handsomely done. Hift, hift, fays another rogue that ftood by him; away, doctor, into your flannel gear as fast as you can, for here is a whole pack of difmals coming to you with their black equipage, and how indecent will it look for you to ftand frightening folks at your window, when you should have been in your coffin this three hours? In fhort, what with undertakers, imbalmers, joiners, fextons, and your damned elegy-hawkers upon a late practitioner in phyfick and aftrology, I got not one wink of sleep that night, nor scarce a moment's reft ever fince. Now I doubt not, but this villainous 'fquire has the impudence to affert, that these are entirely ftrangers to him; he, good man, knows nothing of the matter, and honeft Isaac Bickerstaff, I warrant you is more a man of honour, than to be an accomplice with a pack of rafcals, that walk the streets on nights, and disturb good people in their beds; but he is out, if he thinks the whole world is blind; for there is one John Partridge can smell a knave as far as Grubfreet, although he lies in the moft exalted garret, and writes himself 'fquire: but I will keep my temper, and proceed in the narration.

I could not ftir out of doors for the space of three months after this, but presently one comes up to me in the street; Mr. Partridge, that coffin you was last buried in, I have not been yet 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 confcience to fneak abroad without paying my faneral 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 occafions; but, alack, he is gone the way of all flefh.. Look, look, look, cries a third, after a competent space of staring at me, would not one think our neighbour the almanack-maker was crept out of his grave to take the other peep at the ftars 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, discreet perfon, has fent two or three times for me to come and be buried decently, or send him fufficient reafon to the contrary, or, if I have been interred in any other parish, to produce my certificate, as the a& * requires. My poor wife is almost run distracted with being called widow Partridge, when she knows it is false; and once a term she is cited into the court to take out letters of adminiftration. 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. John Partridge, an eminent practitioner in leather, phyfick, and aftrology.

But to fhew how far the wicked spirit of envy, malice and refentment can hurry fome men, my nameless old perfecutor had provided me a monument at the ftonecutter's, and would have erected it in the parish-church; and this piece of notorious and expensive villainy had

r

The ftatute 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 inter

ment.

actually

actually fucceeded, if I had not used my utmost intereft with the veftry, where it was carried at laft but by two voices, that I am alive. That ftratagem failing, out comes a long fable elegy, bedecked with hourglaffes, mattocks, fculls, fpades, and skeletons, with an epitaph as confidently written to abufe me, and my -profeffion, as if I had been under ground thefe 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 liberty and property, that my old gracious 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 confcience and character fhall be openly insulted in the midst of the many ufeful fervices he is daily paying the publick. Was it ever heard, even in Turkey or Algiers, that a stateaftrologer was bantered out of his life by an ignorant impoftor, or bawled out of the world by a pack of villainous deep-mouthed hawkers? though I print almanacks, and publish advertisements; though I produce certificates under the minifters and church-wardens hands I am alive, and atteft the fame on oath at quarter-feffions, out comes a full and true relation of the death and interment of John Partridge; truth is bore down, atteftations neglected, the teftimony of fober persons despised, 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 fense 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 zodiack to fhew within, or was forced for a livelihood to turn retailer to May and Bartholomew fairs. Therefore, if her majesty would but graciously be pleased to think a hardship of this nature worthy her royal confideration, and the next parliament, in their great wisdom, caft but an eye towards the deplorable cafe of their old philomath, that annually beftows his poetical good wishes on them, I am fure there is one Isaac Bickerstaff, 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 printed letters, either to a lord or 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 shall demonftrate to the judicious, that France and Rome are at the bottom of this horrid confpiracy against me; and that Culprit aforefaid is a popish emiffary, has paid his vifits to St. Germains, and is now in the measures of Lewis XIV. That in attempting my re putation, there is a general maffacre of learning defigned in these realms; and through my fides there is a wound given to all the proteftant almanack-makers in the universe.

Vivat Regina.

A VIN

A

VINDICATION

OF

ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Esq;

AGAINST

What is objected to him by Mr. Partridge in his almanack for the present year 1709.

By the faid ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Efq;

MR

Written in the Year 1709.

R. Partridge hath been lately pleased 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 discovery 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 style for a person 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. Philofophers have differed in all ages; but the difamong them have always differed as became phi

creetest

lofophers