the thing is come to pass every one may clearly see that he pretended to Prophecie that particular thing And besides he doth sometimes deliver the thing in so obscure terms that without a peculiar Genius it is almost impossible to understand it The second is that though the Prophecie be true in it self yet no body knoweth neither the time nor how For example he plainly foretelleth that the Parliament of England should put their King to death nevertheless no body could tell nor when nor how till the thing was come to pass nor what King it should be till we had seen it The third is that he marketh the times with Astrological terms viz when such and such Planets shall be in such and such Signs but as those Planets are often here and go out of it and come there again no certain judgement can be made of it The fourth is that many times he giveth some peculiar Circumstances to those he speaketh of which may be found in others Thus the Royal first born might have been applied to Lewis the XIII to Lewis the XIV to the first born of Philip the II. and Philip the III. King of Spain and to Kings of England Father and Son Nevertheless we find that this word Royal first born was intended for Henry IV. Grandfather on his Mothers side as we shall shew hereafter This being so it cannot be expounded but after the event The fifth is that the knowledge of future things belongeth to God alone and no body can pretend by any study to have a certain acquisition of it in all its Circumstances The sixth is that the orders of Gods providence which cause the several events in all States will not permit that men should have a publick notion of his designs sometimes he revealeth them to his Servants or to some particular man as he pleaseth but he will not have them to be known among the common sort of men The seventh is the experience we have had or many who pretending to understand the Author have made a quantity of false Prophecies expounding the Stanza's according to their fancy as if God had given them the same understanding that he gave the Author and what ought to confirm us more in this point is that they have expounded some Prophecies as if they were to come to pass which were past already by which we see the the darkness of humane wit who without authority pretendeth to bite into the forbidden fruit of knowledge The eighth is that this knowledge is no way profitable for the Vulgar because those things being decreed by God they shall come to pass without forceing our liberty nor hindering the contingency of sublunary things where we must observe that the Prophecies which were revealed to men are many times conditional as we see in that of Jonaâ— against Ninive but those that they have left in writing for the times that should come after them are absolutely true and shall infallibly come to pass as they have foretold them This no ways hindereth but God may reveal some secrets of his to private men for their benefit and that of their friends without imparting it to the Vulgar who may be should laugh at them The ninth is that God hath peculiarly reserved to himself the knowledge of times Daniel by a special favour knew the end of the Babylonian Captivity and the time of the Messiah's birth and yet the interpreters can scarce yet expound clearly the meaning of the seventy weeks of Daniel and we see that since 1600. years ago holy men from age to age have foretold the proximity of Dooms-day and the coming of Antichrist The tenth is that the foretelling of future things in this Author is for the most part included in business of State and one might beguilty of a criminal temerity if he would discover things that concern us not and the concealing of which is commended by all prodent persons seeing that we owe respect love and submission to those that bear rule over us For these reasons dear Reader I would not have thee intangle thy self in the pretentions of knowing future things If you have light concerning them keep thine own secret and make use of it for thy self Preserve peace and let the Almighty govern the World for he can turn all things to his Glory and may when he pleaseth raise up some Wits that will make known unto us what we desire without any further trouble to our selves Before I make an end I cannot but acquaint thee for gratitude sake of my Obligation to several persons which have lent me Books to help me towards the finishing of this work as namely that worthy Gentleman and the Honour of his profession Mr. Francis Bernard Apothecary to St. Bartholemews Hospital and Mr. Philip Auberton Gentleman belonging to the Right Honourable the Earl of Bridgwater Farewell THE LIFE OF Michael Nostradamus Physitian in Ordinary to HENRY the II. and CHARLES the IX Kings of France MIchael Nostradamus the most renowned and famous Astrologer that hath been these many Ages was born in St. Remy a Town of Provence in the year 1503. upon a Thursday the 14th of December about noon His father was James Nostradamus a Notary of the said Town his Mother was Renata of St. Remy whose Grandfathers by the Fathers and Mothers side were men very skilfull in Mathematick and Physick one having been Physitian to Renatus King of Jerusalem and Sictly and Earl of Provence and the other Physition to John Duke of Calabria Son to the said Renatus whence cometh that our Author saith in his Commentaries that he hath received from hand to hand the Knowledge of Mathematicks from his ancient Progenitors After the death of his great Grandfather by the Mothers side who first gave him a slight tincture and made him in love with the Mathematicks he was sent to School to Avignon After that he went to Mount Pelier to study Philosophy and Physick till a great Plague coming he was compelled to go to Narbonne Thoulouse and Bourdeaux where he first began to practise being then about 22 years of age Having lived four years in those parts he went back again to Monpelier to get his degrees which he did with a great deaal of applause Going to Thoulouse he past through Agen where Julius Caesar Scaliger stayed him with whom he was very familiar and intimately acquainted though they fell out afterward there he took to wife a very honourable Gentlewoman by whom he had two Children a Son and a Daughter all which being dead and seeing himselâ— alone he resolved to retire himself into Provence his Native Countrey After he had gone to Marscille he went to Aix where the Paâ—liament of Provence sitteth and was there kept three years at the City Charges because of the violent Plague that raged then in the year 1546. as you may read in the Lord of Launay's Book called the Theater of the World who describeth that Plague according to the informations our Author
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
in that Kingdom the meaning therefore of this Prophecy is that there should be a great famine in Spain wherein the Spania 〈◊〉 should be constrained to make his application to the French for relief of Corn which should be granted him This happened in the year 1665 for you must understand that most of these last Prophecies were to be fulfilled in the Reign of Henry IV. VIII French Un peu devant l'ouvert commerce Ambassadeur viendra de Perse Nouvelle au Franc Pais porter Mais non receu vaine esperance A son grand Dieu sera l'offense Feignant de le vouloir quitter English A little before that Trade shall be open An Embassador shall come from Persia To bring news into France But he shall not be received O vain hope To his great God shall the offence be Faining that he would leave him ANNOT. In the year 1608. the year before the Truce was concluded between the Spaniard and the Hollanders by which all free Commerce was opened through Europe The King of Persia being then in War with the great Turk sent an Embassador to all the Christian Princes and chiefly into France to move them to make a diversion in so fit a time but he could prevail nothing and went back again re infecta which he thought to be a great injury done to his Prophet Mahomet IX French Deux Estendars du costé de l' Auvergne Senestre pris pour un temps prison regne Et un Dame enfant voudra mener Au Censuart mais discouvert l'affaire Danger de mort murmure sur la Terre Germain Bastille Frere Soeur prisonier English Two Standards in the County of Auvergne The left one taken for a while Prison shall reign And a Lady shall endeavour to carry a child To the Censuart but the plot being discovered Danger of Death murmur upon Earth Own Brother Bastille Brother and Sister prisoners ANNOT. This Stanza being most obscure and difficult cannot be understood so well by parcels as by laying down the whole Synopsis of it which I do the more willingly because I think it will be delightful to the Reader and that the whole being known the meaning of every particular will easily be understood Charles the IX King of France the last of the House of Valois left only one natural Son called the Earl of Auvergne who had a Sister by the Mothers side that was called Henrietta de Balzac Duchess of Verneuil once Mistriss to Henry the IV by whom she had upon promiss of marriage one Son at this time Duke of Vernueil and Governour of Languedoc but this promiss being made void by Act of Parliament Henry IV. married Mary of Medicis by which he had issue Lewis the XIII and other children now upon the discontent of the Marshal of Biron the Dutchess of Verneuil the Earl of Auvergne her Brother and their party joyned with him for the promoting of the Duke of Verneuil's interest to the Crown whereupon the King sent for the Earl of Auvergne who was then in his County a hundred Leagues from Paris but the Earl trusting more the good will of the Citizens of Clermont in Auvergne who loved him then to the Kings Clemency neglected to come whereupon the King sent again the Lord d' Escures with a pardon for what was past he promised to come when he should see his pardon Signed and Sealed in good form the King was offended at his proceeding and took it very ill that a Subject of his would capitulate with him who intended to deal plainly and sincerely the King nevertheless past that over for many considerations one of them was that the Earl was of the blood of France and brother by the Mother to one that had been his Mistress besides that he was a Prince endowed with many good qualities most of which did Sympathise with those of the King thus the King sent him his Pardon as well for what was past as for the present but with this proviso that he should come for all this he did not stir out of Clermont the King seeing that did resolve to have him at any rate there was several propositions made for to take him at Hunting at running of the Ring at some Banquet in the Fields in the City all these ways might be suspected by the Earl but a new one was found out of which he himself was the Author the Troop of the Duke of Vendosme was preparing for to Muster the Earl intreated d' Eurre Lieutenant of the said company that it might be in the Fields by Clermont towards Nonnain because he intended to take revenge in the behalf of a Lady upon the Inhabitants of that place The King sent directions and orders to d' Eurre how he should govern himself in that action and gave him for Associates la Boulaye Lieutenant of the Marquess of Vernueil's Troop and Nerestan Colonel of a Foot Regiment By the Kings advice they imparted the business to the Viscount of Pont du Chasteau to the Baron of Canillac and some others that had authority in that Province and were devoted to the Kings service and all keeping religiously the Laws of silence The 12 of November the Troop met at the Rendezvous the Earl came thither by times with two only of his followers thinking that the Troop should not be ready so soon and so he should have pretext either to go back to Clermont or to go on further to visit his Mistress The prudence and diligence of those that managed the business did prevent him and begot a suspition in him for he was seen to truss up his Cloak and to try whither his sword did not stick to the Scabbard D' Eurre went to him and having complemented him rode on his left hand while the Troop was setting in order Nerestan came to salute him on the other side and rode on his right hand being followed by three stout Souldiers habited like Lackeys and appointed for this action The Viscount of du Pont du Chasteau and his brother rode out of the Troop and encompassed him on all sides One of the Souldiers laid hold on the Horses Bridle d' Eurre at the same time laid hold on his Swords Hilt saying my Lord we are commanded by the King to give him an account of your person and we intreat you to submit unto his Majesties good pleasure that we may have no occasion to use you otherways then we desire Maison-ville and Liâ—erne who were his two followers drew their Swords thinking to make him way to escape but some shot spent upon them made them presently retire and run away He was put upon a Trumpeters Nag as far as Briare and thence conducted to Montargis in a Coach and afterwards by water to Paris and put in the Bastille By this History and the explication of the word Censuart which is an ancient word derived from the Latine word Censor and taken here for the Kingly office the whole Prophecy is easily understood and
be applied to France when the Infan of Spain Don Balthazar died c. XVI French Un Prince Anglois Mars a son coeur du Ciel Voudra poursuivre sa fortune prospere Des deux duelles l'un percera le fiel Hay de luy bien aymé de sa Mere. English An English Prince Mars hath his heart from Heaven Will follow his prosperous fortune Of two Duels one shall pierce the gall Being hated of him and beloved of his Mother ANNOT. By this Stanza is promised to England a Martial Prince who shall have his heart from Heaven and with all endeavours follow his prosperous fortune which is a remarkable and commendable part in a man By the last two Verses it seemeth that this Prince shall have a Son who shall fight two duels for one of which his Father shall be angry and hate him but his Mother shall love him for it XVII French Mont Aventine brusler nuit sera veu Le Ciel obscur tout a un coup en Flandres Quand le Monarque chassera son Neveu Lors gens d'Eglise commettront les esclandres English Mount Aventine shall be seen to burn in the night The Heaven shall be darkned upon a sudden in Flanders When the Monarch shall expel his Neven Then Churchmen shall commit scandals ANNOT. Mount Aventine is one of the seven Mountains in Rome The rest is plain XVIII French Apres la pluye de lait assez longuette En plusieurs lieux de Rheims le Ciel touché O quel conflit de sang pres deux sapreste Pere Fils Rois noseront approché English After a pretty long rain of Milk In many places of Rhemes the lightning shall fall O what a bloody fight is making ready near them Father and Son both Kings shall not dare to come near ANNOT. Rhemes is a City in France The rest is easie XIX French En Lucques sang lait viendra pleuvoir Un peu devant changement de Preteur Grand Peste Guerre Faim soif fera voir Loin ou mourra leur Prince Recteur English In Luca it shall rain Blood and Milk A little before the change of the Magistrate A great Plague War Hunger and Thirst shall be seen A great way off where their Prince Ruler shall die ANNOT. Luca at present is a strong Town and a little Common-wealth by it it self in Italy governed by their own Magistrate That Town is threatned here to see those prodigies mentioned a little before the change of their Government besides a great Plague and dearth as also the death of their chief Magistrate who shall die far off that Countrey As for the raining Milk and Blood they are Prodigies that have appeared often before and therefore not incredible as those that are Versed in History may justifie and although the reasons may be drawn from natural causes yet wonld they be too tedious if I should insert them here XX. French Par les Contrées du grand flevue Betique Loin d' Ibere au Royaume de Grenade Croix repoussees par gens Mahometiques Un de Cordube trahira a la fin Contrade English Through the Countreys of the great River Betis Far from Iberia in the Kingdom of Granada Crosses beaten back by Mahometan people One of Corduba shall at last betray the Countrey ANNOT. The great River called in Latine Betis and in Spanish Guadalquivir is the River of Sevilia the most famous Town in Spain for Trade This River runneth through most of the Spanish Dominions and dischargeth it self into the Ocean about the mouth of the Straights over against Barbary upon which Coast of Spain lyeth the Kingdom of Granada the chief City of which is Corduba in Spanish Cordua This Kingdom was of time almost immemorial occupied and inhabited by the Moores till they were expelled and driven back into Barbary by Ferdinand and Isabella King and Queen of Castilia The rest is easie XXI French Au Crustamin pres Mer Adriatique Apparoistra un horrible poisson De face humaine de corps aquatique Qui se prendra dehors de l'Hamecon English In the Crustamin near the Adriatick Sea An horrid Fish shall appear Having a mans face and a fishes body Which shall be taken without a hook ANNOT. I suppose this Crustamin to be some place so called near the Adriatick Sea As for Fishes with an humane face we have several examples of them Ambrosius Paraeus relateth divers and in his works hath inserted the Pictures of them 1. When Mena was Governour of Aegypt and walked by the Nilus side he saw a Sea-man rising out of the River having an humane shape as far as the Navel and with a grave look and fair hairs intermixed with white ones bony Breast and distinct Arms the rest of the body was like a Fish Three days after in the Morning appeared another Sea monster like a woman those two Monsters appeared so long that every body had time to consider them 2. Rondeletius saith that in our age was taken a Fish in the Sea of Norway which every body presently called a Monk because of the resemblance 3. In the year 1531. was seen a Sea-monster covered with Scales which for the resemblance was called a Bishop Rondeletius and Gesuerus have the Picture of it 4. In the year 1523. was seen in Rome a Fish about the bigness of a Child of five years old that had humane shape to the Navel except the ears So that all those things related of Tritons Nereides and Sirens seem not altogether fabulous and we may conclude with Pliny Vera est valgi opinio quicquid nascatur in parte naturae ulla in Mari esse praeterque multa quae nusquam alibi lib. 9. cap. 2. XXII French Six jours lassaut devant Cité donné Livrée sera forte aspre Bataille Trois la rendront a eux pardonné Le reste a feu sang trauche taille English Six days shall the assault be given to the City A great and fierce Battle shall be fought Three shall surrender it and be pardoned The rest shall be put to fire and Sword cut and slasht ANNOT. Some famous City must be here understood which the Author hath not named The same shall be assaulted for six days continually and in conclusion shall be surrendred or betrayed by three men who shall be pardoned and all the rest put to Fire and Sword Most men that have knowledge in History interpret this of the City of Magdebourg in Germany that was destroyed with Fire and Sword by the Earl of Tilly General for the Emperour against Gustavus Adolphus King of Swedeland For the like devastation and cruelty was never heard of in Europe XXIII French Si France passe outre Mer Liquistique Tu te verras en Isles Mers enclos Mahomet contraire plus Mer l' Adriatique Chevaux Asnes tu rongeras les os English If France goeth beyond the Ligustick Sea Thou shalt see thy self inclosed with Islands and Seas
Seont ouis au Ciel les Armes battre Celuy an mesme les Divins ennemis Voudront Loix Saintes injustement debatre Par Foudre guerre bien croians a mort mis. English There shall be heard in the Air noise of Weapons And in that same year the Divines shall be enemies They shall unjustly put down the Holy Laws And by the Thunder and the War true believers shall die ANNOT. There is no obscurity in this XLIV French Deux gros de Mende de Rhodez Milland Cahors Limoges Castre malo sepmano De nuech l'intrado de Bmrdeaux an cailhau Par Perigort au toc de la Campano English Two great ones of Mende of Rhodez and Milliaud Cahors Limoges Castres an evil week By night the entry shall be from Bourdeaux one cailhau Through Perigort at the ringing of the Bell. ANNOT. This Stanza is half French and half Provencal language All the Cities named here Mende Rhodez Milliaud Cahors Limoges Castres Bourdeaux Perigort are Cities of France bordering upon Provence which is the Countrey wherein our Author was born The meaning of it is that all those Cities shall rise against the Collectors of the Kings Taxes and shall set upon them by the sound of the Bell which is already come to pass and may come to pass yet XLV French Par conflict Roy Regne abandonera Le plus grand Chef faillira au besoing Morts profligez peu en rechapera Tous destrenchez un en sera tesmoin English By a Battle the King shall for sake his Kingdom The greatest Commander shall fail in time of need They shall be killed and routed few shall escape They shall be cut off one only shall be left for a witness ANNOT. This is a Prognostication of a great Battle by the loss of which a King shall forsake his Kingdom his chief Commander having deserted him in time of need The slaughter shall be so great that none shall be left but one for a witness XLVI French Bien defendu le fait par excellence Garde toy Tours de â—a proche ruine Londres Nantes par Rheims fera defence Ne passes outre au temps de la bruine English The fact shall be defended excellently well Tours beware of thy approaching ruine London and Nantes by Rhemes shall stand upon their defence Do not go further in foggy weather ANNOT. Tours is the chief City of a Province in France called Touraine which is commended here for having resisted excellently well but is forewarned to look to her self after that and to beware of her approaching ruine XLVII French Le noir farouche quand aura essayé Sa main sanguine par feu fer arcs tendus Trestout le peuple sera tant effrayé Voir les plus grands par col pieds pendus English The wild black one after he shall have tryed His bloody hand by fire Sword bended Bows All the people shall be so frighted To see the greatest hanged by the neck and feet ANNOT. It is a description of a Tyrant who after he shall have tryed his bloody hand by Fire Sword and bent Bows shall cause his chies men to be hanged by the neck and feet Since the Author did write there had been such a Tyrant in the world namely John Basilides great Duke of Russia in the year 1572 Read Panl Osburne in his Life XLVIII French Planure Ausone fertile spacieuse Produira taons tant de sauterelles Clarte solairé deviendra nubilense Ronger le rout grand peste venir delles English The Plain about Bourdeaux fruitful and spacious Shall produce so many Hornets and so many Grasphopers That the light of the Sun shall be darkened They shall crap all a great plague shall come from them ANNOT. I cannot find in History that this hath yet happened since the writing of these Prophecies therefore I reckon it de future XLIX French Devant le peuple sang sera respandu Qui du haut Ciel ne viendra esloigner Mais d'un long temps ne sera entendu L'Esprit d'un seul le viendra tesmoigner English Before the people blood shall be spilt Who Shall not come far from the high Heaven But it shall not be heard of for a great while The Spirit of one shall come to witness it ANNOT. This Prophecie is concerning some just person that shall be murdered openly His blood shall cry to Heaven but shall not be heard for a good while till at last is shall be discovered by some body L. French Libra verra regner les Hesperies De Ciel Terre tenir la Monarchie D' Asie forces nul ne verra peries Que sept ne tiennent par rang la Hierarchie English Libra shall see Spain to Reign And have the Monarchy of Heaven and Earth No body shall see the forces of Asia to perish Till seven have kept the Hierarchy successively ANNOT. Libra is one of the twelve signs of the Zodiack which is favourable to Spain so that the meaning of this is that Libra shall see Spain to Reign And besides that to have the Monarchy of Heaven and Earth that is to have the command of the Pope and of the best part of Europe So that no Asian or Turkish forces shall receive damage by the Christians till seven Popes of the Spanish faction have Reigned successively and one after another LI. French Un Duccupide son ennemy poursuivre Dans entrera empeschant la Phalange Hastez a pied si pres viendront poursuivre Que la journée conflite aupres du Gange English A Duke being earnest in the pursute of his enemy Shall come in hindering the Phalange Hastened on foot shall follow them so close That the day of the Battle shall be near Ganges ANNOT. A Phalange in Latine Phalanx is a Squadron of Souldiers which word was antiently proper only to the Macedonians Ganges is a River in India LII French En Cité obsesse aux murs hommes femmes Ennemis hors le chef prest a soy rendre Vent sera fort encontre les gens darmes Chasfez seront par chaux poussiere cendre English In a besieged City men and women being upon the walls The enemies without the Governour ready to surrender The Wind shall be strong against the Souldiers They shall be driven away by lime dust and ashes ANNOT. This is a peculiar and remarkable accident wherein the besiegers of a City shall be driven away from their enterprise by Lime Dust and Ashes scattered and dispersed against them by a mighty wind LIII French Les fugitiss bannis revoqués Peres Fils garnissant les hauts puits Le cruel pere les siens suffoquez Son Fils plus pire submergé dans le puits English The runnaways and banished men being recalled Fathers and Sons garnishing the high wells The cruel father and his retinue shall be suffocated His Son being worse shall be drowned in the Well ANNOT. The words are plain out of which every one may
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
sont les luissans metaux Ardente Lampe Trajan d'or buriné English Under the ancient edifices of the Vestals Not far from an Aqueduct ruinated Are the bright mettals of Sun and Moon A burning Lamp of Trajan of ingraven gold ANNOT. Monsieur Catel in his second Book of Languedoc Chap. V. saith that there was a famous Aqueduct which the Romans builded from the River Gar to the Town of Nismes which at present is ruinated Secondly Near the Town there was a famous Temple dedicated to Diana where there is a Spring of water so great that it seemeth rather a Lake then a Fountain Thirdly I find that the Emperour Adrian caused a Temple to be built in the honour of Plotina Trajan's wife Fourthly He relateth that Jean Poldo found in the Town of Aix a Marble with this inscription Plotina Trajanis uxor summa honestate integritate fulgens sterilitatis defectu sine prole fecit conjugem qui ejus opera Adrianum adoptatum in Imperio Successorem habuit a quo in beneficii memoriam Nemausiaede sacra maximo Sumptu sublimique structura ac Hymnorum cantu decorata post mortem donata est That is to say Plotina Trajans wife famous for her honesty and integrity was barren and left no Children to her Husband which she perceiving intreated the Emperour to adopt Adrian for his Son and to make him his Successor in the Empire which being come to pass the new Emperour in acknowledgement of such a benefit did build her a Temple of a magnificent Structure and caused it to be Consecrated with Musick after her death Fifthly The said Author saith that this Marble was taken out of that Temple when the River of Gardon did so overflow as we have said By all this we see that there was a Temple of Vestals at Nismes Diana the Maid being their chief Patroness which is made now a Nunnery called la Fontaine There is also to be seen the Temple of Plotina Trajans wife built by Adrian his Successor And as it was the manner of the Ancients to put some of those inextinguishable Lamps in their Graves it is very likely there was one of them in this Temple and because it should be known whose Grave it was he caused Trajans name to be Engraven in the foot of the said Lamp Let us explain now the Stanza Under the Ancient Vestal buildings of the Temple of Diana not far from the ruined Aqueduct which carrieth the water from the River Gar to Nismes shall be found shining mettals of Sol and Luna that is Meddals of gold and silver with a burning Lamp of gold wherein the name of Trajan was Engraven Histories make mention of several burning Lamps in this manner that have been found still burning in the ground and not consumed though they had been there above 500. years certainly the Oil of it must have been incombustible and could be extracted out of nothing but gold quia nil dat quod non habet LXVII French Quand Chef Perouse n'osera sa Tunique Sens au convert tout nud s'expolier Seront prins sept faict Aristocratique Le Pere Fils morts par poine te an collier English When the Chief of Perouse shall not dare without a Tunick To expose himself naked in the dark Seven shall be taken for setting up Aristocracy The Father and the Son shall die by pricks in the Collar ANNOT. Perouse is a City in Italy the rest is plain LXVIII French Dans le Danube le Rhine viendra boire Le grand Chameau ne sen repentira Trembler le Rhosne plus fort ceux de Loire Et pres des Alpes Coq le ruinera English In Danubius and the Rhine shall come to drink The great Camel and shall not repent The Rhosne shall tremble and more those of Loire And near the Alpes the Cock shall ruine him ANNOT. This foretelleth a great incursion of the Turks into Germany insomuch that they shall water their Camels in the Rivers of Danubius and of the Rhyne to the great terrour of France wherein those Rivers of Rhosne and Loire are But the last Verse saith the Cock that is the French shall overcome and ruine the Turks near the Mountains of the Alpes LXIX French Plus ne sera le grand en faux sommeil L'Inquietude viendra prendre repos Dresser Phalange d'Or Azur vermeil Subjuguer Affrique ronger jusqu ' aux os English The great one shall be no more in a false sleep The restlessness shall take rest He shall raise an Army of Gold and Azure He shall conquer Affrica and gnaw it to the bones ANNOT. This is concerning some great Prince who shall raise a powerful Army and conquer Affrica with it LXX French Les Regions subietes a la Balance Feront trembler les Monts par grande Guerre Captifs tout sexe avec toute Bizance Qu'on criera a l'Aube Terre a Terre English The Regions under the sign of Libra Shall make the Mountains quake with great War Slaves of all sexes with all Bizance So that in the dawning of the day they shall cry to Land to Land ANNOT. This foretelleth the destruction of Constantinople anciently called Byzantium by those that live under the Sign of Libra that is the Europeans and chiefly the French LXXI French Par la fureur d'un qui attendra l'eau Par la grand rage tout l'exercite esmeu Charge des Nobles a dixsept Bateaux Au long du Rhosne tard Messager venud English By the fury of one staying for the Water By his great rage the whole Army shall be troubled There shall be seventeen Boats full of Noblemen Along the Rhosne the Messenger shall come too late ANNOT. The words and sense are plain LXXII French Pour le plaifir d'Edict voluptueux On meslera la poison dans la Loy Venus sera en cours si vertueux Qu'obfusquera du Soleil tout alloy English By the pleasure of a voluptuons proclamation The poison shall be mixed in the Law Venus shall be in so great request That it shall darken all the allay of the Sun ANNOT. By a Proclamation favouring or promoting Licentiousness poison shall be mixed in the Law and leachery so much countenanced as it shall obscurate the allay of the Sun that is piety so much commended in the Gospel to all those that will fight under Christs Banner LXXIII French Persecutée sera de dien l'Eglise Et les Saints Temples seront expoliez L'Enfant la mere mettra nud en chemise Seront Arabes au Polous ralliez English The Church of God shall be persecuted And the holy Temples shall be spoiled The Child shall turn out his Mother in her Smock Arrabians shall agree with the Prolonians ANNOT. The Author could not be mistaken in this Prophecie for the Church of God shall always be persecuted the Apostle confirmeth it when he saith that all those that will live piously in christ must suffer persecution As for the spoiling of
these shall happen viz. that the Bridge the Prelat and a pernicious King with a smart victory shall perish whence the Prelature that is the place of Command upon the white ones viz. Canons and Prebends in their Surplices shall be void and empty XXII French Roy sa Cour au lieu de la langue halbe Dedans le Temple vis a vis du Palais Dans le Jardin Duc de Montor d' Albe Albe Mantor poignard langue en Palais English King and his Court in the place of langue halbe Within the Church over against the Pallace In the Garden Duke of Montor and Albe Albe and Mantor dagger tongue and Pallate ANNOT. This Stanza is very obscure for first no body can tell what he meaneth by langue halbe which is the foundation of all the rest of the sense Secondly what this Duke of Montor and Mantor should be which has been unknown in the Histories hither to and thirdly what construction and sense can be made of these disjunctives Albe Mantor Dagger Tongue Palate Therefore I 'le leave it free to every bodies opinion to make his construction XXIII French Puisnay jouant au fresch dessous la tonne Le haut du toit du milieu sur la teste Le Pere Roy au Temple Saint Solonne Sacrifiant sacrera fum de feste English The youngest Son playing under the tun The top of the House shall fall upon his head The King his Father in the Temple of Saint Soulaine Sacrificing shall make festival smoak ANNOT. By this is meant that the youngest Son of a King shall be knocked in the head while he is a playing under a tun his Father being at the same time in the Temple of Saint Soulaine at Mass XXIV French Sur le Palais au Rocher des Fenestres Seront ravis les deux petits Roiaux Passer Aurelle Lutece Denis cloistres Nonnain Mollods avaler verts noiaux English Upon the Pallace at the Rock of the Windows Shall be carried the two little Royal ones To pass Aurele Lutece Denis Cloisters Nonnain Mollods to swallow green stones of fruit ANNOT. These two or three last Stanzas have been concerning the City of Blois to which it seemeth that this hath also relation for he saith that two little Royal Children shall be carried at the top of the Castle and shall be conveyed beyond Aurelle which is Orleans in Latine Aurelianum Lutece which is Paris S. Denis Cloisters which is beyond Paris and a Nunnery besides where it is like they shall be left to eat green stones of fruit which is not easie to be understood no more then the word Mollods XXV French Passant les Ponts venir prez de Roziers Tard arrivé plustost quil cuidera Viendront les noves Espagnols a Beziers Qui icelle chasse emprinse cassera English Going over the Bridge to come near the Rose-trees Come late and sooner then he thought The new Spaniards shall come to Beziers Who shall cashiere this new undertaken hunting ANNOT. Beziers is a City in Languedoc the rest may be construed by the meanest capacity XXVI French Nise sortie sur nom des Lettres aspres La grande Cappe fera present non sien Proche de Vultry aux murs des vertes capres Apres Plombin le vent a bon eâ—cient English A silly going out caused by shardp Letters The great Cap shall give what is not his Near Vultry by the Walls of green Capers About Piombino the wind shall be in good earnest ANNOT. This signifieth that there shall be a silly surrendring of a Town caused by sharp and threatning Letters that shall be sent into it By the great Cap he useth to understand the Pope who he faith shall give what is not it as he hath done many times Vultry in Latine Velitrum and Piombino are two Cities in Italy which are threatned here with mighty winds XXVII French De bois la garde vent clos ront Pont sera Haut le receu frappera le Dauphin Le vieux Teccon bois unis passera Passant plus outre du Duc le droit confin English The Fence being of Wooâ— close Wind Bridge shall be broken He that 's received high shall strike at the Dolphin The old Teccon shall pass over smooth Wood Going over the right confines of the Duke ANNOT. The first Verse signifieth that a woodden Bridge shall be broken by a close wind as did happen to the Millers Bridge and the Birds Bridge in Paris The second Verse seemeth to foretel the conspiracy of the Mareshal of Biron against Henry IV. his Dolphin and Estate The third and fourth the Wars and Conquest which the said King whom he called old Teccon made upon the Duke of savoy who had corrupted the said Marshal of Biron XXVIII French Voile Symacle Port Massiliolique Dans Venise Port marcher aux Pannons Partir du Goulfre sinus Illirique Vast a Sicile Ligurs coups de Canon English Symaclian Sail Massilian Port In Venice to march towards the Hungarians To go away from the Gulf and Illirick Sea Toward Sicily the Genoeses with Cannon shots ANNOT. What he meaneth by Symaclian Sail is not easie to determine Massilian Port is that of Marseilles in France called in Latine Massilia the sense of this Prophecy then if any be is that a great Fleet shall go from thence to Venice to carry succours to the Hungarians who it seemeth shall be much distressed at that time by the Turks and that Sicily and Genoa shall add to this Fleet a considerable succour of Men and Warlike Munition XXIX French Lors que celuy qu'a nul ne donne lieu Abandonner voudra lieu prins non pris Feu Nef par saignes bitument a Charlieu Seront Quintin Bales repris English When he that giveth place to no body Shall forsake the place taken and not taken Fire Ship by bleeding bituminous at Charlieu Then Quintin and Bales shall be taken again ANNOT. He that giveth place to no body is the Pope as for the last Verse I had rather read St. Quintin and Cales which are two considerable Towns in France then otherwise That place taken not taken was the City of Nâ—yon in Picardy which was taken by the Spanish Cavalry cloathed after the French Mode which stratagem deceived the Citizens and Soldiers that defended it so he saith taken because it fell into the hands of the Spaniards and not taken because it was by a stratagem or deceit XXX French Au Port de Puola de St. Nicolas Perir Nornâ—ande au Gouâ—â—â—e Phanatique Cap de Bizance rues crier Helas Secours de Gaddes du grand Philippique English At the Harbour of Puola and of St. Nicolas A Norman Ship shall perish in the Phanatick Gulf At the Cape of Byzantium the streets shall cry Alas Succours from Cadis and from the great Philippe ANNOT. Puola is for Paulo here and by it is understood the Port of Malta which being Besieged by the Turks Philip the II. King of Spain
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
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
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
it should be Lyon which is another famous City and the first Archbishoprick of the said Kingdom Formande is a barbarous word and I believe put in only to make up the Rime as he hath done in several other places as much then as can be gathered out of the sense is this that from that City Bourges which usually is a Dowry for a Queen of France which is called here Garlant shall a treason be hatched against the Archbishop of Lion which I suppose came to pass in the time of Henry the III. when Peter of Pinac Archbishop of the said Lion being accused by the Deputies of Bourges for siding with the League escaped narrowly to be killed when the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal his brother were Queen Catherine of Medicis the Kings Mother having then the said Province and Town of Bourges for her jointure The last Verse hath no relation to the three foremost and hath its interpretation by it self which is plain enough XLVIII French Du plus profond de l' Espagne ancienne Sortants du bout des fins de l' Europe Trouble passant aupres du Pont de Laigne Sera deffaits par bande sa grand troppe English From the utmost part of old Spain Going out of the extremities of Europe He that troubled the travellers by the Bridge of Laigne Shall have his great Troop defeated by another ANNOT. Every Traveller knoweth that Castille which is taken here for Spain is divided into two parts viz. Castilia la Vecchia and Castilia la Nuova our Author then saith that out of Castilia la Vecchia which is situated at the further end of Europe on that side shall come a band of men who shall destroy the Thieves that robbed and vexed the Travellers by the Bridge of Laigne which it seemeth was an infamous place for robbing XLIX French Jardin du Monde aupres de Cité neufve Dans le chemin des Montagnes cavées Sera saisi plongé dans la Cuve Beuvant par force eaux Soulphre envenimées English Garden of the World near the new City In the way of the digged Mountains Shall be seized on and thrown into the Tub Being forced to drink Sulphurous poisoned waters ANNOT. This word Garden of the World doth signifie a particular person seeing that this Garden of the World was seized on and poisoned in a Tub of Sulphurous water in which he was thrown The History may be this that Nostradamus passing for a Prophet and a great Astrologer in his time abundance of people came to him to know their Fortunes and chiefly the Fathers to know that of their Children as did Mr. Lasnier and Mr. Cotton Father of that renowned Jesuit of the same name very like then that Mr. du Jardin having a son did ask Nostradamus what should become of him and because his son was named Cosmus which in Greek signifieth the World he answered him with these four Verses Garden of the World for Cosmus of the Garden In his travels shall be taken hard by the New City in a way that hath been digged between the Mountains and there shall be thrown into a Tub of poisoned Sulphurous water to cause him to die being forced to drink that water which those rogues had prepared for him Those that have learned the truth of this History may observe it here This ought to have come to pass in the last Age seeing that the party mentioned was then born when this Stanza was written and this unhappy man being dead of a violent death there is great likelyhood that he was not above forty years old There is another difficulty to know which is that new City there being many of that name in Europe nevertheless the more probable is that there being many Knights of Maltha born in Provence the native Countrey of our Author it may be believed that by the new City he meaneth the new City of Maltha called la Valete hard by which there is paths and ways digged in the Mountains which Mountains are as if it were a Fence and a Barricado against the Sea or else this Cosmus might have been taken by Pyrats of Algiers and there in the new City of the Goulette be put to death in the manner aforesaid L. French La Meuse au jour Terre de Luxembourg Descouvrira Saturne trois en Lurne Montaigne plaine Ville Cité Bourg Lorrain Deluge trahison par grand hurne English The Maes by day in the Land of Luxembourg Shall discover Saturn and three in the Lurne Mountain and plain Town City and Countrey Town A Lorrain flood treason by a great hurne ANNOT. The Maes is a River that runneth through a part of Lorrain and Luxembourg as for the words Lurne and hurne I do not understand them neither do I think they are to be found in all the French Language both obsolete and modern all what I can gather out of this is that a great overflowing of the River Maes shall be both in Luxembourg and Lorrain insomuch that three Leaden Mines which is meant here by Saturn shall be discovered and after that a great Treason shall happen in the said Lorrain LI. French Des lieux plus bas du Pais de Lorraine Seront des basses Allemagnes unis Par ceux du Siege Picards Normans du Maine Et aux Cantons se seront reunis ANNOT. The sense of this is that the lower Lorrain and Germany being united together shall have War with the other three Nations of Picards Normans and Manceaux which having Besieged a Town shall constrain the Lorrainers and Low germans to unite themselves with the Cantons of Switzerland LII French Au lieu ou Laye Scelde se marient Seront les Nopces de long temps mamée Au lieu d' Anvers ou la grappe charient Jeune vieillesse conforte intammée English In the place where Laye and Scelde are united Shall the Nuptials be that were long a doing In the place of Antwerp where they draw the grape The young unspotted will comfort the old Age. ANNOT. There is fault in the Impression for instead of Laye it must be Lis which is a River that runneth through Flanders and dischargeth it self into the Scelde which is the River that passeth at Antwerp the sense therefore of this Prophecy is that in the place where the River of Lis joyneth with the Scelde there shall the Nuptials be consummated that were long a doing and the place of Antwerp where they unload the Wines there shall a young unspotted Lady Marry and comfort an old man LIII French Les trois Pellices de loing s'entrebattront La plus grand moindre demeurera a l'ecoute Le grand Selin n'en sera plus patron Le nommera feu pelte blanche route English The three Concubines shall fight one with another a far off The greatest less shall remain watching The great Selin shall be no more their Patron And shall call it fire pelte white route ANNOT. This Prophecy is concerning
so bitter a time ANNOT. This is so clear that it needeth no interpretation LXXXIX French De Bricque en Marbre seront les Murs reduits Sept cinquante années pacifiques Joye aux humains renevé l'aqueduct Santé grands fruits joye temps mellifique English The Walls shall be turned from Brick into Marble There shall be peace for seven and fifty years Joy to mankind the Aqueduct shall be built again Health abundance of fruit joy and mellifluous time ANNOT. After so many calamities Prognosticated by the Author he promiseth here seven and fifty year of a golden Age but when he maketh no mention XC French Cent fois mourra le Tyran inhumain Mis a son lieu scavant debonnaire Tout le Senat sera dessoubs sa main Fasche sera par malin tcmeraire English The inhumane tyrant shall die a hundred times In his place shall be put a Learned and mild man All the Senate shall be at his command He shall be made angry by a rash malicious person ANNOT. This Prognostication is easie to be understood only it is indeterminate and specifieth neither time nor persons XCI French Clergé Romain l'an mil six cens neuf Au chef de l'an fera Election D'un gris noir de la Campagne yssu Qui oncques ne fut si malin English The Roman Clergy in the year a thousand six hundred and nine In the beginning of the year shall make choice Of a gray and black come out of the Countrey Such a one as never a worse was ANNOT. Wanting the Chronology of the Popes I have not set down who that Pope was then whom our Author saith there never was a worse but the time being so punctually prefixed it will be an easie matter for the Reader to find out satisfaction in this point XCII French Devant le Pere l'Enfant sera tué Le Pere apres entre cordes de jonc Genevois peuple sera esvertué Gisant le Chef au milien comme un tronc English The Child shall be killed before the Fathers eyes The Father after shall enter into ropes of rushes The people of Geneva shall notably stir themselves The Chief lying in the middle like a log ANNOT. This Prophecy is twofold the two first Verses foretel of a man that shall have his son killed before his eyes and himself afterward shall be strangled by a rope made of Rushes The two last Verses are concerning the people of Geneva who as he faith shall lustily bestir themselves while their Captain Chief or Commander shall carelesly lie like a log XCIII French La Barque neuve recevra les Voiages La aupres transfereront l'Empire Beaucaire Arles retiendront les Hostages Pres deux Colomnes trouvées de Porphyre English The new Ship shall make journeys Into the place and thereby where they shall translate the Empire Beaucaire Arles shall keep the Hostages Near them shall be found two Columns of Porphyry ANNOT. This Prophecy is concerning three things the first is of a considerable new Ship that shall sail several times into a place where the Empire shall be translated The second is concerning two Towns of Languedot Beaucaire and Arles who shall not surrender the Hostages that they had The third is concerning two Columns of Porphiry that shall be found there about XCIV French De Nismes d' Arles Vienne contemnet Nobeyront a ledict Hesperique Au Labouriez pour le grand condamner Six eschapez en habit Seraphique English From Nismes d'Arles and Vienna contempt They shall not obey the Spanish Proclamation To the Labouriez for to condemn the great one Six escaped in a Seraphical habit ANNOT. It seemeth that those three aforenamed Towns will resuse to obey a Spanish Proclamation that would compel them to condemn a great man as for Labouriez it is a barbarous and non-sensical word The last Verse signifieth that six shall escape cloathed in Franciscan habits called here Seraphical because the Franciscans believe that a Seraphin did appear to St. Francis their Patron from whence their Order is called by many the Seraphical Order XCV French Dans les Espagnes viendra Roy trespuissant Par Mer Terre subjugant au Midy Ce mal fera rabaissant le croissant Baisser les aisles a ceux de Vendredy English A most potent King shall come into Spain Who by Sea and Land shall make great Conquests towards the South This evil shall beat down the horns of the new Moon And slack the Wings of those of Friday ANNOT. A great and potent King shall come out of Spain who by Sea and Land shall make great Conquest towards the South that is Barbary which shall be a great prejudice to the Turkish Empire who hath for his Arms a new Moon And slack the wings of those of Friday that is of the Turks because they keep the Friday for their Sabbath This Prophecy was fulfilled by Philip the II. King of Spain who drove away all the Moores out of the South part of it and took a great many places in the Coasts of Barbary XCVI French Religion du nom des Mers viendra Contre la Secte fils Adaluncatif Secte obstinée deplorée craindra Des deux blessez par Alph Aleph English Religion of the name of the Seas shall come Against the Sect son Adaluncatif Obstinate Sect deplorate shall be afraid Of the two wounded by Aleph and Aleph ANNOT. I confess my ignorance in the intelligence of this Stanza XCVII French Triremes pleines tout aage captifs Temps bon a mal le doux pour amertume Proye a Barbare trop tost seront hastifs Cupide de voir plaindre au vent la plume English Triremes full of Captives of all Age. Time good for evil the sweet for bitter Pray to the Barbarian they shall be too hasty Desirous to see the feather complain in the wind ANNOT. Triremes are Galleys with three benches of Oares the rest is much of the nature of the former XCVIII French La splendeur clairëa Pucelle joieuse Ne luira plus long temps sera sans Sel Avec Marchans Ruffiens Loups odieuse Tous pesle mesle monstre universel English The clear splendour of the merry Maid Shall shine no more she shall be a great while without Salt With Merchants Ruffans Wolves odious All promiscuously she shall be an universal Monster ANNOT. This is concerning a famous beauty who in her latter age shall prostitute her self to all comers XCIX French A la fin le Loup le Lion Boeuf l'Asne Timide dama seront avec Mastins Plus ne cherra a eux la douce Manne Plus vigilance custode aux Mastins English At last the Wolf the Lion Oxe and Asse Fearful Doe shall be with the Mastiffs The sweet Manna shall no more fall to them There shall be no more watching and keeping of Mastiffs ANNOT. This is a Prognostication of a general peace all Europe over The sweet Manna shall no more fall to them signifieth
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
to me with a daughter of Savoy that the King would receive me with all Kindness What then the goings to and fro of many the reasons of those who advised me to come and the Kings Letters were they all baits to catch me I am well served to have trusted to much upon his Word I could have sought and got other securities if I had not trusted to my Innocency I am come upon the confidence of my integrity since his pardon Ah! doth he not know that he hath forgiven me I have hâ—d some evil designs I have hearkened I have written I have spoken I confessed them all at Lyon he did assure me never to remember it and did exhort me that from hence forwards I should commit nothing that might compel me to have recourse to his clemency Nevertheless I am now accused of things that are blotted out by his pardon I have not offended him since unless it be in that I desired War rather than Peace because my humour is not peaceable had not the King at that time reason to approve of it if this Crime deserveth death I fly to his clemency I implore his Mercy The Queen of England told me that if the Earl of Essex would have humbled himself and asked forgiveness he should have obtained it I do being Innocent what he would not do being guilty Ah! shall all Mercy be put out for me those that have done worse have found Grace and Mercy I perceive what it is I am not the more guilty but the most unhappy and the King who hath been so sparing of his Subjâ—cts lives hath a mind to be prodigal of mine To conclude he forgot nother of what might be said by a Soul pierced with grief spite anger and violent threatning in exclamations and revilings against the King and his Parliament in reproaches against the Chancellor that he had more contributed to his condemnation than to his absolution in words that are not fit to be spoken nor related His words ran so falt that the Chancellor could not stop them Nevertheless he took occasion to tell him his passion suggested him many things without appearance of reason and against his own jadgment that no body had known his deserts better than he and that he could have wished his faults had been as unknown as dissembled that the knowledge of them had been so visible and apparent that his Judges had more ado to moderate his punishment than to inflict it That Sâ—ntence was given upon the proofs of several attemps he had made against the Kings Person and his Estate and for having kept intelligence and correspondency with the Enemies of the Kingdom of which he had been found guilty that if he had concealed the truth in the answers to his accusations he should now reveal it being so near to his end and that for these causes the King did ask his Order of Knighthood and his staff oâ— Marshal of France with which he had formerly honoured him He pulled the Order out of his Pocket and put it into the Chancellors hands Protesting and Swearing upon the Salvation of his Soul that he never had broken the Oath he made in receiving it that it is true he had desired War more than Peace because he could not preserve in Peace the reputation he had got in War as for the Staff he never carryed it Nevertheless by the Oath that the Knights of the Holy Ghost take they are bound to take no Pension Wages nor Money from forrain Princes and to engage themselves in no bodies service but the Kings and faithfully to reveal what they shall know to be for or against the Kings service Aâ—ter that the Chancellor exhorted him to lift up his thoughts from Earth to Heaven to call upon God and to hear patiently his Sentence My Lord said he I beseech you do not use me as other men I know what my Sentence beareth my accusations are false I wonder the Court would Condemn me upon the Evidence of the most wicked and detestable man that is alive he never came near me without Witchcraft nor never went from me till he had bewitched me he did bite my left ear off and made me drink inchanted waters and when he said that the King had a mind to rid himself of me he called me his King his Benefactor his Prince his Lord he hath communication with the Devils and hath shewed me a Wax Image speaking these words in Latine Rex impie morieris ungodly King thou shalt die If he hath had so much power by his Magick as to make an inanimate body to speak it is no wonder that he should make my Will conformable to his Here the Chancellor stopt him and told him that the Court had well considered his answers and his Letters that he ought not to find fault with his Sentence that it had done him the same Justice as a Father should do to his son if he had offended in the like manner He had scarce spoken these words when the other answered what Judgment I have been heard but once and had no time to tell the fiftieth part of my justification if I had been heard at large I could have made it clearly appear that la Fin is such a one as I say what Judgment upon the Evidence of a Bougerer of a Rogue that hath forsaken his Wife of a treacherous and perfidious man that had Sworn so many times upon the Holy Sacrament never to reveal what was between us of a Knave that hath so often counterfeited my Hand and Seal It is true I have written some of those Letters that were shewed me but I never intended to put them in Execution and the rest are falsified Is there not many that can counterfeit so well the Hand and Seal of others that themselves can scarce distinguish them It is well known that the Lady Marchioness of Vernevil hath lately acknowledged that to be her own hand which she had never written My Heart and my Actions have sufficiently countervailed the faults of my Hand and of my Tongue Besides the King hath forgiven me I do implore his Memory for a Witness You say I have been found guilty to have attempted upon the Kings Person that is false that never came into my mind and I knew nothing of it till that la Fin did propose it to me before St. Katherines Fort six or seven days after the Siege if I had been thus minded I could have easily brought it to pass I was the only man that hindred the King to go before the Fort If my services had been taken into consideration I should not have been thus condemned I believe that if you had not been present the Parliament would not have judged me so rigorously I wonder that you whom I thought to be prudent and wise have used me so cruelly it would have been more honourable for your quality and old age to implore for me the Kings Mercy than his Justice There is Dungeons here
obvious to the meanest capacity X. French Embassadeur pour une Dame A son Vaissau mettra la rame Pour prier le grand Medecin Que de l'Oster de telle peine Mais a ce s'opposera Roine Grand peine avant qu'en voir la fin English An Embassador for a Lady Shall set Oares to his Ship To intreat the great Physition To take her out of such pain But a Queen shall oppose it A great deal of trouble before the end of it ANNOT. This Prophecy is concerning Mary Stuart Queen of Scots put in Prison by Queen Elizabeth who is called here the opponant Queen to the Embassy that the said Queen of Scots sent for relief to the King of France called here the great Physitian XI French Durant le Siecle on verra deux ruisseaux Tout un terrouer inonder de leurs eaux Et submerger par Ruisseaux Fontaines Coups Monfrein Beccoyran Alais Par le Gardon bien souvent travaillez Six cens quattre Ales trente Moines English In this Age two Rivolets shall be seen To overflow a whole Countrey with their waters And to drown by Rivolets and Fountains Coups and Monfrein Beccoiran and Alais By the Gardon often troubled Six hundred and four Alais and thirty Monks ANNOT. An Age is the space of one hundred years the meaning therefore of this is that within the Age following his Prophecies namely as he saith after in the year 1664. there shall be great Inundation in Languedoc caused by the overflowing of two small Rivers besides that of Gardon which Inundation shall drown these following places Coups Monfrein Becoyran and Alais besides and Abbey wherein there was 30. Monks but of this I could find nothing in the History therefore those that live about those places must make it good XII French Six cens cinq tres grand nouvelle De deux Seigneurs la grand querelle Proche de Gevaudan sera En une Eglise apres l'offrande Meuttre commis prestre de mande Tremblant de peur se sauvera English In six hundred and five shall be great news The quarrel of two great Lords Shall be near Gevaudan In a Church after the Offering A murder committed the Priest shall ask And quaking for fear shall save himself ANNOT. This like the former is a particuler accident of which the publick History taketh no notice it seemeth that in the year 1665. in Gevaudan a Province of France near Langnedoc there was a great quarrel between two Lords who meeting at Church did about the time of the Offering set one upon another and one of them was killed whereupon the Priest being terrified ran away XIII French L'aventurier six cens six ou neuf Sera surpris par fiel mis dans un Oeuf Et peu apres sera hors de puissance Par le puissant Empereur General Qu'ou Monde nest an pereil ny esgal Dont un chascun luy rend obeissance English The adventurer six hundred six or nine Shall be surprised by Gall put into an Egge And a little while after shall be out of power By the potent Emperour General To whom in the world there is not his like or equal Wherefore every one yieldeth obedience to him ANNOT. This Prophecie was concerning the Duke of Savoy and Henry the IV. for about that time mentioned by the Author after the death of Marshal de Biron who sided with the Duke of Savoy which death is called here Gall put into an Egg the Duke of Savoy refused to perform the treaty concerning the restitution of the Marquisate of Saluces wherefore Henry the IV went and subdued most of his Countrey and compelled him to give the Province of Bresse instead of the said Marquisate XIV French Au grand Siege encor grand forfaits Recommenceant plus que jamais Six cens cinq sur la verdure La prise reprise sera Soldats es Champs jusqu ' en froidure Puis apres recommencera English At the great Siege yet great misdemeanors Beginning again more than ever Six hundred and five about the Spring The taking and retaking shall be Souldiers in the fields till Winter And after that shall begin again ANNOT. This Stanza is about the same subject as the precedent By the great Siege here is meant the Siege of Montpelian the strongest place in Savoy which Henry the IV. took and by it compelled the Duke of Savoy to an agreement The rest is â—aâ—â—â— XV. French Nouveau esleu Patron du grand Vaisseau Verra long temps briller le grand flambeau Qui sert de Lampe a ce grand territoire Et auquel temps Armées soubs son nom Jointes a celles de l'heureux de Bourbon Levant Ponant Couchant sa memoire English The new elected Master of the great Ship Shall a great while see the great light shine Which serveth for a Lamp to this great Territory And at which time Armies under his name Joyned with those of happy of Bourbon East West and North his memory shall be ANNOT. The three first Verses are concerning Clement the VIII who was elected Pope about that time and was Instrumental to make a Peace between the King of France and the Duke of Savoy and was Pope a good while By the great Ship is meant the Church of which he is called Master The rest is easie XVI French En Octobre Six cens cinq Pourvoieur du MonstreMarin Prendra duSouverain le cresme Ou en six cens six en Juin Grand joye aux Grands au Commun Grand faits apres ce grand Baptesme English In October six hundred and five The Purveyor of the Sea Monster Shall take the unction of the Sovereign Or in six hundred and six in June Great joy shall be to the Great ones and to the Commons Great feats shall be after this great Baptism ANNOT. In the year 1606. the 14 of September instead of which the Printer hath put October the Dolphin of France Lewis the XIII son to Henry the IV. was Christened with his two Sisters at Fountainbleau and because the Ceremonies were extraordinary and our Author calleth this a great Baptism it will not be amiss for the satisfaction of the curious Reader to give here succinctly a description of it In the great quadrangle of the Castles Yard was erected a great Theatre all spread and hanged with most rich Carpets and Hangings in the middle of which Theatre was a square of thirty foot on each side with rails about it all covered with Carpets in the front of it was erected an Altar adorned with the Ornaments belonging to the Order of the Holy Ghost behind the Table was a Footstool of three steps spread with Carpets and in the middle of the Footstool was a kind of a Stand covered with a Silver Cloth upon which were the Fount covered with a most exquisite Towel and a Canopy over it on both sides of the Altars were two Scaffolds for two Quires of Musick and
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