the bare title of Victorieux when he had undertaken the protection of the German Princes against the Emperour Charles the V. LXXI French Quand on viendra le grand Roy parenter Avant quil ait du tout l'Ame rendue On le verra bien tost apparenter D' Aigles Lions Croix Courone de Rüe English When they shall come to celebrate the obsequies of the great King A day before he be quite dead He shall be seen presently to be allyed With Eagles Lions Crosses Crowns of Rüe ANNOT. In the general Peace made Anno 1559. two Marriages were concluded one of Elizabeth of France daughter to Henry II. King of France with Philip II. King of Spain which was Celebrated at Paris with an extraordinary magnificence in the presence of the Duke of Alba the Prince of Orenge and the Earl of Egmont who came to fetch the Princess In the Celebrating of these Nuptials happened the unfortunate death of Henry II. This brought such a sadness to the Court that the second match which was between Margaret of France Daughter to Francis I. and the Duke of Savoy was Celebrated without solemnity VVe must add to this that the Duke weareth in his Coat of Arms some Eagles some Lions some Crosses and a Crown of Rue by this we understand this Stanza which saith that the King being mortally wounded every one was preparing himself to render him the last duties which the Author calleth to Parante from the Latine word Parentare which signifieth to Celebrate the Funeral duties of a man Thus the second Verse saith before the day that he yieldeth up his Soul in hast was the Marriage Celebrated between the Lady Margaret of France and the Duke of Savoy who beareth for his Arms some Eagles some Lions some Crosses and a Crown of Rue LXXII French Par fureur feinte devotion Divine ' Sera la femme du grand fort violée Judges voulants damner telle Doctrine Victime au peuple ignorant immolée English By a faigned fury of Divine inspiration The wife of the great one shall be ravished Judges willing to condemn such a Doctrine A Victinto shall be sacrifised to the ignorant people ANNOT. Of this fact and others as bad have been seen strange examples formerly done by those called Enthousiastes who have committed horrible villanies under pretence of divine inspiration some commiting Incests others rapes others murders as may be seen at large in the History of John de Leiden and other desperate Anabaptists too tedious to be inserted here I shall only relate here a little remarkable History in confirmation of this to discover the Wiles of the spirits of error transformed into an Angel of Light The 7 day of February 1526. two Brothers Thomas and Leonard Schyker living near the Town of St. Gal in Switzerland did assemble together with some other Anabaptists in their fathers house where they passed the most part of the night in discourses making of faces and relating of Visions which every one said he had seen The next day upon break of day Thomas did lay hold on his Brother Leonard and dragged him in the middle of the company bid him kneel in the presence of his Father and Mother and of all the rest there present and as all the rest of the Company bid him take heed to do any thing amiss he answered that there was no need to fear and that in this business nothing could be done against the Will of the Father thereupon he drew his Sword and cut off the head of his Brother who was on his knees all besotted before this murderer All the rest being astonished and besides their wits for this furious blow and lamenting the dead Thomas ran towards the Town with a fearful Countinance as a Phanatick besides himself without Shooes and having no Cloaths but his Shirt and Breeches At that time the Buâ—g-master of St Gal was Joachim Vadian a wise and learned person before whom the said Thomas stood crying a loud with a fearful Countenance that the day of Judgment was near saying besides that strange things had come to pass without telling what that the will of his Father was done for his part The Burg-master after he had reprehended him very much for his madness and insolent carriage commanded a Cloak to be put upon him and to lead him home softly back again But in the mean time news was brought of his detestable murder whereupon he was apprehended examined convicted and executed The like hath been done many times for Rapes and Incests What is particular here is that our Author saith that the Judges being willing to punish such Villanies yet that unhappy accident shall fall that an innocent person shall be put to death belike instead of the guilty to please the people LXXIII French En Cité grande en moyne artisan Pres de la porte logez aux murailles Contre modene secret Cave disant Trahis pour faire sous couleur d'espousailles English In a great City a Monk and an Artificer Dwelling near the Gate and the Walls Near an old woman 't is a secret saying Cave A Treasâ—n shall be plotted under pretence of a Marriage ANNOT. Paradin maketh mention that in the year 1552. a Monk deceived the Marshal of Brissac making him believe that he would put him in possession of the Town of Quizres if he would give him so much for reward The Marshal used all the Caution possible not to be deceived by that Imposter who took Money on both sides viz. the French and the Spaniards nevertheless the Monk plaid the Knave with him and the undertakings proved prejudicial to the French though not considerably by reason of the precaution of the said Marshal The same Author writes that in the year 1555. the 17 of August the Spaniard had designed to retake Cazal the same way that the French had surprised it First they had got a Widow in the Town who received the undertakers in her house which was near the Gate and the Wall Secondly there was a Marriage to be made between two persons of quality where great Cheer and rejoycings were to be Thirdly they got a woman that carryed Herbs to sell in the Town and under the Herbs the Letters were hidden The Author says likewise that there was a Monk and a Tradesman that lodged at this VVidows house those two actors in this business viz. the Monk said Tradseman said secretly to the woman that sold Herbs Cave which signifies take heed they said these words secretly near Matrone that is they whisperd in her ear Cave Their design was to betray the Town under pretence of a Marriage but it did not succeed because the Letters in the womans Basket were intercepted the Vulgar impression hath a fault in the third Verse where there is Modene instead of Matrone and another in the fourth Verse when instead of Treason they have put for betrayed The History obligeth us to correct it as we have done LXXIV French
the East shall come the African heart To vex Adria and the Heirs of Romulus Accompanied with the Libian feet Melites shall tremble and the Neighbouring Islands be empty ANNOT. This was a clear and true Prognostication of that famous Invasion made upon Maltha by the grand Signor Solyman the magnificent in the year of our Lord 1565. and just ten years after the writing of this Prophecy wherein that Island and some of the Neighbouring ones were wholly depopulated by the Turks to the terror of Venice called here Adria and of all the Islands of the Adriatick Sea For the better understanding of this the Reader must observe that Punicas in Larin signifieth Africa so that the African heart signifieth the help the Turk had from Tunis Tripoly and Algier Cities seated in Africa and under the Turkish Dominion by which not only Maltha which in Latin is Melita but Venice and Rome were put into a great fright the conclusion of this Siege was that after six weeks time and the loss of 26000. Men the Turks were constrained shamefully to retire Vide the Turkish History French X. French Sergens transmis dans la Cage de Fer Ou les Enfans septains du Roy sont pris Les vieux Peres sortiront bas d'Enfer Ains mourir voir de son fruit mort cris English Sergeants sent into an Iron Cage Where the seven Children of the King are The old Men and Fathers shall come out of Hell And before they die shall see the death and cries of their fruit ANNOT. This Prophecy signifieth that some Sergeants or Executioners shall be sent into a Prison to put to death seven Children servants of a King that were Imprisoned there and that some old Men their Fathers shall see their death and hear their cries XI French Le mouvement de Sens Coeur Pieds Mains Seront d'accord Naples Leon Sicile Glaives Feux Eaux puis au Noble Romains Plongez Tuez Morts par cerveau debile English The motion of the Sense Heart Feet and Hands Shall agree Naples Leon Sicily Swords Fires Waters then to the noble Romans Dipt Killed Dead by a weak-brain ANNOT. The two first Verses signifie the concord that shall be among the Spanish dominions expressed here by Sense Heart Feet and Hands After which the Romans or those of Rome shall be evilly intreated being drewned killed and put to death by a weak brain I guess this to have come to pass when the Emperour Charles the V. his Army sacked Rome under the command of the Duke of Bourbon who was killed at the Assault and of the Prince of Orange who permitted licentiousness to his Souldiers and suffered them to commit more violence than ever the Goths or Vandales did and therefore is called here weak brain This Prince of Orange was of the House of Chalon after which came that of Nassau XII French Dans peu ira fauce brute fragile De bas en haut eslevé promptement Puis en estant desloyal labile Qui de Verone aura gouvernment English Within a little while a false frail brute shall go From low to high being quickly raised By reason that he shall have the Government of Verona Shall be unfaithful and slippery ANNOT. This foretelleth of a wicked person who in a short time shall be from a low degree exalted to a high one by reason that those that have the Government of Verona shall be unfaithful and slippery That person seemeth to be some Pope who from a low degree shall be exalted to that dignity by the unfaithfulness and slipperiness of the Venetians who are now Lords of the City Verona in Italy XIII French Les exiles par ire haine intestine Feront au Roy grand conjuration Secret mettront ennemis par la mine Et les vieux siens contre eux sedition English The banished by choler and intestine hatred Shall make against the King a great conspiracy They shall put secret enemies in the mine And the old his own against them sedition ANNOT. Although this Prophecie seemeth to be indefinitely spoken because in every Countrey or Kingdom where there is banished people they most commonly plot against their King and Countrey nevertheless I find two remarkable Histories to make this good one in France and the other in England That of France is thus The Cardinal of Lorrain and the Duke of Guise his Brother being in great favour with Henry II. the Queen Mother promoted them in the beginning of the Reign of Francis II. his successor so that the Cardinal was made Lord high Treasurer and the Duke General of the Armies to the prejudice of the Constable of Montmorency Those two favourites fearing the persecution that is raised by envy did remove all the great ones from the Court whether they were commanded to do so or whether they had any other pretences The Princes of Condé and of la Roche sur yon were sent into Flanders to Philip 11. Condé to confirm the alliance between the two Crowns and la Roche sur yon to carry the Order of France Diana of Poitiers Dutchess of Valentenois was banished from Court and compelled to surrender to the Queen all the Jewels she had extorted from the King besides the Castle of Chenonceaux which the Queen took for her self The Marshal St. Andrew was likewise banished from the Court The King of Navarre was in Bearn The Constable took also his leave and surrendred to the King the Seal of his Office On the other side the Protestants began to stir notably having on their part many Princes as that of Condé of Porcien Gaspard of Coligny Admiral of France d'Andelot and the Cardinal of Chastillon his brothers Magdalene of Mailly their Sister Lady of Roye the King of Navarre All these discontented persons and the Protestants made a great conspiracy under pretence of Religion and of freeing the King from the tyranny of the Guisians They did by Choler the Protestants because they had been so ill used in the time of Francis I. and Henry II. and lately by the Guisians And the discontented for to pull down their power it was also by an intestine hatred because the Constable could not brook to be dispossessed of his Office of great Master which was given to the Duke of Guise and the others to see themselves from the management of Affairs and the Protestants by the spirit of a Contrary Religion Their conspiracy tended to expel the Guisians and to seise upon the Queen the King and his Brothers To compass their end they secretly sent some trusty persons of their own who nevertheless feigned to be their Enemies insomuch that the King of Navarre sent them word that he would be always of their party though apparently he took the Courts part But the old his own saith the fourth Verse that is to say the Kings old friends shall raise Sedition against them which happened in the year 1650. when the Guisians having discovered the conspiracy that was
Prest a combattre fera defection Chef adversaire obtiendra la victoire Larriere garde fera defension Les defaillans morts au blanc terretoire English One being ready to fight shall faint The chief of the adverse party shall obtain the victory The rearegard shall withstand it out Those that fall away shall die in the white Terretory ANNOT. There is nothing difficult here but what he meaneth by the white Terretory whether it be positive or Allegorical I leave the judgement of it to the Reader LXXVI French Les Nictobriges par ceux de Perigort Seront vexez tenants jusques au Rhosne L'Associé de Gascons Bigorre Trahir le Temple le prestre estant au Prosne English The Nictobriges by those of Perigort Shall be vexed as far as the Rhosne The associate of the Gascons and Bigorre Shall betray the Church while the Priest is in his Pulpit ANNOT. Nictobriges in Greek signifieth a people living in a dark and moist Countrey Perigort and Bigorre are two Towns in France The rest is plain LXXVII French Selyn Monarque l' Italie pacifique Regnes unis Roy Chrestien du monde Mourant voudra coucher en Terre Blesique Apres Pyrates avoir chassé de L'onde English Selyn being Monarch Italy shall be in peace Kingdoms shall be united a Christian King of the world Dying shall desire to be buried in the Countrey of Blois After he shall have driven the Pyrates from the Sea ANNOT. Selyn is the name of a Turkish Emperour the meaning therefore of this is that under the Reign of one Selyn a Turkish Emperour Italy shall be in peace and all the Christian Princes united LXXVIII French La grand Armée de la pugne civile Pour de nuit Parme a l'Estranger trouvée Septante neuf meurtris dedans la Ville Les estrangers passez tous a l'Espée English The great Army belonging to the Civil War Having-found by night Parma possessed by Strangers Shall kill seventy nine in the Town And put all the Strangers to the Sword ANNOT. Parma is a City in Italy The rest is plain LXXIX French Sang Royal fuis Monheurt Mars Aiguillon Remplis seront de Bourdelois les Landes Navarre Bigorre pointes Aiguillons Profonds de faim vorer de Liege Glandes English Royal blood run away from Monheurt Marsan Aiguillon The Landes shall be full of Bourdeloir Navarre Bigorre shall have points and Pricks Being deep in hunger they shall devour the Cork and Akorns ANNOT. Monheurt Marsan Aiguillon are Towns in Gascony Landes is a desert Countrey wherein nothing groweth but Pine-trees Bourdelois are those of Bourdeaux Navarre is a Kingdom and Begorre a Province joyning to those Landes or Pine-trees Countrey LXXX French Pres du grand Fleuve grand fosse terre egeste En quinze parts l'eau sera divisée La Cité prinse feu sang cris conflict mettre Et la plus part concerne au collisée English Near the great River a great pit Earth digged out In fifteen parts the Water shall be divided The City taken fire blood cries fighting And the greatest part concerneth the Collisée ANNOT. This Prophecy was fulfilled when Rome was taken and sacked by Charles Duke of Bourbon and Philibert of Chalon Prince of Orenge Generals of the Emperour Charles the V. with such cruelties as never was committed by the bloody Goths and Vandales and to shew that the Author intended Rome is apparant by two instances The first is by the great River which is the Tyber which though not very great in its Channel and depth yet is very great yea the greatest in Europe by its fame The other is the word Colisée which is that famous Arch of Tratan in Rome remaining yet to this day LXXXI French Pont on fera promptement de nacelles Passer l'Armée du grand Prince Belgique Dans profondres non loing de Bruxelles Outrepassez detrenchez sept a picque English A Bridge of Boats shall suddenly be made To pass over the Army of the great Belgick Prince In deep places and not far from Bruxelles Being gone over there shall be seven cut with a Pike ANNOT. This is concerning the Siege of Antwerp by the Prince of Parma Governour of the Low-Countreys for the King of Spain who having besieged caused a Bridge of Boats to be made upon the River Scheld to hinder the succours of the Hollanders who by that means were constrained to surrender it LXXXII French Amas sapproche venant d' Esclavonie L'Olestant vieux Cité ruinera Fort desolée verra sa Romanie Puis la grand flamme estaindre ne scaura English A great troop gathered shall come from Sclavonia The old Olestant shall ruine a City He shall see his Romania very desolate And after that shall not be able to quench that great flame ANNOT. That great troop from Sclavonia shall be the Venetians because they possess most part of that Countrey The old Olestant is their Duke because he is not chosen unless he be very old by Romania is understood what the Venetians possess in that Countrey LXXXIII French Combat nocturne le vaillant Capitaine Vaincu fuira peu de gens profligé Son peuple esmeu sedition non vain Son propre fils le tiendra assiegé English In a fight by night the valliant Captain Being vanquished shall run away overcome by few His people being moved shall make no small mutiny His own son shall besiege him ANNOT. This needeth no interpretation LXXXIV French Vn grand d' Auxerre mourra bien miserable Chassé de ceux qui soubs luy ont esté Serré de chaines apres d'un rude cable En l'an que Mars Venus Sol mis en Esté English A great man of Auxerre shall die very miserably Being expelled by those that have been under him bound with Chains and after that with a strong Cable In the year that Mars Venus and Sol shall be in a conjunction in the Summer ANNOT. Auxerre is a City of France distant from Paris 40. leagues to the Southward LXXXV French Le Charbon blanc du noir sera chasse Prisonier fait mené au Tombereau More Chameau sus pieds entrelassez Lors le puisné fillera l'Aubereau English The white Coal shall be expelled by the black one He shall be made Prisoner carried in a Dung-cari His feet twisted upon a black Camel Then the youngest shall suffer the Hobby to have more thread ANNOT. The first Verse is altogether Allegorical and Metaphorical therefore I leave it to the judgement of every Reader I shall only deliver my opinion upon the whole I take it to be some white Prince that shall be overcome by a black one put in a Dungcart after thâ—t tied upon a black Camel and then the younger son of that black Prince shall give the prisonner a little more liberty LXXXVI French L'An que Saturne en eau sera conjoint Avecques Sol le Roy fort puissant A Rheims Aix sera receu oingt Apres
The least part shall be left doubtfull to the Eldest and soon after they shall be both equal in the Kingdom ANNOT. This lacketh no interpotation XCVI French Grand Cite a Soldats abandonnée Onc ny eut mortel tumult si proche O quelle hideuse calamités approche Fo rs une offence n'y sera pardonnée English A great City shall be given up to the Souldiers There was never a mortal tumult so near Oh! what a hideous calamity draws near Except one offence nothing shall be spared ANNOT. This is concerning the taking of the Town of St. Quentin in 1557. because the Author saith no tumult was like this so near the year 1555 when our Author writ He calleth it great City because it is one of the most considerable in France therefore it was besieged by the King of Spain with 37000. men and 12000. Horses and 8000. English The plunder was given to the Souldiers for it was taken by assault There was never a mortal tumult so near for the Souldiers taking revenge upon the Inhabitants and Garrison put all to the Sword the Admiral having much ado to save himself In consequence of this our Prophet cryeth O what a fearfull calamity because the taking of this Town joyned with the loss of St. Laurence did almost ruine France He addeth except one offence nothing shall be forgiven that is the Town should be afflicted in all respects except that it should not be burnt The taking of this Town was upon the 27 of August 17 days after the Battle of St. Laurence The loss was so great to France that the King was fained to call the Duke of Guise back from Italy and Charles V. hearing this news asked presently if his Son Philip was not in Paris as much as to say it was a thing he ought to have done But God permitted that the King of Spain went another way and in the mean time the King of France strengthned himself and the Duke of Guise took from the English Calais Guines and the County of d'Oye The Spanish History saith that Philip had forbidden to touch any old people Children and Ecclesiastical persons but above all St. Quentins reliques XCVII French Ginq quarante degrez ciel bruslera Feu approcher de la grand Cité neuve Instant grand flamme esparse sautera Quand on voudra des Normans faire preuve English The Heaven shall burn at five and forty degrees The fire shall come near the great new City In an instant a great flame dispersed shall burst out When they shall make a trial of the Normans ANNOT. This signifies some extraordinary lightning under five and forty degrees which is about the Southern part of France It is not easie to guess what he meaneth by the great new City unless it be one in the Authors Countrey called Villa Nova The last Verse seemeth to intimate that this shall happen when an Army of Normandie shall be raised XCVIII French Ruyne aux Volsques de peur si fort terribles Leur grand Cité taincte faict pestilent Piller Sol Lune violer leur Temples Et les deux Fleuves rougir de sang coulant English A ruine shall happen to the Volsques that are so terrible Their great City shall be dyed a pestilent deed They shall plunder Sun and Moon and violate their Temples And the two Rivers shall be red with running blood ANNOT. The Volsi were a warlike people of Italy joyning to Rome which makes me believe that by the great City he meaneth Rome which was plundered and sackt by the Duke of Burgondy and the Prince of Orange Generals of the Emperour Charles V. XCIX French L'Ennemy docte se tournera confus Grand Camp malade de faict par embusches Monts Pyrenees luy seront faicts refus Roche du Fleuve descouvrant antique ruches English The learned enemy shall go back confounded A great Camp shall be sick and in effect through ambush The Pyrenean Mountains shall refuse him Near the River discovering the ancient Hives ANNOT. The words are plain though the sense be too obscure and I shall not endeavour to give an interpretation when every one may make one himself C French Fill de Laure asyle du mal sain Ou jusqu'au Ciel se void l' Amphitheatre Prodige veu ton mal est fort prochain Seras captive des fois plus de quatre English Daughter of Laura Sanctuary of the sick Where to the Heavens is seen the Amphitheatre A prodigy being seen the danger is near Thou shalt be taken captive above four times ANNOT. This is an ingenious Stanza concerning the City of Nismes in Languedoc famous for its Amphitheatre built by the Romans and remaining to this day which Town he calleth Daughter of Laura because the Lady Laura Mistress to the famous Poet Petrache was born thereabout he also calleth it Sanctuary of the sick for the salubrity of the air The meaning of the two last Verses is that when a prodigy shall be seen viz. Civil War in France it shall be taken above four times as it hath happened by one party or other Legis cautio contra ineptos Criticos Qui legent hos versus maturè censunto Prophanum vulgus inscium ne attrectato Omnesque Astrologi Blenni Barhari procul sunto Qui aliter faxit is rite sacer esto THE PROPHECIES OF Michael Nostradamus CENTURY VII I. French L'Ar◠du Thresor par Achilles deceu Aux procrées sceu le Quadrangulaire Au fait Roial le comment sera sceu Corps veu pendu au Sceu du populaire English The bow of the Treasure by Achilles deceived Shall shew to posterity the Quadrangulary In the Royal deed the Comment shall be known The body shall be seen hanged in the knowledge of the people ANNOT. By the bow of the Treasure is understood the Marshal d' Ancre Favorite to the Queen Regent of France Mary of Medicis who was first complained of for his maleversations by Achilles de Harlay President of Paris whence followed his death being Pistolled in the Quadrangle of the Louvre by the command of Lewis XIII and his body afterwards dragged through the streets and hanged publickly by the people upon the new Bridge II. French Par Mars ouvert Arles ne donra guerre De nuit seront les Soldats estonnez Noir blanc a l'Inde dissimulez en terre Soubs la feinte ombre traistre verrez sonnez English Arles shall not proceed by open War By night the Souldiers shall be astonished Black white and blew dissembled upon the ground Under the fained shadow you shall see them proclaimed Traitors ANNOT. Arles is a considerable City in France the rest is plain III. French Apres de France la victoire Navale Les Barchinons Salinons les Phocens Lierre d'or l'Enclume serré dans balle Ceux de Toulon au fraud seront consents English After the Naval victory of the French Upon those of Tunis Sally and the Phocens A golden Juy the Anvil
a little lower on the right hand a Bench covered with Carpets for the Prelates to sit among which were three Archbishops nine Bishops and three Abbots on the left hand were the Lords of the Councel and before the Altar was the Cardinal of Gondy encompassed with Almoners and Chaplains and a great multitude of Spectators seated upon Benches in form of a Theatre round about the Theatre were the guard of Switzers having every one a Torch in his hand The Dolphin and his Sisters were in their Chambers upon Beds of State with their Robes lined with Hermines and were brought to the quadrangle the waiting Gentlemen going before with Torches in their hands with the Bed Chamber men and Gentlemen of the Chamber five Drums Waits and Trumpeters Heralds and the Knights of the Holy Ghost with the three Honours in the first for the youngest Daughter the Ewer the Bason the Pillow the Wax Taper the Chrisme the Saltseller were carryed by the Baron Son to Marshal de la Chastre by the Lords Montigny la Rochepot Chemerand Liencourt Fervacques and the Lady was carryed by the Marshal of Bois Dauphin followed by Charles Duke of Lorrain Godfather and of Don Juan de Medicis Brother to the great Duke of Tuscaky representing Christian Daughter to the Duke of Lorrain and Wife of the great Duke After that followed the Dutches of Guise the Countesses of Guiche of Saulx the Marchioness Monlaur and other Ladies The Marshals of Laverdin and of la Chastre the Dukes of Silly of Monbazon of Espernon of Esguillon did the same office for the elder Lady The Lord of Ragny carryed her for Diana Dutchess of Angoulesme who did represent the Infanta Clara Eugenta Eusabella Archidutchess or Austria followed by the Dutchess of Rohan Montmorency Mayenne The third Honour for the Dolphin was carried by the Earl of Vaudemont the Knight of Vendosme his elder Brother the Duke of Mensier the Earl of Soissons and the Prince of County all three Princes of the Blood and the Dolphin was carryed by the Lord Souvray his Governour in the room of the Prince of Condé first Prince of the Blood who because of his sickness could do him no other service then to hold him by the hand The Duke of Guise carryed his Train and the Cardinal of Joyouse followed him representing the Pope Paul the V. then followed Eleonor Wife to Vincent Duke of Mantua and the Princess of the Blood all richly attired The Dolphin being brought upon the Table of the quadrangle the Cardinal of Gondy appointed for this Ceremony came near him and having heard him answer pertinently to the questions asked by the Almoner according to the usual forms and to say the Lords Prayer and the Creed in Latine he was exercised appointed and by the Cardinal of Joyouse Legat named Lewis The Ladies were afterwards brought upon the Table and the eldest named Elizabeth by the Dutchess of Angoulesme representing the Archidutchess her Godmother without any Godfather The youngest was named by Don Juan of Medicis representing the great Dutchess Christierne At Supper the King was waited upon by the Princess of his Blood the Prince of Condé served for Pantler the Prince of Compty for Cupbearer the Duke of Monpenfier for Squire Carver the Earl of Soissons for high Steward the Duke of Guise and the Earl of Vaudemont waited upon the Queen and the Duke of Sully waited upon the Legat. The Godfathers sat and after them the Princesses Ladies and Lords of high quality at the great Ball the Duke of Lorrain did precede by the Kings order for the only consideration that he was Godfather The next day there was a runing at the Ring and at night the Duke of Sully caused an artificial Castle to be assaulted with an innumerable quantity of Squibs Chambers Canon shots and other Fire Works but never any thing was seen more incredible or wonderful then the beauty ornament and lustre of the Princesses and Ladies of the Court The Eyes could not stedfastly behold the splendor of the Gold nor the brightness of the Silver nor the glittering of Jewels the Princes and Lords did out vie one another who should be most richly attired among the rest the Duke of Espernon had a Sword valued at 30000. Crowns and upon the Queens Gown were 32000. Pearls and 3000. Diamonds XVII French Au mesme temps un grand endurera Joyeux malsain l'an complet ne verra Et quelques uns qui seront de la feste Feste pour un seulement a ce jour Mais peuapres sans faire long sejour Deux se donront l'un l'autre de la teste English At the same time a great one shall suffer Joyful sickly shall not see the year compleat And some others who shall be of the feast A â—east for one only at that day But a little while after without long delay Two shall knock one another in the head ANNOT. This Stanza hath relation to the precedent for about the time of or a little before that famous Christning died Pope Leo the IX formerly called Cardinal of Florence who did not live a whole year in the Papacy and is called here Joyful Sickly because though infirm he did much rejoyce in the obtaining of it those others that were of the Feast were some Cardinals of his party who died also within the same year The two last Verses signifie the differences that happened between Paul V. his Successor and the Common-wealth of Venice presently after his death XVIII French Considerant la triste Philomele Qu'en pleurs cris sa plainte renouvelle Racourcissant par tel moyen ses jours Six cens cinq elle en verra l'yssue De son tourment ia la toile tissüe Por son moien senestre aura secours English Considering the sad Philomela Who in tears and cries reneweth her complaint Shortning by such means her days Six hundred and five shall see the end Of her torment then the Cloath Woven By her finister means shall have help ANNOT. This sad Philomela was Henrietta of Balzac Daughter to Francis of Balzac Marquess of Entragues and Mistress to Henry the IV. who being found guilty of a Conspiracy against the State was confined to the Abbey of the Nuns of Beaumont lez Tours where she was seven Months after which the King taking pitty of her passed a Declaration wherein in respect of his former Love and of the Children that he had by her he forgave her all what was past did abolish and suppress for ever the Memory of the Crime that she was accused off and did dispense her from appearing before the Parliament who in her absence did Register her Letters of Pardon the 6. of September 1605. Thus Reader you may see how punctual was our Author in his Prognostications XIX French Six cens cinq six cens six sept Nous monstrera jusques l'an dixsept Du boutefeu l'Ire haine envie Soubs l'Olivier d'assez long temps caché Le Crocodil
some events that were to happen But what did undo him most was the covetousness of the Printers and Booksellers of his time who seeing his Almanacks so well received did set forth a thousand others under his name that were full of lies and fopperies From that time the Author went for one of those poor Astrologers who get their living by foretelling absurdities and pretend to read in the Heavens that which is only in their foolish imagination CHAP. IV. The third Objection accuseth the Author of medling with the black Art of being a Negromancers and a Disciple of the Devil IF the precedents have been moderate in their censure others have been more severe in delivering their opinion accusing him to have kept acquaintance with the Devil as the Negromancers and other Prestigiators of the ancient times did The reason that made them think so is that seeing so many things come to pass just as the Author had foretold they could not attribute it to the knowledge of judicial Astrology nor to Divine Revelation and consequently concluded that it must of necessity come from Satan They could not attribute it to judicial Astrology either because they had no opinion of it or that the greatest defensors of that Astrology do agree among themselves that it cannot reach so far as to foretell a thousand peculiar circumstances which depend purely from the freedom of Men such as proper names are and the like which nevertheless our Author did foretell They could neither attribute it to Divine Revelation for the reasons alledged in the first objection moreover because he was accused of a thousand falsities and sopperies Printed in those Almanacks that went falsly under his name whence they concluded that it could not come by Divine Revelation seeing that the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Truth It followeth then say they that it must come from the Devil by the help of the Black Art the Lord Florimond de Raimond a very considerable Author was of that opinion in his Book of the Birth of Heresies Chap. 3. CHAP. V. The fourth Objection maketh him the Head of those Seductors and Impostors which are dangerous in a Common-wealth AS Fame doth increase by continuation of time so doth calumny increase by the multiplicity of opinions she was not contented to deflour slightly the Authors reputation by making him pass for some sottish Dreamer and to rank him amongst the false Prophets by accusing him to meddle with the black Art but must needs also sacrifice him to the infernal Furies by making him the Prince of Seductors and Impostors that ought to be banished out of every Common-wealth The fondamental reason of this was the obscurity of his Stanza's where there was neither rime nor reason the obscurity did proceed of abundance of gross fau t s which the Copisters and Printers have inserted in them from the omission of several words from the changing and altering of others and from the addition of some others which did destroy the sense From this great obscurity calumny draweth this argument to ruine utterly the Author charging him to be all at once a false Prophet a dotish Dreamer a Magician and an infamous Seductor of people If God had inspired him what he hath written he would have done it for the good of his Church and true Believers seeing he never granteth this Prophetical Grace to any but to that end as it appeareth in the Holy Scriptures This being so what profit can any body draw from him if the sense of his Stanza's be so obscure as not to be understood and although it should be granted that some accidens that have happened in Christendom may sometimes he found in his Prophecies what fruit hath the Church reaped of it seeing that those accidents that were foretold were never known till they had come to pass and that there was no avoiding of them It cannot therefore be believed that God should have been the Author of his Predictions but rather the subtle Spirit of Satan with whom he was acquainted by such like black Arts. According to those four Objections the Lord Sponde in the third Volume of his Annals made him this Epitaph in the year 1566. Mortâ—us est hoc anno nugax ille toto orbe famosus Michael Nostradamus qui se prâ—scium praesagum eventuum futurorum per astrorum influxum venditavit sub cujus deincept nomine quivis homines ingeniosisuas â—ujusmodi cogitationes protendere consueveruent in quem valde apposite lusit qui dixit Nostra damus cum falsa damus c. In English In the year 1566. died that Triâ—ler so famous through all the World Michael Nostradamus who boasted while he lived to know and foretell future things by the knowledge he had of the influences of the Planets under whose name afterwards many ingenious Men have vented their Imaginations insomuch that he that made that Distick Nostra damus cum falsa dâ—mus c. seemeth to have very well said CHAP. IV. Proofs setting forth evidently that Nostradamus was enlightned by the Holy Ghost IN consequence of these objections forged by calumny Nostradamus name hath been so câ—ied down that I have thought me self oblidged to make his Apology to give the greater credit to his Prophecy the exposition of which I do here undertake and to proove that effectually he was enlightned by the Holy Ghost first by writting the History of his Life as I have done in he beginning of this Book Secondly by answering to all the said Objections Thirdly by alledging the Elogies given him by several Grave and Authentical Authors First I maintain that he was enlightned by the Holy Ghost by an unanswerable reason drawn out the Theology but before we discourse of it let us suppose that Nostradamus hath foretold many things which absolutely depends from the free will of men and cannot be known neither by judicial Astrology nor by Satan himself such are for exemple the proper names of Persons which nevertheless he doth in his Prophecies He nameth the Lord of Monluc the Sprightful Gascon the Captain Charry his Camerade the Lord de â—a Mole Admiral of Henry the II. Galleys Entragues who was beheaded by order of Lewis the XIII the Headsman of the Duke of Montmorency named Clerepegne the Bassa Sinan destroyer of Hungary the Murderer of Henry the III. named Clement the Attorney David the Captain Ampus the Mayor of the City of Puy in Gelay named Rousseau under Henry the IV. Lewis Prince of Condé under Francis II. Sixtus V. calling him the Son of Hamont Gabrielle d'Estrie the Lord Mutonis sent to Paris by those of â—ix under Charles the IX the Lord Chancellor of France named Anâ—ony de Soudis the Queen Leuise Antony of Portugal the Governour of Cazal under Henry II. Secondly The number of things is of the same nature Nostradamus doth often calculate it he reckoneth fourteen Confederates for the service of Henry IV. in the City of Puy ten great Ships prosecuting extreamly the
English After the Battle the eloquency of the wounded man Within a little while shall procure a holy rest The great ones shall not be delivered But shall be left to their Enemies will ANNOT. After the Battle of St. Laurence the Prisoners taken by the Spaniard were the Constable of France the Dukes of Montpensier of Longneville the Marshal S. Andr◠Ludovic Prince of Mantua the Rhingrave Colonel of the Germans the Earl of la Rochefoucaud and several other persons of quality They were Prisoners from the 10th of August 1557. to the third of April 1559. that is one year and eight Months during which time the Pope's Nuncios Christierne Dutchess Dowager of Lorraine the Constable and Marshal St. André endeavoured to make the peace Among them the Constable was chief and Philip the II. King of Spain gave him leave to go to and fro upon his Paroll and of him it is our Author speaketh in the first Verse After the Battle the eloquency of the wounded man that is after the Battle of Saint Laurence where the Constable of Monmorency was wounded in the hip His eloquency procured the peace which was concluded in a short time for had it not been for the death of Queen Mary of England that happened upon the 15 of November 1558 it should have been concluded three Months after the conference that was begun in the Abbey of Cercamp near Cambray The third Verse saith that the great ones shall not be delivered because during the Treaty of Peace Philip the II. would not hearken to take any Ransom but they were kept Prisoners till the Peace It is the meaning of the fourth Verse when it saith but shall be left to the Enemies will viz. the Spaniards who gave them liberty after the Peace French LXXXI Par feu du Ciel la Cité presqu'aduste L'Urne menace encor Dencalion Vexée Sardaigne par la punique fuste Apres le Libra lairra son Phaeton English By fire from Heaven the City shall be almost burnt The Waters threatens another Deucalion Sardaigne shall be vexed by an African Flect After that Libra shall have left her Phaeton ANNOT. All is plain but the last Verse the sense of which is that the things before spoken shall happen when the Sun is newly come out of the sign of Libra LXXXII French Par faim la proye fera Loup prisonier L'Assaillant lors en extresme detresse Lesnay ayant au devant le dernier Le grand neschape au milieu de la presse English By hunger the prey shall make the Wolf prisoner Assaulting him then in a great distress The eldest having got before the last The great one doth not escape in the middle of the crowd ANNOT. The two first Verses signifie that an hungry Wolf seeking for a Prey shall be caught in some trap where being almost famished the Prey shall assaule him The last two Verses being obscure and not material to any thing I have neglected them LXXXIII French Le gros Traffic d'un grand Lion changé La pluspart tourne en pristine ruine Proye aux Soldats par playe vendangé Par Jura Mont Sueve bruine English The great Trade of a great Lion alter'd The most part turneth into its former ruine Shall become a Prey to Soldiers and reaped by wound In Mont-Jura and Suaube great Foggs ANNOT. This Prophecy is concerning the City of Lion in France which is a Town of an exceeding great Trade and is threatned to suffer an alteration and a decay by War The last Verse is concerning a great Mist or Fogg which shall be upon Mont-Jurs and in Suabeland LXXXIV French Entre Campagne Sienne Pise Ostié Six mois neuf jours ne pleuvra une goute L'Estrange Langue en Terre Dalmatie Courira sus vastant la Terre toute English Between Campania Sienna Pisa and Ostia For six Months and nine days there shall be no rain The strange Language in Dalmatia ' s Land Shall overrun spoiling all the Countrey ANNOT. All those places mentioned in the first Verse are seated in Italy the Author saith that in that Countrey it shall not rain for the space of six Months and nine days which if it be past or to come I know not The two last Verses signifie that a strange Nation shall come into Dalmatia and overrun and spoil all that Countrey LXXXV French Le vieux plein barbe soubs le statut severe A Lion fait dessus l'Aigle Celtique Le petit grand trop outre persevere Bruit d'Arme au Ciel Mer rouge Ligustique English The old plain beard under the severe Statute Made at Lion upon the Celtique Aigle The little great persevereth too far Noise of Arms in the Skie the Ligustrian Sea made red ANNOT. I could scrape no sense out of the first three Verses the last signifieth that a noise of Arms shall be heard in the Skies and that the Ligustrian Sea which is that of Genoa shall be made red with blood when the former prodigy hath appeared LXXXVI French Naufrage a classe pres d'Onde Adriatique La Terre tremble emeue sur l'Air en Terre mis Aegypt tremble augment Mahometique L'Heraut soy rendre a crier est commis English A Fleet shall suffer Shipwrack near the Adriatick Sea The Earth quaketh a motion of the Air cometh upon the Land Aegypt trembleth for fear of the Mahometan increase The Herald surrendring shall be appointed to cry ANNOT. In the two first Verses is foretold a great storm by the Adriatick Sea in which a Fleet shall be dispersed and many suffer Shipwrack The two last Verses relate the great fear Aegypt was in when the great Turk Sultan Selyn went to conquer it The last Verse is concerning a Herald which was surrendred to the contrary party and by them was appointed to perform that office in their behalf LXXXVII French Apres viendra des extremes Contrées Prince Germain dessus Throsne d'Oré La servitude les Eaux rencontrées La Dame serve son temps plus n'adoré English After that shall come out of the remote Countreys A German Prince upon a gilded Throne The slavery and waters shall meet The Lady shall serve her time no more worshipped ANNOT. This Prophecy is concerning Gustavus Adolphus King of Swedeland who is called German Prince because his Ancestors came out of Germany he came out of a remote Countrey that is Swedeland he came upon a gilded Throne that is a Ship gilded he shall make slavery and waters meet because as soon as he was Landed he began to conquer and to subdue that Lady viz. Germania that was no more worshipped since as she was before LXXXVIII French Le Circuit du grand fait ruineux Le nom septiesme du cinquiesme sera ' Dun tiers plus grand l'estrange belliqueux De Ram Lutece Aix ne garentira English The circumference of the ruinous building The seventh name shall be that of the fifth From a third one greater a Warlike man Aries shall not
cease The last three Verses are plain VI. French D'Habits nouveaux apres faite la treuve Malice trame machination Premier mourra qui en fera la preuve Couleur Venise insidiation English After the new Cloaths shall be found out There shall be malice plotting and machination He shall die the first that shall make trial of it Under colour of Venice shall be a conspiracy ANNOT. Everybody may be as wise as I in the interpretation of this VII French Le fils mineur du grand hay Prince De Lepre aura a vingt and grande tache De dueil mourra triste mince Et il mourra la ou tombe chair lache English The younger Son of the great and hated Prince Being twenty years old shall have a great touch of Leprosie His mother shall die for grief very sad and lean And he shall die of the disease loose flesh ANNOT. This is easie to be understood if we remember that Charles IX King of France younger son to Henry II. died of a foul disease and his Mother Catharine of Medicis died of grief VIII French La grand Cité dassaut prompt repentin Surpris de nuit gardes interrompus Les Excubies veilles Saint Quentin Trucidez gardes les Portails rompus English The great City shall be taken by a sudden assault Being surprised by night the Watch being beaten The Court of Guard and Watch of Saint Quentin Shall be killed and the Gates broken ANNOT. This great City was the City of St. Quentin in Picardy taken by assault by Philip the II. Anno 1557. IX French Le Chef du Camp au milieu de la presse D'un coup de flesche sera blessé aux cuisses Lors que Geneve en larmes destresse Sera trahie par Lozanne Souisses English The Chief of the Camp in the middle of the crowd Shall be wounded with an Arrow through both his thighs When Geneva being in tears and distress Shall be betrayed by Lozane and the Switzers ANNOT. The words and sense are plain X. French Le jeune Prince accusé faucement Mettra le camp en trouble en querelles Meurtry le chef par le souslevement Sceptre appaiser puis guerir escroüelles English The young Prince being falsely accused Shall put the Camp in trouble and in quarrele The chief shall be murdered by the tumult The Scepter shall be appeased and after cure the Kings-evil ANNOT. This Prophecie must needs be concerning England or France for there is but those two Kings that challenge the cure of the Kings-evil XI French Celuy quavra couvert de la grand Cappe Sera induit a quelque cas patrer Les douze rouges viendront soüiller la nappe Soubs meurtre meurtre se viendra perpetrer English He that shall be covered with a great Cloak Shall be induced to commit some great fact The twelve red ones shall Soil the Table-cloth Under murder murder shall be committed ANNOT. Every one may interpret this as well as I provided that by the twelve red ones he understandeth twelve Cardinals XII French Le Camp plus grand de route mis ensuite Gueres plus outre ne sera pourchassé Ost recampé legion reduite Puis hors des Gaules du tout sera chassé English The greatest Camp being in disorder shall be routed And shall be pursued not much after The Army shall incamp again and the Troops set in order Then afterwards they shall be wholly driven out of France ANNOT. This Prophecie is concerning an out-landish Army that shall invade France and though numerous yet shall be put to flight and shall not be much pursued therefore it shall incamp again and collect and gather again its Troops and afterwards shall be wholly driven out of France I am much mistaken if this Prophecie came not to pass when the Duke of Parma at the head of a Spanish numerous Army came into France in favour of the League for Henry IV. met him at the siege of Roven beat him off and suffered him to retire quietly and as the common saying is made him a Golden Bridge to retreat into the Low-Countries again XIII French De plus grand perte nouvelles rapportées Le rapport fait le camp sestonnera Bandes unies encontre revoltées Double Phalange grand abandonnera English News being brought of a great loss The report divulged the Camp shall be astonished Troops being united and revolted The double Phalange shall forsake the great one ANNOT. This hath a connexion with the precedent for while the Prince of Parma was busied in France news was brought to his Camp that the Hollanders had taken Antwerp which discouraged his whole Host and made him retire with all speed The Word Phalange signifieth a Battailion or part of an Army which being expressed here by the word double Phalange signifieth that both Horse and Foot deserted the Duke of Parma upon the hearing of this news XIV French La mort subite du premier personage Aura changé mis un autre au Regne Tost tard venu a si haut basage Que Terre mer faudra que lon le craigne English The sudden death of the chief man Shall cause a change and put another in the Raign Soon late come to so high a degree in a low age So that by Land and Sea he must be feared ANNOT. The two first Verses are plain The two last signifie that a youth shall come to the Kingdom soon that is by â—â—n of the sudden death of the chief man and late because being but young he 〈…〉 gn so long that he shall be famous and feared by Sea and Land XV French D'ou pensera faire venir famine De la viendra le rassasiement L'oeil de la Mer par avare canine Pour de l'un lautre donra Huile Froment English Whence one thought to make famine to come Thence shall come the fulness The eye of the Sea through a doggish covetousness Shall give to both Oyl and Wheat ANNOT. This Prophecie was fulfilled at the famous Siege of Ostend which lasted three years and three Months for the Hollanders that brought relief to the Town did for covetousness sell the ammunition to the Spaniards that besieged it for which complaint being made by the States to the Prince of Orenge Maurice of Nassaw as also that they did the like to Newport which he had besieged he replyed smartly do you not know that your Countrey men would Sail into Hell were it not for fear to have their Sails burnt XVI French La Cité franche de liberté fait serue Des profligés resueurs fait azyle Le Roy changé a eux non si proterue De cent seront devenus plus de Mille. English The free City from a free one shall become slave And of the banished and dreamers shall be a retreat The King changed in mind shall not be so froward to them Of one hundred they shall become more than
a thousand ANNOT. Here you must observe that the Author being a Papist speaketh this concerning the City of Geneva which he saith from a free City became a slave when it shook off the Duke of Savoy's domination and became a retreat to the Protestants whom he called the banished and dreamers In the third Verse by the King changed in his mind that shall not be so froward to them he meaneth Henry IV. who having changed the Protestant Religion to be a Roman Catholick did undertake their protection against the Duke of Savoy their Prince Hence followeth the explication of the fourth Verse when he saith that of one hundred they shall become more than a thousand for in few years the Protestants became so numerous that they drove the Roman Catholicks wholly out of the Town and so have remained to this day Masters of it XVII French Changer a Beaune Nuis Chalons Dijon Le Duc voulant amender la barrée Marchant pres Fleuve Poisson bec de plongeon Verra la queüe Porte sera serrée English There shall be a change at Beaume Nuis Chalons Dijon The Duke going about to raise Taxes The Merchant near the River shall see the tail Of a Fish having the Bill of a Cormorant the door shall be shut ANNOT. Beaune Chalons and Dijon are Cities in France Nuis is a Town in Germany near the Rhyne three or four Leagues below Colen For the rest every one may make his own interpretation for it is hard to guess who this Duke should be or that Fish either that shall have a Cormorants Bill after whom the door shall be shut XVIII French Les plus Lettrez dessus les faits Coelestes Seront par Princes ignorans reprouvez Punis d'Edict chassez comme scelestes Et mis a mort la ou seront trouvez English The most Learned in the Celestial sciences Shall be found fault with by ignorant Princes Punished by proclamation chased away as wicked And put to death where they shall be found ANNOT. This is plain and signifieth no more then a persecution against the Professors of Heavenly sciences such as are Astrologers Astronomers c. XIX French Devant Rouan d' Insubres mis le Siege Par Terre Mer enfermez les passages D' Hainaut de Flandres de Gand ceux de Liege Par leurs levées raviront les Rivages English Before Rouan a Siege shall be laid by the Insubrians By Sea and Land the passages shall be shut up Those of Hainaut Flanders Ghent and Liege With their Troops shall plunder the Sea-shore ANNOT. This is still concerning the Duke of Parma's Army when he came into France against Henry the IV. in favour of the League for his Army wherewith he Besieged Rouen was compounded of all those Nations the greatest part of which were Italians called here Insubrians from the Latin word Insubria which signifieth the Countreys of Savoy and Piemont XX. French Paix uberté long temps on ne loüera Part tout son Regne desert la fleur de Lis Corps mort d'Eau Terre on apportera Sperants vain heur d'estre la ensevelis English Peace and plenty shall not be long praised All the time of his Reign the Flower de Luce shall be deserted Bodies shall die by water Earth shall be brought Hoping vainly to be there Buried ANNOT. This only foretelleth a great Famine and Inundation in France signified here by the Flower de Luce. XXI French Le changement sera fort difficile Cité Province au change gain fera Coeur haut prudent mis chassé Inhabile Mer Terre Peuple son estat changera English The change shall be very hard The City and Countrey shall gain by the change A high prudent heart shall be put in the unworthy expelled Sea Land People shall change its condition ANNOT. This needeth no Interpretation XXII French La grand Copie qui sera dechassée Dans un moment fera besoing au Roy La Foy promise de loing sera faucée Nud se verra en piteux desarroy English The great Army that shall be rejected In a moment shall be wanted by the King The faith promised a far off shall be broken So that he shall be left naked in a pitiful case ANNOT. This is plain XXIII French La Legion dans la Marine classe Calcine Magnes Souphre Poix bruslera Le long repos de l'asseurée place Port Selin chercher feu les consumera English The Legion in the Maritine Fleet Calcineth Magnes shall burn Brimstone and Pitch The long rest of the secure place They shall seek Port Selyn but fire shall consume them ANNOT. Here we must observe four things the first is that Calais is called by the Author The long rest of the secure place Because then viz. in the year 1555. it was yet in the power of the King of England and had been quietly before for the space of 287. years that is from the year 1347. till the year 1555. and was so still till the year 1557. when the Duke of Guise took it whence we gather that it was a secure place that had enjoyed so long a rest The second is that those of Diepe did watch for the Spaniards in the passage between Dover and Calais therefore the Author saith They shall seek Port Selyn Selyn Port or Harbour is always taken by the Author for an Harbour in the Ocean The third is that the great fight between the French and the Spaniards was by fire so that most part of the Ships on each side were burnt and the Spanish and French Souldiers die cast themselves into the Sea to save their lives in their enemies Ships where they were slain The fourth is that those of Diepe being extraordinary skilsul in Sea-fights had made great quantity of artificial fires to cast into the Spanish Ships but the Ships grapling one with another they were burnt on both sides Upon those four circumstances the two first Verses say that the Legion in the Fleet Galcineth magnes that is Loadstone burnt and shall burn Pitch and Brimstone to make Artificial fires The third and fourth Verse say that this Sea Legion shall seek an Harbour in the Ocean which shall be a secure place by a long rest that is Calais She will seek that Selyn Harbour to shelter her self because Calais did then belong to the English but by reason of the narrowness of the Sea the French watched for the Spaniards there and to shew that they sought onely for Calais to meet the Spaniards they carried the Spanish Ships which they took into Diepe and not into Calais The French Impression hath a fault here putting Port Hercle instead of Port Selyn which is a manifest error for the taking of Port Hercle by the Florentines the 14. of June 1â—â—5 was by a Land Army besides that Port Selyn is always taken by the Author for a Port in the Ocean XXIV French Ouy soubs Terre Sainte Dame voix feinte Humaine flamme pour Divine voir
History is that the Duke of Nemours Son was one of the chief ringleaders of the League against Henry IV and did what he could before he dyed to get the Kingdom of France endeavouring first to make himself Sovereign Prince of Lion Forrest and Beaucolois The fourth History is that at the latter end of the year 1555. the Lord la Mole carrying to Rome the Cardinals of Tournon and Lorrain went directly to the Island of Corsica whence he drew some Forces which he joyned to his and to those of Monluc and would not Land at Monaco for some reasons but went directly to Civita Vecchia By this we understand that Verse of the Stanza The Ship of the Mole shall notcome near Monaco XCII French Teste trenchée du vaillant Capitaine Sera jettée devant son adversaire Son corps pendu de la Classe a l'Antenne Confus fuira par rames avent contraire English The head cut off the valliant Captain Shall be thrown down before his adversary His body hanged at the Sails Yard Confused they shall fly with Oars against the Wind. ANNOT. These words are plain enough though no body can tell whether the thing is past already or shall come to pass hereafter XCIII French Un Serpent veu proche du lict Royal Sera par Dame nuict chien n'abageronts Lors nastre en France un Prince tant Royal Du Ciel venu tous les Princes verront English A Serpent shall be seen near the Royal bed By a Lady in the night the Dogs shall not bark Then shall be born in France a Prince so Royal Come from Heaven all the Princes shall see it ANNOT. This seemeth to be an allusion to the Birth of Alexander the great for it is said that when his mother Olympia proved with Child of him there was seen in her Bed and about her Bed a great Serpent which was the presage of his future greatnesâ— therefore our Author also will have that when such a Prodigie shall appear in France that then shall be born such a Prince as he mentioneth here the circumstances are that this Serpent shall be seen by a Lady in the night time and that the Dogs of the house shall not bark at him XCIV French Deux grand freres seront chassez d' Espagne Laisné vaincu soubs les Monts Pyraenaecs Rougis Mer Rhosne sang Leman d' Alemagne Narbon Blyterre d' Agath contaminées English Two great Brothers shall be driven from Spain The elder of them shall be overcome under the Pyrenean Mountains Bloody Sea Rhosne Blood Leman of Germany Narbon Bliterre of Agath polâ—uted ANNOT. The two first Verses are easily understood by those that know the Pyrenean Mountains to be those that part Spain from France The two last Verses signifie there shall be bloody VVars in those places the Rhosne is a swift River of France that passeth through the City of Lyons Leman is the Lake of Geneva and Narbon is a City of Languedock XCV French Le Regne a deux laissé bien peu tiendront Trois ans sept mois passez feront la guerre Les deux vestales contre rebelleront Victor puisnay en Armorique Terre English The Kingdom being left to two they shall keep it but a little while Three years and seven months being past they shall make War The two Vestals shall rebel against them The youngest shall be Conquerour in the Armorick Countrey ANNOT. This signifies that a Kingdom shall be left to two who shall keep it but a little while about the space before mentioned By the two Vestals that shall rebel are to be understood two Nuns who having Interest in the state by their nearness of blood shall challenge a title in the Kingdom The last Verse signifies that the youngest that contended for the Kingdom shall overcome the eldest in the Province of Gascony XCVI French La soeur aisnèe de l'Isle Britannique Quinze ans devant le frere aura naissance Par son promis moyenant verifique Succedera au Regne de Balance English The eldest Sister of the Brittain Island Shall be born fifteen years before her Brother By what is promised her and help of the truth She shall succeed in the Kingdom of Libra ANNOT. This signifies that the Princess born so long after her Brother shall be married to a King of France which is understood here by the Kingdom of Libra therefore the last King Lewis the XIII was called the Just because born under the Sign of Libra XCVII French L'An que Mercure Mars Venus retrograde Du grand Monarque la ligne ne faillit Esleu du peuple Lusitant pres de Pactole Qu'en Paix Regne viendra fort enveillir English When Mercury Mars and Venus shall retrograde The Line of the great Monarch shall be wanting He shall be elected by the Lusitanians near Pactole And shall Reign in Peace a good while ANNOT. This signifies the late change of state in Portugal when they threw off the Spanish yoke and chose a King amongst themselves John the IV. Duke of Branganza Father to the present Queen of England for by the Lusitanians are meant the Portugals so called from their Countreys name Lusitania Pactoles is the River that runs by Lisbonne otherwise called Tagus in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Sands XCVIII French Les Albanois passeront dedans Rome Moyennant Langres demipiler affubles Marquis Duc ne pardonnes a l'homme Feu sang morbilles point d'eau faillir les ble's English The Albanians shall pass through Rome By the means of Langres covered with half Helmets Marquess and Duke shall spare no man Fire blood small Pox Water shall fail us also Corn. ANNOT. The meaning is that when the people of Albania lying between the Venetian Territories and Grecia shall come to Rome by the means of a Bishop of Langres who is a Duke and Peer of France being covered with half Helmets a kind of a Cap that they wear in War then shall be fire blood small Pox and want of Corn. XCIX French L'Aisnè vaillant de la fille du Roy Repoussera si profond les Celtiques Qu'il mettra Foudres combien en tel arroy Peu loing puis profond es Hesperiques English The valliant eldest son of the daughter of the King Shall beat back so far those of Flanders That he will cast Lightnings O how many in such orders Little and far after shall go deep in Spain ANNOT. This is scarce to be understood of any body but the present King of France Lewis the XIV who was the elder son and born of Queen Ann Daughter to the King of Spain who by his valour and fortune made last year such progress in the Conqueâ— of Flanders that it hath caused admiration in every body insomuch that if he do the like this year it may be propably suspected he will afterwards go deep into Spain according to the contents of this Prophecy C. French Du feu Celeste au Royal
edifice Quand la lumiere de Mars defaillira Sept mois grand Guerre mort gent de malefice Rouen Eureux au Roy ne faillira English Fire shall fall from the skies on the Kings Palace When Mars ' s light shall be Ecclipsed A great War shall be for seven months people shall die by witchcraft Rouen and Eureux shall not be wanting to the King ANNOT. The meaning is that when Mars is Ecclipsed the Lightning shall fall on some of the King of Frances Palaces then shall be a great VVar for the space of seven Months and many shall die by witchcraft and Rouen the chief City of Normandy and Eureux another of the 〈◊〉 Province shall stick fast to the Kings Interest THE PROPHECIES OF Michael Nostradamus CENTURY V. I. French AVant venuë de ruine Celtique Dedans le Temple d'eux parlementeront Poignard coeur d'un monté au coursier picque Sans faire bruit le grand enterreront English Before the coming of the ruine of Flanders Two shall discourse together in the Church Dagger in the heart by one on Horse-back and Spurring Without noise they shall bury the great one ANNOT. This is a further specification of the whole ruine of Flanders before which it shall happen saith our Author that two shall talk together in the Church and one shall stabb the other with a Dagger and then take Horse and fly the dead one being buried without Pompe or Ceremony II. French Sept conjurez au Banquet seront luire Contre les trois le Fer hors de Navire L'un les deux classes au grand fera conduire Quand par le mail dernier au front luy tire English Seven Conspirators at a Banquet shall make their Iron glister Against three out of a Ship One shall carry the two Fleets to the great one When in the Palle-malle the last shall shoot him in the forehead ANNOT. The two first Verses foretell a Conspiracy of seven against three one of which seven shall carry both Fleets to some eminent person at which time he shall be shot in the forehead by the last of the seven III. French Le Successeur de la Duché viendra Beaucoup plus outre que la Mer de Toscane Gauloise branche la Florence tiendra Dans son Giron d'accord nautique Rane English The Successor to the Dukedom shall come Far beyond the Tuscane Sea A French branch shall hold Florence In its Lap to which the Sea-frog shall agree ANNOT. By the two first Verses is meant a lawful Successor to the Duke of Tuscany who shall come to recover the said Dukedom which shall then be in the possession of the French It is hard to guess what he means by the Sea-frog unless it be some considerable Prince at Sea which shall then be in League with the French IV. French Le gros Mastin de Cité dechasse Sera fasché de l'estrange Alliance Apres aux Champs avoir le Cerf chassé Le Loup l'Ours se donront defiance English The great Mastif being driven from the City Shall be angry at the strange Alliance After he shall have hunted the Hart in the Fields The Wolf and the Bear shall defie one another ANNOT. By the strange Alliance is meant that which Cromwel had with France to the prejudice of his Majesty of England who is here meant by the Mastif a Creature for which England hath been famous By the VVolf and the Bear are meant the French King and the Switzers or those of Savoy V. French Sous ombre faincte d'oster de servitude Peuple Cité l'usurpera luy-mesme Pire fera par fraus de jeune pute Livré au Champ lisant le faux prcësme English Under the fained shadow of freeing people from slavery He shall usurpe the people and City for himself He shall do worse by the deceit of a young Whore For he shall be betrayed in the field reading a false proem ANNOT. The two first are plain and may be referred to the foregoing Stanza concerning Oliver The last Verses are plain and I leave them to the judicious Reader VI. French Au Roy l' Augur sur le chef le main mettre Viendra prier pour la Paix Italique A la main gauche viendra changer le Sceptre De Roy viendra Empereur pacifique English The Augur shall come to put his hand upon the Kings head And pray for the Peace of Italy In the left hand he shall change the Scepter Of a King he shall become a peaceful Emperour ANNOT. Although the Augur In Latine signifieth one that telleth events of matters by the flying voices or sitting of Birds yet it is taken also as here for a Prelat or Clergy-man who shall put his hand upon a Kings head and pray for the peace of Italy and shall put a Scepter in his hand and install him Emperour what King this should be is easie to be conjectured by the Author being a French-man and setting down a King without any Epithite and this Prophecy is a confirmation of one before of the same nature VII French Du Triumuir seront trouvez les os Cherchant profond Thresor aenigmatique Ceux d'alentour ne seront en repos Ce concaver Marbre plomb Metallique English The bones of the Triumuir shall be found out When they shall seek for a deep and aenigmatical Treasure Those there about shall not be in rest This concavity shall be Marble and Metallick Lead ANNOT. I suppose none so ignorant in the Roman History but knows that there was a combination between Octavius Caesar Mâ—rcus Antonius and Lepidus to make themselves Masters of the Roman Empire and to divide it amongst themselves this Plot being made by three was made by the Triumuiri the meaning then is that when they shall go to seek for a Treasure they shall find the bones of one of those three persons and in that cavity that they shall have digged they shall find Marble and Lead VIII French Sera laissé le feu vif mort caché Dedans les Globes horrible espouventable De nuict a classe Cite en poudre lasché La Cité a feu l'ennemy favourable English The fire shall be left burning the dead man shall be hid Within the Globes terrible and fearful By night the Fleet shall shoot against the City The City shall be on fire the enemy shall be favourable unto it ANNOT. The two Verses signifie that fire shall be hid within Globes I suppose them to be Granado's or a Mine The two last Verses signifie that the Fleet in the Harbour or near it shall set the City on fire and that they shall come out of the Fleet to help to quench the fire and so shall the enemy be favourable IX French Jusques au fond la grand Arche Maluë Par chef Captif l'amy anticipé Naistra de Dame front face cheveluë Lors par astuce Duc a mort attrapé English To the bottom of the great Arch Malüe By a Captain that is
shut up in a pack Those of Toulon to the fraud shall consent ANNOT. This foretelleth a Naval victory to the French against the Turks by the means of a Granado called Anvil that shall be shut up in a Barrel by a plot to which those of Toulou shall be privy IV. French Le Duc de Langres assiegé dedans Dole Accompagné d' Authun Lionnois Geneve Auspourg ceux de la Mirandole Passer les Monts contre les Anconois English The Duke of Langres shall be besieged in Dole Being in company with those of Autun and Lion Geneva Auspourg those of Mirandola Shall go over the Mountains against those of Ancona ANNOT. Langres is a City in France whose Bishop is a Duke and a Peer of the Kingdom Dole is a City in Burgundy so is Autun and Lion Geneva is a City by Savoy Auspourg another in Germany Mirandola is a Countrey in Italy so is Ancona V. French Vin sur la Table en sera respandu Le tiers naura celle quil pretendoit Deux sois du noir de Parme descendu Perouse Pise fera ce quil cuidoit English Wine shall be spilt upon the Table By reason that a third man shall not have her whom he intended Twice the black one descended from Parma Shall do to Perusa and Pisa what be intended ANNOT. Perusa Pisa and Parma are three Cities in Italy VI. French Naples Palerme toute la Sicile Par main Barbare sera inhabitée Corsique Salerne de Sardaigne l'Isle Faim peste guerre fin de maux intemptée English Naples Palermo and all Sicily By barbarous hands shall be depopulated Corsica Salerno and the Island of Sardania In them shall be famine plague war and endless evils ANNOT. Naples is a City in Italy Palermo is a City in the Island of Sicily Corsica an Island in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to the Genoese Salerno is a Town in Italy Sardinia an Island in the Mediterranean The Reader may easily make an interpretation of the rest VII French Sur le combat des grands chevaux legers On criera le grand croissant confond De nuit tuer Moutons Brebis Bergers Abysmes rouges dans le fossé profond English At the fight of the great light Horsmen They shall cry out confound the great half Moon By night they shall kill Sheep Ewes and Shepherds Red pits shall be in the deep ditch ANNOT. By the great half Moon is understood the Turk VIII French Flora fuis fuis le plus proche Romain Au Fesulan sera conflict donné Sang espandu les plus grands pris en main Temple ne Sexe ne sera pardonné English Flora fly fly from the next Roman In the Fesulan shall be the fight Blood shall be spilt the greatest shall be taken Temple nor Sex shall be spared ANNOT. Fesulan is a Countrey in Italy Flora is the Goddess of Flowers the rest is easie IX French Dame en l'absence de son grand Capitaine Sera priée d'amour du Viceroy Feinte promesse malheureuse estreine Entre les mains du grand Prince Barroy English A Lady in the absence of her great Captain Shall be intreated of love by the Viceroy Aâ—fained promise and unhappy new years gift In the hand of the great Prince of Bar. ANNOT. Bar is a principality joyning to Lorrain which Henry IV. King of France gave for a Portion to his Sister Catharine when she married the Duke of Lorrains Son The rest is plain X. French Par le grand Prince limitrophe du Mans Preux vaillant chef de grand exercite Par Mer Terre de Galois Normans Cap passer Barcelonne pillé l'Isle English The great Prince dwelling near the Mans Stout and valiant General of a great Army Of Welchmen and Normans by Sea and Land Shall pass the Cape Barcelone and plunder the Island ANNOT. Mans is a City in France chief of the Province called le Main The rest is plain XI French L'Enfant Roial contemnera la Mere Oeil pieds blessez rude inobeissant Nouvelle a Dame estrange bien amere Seront tuez des siens plus de cinq cens English The Royal Child shall despise his Mother Eye feet wounded rude disobedient News to a Lady very strange and bitter There shall be killed of hers above five hundred ANNOT. This was fulfilled about the year 1615. when Lewis XIII King of France being then about 15 years of age by the perswasion of some Grandees about him made VVar against his own Mother Mary of Medicis then Regent of the Kingdom whereupon was fought between them the Battle du pont de say where above five hundred on the Queens side were slain whereupon it was a good Jest of the Prince of Guimena who being required by the Queen Anna of Austria to lay his hand upon her side and to feel her Child now Lewis XIV stirring after he had felt now I know said he he is a true Son of Bourbon for he beginneth to kick his Mother XII French Le grand puisnay fera fin de la guerre En deux lieux assemble les excusez Cahors Moissac iront loing de la serre Rufec Lectoure les Agenois rasez English The great younger Brother shall make an end of the War It two places he shall gather the excused Cahors Moissac shall go out of his clutches Ruffec Lectoure and those of Agen shall be cut off ANNOT. Cahors Moissac Ruffec Lectonre Agen are all Cities of the Province of Guyenne in France XIII French De la Cité Marine tributaire La testâ— rase prendra la Satrapie Chasser sordide qui puis sera contraire Par quatorze and tiendra la Tyrannie English Of the City Maritine and tributary The shaven head shall take the Government He shall turn out a base man who shall be against him During fourteen years he will keep the tyranny ANNOT. This is positive concerning the Cardinal of Richelieu who made himself Governor of Havre de Grace called here the Maritine City and there kept his Treasure and tyrannised for the space of about fourteen years XIV French Faux exposer viendra Topographie Seront les Urnes des Monuments ouvertes Pulluler Sectes sainte Philosophie Pour blanches noires pour antiques vertes English They shall expound Topography falsly The Urnes of the Monuments shall be open Sects shall multiply and holy Philosophy Shall give black for white and green for old ANNOT. This is a perfect description of our late miserable estate in England when there was such multiplicity of Sects and such a Prophanation of sacred things XV. French Devant Cité de l' Insubre Countrée Sept ans sera le Siege devant mis Le tres-grand Roy fera son entrée Cité puis libre hors de ses ennemis English Before a City of Piemont Seven years the Siege shall be laid The most great King shall make his entry into it Then the City shall be free being out of the enemies hand ANNOT. This needeth no
interpretation XVL. French Entrée profonde par la grande Roine faite Rendra le lieu puissant inaccessible L'Armée de trois Lions sera défaite Faisant dedans cas hideux terrible English The deep entry made by the Queen Shall make the place powerful and inaccessible The Army of the three Lions shall be routed Doing within an hideous and terrible thing ANNOT. A Queen shall cause such a deep Trench to be made before a Town that it shall be impregnable and the Army of Lions that is either Generals or of a Prince that shall bear three Lions in his Arms shall be routed XVII French Le Prince rare en pitié clemence Apres avoir la paix aux siens baillé Viendra changer par mort grand cognoissance Apres grand repos le regne travaille English The Prince rare in pity and Clemency After he shall have given peace to his Subjects Shall by death change his great knowledge After great rest the Kingdom shall be troubled ANNOT. This positively concerneth Henry the IV. King of France who after he had by many Battles and dangers given peace to his Kingdom was by a Murderer snatched away and the Kingdom put into new troubles by the war that the Princes had among themselves XVIII French Les Assiegez couloureront leurs paches Sept jours apres feront cruelle issüe Dans repoulsez feu sang sept mis a l'hache Dame captive qu'avoit la paix issüe English The Besieged shall dawb their Articles Seven days after they shall make a cruel event They shall be beaten back fire blood seven put to death The Lady shall be Prisoner who endeavoured to make peace ANNOT. This needeth no interpretation XIX French Le Fort Nicene ne sera combatu Vaincu sera par rutilant metal Son fait sera un long temps debatu Aux Ciâ—adins estrange espouvental English The Fort Nicene shall not be fought against By shining metal it shall be overcome The doing of it shall be long and debating It shall be a strange fearful thing to the Citizens ANNOT. Nice is a Town in Piemont situated by the Sea side now whether this Prophecy came to pass in the time of the Wars between France and Savoy or shall come to pass hereafter it is more then I can tell As for winning of it by glistering Metal it is no new thing or practice witness Philippus of Macedon who said no City was impregnable wherein might enter an Ass loaded with gold XX. French Ambassadeurs de la Toscane langue Avril May Alpes Mer passer Celuy de Veau exposera l'harangue Vie Gauloise en voulant effacer English The Embassadors of the Tuscan tongue In April and May shall go over the Alpes and the Sea One like a Caif shall make a speech Attempting to defame the French customes ANNOT. The sense and the words are plain XXI French Par pestilente inimitie Volsicque Dissimulée chassera le Tyran Au Pont de Sorgues se fera la trafique De mettre a mort luy son adherent English By a pestilent Italian enmity The dissembler shall expel the Tyrant The bargain shall be made at Sorgues Bridge To put him and his adherent to death ANNOT. There is no difficulty in this XXII French Les Citoiens de Mesopotamie Irez encontre amis de Tarragone Jeux Ris Banquets toute gent endormie Vicaire au Prone pris Cité ceux d' Ausone English The Citizens of Mesopotamia Being angry with the friends of Tarragone Playes laughter feasts every body being asleep The Vicar being in the Pulpit City taken by those of Ausone ANNOT. By the Citizens of Mesopotamia is understood a people that live between two Rivers from the the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rest is easie We have said before that by Ausone the Author understands the City of Bourdeaux which he called Ausone from the Poet and Consul of Rome Ausonius who was born there XXIII French Le Roial Sceptre sera contraint de prendre Ce que ses Predecesseurs voient engagé Puis a Laigneau on fera mal entendre Lors qu'on viendra le Palais saccager English The Royal Scepter shall be constrained to take What his Predecessors had morgaged After that they shall mis-inform the Lamb When they shall come to plunder the Palace ANNOT. This is obvious to every body's capacity XXIV French L' Ensevely sortira du tombeau Fera de chaisnes lier le fort du pont Empoisoné avec oeufs de Barbeau Grand de Lorrain par le Marquis du pont English The buried shall come out of his Grave He shall cause the fort of the Bridge to be tied with Chains Poisoned with Barbels hard Row Shall a great one of Lorrain be by the Marques du pont ANNOT. This Prophecie is divided in two parts The first two Verses talk of a man that shall be taken out of his Grave alive The two last speak that a great man of Lorrain shall be poisoned by the Marques de pont in the Row of a Barbel which according to Physitians is a dangerous meat of it self and chiefly if it be Stewed the Poisoner himself seemeth to be no other than a Duke of Lorrain or one of his Sons for he stileth himself N. Duke of Lorrain Prince of Bar and Marques du pont XXV French Par guerre longue tout l'exercite espuiser Que pour Soldats ne trouveront pecune Lieu d'Or d'Argent cair on viendra cuser Gaulois Aerain signe croissant de Lune English By a long War all the Army drained dry So that to raise Souldiers they shall find no Money Instead of Gold and Silver they shall stamp Leather The French Copper the mark of the stamp the new Moon ANNOT. This maketh me remember the miserable condition of many Kingdoms before the West-Indies were discovered for in Spain Lead was stamped for Money and so in France in the time of King Dagobert and it seemeth by this Stanza that the like is to come again by reason of a long and tedious War XXVI French Fustes Galées autour de sept Navires Sera livree une mortelle guerre Chef de Madrid recevra coups de vires Deux eschapées cinq menez a Terre English Fly-boats and Galleys round about seven Ships A mortal War there shall be The chief of Madrid shall receive blows of Oars Two shall escape and five carried to Land ANNOT. Paradin saith in his History that in the year 1555. towards the end of August those of Diepe had permission from the King to fight a Fleet of the Spaniards which was coming into Flanders and brought Men Money and several Merchandises They went to Sea and after much searching they discovered the Fleet wherein were 22 great Ships The Diepois had but 19 men of War and five or six Pinnaces with which they set upon them between Calais and Dover The fight was very bloody almost all the
back but at last after 24 days siege the Duke of Aumale did gloriously take it The Author foretelling the time of this victory said it was when the writing D M. in big letters was found that is to say about the II. of September after the Equinox because in the Ephemerides the Meridional descension of the Planets and chiefly of Sol Venus and Mercury is marked with these two Letters D. M. which descension cometh to pass after the Equinox of Autumn towards the end of September At the same time was discovered an ancient Cave wherein was found one of those Lamps that cannot be put out and burns continually without any addition of Oil by an invention that is lost Such another was found in the time of Alexander the VI. and Adrian the VI. The Town of Vulpian was at that time tried by a King and a Prince viz. Henry the II. and the Duke of Aumale Prince of Lorrain and Brother to the Cardinal of Lorrain and to the Duke of Guise The Author addeth that besides these three things viz. the finding of the letters D. M. The Cave discovered the siege of Vulpian there happened a fourth one viz. that a Queen and a Duke should consult together in a Summer-house about the important affairs of the Kingdom To understand this we must suppose that Pope Paul the IV. willing to secure his own person and the Ecclesiastical State against the Spanish faction and that of the Colonese did seize upon many places belonging to the said Colonese and knowing besides that the Spaniards being of the Coloneses party would not fail to come upon him he disposed the King of France to come to his succours so that the Queen having a particular confidence in the Duke of Guise did consult with him about this business in some Summer-house which the French call a Pavillon LXVII French Par. Car. nersaf a ruine grand discorde Ne l'un ne l'autre n'aura election Nersaf du peuple aura a mour concorde Ferrare Collonne grande protection English Par. Car. Nersaf to ruine great discord Neither one nor the other shall be Elected Nersaf shall have of the people love and concord Ferrare Colonna great protection ANNOT. It is very hard to say what the Author meaneth by these disjunctives Par. Car. Nersaf all what can be gathered by what follows is that there shall be a great variance and strife about an Election I suppose of a Pope as it useth to be and that Nersaf shall have the good will of the people and yet none of them shall be Elected As for the fourth Verse it is to be noted first that Ferrara is a strong Town in Italy belonging to the Pope and Colonna is the â—â—me of the chief Family in Rome now whether Ferrara shall be a protection to Colonna or Colonna to Ferrara we leave it to the Reader to judge because the Verse hath a double sense LXVIII French Vieux Cardinal par le jeune deceu Hors de sa charge se verra desarmé Arles ne monstres double fort apperceu Et l' Aqueduct le Prince embaumé English An old Cardinal shall be cheated by a young one And shall see himself out of his imployment Arles do not show a double fort perceived And the Aqueduct and the embalmed Prince ANNOT. The two first Verses are very plain the two last not so therefore observe that Arles is a City in France in the Countrey of Danphine or Provence famous for antiquity which is forwarned here not to shew its Forts nor its Aqueducts which are buildings to convey water nor it s embalmed Prince which it seemeth lyeth thereabout buried The Author hath deprived here the Author of the reasons for why LXIX French Aupres du jeune se vieux Ange baiser Et le viendra surmonter a la fin Dix ans esgaux aux plus vieux rabaisser De trois deux l'un huitiesme Seraphin English Near the young one the old Angel shall bowe And shall at last overcome him Ten years equal to make the old one stoop Of three two one the eight a Seraphin ANNOT. This is the description of a grand Cheat when an old man called here Angel shall stoop before a young one whom he shall overcome at last after they have been ten years equal The last Verse is Mistical for there is four numbers three two one which make six and eight which he calleth Seraphin whether by allusion to that Quire of Angels which some call the eight or whether to the Order of St. Francis who calleth it self Seraphical is not easie to determine LXX French Il entrera vilain meschant infame Tyrannisant la Mesopotamie Tous amis fait d'Adulterine Dame Tetre horrible noir de Physiognomie English He shall come in villaen wicked infamous To tyranise Mesopotamia He maketh all friends by an adulteress Lady Foul horrid black in his Physiognomie ANNOT. Mesopotamia is a Greek word signifying a Countrey between two Rivers and though there be many Countreys so seated yet to this day it properly belongeth to that Countrey that lyeth between the two famous Rivers Tigris and Euphrates near Babylon the rest is easie LXXI French Croistra le nombre si grand des Astronomes Chassez bannis livres censureq L'An mil six cens sept par sacrez glomes Que nul au sacres ne seront asseurez English The number of Astronomers shall grow so great Driven away bannished Books censured The year one thousand six hundred and seven by sacred glomes That none shall be secure in the sacred places ANNOT. The sense of this is clear viz. that about the year 1607. the number of Astronomers shall grow very great of which some shall be expelled and banished and their Books censured and suppressed the rest is insignisicant to me LXXII French Champ Perusin O l'Enorme deffaite Et le conflict tout aupres de Ravenne Passage sacra lors qu'on fera la seste Vaincueur vaincu Cheval mange L'avenne English Perugian Fiâ—lâ— O the excessive rout And the fight about Ravenna Sacred passage when the Feast shall be celebrated The victorious vanquished the Horse to cat up his Oats ANNOT. Perugia is a City in Italy and so is Ravenna by which it seemeth there shall be a notable Battle fought as was once before in the time of Lewis the XII King of France between Gaston de Foix his Nephew and Don Raimond de Cardonne Vice-roy of Naples for there the French got the Battle in conciusion of which the said Gaston de Foix pursuing a Troop of Spaniards that were retiâ—ing was unfortunately kill'd and so the victorious were vanquished LXXIII French Soldat Barbare le grand Roy frapera Injustement non eslogine de mort L'Avare Mere du fait cause sera Conjurateur Regne en grand remort English A Barbarous Souldier shall strike the King Unjustly not far from death The covetous Mother shall be the cause of it The Conspirator and Kingdom in
sent an Army to relieve it which made those of Byzantium which is Constantinople cry alas c. XXXI French Le tremblement de Terre a Mortara Cassich St. George a demy perfondrez Paix assoupie la guerre esuaillera Dans Temple a Pasques abysmes enfondrez English There shall be an Earthquake at Mortara Cassich St. George shall be half swallowed up The War shall awake the sleeping pace Upon Easterday shall be a great hole sunk in the Church ANNOT. Mortara is a Town in Italy by Cassich and St. George he meaneth two other places XXXII French De fin Porphire Profond Collon trouvée Dessoubs la laze escrits Capitolin Os poil retors Romain force prouvée Classe agiter au Port de Methelin English A deep Column of fine Porphyry shall be found Under whose Basis shall be Roman writings Bones haires twisted Roman force tried A Fleet a gathering about the Port of Methelin ANNOT. Porphirâ— is a kind of hard red Marble speckled with white spots which is very scarce and chiefly in great pieces our Author then faieth that a great Colomn of that stuff shall be found and about the Basis of it some words in Roman Characters and that about that time a great Fleet shall be a gathering at the Port of Methelin which is an Island in the Archipelago belonging now to the Turks as for the third Verse I cannot tell what to make of it XXXIII French Hercules Roy de Rome Dannemark De Gaule trois Gayon surnommé Trembler l' Itale l'un de Saint Marc Premier sur tous Monarque renommée English Hercules King of Rome and Denmark Of France three Guyon surnamed Shall cause Italy to quake and one of St. Marck He shall be above all a famous Monarch ANNOT. All these intricated words and sense foretell that when a King of Denmarck named Hercules shall be made King of the Romans that then Italy and Venice it self shall stand in great fear of him and that he shall be as great a Prince or Monarch as ever was in Europe and that very likely for by his dignity of King of the Romans he consequently shall attain to the Empire XXXIV French Le part solus Mary sera Mitré Retour conflict passera sur la tuille Par cinq cens un trahir sera tultré Narbon Saulce par coutaux avons d'huile English The separated Husband shall wear a Miter Returning Battle he shall go over the Tyle By five hundred one dignified shall be betrayed Narbon and Salces shall have Oil by the Quintal ANNOT. The first Verse signifieth that some certain man who was married shall be parted from his wife and shall attain to some great Ecclesiastical Dignity The second Verse is that in coming back from some place or entreprise he shall be met and fought with and compelled to escape over the Tyles of a House The third Verse is that a man of great account shall be betrayed by five hundred of his men And the last that when these things shall come tâ— pass Narbon and Salcer which are two Cities of Languedoc shall reap and make a great deal of Oil. XXXV French Et Ferdinand blonde sera descorte Quitter la fleur suivre le Macedon Au grand besoing defaillira sa routte Et marchera contre le Myrmidon English And Ferdinand having a Troop of faire men Shall leave the flower to follow the Macedonian At his great need his way shall fail him And he shall go against the Myrmidon ANNOT. This Prophecy ought to be understood of an Emperour of Germany whose name shall be Ferdinand who being accompanied with many Germans that for the most part are faire haired people shall come and War against Gracia which is expressed here by the names of Macedon and Myrmidon the first of which is a Countrey and the last â— Nation both in Graecia XXXVI French Un grand Roy prins entre les mains d'un jeune Non loin de Pasques confusion coup cultre Perpet cattif temps que foudre en la Hune Trois Freres lors se blesseront meurtre English A great King taken in the hands of a young one Not far from Easter confusion stroke of a knife Shall commit pittiful time the fire at the top of the Mast Three Brothers then shall wound one another and murder done ANNOT. This Prophecy was fulfilled in the year 1560. when Antony of Bourbon King of Navarre and his Brother Lewis of Bourbon Prince of Condé coming to King Francis W. at Orleans upon the 29. of October the Prince of Condé was put in prison and the King of Navarre arrested The Lord Andâ—ew Fauyn in his History of Navarre saith that the opinion of the Councel was that the Prince of Condee should be beheaded for having been the chief of the conspiracy at Amboise and the King of Navarre should be stabbed in the Kings Chamber by the King himself assisted by others for that purpose The Lady of Montpensier gave notice of it to the King of Navarre who being sent for by the King charged expresly Cattin his waiting man and an old servant of his Father to take a care and preserve his bloody shirt after his death till his son came to Age to revenge it upon the murderers God be thanked this came not to pass for the King having called him and going about to provoke him with â—oul words he answered so meekly and humbly that the Kings anger was appeased where upon the Duke of Guise going out of the room said O what a cowardly Prince is this These things are expressed in the first and second Verse when he saith that a great King should be put in Prison by a young one because Antony of Bourbon though he was not a great King in Lands yet he was a great one in courage and prudence And it was not far from Easter sith it was but five months before viz. from the beginning of November to the sixth of April 1591. which was Easterday the Author putteth in this circumstance because the next Easter after the King of Navarre was made General of France under the Queen Regent He addeth the blow of a Knife as we have shewed he also saith a lasting bad time which proved very true moreover he saith what lightning in the Hune oâ— Topmast because King Francis died presently after In the fourth Verse he saith that three Brothers shall be hurt and killed those three Brothers were Antony of Bourbon King of Navarre killed at the Siege at Rouen the Cardinal of Bourbon and Lewis of Bourbon Prince of Conde killed at the Battle of â—arnac XXXVII French Pont Molins en December versez En si haut lieu montera la Garonne Murs Edifice Thoulouse renversez â—u on ne scaura son lieu coutant matrone English Bridges and Mills in December overturned In so high a place the Garonne shall come Walls Building Thoulose overturned So that none shall know its place so much Matrone ANNOT. Here is
years seen two such winds in London as I never saw the like any where else the first was that day that Olivier the Usurpator died the other was about six or seven years ago caused by the lightning that fell in Hereford-shire and did mix with a Western wind and came as far as London carrying the tops of houses and doing then for above 10000 pounds dammage XLIX French Gand Bruxelles marcheront contre Anvers Senat de Londres mettront a mort leur Roy Le Sel Vin luy seront a l'envers Pour eux avoir le Regne or desarroy English Gand and Bruxelles shall go against Antwerp The Senat of London shall put their King to death The Salt and Wine shall not be able to do him good That they may have the Kingdom into ruine ANNOT. This Prophecy taken with all its circumstances and the subject it treateth of is the most remarkable of all those that ever Nostradamus was Author of for here we see a concatenation of circumstances linked together to make it true to any bodies eyes for first the number of this Stanza being 49. signifieth the year wherein the King died for although by the English account who begin their year at the 25. of March it may be said it was in 48 because it did happen upon the 30th of January yet according to the general account of the most part of the World the year begin upon the first day of January so that the King dying on the 30th of January it may be said it was in the year 1649. The first Verse signifieth that at that time there was no good intelligence between the Cities of Flanders and Brabant as I remember very well that there was not but upon what score I have forgotten The second Verse is plain to any body that can either read or hear it The third Verse by the Salt and Wine understandeth France who was then in War with the Spaniard and in some divisions among themselves so that they could not take the Kings part as to relieve and free him by force but sent Embassadours to mediate a composure of the difference The fourth Verse intimateth that by reason of the said Wars that were in France the said murdering Parliament had liberty to do what they lifted for the bringing the Kingdom into ruine L. French Mensodus tost viendra a son ha 〈…〉 t Regne Mettant arriere un peu le Norlaris Le rouge blesme le masle a l'interregne Le jeune crainte frayeur Barbaris English Mensodus shall soon come to his high Government Putting a little aside the Norlaris The red pale the Male at the interreigne The young fear and dread barbarisme ANNOT. Mensodus is the Anagramme of Vendosme by which is meant Antony of Bourbon Duke of Vendosme brother to the then Prince of Condé and father to Henry IV. Norlaris is the Anagram of Lorrain now any body that understandeth any thing in History knoweth what dissention and seud there was between the House of Bourbon and that of Lorrain in the time of Francis the II. for the House of Bourbon though next to the Royal blood was the least in favour and those of the House of Lorrain did Govern all and had so far prevailed as to have got the Prince of Condé into their hands and had him condemned to have his head cut of which would have been executed had not the King that very day fallen sick of the disease he died of Now this being understood our Author will have that Mensodus which is Vendosme shall lay aside the Norlaris that is Lorrein By the red pale is meant the Cardinal of Lorrain brother to the Duke of Guise who grew pale at this By the male at the interreigne is so obscure that we leave it to the judgement of the Reader LI French Contre les rouges Sectes se banderont Feu eau fer corde par paix se minera Au point mourir ceux qui machineront Fo rs un que monde sur tout ruinera English Against the red Sects shall gather themselves Fire water iron rope by peace it shall be destroyed Those that shall conspire shall not be put to death Except one who above all shall undo the World ANNOT. The name of red Sects may very well be applied to the Protestants of France against whom in those days it seemed that fire Water Iron and Rope had conspired for they were put to death by each one of those fatal instruments for their Religion sake This is a lively expression of the unhappy Massacre of the Protestants in France upon St. Batholomews day 1572. The two last Verses signifie that all the Contrivers of that Councel were of opinion at first to proceed some other way but only the Duke of Guise who was the principal actor in it and whom our Author saith did undo the world for he was the cause of mischief not only then but afterwards LII French La paix sapproche d'un costé la guerre Oncques ne fut la poursuite fi grande Plaindre homme femmene sang Innocent par Terre Et ce fera de France a toute bande English Peace is coming on one side and War on the other There was never so great a pursuing Man Woman shall bemoan Innocent blood shall be spilt It shall be in France on all sides ANNOT. This Prophecy was fulfilled in the Reign of Charles the IX in the year 1558. when the peace was treated of and concluded the year after 1559. the VVar on the other side begun to appear by the raising of the Protestants who begun publickly their opinion in the time of Francis the II. and Charles the IX There was never seen such a prosecution of VVar and of Peace together for there was never an estate more embroiled in VVars than that of Charles the IX was nor where Peace was more sought after for there was nothing but VVars and treaties of Peace Men and VVomen did complain on all sides for the wrong and dammages they received from both parties the Protestants believing to do God a good service in destroying Images and killing Priests and Monks And the Papists on the other side thinking to make a sweet Sacrifice unto God in practising the same cruelties upon the Protestants and so in all corners of France every one did set himself to do evil LIII French Le Neron jeune dans les trois Cheminées Fera de Pages vifs pour ardoir ietter Heureux qui loin sera de tels menées Trois de son sang le feront mort guetter English The young Nero in the three Chimneys Shall cause Pages to be thrown to be burnt alive Happy shall he be who shall be far from this doing Three of his own blood shall cause him to be put to death ANNOT. A young Tyrant called here Nero shall cause some Pages to be burnt alive in three Chimneys and afterwards himself shall be put to death by three of
that some Souldiers disguised like Herds-men shall lead Oxen into a place where were hidden before Weapons in the Grass but the Weapons making a noise by their clashing they shall be discovered not far from a place that he calleth here Antipolique purposely to rime with Herbipolique in French which word Herbipolique signifieth a Town of Pasture XIV French Urnel Vaucile sans conseil de soy mesmes Hardy timide par crainte prins vaincu Accompagré de plusieurs putains blesme A Barcelonne aux Chartreux convaincu English Urnel Vaucile without advice of his own Stout and fearful by fear taken and overcome Pale and in company of many Whores Shall be convicted at Barcelone by the Charterhouse ANNOT. This Stanza is an Horoscope which the Author made upon that Gentleman named Urnel Vaucille and signifieth that the said man should find himself in such perplexity that he could not be able to take advice what to do and that fear should make him hide himself to be apprehended in a place where he should be taken When he was taken he was presently convicted of those crimes that he was accused of therefore the Officers of Justice did conduct him to the Charter-house of Barcelone which is four miles from the said Town in a place called Campoalegre for the beauty and situation of it to that place many Whores did accompany him to receive the punishment they had deserved therefore the Author saith that he went thither pale as foreseeing the terrour of the punishment he was to undergo XV. French Pere Duc vieux d'ans de soif chargé Au jour extreme fils desniant l'esguiere Dedans le puis vif mort viendra plonge Senat au fils la mort longue legere English A Father Duke aged and very thirsty In his extremity his son denying him the Ewer Alive into a Well where he shall be drowned For which the Senate shall give the son a long and easie death ANNOT. It is a Duke very aged who shall die of a Dropsie or of some other burning disease which will make him very thirsty the Physitians shall forbid any water to be given him therefore this Duke shall press his son very much to give him the Ewer that he may drink his fill but his son refusing the Father shall fall into such a rage that being alone he will go and throw himself into a Well where he shall be drowned This unhappy death will be the cause of much murmuring and the Senate or Parliament of that place will make enquiry after it by which enquiry the son will be found guilty therefore for his punishment he shall be condemned to a long and easie death as to live all his days in some Monastery XVI French Heureux au Regne de France heureux de vie Ignorant sang mort fureur rapine Par non flatteurs seras mis en envie Roy desrobé trop de foy en cuisine English Happy in the Kingdom of France happy in his Life Ignorant of blood death fury of taking by force By no flatterers shall be envied King robbed too much faith in Kitchin ANNOT. This is a prognostication of a King of France who though happy in his Reign and Life and being given to no great vices as blood fury or taking by force yet shall be much envied and robbed by his Subjects and chiefly by those he â—rusteth about his Kitchin XVII French La Reyne Ergaste voiant sa fille blesme Par un regret dans l'estomach enclos Cris lamentables seront lors d' Angolesme Et au germain mariage forclos English Queen Ergaste seeing her Daughter pale By a regret contained in her Breast Then shall great cries come out of Angolesme And the Marriage shall be denyed to the Cousin German ANNOT. It is unknown what Queen he meaneth by the name of Ergaste the rest is easie Angolesme is a City of Gascony or Languedoc XVIII French Le rang Lorrain fera place a Vendosme Le haut mis bas le bas mis en haut Le fils d' Hamon sera esleu dans Rome Et les deux grands seront mis en defaut English The House of Lorrain shall give place to Vendosme The high pulled down the low raised up The son of Hamon shall be Elected into Rome And the two great ones shall not appear ANNOT. The two first Verses of this Prophecy were fulfilled in the time of Henry the third King of France in whose time the Duke of Guise and House of Lorrain were grown so powerful in France that they drove the King from Paris and assumed themselves a rank and authority over the Princes of the Blood so that the King was forced to cause them to be slain after which Henry IV. who was King of Navarre and Duke of Vendosme took his place again as first Prince of the Blood The two last Verses are too obscure to be interpreted and I believe were onely forced by our Author to make up his Rime as he hath done in several other places XIX French Jour que sera pour Roine saluée Le jour apres le salut la Priere Le compte sait raison valbuée Par avant humble oncques ne fut si siere English The day that she shall be saluted Queen The next day after the Evening Prayer All accompts being summoned and cast up She that was humble before never was one so proud ANNOT. It is a woman be like of a small Fortune who coming to be a Queen by her humility the next day after Evening Prayer she shall appear so proud as the like was never seen XX French Tous les amis qu'auront tenu party Pour rude en lettres mis mort saccage Biens publiez par sixe grand neanty Onc Romain peuple ne fut tant outrage English All the friends that shall have taken the part Of the Unlearned put to death and robbed Good sold publickly by proclamation a great man seized of 〈◊〉 Never Roman people was so much abused ANNOT. The sense of this is that a great man that took part with all those that were unlearned shall be put to death and their goods praised and sold publickly upon which goods another great man shall seize and this is to be done in Rome There is fault in the Impression of the third French Verse for instead of fixe it must be fisc and instead of Neanty it must be Nancy XXI French Par le despit du Roy soustenant moindre Sera meurdry luy presentant les bagues Le Pere Fils voulant Noblesse poindre Fait comme a Perse jadis firent les Magues English To spite the King who took the part of the weaker He shall be murdered presenting to him Jewels The Father and the Son going to vex the Nobility It shall be done to them as the Magi did in Persia ANNOT. This is a King who with his son taking the peoples part against the Nobility shall be killed in presenting to
Charles II. now Reigning who having been recommended by his dying Father to his Subjects presently after his death they turned tail and took the Kingdom from him for a good while XLI French En la frontiere de Caussade Charlus Non gueres loing du fond de la valée De Ville Franche Musique a son de Luths Environnez Combouls grand myrtée English Upon the Frontiere of Caussade and Charlus Not far from the bottom of the Valley Of Ville Franche there shall be Musick of Lutes Great dancing and great company of people met together ANNOT. Caussade Charlus and Villefranche are little Towns in Provence not far one from another the rest is easie XLII French Le Regne humain d'Angelique geniture Fera son Regne paix union tenir Captive guerre demy de sa closture Long temps la paix leur fera maintenir English The humane Reign of an Angelical brood Shall cause his Reign to be in peace and union Shall make War captive shutting it half up He shall cause them to keep peace a great while ANNOT. This is only a foretelling of some Gallant Prince who shall maintain his Subjects in great peace and tranquility XLIII French Le trop bon temps trop de bonté Roiale Faits desfaits prompt subit negligence Leger croira faux despouse loiale Luy mis a mort par sa benevolence English The time too good too much of Royal bounty Made and unmade nimble quick negligence Fickle shall believe false of his loyal Spouse He shall be put to death for his good will ANNOT. This is concerning another King who through his too much goodness simplicity and negligence shall make and unmake those about him and being fickle shall believe false reports made concerning his own wife and at last by his to much goodness shall be put to death XLIV French Par lors qu'un Roy sera contre les siens Natif de Blois subjuguera Ligneres Mammel Cordube les Dalmatiens Des sept puis l'ombre a Roy estrennes Lemures English At that time that a King shall be against his own One born at Blois shall subdue the Ligures Mammel Cordua and the Dalmatians After that the shadow of the seven shall be to the King a new-years gift and Hoggoblins ANNOT. Blois is a City in France Ligures are the Genoeses in Latine called Ligures as for Mammel I cannot tell what to make of it Cordua is a City of Spain and the Dalmatians is a Nation near the Adriatick Sea and under the Venetians I leave the interpretation of the last Verse to the ingenious Reader XLV French Lombre du Regne de Navarre non vray Fera la vie de sort illegitime La veu promis incertain de Cambray Roy d' Orleans donra mur legitime English The shadow of the Reign of Navarre not true Shall make the life of illigitimate chance The uncertain allowance from Cambray King of Orleans shall give a lawfull Wall ANNOT. The Reign or Kingdom of Navarre is called not true because the King of Spain doth possess it and not the King of France who is the lawful King thereof as also in regard of the Kings of France and before of Jane of Albret and Antony of Bourbon This Kingdom being not true in regard of the said ones the title and quality is called here shadow The Author saith that the quality of the King of Navarre shall make the life of illigitimate chance because after the death of Francis the II Catherine of Medicis being not opposed in the Regence by Antony of Bourbon King of Navarre she was willing to gratifie him in what she could And because his Brother Lewis Prince of Condé had been condemned to death and not executed it was a fair occasion for her to shew the King of Navarre how much she did defer to him Therefore twelve days after the death of King Francis he was freed out of Prison and was admitted to justifie himself under the King of Navarre's Bail Thus the shadow of the Kingdom of Navarre not true did cause the life of a Prince to be saved but that life was illegitimate and that Kingdom not true by chance that is by accident because of the death of King Francis Leaving off the third Verse to be explained after the fourth King saith the Author shall give Orleans for legitimate because Cha les the IX who during the life of Francis the II. did bear the title of Duke of Orleans did succeed his Brother thus the Verse saith that Orleans shall give a King for legitimate Now for the third Verse you must suppose that by the Treaty at Madrid 1526. and after this by that of Cambray the King Francis the I. did part with the Sovereignty of Flanders and of all the Low-Countreis in favour of Charles the V. Emperour it is of that uncertain allowance of Cambray of which the Author talketh here and saith that in that time viz. of the death of Francis the II. that allowance shall be uncertain because Francis the I. having no power of himself to renounce the rights and dependance of the Crown of France the Parliament that was assembled then would have made void that allowance without breaking the Peace declaring that the Kings of France ought to preserve the right they had upon the Low-Countreis and to require them again upon any occasion and upon that France did not refuse the Election which the Low-Courtreis made of the Duke of Alencon for their Sovereign Prince and Duke of Brabant XLVI French Vif sort mort de l'or vilain indigne Sera de Saxe non nouveau Electeur De Brunsvick mandra d'amour signe Faux le rendant au peuple seducteur English The living receives his death from Gold infamous slut◠Shall be of Saxony not the new Elector From Brunswick shal◠come a sign of love Falsly persuading the people that he is a seductor ANNOT. This Prophecy is concerning an old Elector of Saxony who being in health before shall die suddenly being poisoned in a golden Cup by a woman whom he calleth here infamous slut And that from Brunswick a Countrey adjacent to Saxony shall come a Messenger upon pretence of Love who shall persuade the people that the said Elector was a Seducer XLVII French De Bourze Ville a la Dame Guyrlande L'on mettra sus par la trahison faite Le grand Prelat de Leon par Formande Faux Pellerins Rauisseurs deffaite English From Bourze City belonging to the Lady Garlant They shall impose by a set treason The great Prelate of Leon by Formande False Pilgrims and Ravishers destroyed ANNOT. I believe that there is a fault here in the impression and that instead of Bourze it must be Bourges which is a famous City in France and Capitol of the Province of Berry for I do not know any Town in Europe called Bourze What he meaneth by the Lady Garlant is unknown I believe also that instead of Leon
entre iceux dissension horrible Rage fureur sera toute Province France grand guerre changement terrible English King against King and Duke against a Prince Hatred between them horrid dissension Rage and fury shall be in every Province Great War in France and horrid changes ANNOT. This is a true picture of the miseries of the Civil Wars in France when Charles the IX King of France was against Henry King of Navarre and the Duke of Guise against the Prince of Condé VII French L'accord pache sera du tout rompue Les amitiez pollues par discorde L'haine euvieille toute foy corrompue Et l'esperance Marseilles sans concorde English The agreement and contract shall be broken in pieces The friendships polluted by discord The hatred shall be old all faith corrupted And hope also Marseilles without concord ANNOT. This is a second part of the foregoing VIII French Guerre debats a Blois guerre tumulte Divers aguets adveux inopinables Entrer dedans Chasteau Trompette insulte Chasteau du Ha qui en seront coulpables English War and strifes at Blois war and tumult Several lying in wait acknowledgment unexpected They shall get into the Chasteau Trompette by assault And into the Chasteau du Ha who shall be guilty of it ANNOT. This Prophecy is concerning the Civil Wars of France between the King and the League He saith at Blois War and tumult because the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal his Brother were both killed there at the convention of Estates by the Kings command which he calleth here acknowledgment unexpected because the Kingdom did own the fact The last two Verses are concerning the two Castles or Fortresses of Bourdeaux who in those days were sometimes by one party and sometimes by another LXV French A tenir fort par fureur contraindra Tout coeur trembler Langon advent terrible Le coup de pied mille pieds te rendra Girond Garon ne furent plus horribles English He shall by fury compel them to hold out Every heart shall tremble Langon shall have a terrible event The kick shall return to thee a thousand kicks Girond Garon are no more horrid ANNOT. The two last Verses seem to have a relation to the foregoing Stanza and to import that the Governour of Bourdeaux shall compel them to hold our and because Langon a Town 20 or 30 Miles distant from Bourdeanx was of the contrary party and did annoy sometimes those of Bourdeaux it is threatned here to have a thousand kicks for one Gironde and Garonne are the two Rivers of Bourdeaux LXIX French Eiovas proche esloigner Lac Leman Fort grand apprests retour confusion Loin des Nepueux du feu grand Supelman Tous de leur suyte English Eiovas near yet seemeth to be far from the Lake Leman Very great preparatives return confusion Far from the Neveux of the late great Supelman All of their train ANNOT. This is a notable one directly foretelling the Enterprise or Scalado made by the Duke of of Savoy upon Geneva for the better Intelligence of which we shall first give the sense word for word and then set down the whole History as a piece of Cabinet that the Reader after so much tedious and crabbid reading may have some field to spatiate and recruit it self Eiovas near Eiovas by Anagram is Savoy or the Duke of it who at that time was near Geneva yet seemeth far from the Lake Leman which is the Lake that passeth through Geneva called in Latine Lacus Lemannus Very great preparatives because at that time he made great preparations to Scale the Walls of Geneva Return because he was forced to retire Confusion because he was confounded in his undertaking Far from the Neveux of the great Supelman that is an action much unworthy the Kindred of Henry the IV. called here great Supelman to whom he was Allied All of their Train that is all that were with him in that undertaking did partake of his return and confusion Now the History is thus About the latter end of the year 1600. the Duke of Savoy having done before all his endeavours to take the City of Geneva by force did resolve at last to have it by craft and stratagem He did frame a design full of Courage Understanding and Conduct as well as of misfortune it was long a hatching without being discovered and although it was known that he caused Ladders to be made and that he bought every where men of courage and resolution and had a great number of them alread◠at Chambery well payed and maintained waiting for the ripeness of the design though Ignorant of it No body could believe that it was against those of Geneva because at that time he did treat with them of the manner of living friendly and of the liberty of Trade having sent to them for this purpose a few days before the President Rochette to treat and advise of a manner of living friendly together for the ease of the people They did so much hearten and relish his propositions and promises that although Cities of such condition do not lightly believe them that have been their Enemies nevertheless they trusted to that and grew careless of their own preservation thinking that there was nothing more powerfull for their security than the treaties of peace between France Spain and Savoy in which they thought themselves included under the name of the confederate with the Cantons of Switzerland insomuch that the Dukes Subject went thither so familiarly that the day before this Execution some Gentlemen that knew something of the design being come into the Town to buy some Horses said they would come again the next day to conclude the Bargain and others had kept the same Language for other Wares so fully perswaded were they of a success though Heaven who laugheth at the thoughts of the proud had resolved to humble and abase them The Governour of Lion had presently notice that the Duke of Savoy was coming on the side of the Mountain and carryed with him scaling Ladders of which he sent notice to the King and provided what was necessary for the defence of Lion although the same Advice said it was not for France yet all this could not hinder the Execution which was in the mean time a doing D'Albigny Lieutenant General of the Duke in those Countreys he had on this side of the Mountains had made the Troops to pass and for that purpose had assigned them of their Quarters in the Towns of Geneva in several places that they might not be so soon discovered The Randezvous was at a place called Chambery the time of the Execution was reserved to the prudence of the Leader The time was not according to the precept of the Parthians who ever fought by night nor of the Lacedemonians who undertook nothing but in the time of the full Moon for it was one of the darkest and longest nights of all the year the Troops began their March about six
killed The Order is such at Geneva that in all extraordinary accidents every Citizen knoweth the place of his Randezvous and there goeth with his Arms and the Town House is never destitute of Souldiers In the mean time the Magistrate cryeth He that loveth me let him follow me Some Countrey Fellows of the Neighbouring Towns who kept their Watch by turns being led by some Captains and Citizens did present themselves at the New Gate where they were stoutly received and beaten back and yet the first shot of theirs killed the Petard-Master who was much troubled with his Tools This first Charge would not have driven them back if the body of the Citizens had not come and Charged them so furiously that they lost all their Courage Necessity which strengthens even those that want Courage did so animate the Citizens to their defence that the undertakers were fained to give back The more nimble went again to their Ladders which proved useless because the Canon that was Planted in the Fort of Loye near the Ditch had broken them so that they left four and fifty dead upon the place and upon the Curtain of the Corraterie and thirteen that were taken alive If the Town had had Souldiers in readiness to make a Sally in that Andâ—bâ—tism the night being sometimes favourable to such expeditions those that were at Plain Palais would not have retreated in so good an Order There were thirteen taken alive among whom were the Baron of Attignac the Lord Sonas the Lord Chaffardon upon promise of their Lives and to be Prisoners of War or else they had preserved an Honourable death to all the promises to be spared in laying down their Arms among them was d'Attignac who fought valiantly and gave his Order of St. Maurice to his man bidding him save himself being resolved to die with his Sword in his hand The Lords of Geneva would not use them as Prisoners of War but as Thieves and Robbers come into the City over the Walls They said that the Duke was too generous a Prince for so wicked and perfidious an action there was several Opinions concerning their Sentence of Death the more moderate would have them be put to Ransom others would have them be kept Prisoners that they might serve for exchange if some of the Town were taken in the continuation of the War but the more violent did stir the people in representing unto them the loss of their Religion the ravishing of their Wives and Maids the Massacre the Sack and Plunder of the Town and their perpetual slavery and the complaints of the Widows and Children of those that had been killed were so much considered that the more moderate Opinions did not appear injust but in how much they tended to Death They were Condemned to be Hanged which is thought the most Ignominious Death they desired to have their Heads cut off as Gentlemen which was granted but it was after they were Hanged Fifty nine were found killed and wounded who had all their Heads cut off In the Ditch there were some Arms found thirty dead and four wounded all their Heads were cut off and set with the rest upon the Gallows Of the Citizens of the Town there were seventeen found dead most of them killed by their Companions in the dark Their Names were John Canal one of the Lords of the Councel Lewis Baudiere John Vandel Lewis Galatin Peter Cabriol Mark Cambiagua Nicolas Baâ—gueret James Mercier Abraham de Baptista Daniel Humbert Martin de Bolo Michael Monard Philip Potier Francis Bouzesel John Buignet James Petit Gerrard Muzy and about twenty wounded The Sunday after Dinner about two of the Clock 67 Heads as well of those that were killed as of those that were Hanged were fastened upon the Gallows and the Bodies thrown into the Rhosne The next Tuesday there was a solemn Fasting day kept and they began to publish every where the wonders of this Deliverance Here followeth the Copy of their Letter to the Governour of Lion My Lord You have known before this by many of your Letters how his Highness of Savoy notwithstanding he knew and had confessed that we were included in the Peace made in the year 1600 between his Royal Majesty of France and him hath neverthless divers times oppressed us by detaining our Rents prohibiting of Trade other violences and extorsions refusing to hearken to the just and pressing remanstrances which his Majesty hath made him several times in our behalf but hath also contrived many defigns to surprise us in time of Peace Now it is so that for the encompasing his pernicious design the Lord d'Albigny Saturday last the Eleventh of this Month did bring before our Town on the side of Plain Palais about two Thousand men Horse and Foot all choice men and hath caused to pass about 200. of them over our Ditch by the Corraterie and having set up Ladders one within another hatb caused them to come into our Town about three of the Clock in the Morning upon Sunday the Twelfth of this Month encouraging them himself bâ—ing in the Ditch so that being come down into the Town some went towards our New Gate to force it open and give entrance to their Companions who were in the â—lain of Plain Palais others went towards the Mint Gate that they might by this means come into the middle of the Town But iâ— hath pleased God to look upon us with his favourable Eye and to give such a Heart to the Citizens that they beat them back and killed the best part of them taken upon the place the rest hath been taken and since that Hanged by our Order the rest threw themselves down from the wall so that we hear many of them are either dead or grievously wounded It is a wonderfull deliverance of our God for which we are particularly bound to Praise him But as it is probable that the said Lord d'Albigny will continue his ill designs by so much the more that we hear his Highness is not far from us we do intreat and request by all our affection that you would be pleased to consider what prejudice the taking of this place would be to his Majesty and to continue us your favour and assist us with our wise and prudent advise c. Many did judge of the success of this enterprise by the beginning and were more forward to write than to perform well The King had notice that the Duke was Master of the Town and the manner of doing was represented with so much felicity and facility that there was less reason to doubt of it than believe it The Truth was not known but by the advise of the Governour of Lion which came before any discourse that the Town did publish after its deliverance The Duke went Post back again over the Mountains and left his Troops within three miles of Geneva in three places at Tournon Fossigny and Ternier he caused his Embassadours to say to the Lords of Beâ—ne that he
of the late Duke of Alencon that he had Negotiated with the Ministers or the King of Spain and of the Duke of Savoy during the Siege of Amicns that he was full of discontents thought that such a one was seeking for a Master They spoke together and mixed their grievances propounding to seek out of the Kingdom what they could not find within and to contract an intelligence with the Duke of Savoy thus after so many examples of unavoidable dangers the Duke of Biron did venture upon a Journey full of Rocks and Shelves under the conduct of one who was yet wet with the Shipwrack he had lately made The Duke went into Flanders for the execution of the Treaty of Vervins where one Picoté of Orleans spoke to him and inspired into him strange desires of raising his Fortune with those that knew and admired his deserts The Duke of Biron did hearken to him and told him he would be glad to hear him some other time upon that subject From that time forwards the Spaniards thought themselves sure of him and grew confident either to have him or to destroy him a French Gentleman who because of the Civil Wars was retired into Flanders and had some imployment in the Arch-Dukes Court gave the first intelligence of it to the King who took it kindly but sent him word that the Duke of Biron had too much courage and honesty to harbour such a wickedness being come back again from Flanders the King wished him to Marry but he shewed that his inclinations tended to some other party then that which was offered unto him and though he made shew to court the Daughter of my Lady Lucé he nevertheless intended to have the natural Sister of the Duke of Savoy of which the Knight Breton had spoken to him La Fin had in charge from the Duke of Biron to do all what he could for his satisfaction Picoté had made a Journey into Spain only to know and receive the propositions Farges a Monk of the Order of Fifteaux went into Savoy and from thence to Milan to receive Orders how to pluck of this Plant out of France Things went very slowly for the Spaniards do not easily believe the words of the French unless they be with great effects of rebellion and change but the Duke of Savoy being at Paris did wholly put out the Flower de Luces he had in his Heart and did dispose him to disturb the King so much at home that he should have but little time to dispute him the Markdom of Suluces upon that hope the Duke of Savoy neglected the Execution of the treaty of Peace made at Paris the War was proclaimed and the Duke of Biron took the chief places in Bresse Being at Pierre Chastel in the beginning of September La Fin came to him and by his order made two Journeys to St. Claude where Roncas was The King had notice of it but thought it better to dissemble it than to surprise a man he loved in his infidelity he thought enough to bid him come into Savoy and to rid himself of La Fin. He did believe that what the King said to him out of his affection proceeded from fear and kept company still with La Fin and never went to see the King but with great many attendants refusing to take his lodging near his that he might have more liberty he perswaded the King being at Annessy that he did desire to discover some passages and therefore desired to have some guides of the Countrey but it was to send safely Renaze La Fin's Secretary to the Duke of Savoy to give him intelligence in what state the Kings Army was and to bid d'Albigny retreat who otherwise had been defeated This was about the time that the Duke of Biron did intreat the King to bestow the Government of the Citadel of Bourg on him whom he should name It is the Nature of the great ones that serve Princes to believe they deserve all and to become more dangerous than Enemies if they are refused what they ask for The King did declare that he would bestow the place upon de Boisses This denial did so trouble the mind of the Duke of Biron and put him upon such a strange and diabolical resolutions that he resolved one Morning being yet in his Bed at Chamoâ—t to kill the King as it is expressed in the depositions of La Fin and Renazé but this took no effect himself afterwards did abhor the thought of it La Fin also went from the Army to conclude the Bargain with the Duke of Savoy and the Earl of Fuentes he treated first with the Duke of the Spanish Embassador at Yurée afterwards at Thurin with Roncas where also came Picoté bringing the answers of the Councel of Spain upon the propositions of the Duke of Biron with order to confer with La Fin and to perswade him to make a Journey into Spain He said plainly that the King of Spain was resolved to have the Duke of Biron at any rate The Duke of Savoy and the Earl of Fuentes appointed a day to be at Some with La Fin and Picoté there the minds of every one were clearly expressed and understood La Fin who was acquainted with all his secret Councels told the King that the Marriage of the third Daughter of the Duke of Savoy was the sodder and cement of all the treaty with a promise of five hundred thousand Crowns and all the rights of Soveraignty in Burgundy While La Fin treated in Italy the capitulation of the Duke of Biron the treaty of Peace was concluded at Lyons The Duke of Biron had been always against this Peace when he saw that it was concluded and that the King had heard something of his dealings with La Fin he fained to be very penitent of it and asked the King forgiveness in the Cloister of the Franciscan Friers at Lyons and intreated him most humbly to forgive the evil intentions that the denial of the Citadel of Bourg had put into his mind The King did forgive him and told him that he was glad he had trusted to his clemency and in the affection he bore to him of which he would always give him such tokens that he should never have occasion to doubt of it Leaving the King he met with the Duke of Espernon and told him that he would impart unto him as unto his best friend the best fortune that ever he had in his life which was that he had discharged his Conscience to the King and that he had forgiven him all what was past The Duke of Espernon told him that he was glad of it but that it was necessary he should have his pardon in writing for such faults could not be so easily blotted out What said he upon what can I rely better than upon the Kings word if the Duke of Biron wanteth an abolition what shall others do So they parted one thinking that his Lyons Courage ought not to be
prevented my Life that of my Children and the preservation of my Kingdom are concerned in it I will leave it to the course of Justice you shall see what Judgement shall be given I will contribute what I can to his Innocency I give you leave to do the same till he be found guilty of high Treason for then the Father cannot intercede for the Son nor the Son for the Father the Wife for the Husband nor the Brother for the Brother Do not become odious to me for the love you bear him As for the note of Infamy there is none but himself Have the Constable of St. Paul from whom I derive my Pedigree and the Duke of Nemours of who I am Heir both beheaded left any note of Infamy upon their Posterity should not the Prince of Condé my Uncle have been beheaded the next day if King Francis the II. had not dyed Therefore ye that are Kinsmen to the Duke of Biron cannot be noted with Infamy if you continue in your faithfulness as I assure my self you will And I am so far from depriving you of your Offices that if any new one should fall I would bestow them upon you I am more sorry for his fault than you can be but to conspire against me that am his King and Benefactor is a crime that I cannot forgive without losing my self my Wife my Son and my Estate I know you to be so good French men that you would not have the last and shall take Patience for the first Thus the King dismissed him and sent his Commission to the Court of Parliament to decide the business The Process was framed in the Bastille by the Lords of Achilles de Harlay first President in the Court of Parliament of Paris Nicolas Potier second President Stephen Fleury and Philibert of Thurin Councellors in the same Court They asked him if he did not write in Cyphers he denyed it then were shewed unto him several Letters written and sealed with his own hand which did witness his Intelligences with the Spaniard and the Duke of Savoy and contained advices that he gave of the wants that were in the Kings Army How little Money he had to maintain the War and to satisfie the Switzers of the discontent of the French Nobility and how several French Troops might easily be defeated and that to divert the Kings forces it was necessary to invade Provence and did much press upon the 50000. Crowns and the 4000 men promised or else said all is lost Some of these things he confessed and did so intangle and contradict himself that the Commissioners had pity on his indiscretion He was asked what opinion he had of La Fin he said he took him for an honest Gentleman his Friend and Kinsman his Evidnces being read to him and himself brought face to face he did with the most horrid Imprecations and Blasphemies in the World deny them and charged La Fin with the most horrid Crimes that can be Imagined calling still God for a Witness of his Innocency La Fin stood firm in the confirming of his Evidence and did more particularly declare the whole conspiracy The Duke answered that if Renazé were there he would tell the contrary Renazé who had a little while before escaped his Prison in Piemont was brought before him and confirmed all what La Fin had said Next to that was brought one of the Kings waiting men who witnessed that having lyen in his Chamber by the Kings command the first night of his Imprisonment he had adjured him by several offers and promises of rewards to give notice to his secretaries to be out of the way for some days and to tell the Earl of Roussy his Brother in Law that he should send presently to Dijon to give the same advice to those that were left there and above all that if they were examined they should all constantly deny that ever he did write in Cyphers Thus the business having been thorowly examined it remained only to proceed unto Judgment but the Prisoner being a Peer of France the King having erected the Baroay of Biron into a Dukedom by the Laws the Prisoner could not be judged but by his Peers which being summoned and not appearing the Court of Parlament being authorised by the Kings Commission proceeded to Judgment The 23 of July 1602. the Chancellor with the Maisses and Pontcarré Privy Councellors went to the Parliament where all the Chambers were assembled together There he made known the Kings intention in a business wherein the good of the Kingdom was so much concerned and represented on one part the quality of a Person commendable for his services but on the other the soulness of the Crime for the Judgment of which the King did rely upon the integrity and prudence of the Court The Kings Attorney and Soliciter having represented to the Court that the Peers summoned gave no appearance and that the Prisoners petition who asked for Councel was not to be received The Court proceeded to examine the Evidences whereupon they sat three times after which the Prisoner was brought from the Bastile by Montigny Governour of Paris and Vitry Captain of the Kings Guards in a close Barge covered with Tapistry and followed by two other Barges full of Souldiers and Switzers He entred into the Palace through the Garden of the first President and rested himself in one of the Chambers where he was offered a Breakfast The time being come he was to be heard the Recorder went and called him into the Guild-hall where when he saw one Hundred and twelve Judges before his face he was some thing daunted and was made to sit within the Bar upon a joint stool where he sat in such a posture as stretching forth his right foot and having his Cloak under his arm and his left hand upon his side he kept the right one free either to stretch it forth to Heaven or to smite his brest when occasion served The Chancellor did so frame his discourse that he never named him by his name nor that of his qualities Of many evidences there was five chiefly urged against him The first to have been conversant with one Picotée born in Orleans and refugied in Flanders to keep intelligence with the Arch-duke and to have give him 150. Crowns for two journeys to that end The second to have treated with the Duke of Savoy three days after his arrival to Paris without the Kings leave and to have offered him all assistance and service against any person whatsoever upon the hope or promiss of marrying his third daughter The third to have kept intelligence with the said Duke in taking of the City of Bourg and other places giving him advice how he might defeat the Kings Army and destroy his person with many other circumstances to that purpose The fourth to have sent by Renazée a note to the Governour of the Fort of Saint Catherine promising to bring the King before the said Fort so
near that he might be either killed or taken telling what cloths he himself would wear and what Horse he would ride that he might be distinguished To have sent several times la Fin to treat with the Duke of Savoy and the Earl of Fuentes against the Kings service These are the first confessions and acknowledgements that the Prisoner made before the Commissioners in the Bastille but now he thinketh he may as lightly deny them as he had unadvisedly before confessed them Upon the first Article he answered that Picoté being once his Prisoner had offered his service for the reduction of the Town of Seurre in Burgundy and that the King had approved of it that it is true he had given him the said sum but it was as a reward for his pains and charges in this negotiation which sum he hath charged upon the Kings account with some other small ones laid out by him for the King that since the reduction of the said Town he had not seen Picoté but in Flanders when he went thither Embassadour for the confirmation of the Peace where the said Picotée came to him with many others intreating him he would be pleased to mediate with the King for the liberty of returning into their Countrey and enjoying their Estates and that he did wish them to go to the Lords Belieure and Sillery who would prescribe them what orders they were to follow in this business and never had any other conversation with Picoté Upon the second That he could not have treated with the Duke of Savoy three days after his arrival at Paris seeing that himself did not come there but a formighafter and that la Fin came but after him that all his discourses with him were in publick and before witnesses and therefore could not be suspected that Roncas had sometimes mentioned to him the Marriage of the third daughter of the Duke and that he did impart it to the King that his Majesty having sent him word by la Force his Brother in Law that he did not approve of it he never thought of it since that the intelligence he is accused to have kept with the Duke of Savoy is confuted enough by what he did for when the King had commanded him to wait and keep company to the Duke in his return from France and to shew him the strongest places upon the Frontiers of Burgundy he did humbly excuse himself to the King of it saying that he foresaw well enough that the Duke would not keep the Treaty of Peace and that it would be a great grief to him to make War against a Prince with whom he should have kept company and made good cheer and that he did advise the Baron of Lux to let him see only the weaker places that he might not know the strength of the Countrey Upon the third That if he had kept correspondence with the Duke of Savoy he would not have undertaken the taking of Bourg almost against the Kings will without any other help then of those that were ordinarily with him that of fourty Convoys that were brought to relieve the Town he had routed thirty seven and the other three entered in his absence that the King knoweth very well he was offered 200000. Crowns to let the succours enter into the Citadel of Bourg that although his Majesty had commanded him in the time of a Truce made with the Duke of Savoy to let those of the Citadel of Bourg have every day 400. Loafs of Bread 50. bottles of Wine half an Oxe and six Sheep he did only let them have fifty bottles of Wine and one Sheep by which means the Town was surrendred within the time promised that if he had had any evil design against the King and Kingdom he would not so freely and willingly put the Town into the hands of him that is now Governour of it that the Governours of Places that were in the Duke's service and are now in that of the King can witness whether he shewed them any favour that for his giving advice to the Duke to defeat the Regiment of Chambauld he will prove that Chambauld did not come into the Army but one Month after the time mentioned in his Calumny besides that this advice was without appearance of reason for from Chambaula's quarters to his there was at least six days journey and as much to go to the Duke and as much to come back besides the time required for the marching of the Forces therefore all that was a meer invention of la Fin. Upon the fourth That he intreated his Majesty to call to memory that he was the onely man who dissuaded him to go and view the Fort representing unto him that there was in it â—xtraordinary good Gunners and that he could not view it without great danger and upon that he offered the King to bring him the next day the Plat-form of it and to take it with 500. Musquettiers and that himself would be in the Head of them Upon the fifth That it was true all the evil he had done was in two Months time that la Fin had been with him during which he did hearken and write more then he ought but that with the same he had written he had so long served the King that it was enough to prove the sincerity of his intentions that the refusal of the Citadel of Bourg which he thought the King had promised him had put him into such a discontent that he found himself in a capacity to hearken to any thing and to do any thing that if he had been a Protestant it may be the place should have been refused him no more then it was to de Boaisse who was such an one as he told the King himself at Lyon that la Fin had also once told him that the King speaking of him and of his Father said that God had done well for to take him out of this world when he was killed for he was a very chargeable and unprofitable servant and for the Son it was not all Gold that shined that these words had so much incensed him that he could have found in his heart to be all covered with blood Upon that the Chancellor asked him of what blood he meaned he answered of my own desiring not to live any longer after he had heard such reproches as blemished the services of his Father and his onw that nevertheless his anger and discontent went never so far as to attempt upon the King that his fault was only in words and it may be little in Writting that his Majesty seeing with how much ingenuity he did acknowledge his fault had forgiven him all what was past in the presence of the Lords Villeroy and Sillery and that if since that time he was found to have done any thing amiss he would blame his Judges of Injustice if they did not condemn him to death that if he had done nothing amiss since he thought the Kings pardon to be sufficient
hear him as long as he would speak with so much patience that never a man had the like audience The Prisoner spoke so much that his last reasons were found contrary to his first his allegations did not shew his Innocency for the Embassadors themselves which he took for Witnesses of his carryage in Switzerland did report many words of his which shewed his anger and passion Besides the King had not given his word that he might come in safety and those Letters which he alleadged for his justification did prove the continuation of his treacherous designs seeing that he had sent la Fin and Hebert to Turin and Milan since the pardon He could not then expect but Justice in a case where neither passion nor favour could alter Judgment Nevertheless he shewed himself much satisfied with his answers and therefore being come back again to the Bastille he passed the rest of that day and the two next to relate unto his Guards the questions of the Court and his answers therereunto counterfeiting the gesture and the words which he Imagined the Chancellor had spoken after his going away though that grave and venerable old man neither said nor did any thing but what was becoming to his Age and quality having shewed himself as full of compassion as the prisoner was of his vanity for when he was nearer to death he thought less upon it and thinking himself the only man capable of commanding an Army he found some fault in those that were thought capable of it saying that one was unhappy in his undertakings the other was not respected by the Souldiers such a one was a brave man but he wanted experience and another that hath both was a Potestant To conclude he did so please himself with his own praise and deserts that he thought no body could come near him and that he was so useful to the Kingdom that it would be a great Crime to think to undo him He had spoken so long the 27 of the Month that there was no time left to gather the Voices The Chancellor therefore went into the Palace the 29 following to gather the Voices of the Judges Fleury the reporter of the Proces did conform his opinion to the conclusions of the Kings Attorney all the rest agreed to it either by Words or by Signs and all the proofs necessary for the verification of a Crime meeting in this case as his Answers Confessions Writings Letters Instructions and Evidence of Witnesses not reproached It was found that the unnatural Conspiracy against the State the detestable attempt upon the Kings Person makes him guilty of high Treason in the first and second degree He confesseth he had evil intentions it is enough the Laws do punish the Councels the resolutions and the effects for if the Traitor be not prevented time may give him the opportunity to accomplish his Design and Will and the Will of a Subject in point of State doth depend immediately upon that of the Prince He sayeth moreover that without the Kings Mercy he is undone and that if he would have put in Execution the ill designs that were propounded to him against his Majesty he should have been gone long ago Did he ever give notice of them to the King or to any body else If the Prisoner had brought to pass his intent we might have said farewell State farewell Justice it is too late to believe the Conspiracy against Princes when they are murdered by the Conspirators He hath well served the King it is true but his Offices and Dignities did call him to that Duty he hath had notable rewards for it and from the time that he hath shewed himself so unfaithfull he hath diminished the lustre of his deserts His deserts had made him capable of the first dignities of the Kingdom but the merit of them is vanished away by the greatness of his Crime And what is the State beholding to him if after he hath contributed so much for its restauration he goeth about to turn up side down the Foundation of it and to betray it to the Enemies It is nothing to begin well unless you end well the actions are judged by the end Those that have deserved best of the States are the most severely punished when they fall into Sedition and Rebellion There is many sheets of Paper in the Hands of the Court containing in them one hundred advices given to the Enemy the least of which is capable to make him guilty The Prisoners quality is not considerable in this case Justice is blind to all distinctions and rather considereth the offence according to the quality of the offender Crimes of high Treason are not considered by things past but by things present and that are to come we must not put in an account what he hath done but what he had a mind to do The quality of a Duke and Peer of France of Knight of the Kings Order of Marshal doth not exempt him from the Law and from being judged as an Enemy to the State and to the Majesty of the Prince seeing he would have troubled the State and attempted upon the Kings person Who in France besides is more obliged to the King the greater then is the Obligation the greater the ingratitude God forbid that the respect of the quality should stop the course of Justice a Limb must be cut off to save all the body But his offence hath been forgiven The pardon cannot extend but to the things that are confessed but he acknowledgeth himself that he hath not told all therefore he hath confessed as little as he could his onw confessions Witness he only asked forgiveness that he might continue his Crimes with more security Besides he would not acknowledge his fault to the King for all the King promised to forgive him and lately he told the Court he did not believe that la Fin had revealed what was secret between them and thought he would have kept his word which he had confirmed with so many Oaths and that if he had doubted of it he would have cast himself at his Majesties Feet as readily as he and asked him forgiveness It followeth then that there was some thing left behind that was not confessed Thus he accuseth himself thinking to excuse his fault besides he mistaketh himself thinking to persuade the Court that since the pardon he hath done nothing amiss for the Pardon was in January 1600. and here be Letters of September last by which he recalleth la Fin telleth him he will think no more upon the Vanities that were past since God was pleased to have given the King a Dolphin It is apparent then that he hath employed la Fin at least since the Pardon till the birth of the Dolphin and la Fin maintaineth that there was a note quite to the contrary and that they did continue their intelligences and practises unknown to the King That the Duke did recal him fearing he should discover the Conspiracy when a man
April 1617. were arrested in their houses and the old ones put in again and the Princes called back again to the Court. XXIV French Le Mercurial non de trop longue vie Six cens huit vingt grand maladie Et encor pis danger de feu d'eau Son grand amy lors luy sera contraire De tels hazards se pourroit bien distraire Mais bref le fer luy fera son Tombeau English The Mercurial not too long lived Six hundred and eight and twenty a great sickness And what is worse a danger of fire and water His great friend then shall be against him He might well avoid those dangers But a little after the Iron shall make his Sepulcher ANNOT. This is concerning Lewis the XIII King of France who fell dangerously sick of the Plague at Lions about the year 1628. after that went with his Army into Savoy where he escaped many dangers of fire and water As for the Verse it must not be understood as if he had been killed but that the cares he took about his Armies should shorten his days The fourth Verse is to be understood of the Lord Bellingham then favorite to the King who forsook him in his sickness for which he was afterwards disgraced and could never come into favour again XXV French Six cens six six cens neuf Un Chancelier gros comme un Boeuf Vieux comme le Phoenix du Monde En ce Terroir plus ne luira De la Nef doubly passera Au Champs Elysiens faire ronde English Six hundred and six six hundred and nine A Chancellor big as an Oxe Old as the Phoenix of the World Shall shine no more in this Countrey Shall pass from the Ship of forgetfulness Into the Elysian Fields to go the round ANNOT. Six and nine joyned together makes 15. the meaning of this therefore is that about the year 1615. should die the Chancellor of France who was then Nicolas Brulart Lord of Sillery a very corpulent man XXVI French Deux freres sont de l'ordre Ecclesiastique Dont l'un prendra pour la France la pique Encor un coup si l'an six cens six N'est afflige d'une grand maladie Les Armes en main jusques six cens dix Gueres plus loing ne s'estendant sa vie English Two Brothers are of the Ecclesiastical Order One of which shall take up the Pike for France Once more if in the year six hundred and six He be not afflicted with a great sickness The Weapons in his hands till six hundred and ten His Life shall reach not much further ANNOT. In the year 1606. there was two Brothers of the House of Joyeuse one called Francis Cardinal of Joyeuse and the other a Capuchin Frier the rest of the Brothers being dead without issue Father Angel got a dispensation from the Pope to go out of his Covent and to Marry that the Family might not be extinguished and so turned Courtier and Souldier again till he had got a Daughter who was afterwards married to the Duke of Guise after that remembring his Vows he turned Capuchin again and a little while while after died coming from Rome to Paris XXVII French Celeste feu du costé d'Occident Et du Midy courir jusqu'au Levant Vers demy morts sans point trouver racine Troisiesme Age a Mars le Belliqueux Des Escarboucles on verra briller feux Age Escarbouclc a la fin famine English A Coelestial fire on the West side And from the South shall run to the East Warm half dead and incapable to find Roots The third Age to Mars the Warriour Out of Carbuncles fires shall be seen to shine The Age shall be a Carbuncle but in the end famine ANNOT. This signifies nothing but the troubles that were all France over from the year 1620. to the year 1628. when Rochel was taken and the great famine that was in the year 1626. XXVIII French L'An mil six cens neuf ou quatorziesme Le vieux Charon fera Pasques en Caresme Six cens six par escrit le mettra Le Medecin de tout cecy s'estonne A mesme temps assigné en personne Mais pour certain l'un deux comparoistra English In the year a thousand six hundred and nine or fourteen The old Charon shall Celebrate Easter in Lent Six hundred and six shall put it in writing The Physician wondereth at all this At the same time being Cited in person But for certain one of them shall appear ANNOT. This signifieth that about the time mentioned by the Author some great one should be very sick in Lent and should eat flesh which is called here to Celebrate Easter in Lent and that his Physician wondering at it should fall sick himself and that without fail one of them two should die XXIX French Le Griffon se peut apprester Pour a l'ennemy resister Er renforcer bien son Armée Autrement l'Elephant viendra Qui d'un abord le surprendra Six cens huit Mer enflammée English The Griffin may prepare himself To resist the Enemy And to strengthen his Army Otherways the Elephant shall come Who on a sudden shall surprise him Six hundred and eight the Sea shall be inflamed ANNOT. By the Griffin was meant the Hollanders who were warned here to beware of the Elephant that is the Spaniard and to strengthen their Army for fear of being surprised The last Verse signifieth that in the year 1608. there should be a notable Sea-fight which was then frequent enough between the said Hollanders and Spaniard XXX French Dans peu de temps Medicin du grand mal Et la Sangsue d'ordre rang inegal Mettront le feu a la branche d Olive Poste courir d'un d'autre costé Et par tel feu leur Empire accosté Se rallumant du franc finy salive English Within a little while the Physician of the great disease And the Leech of order and rank unequal Shall set fire to the branch of Olive Posts shall run to and fro And with such fire their Empire acquainted Shall kindle again with the French finished spittle ANNOT. By the Physitian of the great disease is meant the King of France and the Leech the King of Spain so that it is foretold here how they shall set fire to the branch of Olive that is shall break the Peace and fall to War which in the year 1636. when upon the imprisoning of the Archbishop of Triers by the King of Spain because he had put himself under the French Protection the King of France sent an Army of 40000. men in the Low-Countreys to come with the Prince of Orange at Mastrioht which quarrel hath continued till the Marriage of the King of France with the Infanta of Spain Daughter to Philip the IV. The last Verse is forced in only to make up the time XXXI French Celuy qui a les hazards surmouté Qui fer feu eau na
jamais redouté Et du Pais bien proche du Basacle D'un coup de fer tout le Monde estonné Par Crocodil estrangement donné Peuple ravy de voir un tel spectacle English He that hath overcome the dangers That hath never feared Iron Fire nor Water And of the Countrey near the Basacle By a stroke of Iron all the World being astonished By a Crocodile strangely given People will wonder to see such a spectacle ANNOT. This Prophecy may admit of two Interpretations the first that Henry the IV. who was born in the Province of Bearn not far from Thoulonze the cheif City of Languedoc wherein there is a place upon the River called Basacle where the Mills are who was stobbed with a knife by Francis Ravillac in the year 1610. The other is of the last Duke of Montmorency who being Governour of Languedoc took up Arms against the King in the behalf of the Duke of Orleans for which he was beheaded at Thoulouse at the solicitation of Cardinal Richclien which happened about the year 1632. XXXII French Vin a foison tres-bon pour les Gendarmes Pleurs soupirs plaintes cris alarmes Le Ciel fer ses Tonnerres pleuvoir Feu eau sang le tout meslé ensemble Le Ciel de Sol en fremit en tremble Vivant na veu ce quil pourra bien voir English Plenty of Wine very good for Troopers Tears and sighs complaints cries and alarums Heaven shall cause its Thunders to rain Fire water and blood all mixed together The Suns Heaven quaketh and shaketh for it No living man hath seen what he may see then ANNOT. This great plenty of Wine happened in the year 1634. at which time there was in France such plenty of Grapes that half of them perished for want of Vessels to put them in and I remember very well that then whosoever would bring a Poinchon Vessel which is the third part of a Tun might have it filled with Grapes for half a Crown and that being my self at that time at a Town of Burgundy called Beaune where the best Wine of France groweth four of us had one Pottle of Wine English measure for one half penny The rest signifieth no more but the miseries that happened in Germany by the Wars that the King of Sweden brought in about the same time XXXIII French Bien peu apres sera tres-grand misere De pou de Bled qui sera sur la Terre De Dauphiné Provence Vivarois Au Vivarois est un pauvre prefage Pere du fils sera Antrophophage Et mangeront Raeine gland du Bois English A little after shall be a great misery Of the scarcity of Corn that shall be upon the ground Of Dauphine Provence and Vivarois In Vivarois is a poor presage Father of Son shall be Antropophage And shall eat Roots and Acorns of the Wood. ANNOT. This came to pass when the Duke of Rohan headed the Protestant party and made those Provinces the seat of the Civil Wars in France about the year 1640. or 1642. XXXIV French Princes Seigneurs tous se feront la guerre Cousin Germain le Frere avec le Frere Finy l'Arby de l'heureux de Bourbon De Hierusalem les Princes aimables Du fait commis enorme execrable Se ressentiront sur la bourse sans fond English Princes and Lords shall war one against another Cousin German the Brother against the Brother The Arby finished of the happy Bourbon The Princes of Hierusalem so lovely Of the enormous and execrable fact committed Shall ressent upon the bottomless Purse ANNOT. This foretelleth of the Wars that were to be between the Princes and Lords a little after the death of Henry the IV. when the Marshal d'Ancre took upon him the administration of affairs by the favour of the Queen Regent Mary of Medicis XXXV French Dame par mort grandement atristée Mere tutrice au sang qui la quittée Dame Seigneurs faits enfants Orphelins Par les Aspics par les Crocodiles Seront surpris forts bourgs Chasteaux Villes Dieu tout puissant les garde des malins English A Lady by death greatly afflicted Mother and Tutor to the Blood that hath left her Ladies and Lords made Orphans By Asps and by Crocodiles Shall strong holds Castles and Towns be surprised God Almighty keep them from the wicked ANNOT. That great Lady afflicted by death and Mother and Tutor to the Blood that left her was Mary of Medicis Wife to Henry the IV. who after the death of her Husband was much troubled in her regency by her own Son Lewis the XIII and several great Lords of his party whence did follow the Battle of Pont de Cé XXXVI French La grand rumeur qui fera par la France Les impuissans voudront avoir puissance Langue emmiellée vrais Cameleons De boutefeus allumeurs de chandelles Pyes Geais rapporteurs de nouvelles Dont la morsure semblera Scorpions English The great rumor that shall be through France The impuissants would fain have power Honey Tongues and true Camelions Boutefeux and lighters of Candles Magpies and Jays carriers of news Whose biting shall be like that of Scorpions ANNOT. This hath a relation to the precedent and expresseth further the misery of those times XXXVII French Foible puissant seront en grand discord Plusieurs mourront avant faire l'accord Foible ou puissant vainqueur se fera dire Le plus puissant au jeune cedera Et le plus vieux des deux decedera Lors que l'un d'eux envahira l'Empire English The Weak and powerfull shall be at great variance Many shall die before they agree The weak shall cause the powerful to call him Victor The most potent shall yield to the younger And the older of the two shall die When one of the two shall invade the Empire ANNOT. This Prophecie is not come to pass yet for all I know therefore I leave the interpretation to every ones liberty XXXVIII French Par Eau par fer par grand maladie Le Pourvoieur a l'hazard de sa vie Scaura combien vaut le Quintal de Bois Six cens quinze ou le dixneufiesme On gravera d'un grand Prince cinquiesme L'Immortel nom sur le pied de la Croix English By Water by Fire and by great sickness The Purveyor to the hazard of his life Shall know how much is worth the Quintal of Wood Six hundred and â—ifteen or the nineteen There shall be graven of a great Prince the fifth The immortal name upon the foot of the Cross ANNOT. By the Purveyor is meant the King of France as we have said before The great Prince the V. was Paul the V. who was foretold he should die about the year 1615. 1619. XXXIX French Le Pourvoieur de Monstre sans pareil Se fera voir ainsy que le Soleil Montant le long la ligne Meridienne En poursuivant l'Elephant