predictions; being an account of the death of Mr. Partridge the almanack-maker P. 276 Squire Bickerftaff detected; or, the aftrological impoftor convicted. By John Partridge, ftudent in phyfick and aftrology P. 282 A vindication of Ifaac Bickerstaff, Efq; against what is objected to him by Mr. Partridge in his almanack for the prefent year 1709. By the faid Ifaac Bickerstaff, Efq; Merlin's prophecy p. 296 P. 308 P. 315 A propofal for correcting, improving, and afcertaining the English tongue. In a letter to the most bonourable Robert earl of Oxford and Mortimer, lord high treasurer of Great-Britain P. 318 Some free thoughts upon the fate of affairs in the year 1714 Thoughts on various fubjects P. 35I P. 393 *This is the only piece in this volume which was not written by Dr. Swift. PREFACE. 1 T HE Papers that compofe the firft of these volumes where printed about eighteen years ago, to which there are now added two or three fmall tracts; and the verfes are transferred into the fourth volume apart, with the addition of fuch others as we fince have written. The fecond and third will confift of feveral fmall trea tises in profe, in which a friend or two is concerned with us. Having both of us been extremely ill treated by fome book fellers, especially one Edmund Curll, it was our opinion that the best method we could take for justifying ourselves, would be to publish whatever loose papers, in profe and verse, we have formerly written; not only fuch as have already ftolen into the world (very much to our regret, and perhaps very little to our credit) but fuch, as in any probability hereafter may run the fame fate; having been obtained from us by the importunity, and divulged by the indifcreti on of friends, although reftrained by promifes, which few of them are ever known VOL. III. b to observe, and often think they make us a compliment in breaking. But the confequences have been still worfe: We have been entitled, and have had our names prefixed at length, to whole volumes of mean productions, equally offenfive to good manners and good fense, which we never faw nor heard of till they appeared in print. For a forgery in fetting a falfe name to a writing which may prejudice another's fortune, the law punishes the offender with the lofs of his ears; but has inflicted no adequate penalty for fuch, as prejudice another's reputation in doing the fame thing in print; though all and every individual book, fo fold under a false name, are manifeftly so many several and multiplied forgeries. Indeed we hoped, that the good nature, or at least the good judgment of the world, would have cleared us from the imputation of fuch things, as had been thus charged upon us by the malice of enemies, the want of judgment in friends, the unconcern of indifferent perfons, and the confident affertions of bookfellers. We We are ashamed to find fo ill a tafte prevail, as to make it a neceffary work to do this juftice to ourselves. It is very poffible for any author to write below himfelf; either his subject not proving so fruitful, or fitted for him, as he at first imagined; or his health, or his humour, or the prefent difpofition of his mind, unqualifying him at that juncture: However, if he poffeffed any distinguishing marks of ftyle, or peculiarity of thinking, there would remain in his leaft fuccefsful writings fome few tokens, whereby persons of taste might discover him. But fince it hath otherwife fallen out, we think we have fufficiently paid for our want of prudence, and determine for the future to be less communicative: Or rather, having done with fuch amusements, we are refolved to give up what we cannot fairly difown, to the feverity of criticks, the malice of perfonal enemies, and the indulgence of friends, We are forry for the satire interspersed in fome of these pieces upon a few people, from whom the highest provocations have been received, and who by their conb 2 duct duct fince have fhewn, that they have not yet forgiven us the wrong they did. It is a very unlucky circumftance, to be obliged to retaliate the injuries of fuch authors, whose works are fo foon forgotten, that we are in danger already of appearing the first aggreffors. It is to be lamented, that Virgil let pafs a line, which told pofterity he had two enemies called Bavius and Mavius. The wifeft way is not once to name them, but (as the madman advised the gentleman who told him he wore a fword to kill his enemies) to let them alone and they will die of themselves. And according to this rule we have acted throughout all those writings, which we defigned for the press: but in these, the publication whereof was not owing to our folly, but that of others, the omiffion of the names was not in our power. At the worft, we can only give them that liberty now for fomething, which they have fo many years exercised for nothing, of railing and fcribling against us. And it is fomecommendation, that we have not done it all this while, but avoided publickly to characterize any perfon without long experience. Nonum prematur in an num |