hawk'd about. My Fortune has plac'd me above the little Regard of Scribling for a few Pence, which I neither value nor want: Therefore let not wife Men too hastily condemn this Effay, intended for a good Defign to cultivate and improve an Ancient Art, long in Difgrace by having fallen into mean Unfkilful Hands. A little Time will determine, whether I have deceived others, or my felf; and I think it is no very unreafonable Request, that Men fhould pleafe to suspend their Judgments till then. I was once of the Opinion with thofe, who defpife all Predictions from the Stars, till in the Year 1686, a Man of Quality fhew'd me written in his Album, That the most learned Aftronomer Captain H. affur'd him, he would never believe any thing of the Stars Influence, if there were not a great Revolution in England in the Year 1688. Since that Time I began to have other Thoughts, and after eighteen Years diligent Study and Appli cation, I think I have no reafon 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 Years 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

ACCOMPLISHMENT

Of the First of

Mr. Bicker fiaff's PREDICTIONS,

Being an

ACCOUNT

Of the DEATH of

Mr. PARTRIDGE the Almanack-maker,

Upon the 29th Instant.

IN Obedience to your Lordship's Commands,

I as well as to fatisfic my own Curiofity, I have

for lome Days paft enquired constantly after Partridge, the Almanack-maker, of whom it was foretold in Mr. Bickerstaff's Predictions publifh'd about a Month ago, that he fhould die the 29th, Inftant about 11 at Night of a Raging Fever.

I

I had fome fort of Knowledge of him when I was employed in the Revenue, because he ufed 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 ro Days before he died, and obferved he began very much to Droop and Languifh, tho' I hear his Friends did not feem to apprehend him in any Danger. About Two or Three Days ago he grew Ill, was confin'd first to his Chamber, and in a few Hours after to his Bed, where Dr.Cafe and Mrs. Kirleus were fenr for to Vifit and to Prescribe to him. Upon this Intelligence I fent thrice every Day one Servant or other to enquire after his Health: And yesterday about Four in the Afternoon, Word was brought me that he was paft all Hopes; upon which I prevailed with my felf to go and fee him, partly out of Commiferation, and, I confefs, partly out of Curi ofity. He knew me very well, feem'd furprized at my Condefcention, and made me Compliments upon it as well as he could in the Condition he was. The People about him said 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 Melancholly Circumftances, and faid fome other Civilities, fuitable to the Occafion, I defired him to tell me freely and ingeniously whether the Predictions Mr. Bickerstaff had publifh'd relating to his Death, had not too much affected and work'd on his Imagination. He confefs'd, 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 Distemper: For, faid he, I am throughly perfwaded, 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 my felf. I told him his Difcourfe furprized me, and I would be glad he were in a State of Health to be able to tell me what Reafon he had to be convinced of Mr. Bickerstaff's Ignorance. He reply'd I am a poor Ignorant Fellow, Bred to a Mean Trade, yet I have Senfe enough to know, that all Pretences of foretelling by Aftrology are Deceits, for this Maniteft Reafon, because the Wife and the Learned, who can only know whether there be any Truth in this Science, do all unanimoufly agree to laugh at and defpife it; and none but the Poor Ignorant vulgar give it any Credit, and that only upon the Word of fuch Silly 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 Predictions? At which he fhook his Head, and faid, O! Sir, this is no Time for Jefting, but for Repenting those Fooleries, as I do now from the very Botton of my Heart. By what I can gather from you, faid I, the Obfervations and Predictions you printed with your Almanacks were meer Impofitions upon the People. He reply'd, 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

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 rest was my own Invention to make my Almanack Sell, having a Wife to Maintain, and no other way to get my Bread, for mending of Old Shoes is a poor Livelihood: And (added he, fighing) I wish, I may not have done more Mifchief by my Phyfick than my Aftrology, tho' I had fome good Receipts from my Grandmo ther, and my own Compofitions were fuch, as I thought could at least do no Hurt.

I had fome other Difcourfes 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 declar'd himself a Non conformist, and had a Fanatick Preacher to be his Spiritual Guide, After half an hour's Converfation I took my Leave, being half ftifled by the Clofeness of the Room. I imagined he could not hold out long, and therefore withdrew to a little Coffeehoufe hard by, leaving a Servant 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 Minutes after Seven, by which it is clear, that M. Bickerstaff was mistaken almoft Four Hours in his Calculation. In the other Circumftances he was exact enough. But whether he has not been the Caufe of this Poor Mans Death, as well as the Predictor, may be very reasonably difputed. However it must be con fefs'd, the Matter is odd enough, whether we should endeavour to account for it by Chance

or