THE other Objection is the unhappy Occafion of this Difcourse, and relates to an Article in my Predictions, which foretold the Death of Mr. Partrige to happen on March 29, 1708. This he is pleased to contradict abfolutely in the Almanack he has publish'd for the prefent Year, and in that ungentlemanly Manner, (pardon the Expreffion) as I have above related. In that Work, he very roundly afferts, That he is not only now alive, but was likewife alive upon that very 29th of March, when I had foretold he should die. This is the Subject of the prefent Controverfie between us; which I design to handle with all Brevity, Perfpicuity and Calmness: In this Difpute, I am fenfible, the Eyes not only of England, but of all Europe, will be upon us: And the Learned in every Country will, I doubt not, take Part on that Side where they find most Ap. Rearance of Reason and Truth.

WITH

WITHOUT entring into Criticisms of Chronology about the Hour of his Death, I fhall only prove, that Mr. Partrige is not alive. And my First Argument is thus: Above a Thousand Gentlemen having bought his Almanack for this Year, meerly to find what he said against me; at every Line they read, they would lift up their Eyes, and cry out, betwixt Rage and Laughter, They were fure no Man alive ever writ fuch damn'd Stuff as this. Neither did I ever hear that Opinion difputed. So that Mr. Partrige lies under a Dilemma, either of difowning his Almanack, or allowing himself to be, No Man alive. But now if an uninformed Carcafs walks ftill about, and is pleased to call it felf Partrige, Mr. BickerStaff does not think himself any way anfwerable for that. Neither had the faid Carcass any Right to beat the poor Boy, who happen'd to pass by it in the Street, crying, A full and true Account of Dr. Partrige's Death, &c.

SE

SECONDLY, Mr. Partrige pretends to tell Fortunes, and recover ftolen Goods; which all the Parish fays he must do by converfing with the Devil, and other evil Spirits: And no wife Man will ever allow he could converie perfonally with either, till after he was dead.

THIRDLY, I will plainly prove him to be dead, out of his own Almanack for this Year, and from the very Paffage which he produces to make us think him alive. He there fays, He is not only now alive, but was alfo alive upon that very 29th of March, which I foretold he should die on: By this, he declares his Opinion, That a Man may be alive now, who was not alive a Twelvemonth ago. And indeed, there lies the Sophiftry of his Argument, He dares not affert he was alive ever fince that 29th of March, but that he is now alive, and was fo on that day: I grant the latter; for he did not die till night, as appears by the printed Account of his Death, in a Letter to a Lord;

and

whether he is fince revived, I leave the World to judge. This indeed is perfect cavilling, and I am afhamed to dwell any longer upon it.

FOURTHLY, I will appeal to Mr. Partrige himself, whether it be probable I could have been fo indifcreet, to begin my Predictions with the only Falfhood that ever was pretended to be in them; and this in an Affair at Home, where I had fo many Opportunities to be exact; and must have given fuch Advantages against me to a Perfon of Mr. Partrige's Wit and Learning, who, if he could poffibly have rais'd one fingle Objection more against the Truth of my Prophecies, would hardly have spared me.

AND here I must take Occafion to reprove the abovementioned Writer of the Relation of Mr. Partrige's Death, in a Letter to a Lord; who was pleased to tax me with a Miftake of Four whole Hours in my Calculation of that Event. I must confefs, this Cenfure pronounced with an Air

of

of Certainty, in a Matter that fo nearly concerned me, and by a grave judicious Author, moved me not a little. But tho' I was at that Time out of Town, yet feveral of my Friends, whofe Curiofity had led them to be exactly informed, (for as to my own Part, having no Doubt at all in the Matter, I never once thought of it) affured me I computed to fomething under half an Hour; which (I speak my private Opinion) is an Error of no very great Magnitude, that Men fhould raise Clamour about it. I fhall only fay, it would not be amifs, if that Author would henceforth be more tender of other Men's Reputation as well as his own. is well there were no more Mistakes of that kind; if there had, I prefume he would have told me of them with as little Ceremony.

It

THERE is one Objection against Mr. Partrige's Death, which I have fometimes met with, tho' indeed very flightly offered; That he still continues to write Almanacks. But this is no more than what is common to · all