grateful, fums up all the evil a man can be guilty of.

Ingratum fi dixeris omnia dicis.

But what I blame the philofophers for (though fome may think it a paradox), is chiefly their pride; nothing less than an ipfe dixit, and you must pin your faith on their fleeve. And though Diogenes lived in a tub, there might be, for aught I know, as much pride under his rags, as in the fine-fpun garment of the divine Plato. It is reported of this Diogenes, that when Alexander came to fee him, and promised to give him whatever he would afk, the Cynic only anfwered, "take not from me what

you canft not give me, but stand from between "me and the light;" which was almost as extravagant, as the philofopher that flung his money into the fea, with this remarkable faying

How different was this man from the usurer, who being told his fon would spend all he had got, replied, "He cannot take more pleasure in fpend"ing, than I did in getting it." Thefe men could fee the faults of each other, but not their own; thofe they flung into the bag behind; non videmus id manticae quod in tergo eft*. I may perhaps be cenfured for my free opinions by thofe carping Momus's whom authors worship as the Indians do the devil, for fear. They will endeavour to give my reputation as many wounds as the man in the alma. nack; but I value it not; and perhaps, like flies, they may buz so often about the candle, till they burn their wings. They muft pardon me, if I venture to give them this advice, not to rail at what they cannot understand: it does but difcover that felf-tormenting paffion of envy, than which the

Alluding to the fable of Phaedrus, that Jupiter had hung over every man's fhoulder two fatchels, of which one hung before, a d contained the faults of his neighbour; and the other behind, whi h contained his own.

greatet

greatest tyrant never invented a more cruel tor

ment.

Invidia Siculi non invenere tyranni

Tormentum majus

Juv.

I must be so bold to tell my critics and witlings, that they can no more judge of this, than a man that is born blind can have any true idea of colours. I have always obferved that your empty veffels found loudest: I value their lashes as little as the fea did thofe of Xerxes, when he whipped it. t. The utmost favour a man can expect from them is, that which Polyphemus promifed Ulyffes, that he would devour him the laft: they think to fubdue a writer as Cæfar did his enemy, with a veni, vidi, vici. I confefs I value the opinion of the judicious few, a Rymer, a Dennis, or a W--k; but for the reft, to give my judgement at once, I think the long difpute among the philofophers about a vacuum may be determined in the affirmative, that it is to be found in a critic's head. They are at best but the drones of the learned world, who devour the honey, and will not work themfelves; and a writer need no more regard them, than the moon does the barking of a little fenfeless cur. For, in fpight of their terrible roaring, you may with half an eye discover the afs under the lion's fkin.

But to return to our difcourfe: Demofthenes being asked what was the firft part of an orator, replied, action: what was the fecond, action: what was the third, ation: and fo on ad infinitum. This may be true in oratory; but contemplation in other things exceeds action. And therefore a wife man is never lefs alone, than when he is alone:

Nunquam minus felus, quam cum folus.

And Archimedes, the famous mathematician,

It is told of Xerxes, that when the fea broke down the bridge of boats, which he had laid over the Hellefpont, he ordered it to be lafhed, and fetters to be thrown into it.

was fo intent upon his problems, that he never minded the foldier who came to kill him. Therefore, not to detract from the juft praise that belongs to orators, they ought to confider that nature, which give us two eyes to fee, and two ears to hear, has given us but one tongue to speak, wherein however some do so abound, that the virtuofi, who have been fo long in fearch for the perpetual motion, may infallibly find it there.

Some men admire republics, becaufe orators flourish there most, and are the great enemies of tyranny but my opinion is, that one tyrant is better than a hundred. Befides, these orators inflame the people, whofe anger is really but a fhort fit of madnefs.

Ira furor brevis eft.

HOR.

After which laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wafps and hornets break through. But in oratory the greateft art is to hide

art.

Artis eft celare artem

But this must be the work of time; we muft lay hold on all opportunities, and let flip no occafion, elfe we fhall be forced to weave Penelope's web, unravel in the night what we fpun in the day. And therefore I have obferved, that time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, fignifying thereby, that we must take time (as we fay) by the forelock, for when it is once paft, there is no recalling it.

The mind of man is at firft (if you will pardon the expreffion) like a tabula rafa, or like wax, which, while it is foft, is capable of any impreffion, till time has hardened it. And at length death, that grim tyrant, stops us in the midst of our carThe greateft conquerors have at last been conquered by death, which spares none, from the fceptre to the fpade.

reer.

VOL. V.

Mors omnibus communis.

All rivers go to the fea, but none return from it. Xerxes wept when he beheld his army, to confider that in less than an hundred years they would be all dead: Anacreon was choaked with a grapeftone; and violent joy kills as well as violent grief. There is nothing in this world conftant, but inconftancy; yet Piato thought, that if virtue would appear to the world in her own native dress, all men would be enamoured with her. But now, fince intereft governs the world, and men neglect the golden mean, Jupiter himself, if he came on the earth, would be defpifed, unless it were, as he did to Danae, in a golden fhower: for we now-adays worship the rifing fun, and not the setting.

Donec eris felix multos numerabis amicos

Thus have I, in obedience to your commands, ventured to expose myself to cenfure in this critical age. Whether I have done right to my fubject must be left to the judgement of the learned reader: however, I cannot but hope, that my attempting of it may be an encouragement for fome able pen to perform it with more fuccefs.

PREDICTIONS

PREDICTIONS for the year 1708 *.

Wherein the month, and day of the month, are fet down, the perfons named, and the great actions and events of next year particularly related, as they will come to pafs.

Written to prevent the people of England from being farther impofed on by the vulgar almanack-makers.

I

By ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Esq.

HAVE long confidered the grofs abuse of aftrology in this kingdom, and upon debating the matter with myself, I could not poffibly lay the

It is faid, that the author, when he had writ this paper, and being at a loss what name to prefix to it, paffing through Longacre, obferved a fign over a house where a locksmith dwelt, and found the name Bickerfaff written under it: which being a name fomewhat un-common, he chofe to call himself Ifaac Bickerstaff. This name was fome time afterwards made ufe of by Sir Richard Steele, and Mr. Addifon, in the Tatlers; in which papers, as well as many of the Spectators, it is well known, that the author had a confiderable part. Dub, edit.

The papers which relate to Pärtridge the almanack-maker, arq entirely humorous and although they are not only temporary but local; yet, by an art peculiar to Swift himself, they are rendered immortal, fe as to be read with pleasure, as long as the English language fubfifts. Orrery.

In the papers relating to Partridge the almanack-maker, thofe who have a tafte for mirth and humour, will find abundance of entertainment. They are defigned as a ridicule upon all that fooli tribe, who fet up for aftrologers, and without one rag of learning are great pretenders to science. The elegy on Partridge (in vol. vii. p. 204.) can never be fufficiently relished by those who are unacquainted with those whimsical tract. However, it is a point worth ob ferving, that upon all occations Dr. Swift remembered the fanatical party; neither would he allow a poor cobler, starmonger, and quack, to go out of the world, until, upon his death bed, he had declared himfelf a nonconformift, and had a fanatic preacher to be his spiritual guide. Swift.

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