murdering a million of men and then solemnly thank God for their success."
Our traveller was moved with compassion for the entire human race, in which he discovered such astonishing contrasts. "Since you are of the small number of the wise," said he, "and in all likelihood do not engage yourselves in the trade of murder for hire, be so good as to tell me your occupation."
"We anatomize flies," replied the philosopher, "we measure lines, we make calculations, we agree upon two or three points which we understand, and dispute upon two or three thousand that are beyond our comprehension."
"How far," said the Sirian, "do you reckon the distance between the great star of the constellation Gemini and that called Canicula?"
To this question all of them answered with one voice: "Thirty-two degrees and a half."
"And what is the distance from thence to the moon?"
"Sixty semi-diameters of the earth."
He then thought to puzzle them by asking the weight of the air; but they answered distinctly that common air is about nine hundred times specifically lighter than an equal column of the lightest water, and nineteen hundred times lighter than current gold. The little dwarf of Saturn, astonished at their answers, was now tempted to believe those people sorcerers who, but a quarter of an hour before, he would not allow were inspired with souls.
