Dedans Lectoure seront les coups de dards Nepveu par peur pleira l'Enseigne English By the decision of two things Bastards Nephew of the Blood shall occupy the Kingdom Within Lectoure shall be strokes of Darts Nephew through fear shall fold up his Ensign ANNOT. I think that instead of decision it should be division and then the sense is easily made up thus that through the division of two Bastards the Nephew of the Blood shall occupy the Kingdom which Nephew afterwards in a fight at Lectoure which is a strong Town in Gascony shall be put to the worst and compelled to fold up his Ensigns XLIV French Le procrée naturel d' Ogmion De sept a neuf du chemin destourner A Roy de longue amy au my hom Doit a Navarre fort de Pau prosterner English The natural begotten of Ogmyon From seven to nine shall put out of the way To King of long and friend to the half man Ought to Navarre prostrate the fort of Pau. ANNOT. A man needeth a good pair of Spectacles to see through all this what I understand in it is that this Bastard of Ogmyon by whom he meaneth the King of France ought to submit the Fort of Pau to Navarre and good reason too for Navarre is the Kingdom and Pau only the chief Town of one Province of it called Bearn XLV French La main escharpe la jambe bandée Louis puisné de Palais partira Au mot du guet la mort sera tardée Puis dans le Temple a Pasques seignera English The hand on a Scarf and the leg swadled The younger Lewis shall go from Palais At the Watch word his death shall be protracted Then afterwards at Easter he shall bleed in the Temple ANNOT. The Prince of Condè whose name was Lewis and the youngest of the Children of Charles of Bourbon the first Duke of Vendosme father to Anthony of Bourbon King of Navarre went away from the Court in the time of Francis the second King of France and came into Bearn to the King his Brother He was summoned many times by Francis II. to come to Court but finding his name to be amongst those that intended to suprise Lion he durst not venture Nevertheless he was perswaded by his Uncle the Cardinal of Bourbon and came to the Court at Orleans It is easie to believe that he fained himself to be hurt by a fall from his Horse or that really he was so having his Arm in a Scarf and his Leg swadled up in which posture he came to testifie his obedience to the Kings commands In this posture of a wounded man whether really and fictitiously he came from Palais which by mistake is printed Calais the Printer being ignorant that in Bearn where the Prince had sheltered himself there is a Castle called Palais which was the place that the Prince used to live in Being come to Court he was presently arrested arraigned and condemned to death Nevertheless the Kings sickness proving mortal the execution was suspended and his life saved After that the Prince sought all oâ—casions to revenge himself and began about Easter in April following It was not by an open Rebellion against the King but under pretence to maintain the Protestant Religion therefore the Author saith that this life saved shall bleed in the Temple because the Princes pretext was the Temple and the Church that is Religion Hence the fourth Verse is clearly understood Resteth the third Verse which saith that his life was differred till the Watch word because the Queen seeing the King her Son upon his death bed caused secretly the execution of the Sentence to be differred that she might make use of the King of Navarre and of the Prince his Brothers favour against the house of Guise for the obtaining of the Regency Moreover I observe that in the year 1562. the Prince of Condè began openly to rebel surprising the City of Orleans the 29 of March which was Easter day that year which sheweth the truth of the fourth Verse XLVI French Pol Mensolee mourra trois lieues du Rhosne Fuis les deux prochains Tarare destrois Car Mars fera le plus horrible Throsne De Coq d'Aigle de France frere trois English Paul Mensolée Shall die three Leagues from the Rhosne Avoid the two straights near the Tarare For Mars shall keep such a horrible Throsne Of Cock and Eagle of France three Brothers ANNOT. By this Pol Mensolée he meaneth some proper name Tarare is a great Mountain near the City of Lions that hath two principal ways to go through which here he calleth Straights for indeed they are very dangerous for Thieves and Murderers The rest is but a threating of War between the Emperour and France when there shall be three Brothers in France XLVII French Lac Trasmenien portera tesmoignage Des conjurez ferrez dedans Perouse Un Despolle contrefera leâ—sage Tuant Tedesque de Sterne Minuse English Trasmenian Lake shall bear witness Of the Conspirators shut up in Perugia A Despolle shall counterfeit the wise Killing Tedesque of Sterne and Minuse ANNOT. I think that the Impression is false here for instead of Despolle which is a barbarous word and signifieth nothing I would have it in French Despoville in English robbed of all so that Trasmenian Lake is that Lake in Italy not far from the Town of Perugia where Hannibal gave that notable overthrow to the Romans and killed above 20000. of them with their consul Flaminius That man whom he calleth here robbed of all shall kill some Germans for Tudesco in Italian is a German the two last words are barbarous XLVII French Saturne en Cancer Jupiter avec Mars Dedans Fevrier Caldondon Salvaterre Sault Castalon assailly de trois parts Pres de Verbiesque conflict mortelle guerre English Saturn in Cancer Jupiter with Mars In February Caldondon Salvaterre Sault Castalon assaulted on three sides Near Verbiesque fight and mortal War ANNOT. The multiplicity of barbarous and insignificant words makes this incapable of any construction if any body will exercise his wit thereupon I shall willingly lend him my ear XLIX French Satur au Boeuf Jove en l'Eau Mars en fleche Six de Fevrier mortalité donra Ceux de Tardaigne a Bruges si grand breche Qu'a Ponterose chef Barbarin mourra English Satur in Ox Jupiter in water Mars in arrow The sixth of February shall give mortality Those of Tardaigne shall make in Bruges so great a breach That the chief Barbarin shall die at Pontrose ANNOT. Satur in Oxe that is Saturn in Taurus Jupiter in Water that is Jupiter in Aquarius Mars in arrow is Mars in Sagitarius when these things shall happen The sixth day of February shall bring a great mortality Tardaigne is a fictitious name unless he intended Sardaigne Bruges is a Town in Flander Ponterose is some place where he saith that the chief Barbarin shall die the chief Barbare was the Pope Urban
great remorse ANNOT. These words are so plain that they need no interpretation LXXIV French En Terre neuve bien avant Roy entré Pendant subjects luy viendront faire accueil Sa parfidie aura tel rencontré Qu'aux Citadins lieu de feste recueil English A King being entered far into a new Countrey Whilst his Subjects shall come to welcom him His perfidiousness shall find such an encounter That to the Citizens it shall be instead of feast and Welcom ANNOT. The sense of this seemeth to be that a certain King being far got into a new conquered Countrey where he shall deal perfidiously with his Subjects that then he shall meet with such an accident as to his Citizens shall be instead of feast welcom LXXV French Le Pere fils seront meurtris ensemble Le Presecteur dedans son Pavillon La Mere a Tours du fils ventre aura enfle Cache verdure de fueilles papillon English The Father and Son shall be murdered together The Governour shall be so in his Tent At Tours the Mother shall be got with child by her son Hide the greenness with leaves Butter-flye ANNOT. There is nothing hard here but the last Verse whereby it is signified that after such an incest of the Mother with the Son in the City of Tours wich is a Town in France the fruit of it shall be secretly buryed and green Turfs laid upon the place and Leaves upon them to take away the knowledge of it LXXVI French Plus Macelin que Roy en Angleterre Lieu obscur ne par force aura l'Empire Lasche sans foy fans loy seignera Terre Son temps s'aproche si presque je souspire English More Macelin then King in England Born in obscure place by force shall reign Of loose disposition without faith without Law the ground shall bleed His time is drawing so near that I sight for it ANNOT. Macelin is a Butcher or cruel man from the Latine word Macellum which signifieth the Shambles it is without contradiction that by this Prophecy is plain concerning the late tyrant Cromwel and his unlawful Government LXXVII French L'Antechrist bien tost trois annichilez Vingt sept ans durera sa guerre Les Heretiques morts captifs exilez Sang corps humain eau rougie gresler Terre English By Antichrist three shall shortly be brought to nothing His War shall last seven and twenty years The Hereticks dead Prisoners banished Blood humane body water made red Eâ—rth hailed ANNOT. What he meaneth here by Antichrist is not easie to determine for he cannot mean the Pope himself being a Papist nor the great Antichrist whose Reign according to the Scripture shall last but three years and a half it is more likely then that this Stanza hath coherence with the precedent and that by it he meaneth Henry the VIII who for the space of about 27 years before he dyed did handle something roughly the Clergy and Clergy-men LXXVIII French Un Bragamas avcc la langue torte Viendra des dieux rompre le Sanctuaire Aux Heretiques il ouvrira la porte En suscitant l'Eglise Militaire English A Bragamas with his crooked Tongue Shall come and break the Gods Sanctuary He shall open the Gates unto Hereticks By raising the Militant Church ANNOT. Bragamas is the same thing that we call now Bragadocio By the Gods Sanctuary he meaneth the Temples of the Romish Religion who are reputed Sanctuaries and are full of Images which they worship as Gods praying and offering Incense to them LXXIX French Qui par fer pere perdra nay de Nonnaire De Gorgon sur la fin sera sang perferant En Terre estrange fera si tout de taire Qu'il bruslera luy mesme son entant English He that by Iron shall destroy his Father born in Nonnaire Shall in the end carry the blood of Gorgon Shall in a strange Countrey make all so silent That he shall burn himself and his intent ANNOT. Nonnaire and Gorgon are two barbarous words as for the sense of that and the rest he that shall be able to read the words shall be as wise as my self LXXX French Des innocens le sang de Vefue Vierge Tant de maux faits par moiens ce grand Roge Saints simulachres trempez en ardant cierge De frayeur crainte ne verra nul que boge English The blood of the innocent Widow and Virgin So many evils committed by the means of that great Rogue Holy Images dipt in burning wax Candles For fear no body shall be seen to stir ANNOT. What he meaneth by the great Rogue is not obvious but the main drift of this Stanza seemeth to be to foretel the abuses that should be offered to the Popish Images by the Protestant party as it was done in the time of the Civil VVars of France and a little while after our Author had written his Prophecies By the great Rogue he meaneth some chief Commander of the Protestant party that were in those days as the Prince of Conde the Admiral of Castilon or his Brother Dandelot LXXXI French Le neuf Empire en desolation Sera changé du Pole Aquilonaire De la Sicile viendra l'emotion Troubler l'Emprise a Philip tributaire English The new Empire in desolation Shall be changed from the Northern Pole The commotion shall come from Sicily To trouble the undertaking tributary to Philip. ANNOT. This threatneth the Empire that now is in Germany of a great desolation and to be removed from its place and threatneth also the Island of Sicily of a fearful commotion which shall trouble the undertakings of Philip that is King of Spain because they usually are called by that name LXXXII French Ronge long sec faisant du bon valet A la par fin n'aura que son congie Poignant poison Lettres au colet Sera saisy eschapé en dangié English Long gnawer dry cringing and fawning In conclusion shall have nothing but leave to be gone Piercing poison and Letters in his Collar Shall be seised escape and in danger ANNOT. The words of this are easie to be understood but not who should be that man to whom he giveth these four famous Epithetes of Long-gnawer dry cringing and fawning LXXXIII French Le plus grand voile hors du port de Zara Pres de Bizance fera son entreprise D'Ennemy perte l'amy ne sera Le tiers a deux fera grand pille prise English The greatest Sail out of the Port of Zara Near Bizance shall make his undertaking There shall be no loss of foes or friends The third shall make a great pillage upon the two ANNOT. By Zara I suppose that the Venetians are meant who have a very strong Town of that name situated in Dalmatia Bizance is Constantinople as we have said before now whether this Prophecy was fulfilled when the Venetians took the Island of Tenedos some 20 years ago which is not far from Constantinople or whether it
beseeching the King to do him justice of those who went about to oppress him with unsufferable calumnies or to permit him to do himself reason The King carried him to the Tennis-court where the Duke took upon him to order the match and said that the Duke of Espernon and himself would hold it against the King and the Earl of Soisson the Duke of Espernon answered presently you play well but you do not make your matches well which was observed by the King and the standers by Supper time being come he did sup at the Table of the great Master to repare the fault he had done in the morning Every one did perceive that he was not contented for he eat little or nothing and no body spoke to him every one holding him already for a cast-away The King in the mean while was walking in his Chamber meditating some great resolution and he was heard to say these words be must either bow or break That evening past away so quietly that many thought it would be a Thunder with much noise and little hurt The King commanded the Earl of Soissons to go to the Duke of Biron and to do his best to break the hardness of his heart and to draw the truth out of him he went and intreated him to satisfie the King in what he desired to know from him and to be afraid of the Kings displeasure and indignation The Duke of Biron for answer told him that the King could not complain but of the good services he had done to him and that he himself had great occasion to complain of the King who mistrusted him after so many trials and experiments of his faithfulness and that he should never have more of him then he had at his first coming the Earl of Soissons seeing his obstinacy left him The next day early the King walking in the little Garden sent for the Duke of Biron and spoke to him a great while thinking to overcome his obstinacy and to give him means to escape the danger he was running into he was seen a great while with his Hat off his eyes lifted up to Heaven smiting his breast and making great protestations to uphold his innocency there appeared then in the Kings face a great deal of anger and in that of the Duke of Biron a great deal of fire and violence all his words were nothing but threatnings lightnings ruines and Hell against those that had spoken ill of him from thence he went to dinner and met with a man who brought him a Letter to advise him to look to himself he shewed it to the Captain of his Guards and made slight of it and said he would be beholding to his valour for his life and not to a flight all the afternoon the King stayed in the Gallery and spoke four hours to the Lord of la Curée the Queen being present and speaking never a word the King was in a great perplexity of mind before he could resolve himself The Lords of Vileroy Sillery and Geure were seen often to go to and fro which made some suspect that it was to begin by the execution in so great a crime but the King was against that such proceedings had been blamed in his Predecessor he would have every body to know that he had authority and power enough to exterminate his enemies according to the Laws The resolution was taken to have him arrested and also the Earl of Auvergne the King would not have them to be taken in the Castle but in their own Lodgings the Duke of Biron who was in some suspicion of it and had prepared himself to what he could neither prevent nor hinder did imagine that there was no fear of any thing in the Kings Chamber and that all the danger should be at the going out and therefore by time had provided himself with a short Sword with which he promised to make himself room through all dangers They represented to the King that if he were Arrested any where but in the Castle it could not be done without bloodshed and that it was no matter where the Lyon was taken so that profit might arise of his prize It was perceived that in the same Gallery the King sent for Vitry and Pralin two Captains of his Guards and gave them the order he would have to be observed for the execution of his commands and then called for his Supper The Duke of Biron was at supper in the Lord Montignys Lodging where he spoke more highly and bravely then ever of his Deserts and of the friends he had made lately in Switzerland then began to fall upon the praises of the late King of Spain extolling his Piety Justice and liberality Montigny stopt him saying that the greatest commendation that could be given to his memory was that he had put his own Son to death for endeavouring to trouble his Estate this word stopt those of the Duke of Biron who answered only with his eyes and thought upon it with some amazement After supper the Earl of Auvergne and the Duke of Biron came to the King who was walking in the Garden the King making an end of his walk did invite the Duke of Biron to play at Cards they went into the Queens Chambâ—r the Earl of Auvergne passing by the Duke of Biron told him softly we are undone the Game begun at the primara the Queen was one of the Gamsters the Duke of Biron another and two more The King went into his Closet divided between two contrary passions the love he had formerly for the Duke of Biron the knowledge he had of his valour and the remembrance of his services excluded all thoughts of his Justice on the other side the fear of troubles in his Estate the horâ—id effects of so unnatural a conspiracy did accuse his Clemency of cruelty if he went about to prefer the particular good to the publick he prayed to God to assist him with his Holy Spirit to appease the troubles of his soul and to strengthten him with a Holy resolution that he might do what was for the good of his people upon whom he Reigned by his only Grace his prayer being ended all the difficulties that troubled his soul vanished away there remained only a firm resolution to put the Duke into the hands of Justice if he could not draw the truth out of him the Game went on still the King took sometimes the Queens Cards expecting the appointed time The Earl of Auvergne was gone to his Lodging the King sent for him and walked in the Chamber while the Duke thought upon nothing but his play De Varennes Lieutenant of his Troop faining to take up his Cloak whispered him softly that he was undone this word did trouble him so much that he neglected his play and oversaw himself the Queen gave him notice of it the King did bid them to give over playing and commanded every one to retire he went into his Closet and took the Duke of Biron
rendra sa gloire memorable English The Phoenix of the old Charon shall be seen To be the first and last of the Sons To shine in France beloved of every one To Reign a great while with all the honours That ever his Predecessors had By which he shall make his glory memorable ANNOT. No doubt but this is meant of some King of France which is to come XLIX French Venus Sol Jupiter Mercure Augmenteront le genre de nature Grande Alliance en France se fera Et du Midy la Sangsue de mesme Le feu esteint par ce remede extreme En Terre ferme Olivier plantera English Venus and So Jupiter and Mercury Shall augment humane kind A great Alliance shall be made in France And on the South the Leech shall do the same The fire extinguished by this extreme remedy Shall plant the Olive-Tree in a firm ground ANNOT. By the consent of all Astronomers those four benigne Planets augment generation That great Alliance mentioned here by which the fire was extinguished and the Olive-Tree planted in a firm ground is the Marriage of the present King of France Lewis the XIV with the Infanta of Spain by which all differences were composed and the Peace firmly settled L. French Un peu devant ou apres l' Angleterre Par mort de Loup mise aussy bas que terre Verra le feu resister contre l'eau Le rallumant avecque telle force Du sang humain dessus l'humaine escorce Faute de pain bondance de cousteau English A little while before or after England By the death of the Wolf being put as low as the ground Shall sec the fire resist against the water Kindling it again with such force Of humane blood upon the humane bark That want of bread and abundance of knives shall be ANNOT. The meaning is that a little while after or before the said match mentioned in the foregoing England was or should be brought as low as the ground and that there should be abundance of humane blood spilled and a great decay of Trade with Wars which is that he calleth Want of Bread and abundance of knives LI. French La Ville qu'avoit en ses ans Combatu l'Injure du temps Qui de son Vainqueur tient la vie Celuy qui premier la surprit Que peu apres Francois reprit Par Combats encore affoible English The City that had in her years Resisted the injury of the times And oweth her life to him that overcame her Being the first that surprised it Which a little while after Francis took again Being yet weâ—kened with fightings LII French La grand Cité qui n'a Pain a demy Encor un coup la saint Barthelemy Engravera au profond de son Ame Nismes Rochelle Geneve Montpelier Castres Lion Mars entrant au Belier S'entrebattront le tout pour une Dame English The great City that hath not bread half enough Shall once more engrave In the bottom of her soul St. Bartholomew's day Nismes Rochel Geneva and Montpelier Castres Lion Mars coming into Aries Shall fight one against another and all for a Lady ANNOT. That great City mentioned here is Paris which is threatned of another St. Bartholomew's day which was fatal to the Protestants in France for upon that day in the year 1572. there was a general Massacre made of them through all France insomuch that in Paris alone there was above ten thousand slain As for those Towns here named that are to fight about a Lady I cannot guess what Lady it should be unless he meaneth the Roman Church LIII French Plusieurs mourront avant que Phoenix meure Jusques six cens septante est sa demeure Passé quinze ans vingt un trente neus Le premier est Subjet a maladie Et le second au fer danger de vie Au seu a l'eau est subjet a trenteneus English Many shall die before that Phoenix dieth Till six hundred and seventy he shall remain Above fifteen years one and twenty thirty nine The first shall be subject to sickness And the second to Iron a danger of life Thirty nine shall be subject to fire and water ANNOT. By the Phoenix is meant a Pope because there is but one of that kind at once the meaning of the rest is unknow to me LIV. French Six cens quinze vingt grand Dame mourra Et peu apres un fort long temps pleuvra Plusieurs Pais Flandres l' Angleterre Seront par seu par fer affligez De leurs Voisins longuement affiegez Contraints seront de leur faire la Guerre English Six hundred and fifteen and twenty a great Lady shall die And a little after it shall rain for a great while Many Countreys as Flanders and England Shall by fire and Iron be afflicted And a good while Besieged by their Neighbours So that they shall be constrained to make War against them ANNOT. What that great Lady was that should die in the year 635. is not easie to guess there being many in every Countrey that died that year The rest is easie and we have seen the truth of it in our days and may see it hereafter LV. French Un peu devant ou apres tres-grand Dame Son ame au Ciel son corps soubs la lame De plusieurs gens regretée sera Tous ses parens seront en grand tristesse Pleurs souspirs d'une Dame en jeunesse Et a deux grands le dueil delaissera English A little while before or after a very great Lady Her soul in Heaven and her body in the Grave Shall be lamented by many All her kindred shall be in great mourning Tears and sighs of a Lady in her youth And shall leave the mourning to two great ones ANNOT. This may be understood of the death of Anna of Austria Queen of France who left in mourning two great ones viz. her two Sons Lewis the XIV King of France and Philip of Bourbon Duke of Orleans Or of the death of the Queen Dowager of England Henrietta Maria who also was much lamented and left in mourning two great ones viz. Charles the II. King of England and James Duke of York his Brother LVI French Tost l'Elephant de toutes parts verra Quand Pourvoyeur au Griffon se joindra Sa ruine proche Mars qui tousiour gronde Fera grands faits aupres de Terre Sainte Grands Estendars sur la Terre sur l'Onde Si la Nef a esté de deux frere enceinte English Shortly the Elephant on all sides shall see When the Purveyor shall joyn with the Griffin His ruine at hand and Mars which always grumbleth Shall do great feats near the Holy Land Great Standarts upon the Earth and the Sea If the Ship hath been with Child of two Brothers ANNOT. The Elephant is the Emperor the Purveyor the King of France the Griffin the Hollanders the meaning then is that the Emperor shall go to ruine when the French and the Hollanders shall joyn together And that there shall be great Wars and Fightings in the Holy Lands both by Sea and Land when two Brothers of great quality shall go in one Ship LVII French Peu apres l'Alliance faite Avant solemnises la Feste L'Empereur le tout troublera Et la nouvelle Mariée Au Franc Païs par sort liée Dans peu de temps apres mourra English A little after the Alliance made Before the Feast be Solemnized The Emperor shall trouble all And the new Bride Being by fate tied to the French Countrey A little while after shall die ANNOT. This is concerning a match that shall be made between the French King and some Lady of another Countrey which Match shall be disturbed by the Emperour and the Bride shall die a little while after her Marriage LVIII French Sangsue en peu de temps mourra Sa mort bon signe nous donra Pour l'accroissement de la France Alliances se trouveront Deux grands Roiaumes se joindront Francois aura sur eux puissance English The Leech within a little while shall die His death shall be a good sign to us For the augmentation of France Alliances shall be found Two great Kingdoms shall joyn together The French shall have power over them ANNOT. The Leech was Philip the IV. the last King of Spain who died a little while after he had Married his Daughter to Lewis the XIV now King of France by which Marriage the Peace was made between the two Kingdoms in the Island of the Conference upon the Borders of France and Spain By his death and that Match is foretold the encrease and happy condition of the Kingdom of France FINIS
Work but got his liâ—ing Honourably by his practise of Physick by which we may see that he did write some things which himself understood not unless they were such general ones as might be read in the Heavens CHAP. XII Elogies given to Nostradamus by several Authentical Authors IF several Authors either by envy or ignorance have defamed our Author others of no small repute have taken his defence in hand D' Aurat one of the most excellent Poets of France living at the same time as Nostradamus made a few explications of his Prophecies which as the report goes did please the Readers I am sorry I could not get them it would have been some ease to me for it is easier to add than to invent The first Volume of the Lord la Croix du Main maketh honourable mention of him the same saith that his Motto was Faelix Oviam prior Aetas Happy the first Age that was contented with their Flock shewing by that what esteem he had of frugality and sincerity of manners and what aversion he had against the Vices of his Age the unruliness of manners and consenage of men Ronsard the Prince of the French Poets singeth his praises The Lord Boucher in that great Volume intitled the Mistical Crown in favour of the future Croisade doth vindicate our Author from Calumny and expoundeth some of his Prophecies pretty happily I will not relate here what his Son Caesar Nostradamus writeth modestly of him in his History of Provence under Lewis the XII Henry the II. and Charles the IX his Evidence may be suspected because of the Consanguinity One of the greatest Wits of this last Age who desireth to be nameless giveth him this Character First That God Almighty hath chosen Michael Nostradamus among the common sort of Christians to impart unto him the knowledge of many prodigious and extraordinary future things Secondly He maintaineth that after the Apostles and Canonical Prophets he is the first of all in three things in his certainty and infallibility in the generality and in the quantity As to the first he doth not doubt but the Abbot Joachim ought to give him place for though he hath foretold somethings that have come to pass he hath written a hundred others which are meer fopperies Thirdly He maintaineth that the Emperour Leo in his prophetical Tables is far below him for he doth only aim at those things which regard the Eastern Empire as Theophrastus Paracelsus hath done for the Western Concerning the quantity of things he maintaineth that none of the others can dispute it with him for Nostradamus hath made above a thousand stanza's if we had them all each of which containeth two or three prophetical Truths some of which regard the East others the West others some private Kingdoms and States others private and particuler things and all with Truth and certainty CHAP. XIII What these Stanza's Prophecie of THe Author in his Epistle to King Henry the II. saith that he treatech of things which were to happen in many Cities and Towns of Europe and of a part of Asia and Africa And to say Truth I have found nothing in them concerning the East or West Jappan or China He treateth chiefly of France as of his Native Kingdom and of his own Countrey Provence and that which is next to it viz. Piemont He speaketh amply of the Popes and of Italy Turky and England As for the Empire Spain and Suedeland he doth moderately speak of them Concerning Aethiopia and Africa there is some nine or ten Stanza's In all those places he foretelleth many things not only general for every State but also particular and individual for several persons He also foretelleth many supernatural prodigies in the Heavens the Air the Sea and the Land He hath inserted among his Prophecies four Horoscopes the first of the Grandfather of the Lord l' Ainier in the Province of Anjou the second of one called Urnel Vaucile the third of one Cosme du Jardin and the fourth of one whom he nameth not but describeth him by his stature CHAP. XIV Since what time these Prophecies began IT is certain that they began in January 1555. because he dedicated the first seven Centuries to his Son Caesar the first day of March in the said year and consequently they were made before that time and we cannot allow less than two Months to an Author for the making of 700. Stanza's Nevertheless for a greater manifestation of his prophetical spirit I have not found any of his Prophecies that did come to pass before the first of March 1555. As for the Eight Ninth and Ten Century there is reason to believe that the effect of them doth not begin before the 27 June 1558. which is the date of his Liminary Epistle to Henry the II. Nevertheless he saith in the same Epistle that in a writing by it self he will set down the exposition of his Prophecies beginning the 14 of March 1557. and in the Epistle to Nostradamus his son he saith in general that he hath composed Books of Prophecies each one containing one hundred Stanza's without specifying whether he spoke of the seven that he dedicated to him or of all the others As for my part I believe he had made them all in the year 1555. but that he had not yet examined the three last Centuries according to the Calculation of his Astronomical assertions as he seemeth to indicate often in his Epistle to Henry II. and to say the truth I have found some Stanza's which were fulfilled before the year 1558. though very few As for the extent of his Prophecies it is certain that it is to the end of the World as I shall make it appear in the explication of the 48 the 49 and 56. Stanza's of the first Century and the 72 73 and 94. of the tenth and all according to the Holy Scripture All these things being premised we shall proceed to the explication of the Prophecies setting first the Authors Luminary Epistle to his Son THE PREFACE TO Mr. Michael Nostradamus HIS PROPHECIES Ad Caesarem Nostradamum Filium vita Felicitas THy late coming Caesar Nostradamus my son hath caused me to bestow a great deal of time in continual and nocturnal watchings that I might leave a Memorial of me after my death to the common benefit of Mankind concerning the things which the Divine Essence hath revealed to me by Astronomical Revolutions and since it hath pleased the immortal God that thou are come late into this World and canst not say that thy years that are but few but thy Months are incapable to receive into thy weak understanding what I am forced to define of futurity since it is not possible to leave thee in Writing what might be obliterated by the injury of times for the Hereditary word of occult praedictions shall be lockt up in my brest considering also that the events are definitely uncertain and that all is governed by the power of God who inspired us not
Cité L'Eschelle au Mur la Cité repentir English The Common-wealth of the great City With great harshness shall not consent That the King should go out being summoned by a Trumpet The Ladder shall be put to the Wall and the City repent ANNOT. It is hard to know what he meaneth by the great City wherein there is a Common-wealth whether it be Venice Genoa Geneva Luca or some of the Cities of Switzerland but it seemeth that a King shall take shelter in it who shall be summoned by a Trumpet to come out but the City will not suffer it for which the said City shall be sealed and repent LI. French Paris conjure un grand meurtre commettre Blois le fera sortir en plein effer Ceux d' Orleans voudront leur Chef remettre Anger 's Troyes Langres leur feront un mes fait English Paris conspireth to commit a great murder Blois will cause it to come to pass Those of Orleans will set up their head again Anger 's Troyes Langres will do them a mischief ANNOT. The Prophecy contained in the two first Verses came to pass in the time of Henry the III. King of France when the Parisians did rebel against him and made Barricadoes in the streets thinking to have taken him who was compelled to run away for his life and fly to Chartres This rebellion was raised and somented by Henry of Lorraine Duke of Guise whom the King afterwards caused to be murdered with his brother the Cardinal of Lorraine at the Convention of the three Estates kept at Blois Orleans Anger 's Troyes Langres are remarkable Cities in France LII French En la Campagne sera si longue pluye Et en l' Apoville si grande siccité Coq verra l'Aigle l'aisle mal accomplie Par Lion mise sera en extremité English In Campania shall be so long a rain And in Apulia so great a drought The Cock shall see the Eagle with his wing disordered And by the Lim brought to extremity ANNOT. Campania and Apulia are two Provinces of the Kingdom of Naples The last two Verses of the Prophecy came to pass about the years 1630 and 1631. when Gustavus Adolphus King of Swedeland called here the Lion brought the Empire signified by the Eagle to extremity the King of France signified by the Cock looking upon and underhand assisting him LIII French Quand le plus grand emportera le prix De Nuremberg d'Ausbourg ceux de Basle Par Agripine Chef de Frank fort repris Traverseront par Flandres jusqu'en Gale English When the great one shall carry the prize Of Nuremberg Ausbourg and Basil By Agrippina the Chief of Frankfort shall be taken They shall go through Flanders as far as France ANNOT. Nuremberg Ausbourg and Basil are Cities of Germany By Agrippine is understood the City of Cologne called in Latine Colonia Agrippina from the Founderess of it Agrippina Mother of the Emperour Nero or from M. Agrippa favourite of Augustus Caesar LIV. French L'un des plus grands fuira aux Espagnes Qu'en longue playe apres viendra seigner Passant Copies par les hautes Montagnes Devastant tout puis apres regner English One of the greatest shall run away into Spain That shall cause a wound to bleed long Leading Armies over the high Mountains Destroying all and afterwards shall Raign ANNOT. This is so plain that it needeth no interpretation LV. French En l'an qu'un oeil en France Regnera La Cour sera en un bien fascheux trouble Le grand de Blois son amy tuera Le Regne mis en mal doubte double English In the year that one eye shall Reign in France The Court shall be in a very hard trouble The great one of Blois shall kill his friend The Kingdom shall be in an ill case and double doubt ANNOT. The meaning of the first Verse is when a King having but one eye shall Reign in France Blois is a City in France upon the River Loire LVI French Montauban Nismes Avignon Besier Peste Tonnerre Gresle a fin de Mars De Paris Pont de Lion Mur Monpelier Depuis six cens sept vingt trois parts English Montauban Nismes Avignon and Besier Plague Lightning and Hail at the end of March The Bridge of Paris the Wall of Lion and Monpelier shall fall From six hundred and seven score three parts ANNOT. Montauban is a Town in Gascany Nismes and Besiers are Towns in Languedoc Avignon is a Town in France belonging to the Pope which shall suffer these damages by Lightning at the end of March. LVII French Sept fois changer verrez gens Britanique Teints en sang en deux cens nonante an France non point par appuy Germanique Aries double son Pope Bastarnan English Seven times you shall see the English to change Died in blood in two hundred ninety year Not France by the German support Aries doubleth his Bastarnan Pole ANNOT. The two first Verses concern England the third France the fourth marketh the time by the motion of the Sign of Aries which shall be favourable to France We shall leave the two first Verses to be interpreted by the English Nation which is most concerned in it and come to the last two which concern France The third Verse saith that France shall not change as England by reason of the help it shall have from Germany which hath been made good already for these hundred years notwithstanding the Wars between Henry II. and the Spaniard the Conspiracy of the Protestant party against Francis the II. at Amboise the civil Wars under Charles the IX the League under Henry III. and Henry IV. the Forrain Wars under Lewis XIII and Lewis XIV now Reigning The Authors meaning by these words but France not is you shall not see France change seven times in two hundred ninety years as the Brittish nation and then he giveth the reason of it by German help that is to say that France shall have help from Germany The fourth Verse saith that during those two hundred ninety years Aries doubleth his Bastarnan Pole to understand this we must suppose first that the Sign of Aries ruleth over France Palestine Bastarnia c. Secondly we must learn from Ptolomy and other Geographers that Bastarnia containeth the people that are towards Sarmatia or Poland which were called by the Ancients the people of Admone Sidane Roxolane and by others Peucins from the Island Peâ—ce which is in Istria Thirdly we must suppose that the Sign of Aries hath two Poles the first is that of the Aequinoctial Line and the second that of the Eccliptick because the Sign of Aries beginneth just in the Line of the Equator and afterwards stretcheth towards the North. Now it is so that the place where its extension endeth in the Eccliptical Line of the Sun is called by the Author the Bastarnan Pole It is a Pole sith in the constellations of Heaven we call Poles the two
Conquestes meurtrira innocens English In the year that Saturn in Aquarius shall be in conjunction With Sol the King being strong and powerful Shall be received and Anointed at Rheines and Aix After Conquest he shall murder innocent persons ANNOT. This Prophecy is remarkable for the things that it foretelleth viz. that in the year that Saturn shall be in conjunction with sol in the Sign of Aquarius a King of France shall be annointed both at Rhemes and Aix for Rheme◠is a City in France where the Kings use to be Annointed and Crowned and Aix is another in Germany where the Emperours use to be so But the last Verse is ominous where he saith that after his Conquests he shall murder innocent persons LXXXVII French Un fils de Roy tant de Langues apprins A son Aisné au Regne different Son Pere beau au plus grand fils comprins Fera perir principal adherent English A son of a King having learned divers Languages Shall fall out with his elder Brother for the Kingdom His father in Law being more concerned with his elder son Shall cause the principal adherent to perish ANNOT. One King shall have two Sons the eldest shall succeed him in the Kingdom the youngest having been well brought up and educated shall raise troubles against the King his Brother but he shall be destroyed by the means of his own Father in Law LXXXVIII French La grand Antoine du nom de fait sordide De Phtyriase a son dernier rongé Un qui de plomb voudra este cupide Passant le port d'Esleu sera plongé English The great Antony by name but in effect sordid Of Phtyriasis shall at last be eaten up One that shall be covetous of Lead Going upon Port d'Esleu shall fall into the Water ANNOT. Phtyriasis in Greek is the disease called by the Latines Morbus pedicularis when one is devour 〈…〉 by Lice as were Herodes Sylla Pherecydes and Philip II. King of Spain c. As for Port d'Esleu the question is whether it be the proper name of a place or the name of a man that shall throw another in the water LXXXIX French Trente de Londres secret conjureront Contre Leur Roy sur le pont l'Entreprise Les Satellites la mort desgouteront Uu Roy esseu blond natif de Frize English Thirty of London shall secretly conspire Against their King upon the Bridge the Plot shall be made These Satellites shall taste of death A King shall be elected fair and born in Friezeland ANNOT. Here may be alleadged that passage of Scripture There is nothing so secret but shall be revealed for here is plainly told the number of those wicked persons who conspired against their lawful Sovereign King Charles I. of blessed memory as also the place where the Plot was first laid for it is well known that they used to assemble at the Bear at the Bridge foot XC French Les deux copies au murs ne pourront joindre Dans cet instant trembler Milan Thesin Faim soif doutance si fort les viendront prendre Chair pain ne vivres nauront un seul boucin English The two Armies shall not be able to joyn by the Walls At that instant Milan and Thesin shall tremble Hunger thirst and fear shall so seize upon them They shall not have a bit of meat bread nor victuals ANNOT. Milan is a City in Italy and Thesin is the River that passeth by it XCI French Au Duc Gaulois contraint battre au Duelle La nef de Mole Monech naprochera Tort accuse prison perpetuelle Son Fils regner a vant mort taschera English A French Duke compelled to fight a Ducl The Ship of Mole shall not come near Monaco Wrongfully accused shall have a perpetual Prison His son shall endeavour to Reign before his death ANNOT. To understand this Stanza we must suppose four Histories Paradin relateth the first which is that the French and Spanish Armies having their Winter quarters in the Dukedome of Milan Anno 1555. The Marquess of Pescaire sent word to the Duke of Nemours by a French Gentleman that he and three more desired to break a Lance with him upon the borders of Ast The Duke accepted the challenge without giving notice to the Marquess of Brissac then General of the French Army who was very angry at it nevertheless he advised the Duke to go but not with a Guilt and light Armour but with a wrong one such as became a Cavaliero which he did not do nor the other three that went with him whence it came that the Lord Classe a French man running against Malespine was wounded to death in the shoulder nevertheless one of the seconds to the Duke of Nemours the Lord Moncha killed upon the place Caraffa Nephew to Pope Marcel II. and the Lord Manoa one of the Duke of Nemours party falling from his Horse a little wounded broke his neck As for the Duke of Nemours he ran twice against the said Marquess without hiting one another but at the third time they both brake their Lances without doing any harm Thus the French Duke was compelled to fight a Duel We have the second History from Turpin and many others which is that the Marquess of Masseran having put himself into the King of France's service in hopes to have the Government of Bielais and proving a Traitor the Marshal of Brissac who had discovered his perfidiousness resolved to take him in his house of Gaillany which he had fortified to secure his retreat after his Treason The Lord de Termes was commanded to do it which he did so dexterously that he took him into his house after dinner and then compelled him presently to surrender the Castle of Jamaglia the Marquess obeying sent thither presently his son Claudius to put it into the hands of the Lords de la Mante and of Villars These two viewing the Castle to observe the places that might be fortified and going from room to room heard a lamentable voice crying Have mercy upon me They caused presently the Prison doors to be opened and found a poor Gentleman of Vercelle whom the Marquess had detained there 18 years for endeavouring to serve an execution against him in the Duke of Savoy's behalf And it is remarkable that his Imprisonment was all this while concealed so that no body ever heard of it in so much that his friends suspecting he had been killed by one of his enemies they prosecuted him so hard that after much tortering he confessed what he had not done and was consequently put to death in the presence of the said Marquess of Masseran who knew the Countrey Thus we see one wrongfully accused that was executed and this Gentlemans Imprisonment which was to be perpetual After this they carryed the poor Gentleman almost all naked and being nothing but skin and bones to the Lord of Termes who caused him to be clothed and gave him Money to go back to his friends The third
The Royal blood shall be so much mixed The French shall be constrained by the Spaniards They shall stay till the term be past And the remembrance of the voice be over ANNOT. This only signifieth a strict Union between the French and the Spaniards by several Alliances LXI French Nay soubs les ombres journée nocturne Séra en Regne bonté Souveraine Fera renaistre son sang de l'antique Urne Renouvelant siecle d'Or pour l'airain English Being born in the shadows and nocturnal time He shall be a Soveraign in Kingdom and bounty He shall cause his blood to come again from the ancient Urn Renewing a golden Age instead of a brazen one ANNOT. This foretelleth the greatness and goodness of a Prince that shall be born in the beginning of the night XLII French Mars eslevé en son plus haut befroy Fera retraire les Allobrox de France La gent Lombarde fera si grand effroy A ccux de l'Aigle comprins soubs la Balance English Mars being elevated in its higher Steeple Shall cause the Allobrox to retreat from France The people of Lombardy shall be in so great fear Of those of the Eagle comprehended under Libra ANNOT. The Allobrox are the people of Savoy Those of the Eagle comprehended under Libra are the subjects of the Empire that use the French tongue XLIII French Le grand ruine des sacrez ne sesloigne Provence Naples Sicile Seez Ponce En Germanie au Rhin la Coloigne Vexez a mort par tous ceux de Mogunce English The great ruine of the sacred things is not far off Provence Naples Sicily Sez and Ponce In Germany towards the Rhyne and Colen They shall be vexed to death by those of Moguntia ANNOT. He foret 〈…〉 th the troubles that were to be shortly in those Countreys for Religion XLIV French Par Mer le rouge sera prins the Pyrates La paix sera par son moyen troublée L'une l'auare commettra par faincte acte Au grand Pontife fera l'Armée d'oublée English By Sea the red one shall be taken by Pyrates The peace by that means shall be troubled He shall commit anger and coveteousnefs by a feigned action The High Priest shall have a double Army ANNOT. By the red one is understood some Cardinal that shall be taken by Pyrates for which the peace shall be in danger to be broken the same Cardinal shall by a feigned action be guilty of choler and covetousness and for his recovery and the defending the Rites of the Church the Pope shall have a double Army granted to him XLV French Le grand Empire fera tost desolé Et translate pres d' Arduenne silve Les deux batards par l'aisné decollé Et Regnera Aenodarbnez de milve English The great Empire shall soon be made desolate And shall be translated near the Forrest of Arden The two Bastards shall have their heads cut off by the eldest son And he that shall reign shall be Aenodarbnez nosed ANNOT. By the great Empire is meant that of Germany which he says shall be translated near the Forrest of Ardens which is near the borders of France Two Bastards shall be beheaded by command of the elder Brother of the House and he that shall Reign shall have a reddish beard and a Hawks nose XLVI French Par Chapeaux rouges querelles nouveaux schismes Quand on aura esleu le Sabinois On produira contre luy grands sophismes Et sera Rome leslée par Aibanois English By red Hats quarrels and new schismes When the Sabin shall be Elected Great sophismes shall be produced against him And Rome shall be endamaged by the Albanois ANNOT. By red Hats are understood Cardinals of Rome who shall raise great quarrels and schismes when a Pope of the Countrey of the Sabins which is near Rome shall be Elected against whom many things shall be objected and that Rome shall be endamaged by the Albanians which are a VVarlike people and for the most part subject to the Common-wealth of Venice XLVII French Le grand Arabe marchera bien avant Trahy sora par le Bisantinois L'Antique Rhodes luy viendra au devant Et plus grand mal par Austre Pannonois English The great Arabian shall proceed a great way He shall be betrayed by the Bisantines The ancient Rhodes shall come to meet him And a greater evil by a South wind from Hungary ANNOT. By Bisantine is understood the great Turk Master of Constantinople formerly called Bysantium XLVIII French Apres la grande affliction du Sceptre Deux ennemis par eux seront defaicts Classes d' Affrique aux Pannons viendra naistre Par Mer Terre seront horribles Faicts English After the great afflictions of the Scepter Two enemies shall be overcome by themselves A Fleet of Affrica shall be born to the Hungarians By Sea and Land shall be horrid facts ANNOT. The words of this Stanza are plain though the sense be something obscure XLIX French Nul de l' Espagne mais de l'antique France Sera esleu pour le tremblant nacelle A l'ennemy sera faicte fiance Qui dans son Regne sera peste cruelle English None out of Spain but of the ancient France Shall be Elected to govern the tottering Ship The enemy shall be trusted Who to his Kingdom shall be a cruel plague ANNOT. The two first Verses foretell a schisme in the Church of Rome understood by a tottering Ship and that a French man shall be Elected Pope to remedy it The two last Verses are easie to be understood L. French L'An que les Freres du Lys seront an Aage L'Un d'euz tâ—endra la grand Romanie Trembler les Monts ouvert Latin passage Bache marcher contre Fort d' Armenie English In the year that the Brethren of the Lillies shall be at Age One of them shall hold the great Romanie The Mountains shall tremble the Latine passage shall be opened A Bassha shall march against the Fort of Armenia ANNOT. By the Brethren of the Lillies are meant the Heirs of the Crown of France the rest is plain LI. French La gent de Dace d' Angleterre Polone Et de Boësme feront nouvelle ligue Pour passer outre d' Hercules la Colonne Barcins Thyrrans dresser cruelle brigue English The people of Dacia England and Poland And of Bohemia shall make a new League To go beyond Hercules Pillars Barcins and Thyrrens shall make a cruel plot ANNOT. By Barcins he means those of Carthage which is now Tunis and by the Thyrrens those that live near that Sea LII French Un Roy sera qui donra l'opposite Les exilez eslevez sur le Regne De sang nager la gent caste hyppolite Et florira long-temps sous telle enseigne English A King shall be who shall be opponent To the banished persons raised upon the Kingdom The chast Hippolite Nation shall swim in blood And shall flourish a great
death and driven out naked They shall change their red and black into green ANNOT. Here I confess to be at a loss as may be a wiser man then I. XXXI French Le Sainct Empire viendra en Germanie Ismaelites trouveront lieux ouverts Asnes viendront aussy de la Caramanie Les soustenans de Terre tous couverts English The Holy Empire shall come into Germany The Ismaelites shall find open places Asses shall also come out of Caramania Taking their part and covering the Earth ANNOT. By the Ismaelites he meaneth the Turks who brag to be descended from Ismael Caramania is a Province of Turky so that the sense of this Stanza is that there shall be a great Invasion of the Turks into Germany and that those of Caramania with their Asses shall come to their help and shall be in such numbers as that the Earth shall be covered with them XXXII French Le grand Empire chascun en devoit estre Un sur les autres le viendra obtenir Mais peu de temps sera son Regne estre Deux ans aux Naves se pourra soustenir English The great Empire every one would be of it One above the rest shall obtain it But his time and his Reign shall last little He may maintain himself two years in his Shipping ANNOT. This is plain enough without interpretation XXXIII French La faction cruelle a Robe longue Viendra cacher soubs les pointus Poignards Saisir Florence le Duc le Diphlongue Sa discouverte par Immeurs Flagnards English The cruel faction of long Robe Shall come and hide under the sharp Daggers Seize upon Florence the Duke and the Diphlongue The discovery of it shall be by Countrey fellows ANNOT. This is the Prognostication of a conspiracy against the Duke and City of Florence by those of the long Gown which shall be discovered by Countrey fellows that live in places without Walls XXXIV French Gaulois qu'Empire par Guerre occupera Par son Beau-frere mineur sera trahi Par Cheval rude voltigeant trainera Du fait le frere long temps sera hay English A Frenchman who shall occupy an Empire by War Shall be betrayed by his Brother in Law a Pupil He shall be drawn by a rude prancing Horse For which fact his brother shall be long hated ANNOT. This foretelleth of a Frenchman who shall by War obtain an Empire or Kingdom and shall be betrayed by his Brother in Law a Pupil whom afterwards he shall treacherously cause to mount a fierce prancing Horse who shall throw him down and drag him for which the said King shall be hated long after XXXV French Puisné Roial flagrant d'ardant libide Pour se jouir de cousine Germaine Habit de femme au Temple d' Artemide Allant murdry par incogneu du Marne English The Kingly youngest son heated with burning lust For to enjoy his Cosen German Shall in womans apparrel go to the Temple of Artemis Going shall be murdered by unknown du Marne ANNOT. This is concerning the younger son of a King who being extreamly in love with his Cosen German shall disguise himself in a womans apparel and shall go so disguised to the Temple of Artemide that is of some Church Dedicated to the Virgin Mary to meet her but in going shall be murdered by an unknown man named du Marne XXXVI French Apres le Roy du Sud guerres parlant L'Isle Harmotique le tiendra a mespris Quelques ans bons rongeant un pillant Par tyrannie a l'Isle changeant pris English After that the King of the South shall have talked of Wars The Harmotick Island shall despise him Some good years gnawing one and plundering And by tyranny shall change the price of the Island ANNOT. The two first Verses are concerning Philip the II. King of Spain who is called here the King of the South whom after his vain and frustrated Invasion of 88. the Harmotique Island that is England shall deride and he after that shall have some good years that is of Peace still pillaging and plundering his Subjects and shall change the price of England that is make it of a higher value and more flourishing then ever it was before as it did prove in Queen Elizabeth's time XXXVII French Grande assemblée pres du Lac du Borget Se rallieront pres de Montmelian Passants plus outre pensifs feront projet Chambray Morienne combat Saint Julian English A great assembly of people near the Lake of Borget Will go and gather themselves about Montmelian Going beyond they shall make an enterprize Upon Chambery Moriene and shall fight at St. Julian ANNOT. This Lake of Borget is in Savoy as also Montmelian Chambery Moriene and St. Julian the meaning of it then is that a great Army shall be gathered about that Lake which shall go through Chambery Moriene and Montmelian and shall fight at St. Julian XXXVIII French Amour alegre non loin pose le Siege Au Saint Barbar seront les Garnisons Ursins Hadrie pour Gaulois feront plaige Pour peur rendus de l'Armée aux Grisons English Cheerful love doth lay Siege not far The Garrisons shall be at Saint Barbar Ursini Hadria shall be sureties for the French And many for fear shall go from the Army to the Grisons ANNOT. The first two Verses are inexplicable the two last signifie that there shall be an Army of Frem with whom Hadria that is Venice and the Ursini the noblest Family in Italy shall take part insomuch that many of the contrary party shall run for fear to the Grisons which is a Nation dwelling in the Valteline and other Countreis there about between the Venetians and the Switzers XXXIX French Premier fils veufve malheureux mariage Sans nuls enfans deux Isles en discord Avant dixhuit incompetant Aage De l'autre pres plus bas sera l'accord English Of the first son a widow an unhappy match Without any Children two Islands at variance Before eighteen an incompetant Age Of the other lower shall be the agreement ANNOT. Although the words be intricate nevertheless the sense is plain concerning Francis the II. King of France who being married young and before he was 18. years of Age to Mary Stuart Queen of Scotland died presently after and left her a widow and also England and Scotland which he calleth here two Islands at variance among themselves of the last Verse the sense is very obscure and hath relation to what did happen afterwards to the said Mary Queen of Scots and Dowager of France XL French Le jeune nay au Regne Britannique Qu'aura le Pere mourant recommandé Iceluy mort Londre donra topique Et a son fils le Regne demandé English The young man born to the Kingdom of Britanny Whom his Father dying shall have recommended After his death London shall give him a topick And shall ask the Kingdom from his son ANNOT. This Prophecy is plain concerning his Majesty King
sur la Terre a caché Ce qui estoit mort sera pour lors en vie English Six hundred and five six hundred and six and seven Will shew us unto the year seventeen The anger of the boutefeu his hatred and envy Under the Olive-Tree a great while hidden The Crocodile upon the ground hath hidden What was dead shall then be alive ANNOT. This Stanza is so difficult signifieth nothing but the confusions that have happened in France from the year 1605. to the year 1917. which would be too tedious and prolix here to relate the Reader may see them in the French History XX. French Celuy qui a par plusieurs fois Tenu la Cage puis les bois Rentre a son premier estre Vie sauve peu apres sortir Ne se scachant encor cognoistre Cherchera subject pour mourir English He that hath many times Been in the Cage and in the Woods Cometh again to his first being And shall go out a little after with his life safe And not able yet to know himself Shall seek a subject to be put to death ANNOT. This is yet concerning the Earl of Auvergne half Brother to the Dutchess of Verneuil who for his misdemeanours having been put several times in the Bastille and set free again nevertheless was attempting still some new thing which might have endangered his life XXI French L'Autheur des maux commencera Regner En l'an six cens sept sans espargner Tous les subjects qui sont a la Sangsüe Et puis apres s'en viendra peu a peu Au franc Païs rallumer son feu S'en retournant d'ou elle est issue English The Author of evils shall begin to Reign In the year six hundred and seven without sparing All the subjects that belong to the Leech And afterwards shall come by little and little To the free Countrey to kindle again his fire Going back again from whence it came ANNOT. The Author being a zealous Roman Catholick calls here the Hollanders the Authors of evils who in the year 1607. and 1608. made a grievous War and had several successes against the Spaniard with the help of the French and English till the year 1609. when by the mediation of the French and English Embassadors the Truce was concluded at Antwerp between the Arch-duke and the States of the United Provinces the Articles of it to the number of 38. were solemnly proclaimed and published the ninth of April and ratified by the King of Spain in the Month of July next ensuing XXII French Cil qui dira descouvrisant l'affaire Comme du mort la mort pourra bien faire Coups de Poniards par un qu'auront induits Sa fin sera pis qu'il n'aura fait faire La fin conduit les hommes sur la Terre Gueté par tout tant le jour que la nuit English He that shall say discovering the business How of the dead can make a death well Strokes of a Dagger by one that hath been induced to it His end shall be worse then he hath caused to be done The end leadeth all men upon the Earth Espied every where as well by day as by night ANNOT. This Stanza is wholly abstruse and Enigmatical therefore I will not pretend to expound it but leave the interpretation to those that have more time and leasure then I. XXIII French Quand la grand Nef la prove Gouvernail Du franc Pais son Esprit vital Descueils flots par la Mer secovée Six cens sept dix coeur assiegé Et des reflux de son corps affiegé Sa vie estant sur ce mal renovée English When the great Ship the Prow and Rudder Of the French Countrey and her vital Spirit Being tossed by Baks and Waves Six hundred and seven and ten a heart beset And by the ebbing of his body afflicted Her life being upon this evil knotted again ANNOT. This Stanza signisieth the great troubles that were in France from the year 1610. in which Henry the IV. died to the year 1617. in which the Marshal d' Ancre was killed This man was named Concino Concini a Florentine born who in a little time was grown very great and from a base extraction had ascended to the dignity of Marshal of France by the favour of the Queen Regent Mary of Medicis and grew so rich that he offered to the King to maintain at his own charge 6000. foot and 800. Horses for four Months together he had made himself Master of many strong Places in Picardy and Normandy went about to buy the Government of several Provinces did dispose of the Kings Exchequer at his pleasure and spent vast sums of money at his Masters charge His insolencies were the cause of his ruine when he thought least of it for he threatned every one with words and deeds so far as to say that he would cause them to eat up their fingérs that should oppose his Will and so caused many Officers and Souldiers of the contrary party to be put to death The King Lewis the XIII was particularly informed of the unsufferable pride and misdemeanors of this Marshal and that his design was to keep up the War in France to continue his Authority and Power therefore the King commanded Vitry the Captain of his Guards to apprehend him This was a difficult thing because that the Marshal besides his Menial servants had always twelve Guards wearing his Livery that were desperate fellows there was also another difficulty because no body could tell when or at what time he would come to the Louvre nevertheless at last he came to it upon the 24. of April 1617. attended with a great Train and his Guards the great Gate was opened to him and presently shut again Vitry drew near to him and holding his staff to him said I arrest you in the Kings name upon these words the Marshal stept back as if it were to make resistance saying Me whereupon those that were with Vitry shot three Pistols at him one did hit him in the Heart the other in the Head and the third in the Belly so that he fell down dead immediately upon his left side a certain Lord that was on his right hand speaking with him fell down also without any hurt but his followers seeing him dead run away This death was the cause of great alterations in the publick Government The body of the said Marshal was buried at St. Germain de l'Auxerrois but the people digged it out and dragged it to the new Bridge where they hanged it by the feet upon a Gibbet having cut off his Nose his Ears and his privy parts then they took him down and dragged him through the Town and afterwards burnt it Thus did perish he that was worth about two Millions of Pounds Sterling and pretended to make his house perpetual and Sovereign The new Officers that had governed the State from the 24 of November to the 24 of
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