BICKERSTAFF Detected. 135 I print Almanacks, and publish Advertisements; although I produce Certificates under the Minifters and Church-Wardens Hands, I am alive, and atteft the fame on Oath at Quarter Seffions; out comes A full and true Relation of the Death and Interment of JOHN PARTRIGE; Truth is bore down, Atteftations neglected, the Teftimony of fober Perfons defpifed, 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 Ac quaintance. Now can any Man of common Senfe 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. Partrige! No Counterfeit, but all alive!- As if I had the twelve Celestial Monsters 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, cast but an Eye towards the deplorable Cafe of their old Philomath, that annually bestows his poetical good Wishes on them; I am fure there is one Ifaac Bickerstaff, Efq; would foon be truffed up for his bloody Predictions, and putting good Subjects in Terror of their Lives: And that henceforward to murder a Man by Way of Prophecy, and bury him in a printed Letter, either to a Lord or Commoner, fhall as legally entitle him to the present 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 Confpiracy against me; and that Culprit aforesaid, is a Popish Emiffary, hath paid his Vifits to St. Germains, and is now in the Measures of Lewis XIV. That, in attempting my Reputation, there is a general Maffacre of Learning defigned in these Realms: And through my Sides, there is a Wound given to all the Proteftant Almanack-makers in the Universe. A A VINDICATION OF ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Efq; AGAINST What is objected to him by Mr. Partrige, in his Almanack for the prefent Year 1709. By the faid ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Esq; M R. Partrige hath been lately pleased to treat me after a very rough Manner, in that which is called, His Almanack for the present Year : Such 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 fpecula tive, tive, is, in my humble Opinion, a very impre Stile for a Perfon of bis Education. I appeal to learned World, whether in my last Year's Pred ons, I gave him the leaft Provocation for fuch worthy Treatment. Philofophers have differe all Ages, but the difcreeteft among them have ways differed as became Philofophers. Scurri and Paffion, in a Controverfy among Scholars just so much of nothing to the Purpose; and, beft, a tacit Confeffion of a weak Cause: My C cern is not fo much for my own Reputation, as t of the Republick of Letters, which Mr. Part. hath endeavoured to wound through my Sides. Men of publick Spirit must be fuperciliously trea for their ingenious Attempts; how will true uf Knowledge be ever advanced? I with Mr. Part knew the Thoughts which foreign Univerfities h conceived of his ungenerous Proceedings with m but I am too tender of his Reputation to pub them to the World. That Spirit of Envy a Pride, which blasts so many rising Genius's in Nation, is yet unknown among Profeffors abroa The Neceffity of justifying my felf, will excufe Vanity, when I tell the Reader that I have near hundred honorary Letters from feveral Parts of I rope, (fome as far as Mufcony) in Praife of my P formance. Befides, feveral others, which, as I ha been credibly informed, were opened in the Postfice, and never fent me. It is true, the Inqu tion in Portugal was pleased to burn my Predictio and condemn the Author and Readers of them; b I hope, at the fame Time, it will be confidered how deplorable a State Learning lies at prefent th *This is Fact, as the Author was affured by Sir Paul Meth then Ambaffador to that Crown. tion for crowned Heads, I will prefume to add; that it a little concerned his Majefty of Portugal, to interpose 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 Candour 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. Partrige, 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 Correfpondence, in fo tender a Point. Yet fome of those illustrious Perfons will, perhaps, excufe me for transcribing a Paffage or two in my own Vindication. The most learned Monfieur Leibnitz thus addreffeth to me his third Letter: Illuftriffimo Bickerstaffio Aftrologie Inftauratori, &c. Monfieur le Clerc quoting my Predictions in a Treatife he published laft Year, is pleased to say, Ità nuperrime Bickerstaffius, nobilis Anglus, Aftrologorum hujufce Seculi facilè Princeps. Seignior Magliabecchi, the Great Duke's famous Library-keeper, fpends almoft his whole Letter in Compliments and Praises. It is true, the renowned Profeffor of Aftronomy at Utrecht, seems 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 seems to lay the Error *The Quotations here inferted, are in Imitation of Dr. Bentley, in fome Part of the famous Controverfy between him and Charles Boyle, Efq; afterwards Earl of Orrery. |