Nothing was visible, nor could be visible, to us, except Straight Lines and the necessity of this I will speedily demonstrate.

On the contrary, we could see nothing of the kind, not at least so as to distinguish one figure from another. In such a country, you will perceive at once that it is impossible that there should be anything of what you call a “solid” kind but I dare say you will suppose that we could at least distinguish by sight the Triangles, Squares, and other figures, moving about as I have described them. Alas, a few years ago, I should have said “my universe:” but now my mind has been opened to higher views of things. Imagine a vast sheet of paper on which straight Lines, Triangles, Squares, Pentagons, Hexagons, and other figures, instead of remaining fixed in their places, move freely about, on or in the surface, but without the power of rising above or sinking below it, very much like shadows–only hard with luminous edges–and you will then have a pretty correct notion of my country and countrymen. I call our world Flatland, not because we call it so, but to make its nature clearer to you, my happy readers, who are privileged to live in Space. Of that most and excellent Gift of MODESTY Among the Superior Races To the Enlargment of THE IMAGINATION And the possible Development To the Secrets of FOUR FIVE or EVEN SIX Dimensions Thereby contributing So the Citizens of that Celestial Region May aspire yet higher and higher IN PARTICULARĮven as he was Initiated into the Mysteries Of THREE DIMENSIONS The Inhabitance of SPACE IN GENERAL And H.C.

Flatland edwin