Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	holy_a	scripture_n	2,400	5	5.5262	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52521	The true prophecies or prognostications of Michael Nostradamus, physician to Henry II, Francis II, and Charles IX, kings of France and one of the best astronomers that ever were a work full of curiosity and learning / translated and commented by Theophilvs de Garencieres ...; Prophéties. English & French	Nostradamus, 1503-1566.; Garencières, Theophilus, 1610-1680.	1685 (1685)	Wing N1400; ESTC R230636	379,688	560

Work but got his li●ing Honourably by his practise of Physick by which we may see that he did write some things which himself understood not unless they were such general ones as might be read in the Heavens CHAP. XII Elogies given to Nostradamus by several Authentical Authors IF several Authors either by envy or ignorance have defamed our Author others of no small repute have taken his defence in hand D' Aurat one of the most excellent Poets of France living at the same time as Nostradamus made a few explications of his Prophecies which as the report goes did please the Readers I am sorry I could not get them it would have been some ease to me for it is easier to add than to invent The first Volume of the Lord la Croix du Main maketh honourable mention of him the same saith that his Motto was Faelix Oviam prior Aetas Happy the first Age that was contented with their Flock shewing by that what esteem he had of frugality and sincerity of manners and what aversion he had against the Vices of his Age the unruliness of manners and consenage of men Ronsard the Prince of the French Poets singeth his praises The Lord Boucher in that great Volume intitled the Mistical Crown in favour of the future Croisade doth vindicate our Author from Calumny and expoundeth some of his Prophecies pretty happily I will not relate here what his Son Caesar Nostradamus writeth modestly of him in his History of Provence under Lewis the XII Henry the II. and Charles the IX his Evidence may be suspected because of the Consanguinity One of the greatest Wits of this last Age who desireth to be nameless giveth him this Character First That God Almighty hath chosen Michael Nostradamus among the common sort of Christians to impart unto him the knowledge of many prodigious and extraordinary future things Secondly He maintaineth that after the Apostles and Canonical Prophets he is the first of all in three things in his certainty and infallibility in the generality and in the quantity As to the first he doth not doubt but the Abbot Joachim ought to give him place for though he hath foretold somethings that have come to pass he hath written a hundred others which are meer fopperies Thirdly He maintaineth that the Emperour Leo in his prophetical Tables is far below him for he doth only aim at those things which regard the Eastern Empire as Theophrastus Paracelsus hath done for the Western Concerning the quantity of things he maintaineth that none of the others can dispute it with him for Nostradamus hath made above a thousand stanza's if we had them all each of which containeth two or three prophetical Truths some of which regard the East others the West others some private Kingdoms and States others private and particuler things and all with Truth and certainty CHAP. XIII What these Stanza's Prophecie of THe Author in his Epistle to King Henry the II. saith that he treatech of things which were to happen in many Cities and Towns of Europe and of a part of Asia and Africa And to say Truth I have found nothing in them concerning the East or West Jappan or China He treateth chiefly of France as of his Native Kingdom and of his own Countrey Provence and that which is next to it viz. Piemont He speaketh amply of the Popes and of Italy Turky and England As for the Empire Spain and Suedeland he doth moderately speak of them Concerning Aethiopia and Africa there is some nine or ten Stanza's In all those places he foretelleth many things not only general for every State but also particular and individual for several persons He also foretelleth many supernatural prodigies in the Heavens the Air the Sea and the Land He hath inserted among his Prophecies four Horoscopes the first of the Grandfather of the Lord l' Ainier in the Province of Anjou the second of one called Urnel Vaucile the third of one Cosme du Jardin and the fourth of one whom he nameth not but describeth him by his stature CHAP. XIV Since what time these Prophecies began IT is certain that they began in January 1555. because he dedicated the first seven Centuries to his Son Caesar the first day of March in the said year and consequently they were made before that time and we cannot allow less than two Months to an Author for the making of 700. Stanza's Nevertheless for a greater manifestation of his prophetical spirit I have not found any of his Prophecies that did come to pass before the first of March 1555. As for the Eight Ninth and Ten Century there is reason to believe that the effect of them doth not begin before the 27 June 1558. which is the date of his Liminary Epistle to Henry the II. Nevertheless he saith in the same Epistle that in a writing by it self he will set down the exposition of his Prophecies beginning the 14 of March 1557. and in the Epistle to Nostradamus his son he saith in general that he hath composed Books of Prophecies each one containing one hundred Stanza's without specifying whether he spoke of the seven that he dedicated to him or of all the others As for my part I believe he had made them all in the year 1555. but that he had not yet examined the three last Centuries according to the Calculation of his Astronomical assertions as he seemeth to indicate often in his Epistle to Henry II. and to say the truth I have found some Stanza's which were fulfilled before the year 1558. though very few As for the extent of his Prophecies it is certain that it is to the end of the World as I shall make it appear in the explication of the 48 the 49 and 56. Stanza's of the first Century and the 72 73 and 94. of the tenth and all according to the Holy Scripture All these things being premised we shall proceed to the explication of the Prophecies setting first the Authors Luminary Epistle to his Son THE PREFACE TO Mr. Michael Nostradamus HIS PROPHECIES Ad Caesarem Nostradamum Filium vita Felicitas THy late coming Caesar Nostradamus my son hath caused me to bestow a great deal of time in continual and nocturnal watchings that I might leave a Memorial of me after my death to the common benefit of Mankind concerning the things which the Divine Essence hath revealed to me by Astronomical Revolutions and since it hath pleased the immortal God that thou are come late into this World and canst not say that thy years that are but few but thy Months are incapable to receive into thy weak understanding what I am forced to define of futurity since it is not possible to leave thee in Writing what might be obliterated by the injury of times for the Hereditary word of occult praedictions shall be lockt up in my brest considering also that the events are definitely uncertain and that all is governed by the power of God who inspired us not

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 Cai●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