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A famous PREDICTION of MERLIN, the British Wizard *.

Written above a thousand years ago, and relating to the year 1709.

With explanatory notes, by T. N. Philomath.
Written in the year 1709.

LAST year was published a paper of predictions, pretended to be written by one Ifaac Bickerftaff, Efq, but the true defign of it was to ridicule the art of aftrology, and expofe its profefors as ignorant or impoftors. Against this imputation Dr. Partridge

Dr. Swift, in his preface to this piece would infinuate, that what he publishes to the world is a trantiation of Merlin's prophecy 200years old. The main efgn of the Doctor in this prediction, if he was really in earne, (which I verily believe he was hot, as I am perfuadad that he only writ this prophecy, in order to vex the Whigs, and to fret that ungrateful miniftry, which had forgotten the obliga tions he had conferred upon them,) was, to encourage Q. Anne to a fecond marriage, in order that her Majefty might repair, if poffible, that infinite lofs he had fuftained by the Duke of Glocefter, who, by all accounts, was one of the finest princes that ever was born in England, and accordingly was univerfally regretted by the whole nation, the fanatical party and all their black adherents only excepted. This appears from the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th lines of the prophecy.

And without difpute, as in England there were many thousands, who were defirous to fee a prince defcended from a Queen, whom they loved with fuch ardour and affection; fo, in the wildness of their imagination, they endeavoured to perfuade her Majefty at the age of about forty-five to marry a fecond time. But whether it was owing to that exceffive regard which fhe bore unto the memory of her belo ved, the Prince of Denmark; or whether it was becaufe fhe never had a child after the age of five or fix and twenty; or whether it was for fome political reafon or other, the refused in this refpect to gratify the inclinations of her people; which however, as animofities and factions were then rifing to an exceffive height, he had caufe to repent of before the time of her decease. For, as the Queen was driven to fuch inexpreffible ftraits by the fury and machinations of the contending

Partridge hath learnedly vindicated himfelf in his almanack for that year.

For a farther vindication of this famous art, I have thought fit to prefent the world with the following prophecy. The original is faid to be of the famous Merlin, who lived about a thousand years ago; and the following translation is two hundred years old; for it feems 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 fet it down word for word in the old orthography, and fhall take leave to fubjoin a few explanatory notes.

Seven and ten addyd to nine,

Of Fraunce her woe this is the fygne,
Tamys rivere twys y frozen,
Walke fans wetying fhoes ne hozen.
Then comyth foorthe, ich understonde,
From towne of Stoffe to fattyn Londe,
An herdie Chyftan, woe the morne
To Fraunce, that ever he was born.
Then fhall the fyfhe beweyle his boffe:
Nor fhall grin berrys make up the loffe.
Yonge Symnele fhall again mifcarrye:

*

And Norway's pryd again fhall marrey.

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tending parties, that, with all her experience in government, the knew not whom to truft; if she had married fome wife and thoughtful prince, entirely remote from all pretenfions to the crown, (fuppofing that fuch a one could have been found in Europe at that time,) fhe might have paffed the remainder of her life with more eafe and tranquillity. For as a prince in that fituation would have had nothing more to do, than to have made the Queen happy and her reign glo rious, he might have acted as moderator between both parties, fecured unto himself the esteem of all the wife and virtuous, and perhaps, after the decease of the Queen, might have been highly regarded by her fucceffor during the remainder of his life. But alas! party-rage carried all before it, and every fcheme of accommodation was equally rejected by Whigs and Tories. Swift.

* Q. Anne is called Norway's Pryd, becaufe fhe had vouchsafed to marry the Prince of Denmark; and we all know, that Norway is part. of the dominion belonging to that crown. Swift.

And

And from the tree where blofums feele,
Ripe fruit fhall come, and all is wele;
Reaums fhall dance honde in honde,
And it fhall be merrye in old Inglonde :
Then old Inglonde fhall be no more,
And no man fhall be forie therefore.
Geryon fhall have three hedes agayne,
Till Hapfburge makyth them but twayne.

EXPLANATORY NOTES.

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20

Seven and ten. This line defcribes the year when these events fhall happen. Seven and ten make seventeen, which I explain feventeen 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 firft of January.

Tamys river twys, &c. The river Thames frozen twice in one year, fo as men could walk on it, is a very fingular accident, which perhaps has not fallen out for feveral hund ed years before, and is the reason why fome aftrologers have thought, that this prophecy could never be fulfilled, because they imagined fuch a thing would never happen in our climate.

From town of Stoffe, &c. This is a plain defignation of the Duke of Malborough: One kind of ftuff ufed to fatten land is called Marle, and every body knows that Borough is a name for a town; and this way of expreffion is after the usual dark manner of old aftrological predictions.

Then fhall the fybe, &c. By the fish, is under ftood the Dauphin of France, as their king's eldest fons are called: It is here faid, he fhall lament the lofs of the Duke of Burgundy. called the Boffe, which is an old English word for hump-houlder, or crook back as that Duke is known to be; and the prophecy feems to mean, that he fhould be overcome or flain. By the green berrys, in the next

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line, is meant the young Duke of Berry, the Dau. phin's third fon, who fhall not have valour or for tune enough to fupply the lots of his eldest brother.

Young Symnele, &. By Symnele is meant the pretended Prince of Wales, who, if he offers to attempt any thing against England, shall mifcarry as he did before. Lambert Symnel is the name of a young man, noted in our hiftories for perfonating the fon (as I remember) of Edward IV.

And Norway's pride, &c. I cannot guess who is meant by Norway's pride; perhaps the reader may, as well as the fenfe of the two following lines.

Reaums fhall, &c. Reaums, or as the word is now, realms, is the old name for kingdoms; and this is a very plain prediction of our happy union, with the felicities that shall attend it. It is added that Old England fhall be no more, and yet no man thall be forry for it. And indeed, properly fpeaking, Eng

land is now no more for the whole ifland is one kingdom under the name of Britain.

Geryon fball, &c. This prediction, though some. what obfcure, is wonderfully adapted. Geryon is faid to have been a king of Spain, whom Hercules flew. It was a fiction of the poets, that he had three heads, which the author fays he shall have again : that is, Spain fhall have three kings: which is now wonderfully verified; for befides the king of Portugal, which properly is part of Spain, there are two rivals for Spain, Charles and Philip; but Charles being defcended from the Count of Hapfburgh, founder of the Auftrian family, fhall foon make these heads but two, by overturning Philip, and driving him out of Spain.

Some of thefe predictions are already fulfilled; and it is highly probable the reft may be in due time; and I think I have not forced the words by my explication, into any other fenfe than what they will naturally bear. If this be granted, I am fure

VOL. V.

* Queen Anne.
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it must be alfo allowed, that the author (whoever he were) was a person of extraordinary fagacity; and that Aftrology brought to fuch a perfection as this, is y no means an art to be despised, whatever. Bickerstaff, or other merry gentlemen are pleafed to think. As to the tradition of thefe lines having been writ in the original by Merlin, I confefs I lay not much weight upon it; but it is enough to juftify their authority, that the book from whence I have tranfcribed them, was printed 170 years ago, as appears by the title page. For the fatisfaction of any gentleman, who may be either doubtful of the truth, or curious to be informed, I fhall give order to have the very bock fent to the printer of this pawith directions to let any body fee it that pleases, because I believe it is

very fcarce.

The

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