the bickerstaff-partridge papers-第6部分

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publish　to　the　world；　that　the　Cardinal　de　Noailles　was　still

alive；　notwithstanding　the　pretended　prophecy　of　Monsieur

Biquerstaffe：　But　how　far　a　Frenchman；　a　papist；　and　an　enemy　is

to　be　believed　in　his　own　case　against　an　English　Protestant；　who

is　true　to　his　government；　I　shall　leave　to　the　candid　and

impartial　reader。



The　other　objection　is　the　unhappy　occasion　of　this　discourse；

and　relates　to　an　article　in　my　predictions；　which　foretold　the

death　of　Mr。　Partridge；　to　happen　on　March　29；　1708。　This　he　is

pleased　to　contradict　absolutely　in　the　almanack　he　has　published

for　the　present　year；　and　in　that　ungentlemanly　manner　（pardon

the　expression）　as　I　have　above　related。　In　that　work　he　very

roundly　asserts；　That　he　is　not　only　now　alive；　but　was　likewise

alive　upon　that　very　29th　of　March；　when　I　had　foretold　he　should

die。　This　is　the　subject　of　the　present　controversy　between　us；

which　I　design　to　handle　with　all　brevity；　perspicuity；　and

calmness：　In　this　dispute；　I　am　sensible　the　eyes　not　only　of

England；　but　of　all　Europe；　will　be　upon　us；　and　the　learned　in

every　country　will；　I　doubt　not；　take　part　on　that　side；　where

they　find　most　appearance　of　reason　and　truth。



Without　entering　into　criticisms　of　chronology　about　the　hour　of

his　death；　I　shall　only　prove　that　Mr。　Partridge　is　not　alive。

And　my　first　argument　is　thus：　Above　a　thousand　gentelmen　having

bought　his　almanacks　for　this　year；　merely　to　find　what　he　said

against　me；　at　every　line　they　read；　they　would　lift　up　their

eyes；　and　cry　out；　betwixt　rage　and　laughter；　〃They　were　sure　no

man　alive　ever　writ　such　damn'd　stuff　as　this。〃　Neither　did　I

ever　hear　that　opinion　disputed：　So　that　Mr。　Partridge　lies　under

a　dilemma；　either　of　disowning　his　almanack；　or　allowing　himself

to　be　〃no　man　alive〃。　But　now　if　an　uninformed　carcase　walks

still　about；　and　is　pleased　to　call　itself　Partridge；　Mr。

Bickerstaff　does　not　think　himself　any　way　answerable　for　that。

Neither　had　the　said　carcase　any　right　to　beat　the　poor　boy　who

happen'd　to　pass　by　it　in　the　street；　crying；　〃A　full　and　true

account　of　Dr。　Partridge's　death；　etc。〃



Secondly；　Mr。　Partridge　pretends　to　tell　fortunes；　and　recover

stolen　goods；　which　all　the　parish　says　he　must　do　by　conversing

with　the　devil　and　other　evil　spirits：　And　no　wise　man　will　ever

allow　he　could　converse　personally　with　either；　till　after　he　was

dead。



Thirdly；　I　will　plainly　prove　him　to　be　dead　out　of　his　own

almanack　for　this　year；　and　from　the　very　passage　which　he

produces　to　make　us　think　him　alive。　He　there　says；　〃He　is　not

only　now　alive；　but　was　also　alive　on　the　very　29th　of　March；

which　I　foretold　he　should　die　on〃：　By　this；　he　declares　his

opinion；　that　a　man　may　be　alive　now；　who　was　not　alive　a

twelvemonth　ago。　And　indeed；　there　lies　the　sophistry　of　this

argument。　He　dares　not　assert；　he　was　alive　ever　since　that　29th

of　March；　but　that　he　is　now　alive；　and　was　so　on　that　day：　I

grant　the　latter；　for　he　did　not　die　till　night；　as　appears　by

the　printed　account　of　his　death；　in　a　letter　to　a　lord；　and

whether　he　is　since　revived　I　leave　the　world　to　judge。　This

indeed　is　perfect　cavilling；　and　I　am　ashamed　to　dwell　any　longer

upon　it。



Fourthly；　I　will　appeal　to　Mr。　Partridge　himself；　whether　it　be

probable　I　could　have　been　so　indiscreet；　to　begin　my　predictions

with　the　only　falsehood　that　ever　was　pretended　to　be　in　them；

and　this　in　an　affair　at　home；　where　I　had　so　many　opportunities

to　be　exact；　and　must　have　given　such　advantages　against　me　to　a

person　of　Mr。　Partridge's　wit　and　learning；　who；　if　he　could

possibly　have　raised　one　single　objection　more　against　the　truth

of　my　prophecies；　would　hardly　have　spared　me。



And　here　I　must　take　occasion　to　reprove　the　above　mention'd

writer　of　the　relation　of　Mr。　Partridge's　death；　in　a　letter　to　a

lord；　who　was　pleased　to　tax　me　with　a　mistake　of　four　whole

hours　in　my　calculation　of　that　event。　I　must　confess；　this

censure　pronounced　with　an　air　of　certainty；　in　a　matter　that　so

nearly　concerned　me；　and　by　a　grave　judicious　author；　moved　me

not　a　little。　But　tho'　I　was　at　that　time　out　of　town；　yet

several　of　my　friends；　whose　curiosity　had　led　them　to　be　exactly

informed　（for　as　to　my　own　part；　having　no　doubt　at　all　in　the

matter；　I　never　once　thought　of　it）　assured　me；　I　computed　to

something　under　half　an　hour：　which　（I　speak　my　private　opinion）

is　an　error　of　no　very　great　magnitude；　that　men　should　raise　a

clamour　about　it。　I　shall　only　say；　it　would　not　be　amiss；　if

that　author　would　henceforth　be　more　tender　of　other　men's

reputations　as　well　as　his　own。　It　is　well　there　were　no　more

mistakes　of　that　kind；　if　there　had；　I　presume　he　would　have　told

me　of　them　with　as　little　ceremony。



There　is　one　objection　against　Mr。　Partridge's　death；　which　I

have　sometimes　met　with；　though　indeed　very　slightly　offered；

That　he　still　continues　to　write　almanacks。　But　this　is　no　more

than　what　is　common　to　all　that　profession；　Gadbury；　Poor　Robin；

Dove；　Wing；　and　several　others；　do　yearly　publish　their

almanacks；　though　several　of　them　have　been　dead　since　before　the

Revolution。　Now　the　natural　reason　of　this　I　take　to　be；　that

whereas　it　is　the　privilege　of　other　authors　to　live　after　their

deaths；　almanack…makers　are　alone　excluded；　because　their

dissertations　treating　only　upon　the　minutes　as　they　pass；　become

useless　as　those　go　off。　In　consideration　of　which；　Time；　whose

registers　they　are；　gives　them　a　lease　in　reversion；　to　continue

their　works　after　their　death。



I　should　not　have　given　the　publick　or　myself　the　trouble　of　this

vindication；　if　my　name　had　not　been　made　use　of　by　several

persons；　to　whom　I　never　lent　it；　one　of　which；　a　few　days　ago；

was　pleased　to　father　on　me　a　new　sett　of　predictions。　But　I

think　those　are　things　too　serious　to　be　trifled　with。　It　grieved

me　to　the　heart；　when　I　saw　my　labours；　which　had　cost　me　so　much

thought　and　watching；　bawl'd　about　by　common　hawkers；　which　I

only　intended　for　the　weighty　consideration　of　the　gravest

persons。　This　prejudiced　the　world　so　much　at　first；　that　several

of　my　friends　had　the　assurance　to　ask　me　whether　I　were　in　jest？

To　which　I　only　answered　coldly；　that　the　event　would　shew。　But

it　is　the　talent　of　our　age　and　nation；　to　turn　things　of　the

greatest　importance　into　ridicule。　When　the　end　of　the　year　had

verified　all　my　predictions；　out　comes　Mr。　Partridge's　almanack；

disputing　the　point　of　his　death；　so　that　I　am　employed；　like　the

general　who　was　forced　to　kill　his　enemies　twice　over；　whom　a

necromancer　had　raised　to　life。　If　Mr。　Partridge　has　practised

the　same　experiment　upon　himself；　and　be　again　alive；　long　may　he

continue　so；　that　does　not　in　the　least　contradict　my　veracity：

But　I　think　I　have　clearly　proved；　by　invincible　demonstration；

that　he　died　at　farthest　within　half　an　hour　of　the　time　I

foretold；　and　not　four　hours　sooner；　as　the　above…mentioned

author；　in　his　letter　to　a　lord；　hath　maliciously　suggested；　with

design　to　blast　my　credit；　by　charging　me　with　so　gross　a

mistake。

_______________________________________



A　famous　prediction　of　Merlin；　the　British　wizard。



Written　above　a　thousand　years　ago；　and　relating　to　the　year

1709；　with　explanatory　notes。



Last　year　was　publish'd　a　paper　of　predictions；　pretended　to　be

written　by　one　Isaac　Bickerstaff；　Esq；　but　the　true　design　of　it

was　to　ridicule　the　art　of　astrology；　and　expose　its　professors

as　ignorant　or　impostors。　Against　this　imputation；　Dr。　Partridge

hath　vindicated　himself　in　his　almanack　for　that　year。



For　a　farther　vindication　of　this　famous　art；　I　have　thought　fit

to　present　the　world　with　the　following　prophecy。　The　original　is

said　to　be　of　the　famous　Merlin；　who　lived　about　a　thousand　years

ago；　and　the　following　translation　is　two　hundred　years　old；　for

it　seems　to　be　written　near　the　end　of　Henry　the　Seventh's　reign。

I　found　it　in　an　old　edition　of　Merlin's　Prophecies；　imprinted　at

London　by　John　Hawkins　in　the　year　1530；　page　39。　I　set　it　down

word　for　word　in　the　old　orthography；　and　shall　take　leave　to

subjoin　a　few　explanatory　notes。



Seven　and　Ten　addyd　to　Nyne；

Of　Fraunce　her　Woe　this　is　the　Sygne；

Tamys　Rivere　twys　y…frozen；

Walke　sans　wetyng　Shoes　ne　Hozen。

Then　comyth　foorthe；　ich　understonde；

From　Town　of　Stoffe　to　farryn　Londe；

An　herdye　Chyftan；　woe　the　Morne

To　Fraunce；　that　evere　he　was　born。

Than　shall　the　fyshe　beweyle　his　Bosse；

Nor　shall　grin　Berrys　make　up　the　Losse。

Yonge　Symnele　shall　again　miscarrye：

And　Norways　Pryd　again　shall　marrye。

And　from　the　tree　where　Blosums　feele；

Ripe　Fruit　shall　come；　and　all　is　wele；

Reaums　shall　daunce　Honde　in　Honde；

And　it　shall　be　merrye　in　old　Inglonde；

Then　old　Inglonde　shall　be　no　more；

And　no　man　shall　be　sorre　therefore。

Geryon　shall　have　three　Hedes　agayne；

Till　Hapsburge　makyth　them　but　twayne。



Explanatory　notes。



Seven　and　Ten。　This　line　describes　the　year　when　these　events

shall　happen。　Seven　and　ten　makes　seventeen；　which　I　explain

seventeen　hundred；　and　this　number　added　to　nine；　makes　the　year

we　are　now　in；　for　it　must　be　understood　of　the　natural　year；

which　begins　the　first　of　January。



Tamys　Rivere　twys；　etc。　The　River　Thames；　frozen　twice　in　one

year；　so　as　men　to　walk　on　it；　is　a　very　signal　accident；　which

perhaps　hath　not　fallen　out　for　several　hundred　years　before；　and

is　the　reason　why　some　astrologers　have　thought　that　this

prophecy　could　never　be　fulfilled；　because　they　imagine　such　a

thing　would　never　happen　in　our　climate。



From　Town　of　Stoffe；　etc。　This　is　a　plain　designation　of　the　Duke

of　Marlborough：　One　kind　of　stuff　used　to　fatten　land　is　called

marle；　and　every　body　knows　that　borough　is　a　name　for　a　town；

and　this　way　of　expression　is　after　the　usual　dark　manner　of　old

astro