A FAMOUS PREDICTION O F MER LI I N, THE BRITISH WIZARD, Written above a Thousand Years ago, and relating to the Year 1709. With EXPLANATORY NOTES, by T. N. PHILOMATH, L pre AST year was published a paper of dictions, pretended to be written by one Ifaac Bickerftaff, Efq; but the true defign of it was to ridicule the art of aftrology, and expofe its profeffors as ignorant, or impoftors.. Against this imputation, Dr. Partridge has learnedly vindicated himself in his almanack for that year. For a farther vindication of this famous art, I have thought fit to present the world with the following prophecy. The original is faid to be of the famous Merlin, who lived about a thousand years ago; and the following tranflation is two hundred years old, for it seems to be written near the end of Henry the Seventh's reign. I found it in an old edition of Merlin's prophecies, imprinted at London by John Hawkins in the year 1530, page 39. I fet it down word for word in the old orthography, and shall take leave to subjoin a few explanatory notes. Seven and Ten addgd to Nine, Df Fraunce het Woe this is the Spgne; EXPLANATORY NOTES. year Seven and Ten, This line defcribes the when these events fhall happen. Seven and ten make feventeen, which I explain feventeen hun dred, dred, and this number added to nine, makes the year we are now in; for it must be understood of the natural year, which begins the first of Ja puary. Tamps Riberę twps, &c. The river Thames frozen twice in one year, so as men to walk on it, is a very fignal accident, which perhaps hath not fallen out for feveral hundred years before, and is the reason why some aftrologers have thought that this prophecy could never be fulfilled, because they imagined fuch a thing would never happen in our climate. From Towne of Staffe, &c. This is a plain defignation of the duke of Marlborough: one kind of ftuff used to fatten land is called Marle, and every body knows that Borough is a name for a town; and this way of expreffion is after the ufual dark manner of old aftrological predictions, Then shøll the Futhe, &c. By the fish, is undertood the dauphin of France, as their kings eldest fons are called: it is here faid, he fhall lament the lofs of the duke of Burgundy, called the Boffe, which is an English word for hump-fhoulder, or crook-back, as that duke is known to be; and the prophecy feems to mean, that he should be overcome or flain. By the green berrys, in the next line, is meant the young duke of Berry, the dauphin's third fon, who fhall not have valour or fortune enough to fupply the lofs of his eldest brother. Ponge ponge Symnele, &c. By Symnele is meant the pretended prince of Wales, who, if he offers to attempt any thing against England, fhall mifcarry as he did before. Lambert Symnele is the name of a young man, noted in our hiftories for personating the fon (as I remember) of Edward the Fourth. And Norways Pryd, &c. I cannot guess * who is meant by Norway's pride, perhaps the reader may, as well as the fenfe of the two following lines. Reaums Hall, &c. Reaums, 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 fhall attend it. It is added that Old England fhall be no more, and yet no man fhall be forry for it. And indeed, properly speaking, England is now no more, for the whole island is one kingdom under the name of Britain. Geryon fhall, &c. This prediction, though somewhat obfcure, is wonderfully adapt. Geryon is said to have been a king of Spain, whom Hercules flew. It was a fiction of the poets, that he had three heads, which the author fays he fhall have again that is, Spain fhall have three kings; which is now wonderfully verified; for befides the king of Portugal, which properly is part of Spain, there are now two rivals for Spain, Charles and Philip; but Charles being defcended from the count of : Hapfburgh, founder of the Auftrian family, fhall foon make thofe 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 reft may be in due time; and I think, I have not forced the words by my explication into any other fenfe, than what they will naturally bear. If this be granted, I am fure it must be also allowed, that the author (whoever he were) was a perfon of extraordinary fagacity; and that aftrology brought to fuch perfection as this, is by no means an art to be defpifed, whatever Mr. Bickerftaff, or other merry gentlemen are pleafed 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 whence I have tranfcribed them, was printed 170 years ago, as appears by the title-page. For the fatisfaction of any gentleman, who may be either doubtful of the truth, or curious to be informed, I fhall give order to have the very book fent to the printer of this paper, with directions to let any body fee it that pleases, because I believe it is pretty fcarce. |