"
But this gleam of sunshine soon passed away. Two days afterwards, another
paragraph appeared in the same paper, in these words:
"We are credibly informed, that the supposed diamond of the _famous_
traveller to the Moon, turns out to be one of those which are found
on Diamond Island, in Lake George. We have heard that Mr. A----y
means to favour the public with an account of his travels, under
the title of 'Lunarian Adventures;' but we would take the liberty
of recommending, that for _Lunarian_, he substitute _Lunatic_."
Thus disappointed in my expectations, and assailed in my character,
what could I do but appeal to an impartial public, by giving them a
circumstantial detail of what was most memorable in my adventures, that
they might judge, from intrinsic evidence, whether I was deficient either
in soundness of understanding or of moral principle? But let me first
bespeak their candour, and a salutary diffidence of themselves, by one
or two well-authenticated anecdotes.
During the reign of Louis the XIVth, the king of Siam having received
an ambassador from that monarch, was accustomed to hear, with wonder
and delight, the foreigner's descriptions of his own country: but the
minister having one day mentioned, that in France, water, at one time
of the year, became a solid substance, the Siamese prince indignantly
exclaimed,--"Hold, sir! I have listened to the strange things you have
told me, and have hitherto believed them all; but now when you wish to
persuade me that water, which I know as well as you, can become hard, I
see that your purpose is to deceive me, and I do not believe a word you
have uttered.
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