AN
ELEGY
Upon the Death of the Famous
Dr. JOHN PARTRIDGD,
The Great Astrologer, who departed this Life (according to Esq; Biggerstaffs Pre-
diction) this Morning between the Hours of One and Two a Clock, being the
29th of March, at his House near Covent-Garden.
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O Partridge! Art thou gone, and we in Tears?
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Hide all your Heads, ye little Twinkling Stars:
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Ye Glorious Planets in your Houses Sleep;
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And 'stead of Light, in Gentle showers Weep.
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Partridges Knowledge in those Arts doth Crave
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The Sun it self a Mourner at his Grave:
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Phoebus shou'd by the Milky Way descend,
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And Luna, and the Signs, should on his Hearse attend.
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Weep all ye Suburb Dames that knew his Worth,
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And let your Trebles set his Praises forth:
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By him you were resolv'd of many a Doubt,
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And how the Circling Year would roul about;
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When it would Freeze or Thaw, when Snow or Rain,
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When Storms would Blow, or when be Eair again.
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From whence you might unerring Methods take,
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Which Seasons were the best to Brew or Bake;
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For Physick, when the prop'rest Times were known,
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When good to Bleed, and when to let's alone;
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Nay, even he could set apart the Day,
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On which 'twas best to Work, or best to play.
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In Business too, you by his Schemes might tell
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Which were the Luckiest Days to Buy or Sell:
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When proper Seasons wou'd for pleasure come,
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Or when to go Abroad, or stay at Home.
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Maids, Batchelors, from him, Instruction had,
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Which were good Days to Marry on, which bad;
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When they should Settle, where the House shou'd stand,
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And whether best to Trade by Sea or Land:
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Farmers from him learnt how to Sow and Reap,
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And when to make their Butter Dear or Cheap;
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To Prune their Hedges, or to Weed their Corn,
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Or when to get to get the Crop into the Barn.
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He taught old Matrons to be Nutses soon,
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Observing but the Changes of the Moon;
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How they might keep their Families from Harms,
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When Cut their Childrens Hair, or kill the Worms.
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Nor this alone, he soar'd at higher Things,
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Foretelling Earthquakes, or the Death of Kings.
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Of Battles he could tell ye to a Day,
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When some wou'd Fight, and others run away.
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From Popish Dangers he forewarn'd the State,
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And always stabb'd the Jacks killing Hate.
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But still------
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Alas, one Error in his Skill was Shewn,
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He could tell others Fate, but not his own:
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While he is Fam'd for Knowledge in the Stars,
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One Calculates his Death, and takes him unawares.
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So to Great Caesar, dauntless, undismay'd,
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Beware the Ides of March the Flamin said:
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As that in Romes, this shall our Kalends Grace,
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And be Red-Letter'd in same proper Place.
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HEre lyes, (or will do , in a little time,)
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A Fam'd Astrologer of this our Clime,
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Whose spight of his Acquaintance with the Stars,
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It seems, knew nothing of his own Affairs,
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Untill the Pen of some unlucky Brother;
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Confounded one Perdiction, by another.
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