subject to all humane afflictions but being supprised sometimes in the week by a Prophetical humour and by a long Calculation pleasing my self in my Study I have made Books of Prophecies each one containing a hundred Astronomical Stanza's which I have joyned obscurely and are perpetual Vaticinations from this year to the year 3797. at which some perhaps will frown seeing so large an extention of time and that I treat of every thing under the Moon if thou livest the natural Age of a Man thou shalt see in thy Climat and under the Heaven of thy Nativity the future things that have been foretold although God only is he who knoweth the Eternity of his Light proceeding from himself and I say freely to those to whom his incomprehensible greatness hath by a long melancholick inspiration revealed that by the means of this occult cause Divinely manifested chiefly by two principal causes which are comprehended in the understanding of him that is Inspired and Prophecyeth one is that he cleareth the supernatural Light in the person that foretelleth by the Doctrine of the Planets and Prophecyeth by inspired Revelation which is a kind of participation of the Divine Eternity by the means of which the Prophet judgeth of what the Divine Spirit hath given him by the means of God the Creatour and by a natural instigation viz. that what is predicted is true and hath taken its original from above and such light and small flame is of all efficacy and sublimity no less then the natural light makes the Philosophers so secure that by the means of the principles of the first cause they have attained the greatest depth of the profoundest science but that I may not wander too far my Son from the capacity of thy sense as also because I find that Learning would be at a great loss and that before the universal Conflagration shall happen so many great Inundations that there shall scarce be any Land that shall not be covered with water and this shall last so long that except Aenographies and Topographies all shall perish also before and after these Inundations in many Countreys there shall be such scarcety of rain and such a deal of fire and burning stones shall fall from Heaven that nothing unconsumed shall be left and this shall happen a little while before the great conflagration for although the Planet Mars makes an end of his course and is come to the end of his last Period nevertheless he shall begin it again but some shall be gathered in Aquarius for many years others in Cancer also for many years and now we are governed by the Moon under the power of Almighty God which Moon before she hath finished her Circuit the Sun shall come and then Saturn for according to the Coelestial Signs the Reign of Saturn shall come again so that all being Calculated the World draws near to an Anaragonick revolutoin and at this present that I write this before 177. years three Months eleven Days through Pestilence Famine War and for the most part Inundations the World between this and that prefixed time before and after for several times shall be so diminished and the people shall be so few that they shall not find enough to Till the Ground so that they shall remain fallow as long as they have been Tilled although we be in the seventh Millenary which ends all and brings us near the eight where the Firmament of the eighth Sphere is which in a Latitudinary dimention is the place where the great God shall make an end of the revolution where the Coelestial Bodies shall begin to move again By that Superiour motion that maketh the Earth firm and stable non inclinabitur in seculum seculi unless his will be accomplished and no otherwise although by ambiguous opinions exceeding all natural reasons by Mahometical Dreams also sometimes God the Creator by the Ministers of his Messengers of fire and flame shows to our external senses and chiefly to our eyes the causes of future Predictions signifying the future Event that he will manifest to him that Prophecyeth for the Prophecy that is made by the Internal Light comes to judge of the thing partly with and by the means of External Light for although the party which seemeth to have by the eye of understanding what it hath not by the Loesion of its imaginative sense there is no reason why what he foretelleth should come by Divine Inspiration or by the means of an Angelical Spirit inspired into the Phophetick person annointing him with vaticination moving the fore part of his fancy by divers nocturnal apparitions so that by Astronomical administration he Prophecyeth with a Divine certitude joyned to the Holy prediction of the future having no other regard then to the freedom of his mind Come now my Son and understand what I find by my revolutions which are agreeing with the Divine Inspiration viz. that the Swords draws near to us now and the Plague and the War more horrid then hath been seen in the Life of three Men before as also by Famine which shall return often for the Stars agree with the revolution as also he said visitabo in virgâ ferreà iniquitates eorum in verberibus percutiam eos for the Mercies of God shall not be spread a while my Son before most of my Prophecies shall come to pass then oftentimes shall happen sinister storms Conteram ergo said the Lord confringam non miserebor and a thousand other accidents that shall happen by Waters and continual Rains as I have more fully at large declared in my other Prophecies written in solutâ oratione limiting the places times and prefixed terms that men coming after may see and know that those accidents are certainly come to pass as we have marked in other places speaking more clearly although the explication be involved in obscurity sed quando submovenda erit ignorantia the case shall be made more clear making an end here my Son accept of this Gift of thy Father Michael Nostradamus hoping to expound to thee every Prophecy of these Stanza's praying to the Immortal God that he would grant thee a long Life in Felicity From Salon this 1. of March 1555. THE TRUE PROPHECIES OR PROGNOSTICATIONS OF Michael Nostradamus Physician to HENRY II. FRANCIS II. And CHARLES IX Kings of FRANCE and one of the most excellent Astronomers that ever were CENTURY I. I. French EStant assis de nuit secrette estude Seul reposé sur la selle d'airain Flambe exigüe sortant de solitude Fait proferer qui n'est a croire vain English Sitting by Night in my secret Study Alone resting upon the Brazen Stool A slight flame breaking forth out of that solitude Makes me utter what is not in vain to believe ANNOTATION IN this Stanza Nostradamus expresseth those Humane dispositions which he made use of to be favoured of God for the knowledge of future things to the benefit of the Publick The first Disposition was the tranquility
which he Dedicated to his Brother John Nostradamus an Attorney at the Parliament of Aix Besides this he Translated from Latine into French the Paraphases of Galen upon the Exhortation of Menedotus which was Printed at Lyon by Antony du Rhosne in the year 1557. But before we conclude it will not be amiss to give some recreation to the Reader by relating a merry passage that happened to Nostradamus being in Lorrain for being in the Castle of Faim belonging to the Lord of Florinville and having in cure the Mother of the said Lord it chanced one day that they both walking in the Yard there was two little Piggs one white and the other black whereupon the Lord enquired of Nostradamus in jest what should become of these two Piggs he answered presently we shall eat the black and the Wolf shall eat the white The Lord Florinville intending to make him a Lyar did secretly command the Cook to dress the white for Supper the Cook then killed the white drest it and spitted it ready to be rosted when it should be time In the mean time having some business out of the Kitchin a young tame Wolf came in and eat up the Buttocks of the white Pig that was ready to be rosted the Cook coming in the mean time and fearing least his Master should be angry took the black one killed it and drest it and offered it at Supper Then the Lord thinking he had got the Victory not knowing what was befallen said to Nostradamus well Sir we are eating now the white Pigg and the Wolf shall not touch it I do not believe it said Nostradamus it is the black one that is upon the Table Presently the Cook was sent for who confessed the accident the relation of which was as pleasing to them as any meat In the same Castle of Faim he told many that in a little Hill that was near the Castle there was a Treasure hidden which should never be found if it were sought with design but that it should be discovered when the Hill should be digged for some other intent There is a great probability in this prediction for there was an ancient Temple built upon it and when they dig there many times several Antiquities are found All France telleth several Histories foretold by the Author but I am unwilling to write any thing without good warrant His Stanza's are sufficient to prove the extraordinary Talent he had in foretelling future things APOLOGY FOR Michael Nostradamus CHAP. I. IT is not unusual for Calumny to follow the best Wits and those whom God hath endowed with so extraordinary Talent upon weak and slight grounds It is not also unusual for Men to side easier with calumny against innocent persons then with those truths that justifie them therefore no body ought to wonder if Michael Nostradamus hath been so much cried down and defamed by several Authors being in the number of those extraordinary persons whom God had priviledged with that grace so much desired by curious Men viz. the knowledge of Future events Besides that there was four things in him which might have been the grounds of this diffamation The first was the vulgar life which he led in the Roman Catholik Religion which seemed to bear no proportion with such an extraordinary favour of God The second was his application to judicial Astrology which is condemned by many learned Men and detested by those that pretend to ignorant devotion The third was a suspition brought by his enemies and many devout persons in his time that he was a Negromancer and had samiliarity with the Augel of darkness The fourth was the obscurity of his Stanza's which was made worse by the enormous faults of those that first Copied them and by the carelesness of the Printers CHAP. II. How the first Objection hath caused the Author to be reputed a false Prophet IN consequence of the first Objection calumny hath endeavoured to place him among the false Prophers because scarce any body can persuade himself that there being among the Faithful so many Illustrious persons in Holiness and Learning the Holy Ghost would have made choice of a common person and to reveal him so many rare secrets concerning the future Estate of his Church and of those Kingdoms that acknowledge her for their Mother seeing that the Holy Scriptures shew us that the knowledge of future things chiefly if it be extraordinary in its extent is a special Priviledge wherewith God honoureth his most faithful Servants And to say truth when the Holy Fathers and the Interpreters of the Scripture speak of the Prerogatives of the Apostle St. John they make the chiefest to be that by which being full of Prophetical Spirit he foretold the future Estate of the Church and in the Old Testament so many Prophets were so many Miracles and Prodigies of Holiness and the only name of Prophet in the Scripture is the most glorious Title that is given to those that were Gods most faithful Servants If we find in the Scripture that Balaam hath Prophesied notwithstanding his persidiousness and that the High Priest Caiâ—phas notwithstanding his wicked design of murdering Christ hath also Prophesied it was only for a few things and in such cases where God would singularly shew forth his Glory by those that would have smothered it How can we then believe the same of Nostradamus who had not so much as an extraordinary atom of Christian piety by which he might have been so much priviledg'd of God as to know by his Divine Light the future Estate of the Church her Persecutions and her Victories from the year 1555. to the end of the World Can it be possible that a Physician an Astrologer and one of the common sort of people should have been chosen of God among so many thousands his betters to impart unto him those Graces which have been the reward of the purity and holiness of his Apostles and of the faithfulness of St. John the Evangelist This seemeth altogether improbable to Christian piety CHAP. III. The second Objection hath ranked the Author among Dreamers and false Visionaries Some are more moderate in the censuring of this Author and being unwilling to call him maliciously a false Prophet would have him to be a foolish Dreamer who believed his own imaginations and took pleasure in his own fancies whence came that Latine Distick of the Poet Jodelle Nostra damus cum falsa damus nam fallere nostrum est Et cum falsa damus nil nisi Nostra damus This Distick was so pleasing to the Wits of the times that without further inquiry since that time Nostradamus went for a Dreamer and a doting fool This opinion increased more and more by his making of many Almanacks wherein every body may see how much he was taken with judicial Astrology and we see often in his Stanza's the decision of the times by the conjunction of the Planets with the Signs and by the Eclipses whence sometimes he doth infer
some events that were to happen But what did undo him most was the covetousness of the Printers and Booksellers of his time who seeing his Almanacks so well received did set forth a thousand others under his name that were full of lies and fopperies From that time the Author went for one of those poor Astrologers who get their living by foretelling absurdities and pretend to read in the Heavens that which is only in their foolish imagination CHAP. IV. The third Objection accuseth the Author of medling with the black Art of being a Negromancers and a Disciple of the Devil IF the precedents have been moderate in their censure others have been more severe in delivering their opinion accusing him to have kept acquaintance with the Devil as the Negromancers and other Prestigiators of the ancient times did The reason that made them think so is that seeing so many things come to pass just as the Author had foretold they could not attribute it to the knowledge of judicial Astrology nor to Divine Revelation and consequently concluded that it must of necessity come from Satan They could not attribute it to judicial Astrology either because they had no opinion of it or that the greatest defensors of that Astrology do agree among themselves that it cannot reach so far as to foretell a thousand peculiar circumstances which depend purely from the freedom of Men such as proper names are and the like which nevertheless our Author did foretell They could neither attribute it to Divine Revelation for the reasons alledged in the first objection moreover because he was accused of a thousand falsities and sopperies Printed in those Almanacks that went falsly under his name whence they concluded that it could not come by Divine Revelation seeing that the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Truth It followeth then say they that it must come from the Devil by the help of the Black Art the Lord Florimond de Raimond a very considerable Author was of that opinion in his Book of the Birth of Heresies Chap. 3. CHAP. V. The fourth Objection maketh him the Head of those Seductors and Impostors which are dangerous in a Common-wealth AS Fame doth increase by continuation of time so doth calumny increase by the multiplicity of opinions she was not contented to deflour slightly the Authors reputation by making him pass for some sottish Dreamer and to rank him amongst the false Prophets by accusing him to meddle with the black Art but must needs also sacrifice him to the infernal Furies by making him the Prince of Seductors and Impostors that ought to be banished out of every Common-wealth The fondamental reason of this was the obscurity of his Stanza's where there was neither rime nor reason the obscurity did proceed of abundance of gross fau t s which the Copisters and Printers have inserted in them from the omission of several words from the changing and altering of others and from the addition of some others which did destroy the sense From this great obscurity calumny draweth this argument to ruine utterly the Author charging him to be all at once a false Prophet a dotish Dreamer a Magician and an infamous Seductor of people If God had inspired him what he hath written he would have done it for the good of his Church and true Believers seeing he never granteth this Prophetical Grace to any but to that end as it appeareth in the Holy Scriptures This being so what profit can any body draw from him if the sense of his Stanza's be so obscure as not to be understood and although it should be granted that some accidens that have happened in Christendom may sometimes he found in his Prophecies what fruit hath the Church reaped of it seeing that those accidents that were foretold were never known till they had come to pass and that there was no avoiding of them It cannot therefore be believed that God should have been the Author of his Predictions but rather the subtle Spirit of Satan with whom he was acquainted by such like black Arts. According to those four Objections the Lord Sponde in the third Volume of his Annals made him this Epitaph in the year 1566. Mortâ—us est hoc anno nugax ille toto orbe famosus Michael Nostradamus qui se prâ—scium praesagum eventuum futurorum per astrorum influxum venditavit sub cujus deincept nomine quivis homines ingeniosisuas â—ujusmodi cogitationes protendere consueveruent in quem valde apposite lusit qui dixit Nostra damus cum falsa damus c. In English In the year 1566. died that Triâ—ler so famous through all the World Michael Nostradamus who boasted while he lived to know and foretell future things by the knowledge he had of the influences of the Planets under whose name afterwards many ingenious Men have vented their Imaginations insomuch that he that made that Distick Nostra damus cum falsa dâ—mus c. seemeth to have very well said CHAP. IV. Proofs setting forth evidently that Nostradamus was enlightned by the Holy Ghost IN consequence of these objections forged by calumny Nostradamus name hath been so câ—ied down that I have thought me self oblidged to make his Apology to give the greater credit to his Prophecy the exposition of which I do here undertake and to proove that effectually he was enlightned by the Holy Ghost first by writting the History of his Life as I have done in he beginning of this Book Secondly by answering to all the said Objections Thirdly by alledging the Elogies given him by several Grave and Authentical Authors First I maintain that he was enlightned by the Holy Ghost by an unanswerable reason drawn out the Theology but before we discourse of it let us suppose that Nostradamus hath foretold many things which absolutely depends from the free will of men and cannot be known neither by judicial Astrology nor by Satan himself such are for exemple the proper names of Persons which nevertheless he doth in his Prophecies He nameth the Lord of Monluc the Sprightful Gascon the Captain Charry his Camerade the Lord de â—a Mole Admiral of Henry the II. Galleys Entragues who was beheaded by order of Lewis the XIII the Headsman of the Duke of Montmorency named Clerepegne the Bassa Sinan destroyer of Hungary the Murderer of Henry the III. named Clement the Attorney David the Captain Ampus the Mayor of the City of Puy in Gelay named Rousseau under Henry the IV. Lewis Prince of Condé under Francis II. Sixtus V. calling him the Son of Hamont Gabrielle d'Estrie the Lord Mutonis sent to Paris by those of â—ix under Charles the IX the Lord Chancellor of France named Anâ—ony de Soudis the Queen Leuise Antony of Portugal the Governour of Cazal under Henry II. Secondly The number of things is of the same nature Nostradamus doth often calculate it he reckoneth fourteen Confederates for the service of Henry IV. in the City of Puy ten great Ships prosecuting extreamly the
by a Bacchant fury or Lymphatick motion but by Astronomical affections Soli numine Divino afflati praesagiunt Spiritu Prophetico particularia Although I have often foretold long before what hath afterwards come to pass and in particular Regions acknowledging all to have been done by Divine Vertue and Inspiration being willing to hold my peace by reason of the injury not onely of the present time but also of the future and to put them in Writing because the Kingdoms Sects and Regions shall be so Diametrically opposed that if I should relate what shall happen hereafter those of the present Reign Sect Religion and Faith would find it so disagreeing with their fances that they would condemn that which future Ages shall find and know to be true considering also the saying of our Saviour Nalite Sanctum dare canibus ne conculcent pedibus conversi discumpant vos which hath been the cause that I have withdrawn my tongue from the Vulgar and my Pen from Paper But afterwards I was willing for the common good to enlarge my self in dark and abstruse Sentences declaring the future Events chiefly the most urgent and those which I foresaw what ever humane mutation happened would not offend the hearers all under dark figures more then Prophetical for although Abscondisti haec a sapentibus prudentibus i. e. potentibus Regibus enucleasti ea exiguis tenuibus and the Prophets by means onely of the immortal God and good Angels have received the Spirit of Vaticination by which they foresee things and foretel future events for nothing is perfect without him whose power and goodness is so great to his Creatures that though they are but men nevertheless by the likeness of our good Genius to the Angels this heat and Prophetical power draws near us as it happens by the Beams of the Sun which cast their influence both on Elementary and not Elementary bodies as for us who are men we cannot attain any thing by our natural knowledge of the secrets of God our Creator Quia non est nostrum nosse tempora nec momenta c. Besides although there is or may come some persons to whom God Almighty will reveal by impressions made on his understanding some secrets of the future according to the Judicial Astrology as it hath happened in former times that a certain power and voluntary faculty possessed them as a flame of fire so that by his inspiration they were able to judge of Divine and Humane things for the Divine works that are absolutely necessary God will end But my son I speak to thee too obscurely but as for the secrets that are received by the subtle Spirit of fire by which the understanding being moved doth contemplate the highest Celestial Bodies as being active and vigilant to the very pronunciation without fear or any shameful loquacity all which proceeded from the Divine Power of the Eternal God from whom all goodness floweth Now my son although I have inserted the name of Prophet here I will not attribute to my self so sublime a Title for qui Propheta dicitur bodie olim vocabatur videns and Prophets are those properly my Son that see things remote from the natural knowledge of Men but put the case the Prophets by the means of the perfect light of Prophecy may see as well Divine things as Humane which cannot be seeing the effects of future predictions do extend a great way for the secrets of God are incomprehensible and the efficient power moveth afar off the natural knowledge taking their beginning at the free will cause those things to appear which otherwise could not be known neither by humane auguries or any hidden knowledge or secret virtue under Heaven but only by the means of some indivisible Eternal being or Comitial and Herculean agitation the causes come to be known by the Coelestial motion I say not therefore my Son that you may not understand me well because the knowledge of this matter cannot yet be imprinted in thy weak brain but that future causes afar off are subject to the knowledge of humane Creatures if notwithstanding the Creature things present and future were neither obscure nor hidden from the intellectual seal but the perfect knowledge of the cause of things cannot be acquired without the Divine Inspiration seeing that all Prophetical Inspiration received hath its original principle from God the Creator next from good Luck and afterwards from Nature therefore cases indifferently produced or not produced the Prophecy partly happens where it hath been foretold for the understanding being intellectually created cannot see occult things unless it be by the voice coming from the Lymbo by the means of the thin flame to which the knowledge of future causes is inclined and also my Son I intreat thee not to bestow thy understanding on such fopperies which drie up the Body and damn the Soul bringing vexation to the Senses chiefly abhor the vanity of the execrable Magick forbidden by the Sacred Scriptures and by the Canons of the Church in the first of which is excepted Judicial Astrology by which and by the means of Divine Inspiration with continual supputations we have put in writing our Prophecies And although this occult Philosophy was not forbidden I could never be persuaded to meddle with it although many Volums concerning that Art which hath been concealed a great while were presented to me but fearing what might happen after I had read them I presented them to Vulcan who while he was a devouring them the flame mixing with the Air made an unwonted light more bright then the usual flame and as if it had been a Lightning shining all the house over as if it had been all in a flame therefore that henceforth you might not be abused in the search of the perfect Transformation as much selene as folar and to seek in the waters uncorruptible mettal I have burnt them all to ashes but as to the judgement which cometh to be perfected by the help of the Coelestial Judgement I will manifest to you that you may have knowledge of future things rejecting the fantastical imaginations that should happen by the limiting the particularity of Places by Divine inspiration supernatural according to the Coelestial figures the places and a part of the time by an occult property and by a Divine virtue power and faculty in the presence of which the three times are comprehended by Eternity revolution being tyed to the cause that is past present and future Quia omnia sunt Nuda aperta c. therefore my Son thou mayst not withstanding thy tender brain comprehend things that shall happen hereafter and may be foretold by coelestial natural lights and by the Spirit of Prophecy not that I will attribute to my self the name of a Prophet but as a mortal man being no farther from Heaven by my sence then I am from Earth by my Feet possum errare falli decipi I am the greatest Sinner of the World
again ANNOT. By this Prophecy three things are foretold the first is of a Pope that shall fit but seven months at whose death there will be a great Schisme the second is of a great Governour or Chief Justice such as were called by the ancient Romans Praetores shall be in authority also but seven months and the third that hard by Venice all these differences shall be composed and peace made again XCIV French Devant la Lac ou plus cher fut getté De sopt mois son Ost desconfit Seront Hispans par Albanois gastez Par delay perte en donnant le conflict English Before the Lake wherein most dear was thrown Of seven months and his Army overthrown Spaniards shall be spoiled by Albaneses By delaying loss in giving the Battle ANNOT. It is very difficult if not impossible to tell what our Author meaneth by the Lake wherein the most dear was thrown and lost his Army The Albaneses are a Nation between the Venetians and Greece now for the most part subject to the said Venetians XCV French Le Seducteur sera mis dans la Fosse Et estaché jusques a quelque temps Le Clerc uny le Chef avec sa Crosse Pycante droite attraira les contems English The Deceiver shall be put into the Dungeon And bound fast for a while The Clerk united the head with his Crosierstaf Pricking upright shall draw in the contented ANNOT. The two first Verses are plain the two last Verses not so which seemeth to foretell of a great union among the Clergy which shall draw to them those that were peaceably affected XCVI French La Synagogue sterile sans nul fruit Sera receue entre les Infideles De Babylon la fille du poursuit Misere triste luy trenchera les Aisles English The Synagogue barren without fruit Shall be received among the Infidels In Babylon the daughter of the persecuted Miserable and sad shall cut her wings ANNOT. A Synagogue is a place where the Jews assemble for Divine VVorship as the Christians do in Churches or Temples the said Jews Synagogue is threatned here to be unfruitful and barren and chiefly in Babylon by the means of a woman daughter of one persecuted belike of some of their own tribe whom the rest did persecute XCVII French Au sins du Var changer le Pompotans Pres du Rivage les trois beaux enfans naistre Ruine au peuple par Aage competans Regne au Pais changer plus voir croistre English At the ends of the Var to change the Pompotans Near the Shore shall three fair Children be born Ruine to the people by competent Age To change that Countreys Kingdom and see it grow no more ANNOT. The first Verse being made of insignificant words as Var and Pompotans cannot be understood the other three doth foretel of three handsom Children that shall be born near the Shore which when they have attained a competent Age shall change the Kingdom of that Countrey and suppess it XCVII French Des gens d'Eglise sang sera espanche Comme de l'eau en si grande abundance Et de long temps ne sera retranché Veüe au Clerc ruine doleance English The blood of Churchmen shall be spilt As water in such abundance And for a good while shall not be stayed Ruine and grievance shall be seen to the Clerk ANNOT. This is easie to be understood which foretelleth a very great persecution to the Clergy-men viz. Papists of which Religion our Author was if this be not already past in the Civil Wars of France that were made for Religion in the beginning of Reformation where abundance of Clergy-men did perish on both sides XCIX French Par la puissance des trois Rois temporels En autre lieu sera mis la Saint Siege Ou la substance de l'Esprit corporel Sera remis receu pour vray Siege English By the power of three Temporal Kings The Holy See shall be put in another place Where the substance of the Corporeal spirit Shall be restored and admitted for a true seat ANNOT. This Stanza is very remarkable for the thing it foretelleth viz. a translation of the See of Rome that is the Popedom into another place by three Temporal Kings and not only that but it seemeth by the sense of the last two Verses that these will keep the Ecclesiastical authority to themselves C. French Pour l'abundance de l'Armé respandue Du haut en bas par le bas au plus haut Trop grande foy par jeu vie perdue De soif mourir par abondant defaut English Through the abundance of the Army scattered High and low low and high Too great a belief a life lost in jesting To die by thirst through abundance of want ANNOT. The sense of this is that by reason of a great Army that shall be much scattered and occupy a great deal of room water will be so scarce that some shall die for thirst it is that he calleth here To die by thirst through abundance of want Other Stanza's heretofore Printed under the VIII CENTURY I. French SEront confus plusieurs de leur attente Aux habitans ne sera pardonné Qui bien pensoint perseveret l'attente Mais grand loisir ne leur sera donné English Many shall be confounded in their expectation The Citizens shall not be forgiven Who thought to persevere in their resolution But there shall not be given them a great leisure for it ANNOT. This is plain and needeth no interpretation II. French Plusieurs viendront parleront de Paix Entre Monarques Seigneurs bien puissans Mais ne sera accordé de sipres Que ne se rendent plus qu'autres obeissans English Many shall come and shall talk of Peace Between Monarchs and Lords very powerful But it shall not be agreed to it so soon If they do not shew themselves more obedient then others ANNOT. VVe are just now at the Eve of this Prophecy when so many Princes and Potentates do busie themselves about a Mediation between the two Crowns of France and Spain c. III. French Las quelle fureur helas quelle pitié Il y aura entre beaucoup de gens On ne vit onc une tell amitie Qu'auront les Loups a courir diligens English Ha! what fury alas what pitty There shall be betwixt many people There was never seen such a friendship As the Wolfs shall have in being diligent to run ANNOT. It is indeed a great fury and pity to see how wicked people and chiefly Usurers and false dealers understood here by the name of VVolfs are diligent in doing mischief and to make good the old Proverb Homo homini â—upus there being no other Creature but the VVolf that devours those of his own kind IV. French Beaucoup de gens viendront parlementer Aux grand Seigneurs qui leur feront la guerre On ne voudra en rien les escouter
beseeching the King to do him justice of those who went about to oppress him with unsufferable calumnies or to permit him to do himself reason The King carried him to the Tennis-court where the Duke took upon him to order the match and said that the Duke of Espernon and himself would hold it against the King and the Earl of Soisson the Duke of Espernon answered presently you play well but you do not make your matches well which was observed by the King and the standers by Supper time being come he did sup at the Table of the great Master to repare the fault he had done in the morning Every one did perceive that he was not contented for he eat little or nothing and no body spoke to him every one holding him already for a cast-away The King in the mean while was walking in his Chamber meditating some great resolution and he was heard to say these words be must either bow or break That evening past away so quietly that many thought it would be a Thunder with much noise and little hurt The King commanded the Earl of Soissons to go to the Duke of Biron and to do his best to break the hardness of his heart and to draw the truth out of him he went and intreated him to satisfie the King in what he desired to know from him and to be afraid of the Kings displeasure and indignation The Duke of Biron for answer told him that the King could not complain but of the good services he had done to him and that he himself had great occasion to complain of the King who mistrusted him after so many trials and experiments of his faithfulness and that he should never have more of him then he had at his first coming the Earl of Soissons seeing his obstinacy left him The next day early the King walking in the little Garden sent for the Duke of Biron and spoke to him a great while thinking to overcome his obstinacy and to give him means to escape the danger he was running into he was seen a great while with his Hat off his eyes lifted up to Heaven smiting his breast and making great protestations to uphold his innocency there appeared then in the Kings face a great deal of anger and in that of the Duke of Biron a great deal of fire and violence all his words were nothing but threatnings lightnings ruines and Hell against those that had spoken ill of him from thence he went to dinner and met with a man who brought him a Letter to advise him to look to himself he shewed it to the Captain of his Guards and made slight of it and said he would be beholding to his valour for his life and not to a flight all the afternoon the King stayed in the Gallery and spoke four hours to the Lord of la Curée the Queen being present and speaking never a word the King was in a great perplexity of mind before he could resolve himself The Lords of Vileroy Sillery and Geure were seen often to go to and fro which made some suspect that it was to begin by the execution in so great a crime but the King was against that such proceedings had been blamed in his Predecessor he would have every body to know that he had authority and power enough to exterminate his enemies according to the Laws The resolution was taken to have him arrested and also the Earl of Auvergne the King would not have them to be taken in the Castle but in their own Lodgings the Duke of Biron who was in some suspicion of it and had prepared himself to what he could neither prevent nor hinder did imagine that there was no fear of any thing in the Kings Chamber and that all the danger should be at the going out and therefore by time had provided himself with a short Sword with which he promised to make himself room through all dangers They represented to the King that if he were Arrested any where but in the Castle it could not be done without bloodshed and that it was no matter where the Lyon was taken so that profit might arise of his prize It was perceived that in the same Gallery the King sent for Vitry and Pralin two Captains of his Guards and gave them the order he would have to be observed for the execution of his commands and then called for his Supper The Duke of Biron was at supper in the Lord Montignys Lodging where he spoke more highly and bravely then ever of his Deserts and of the friends he had made lately in Switzerland then began to fall upon the praises of the late King of Spain extolling his Piety Justice and liberality Montigny stopt him saying that the greatest commendation that could be given to his memory was that he had put his own Son to death for endeavouring to trouble his Estate this word stopt those of the Duke of Biron who answered only with his eyes and thought upon it with some amazement After supper the Earl of Auvergne and the Duke of Biron came to the King who was walking in the Garden the King making an end of his walk did invite the Duke of Biron to play at Cards they went into the Queens Chambâ—r the Earl of Auvergne passing by the Duke of Biron told him softly we are undone the Game begun at the primara the Queen was one of the Gamsters the Duke of Biron another and two more The King went into his Closet divided between two contrary passions the love he had formerly for the Duke of Biron the knowledge he had of his valour and the remembrance of his services excluded all thoughts of his Justice on the other side the fear of troubles in his Estate the horâ—id effects of so unnatural a conspiracy did accuse his Clemency of cruelty if he went about to prefer the particular good to the publick he prayed to God to assist him with his Holy Spirit to appease the troubles of his soul and to strengthten him with a Holy resolution that he might do what was for the good of his people upon whom he Reigned by his only Grace his prayer being ended all the difficulties that troubled his soul vanished away there remained only a firm resolution to put the Duke into the hands of Justice if he could not draw the truth out of him the Game went on still the King took sometimes the Queens Cards expecting the appointed time The Earl of Auvergne was gone to his Lodging the King sent for him and walked in the Chamber while the Duke thought upon nothing but his play De Varennes Lieutenant of his Troop faining to take up his Cloak whispered him softly that he was undone this word did trouble him so much that he neglected his play and oversaw himself the Queen gave him notice of it the King did bid them to give over playing and commanded every one to retire he went into his Closet and took the Duke of Biron