登陆注册
5143500000013

第13章

PREDICTIONS FOR THE YEAR 1708.

WHEREIN THE MONTH, AND DAY OF THE MONTH ARE SET DOWN, THE PERSONSNAMED, AND THE GREAT ACTIONS AND EVENTS OF NEXT YEAR PARTICULARLYRELATED AS WILL COME TO PASS.

WRITTEN TO PREVENT THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND FROM BEING FARTHER IMPOSEDON BY VULGAR ALMANACK-MAKERS.

BY ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, ESQ.

I HAVE long considered the gross abuse of astrology in this kingdom, and upon debating the matter with myself, I could not possibly lay the fault upon the art, but upon those gross impostors who set up to be the artists.I know several learned men have contended that the whole is a cheat; that it is absurd and ridiculous to imagine the stars can have any influence at all upon human actions, thoughts, or inclinations; and whoever has not bent his studies that way may be excused for thinking so, when he sees in how wretched a manner that noble art is treated by a few mean illiterate traders between us and the stars, who import a yearly stock of nonsense, lies, folly, and impertinence, which they offer to the world as genuine from the planets, though they descend from no greater a height than their own brains.

I intend in a short time to publish a large and rational defence of this art, and therefore shall say no more in its justification at present than that it hath been in all ages defended by many learned men, and among the rest by Socrates himself, whom I look upon as undoubtedly the wisest of uninspired mortals: to which if we add that those who have condemned this art, though otherwise learned, having been such as either did not apply their studies this way, or at least did not succeed in their applications, their testimony will not be of much weight to its disadvantage, since they are liable to the common objection of condemning what they did not understand.

Nor am I at all offended, or think it an injury to the art, when Isee the common dealers in it, the students in astrology, the Philomaths, and the rest of that tribe, treated by wise men with the utmost scorn and contempt; but rather wonder, when I observe gentlemen in the country, rich enough to serve the nation in Parliament, poring in Partridge's Almanack to find out the events of the year at home and abroad, not daring to propose a hunting-match till Gadbury or he have fixed the weather.

I will allow either of the two I have mentioned, or any other of the fraternity, to he not only astrologers, but conjurers too, if Ido not produce a hundred instances in all their almanacks to convince any reasonable man that they do not so much as understand common grammar and syntax; that they are not able to spell any word out of the usual road, nor even in their prefaces write common sense or intelligible English.Then for their observations and predictions, they are such as will equally suit any age or country in the world."This month a certain great person.will be threatened with death or sickness." This the newspapers will tell them; for there we find at the end of the year that no month passes without the death of some person of note; and it would be hard if it should be otherwise, when there are at least two thousand persons of note in this kingdom, many of them old, and the almanack-maker has the liberty of choosing the sickliest season of the year where lie may fix his prediction.Again, "This month an eminent clergyman will be preferred;" of which there may be some hundreds, half of them with one foot in the grave.Then "such a planet in such a house shows great machinations, plots, and conspiracies, that may in time be brought to light:" after which, if we hear of any discovery, the astrologer gets the honour; if not, his prediction still stands good.And at last, "God preserve King William from all his open and secret enemies, Amen." When if the King should happen to have died, the astrologer plainly foretold it; otherwise it passes but for the pious ejaculation of a loyal subject; though it unluckily happened in some of their almanacks that poor King William was prayed for many months after he was dead, because it fell out that he died about the beginning of the year.

To mention no more of their impertinent predictions: what have we to do with their advertisements about pills and drink for disease?

or their mutual quarrels in verse and prose of Whig and Tory, wherewith the stars have little to do?

Having long observed and lamented these, and a hundred other abuses of this art, too tedious to repeat, I resolved to proceed in a new way, which I doubt not will be to the general satisfaction of the kingdom.I can this year produce but a specimen of what I design for the future, having employed most part of my time in adjusting and correcting the calculations I made some years past, because Iwould offer nothing to the world of which I am not as fully satisfied as that I am now alive.For these two last years I have not failed in above one or two particulars, and those of no very great moment.I exactly foretold the miscarriage at Toulon, with all its particulars, and the loss of Admiral Shovel, though I was mistaken as to the day, placing that accident about thirty-six hours sooner than it happened; but upon reviewing my schemes, Iquickly found the cause of that error.I likewise foretold the Battle of Almanza to the very day and hour, with the lose on both sides, and the consequences thereof.All which I showed to some friends many months before they happened - that is, I gave them papers sealed up, to open at such a time, after which they were at liberty to read them; and there they found my predictions true in every article, except one or two very minute.

As for the few following predictions I now offer the world, Iforbore to publish them till I had perused the several almanacks for the year we are now entered on.I find them all in the usual strain, and I beg the reader will compare their manner with mine.

同类推荐
  • CRATYLUS

    CRATYLUS

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 技术

    技术

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 山晖禅师语录

    山晖禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 灵枢经脉翼

    灵枢经脉翼

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说见正经

    佛说见正经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 美色撩人:总裁别来无恙

    美色撩人:总裁别来无恙

    四年的感情纠纷,四年的阴暗记忆,让她沉溺在回忆中无法自拔,一再迷失方向!四年后,他们再次相遇,误会解开,身边却有出现了更多的感情障碍!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 清宫情空净空

    清宫情空净空

    管它宫廷诡谲,任凭风起云涌,只愿留在心爱的人身边,愿得一心人,白首不相离,哪怕为此付出生命的代价也甘之如饴!
  • 我的网上日记本

    我的网上日记本

    上了一年半大学了,近来闲得无聊,想记点日记打发下时间。
  • 为政善报事类

    为政善报事类

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 妈妈是最好的老师

    妈妈是最好的老师

    《妈妈是最好的老师》一书是多年从事教育工作,特别是家庭教育实践工作的经验总结。从“好妈妈要懂得用心”,“一切从改变自己开始”等七个方面为读者提供作为家长如何教育孩子的方法和建议。正如其序言所说,该书的目的就在于“给孩子精彩的人生”。
  • 组织工作感与悟

    组织工作感与悟

    实行集体领导和个人分工负责相结合,是民主集中制在党的组织工作和领导活动中的具体运用和体现。集体领导做出的决策是个人分工负责的方向、目标,个人分工负责的具体实施是实现集体领导意志的必然途径。
  • 激发青少年物理兴趣的故事(启发青少年的科学故事集)

    激发青少年物理兴趣的故事(启发青少年的科学故事集)

    本书是献给尊重科学、学习科学,创造科学的青少年的一份礼物。过去培根说:“知识就是力量。”今天我们说:“科学就是力量。”科学是智慧的历程和结晶。从人类期盼的最高精神境界讲,朝朝暮暮沿着知识的历程,逐步通向科学的光辉圣殿,是许多有志于自我发展的青少年晶莹透明的梦想!
  • 马克思主义中国化方法论研究

    马克思主义中国化方法论研究

    本书旨在对研究马克思主义中国化所涉及到的相关方法论问题进行讨论。有两点需要在此予以说明:其一,研究马克思主义中国化,应当说有很多方法,有传统的,亦有现代的,有宏观的,亦有微观的,很难将它们全部搜罗出来予以论列。这里重点加以讨论的只是笔者觉得比较重要,且在研究马克思主义中国化过程中较少被其他论者进行过深入探讨的几种方法。其二,为避免将对方法和主题的讨论割裂开来,本书特别强调根据讨论对象确定主题、根据主题选择方法、运用方法解决问题这样一种思路,并运用它来展开全书的写作。笔者为本书确定的主要问题是“马克思主义中国化何以可能和如何实现”,这是马克思主义中国化自身携有或涌现出来的问题,也是人们在研究马克思主义中国化过程中必然会遇到的一个根本性的问题。由于问题本身的这一性质,也决定我们这里所运用的方法是一种哲学的、宏观的方法。
  • 史铁生评传

    史铁生评传

    史铁生其实是一种生存景象,被死神一点点浸入生命暗河的人,从健康,到残疾,到脏器败坏……到死亡,始终没有停止追索。自助和坚韧,生死之辩,贯彻他一生。对他而言,生活和精神都没有遮蔽。他的作品太重要了,跟他的生活紧紧咬合。《史铁生评传》的作者叶立文是学者,有深厚的学术造诣和良好的文学修养,且史铁生是他心目中优秀的当代作家。所以,《史铁生评传》中动人的力量,就是来自这位学者的热情。作品中,作者再现了史铁生的人生经历,也厘定了史铁生的创作之路,追索了史铁生作品中的哲理。
  • 我的师傅是孙悟空

    我的师傅是孙悟空

    【火爆新书】萧飞被齐天大圣收为徒弟,练成了铜皮铁骨,七十二变,火眼金睛……神通广大,本领高强。在二十一世纪的今天,再次进行一场,现代化的,都市西游记。本书内容,比《西游记》还要好看。