the bickerstaff-partridge papers-第7部分

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marle；　and　every　body　knows　that　borough　is　a　name　for　a　town；

and　this　way　of　expression　is　after　the　usual　dark　manner　of　old

astrological　predictions。



Then　shall　the　Fyshe；　etc。　By　the　fish；　is　understood　the　Dauphin

of　France；　as　their　kings　eldest　sons　are　called：　'Tis　here　said；

he　shall　lament　the　loss　of　the　Duke　of　Burgundy；　called　the

Bosse；　which　is　an　old　English　word　for　hump…shoulder；　or

crook…back；　as　that　Duke　is　known　to　be；　and　the　prophecy　seems

to　mean；　that　he　should　be　overcome　or　slain。　By　the　green

berrys；　in　the　next　line；　is　meant　the　young　Duke　of　Berry；　the

Dauphin's　third　son；　who　shall　not　have　valour　or　fortune　enough

to　supply　the　loss　of　his　eldest　brother。



Yonge　Symnele；　etc。　By　Symnele　is　meant　the　pretended　Prince　of

Wales；　who；　if　he　offers　to　attempt　anything　against　England；

shall　miscarry　as　he　did　before。　Lambert　Symnele　is　the　name　of　a

young　man；　noted　in　our　histories　for　personating　the　son　（as　I

remember）　of　Edward　the　fourth。



And　Norway's　Pryd；　etc。　I　cannot　guess　who　is　meant　by　Norway's

Pride；　perhaps　the　reader　may；　as　well　as　the　sense　of　the　two

following　lines。



Reaums　shall；　etc。　Reums；　or；　as　the　word　is　now；　realms；　is　the

old　name　for　kingdoms：　And　this　is　a　very　plain　prediction　of　our

happy　Union；　with　the　felicities　that　shall　attend　it。　It　is

added　that　Old　England　shall　be　no　more；　and　yet　no　man　shall　be

sorry　for　it。　And　indeed；　properly　speaking；　England　is　now　no

more；　for　the　whole　island　is　one　Kingdom；　under　the　name　of

Britain。



Geryon　shall；　etc。　This　prediction；　tho'　somewhat　obscure；　is

wonderfully　adapt。　Geryon　is　said　to　have　been　a　king　of　Spain；

whom　Hercules　slew。　It　was　a　fiction　of　the　poets；　that　he　had

three　heads；　which　the　author　says　he　shall　have　again：　That　is；

Spain　shall　have　three　kings；　which　is　now　wonderfully　verified；

for　besides　the　King　of　Portugal；　which　properly　is　part　of

Spain；　there　are　now　two　rivals　for　Spain；　Charles　and　Philip：

But　Charles　being　descended　fro　the　Count　of　Hapsburgh；　founder

of　the　Austrian　family；　shall　soon　make　those　heads　but　two；　by

overturning　Philip；　and　driving　him　out　of　Spain。



Some　of　these　predictions　are　already　fulfilled；　and　it　is　highly

probable　the　rest　may　be　in　due　time；　and；　I　think；　I　have　not

forced　the　words；　by　my　explication；　into　any　other　sense　than

what　they　will　naturally　bear。　If　this　be　granted；　I　am　sure　it

must　be　also　allow'd；　that　the　author　（whoever　he　were）　was　a

person　of　extraordinary　sagacity；　and　that　astrology　brought　to

such　perfection　as　this；　is　by　no　means　an　art　to　be　despised；

whatever　Mr。　Bickerstaff；　or　other　merry　gentlemen　are　pleased　to

think。　As　to　the　tradition　of　these　lines　having　been　writ　in　the

original　by　Merlin；　I　confess　I　lay　not　much　weight　upon　it：　But

it　is　enough　to　justify　their　authority；　that　the　book　from

whence　I　have　transcrib'd　them；　was　printed　170　years　ago；　as

appears　by　the　title…page。　For　the　satisfaction　of　any　gentleman；

who　may　be　either　doubtful　of　the　truth；　or　curious　to　be

inform'd；　I　shall　give　order　to　have　the　very　book　sent　to　the

printer　of　this　paper；　with　directions　to　let　anybody　see　it　that

pleases；　because　I　believe　it　is　pretty　scarce。

_____________________________________



＇Dr。　John　Arbuthnot　and　Alexander　Pope＇



Annus　Mirabilis：　or；

The　wonderful　effects　of　the　approaching　conjunction　of　the

planets　Jupiter；　Mars；　and　Saturn。



By　Mart。　Scriblerus；　Philomath。



In　nova　fert　animus　mutatas　dicere　formas　corpora。。。。。



I　suppose　every　body　is　sufficiently　appriz'd　of；　and　duly

prepar'd　for；　the　famous　conjunction　to　be　celebrated　the　29th　of

this　instant　December；　1722；　foretold　by　all　the　sages　of

antiquity；　under　the　name　of　the　Annus　Mirabilis；　or　the

metamorphostical　conjunction：　a　word　which　denotes　the　mutual

transformation　of　sexes；　（the　effect　of　that　configuration　of　the

celestial　bodies）　the　human　males　being　turn'd　into　females；　and

the　human　females　into　males。



The　Egyptians　have　represented　this　great　transformation　by

several　significant　hieroglyphicks；　particularly　one　very

remarkable。　There　are　carv'd　upon　an　obelisk；　a　barber　and　a

midwife；　the　barber　delivers　his　razor　to　the　midwife；　and　she

her　swadling…cloaths　to　the　barber。　Accordingly　Thales　Milesius

（who　like　the　rest　of　his　countrymen；　borrow'd　his　learning　from

the　Egyptians）　after　having　computed　the　time　of　this　famous

conjunction；　〃Then；〃　says　he；　〃shall　men　and　women　mutually

exchange　the　pangs　of　shaving　and　child…bearing。〃



Anaximander　modestly　describes　this　metamorphosis　in　mathematical

terms：　〃Then；〃　says　he；　〃shall　the　negative　quantity　of　the　women

be　turn'd　into　positive；　their　…　into　＋；〃　（i。e。）　their　minus　into

plus。



Plato　not　only　speaks　of　this　great　change；　but　describes　all　the

preparations　towards　it。　〃Long　before　the　bodily　transformation；

（says　he）　nature　shall　begin　the　most　difficult　part　of　her　work；

by　changing　the　ideas　and　inclinations　of　the　two　sexes：　Men

shall　turn　effeminate；　and　women　manly；　wives　shall　domineer；　and

husbands　obey；　ladies　shall　ride　a　horseback；　dress'd　like

cavaliers；　princes　and　nobles　appear　in　night…rails　and

petticoats；　men　shall　squeak　upon　theatres　with　female　voices；

and　women　corrupt　virgins；　lords　shall　knot　and　cut　paper；　and

even　the　northern　people。。。。。。。。。：〃　A　Greek　phrase　（which　for

modesty's　sake　I　forbear　to　translate）　which　denotes　a　vice　too

frequent　amongst　us。



That　the　Ministry　foresaw　this　great　change；　is　plain　from　the

Callico…Act；　whereby　it　is　now　become　the　occupation　of　women　all

over　England；　to　convert　their　useless　female　habits　into　beds；

window…curtains；　chairs；　and　joint…stools；　undressing　themselves

（as　it　were）　before　their　transformation。



The　philosophy　of　this　transformation　will　not　seem　surprizing　to

people　who　search　into　the　bottom　of　things。　Madam　Bourignon；　a

devout　French　lady；　has　shewn　us；　how　man　was　at　first　created

male　and　female　in　one　individual；　having　the　faculty　of

propagation　within　himself：　A　circumstance　necessary　to　the　state

of　innocence；　wherein　a　man's　happiness　was　not　to　depend　upon

the　caprice　of　another。　It　was　not　till　after　he　had　made　a　faux

pas；　that　he　had　his　female　mate。　Many　such　transformations　of

individuals　have　been　well　attested；　particularly　one　by

Montaigne；　and　another　by　the　late　Bishop　of　Salisbury。　From　all

which　it　appears；　that　this　system　of　male　and　female　has　already

undergone　and　may　hereafter　suffer；　several　alterations。　Every

smatterer　in　anatomy　knows；　that　a　woman　is　but　an　introverted

man；　a　new　fusion　and　flatus　will　turn　the　hollow　bottom　of　a

bottle　into　a　convexity；　but　I　forbear；　（for　the　sake　of　my

modest　men…readers；　who　are　in　a　few　days　to　be　virgins。）



In　some　subjects；　the　smallest　alterations　will　do：　some　men　are

sufficiently　spread　about　the　hips；　and　contriv'd　with　female

softness；　that　they　want　only　the　negative　quantity　to　make　them

buxom　wenches；　and　there　are　women　who　are；　as　it　were；　already

the　ebauche　of　a　good　sturdy　man。　If　nature　cou'd　be　puzzl'd；　it

will　be　how　to　bestow　the　redundant　matter　of　the　exuberant

bubbies　that　now　appear　about　town；　or　how　to　roll　out　the　short

dapper　fellows　into　well…siz'd　women。



This　great　conjunction　will　begin　to　operate　on　Saturday　the　29th

instant。　Accordingly；　about　eight　at　night；　as　Senezino　shall

begin　at　the　Opera；　si　videte；　he　shall　be　observ'd　to　make　an

unusual　motion；　upon　which　the　audience　will　be　affected　with　a

red　suffusion　over　their　countenance：　And　because　a　strong

succession　of　the　muscles　of　the　belly　is　necessary　towards

performing　this　great　operation；　both　sexes　will　be　thrown　into　a

profuse　involuntary　laughter。　Then　（to　use　the　modest　terms　of

Anaximander）　shall　negative　quantity　be　turn'd　into　positive；

etc。　Time　never　beheld；　nor　will　it　ever　assemble；　such　a　number

of　untouch'd　virgins　within　those　walls！　but　alas！　such　will　be

the　impatience　and　curiosity　of　people　to　act　in　their　new

capacity；　that　many　of　them　will　be　compleated　men　and　women　that

very　night。　To　prevent　the　disorders　that　may　happen　upon　this

occasion；　is　the　chief　design　of　this　paper。



Gentlemen　have　begun　already　to　make　use　of　this　conjunction　to

compass　their　filthy　purposes。　They　tell　the　ladies　forsooth；

that　it　is　only　parting　with　a　perishable　commodity；　hardly　of　so

much　value　as　a　callico　under…petticoat；　since；　like　its

mistress；　it　will　be　useless　in　the　form　it　is　now　in。　If　the

ladies　have　no　regard　to　the　dishonour　and　immorality　of　the

action；　I　desire　they　will　consider；　that　nature　who　never

destroys　her　own　productions；　will　exempt　big…belly'd　women　till

the　time　of　their　lying…in；　so　that　not　to　be　transformed；　will

be　the　same　as　to　be　pregnant。　If　they　don't　think　it　worth　while

to　defend　a　fortress　that　is　to　be　demolish'd　in　a　few　days；　let

them　reflect　that　it　will　be　a　melancholy　thing　nine　months

hence；　to　be　brought　to　bed　of　a　bastard；　a　posthumous　bastard　as

it　were；　to　which　the　quondam　father　can　be　no　more　than　a　dry

nurse。



This　wonderful　transformation　is　the　instrument　of　nature；　to

balance　matters　between　the　sexes。　The　cruelty　of　scornful

mistresses　shall　be　return'd；　the　slighted　maid　shall　grow　into

an　imperious　gallant；　and　reward　her　undoer　with　a　big　belly；　and

a　bastard。



It　is　hardly　possible　to　imagine　the　revolutions　that　this

wonderful　phaenomenon　will　occasion　over　the　face　of　the　earth。　I

long　impatiently　to　see　the　proceedings　of　the　Parliament　of

Paris；　as　to　the　title　of　succession　to　the　crown；　this　being　a

case　not　provided　for　by　the　salique　law。　There　will　be　no

preventing　disorders　amongst　friars　and　monks；　for　certainly　vows

of　chastity　do　not　bind　but　under　the　sex　in　which　they　were

made。　The　same　will　hold　good　with　marriages；　tho'　I　t