文档介绍：The Bickerstaff-Partridge Papers
The Bickerstaff-
Partridge Papers
Jonathan Swift
1
The Bickerstaff-Partridge Papers
PREDICTIONS FOR THE YEAR 1708
Wherein the month, and day of the month are set down, the persons
named, and the great actions and events of next year particularly related,
as e to pass.
Written to prevent the people of England from being farther imposed
on by vulgar almanack-makers.
By Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq.
I have long consider'd 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, lyes, folly, and impertinence, which they offer to the world as
genuine from the s, tho' 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
uninspir'd 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 eed in their applications; their
testimony will not be of much weight to its disadvantage, since they are
liable to mon objection of condemning what they did not
understand.
Nor am I at all offended, or think it an injury to the