who fet up to be the Artists. I know feveral learned Men have contended, that the whole is a Cheat; that it is abfurd and ridiculous to imagine, the Stars can have any Influence at all upon human Actions, Thoughts, or Inclinations: And whoever hath not bent his Studies that Way, may be excused for thinking fo, when he fees in how wretched a Manner this noble Art is streated, by a few mean illiterate Traders between us and the Stars; who import a yearly Stock of Nonfenfe, Lies, Folly, and Impertinence, which they offer to the World as genuine from the Planets; although they defcend from no greater a Height than their own Brains.

I intend, in a fhort time, to publifh a large and rational Defence of this Art; and, therefore, fhall fay no more in its Juftification at prefent, than that it hath been in all Ages defended by many learned Men; and, among the reft, by Socrates himself, whom I look upon as undoubtedly the wifeft of uninspired Mortals: To which if we add, that those who have condemned this Art, although otherwife learned, having been fuch as either did not apply their Studies this Way, or at leaft did not fucceed in their Applications; their Teftimony will not be of much Weight to its Disadvantage, fince they are liable to the com mon Objection of condemning what they did not understand.

NOR am I at all offended, or think it an Injury to the Art, when I fee the common Dealers in it, the Students in Aftrology, the Philomaths, and the rest of that Tribe, treated by wife Men with the utmost Scorn and Contempt: But I rather wonder, when I observe Gentlemen in the Country, rich enough to serve the Nation in Parliament, poring in Partrige's Almanack, to find out the Events of the Year at home and abroad; not daring to propofe a Hunting-match, until Gadbury, or he, hath fixed the Weather.

I will allow either of the two I have mentioned, or any other of the Fraternity to be not only Aftrologers, but Conjurers too; if I do not produce an

hundred

hundred Inftances in all their Almanacks, to convince any reafonable Man, that they do not so much as understand Grammar and Syntax; that they are not able to spell any Word out of the ufual Road"; nor even in their Prefaces to write common Sense or intelligible English. Then for their Observations and Predictions, they are fuch as will equally fuit any Age, or Country in the World. This Month a certain great Perfon will be threatened with Death or Sickness. This the News-paper will tell them; for there we find at the End of the Year, that no Month paffes without the Death of fome Person of Note; and it would be hard, if it fhould be otherwise, when there are at least two thousand Perfons of Note in this Kingdom, many of them old; and the Almanackmaker has the Liberty of chufing the ficklieft Seafon in the Year, where he may fix his Prediction. Again, This Month an eminent Clergyman will be preferred; of which there may be fome hundreds, half of them with one Foot in the Grave. Then, Such a Planet fuch a Houfe fhews great Machinations, Plots and Confpiracies, that may in time be brought to Light: After which, if we hear of any Discovery, the Aftrologer gets the Honour; if not, his Prediction ftill ftandeth good. And at laft, God preferve King William from all his open and fecret Enemies, Amen. When, if the King fhould happen to have died, the Aftrologer plainly foretold it, otherwife, it paffeth but for the pious Ejaculation of a loyal Subject: Although it unluckily happened in fome of their Almanacks, that, poor King William was prayed for many Months after he was dead; becaufe, it unluckily 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 the Venereal Difeafe, or their. mutual Quarrels in Verse and Profe of Whig and Tory? wherewith the Stars have little to do.

HAVING long obferved and lamented these, and a hundred other Abuses of this Art, too tedious to reVOL. I.

K

peat,

peat, I refolved 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 defign for the future; having employed most Part of my Time in adjufting and correcting the Calculations I made for fome Years paft; because, I would offer nothing to the World of which I am not as fully fatisfied, as that I am now alive. For thefe two last Years I have not failed in above one or two Particulars, and those of no very great Moment. I exactly foretold the Mifcarriage at Toulon, with all its Particulars; and the Lofs of Admiral Shovel; although I was mif, taken as to the Day, placing that Accident about thirty fix Hours fooner than it happened; but upon reviewing my Schemes, I quickly found the Cause of that Error. I likewife foretold the Battle at Almanza to the very Day and Hour, with the Lofs on both fides, and the Confequences thereof. All which I fhewed to fome Friends many Months before they happened; that is, I gave them Papers fealed up, to open at fuch 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, I forbore to publish them, until I had perused the feveral Almanacks for the Year we are now entered upon. I found them all in the ufual Strain, and I beg the Reader will compare their Manner with mine: And here I make bold to tell the World, that I lay the whole Credit of my Art upon the Truth of these Predictions; and I will be content that Partrige, and the reft of his Clan, may hoot me for a Cheat and Impoftor, if I fail in any fingle Particular of Moment. I believe any Man, who reads this Paper, will look upon me to be at least a Person of as much Honesty and, Understanding, as a common Maker of Almanacks. I do not lurk in the Dark; I am not wholly unknown in the World; I have fet my Name at length, to be a Mark of Infamy to Mankind, if they fhall find I deceive them.

1

In one Point I muft defire to be forgiven; that I talk more fparingly of home Affairs. As it would be Imprudence to discover Secrets of State, fo it might be dangerous to my Perfon: But in fmaller Matters, and fuch as are not of publick Confequence, I fhall be very free: And the Truth of my Conjectures will as much appear from these as the other. As for the moft fignal Events abroad in France, Flanders, Italy and Spain, I fhall make no Scruple to predict them in plain Terms: Some of them are of Importance, and, I hope, I fhall feldom mistake the Day they will happen: Therefore, I think. good to inform the Reader, that all along make ufe of the Old Style obferved in England; which I defire he will compare with that of the News-papers, at the Time they relate the Actions I mention.

I must add one Word more: I know it hath been the Opinion of feveral learned Perfons, who think well enough of the true Art of Aftrology, That the Stars do only incline, and not force the Actions or Wills of Men. And therefore, however I may proceed by Fight Rules, yet I cannot in Prudence fo confidently affure, that the Events will follow exactly as I predict them.

I hope, I have maturely confidered this Objection, which in fome Cafes is of no little Weight. For Example: A Man may, by the Influence of an overfaling Planet, be difpofed or inclined to Lust, Rage, or Avarice; and yet by the Force of Reafon overCome that evil Influence. And this was the Cafe of Socrates; but the great Events of the World ufually depending upon Numbers of Men, it cannot be expected they should all unite to cross their Inclinations, from pursuing a general Design wherein they unanimoufly agrée. Befides the Influence of the Stars reacheth to many Actions and Events, which are not any way in the Power of Reafon; as Sicknefs, Death, and what we commonly call Accidents; with many more needless to repeat.

K. 2

BUT

BUT now it is Time to proceed to my Predictions; which I have begun to calculate from the Time that the Sun entereth into Aries. And this, I take to be properly the Beginning of the natural Year. I pursue them to the Time that he entereth Libra, or somewhat more, which is the bufy Period of the Year. The Remainder I have not yet adjusted upon account of feveral Impediments needlefs here to mention. Befides, I must remind the Reader again, that this is but a Specimen of what I defign, in fucceeding Years, to treat more at large, if I may have Liberty and Encouragement.

My first Prediction is but a Trifle; yet I will men-tion it, to fhew how ignorant thofe fottish Pretenders to Aftrology are in their own Concerns: It relateth to Partrige the Almanack-maker; I have confulted the Star of his Nativity by my own Rules; and find he will infallibly die upon the 29th of March next, about Eleven at Night, of a raging Fever: Therefore I advise him to confider of it, and fettle his Affairs in time.

THE Month of APRIL will be obfervable for the Death of many great Perfons. On the 4th will die the Cardinal de Noailles, Archbishop of Paris: On the 11th the young Prince of Afturias, Son to the Duke of Anjou: On the 14th a great Peer of this Realm will die at his Country-houfe: On the 19th an old Layman of great Fame and Learning: And on the 23d an eminent Goldsmith in Lombard-fireet. I could mention others, both at home and abroad, if I did not confider fuch Events of very little Ufe or InAtruction to the Reader, or to the World.

As to publick Affairs: On the 7th of this Month there will be an Infurrection in Dauphiny, occafioned by the Oppreffions of the People; which will not be quieted in fome Months.

On the 15th will be a violent Storm on the SouthEaft Coast of France; which will deftroy many of their Ships, and fome in the very Harbour.

THE