is announced, who proves to be a learned 

 member of the virtuoso society in the moon, "a Cabalist of the 

 Kosicrueian Order". In reality it is Charmante in disguise. The 

 doctor and the stranger talk learnedly about the "Caballa of 

 Eutopia"; a map of the moon- world is displayed, omitting "no 

 Town, Village, or Villa ; no Castle, River, Bridge, Lake, Spring, or 

 Mineral"/'- "Keplair and Galileus" enter "with Perspectives 

 in their Hands"; they are come as "interpreters of the Emperor 

 of the Moon"/^ They say nothing themselves but only by means 

 of an interpreter who uses a "stentrophon" (the " stentroplioni- 

 cal tube" of Sir Nicholas). At the end of the comedy Doctor 

 Boliardo stands alone \\'itli the realization that his two wards have 

 been stolen and he himself has been duped. "I see" he says, 

 "there's nothing in Philosophy, Of all that he was the wisest 

 Bard, who spoke this mighty Truth — 



He that knew all that ever Learning writ. 

 Knew only this, — that he knew nothing yet". 



It is difficult here to disentangle the new from the old studies 

 of the moon. Doctor Boliardo is in part the old-time astrologer 

 with new scientific apparatus, — "his Microscopes, his Horoscopes, 

 his Telescopes, and all his Scopes". But his brain has been 

 cracked by the perusal of extravagant fiction, foreign and domestic, 

 respecting the moon. Among these books is one by Dr. Wilkins, 

 A Discourse of the World in the Moon, who was a shining light in 

 the Royal Society. It would seem fair to conclude that the dramat- 

 ist had as confused an idea of the new science as Doctor Boliardo 

 himself. She knew no distinction between astrology and astron- 

 omy. 



The new science did not escape the comprehensive satire of the 

 Rehearsal (1664-1667). 



"Johnson, — But they are a new kind of Wits. 



Smith,— New Kind! What Kind it that? 



Johnson, — ^Why, your Virtuosi, your civil Persons, Your 

 Drolls."^* 



« Ibid. Act II, BC. 3. 



wibid. 



" The Rehearsal, Act I, sc. 1. 



