the bickerstaff-partridge papers-第2部分

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Duke　of　Anjou：　On　the　14th　a　great　peer　of　this　realm　will　die　at

his　country…house：　On　the　19th　an　old　layman　of　great　fame　for

learning：　and　on　the　23rd　an　eminent　goldsmith　in　Lombard…Street。

I　could　mention　others；　both　at　home　and　abroad；　if　I　did　not

consider　it　is　of　very　little　use　or　instruction　to　the　reader；

or　to　the　world。



As　to　publick　affairs：　On　the　7th　of　this　month　there　will　be　an

insurrection　in　Dauphine；　occasion'd　by　the　oppressions　of　the

people；　which　will　not　be　quieted　in　some　months。



On　the　15th　will　be　a　violent　storm　on　the　south…east　coast　of

France；　which　will　destroy　many　of　their　ships；　and　some　in　the

very　harbour。



The　19th　will　be　famous　for　the　revolt　of　a　whole　province　or

kingdom；　excepting　one　city；　by　which　the　affairs　of　a　certain

prince　in　the　alliance　will　take　a　better　face。



May；　against　common　conjectures；　will　be　no　very　busy　month　in

Europe；　but　very　signal　for　the　death　of　the　Dauphin；　which　will

happen　on　the　7th；　after　a　short　fit　of　sickness；　and　grievous

torments　with　the　strangury。　He　dies　less　lamented　by　the　court

than　the　kingdom。



On　the　9th　a　Mareschal　of　France　will　break　his　leg　by　a　fall

from　his　horse。　I　have　not　been　able　to　discover　whether　he　will

then　die　or　not。



On　the　11th　will　begin　a　most　important　siege；　which　the　eyes　of

all　Europe　will　be　upon：　I　cannot　be　more　particular：　for　in

relating　affairs　that　so　nearly　concern　the　Confederates；　and

consequently　this　Kingdom；　I　am　forced　to　confine　myself；　for

several　reasons　very　obvious　to　the　reader。



On　the　15th　news　will　arrive　of　a　very　surprizing　event；　than

which　nothing　could　be　more　unexpected。



On　the　19th　three　noble　ladies　of　this　Kingdom　will；　against　all

expectation；　prove　with　child；　to　the　great　joy　of　their

husbands。



On　the　23rd　a　famous　buffoon　of　the　play…house　will　die　a

ridiculous　death；　suitable　to　his　vocation。



June。　This　month　will　be　distinguish'd　at　home；　by　the　utter

dispersing　of　those　ridiculous　deluded　enthusiasts；　commonly

call'd　the　Prophets；　occasion'd　chiefly　by　seeing　the　time　come

that　many　of　their　prophecies　should　be　fulfill'd；　and　then

finding　themselves　deceiv'd　by　contrary　events。　It　is　indeed　to

be　admir'd　how　any　deceiver　can　be　so　weak；　to　foretel　things

near　at　hand；　when　a　very　few　months　must　of　necessity　discover

the　impostor　to　all　the　world；　in　this　point　less　prudent　than

common　almanack…makers；　who　are　so　wise　to　wonder　in　generals；

and　talk　dubiously；　and　leave　to　the　reader　the　business　of

interpreting。



On　the　1st　of　this　month　a　French　general　will　be　killed　by　a

random　shot　of　a　cannon…ball。



On　the　6th　a　fire　will　break　out　in　the　suburbs　of　Paris；　which

will　destroy　above　a　thousand　houses；　and　seems　to　be　the

foreboding　of　what　will　happen；　to　the　surprize　of　all　Europe；

about　the　end　of　the　following　month。



On　the　10th　a　great　battle　will　be　fought；　which　will　begin　at

four　of　the　clock　in　the　afternoon；　and　last　till　nine　at　night

with　great　obstinacy；　but　no　very　decisive　event。　I　shall　not

name　the　place；　for　the　reasons　aforesaid；　but　the　commanders　on

each　left　wing　will　be　killed。　　I　see　bonfires；　and　hear　the

noise　of　guns　for　a　victory。



On　the　14th　there　will　be　a　false　report　of　the　French　king's

death。



On　the　20th　Cardinal　Portocarero　will　die　of　a　dysentery；　with

great　suspicion　of　poison；　but　the　report　of　his　intention　to

revolt　to　King　Charles；　will　prove　false。



July。　The　6th　of　this　month　a　certain　general　will；　by　a　glorious

action；　recover　the　reputation　he　lost　by　former　misfortunes。



On　the　12th　a　great　commander　will　die　a　prisoner　in　the　hands　of

his　enemies。



On　the　14th　a　shameful　discovery　will　be　made　of　a　French　Jesuit；

giving　poison　to　a　great　foreign　general；　and　when　he　is　put　to

the　torture；　will　make　wonderful　discoveries。



In　short　this　will　prove　a　month　of　great　action；　if　I　might　have

liberty　to　relate　the　particulars。



At　home；　the　death　of　an　old　famous　senator　will　happen　on　the

15th　at　his　country…house；　worn　with　age　and　diseases。



But　that　which　will　make　this　month　memorable　to　all　posterity；

is　the　death　of　the　French　King；　Lewis　the　fourteenth；　after　a

week's　sickness　at　Marli；　which　will　happen　on　the　29th；　about

six　o'clock　in　the　evening。　It　seems　to　be　an　effect　of　the　gout

in　his　stomach；　followed　by　a　flux。　And　in　three　days　after

Monsieur　Chamillard　will　follow　his　master；　dying　suddenly　of　an

appoplexy。



In　this　month　likewise　an　ambassador　will　die　in　London；　but　I

cannot　assign　the　day。



August。　The　affairs　of　France　will　seem　to　suffer　no　change　for　a

while　under　the　Duke　of　Burgundy's　administration；　but　the　genius

that　animated　the　whole　machine　being　gone；　will　be　the　cause　of

mighty　turns　and　revolutions　in　the　following　year。　The　new　King

makes　yet　little　change　either　in　the　army　or　the　ministry；　but

the　libels　against　his　grandfather；　that　fly　about　his　very

court；　give　him　uneasiness。



I　see　an　express　in　mighty　haste；　with　joy　and　wonder　in　his

looks；　arriving　by　break　of　day　on　the　26th　of　this　month；　having

travell'd　in　three　days　a　prodigious　journey　by　land　and　sea。　In

the　evening　I　hear　bells　and　guns；　and　see　the　blazing　of　a

thousand　bonfires。



A　young　admiral　of　noble　birth；　does　likewise　this　month　gain

immortal　honour　by　a　great　achievement。



The　affairs　of　Poland　are　this　month　entirely　settled：　Augustus

resigns　his　pretensions　which　he　had　again　taken　up　for　some

time：　Stanislaus　is　peaceably　possess'd　of　the　throne；　and　the

King　of　Sweden　declares　for　the　Emperor。



I　cannot　omit　one　particular　accident　here　at　home；　that　near　the

end　of　this　month　much　mischief　will　be　done　at　Bartholomew　Fair；

by　the　fall　of　a　booth。



September。　This　month　begins　with　a　very　surprizing　fit　of　frosty

weather；　which　will　last　near　twelve　days。



The　Pope　having　long　languish'd　last　month；　the　swellings　in　his

legs　breaking；　and　the　flesh　mortifying；　will　die　on　the　11th

instant；　and　in　three　weeks　time；　after　a　mighty　contest；　be

succeeded　by　a　cardinal　of　the　imperial　faction；　but　native　of

Tuscany；　who　is　now　about　sixty…one　years　old。



The　French　army　acts　now　wholly　on　the　defensive；　strongly

fortify'd　in　their　trenches；　and　the　young　French　King　sends

overtures　for　a　treaty　of　peace　by　the　Duke　of　Mantua；　which；

because　it　is　a　matter　of　state　that　concerns　us　here　at　home；　I

shall　speak　no　farther　of　it。



I　shall　add　but　one　prediction　more；　and　that　in　mystical　terms；

which　shall　be　included　in　a　verse　out　of　Virgil；



Alter　erit　jam　Tethys；　&　altera　quae　vehat　Argo。

Delectos　heroas。



Upon　the　25th　day　of　this　month；　the　fulfilling　of　this

prediction　will　be　manifest　to　every　body。



This　is　the　farthest　I　have　proceeded　in　my　calculations　for　the

present　year。　I　do　not　pretend；　that　these　are　all　the　great

events　which　will　happen　in　this　period；　but　that　those　I　have

set　down　will　infallibly　come　to　pass。　It　will　perhaps　still　be

objected；　why　I　have　not　spoke　more　particularly　of　affairs　at

home；　or　of　the　success　of　our　armies　abroad；　which　I　might；　and

could　very　largely　have　done；　but　those　in　power　have　wisely

discouraged　men　from　meddling　in　publick　concerns；　and　I　was

resolv'd　by　no　means　to　give　the　least　offence。　This　I　will

venture　to　say；　That　it　will　be　a　glorious　campaign　for　the

allies；　wherein　the　English　forces；　both　by　sea　and　land；　will

have　their　full　share　of　honour：　That　her　Majesty　Queen　Anne　will

continue　in　health　and　prosperity：　And　that　no　ill　accident　will

arrive　to　any　of　the　chief　ministry。



As　to　the　particular　events　I　have　mention'd；　the　readers　may

judge　by　the　fulfilling　of　'em；　whether　I　am　on　the　level　with

common　astrologers；　who；　with　an　old　paultry　cant；　and　a　few

pothook　for　planets；　to　amuse　the　vulgar；　have；　in　my　opinion；

too　long　been　suffer'd　to　abuse　the　world：　But　an　honest

physician　ought　not　to　be　despis'd；　because　there　are　such　things

as　mountebanks。　I　hope　I　have　some　share　of　reputation；　which　I

would　not　willingly　forfeit　for　a　frolick　or　humour：　And　I

believe　no　gentleman；　who　reads　this　paper；　will　look　upon　it　to

be　of　the　same　cast　or　mould　with　the　common　scribblers　that　are

every　day　hawk'd　about。　My　fortune　has　placed　me　above　the　little

regard　of　scribbling　for　a　few　pence；　which　I　neither　value　or

want：　Therefore　let　no　wise　men　too　hastily　condemn　this　essay；

intended　for　a　good　design；　to　cultivate　and　improve　an　ancient

art；　long　in　disgrace；　by　having　fallen　into　mean　and　unskilful

hands。　A　little　time　will　determine　whether　I　have　deceived

others　or　myself：　and　I　think　it　is　no　very　unreasonable　request；

that　men　would　please　to　suspend　their　judgments　till　then。　I　was

once　of　the　opinion　with　those　who　despise　all　predictions　from

the　stars；　till　the　year　1686；　a　man　of　quality　shew'd　me；

written　in　his　album；　That　the　most　learned　astronomer；　Captain

H。　assured　him；　he　would　never　believe　any　thing　of　the　stars'

influence；　if　there　were　not　a　great　revolution　in　England　in　the

year　1688。　Since　that　time　I　began　to　have　other　thoughts；　and

after　eighteen　years　diligent　study　and　application；　I　think　I

have　no　reason　to　repent　of　my　pains。　I　shall　detain　the　reader

no　longer；　than　to　let　him　know；　that　the　account　I　design　to

give　of　next　year's　events；　shall　take　in　the　principal　affairs

that　happen　in　Europe；　and　if　I　be　denied　the　liberty　of　offering

it　to　my　own　country；　I　shall　appeal　to　the　learned　world；　by

publishing　it　in　Latin；　and　giving　order　to　have　it　printed　in

Holland。

______________________________________________



The　Accomplishment　of　the　First　of　Mr　Bickerstaff's　Predictions；

being　an　account　of　the　death　of　Mr　Partridge；　the

almanack…maker；　upon　the　29th　instant。



In　a　letter　to　a　person　o