"On the Vicissitudes of States and Kingdoms"

1796 Gale, John. “On the Vicissitudes of States and Kingdoms.” In his Gale’s Cabinet of Knowledge; or, Miscellaneous Recreations. Containing Moral and Philosophical Essays, Propositions, Natural and Metaphysical Maxims, And Observations on Select Subjects of general Utility. With a Series of Easy, Entertaining and Interesting, Mechanical, Magnetical, & Magical Experiments. Including the Most Celebrated Card Deceptions Ever Exhibited. Together With About Seven Hundred Serious, Comical, and Humorous Queries, Paradoxes, &c. &c. With Pertinent and Ingenious Answers. Being the Essence taken from The Lady’s, Gentlemen’s, & Carnan’s Diaries--Martin’s Philosophical Magazines--Ozanam & Hooper’s Recreations, &c. &c. (Illustrated with Copper-plate Engravings). To Which Are Added A Great Number of Originals. Likewise, An Appendix; Containing Various Propositions Tending to Prove Light and Heat Two Distinct Beings. With some curious Definitions in Optics (London: Ptd. for the Proprietors by W. Kemmish, 1796), 24-27. Many editions. L

Reports on information provided by the Emperor of the Moon on “the government, laws, and customs of the inhabitants of Jupiter” (24). Jupiter is ruled by women with the men given “employments suitable to their abilities” (24-25) such as merchants and tradesmen (former courtiers), the military (former clergy), laboring on public works (former lawyers), the last of which eliminating corruption. All physicians are women also and take no fees but are paid salaries for preventing illness. The old men nurse old women and vise versa.