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a knave as far as Grubftreet,-although he lies in the most exalted garret, and writes himself 'fquire: --but I will keep my temper, and proceed in the narration.

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I could not stir out of doors for the space of three months after this, but prefently one comes up to me in the street? Mr. Partridge, that coffin you was last buried in, I have not yet been paid for doctor, cries another dog, how do you think people can live by making of graves for nothing? next time you die, you may even toll out the bell yourself for Ned. A third rogue tips me by the elbow, and wonders how I have the conscience to sneak abroad without paying my funeral expences, Lord fays one, I durft have fwore that was honest Dr. Partridge, my old friend: but poor man, he is gone. I beg your pardon, fays another, you look fo like my old acquaintance, that I used to confult on fome private occations; but, alack, he is gone the way of all flesh.-Look, look, look, cries a third, after a competent fpace of ftaring at me, would not one think our neighbour the almanackmaker was crept out of his grave to take the other peep at the stars in this world, and fhew how much he is improved in fortune telling, by having taken a journey to the other?

Nay, the very reader of our parish, a good fober, difcreet perfon, has fent two or three times for me to come and be buried decently, or fend him fufficient reafons to the contrary; or, if I have been interred in any other parith, to produce my certificate, as the act requires. My poor wife is almost run diftracted with being called widow Partridge, when fhe knows it is falfe e; and once a term fhe is cited into the court, to take out letters

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*The flatute of 30. Car. II. for burying in woollen, requires, that oath fhall be made of the compliance with this act, and a certificate thereof lodged with the minifter of the parish, within eight days after interment.

of administration. But the greatest grievance is, a paultry quack, that takes up my calling juft under my nofe, and in his printed directions, with N. B. fays, he lives in the house of the late ingenious Mr. Partridge, and eminent practitioner in leather, phyfic, and aftrology.

But to thew how far the wicked fpirit of envy, malice, and refentment, can hurry fome men, my nameless old perfecutor had provided me a monument at the stone cutter's, and would have erected it in the parifh-church; and this piece of notorious and expenfive villainy had actually fucceeded, if I had not used my utmost interest with the vestry, where it was carried at last but by two voices, that I am alive That ftratagem failing, out comes a long fable elegy, bedecked with hour-glaffes, mattocks, fculls, fpades, and skeletons, with an epitaph as confidently written to abuse me, and my profeffion, as if I had been under ground these twenty years.

And, after fuch barbarous treatment as this, can the world blame me, when I afk, what is become of the freedom of an Englishman? and where is the liberty and property, that my old glorious friend came over to affert? we have drove Popery out of the nation, and fent flavery to foreign climes. The arts only remain in bondage, when a man of fcience and character fhall be openly infulted in the midst of the many ufeful fervices he is daily paying the public. Was it ever heard, even in Turkey or Algiers, that a ftate aftrologer was bantered out of his life by an ignorant impoftor, or bawled out of the world by a pack of villainous, deepmouthed hawkers? though I print almanacks, and publifh advertisements; though I produce certificates under the minifters and church wardens hands I am alive, and atteft the fame on oath at quarterfeffions, out comes a full and true relation of the death and interment of John Partridge; truth is VOL. V.

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bore down, atteftations neglected, the teftimony of fober perfons defpifed, and a man is looked upon by his neighbours as if he had been feven years. dead, and is buried alive in the midft of his friends and acquaintance.

Now, can any man of common fenfe think it confiftent with the honour of my profeffion, and not much beneath the dignity of a philofopher, to ftand bawling before his own door?-alive! alive ho the famous Dr Partridge! no counterfeit, but all alive!-- as if I had the twelve celeftial monfters of the zoadic to fhew within, or was forced for a livelihood to turn retailer to May and Bar· tholomew fairs. Therefore, if ber Majefty would but gracioufly be pleafed to think a hardship of this nature worthy her royal confideration, and the next parliament, in their great wifdom, caft but an eye towards the deplorable cafe of their old philomath, that aunually beftows his poetical good. wifhes on them, I am fure there is one Ifaac Bickerftaff, Efq; would foon be truffed up for his bloody predictions, and putting good fubjects in terror of their lives: and that henceforward to murder a man by way of prophecy, and bury him in a printed letter, either to a Lord or a Commoner, fhall as legally entitle him to the prefent poffeffion of Tyburn, as if he robbed on the highway, or cut your throat in bed.

I fhall demonftrate to the judicious, that France and Rome are at the bottom of this horrid confpiracy against me; and that Culprit aforefaid is a Popifh emiffary, has paid his vifits to S. Germains, and is now in the measures of Lewis XIV: That in attempting my reputation, there is a general maffacre of learning defigned in thefe realms; and through my fides there is a wound given to all the Proteftant almanack-makers in the universe.

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A Vindication of ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Efq; against what is objected to him by Mr. PARTRIDGE, in his almanack for the prefent year 1709.

MR.

By the faid ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Efq;

Written in the year 1709.

R. Partridge hath been lately pleafed to treat me after a very rough manner, in that which is called, his almanack for the prefent year: fuch ufage is very undecent from one gentleman to another, and doth not at all contribute to the difcovery of truth, which ought to be the great end in all difputes of the learned. To call a man fool and villain, and impudent fellow, only for differing from him in a point merely fpeculative, is, in my humble opinion, a very improper ftyle for a perfon of his education. I appeal to the learned world, whether in my last year's predictions I gave him the leaft provocation for fuch unworthy treatment. Philofo

phers have differed in all ages; but the difcreetest among them have always differed as became philofophers. Scurrility and paffion, in a controversy among scholars, is juft fo much of nothing to the purpose, and, at beft, a tacit confeffion of a weak caufe my concern is not fo much for my own re-putation, as that of the republic of letters, which Mr. Partridge hath endeavoured to wound through my fides. If men of public spirit must be fupercilioufly treated for their ingenious attempts, how will true ufeful knowledge be ever advanced? I wish Mr. Partridge knew the thoughts which foreign univerfities have conceived of his ungenerous proceedings

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ceedings with me; but I am too tender of his reputation to publish them to the world. That fpirit of envy and pride, which blafts fo many rifing geniufes in our nation, is yet unknown among profeffors abroad: the neceffity of justifying myself will excufe my vanity, when I tell the reader, that I have near a hundred honorary letters from feveral parts of Europe, (fome as far as Mufcovy,) in praise of my performance; befides feveral others, which, as I have been credibly informed, were opened at the poft-office, and never fent me. It is true, the inquifition in Portugal was pleased to burn my predictions, and condemn the author and readers of them; but I hope at the fame time, it will be confidered, in how deplorable a ftate learning lies at prefent in that kingdom: and, with the profoundett veneration for crowned head, I will prefume to add, that it a little concerned his Majefty of Portugal to interpose his authority in behalf of a scholar and a gentleman, the fubject of a nation with which he is now in fo ftrict an alliance. But the other kingdoms and ftates of Europe have treated me with more candour and generofity. It I had leave to print the Latin letters tranfmitted to me from foreign parts, they would fill a volume, and be a full defence against all that Mr. Partridge, or his accomplices of the Portugal inquifition, will be ever able to object; who, by the way, are the only enemies my predictions have ever met with at home or abroad. But I hope I know better, what is due to the honour of a learned correfpondence in so tender a point. Yet fome of thofe illustrious perfons will perhaps excufe me for tranfcribing a paffage or two in my vindication t. The moft learned Monfieur

This is fact, as the author was affured by Sir Paul Methuen, then ambaffador to that crown.

The quotations here inferted, are in imitation of Dr. Bentley, in fome part of the famous controverfy between him and Mr. Boyle, afterwards Earl of Orrery.

Leibnitz

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