learned aftronomer, Captain Halley, affured him, he would never believe any thing of the ftar's influence, if there was not a great revolution in England in the year 1688. Since that time I began to have other thoughts, and, after eighteen years diligent ftudy and application, I think I have no reason to repent of my pains. I fhall detain the reader no longer, than to let him know, that the account I defign to give of next year's events, fhall take in the principal affairs that happen in Europe; and if I be denied the liberty of offering it to my own country, I fhall appeal to the learned world, by publishing it in Latin, and giving order to have it printed in Holland, The The ACCOMPLISHMENT of the first of Mr. BICKERSTAFF'S PREDICTIONS. Being an AccOUNT of the DEATH of Mr. PAR TRIDGE, the Almanack-maker, upon the 29th inftant *. In a letter to a perfon of honour. Mr LORD, Written in the year 1708. N obedience to your Lordship's commands, as for fome days paft enquired conftantly after Partridge, the almanack-maker, of whom it was foretold in Mr. Bickerstaff's predictions, published about a month ago, that he fhould die the 29th inftant about eleven at night, of a raging fever. I had fome fort of knowledge of him, when I was employed in the revenue, because he used every year to prefent me with his almanack, as he did other gentlemen, upon the score of fome little gratuity we gave him. I faw him accidentally once or twice about ten days before he died, and obferved he began very much to droop and languifh; though I hear his friends did not feem to apprehend him in any danger,. About two or three days ago he grew ill, was confined firft to his chamber, and in a few hours after to his bed, where Dr. Cafe and Mrs. Kirlews + were fent for to vifit, and prescribe to him. Upon *See an elegy on the fuppofed death of Partridge, in vol, vii, p. 204. and the epitaph, p. 207. Two famous quacks at that time, this this intelligence I fent thrice every day one fervant or other to enquire after his health; and yefterday, about four in the afternoon, word was brought me, that he was paft hopes upon which I prevailed with myself to go and fee him, partly out of commiferation, and, I confess, partly cut of curi ofity. He knew me very well, feemed furprised at my condefcenfion, and made me compliments upon it, as well as he could in the condition he was. The people about him faid, he had been for fome time delirious; but when I faw him, he had his understanding as well as ever I knew, and spoke strong and hearty, without any feeming uneafinefs or conftraint. After I had told him how forry I was to fee him in thofe melancholy circumftances, and faid fome other civilities, fuitable to the occafion, I defired him to tell me freely and ingenuoufly, whether the predictions Mr. Bickerftaff had publifhed relating to his death, had not too much affected and worked on his imagination. He confeffed, he had often had it in his head, but never with much apprehenfion, till about a fortnight before; fince which time it had the perpetual poffeffion of his mind and thoughts, and he did verily believe was the true natural caufe of his prefent diftemper: for, faid he, I am thoroughly perfuaded, and I think I have very good reafons, that Mr. Bickerstaff spoke altogether by guefs, and knew no more what will happen this year, than I did myfelf. I told him his difcourfe furprifed me; and I wou'd be glad, he were in a state of health to be able to tell me, what reafon he had to be convinced of Mr. Bickerftaff's ignorance. He replied, He replied, "I am a poor ignorant fellow, bred to a mean trade; yet I have fenfe enough to know, that all pretences of foretelling by aftrology are deceits, for this manifeft reafon, because the wife and the learned, who can only judge whether there be any truth in this fcience, do all unanimoufly agree to laugh at and defpife it, and none 66 none but the poor ignorant vulgar give it any credit, and that only upon the word of fuch filly wretches as I and my fellows, who can hardly write. or read." I then asked him, why he had not calculated his own nativity, to fee whether it agreed with Bickerstaff's prediction? at which he hook his head, and faid, "Oh! Sir, this is no time for jefting, but for repenting thofe fooleries, as I do now from the very bottom of heart." my By what I can gather from you," said I," the obfervations and predictions you printed with your almanacks, were mere impofitions on the people." He replied, "If it were otherwife, I fhould have the lefs to answer for. We have a common form for all thofe things; as to foretelling the weather, we never meddle with that, but leave it to the printer, who takes it out of any old almanack as he thinks fit; the reft was my own invention to make my alınanack fell, having a wife to maintain, and no other way to get my bread; for mending old fhoes is a poor livelihood; and (added he, fighing,) I wish I may not have done more mifchief by my physic than my astrology; though I had fome good receipts from my grandmother, and my own compofitions were fuch, as I thought could at leaft do no hurt.” I had fome other difcourfe with him, which now I cannot call to mind; and I fear I have already tired your Lordship. I fhall only add one circumftance, that on his death-bed he declared himself as non-conformist, and had a fanatic preacher to be his fpiritual guide. After half an hour's converfation I took my leave, being almoft ftifled by the clofeness of the room I imagined he could not hold out long, and therefore withdrew to a little coffeehouse hard by, leaving a fervant at the house with orders to come immediately and tell me, as near as he could, the minute when Partridge fhould expire, which was not above two hours after; when looking upon my watch; I found it to be above five A a 3 minutes minutes after feven; by which it is clear, that Mr. Bickerstaff was mistaken almost four hours in his calculation. In the other circumftances he was exact enough. But whether he hath not been the caufe of this poor man's death, as well as the predictor, may be very reasonably difputed. However, it must be confeffed, the matter is odd enough, whether we should endeavour to account for it by chance, or the effect of imagination: for my own part, though I believe no man hath lefs faith in these matters, yet I fhall wait with fome impatience, and not without fome expectation, the fulfilling of Mr. Bickerstaff's fecond prediction, that the Cardinal de Noailles is to die upon the 4th of April, and if that should be verified as exactly as this of poor Partridge, I must own I fhould be wholly furprised, and at a lofs, and fhould infallibly expect the accomplishment of all the reft. 'Squire |