Predictions for the Year, 1699.

AS sure as Knavry has got the start Honesty, Poverty and Prid this Summer will Hand in Hand; and many will terribly pinch their Bellies to adorn their Backs, and other tumble with great willingness on their Backs to pleas their Bellies.

Whoreing will be much rail'd against in our Churches, but never more practised in Chambers; and many London Prentices will be forced this Year to eat Suffolk Cheese, to advance their Master Daughters to the Boarding-School. Honesty will be reduced to a very low Condition, and be forced tug many a Knave by the sleeve to put him in mind of his promise, (but in vain) and Vertue in plain dresse will be force'd to pin up Vices fine Gown for a Liv­lihood. Justice will be in many Men's Mouthes, but in few Men's Hearts, we shall hear often of her name, but know not where to find her, and where she ought to Dwell, we shall not dare to look for her.

This Year will a rise sharp disputes among Prentice Boys, Chamber-Maids and Cook Maids about Gipsies and Astrologers, which of them tells Fortunes truest, and after a great many nice Arguments, pro's and cons, &c. it will be decided in favour of the Saffron coloured Deviners, because they dispatch their Business soonest and for less Money.

The Malice of Law Adversaries will be pretty well aswaged when the Term's over; the long Bills of Attornies and Petty-foggers will make them agree to call themselves Fools, and their Lawyers Knaves, and will make a promise to renounce the Law for the future as good Christians do the Devil and all his Works.

Those Sparks who cuold not purchas new Choathes at Easter, will be glad to have them at Whitston tide, and if they miss of 'em then (as I am sure a great many will) Especially Women, they'll go near to beare them in their minds, nine Monthes after; a great deal of Money will this Summer be vainly flung-away on Wine and Women, and such like alluring Commodites, by many boisterous Youngsters, who have a bundance more Welth than Wit, but they [...]ll in a little time so order the matter, that they'll bring them both to an e­qual Ballance.

Many a hopeful and pretty Young Maid will go a mile, or two out of [...] own in the Hollydays, and forgetting herself will lose that in few minits which she'll never find again as long as she Livers.

Lotteries and loose Lives will multiply exceedingly this Year; till they both become the only Pick-pockets of this Age tho with this difference, the former will do it with your Consent and the latter without it.

Every Gardener will shortly be as busso as Father Adam in Paradice, to turn Horse-Dung into Raddshies, and Ram's Horn's, into Sparrowgrass, Ay and will be verry angry too if any of the Family shall presume to lay a sirs R—ce [...]ut of his own Ground insomuch that abundance of Dung-hills a'rather side the [...]ater will be mightily improved, to raise a Summers feast, but the first of [...]heir course must be sauce for my Lady.

Many Citizens with Jealous hearts and horned-heads will this Summer be tormented with Curtain Lectures for New Gowns, Petticoats and other fine Nick-knacks, and if there Wives request be not granted, they shall be lead as bad a Life, as a sturdy Beggar in the House of Correction.

Those who have bucksom Young Daughters, must this Year take care to provide them Husbands, or else Guid them with a very strit rein, otherwise the active motion of the Spirits, this Spring season will beget such an itch in their Tails that will make them Door on your Apprentices, or (which is much worse) suffer their heels to be trip [...]t up by their serving Men the first oppertunity.

Punks that are poor, will begin to dread the Approaching dismal Summer, for Consequently an Empty Town soon produces Emty Purses, and want of Money the worst of in fam; for she that had the Honour to be Debauch'd by a Duke may in a little time (except the kind influence of her Stars prevent it) be kick't by his Foot-Man, or be glad to be kiss'd by a Porter. For many a topping Lass (now at Guinea purchase) will dwindle from her Veluet-Scarff in­to Rusty Lute-string and will willingly be at a Coach-Man's service for a cast of his Ofice and a Quarten of Brandy, and think it a good Eveing work.

We shall certainly hear of great strife between the Pawn-Broker and Tally-Man, about their Honesly tho both in th [...]is Dealings (according to Custom [...]) will strive who should run first to the Devil Head-long

Farmers, like their Corn, now begin to prick up their Ears, tho they Labour between the passion of hope and fear; and pray as often for a dry hirvest as the just Man Sins in a day, and when he has it in his Born, he will chuse raither to let the Mice, and Wea­vells, eat it than the poor should have it at a reasonable price.

More Trades Men will be seen playing in the fields, (espcinlly Weavers) then work­ing in their Shops, he that hath Money may spend it, with much pleasure, and he that hath none, may sleep under a Hedge without any danger of having his Pocket pick [...]d.

Weavers, as well as Jouray men Taylors, will be glad to make many a meal of Cucumbers this Summer, or else go to Lambs-Cunduict, and Drink a health to Duke Humphrey, and intreat Providence upon their bended Knees to take a way their Sto­machs, or send them a shower of Bread and Cheese, for tho (perhaps) meat may be pritty Cheep, yet money will be scarce, that if an Ox re [...]d-roasted could be for a Penny, if he wants both coin and Credit, if he's too proud to Beg and to Honest to steal, is in the midst of Plenty in a very likely condition to go with out a Dinner.

Journey-Men Shoe-makers, Notwithstanding the raging distemper of Poverty among tham, yet they'll be so proud as scorn to work on a Monday, that they may return to their work with clear Pockets, and safe Conscences, and I'll say that for 'em the best of Christians can't be more thoughtful on their Last, their Lives 'its true are but dangerous Examples for the Righteous to fol­low, yet by the Doctrine of the Hammer they'll make more good Souls in one Twelue-Month, than the Clergy do in Seven. This year Distillers will turn Negromances (alias Conjurers) and raise a bundance of Evil Spirits. not only from allsorts of Corn, but out of Carrots, & Turnops too which will possesse the People, as the Devil did the Herd of Swine, to the utter distruction of those who fall under their Enchantments, or are Bewitch'd by 'em, which, will be the only occasion of advancing Hogwash to the great Injury of Islington Swine:heards, as well as the Damage of Bar­tholomew-Fair Porky if they are not suddainly Conjured down, or at least carefully bound in Fetters of forbearance by the Wisdom of our great Assembly, to prevent poisoning the Subjects.

Church-wardens will be accounted grand Knaves, by the rest of theire Parish, let them look too't as well as they can, for those Sinners who fall into there Clutches for answer the end of the Crea­tion, [Page 4]will wish he had been Gelt; for indeed its somthing hard to pay for taking their own Wives Linnen up: Those players who not long since liv'd by playing to Fool, must now linch out of these Eliment, and set their wits to work, otherwise they'll find little else the do, but to ly a Bed and studdy their parts against next Micheal-Mass to play the Knave.

There will be more Religions this Summer than ever, and yet never less Piety; Chlistians will pre­fer their ease before their devotion and think the Weather too hot to serve God in Crouds, for which reason the Church will have but thin Congregations.

There will certainly also be a great Quarrel between Rooks and Jack-Daws, about which of them are fairest, which will occasion abundance of Chattring on both sides to little purpose, till the Eagle under takes to decide the Differance.

Strange things will be reported this Year without truth, and belived with reason, and all sides will Expect miracles to be wrought, but if nothing come on't, they must sit down (tho not contented)

Swines Flesh and Whores Flesh will be as Common as Beef and Mutton at Leaden-Hall-Market; Especially about the latt end of August, but he that wants Skill to Choose will Certainly be Cheated if he meddles with Either, for the one will be very incident to the Pox, and the other to the Measles, at which time a great many Strong. Beastes will be there to be seen, and a great many worse Creaturs to be felt. And for Deseases the Pox and Poverty, above all will be the most em­ [...]idemicd, and will as often meet together, as the Ague and Feaver.

Vertue and Villainy are like to meet with equal Encouragement, For as many will be Starv'd for the [...]e Honest ashang'd for their Rogeury, only with this differance Poverty shall take away the Life of the former without a manifest Crime, whilest the Law shall require Evidence to prove the latter.

All sorts of Rogues vvill be novv very Industerous in their several stations to get Money, even from the the Lottery Man to the the Common Pick-pocket, and all sorts of fools as busie in spend­ing on't, and Many a Jilt vvill play the part of a Queen in a foul Smock, and many a Knave [...]e­present a states Man.

Leacherous Bullies, vvil this Year be so busie in Robbing Young hansome Women of their Ho­nesty, that in order to be reveng'd on 'mand to prevent it, many vvill be so subtil as never to carry [...]ne Dram of it about 'em for the future, and by that meanes the Bully's vvill be plaguly disapointed.

About Christmas Hollidays next the Fanatcks will begin to Preach against supersticions, Minch-Pyes, and Abominable Plomb-Porridge, &c. While on the other Hand the Church of England w [...] as Stoutly Stand up for Christmas Hospitality, In short and for a Conclusion, the Church and Dissentrs, the Rich and the poor the Clergy, and the Laiety, Winner and the Looser, Williamite and Jacobite, the Planitive and Defendant will not agree; For Mankind below, like the Elements, above are at vareance one with another, And a Horse that has a biger Head than I, know's not when they'll be reconciled.