or the Effect of Imagination: For my own Part, though I believe no one has lefs Faith in thefe matters, yet I fhall wait with fome Impatience, and not without Expectation, the fulfilling of Mr. Bickerstaff's Second Prediction, that the Cardinal De Noailles is to die upon the 4th of April, and if that fhould be verified as ex3 actly as this of Poor Partridge, I muft own, I fhould be wholly furprized, and at a lofs, and fhould infallibly expect the Accomplishment of all the reft.

FINI S.

A

VINDICATION

OF

Ifaac 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;
Writen in the Year, 1709.

M 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: Such ufage is very undecent from one Gentleman to another, and does 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 meerly Speculative, is in my humble

Opinion

Opinion, a very improper Style for a Person of his Education. I appeal to the Learned World, whether in my laft Years Predictions, I gave him the leaft Provocation for fuch unworthy Treatment. Philofophers have differed in all Ages, but the difcreeteft among them have always differed as became Philofophers. Scurrility and Paffion in a Controverfy among Scholars, is juft fo much of nothing to the purpofe; and beft a tacit Confeffion of a weak Caufe: My Concern is not fo much for my own Reputation, as that of the Republick of Letters, which Mr. Partridge hath endeavoured to wound thro' my Sides. If Men of Publick Spirit must be fupercilioufly: treated for their ingenious Attempts, how will true useful Knowledge be ever advanc'd? I with Mr. Partridge knew the Thoughts which Foreign Universities have conceived of his ungenerous Proceedings with me; but I am too tender of his Reputation to publifh them to the World. That Spirit of Envy and Pride, which blaft fo many rifing Genius's in our Nation, is yet unknown amongst Professors abroad; The Neceffity of juftifying my felf, will excufe my Vanity, when I tell the Reader, that I have near an hundred honorary Letters from fe-.. veral Parts of Europe, (fome as far as Muscovy) in Praise of my Performance. Befides feveral others which, as I have been credibly inform'd, were open'd in the Poft-Office, and never fent me.~. Tis true the Inquifition in Portugal was pleafed to burn my Predictions, and condemn the Author and Readers of them; but I hope at the fame time, it will be confider'd in how deplorable a State Learning lies at prefent in that Kingdom: And with the profoundeft Ve..

N

neration

neration for Crown'd Heads, I will prefume to add, that it a little concerned His Majefty of Portugal, to interpofe his Authority in behalf of a Scholar and a Gentleman, the Subject of a Nation with which he is now in fo ftrict an Alliance. But the other Kingdoms and States of Europe have treated me with more Candor and Generofity. If 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 Correspondence, in fo tender a Point. Yet fome of thofe illuftrious Perfons will perhaps excufe me from tranfcribing a Paffage or two in my own Vindication. The moft Learned Monfieur Leibnitz thus addreffes to me his Third Letter: Illuftriffimo Bickerftaffio Aftrologia Inftauratori, &c. Monfieur le Clerc, quoting my Predictions in a Treatife he published laft Year, is pleased to fay, Ità nuperrime Bickerftafius mag num illud Anglia Sidus. Another great Profeffor writing of me, has thefe Words: Bickerstaffius, Nobilis Anglus, Aftrologorum hujufce Seculi facilè Prin-· ceps. Signior Magliabecchi, the Great Duke's famous Library Keeper, fpends almost his whole Letter in Compliments and Praifes. "Tis true, the renowned Profeffor of Aftronomy at Utrecht, feems to differ from me in one Article; but it is after the modeft manner that becomes a Philofopher; as, Pace tanti viri dixerim: And Page. 55. he feems to lay the Error upon the Printer,

(as

(as indeed it ought) and fays, Vel forfan error Typographi, cum alioquin Bickerstaffius vir doctiffimus, &c.

IF Mr. Partridge had followed this Example in the Controverfy, between us, he might have fpared me the trouble of juftifying my felf in fo publick a Manner. I believe few men are readier to own their Errors than I, or more thankful to thofe, that will pleafe to inform him of them. But it feems, this Gentleman, inftead of encouraging the Progrefs of his own Art, is pleased to look upon all Attempts of that Kind as an Invafion of his Province. He has been indeed fo wife, to make no Objecti on against the Truth of my Predictions, except in one fingle Point, relating to himself: And to demonftrate how much Men are blinded by their own Partiality, I do folemnly affure the Reader, that he is the only Perfon from whom I ever heard that Objection offer'd, which con fideration alone, I think, will take off all its Weight.

WITH my utmost Endeavours, I have not been able to trace above Two Objections ever made against the Truth of my laft Year's Prophecies: The Firft was of a French Man, who was pleafed to publifh to the World, That the Cardinal de Noailles was ftill alive, notwithstanding the pretended Prophecy of Monfieur Biquerftaffe: But how far a Frenchman, a Papift, and an Enemy, is to be believed in his own Cafe, against an En glifo Proteftant, who is true to the Government, I fhall leave to the candid and impartial Reader.

THE Other Objection is the unhappy Occafion of this Difcourfe, and relates to an Article in my Predictions, which foretold the Death of N2

Mr.