THE
British Visions:
OR,
ISAAC BICKERSTAFF,
Sen.
Being TWELVE PROPHESIES FOR THE YEAR 1711.
Enter'd into the Hall-Book of the Company of STATIONERS.
Printed in the
North,
and Reprinted at
London,
and Sold by J. BAKER at the
Black-Boy
in
Pater-Noster-Row,
1711. (Price 2
d.
)
THE PREFACE
IN the Year 1711,
Isaac Bickerstaff,
Esq
the Prophet, who formrrly Prophesied and Foretold you so many Remarkable Things,
viz.
in the Year 1707; all which, as is well known, are most exactly come to pass; and having by my Knowledge and Acquaintance for above One Hundred Years with the Stars, and with utmost diligence applied my self to know by the Aspects of Heavenly Bodies and other Methods; also what shall happen on the Earth. I say, that I the aforesaid
Isaac Bickerstaff,
Esq
am moved, as well by Astrological Vision, as the especial
Genius
of those Powers which influences human Bodies, to make known to the World what shall come to pass.
By this Prophetick Skill, I once amongst other well known Events Predicted and Foretold you, That
John Partridge
the Almanack-maker should Die, and be Buried on, or before such a day of the Month, which, as you all know, came to pass to a Moment.
Having therefore obtained such an undoubted Skill and Judgment in these most useful and advantageous Things: I can no longer refrain from letting my Country-men of this Nation, know the great Revolutions of Kingdoms and States, and the dreadful Things that shall suddenly come to pass in the Earth. I am also the more earnestly moved to this great and wonderful Vndertaking, because it is revealed to me by the same wonderful Prophetick Skill, that such great and terrible Things, such surprizing Events, and such Dessolations, are preparing in the World, and shall come to pass this ensuing Year, as were never seen by the Eyes of any Living, or would enter into the Conceptions of any Man to foretell, had they not by an extraordinary acquired Skill in knowing and determining such Things, been foreseen by me
Isaac Bickerstaff,
Esq
Sen
And thus, honest Reader, being nothing doubting of thy diligent Attention to what I shall Prophesie, I bid thee Farewell.
The
British Visions
; or,
Isaac Bickerstaff
's, Twelve Prophesies for the Year, 1711.
PROPHECY I.
I Shall begin my Years of Wonders as the Course of Nature begins it; Councils and Confederacies act all the Courts and Princes of
Europe,
and the time of Year is only for such Things; but as here the Seeds of Blood are sown, the plentiful Crop that is to follow, derives from and is produced by the Private Combinations of Men and Devils to disturb the World.
Three Scenes of Council shall this Month discover themselves in the World, what the Production or Effects shall be of either of them, I shall farther lay open in my next; these are Councils in this Nation, Councils of
France,
Councils of
Mahomet.
The Councils of this Nation shall produce great Strife, Faction and Malecontent stirs, with Heat and Animosities among the several Parties that are among us, to the great Encouragement of our Enemies, and to the great Discouragement of good Men; yet the Calmness and Prudence of some shall lessen, or at least protract the Danger for a while; Disputes of Ecclesiastick Affairs shall embroil this Island, and those People who regard neither God nor Devil, shall make the greatest stir about Religion, every Church (however safe) cries out they are in danger, and the Debauchees of the Nation learn to play the Pharisee, and say to their Neighbour,
Stand off, I am holier than thou.
Let
Europe
tremble at what is contriving now in the Cabinets of Princes, which, like the Seeds of Distempers in the Body, will quickly break out in Feavors, Fluxes, Cankers, Calentures, and all the Symbals of the Bodily Distempers of Men in the Politicks of Nations.
France
consults now how to support
Spain,
embroil the Emperor, bring home the
Swede,
restore
Bavaria,
doze
Savoy,
fright the
Dutch,
and divide the
English,
and he will in some Measure accomplish them all.
The
Turk
consults how to humble the
Muscovite,
subject the
Pole,
and keep fast the King of
Sweden
; but the
Swede
will make a Cats Foot of the
Turk.
play him a slipery Trick, get out of his hands, and leave him to fight with the
Muscovites
and
Poles,
where the War shall be bloody, cruel, successful to neither side, and only useful to shew God's Judgments on both.
PROPHECY II.
After Consultations comes Preparation, this takes up all
Europe,
with the Return of the Spring, every Nation Struggles with themselves to make their Preparations for War formidable, and with one another to be first ready for the Bloody Work they are about.
The Confederates attempt vigorously to succour King
Charles
in
Spain,
but,
O the Success!
—
Spain
not yet ripe for Deliverance resists her Friends, embraces her Enemies, and struggles hard against what she believes she must at last submit to.
But this is not the Generation that must enjoy the Fruit of this Strife, the Chiefs fight for the Possession, neither part obtain it, both take their long Journey before the War is over, and the Game at Chess is left to Posterity to play it out.
Philip
goes first, I
Isaac Bickerstaff,
Elder, having the Second sight, see the famous Mausoleum for the young Hero of
Bourbon
in the Escurial at
Madrid,
and there lies the hope of a Crown, yet the
French
Monarch with the same Obstinacy supports the War, maintains the Breach, and prompts the
Spaniards
still to defend themselves against their own Happiness.
Philip
before he dies fights three Battles with the Confederates, and is Victor in two of them, but dies in
May,
and leaves the War to be carried on with less Success than before; should it be left to the Merits of the Persons,
Philip
deserves the Crown of
Spain,
far better than
Ch
s,
as he appears active, valiant, brave, and unwearied in the Face of his Enemies, however he dies King, and Sleeps in Peace, tho' he never Reigned so.
Now the
Swedes
prepare to break out of
Pomeren,
and it appears that
France
and the
Swedes
are in a strict Confederacy, and they shall be more fatal to
Europe
than the League with the
Turk.
The
Swedes
sending Forces from
Stockholm
carry the Plague into
Pomerania,
from whence it spreads to the utmost Corners of
Europe
; Kings and Emperors, shall flye from this dreadful Enemy, but find no Recess; Plague finds them out, and as War spreads, Pestilence goes hand in hand, and both shall consume and destroy without Mercy.
Europe
is all busie in fitting out their Armies, the Drums beat in every Kingdom for Soldiers, not a Prince or State in this whole part of the World, but shall be embark'd in the Quarrels of
Europe,
and be engag'd in War either as Principal or as Auxilary.
The Armies of
France
and
Spain
are in the Field first, and much Blood shall be shed in
Spain
before the end of
February.
The Confederates Struggle hard, but Things do not answer the Expence.
PROPHECY III.
The Preparations for War are finish'd, now the Troops on all sides appear in the Field; a third Battle in
Spain
—
Philip
's Forces flie in their Turn, tho' no great advantage made of the Victory. In
March
the
French
make two great Efforts upon the
Rhine,
one to join the
Swede,
who Marches towards the
Elbe,
and the
French
towards
Saxony
; the other towards
Bavaria,
and the
Germans
in no readiness to receive them, suffer all manner of Mischiefs.
The Dauphin of
France
dies; the Pope sickens and is very weak; the Duke of
Savoy
relapses; but the King of
France
more vigorous than ever, pushes all before him the beginning of Summer.
A great Prodigy appears in the East; two Kings struggling to make it appear which was the better Christian, he that changed his Religion to gain a Crown, or he that flies to
Mahomet
to recover his Crown. The
Turks
advance now in three great Armies, and one Battle is fought before the end of
March,
in which the King of
Sweden
gains some ground, but is wounded in the Action, and makes no Advantage of the Battle.
Now the miserable Fate of
Europe
approaches, the War begins in
Poland, Muscovy, Hungary,
on the
Rhine,
and in
Spain.
In
Flanders
and
Savoy
they cannot be ready so soon.
A great Battle on the Frontiers of
Portugal,
in which the
Portuguese
do as they use to do,
viz.
run away; the
Spaniards
ravage
Portugal,
ruin three Provinces; if these were not
Portuguese,
the
Spaniards
had not had the Victory; and if these were not
Spaniards,
the
Portuguese
would be no more a Kingdom, but the sloth of the
Spaniards
saves
Portugal
till
England
relieve her.
A great Minister of State dies in the Month of
March.
England
feels great want of Trade, great want of Money, and great loss of Credit, which puts her to many Inconveniencies; but let her prepare for worse Things than these.
PROPHECY IV.
Note,
In this place in the Original Manuscript, the following Paragraph was Inserted, which the Printer in the
North
declin'd to put in, for fear of giving Offence.
The Words are these,
The House of
Austria
feels a Blow this Month, which Changes the Measures of
Europe
; The Emperor resigns to Fate; and the Choise both of a new Emperor, and new King of
Spain,
takes up the Consultations of all the Courts in Christendom.
The Empire feels hard Things, beset on every side, and weak in Arms, as well as confused in Council, the
Swedes
and the
French
invade
Bavaria
; the
Hungarians
supported by the
Turks
recover all they have lost in
Hungary
; the
French
make a terrible Eruption over the
Rhine
; the Circles of
Swabia
and
Franconia
suffer incredible Evils, and Blood, Famine, and Pestilence, rages over the Empire.
The Duke of
Bavaria
restored to his Dominions by the
French,
dies of the Plague in
April,
and the Affairs of that Electorate come to some Settlement by the succeeding of his Son, who has other Things to mind than War. The Elector of
Cologn,
Brother to the
Bavarian,
goes to see his Brother reinstated, but lives not to return to his own Principality.
The Emperor retreats from
Vienna
for fear of the
Turks
and
Hungarians,
and goes to
Prague,
but the Plague gets into
Bohemia,
and separates the Imperial Court: some great Princes die of that Distemper also.
In the Month of
April
a great City in
Flanders
besieged by the
French,
but the Confederates coming on, they raise their Siege; they are made amends by surprizing another strong Town in the middle of the Day. A Bloody Action in
Flanders
between part of the Armies, in which the
French
seem to have the Advantage, but decline coming to a decisive Battle, and draw off from the Field. Death in this Battle puts an end to the Ambition of two or three great Men on either side.
Bousslers
lies now in the Bed of Honour, and his Grace
shall bear him Company into the other World, so he that was envied before shall be pitied now for want of a Rival.
In the same
April
King
Philip
's Forces Bombard
Barcelona,
but Relief comes to King
Charles,
and in his turn he chases them; now the Face of Things change in
Spain,
and
Philip
's Fate approaches.
The
Danes
now prepare to invade
S
nen,
and make another fruitless Attempt upon the King of
Sweden
's Countries, from whence they are again beaten, and bring back Poverty and the Plague, which not only visits their Capital City, but makes sad havock in their Court, not excepting the Royal Family.
The King of
P
demits his Crown in favour of his Son, and submits to go the way of all Princes. This Year is fatal to Crownd Heads.
PROPHECY V.
Now
Europe
begins to Tremble, the People find an Employment different from the War, the Living having Work enough to Bury their Dead.
By the end of
May
the various kinds of this new Plague has Touch'd most parts of
Europe.
The
Swedes
as before bring it to
Pomeren,
thence they carry it to
Saxony (Via Brandenburgh)
the
Saxons
give it to the
Bohemians,
the
Bohemians
to the
Bavarians,
they to the
Grisons,
and they again to the
Smiss.
The
Hungarians
bring it another way from
Poland,
and carrying it into
Croatia,
it Crosses the
Adriatick
to
Italy,
and siezes upon the
Venetian
; from thence it pushes into
Milan,
and visiting
Turin,
it passes thro'
Rome
to the Kingdom of
Naples,
and in spight of the interruption of Commerce by the War, crosses over into
Sicily.
Innumerable Numbers of People shall perish by this desolating Distemper; yet the World, as if the Hand of Heaven did not, or could not, destroy them fast enough, still make War, and the Kings of the Earth apply themselves to their ruinous Designs, with as much fury as ever.
The King of
Sweden
now appears in his own Colours, and shall in the Month of
May
be in full march to enter
Poland,
if not
Germany
; but his Army consisting of many Nations, new raised and undisciplin'd, wasts away without much Fighting and he may see that Heaven does not bless his Ambitious Designs with success answerable to his Expectations: Three of his greatest Generals, and in whom was his chief Confidence, die of the Plague; and tho' he gains some advantage, he can make no great use of it, his power being lessened by the other Accidents of War.
The
Turks
and the
Muscovite,
150000 Men of a side draw towards one another, but the Decisive Stroke is not yet, many bloody Skirmishes happen between the
Tartars
and the
Cossacks
against the
Muscovite.
The Month of
May
lays King
Philip
low in
Spain,
and
Charles
Triumphs over his Enemy a third time, but his Joy, like all Temporal things, is but of a small duration. The War in
Spain
costs much Money, much Blood, much Counsel, but does not fully answer our end: Many a brave
English
Man leaves his Bones in that Country, whose Blood might have been better spent.
Another Bloody Action between the Armies on the side of
Germany,
in which much Blood is lost, and both sides give GOD praise for being beaten.
This Year is a Year rather of Blood than of Victory, no
Bleinhim,
no
Pultowa:
No Decisive Battle happens any where on this side
Hungary,
yet more Men killed than would be in many such Battles.
PROPHECY VI.
As the hot Weather comes on, Men's Blood grows warm, this subjects and exposes them to fatal mischiefs, the plague of War, and the War of Plague.
Italy
and
Germany
have by this time felt the fury of the Contagion, and dreadful Ravages have been made in all the populous Nations on that side.
Shall
Britain
be free! flatter not your selves with Expectations of it, many Plagues visit this Nation and whole Parties of Men suffer the Infection; all sorts of Men shall die, some politickly, some really; the Grave makes no Distinction of
Whigg
or
Tory,
High or Low
Church.
Three Bishops go off the Stage first, Dukes, Earls, Barons and Privy-Counsellors follow; a great Rot falls among the Court-Sheep, and the Murrain upon the Stallions of this
Sodomitish
City. The Infection spares none: But alas, for the Sheepherds of our Flocks! they fly, and leave their Flocks to be scatter'd.
But let them remember it from
Isaac Bickerstaff
's Words, the Sheepherds that forsake the Sheep committed to their Charge, shall fall in their flight, when those that stay shall remain. In this general Desolation it is not difficult for me to Name you Persons by Titles and Sirnames, that shall be infected with Plagues of one sort and another, whose Eyes shall not see the end of these things, but the Number is too great, and you cannot bear the distinction of Persons at this time.
Let it be sufficient then to tell you, Your Desolation is beyond expression, and the Number, whose Carkasses shall fall in this Wilderness, is not to be Number'd.
Yet for the encouragement and support of the Poor, Heaven promises Plenty in the Fields, and there shall be no want of Bread; Food shall encrease, tho' not the Mouths that feed on it; and what the Sword or other Plagues shall devour, shall leave room for those that remain to Live with more abundance.
Yet for all these Terrors, Men shall not repent or abate their Divisions, their Animosities, their Wars, and pursuit of Blood over the Earth.
About this time, a terrible and bloody Battle happens between the
Swedes
and the
French
against the
Germans,
and much blood shed, but the Emperor's Affairs are not yet ripe for Deliverance; and he must be a second time saved by the Protestant Allies, or be lost for good and all. The
French
now Master several Towns and large Territories, and if ever
Bavaria
is Restor'd, it's now.
But strange Resistance is preparing against those mischiefs, tho' no effect is seen this year, the next will produce something more effectual.
PROPHECY VII.
Now the World, Ripe for Action, is altogether by the Ears, and Blood rages in all parts of
Europe
;
France
has gone on with too much Success, but receives a check, vomits up much of his rapid Conquests, and by the vigour of the Confederates, is made to doubt whether he can keep his own or no, yet he stoops not to make offers of Peace, but swells with Pride and Revenge.
Germany
seems to be a general Scene of blood, and finds it next to impossible to avoid falling into the War with the
Turks
; the
Swedes
and
French
insult her in their Turn, and make three large Incisions into her most tender parts.
Sweden
grows great, War and Diffassection, together with want of Money and Strength, distresses the
Pole,
yet they Fight with Obstinacy against all: The
Muscovite
pushes the
Turk
in his Turn, and revives things on that side: But this Year decides not the Fate of
Poland.
The Protestant Interest gains nothing by this cruel War, either in
Germany, Silesia,
and
Hungaria,
yet hopes and promises support them, and they dispair not yet.
Spain
lies still; now the Sun keeps the Peace there, the excessive heats give a recess from Action, and gives time to our ungovernable Soldiers to kill themselves with Eating ripe Grapes, Drinking new Wine, and gorging themselves with the Luscious Fruits of a Luxurious Climate. A new General and new Councils produce new effects there, but the Army suffers much by Diseases, for which we supply the Grave with new Recruits for the
Antum
Campaign.
A rich plentiful Harvest in
Britain
makes the Hearts of the Country glad, and
Britain
proves this Year the Granary of
Europe
; a great increase, and a good Market, revives our Commerce, but we want this Relief, for we have many Losses abroad, and dreadful Diseases at home, affecting the Bodies or Minds of the People.
PROPHECY VIII.
Among the several Armies that range
Europe,
none escape a most bloody Action but these in
Flanders.
The
Swedes,
the
Poles,
the
Muscovites,
the
Turks,
the
Germans,
make War, not after the new, but the old fashion, and Fight as it were by mutual consent whereever they meet; so that every Post now brings News of Battles, and Slaughter: About
August
the
Turks
and
Muscovites
Fight a terrible Battle, Victory mocks both sides, and both sides mock the World with their pretences to it, yet the
Turks
appear sooner in the Field again, and seem to feel the loss least, tho they have most Men in the Roll of Slaughter.
If the real Plague spreads near us, it is this same Month, GOD preserve our populous Towns from such a stroke, the Desolation of,
Dantzick,
where yet they tell us a Fifth part of the People perish'd, will be a Flea-bite to what we must suffer, but the Prophet tells you,
If you escape this Year, you should not flatter your selves about the next.
Germany
may expect a bloody Campaign, if the
Swedes
are beaten in
Poland,
for if that Monarch finds his Work hard on that side, he encreases his Stength for diversion on another:
Denmark
seems this Year to borrow the old Character of the
Muscovites,
neither fit for War or Peace, for they make nothing of their Attempts any where, and are beaten every where.
A fruitless War upon the
Alps,
where Men Fight with Mountains, and Rocks are frighted with Snow and Torrents of Water, struggle hard with Nature and Art, and go home with little or nothing.
PROPHECY IX.
Spain
moves again about
September,
and the Armies, tho' weaknened by Fluxes and Feavers, draw out. Now! if at all
Charles
's Affairs revive, yet the
French
struggle hard, and part with what they lose but by Inches. Two bloody Actions weaken both sides, and they take breath a while, but
Charles
's gains Ground, tho' with great loss of Men.
France
supplies
Spain
with Men,
Spain France
with Money. Great Advantages arrive from the Supplies, both receive from the West
Indian
Treasures, and great Losses befall some People the latter end of the Summer by Sea, to the Discouragement of Trade, and Ruin of the Merchants.
Another terrible battle in the Northern Countries; the
Muscovite
grows strong by being beaten, and the
Swede
weak by Victory. The
Turk
makes great Havock in
Europe,
and ravages great part of
Poland. Hungary
begins to stir, and the Emperor feels the Effects of suffering his Neighbours to grow too powerful, but is too weak to do any thing considerable, having Enemies on every side.
France
ends the Campaign Inglorious on every side, and tho' he has not so much loss this year as he has formerly met with, yet finds himself languish under the Expence, his Kingdom wasting, exhausted and gasping, and makes Overtures of a Treaty, but it comes to nothing for want of Sincerity.
PROPHECY X.
The Flux of Blood abates, the Season about
October
enclines the Parties, out of breath with a long Campaign, to draw off, and give over; in
Dauphine
the
Germans
dare not stay to act on this side the
Alps,
or the
French
on the other for fear of being cut off from their Retreat by the Snow on the Mountains; so they end the Campaign with mutual Loss, mutual Mischief, and having mutually done nothing worth Notice.
The
Swedes
push still on fighting against Elements as well as Enemies, with invincible Obstinacy, and resolve to Winter in the heart of
Poland
; a Country wasted by War, and more likely to starve the Armies in their Quarters, than refresh them.
Cold weather freezes up the Plague, and the Desolations of that kind abate; but let them not comfort themselves with the Notion of a Deliverance from it, because of an Intermission.
The Armies on the
Rhine
and in
Flanders
separate, and may cast up their Accounts if they please; they find on every side Loss and Decay of Strength, much Blood, much Treasure spent, many Nations ravaged and ruined, and the end of the Campaign looks still but like the beginning of the War, yet
Spain
has no Recess, but both sides prepare for a Winter War; here we begin to see a new Turn, and King
Charles
may bid fair for a third Visit to
Madrid,
yet he keeps not all he gains; and Treaty rather than Battle seems to be the end of that War at last.
PROPHECY XI.
The Generals now come home, make their Report, exalt the Merits of their own Actions, emulate and decry one another, and the Unfortunate bear the Load of ill Conduct, according to the Custom and Usage of Mankind.
The active part of the War being quite over they stand still, and take breath awhile, till the Winter Quarters being settled, the great Ones come to lay their Heads together for the next Year.
Some further Abortive Conceptions of Peace appear in the World, amuse the Parties a while, and then vanish again; yet on the one side of
Europe
a formal Treaty begins, is carried on with Cunning and Insincerity on both sides, and ends in renewing the War.
Spain
is still the Seat of Action, we gain Ground, but lose a World of Men, and some Relief miscarries; which Disappointment retards the Proceedings, and baulks a very hopeful Prospect, yet they push hard, and have hopes of success; a great Province revolts and changes Hands, which gives a new Turn to Things; but want of strength delays finishing the Work this Year, and before that Defect is supply'd, some Ground is lost again.
PROPHECY XII.
Now the World enters into Council, Parliaments, Assemblies of Estates, Regencies, Divans, Grand Councils of War, meeting of Generals and Mareschals, take up all the Nations of
Europe
; nothing of Peace is heard among them, but
carrying on the War with vigour
is the Word, Taxes for raising Money, and Money for raising Men, filling of Magazines, refitting of Navies, and recruiting Armies is the Language of all this part of the World.
Would the great Men of
Europe
bring all their Accounts together, would they cast up their Accounts, and bring the Ballance of the whole to one foot of Profit and Loss, the Madness of Mankind would appear monstrous, and be seen in its own Colours. A Million of Lives have been lost this Year by War, Pestilence and Famine. Vast Treasures exhausted beyond the possibility of Account, Countries wasted, Cities ruined, Villages burnt, Frontiers plundered, yet the Nations of
Europe
prepare to carry on the furious Quarrel, as if nothing but the Destruction of Mankind was in their Design. In
Spain
the War goes on still, and Winter gives no Recess; a warm Action concludes the Year, in which both sides suffer loss. The Confederates have the Advantage, yet no great gain is made of the Matter. The VVar is push'd on with great Animosity and Indefatigable Vigour of the Commanders with great loss of Blood on both sides; but this Year gives no View of the End.
The CONCLUSION.
Thus have I,
Bickerstaff
the Aged, given you a View of this fatal Year that is yet to come, the Sum of the Matter lies in a few Heads.
France
gains at first by exerting her self with uncommon Vigour, but loses again both her Glory and her Advantages before the end of the Campaign.
Britain
is at a vast Expence, rather gains than loses, but not suitable to her Occasion any more than to her Expectation.
The
Muscovite
suffers vast Losses, yet gains Ground.
The
Swedes
gets Victory with little profit.
The
Turks
makes great Spoil with very little gain.
The
Poles
have some Advantages, by which they are ruined.
The Empire is delivered from Peace.
The
Dane
by want of Success delivered from the VVar.
On every side
Europe
is afflicted, plagued harassed and ravaged by the VVar, and yet sees no end of her Sorrows: VVhat shall befall her in the year to come, shall be also foretold in its Season by me.
Isaac Bickerstaff.
FINIS.