CENTURYI.

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 StudyAlone, resting upon the Brazen Stool,A slight flame breaking forth out of that solitude,Makes me utter what is not in vain to believe.

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.

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.

Sitting by Night in my secret StudyAlone, resting upon the Brazen Stool,A slight flame breaking forth out of that solitude,Makes me utter what is not in vain to believe.

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.

In thisStanza,Nostradamusexpresseth 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 of Mind, when he saith,Sitting by night; Because a troubled Mind cannot see clearly the Things it is busie about, no more than tossed Waters can distinctly represent the Objects that are opposed to them. Thus we read in the Scripture, that the ProphetElishah, being transported with Zeal againstJoramKing ofIsrael; and nevertheless willing to consult God concerning the event of the Warr against theMoabites, called for a Minstrel, that the Harmony of the Instrument might quiet his Mind, as it did happen.And it came to pass when the Minstrel played, that the Hand of the Lord came upon him, 2 Kingschap. 3. ver. 15.

The Author in hisDedicatory Epistleto his SonCæsar, calleth this Tranquility of Mind,A long Melancholick Inspiration; because the Melancholick Humour and Mind sequestreth a Man from the concerns of worldly things, and maketh him present to himself, so that his Understanding is not darkned by a multitude ofSpeciesthat troubles its Operation.

The Second Disposition, was, the Silence of the Night; For Man who is compounded of Body and Soul, doth notably intricate himself in External things by the commerce of the Senses with the Objects; which obligeth him to withdraw himself from visible things, when he intends to apply himself to some serious Study. And as the silence of the Night causeth in the Universe a cessation of noises and clashings in Business, Visits and Colloquies, the Mind is then more at rest. Besides that, Night covering with her Darkness our Hemisphere, our Senses are less distracted, and our Internal Faculties are more united to serve the Operations of the Understanding.

Therefore the Author in his twoLiminary Epistles, makes often mention of his continual Nocturnal Watchings, of his Sweet-smelling nocturnal Studies, and of his Nocturnal and Prophetical Calculations.

The Third Disposition, was Solitariness; that is, having no other Conversation then that of his Books, being retired in his Study, Alone. For it seemeth that God commonly maketh use of Solitariness when he doth impart himself to Men, and revealeth them his Oracles: And theSybilswere chosen to be Prophets, as much for their Solitariness, as for their Chastity.

The Author saith, that with those three Dispositions he raised himself to the knowledge of future things; which is signified by those words,Resting upon the Brazen Stool.Serviusin hisCommentariesuponVirgil, speaking of this Brazen Stool, saith two things of it. The First, that this Stool was a Table set upon aTrevet, called by theGreeksτρίπους, and by the LatinesTripus. The Second is, that theSybils, or the Priests of theDelphickTemple ofApollo, got upon that Table, when they went about to pronounce their Oracles.Pliny, in his 33. Book, Chap. 3. saith, that they called those TablesCortinas, and that some were made of Brass for the use aforesaid.

From the use of that BrazenTrevetis come the Proverb,Ex tripode loqui. When one speaketh like an Oracle. Thus the Author willing to express, that being in his Study in the solitariness of the Night, he raised himself to the Knowledge of Future things, to write them, and transmit them to Posterity; he saith,He was sitting or resting upon the Brazen Stool.

Thus raising himself, and taking his Pen in hand to write what he should learn, he saith in the Third Verse, thatA slight Flame, or small Light did insinuate it self in his understanding, by whose splendor and brightness he saw future things.

The Author in his Epistle toCæsarhis Son, expoundeth always this Prophetical Light, by the comparison of a shining Flame, and calleth it rather a Flame than a pure Light, because this Light doth not only discover the Mysteries, but more-over it lightens in us a certain Heat and Prophetical Power, as himself terms it; as if we should say a Sacred Enthusiasm, even (saith he) as the Sun coming near us with his Light, not only darteth upon all Elementary things the brightness of his Beams, but withal infuseth in them a certain quickning heat, which causeth the Vegetables to grow, andupholdeth the Being of all other natural things; Even so (saith he) this goodGenius, as the Ancients term it; or as we Christians say, that Divine Spirit of Prophecy coming near our understandings, not only importeth a Light to them, but more-over a certain heat and Prophetical Power, which strenghteneth them in the knowledge of the aforesaid things, and causeth them to breath out, as by a Sacred Enthusiasm some Prophetical Verses.

Which happeneth to them (saith the Author) coming out of Solitude, that is to say, when their Spirit stoopeth down, and by degrees cometh down from that sublime Region and high elevation, taking the Pen to write down the future time. Therefore he with his dispositions participating of thatslight flame, coming out of his solitude, began to write and to utter,What is not in vain to believe.

The things that the Author hath written, shall not be unprofitable as we have proved already, and the time will come, when by the means of Divine Providence the Church shall receive the fruit thereof, at which we ought not to wonder, seeing that God saith of himself inIsaiahChap. 48. Ver. 17.I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit.

The Author foretelleth many wonders, of which we ought to be certain by the verification of those that are already past, seeing that it is the same Spirit that shewed them all.

The same Prophecies are also profitable, in that every where the Author condemneth Seditious and Rebellious persons, and Prophecieth the Churches Victory over her Enemies.

They are also profitable for particular Men that understand the meaning of them, for by it they may provide for their own business, according to the storm, undertaking nothing but upon sure grounds, following always the best party, and disposing themselves to patience, when the calamities are general, and involve together the guilty and guiltless. Therefore our Author saith well,A slight flame breaking forth out of that solitude, makes me utter what is not in vain to believe.

French.La Verge en main, mise au milieu des Branches,De l’Onde je moüille & le Limbe & le Pied,En peur j’escris fremissant par les manches;Splendeur Divine: le Divine prez s’assied.English.With Rod in hand, set in the middle of the Branches,With water I wet the Limb and the Foot,In fear I writ, quaking in my sleeves,Divine splendor! the Divine sitteth by.

La Verge en main, mise au milieu des Branches,De l’Onde je moüille & le Limbe & le Pied,En peur j’escris fremissant par les manches;Splendeur Divine: le Divine prez s’assied.

La Verge en main, mise au milieu des Branches,

De l’Onde je moüille & le Limbe & le Pied,

En peur j’escris fremissant par les manches;

Splendeur Divine: le Divine prez s’assied.

With Rod in hand, set in the middle of the Branches,With water I wet the Limb and the Foot,In fear I writ, quaking in my sleeves,Divine splendor! the Divine sitteth by.

With Rod in hand, set in the middle of the Branches,

With water I wet the Limb and the Foot,

In fear I writ, quaking in my sleeves,

Divine splendor! the Divine sitteth by.

Amongst the customs, the Ancients observed, before they pronounced their Oracles; one was to take a Tuffie Branch of Laurel, and with it dipt in water, to sprinkle the edges and Columns of the Table, that was upon the Brazen Trevet, by which ceremonies they procured credit to their Oracles.

The Author willing to let us know, that his Verses were not only a simple writing,but also Prophetical and full of Oracles, doth represent them to us by this Metaphore of the Ancients, when they did amuse the people with their ambiguous, and many times fallacious Oracles.

Being then sitting and quiet in his solitariness; coming out of that great devotion of mind, animated by the virtue of his goodGenius, he putteth firstthe Rod into his hand, that is the Pen, and putteth itin the middle of the Branches, putting it between his Fingers. Secondly he dippeth this Rodinto Water, dipping his Pen in his Ink; with this Pen dipt in Ink,he wetteth the Limb and the Foot, writing upon his paper from one end to the other, and from the top to the bottom.

Which we must understand by this wordLymbe, which is a Latin word, signifying the long and narrow pieces of stuffe, which women wore at the bottom of their Petticoats, therefore the Latins called themLymbos, from the Latin VerbeLambo, which in matter of cloths signifieth, to leek or sweep; and because those pieces of cloath were in the bottom of their Garments, the word hath been afterwards employed to signifie the brims of some things, so that the Lymbs of a sheet of paper, are the two margines, and the top and the bottom, as if it were the four ends of a Quadrangular Figure.

The third Verse sheweth the internal disposition of the Author, after he hath described his external one; that disposition was a Sacred quaking, which putting his heart into a palpitation, caused his hands and arms to shake, as if he had been taken with some fit of an Ague. This quaking is the disposition which the goodGeniuscauseth in Prophets, that they may be humbled, and not be puffed up with pride, when they come near the Majesty of God, as we read inDaniel, St.John, and the4th.ofEsdras. Therefore the Author saith:

In fear I write, quaking in my sleeves.And because the Divine Spirit after he hath cast down those, to whom he will impart himself, doth afterwards quiet them; the Author therefore addeth, that aDivine splendor did sit by him.

French.Quand la littiere du tourbillon versée,Et seront faces de leurs Manteaux couvers,La Republique par gens nouveaux vexée,Lors blancs & rouges jugeront a l’envers.English.When the litter shall be overthrown by a gust of wind,And faces shall be covered with Cloaks,The Common-wealth shall be troubled with a new kind of men,Then white and red shall judge amiss.

Quand la littiere du tourbillon versée,Et seront faces de leurs Manteaux couvers,La Republique par gens nouveaux vexée,Lors blancs & rouges jugeront a l’envers.

Quand la littiere du tourbillon versée,

Et seront faces de leurs Manteaux couvers,

La Republique par gens nouveaux vexée,

Lors blancs & rouges jugeront a l’envers.

When the litter shall be overthrown by a gust of wind,And faces shall be covered with Cloaks,The Common-wealth shall be troubled with a new kind of men,Then white and red shall judge amiss.

When the litter shall be overthrown by a gust of wind,

And faces shall be covered with Cloaks,

The Common-wealth shall be troubled with a new kind of men,

Then white and red shall judge amiss.

The two first Verses signifie that a great tempestuous wind was to happen, in which a litter should be overturned, and every one should muffle his face in his Cloak, for the fierceness of the wind.

And that presently after the Common-wealth should be troubled with new Sects and Opinions, which may be understood of the beginning of Reformation byLutherandCalvin, which was about that time.

The last Verse by the white and red signifieth here (as it doth thorough all the Book) theFrenchand theSpaniards, because theFrenchwear white Scarfes, and theSpaniardsred ones: and consequently the troubles and jars that happened presently between those two Nations.

French.Par l’Univers sera fait un Monarque,Qu’en paix & vie ne sera longuement,Lors se perdra la Piscature Barque,Sera regie en plus grand detriment.English.In the World shall be one Monarch,Who shall be not long alive, nor in peace,Then shall be lost the Fishing Boat,And be governed with worse detriment.

Par l’Univers sera fait un Monarque,Qu’en paix & vie ne sera longuement,Lors se perdra la Piscature Barque,Sera regie en plus grand detriment.

Par l’Univers sera fait un Monarque,

Qu’en paix & vie ne sera longuement,

Lors se perdra la Piscature Barque,

Sera regie en plus grand detriment.

In the World shall be one Monarch,Who shall be not long alive, nor in peace,Then shall be lost the Fishing Boat,And be governed with worse detriment.

In the World shall be one Monarch,

Who shall be not long alive, nor in peace,

Then shall be lost the Fishing Boat,

And be governed with worse detriment.

That Monarch wasHenrythe II. King ofFrance, who did not Reign long, but was unfortunately slain, running at Tilt against the Earl ofMontgomery(as we shall see hereafter) and almost during all his Reign had Wars withCharlesthe V. Emperour, and his SonPhilipthe II. King ofSpain; the said Emperour in that time did sackRome, took the PopeClementthe VII. prisoner, which is signified here; as also in several other places by the loss of theFishing Boat; the Roman Church being often compared to a Ship or Boat.

French.Chassez seront sans faire long combat.Par le Païs seront plus fort grevez,Bourg & Cité auront plus grand debat,Carcas,Narbonneauront cœurs esprouvez.English.They shall be driven away without great fighting,Those of the Countrey shall be more grieved,Town and City shall have a greater debate,Carcas,Narbonneshall have their hearts tryed.

Chassez seront sans faire long combat.Par le Païs seront plus fort grevez,Bourg & Cité auront plus grand debat,Carcas,Narbonneauront cœurs esprouvez.

Chassez seront sans faire long combat.

Par le Païs seront plus fort grevez,

Bourg & Cité auront plus grand debat,

Carcas,Narbonneauront cœurs esprouvez.

They shall be driven away without great fighting,Those of the Countrey shall be more grieved,Town and City shall have a greater debate,Carcas,Narbonneshall have their hearts tryed.

They shall be driven away without great fighting,

Those of the Countrey shall be more grieved,

Town and City shall have a greater debate,

Carcas,Narbonneshall have their hearts tryed.

Herein is nothing mystical, the meaning is that some of the Protestant party intending to take or vex the Cities ofCarcassoneandNarbonneinLanguedoc, shall be easily repulsed, and shall afterward fall upon the Countrey round about, which shall suffer for.

French.L’œil deRavennesera destitué,Quand a ses pieds les aisles sailliront;Les deux deBresseauront constitué,Turin,Verceil, queGauloisfouleront.English.The eye ofRavennashall be forsaken,When the wings shall rise at his feet,The two ofBresciashall have constituted,Turin,Verceil, which the French shall tread upon.

L’œil deRavennesera destitué,Quand a ses pieds les aisles sailliront;Les deux deBresseauront constitué,Turin,Verceil, queGauloisfouleront.

L’œil deRavennesera destitué,

Quand a ses pieds les aisles sailliront;

Les deux deBresseauront constitué,

Turin,Verceil, queGauloisfouleront.

The eye ofRavennashall be forsaken,When the wings shall rise at his feet,The two ofBresciashall have constituted,Turin,Verceil, which the French shall tread upon.

The eye ofRavennashall be forsaken,

When the wings shall rise at his feet,

The two ofBresciashall have constituted,

Turin,Verceil, which the French shall tread upon.

This is a confirmation of the fourth Stanza, concerning the loss of the Pope,Clementthe VII. who is called here the eye ofRavenna, because he is Lord of that famous City, which was once an Exarchat of the Empire.

The wings that shall rise at, or against his feet, shall be those of the Eagle, which are the Arms of the Emperour.

The two ofBresciawere the Governour and Proveditor ofVenicein that place, who would at that time have endeavoured to seize uponTurinandVerceil, the two chiefest Towns ofPiemont, but were prevented by theFrench.

French.Tard arrivé, l’execution faite,Le Vent contrare, Lettres au chemin prinses,Les Conjurez quatorze d’une Secte,Par le Rousseau seront les entreprinses.English.One coming too late, the execution shall be done,The Wind being contrary, and Letters intercepted by the way,The Conspirators fourteen of a Sect,By the Red-hair’d Man the undertaking shall be made.

Tard arrivé, l’execution faite,Le Vent contrare, Lettres au chemin prinses,Les Conjurez quatorze d’une Secte,Par le Rousseau seront les entreprinses.

Tard arrivé, l’execution faite,

Le Vent contrare, Lettres au chemin prinses,

Les Conjurez quatorze d’une Secte,

Par le Rousseau seront les entreprinses.

One coming too late, the execution shall be done,The Wind being contrary, and Letters intercepted by the way,The Conspirators fourteen of a Sect,By the Red-hair’d Man the undertaking shall be made.

One coming too late, the execution shall be done,

The Wind being contrary, and Letters intercepted by the way,

The Conspirators fourteen of a Sect,

By the Red-hair’d Man the undertaking shall be made.

The sense of the whole is this, there shall be fourteen Conspirators of one mind, and their Ring-leader, a Red-haired man, who shall be put to death, because their Reprieve could not come timely enough, being hindered by cross winds, and Letters intercepted. I could find no particular things in History concerning this.

French.Combien de fois prinse Cité Solaire,Seras, changeant les Loix barbares & vaines,Ton mal s’approche, plus seras tributaire,Le grandAdrierecouvrira tes veines.English.How often taken O solar City,Shalt thou be? changing the barbarian and vain Laws,Thy evil growth nigh, thou shalt be more tributary,The greatAdriashall recover thy veins.

Combien de fois prinse Cité Solaire,Seras, changeant les Loix barbares & vaines,Ton mal s’approche, plus seras tributaire,Le grandAdrierecouvrira tes veines.

Combien de fois prinse Cité Solaire,

Seras, changeant les Loix barbares & vaines,

Ton mal s’approche, plus seras tributaire,

Le grandAdrierecouvrira tes veines.

How often taken O solar City,Shalt thou be? changing the barbarian and vain Laws,Thy evil growth nigh, thou shalt be more tributary,The greatAdriashall recover thy veins.

How often taken O solar City,

Shalt thou be? changing the barbarian and vain Laws,

Thy evil growth nigh, thou shalt be more tributary,

The greatAdriashall recover thy veins.

It is hard to judge what he meaneth by the Solar City that shall be so often taken.

As byAdria, it is certain he meanethVenice, that was so called anciently, because of its scituation in theAdriatickSea.

French.De l’Orient viendra le cœur punique,FascherAdrie, & les hoirsRomulides,Accompagné de la classe Libique,TremblerMelites, & proches Isles vuides.English.From the East shall come theAfricanheart,To vexAdria, and the Heirs ofRomulus,Accompanied with theLibianfleetMelitesshall tremble, and the Neighbouring Islands be empty.

De l’Orient viendra le cœur punique,FascherAdrie, & les hoirsRomulides,Accompagné de la classe Libique,TremblerMelites, & proches Isles vuides.

De l’Orient viendra le cœur punique,

FascherAdrie, & les hoirsRomulides,

Accompagné de la classe Libique,

TremblerMelites, & proches Isles vuides.

From the East shall come theAfricanheart,To vexAdria, and the Heirs ofRomulus,Accompanied with theLibianfleetMelitesshall tremble, and the Neighbouring Islands be empty.

From the East shall come theAfricanheart,

To vexAdria, and the Heirs ofRomulus,

Accompanied with theLibianfleet

Melitesshall tremble, and the Neighbouring Islands be empty.

This was a clear and true Prognostication of that famous Invasion made uponMaltha, by the grand SignorSolymanthe magnificent, in the year of our Lord 1565. and just ten years after the writing of this Prophecy, wherein that Island, and some of the Neighbouring ones were wholly depopulated by theTurks, to the terror ofVenice, called hereAdria, and of all the Islands of theAdriatickSea. For the better understanding of this, the Reader must observe, thatPunicusin Latin signifiethAfrica, so that theAfricanheart signifieth the help theTurkhad fromTunis, Tripoly, andAlgier, Cities seated inAfrica, and under the Turkish Dominion; by which not onlyMaltha(which in Latin isMelita) butVeniceandRomewere put into a great fright; the conclusion of this Siege was, that after six weeks time, and the loss of 26000. Men, theTurkswere constrained shamefully to retire.Videthe Turkish History.

French.Sergens transmis dans la Cage de Fer,Ou les Enfans septains du Roy sont pris,Les vieux & Peres sortiront bas d’Enfer,Ains mourir voir de son fruit mort & cris.English.Sergeants sent into an Iron Cage,Where the seven Children of the King are,The old Men and Fathers shall come out of Hell,And before they die shall see the death and cries of their fruit.

Sergens transmis dans la Cage de Fer,Ou les Enfans septains du Roy sont pris,Les vieux & Peres sortiront bas d’Enfer,Ains mourir voir de son fruit mort & cris.

Sergens transmis dans la Cage de Fer,

Ou les Enfans septains du Roy sont pris,

Les vieux & Peres sortiront bas d’Enfer,

Ains mourir voir de son fruit mort & cris.

Sergeants sent into an Iron Cage,Where the seven Children of the King are,The old Men and Fathers shall come out of Hell,And before they die shall see the death and cries of their fruit.

Sergeants sent into an Iron Cage,

Where the seven Children of the King are,

The old Men and Fathers shall come out of Hell,

And before they die shall see the death and cries of their fruit.

This Prophecy signifieth, that some Sergeants or Executioners shall be sent into a Prison, to put to death seven Children, servants of a King that were Imprisoned there, and that some old Men their Fathers, shall see their death, and hear their cries.

French.Le mouvement de Sens, Cœur, Pieds, & Mains,Seront d’accord,Naples,Leon,Sicile,Glaives, Feux, Eaux, puis au Noble Romains,Plongez, Tuez, Morts, par cerveau debile.English.The motion of the Sense, Heart, Feet and Hands,Shall agree,Naples,Leon,Sicily,Swords, Fires, Waters, then to the nobleRomans,Dipt, Killed, Dead, by aweak-brain.

Le mouvement de Sens, Cœur, Pieds, & Mains,Seront d’accord,Naples,Leon,Sicile,Glaives, Feux, Eaux, puis au Noble Romains,Plongez, Tuez, Morts, par cerveau debile.

Le mouvement de Sens, Cœur, Pieds, & Mains,

Seront d’accord,Naples,Leon,Sicile,

Glaives, Feux, Eaux, puis au Noble Romains,

Plongez, Tuez, Morts, par cerveau debile.

The motion of the Sense, Heart, Feet and Hands,Shall agree,Naples,Leon,Sicily,Swords, Fires, Waters, then to the nobleRomans,Dipt, Killed, Dead, by aweak-brain.

The motion of the Sense, Heart, Feet and Hands,

Shall agree,Naples,Leon,Sicily,

Swords, Fires, Waters, then to the nobleRomans,

Dipt, Killed, Dead, by aweak-brain.

The two first Verses signifie the concord that shall be among theSpanishdominions, expressed here bySense,Heart,Feet, andHands. After which, theRomansor those ofRome, shall be evilly intreated, beingdrowned, killed, and put to death by a weak brain. I guess this to have come to pass, when the EmperourCharlesthe V. his Army sackedRome, under the command of the Duke ofBourbon, who was killed at the Assault; and of the Prince ofOrange, who permitted licentiousness to his Souldiers, and suffered them to commit more violence, than ever theGothsorVandalesdid, and therefore is called hereweak brain. This Prince ofOrangewas of the House ofChalon, after which came that ofNassau.

French.Dans peu ira fauce brute fragile,De bas en haut eslevé promptement,Puis en estant desloyal & labile,Qui deVeroneaura gouvernment.English.Within a little while a false frail brute shall go,From low to high, being quickly raised,By reason that he shall have the Government ofVerona,Shall be unfaithful and slippery.

Dans peu ira fauce brute fragile,De bas en haut eslevé promptement,Puis en estant desloyal & labile,Qui deVeroneaura gouvernment.

Dans peu ira fauce brute fragile,

De bas en haut eslevé promptement,

Puis en estant desloyal & labile,

Qui deVeroneaura gouvernment.

Within a little while a false frail brute shall go,From low to high, being quickly raised,By reason that he shall have the Government ofVerona,Shall be unfaithful and slippery.

Within a little while a false frail brute shall go,

From low to high, being quickly raised,

By reason that he shall have the Government ofVerona,

Shall be unfaithful and slippery.

This foretelleth of a wicked person, who in a short time shall be from a low degree exalted to a high one, by reason that those that have the Government ofVerona, shall be unfaithful and slippery. That person seemeth to be some Pope, who from a low degree shall be exalted to that dignity, by the unfaithfulness and slipperiness of theVenetians, who are now Lords of the CityVeronainItaly.

French.Les exiles, par ire, haine intestine,Feront au Roy grand conjuration,Secret mettront ennemis par la mine,Et les vieux siens, contre eux sedition.English.The banished, by choler, and intestine hatredShall make against the King a great conspiracy,They shall put secret enemies in the mine,And the old his own against them sedition.

Les exiles, par ire, haine intestine,Feront au Roy grand conjuration,Secret mettront ennemis par la mine,Et les vieux siens, contre eux sedition.

Les exiles, par ire, haine intestine,

Feront au Roy grand conjuration,

Secret mettront ennemis par la mine,

Et les vieux siens, contre eux sedition.

The banished, by choler, and intestine hatredShall make against the King a great conspiracy,They shall put secret enemies in the mine,And the old his own against them sedition.

The banished, by choler, and intestine hatred

Shall make against the King a great conspiracy,

They shall put secret enemies in the mine,

And the old his own against them sedition.

Although this Prophecie seemeth to be indefinitely spoken, because in every Countrey or Kingdom where there is banished people, they most commonly plot against their King and Countrey; nevertheless I find two remarkable Histories to make this good, one inFrance, and the other inEngland. That ofFranceis thus.

The Cardinal ofLorrain, and the Duke ofGuisehis Brother, being in great favour withHenryII. the Queen Mother promoted them in the beginning of the Reign ofFrancisII. his successor, so that the Cardinal was made Lord high Treasurer, and the Duke General of the Armies, to the prejudice of the Constable ofMontmorency. Those two favourites, fearing the persecution that is raised by envy,did remove all the great ones from the Court, whether they were commanded to do so, or whether they had any other pretences.

The Princes ofCondé, and ofla Roche sur yon, were sent intoFlanderstoPhilipII.Condé, to confirm the alliance between the two Crowns, andla Roche sur yonto carry the Order ofFrance.

DianaofPoitiersDutchess ofValentenois, was banished from Court, and compelled to surrender to the Queen all the Jewels she had extorted from the King, besides the Castle ofChenonceaux, which the Queen took for her self.

The Marshal St.Andrewwas likewise banished from the Court. The King ofNavarrewas inBearn.

The Constable took also his leave, and surrendred to the King the Seal of his Office. On the other side, the Protestants began to stir notably, having on their part many Princes, as that ofCondé, ofPorcien,Gaspard, ofColigny, Admiral ofFrance, d’Andelot, and the Cardinal ofChastillonhis brothers,MagdaleneofMailly, their Sister, Lady ofRoye, the King ofNavarre. All these discontented persons, and the Protestants made a great conspiracy under pretence of Religion, and of freeing the King from the tyranny of theGuisians.

They did byCholer, the Protestants because they had been so ill used, in the time ofFrancisI. andHenryII. and lately by theGuisians. And the discontented, for to pull down their power, it was also by anintestine hatred, because the Constable could not brook to be dispossessed of his Office of great Master, which was given to the Duke ofGuise; and the others to see themselves from the management of Affairs, and the Protestants by the spirit of a contrary Religion.

Theirconspiracytended to expel theGuisians, and to seise upon the Queen, the King, and his Brothers.

To compass their end, they secretly sent some trusty persons of their own, who nevertheless feigned to be their Enemies; insomuch that the King ofNavarresent them word, that he would be always of their party, though apparently he took the Courts part.

Butthe Old his own, saith the fourth Verse, that is to say, the Kings old friends shall raiseSeditionagainst them, which happened in the year 1650. when theGuisianshaving discovered the conspiracy that was made atNantes, the 1. ofFebruary1560. whose chief Ring-leader was the LordLa Renaudie; they presently got the King out ofBlois, and carryed him toAmboise, caused the Town to be fortified, and set strong Guards upon all the passages.

The day appointed for the execution of the conspiracy atBlois, was the 10th ofMarch: But the King being got toAmboise, the Conspirators went thither in such great numbers, and under such specious pretences, that had they not been betrayed, no body would have suspected them. All the Suburbs and the Countrey Towns thereabouts were full of them. The Prince ofCondé, the Admiral, d’Andelot, and his Brother the Cardinal, were all there.

Then theGuisiansbegan to fall to work, and to set upon the Conspirators on all sides.

Abundance were taken, some in the City, some in the Suburbs, others in the Countrey round about.

Most of these were slain before they could come to Town, or be carried to Prison. And their process was so short that they were hanged in their Boots and Spurs.

The Scouts did every where kill those they met withall. To conclude, it proved a very Bloody Tragedy.

La Renaudiethe Chief of the Conspirators, was met with by the LordPardaillanaGascon. At the first approachLa Renaudiekilled him; but himself was killedbyPardeillan’s Servant, and his dead body brought and hanged atAmboise.

The second History is concerningEngland, which palpably makes this Prophecie good, if we make reflection upon what hath happened in this last Century of years, concerning banished people that have conspired against their King and Countrey, as we may see through all the Life of QueenElizabeth, and by that famous Plot of the Gun-powder-Treason in KingJames’s time, which must be understood here by theMine.

French.De gens esclave, chansons, chants, & requestes,Captifs par Princes, & Seigneurs aux prisons,A l’advenir par Idiots sans testes,Seront receus par divins oraisons.English.From slavish people, Songs, Tunes and requests,Being kept Prisoners by Princes and Lords,For the future by headless Idiots,Shall be admitted by divine prayers.

De gens esclave, chansons, chants, & requestes,Captifs par Princes, & Seigneurs aux prisons,A l’advenir par Idiots sans testes,Seront receus par divins oraisons.

De gens esclave, chansons, chants, & requestes,

Captifs par Princes, & Seigneurs aux prisons,

A l’advenir par Idiots sans testes,

Seront receus par divins oraisons.

From slavish people, Songs, Tunes and requests,Being kept Prisoners by Princes and Lords,For the future by headless Idiots,Shall be admitted by divine prayers.

From slavish people, Songs, Tunes and requests,

Being kept Prisoners by Princes and Lords,

For the future by headless Idiots,

Shall be admitted by divine prayers.

This is a prognostication of the beginning and increase of the Protestants inFrance, who began to sing their Psalms inFrench, and from time to time presented their request for tolleration. The Author being a zealous Papist calleth themIdiots, and that notwithstanding the persecution that should be against them, being put in Prison byPrincesandLords, they should at last be admitted by reason of their often praying to God.

French.Marsnous menace par la force bellique,Septante fois fera le sang respandre,Auge & ruine de l’Ecclesiastique,Et par ceux qui d’eux rien ne voudront entendre.English.Marsthreatneth us of a Warlike force,Seventy times he shall cause blood to be shed,The flourishing and ruine of the Clergy,And by those that will hear nothing from them.

Marsnous menace par la force bellique,Septante fois fera le sang respandre,Auge & ruine de l’Ecclesiastique,Et par ceux qui d’eux rien ne voudront entendre.

Marsnous menace par la force bellique,

Septante fois fera le sang respandre,

Auge & ruine de l’Ecclesiastique,

Et par ceux qui d’eux rien ne voudront entendre.

Marsthreatneth us of a Warlike force,Seventy times he shall cause blood to be shed,The flourishing and ruine of the Clergy,And by those that will hear nothing from them.

Marsthreatneth us of a Warlike force,

Seventy times he shall cause blood to be shed,

The flourishing and ruine of the Clergy,

And by those that will hear nothing from them.

The Author having premonished us in his Preface, that God having imparted to him the knowledge of many future things, he was curious to know if his DivineMajesty had written the same thing in the Cœlestial Book, as concerning the States, Empires, Monarchies, Provinces and Cities, and he found that it was even so as it had been revealed to him, so that the Book of Heaven, written with Gods own hand, in so many shining Characters, might serve to studious men for a light and a Torch to discover very near the common estate of the world.

He then having learned from God in his solitariness, the prosperities and afflictions of the Clergy, from the beginning of the year 1555. to the end of the world; he found that there was an agreement between his prophetical Knowledge, and the motion of the Heavenly Bodies; because having made the Systeme of the years after 1550. he found thatMarswas in a dangerous Aspect to the Ecclesiastical estate, and found that this Planet by its position did presage a long, bloody and horrid Catastrophe in the world, by which the Ecclesiastical estate should suffer much.

To make good this prediction, the Author doth assure us in his Preface, that he had considered the disposition of this Planet, not only in the year 1555. but also in the years following, and joyning together all that he had found in his Ephemerides, he found that this Planet did on all sides presage most bloody actions. Although, saith he, the Planet ofMarsmaketh an end of its course, and is come to its last Period: nevertheless it will begin it again, but some gathered inAquariusfor many years, and others by long and continual years.

As if he would say that his prediction ought not to be rejected; becauseMarsended his course, and cometh to its late period; for it would take again its Exaltation and Dominion with a worse conjunction, having his Astronomical dignities, with the Conjunction of other Planets in the Sign ofAquariusduring many years, and in the Sign ofCancerfor many years more.

Which maketh the Author conclude, that within the space of 177. years, three months and eleven dayes, the world shall be afflicted with Wars, Plagues, Famines and Innundations, that scarce any body shall be left to Till the Ground. By which prediction we learn that those evils began in the year 1555. the first ofMarch, which is the date of the Authors Book, and shall last till the second ofJune1732. abating the ten days of the Gregorian Calender.

During which time, he saith, thatMarsthreatneth us with bloody Wars that shall be reiterated 70 times.

This word seventy doth not signifie a determinate number, but a great number indeterminated according to the Phrase of the Scripture, which by the number of seven signifieth many times, and by that of seventy incomparably many times more. Thus the Scripture saith, that the just man falleth seven times in one day, that is many times, and our Saviour saith to St.Peter, that we ought to forgive our Enemies, not only seven times, but seventy times seven; that is innumerable times.

We have found the truth of this Prophecie to this very day. 1. InFrance, by the Wars betweenHenryII. andCharlesV. andPhilipII. 2. By the Wars ofCharlesIX. against the Protestants, wherein so much blood was spilt on both sides. 3. ByHenryIII. against the same Protestants, and factions of his time, and then against theParisiansand others of their league. 4. BetweenHenryIV. and those of the league in his revolted Kingdom. 5. By the Wars ofLewisXIII. against the Protestants, against the Duke ofSavoy, in theValteline, inPiemont, inLorrain, inAlsatia, inCatalonia, inFranche-Conty, inFlanders, and for the defence ofPortugal, which have been continued by his successorLewisXIV. now Reigning.

Italydid also find the truth of this prophecie, by the Wars betweenPaulIV. and theSpaniard, betweenPiusV. and theTurks, betweenClementVIII. and the Duke ofFerrara, between the Emperour and the Duke ofMantua, betweenUrbanVIII. and the Duke ofParma, between theVenetiansand theFlorentines,by the revolt of the Kingdom ofNaples, under the conduct of the Duke ofGuise.

Englandhath had its share of it under QueenElizabeth, by the revolt ofYorkshire, and some other Provinces, by theSpanishfleet of 88.

By the death of QueenMary, by the revolt of the Kingdom againstCharlesI. And by the horrid perfidiousness ofCromwel.

Germanyhath made it good by the War against theTurks, the Protestants and theSwedes.

Polandhath done the same against theRussians,Tartars,Turks,CassaksandSwedes.

AndVeniceagainst theTurk, for the Islands ofCyprusandCandia, the Battle ofLepanto, and the Wars ofDalmatia.

ThisMarsbesides presageth two contrary things, one is theAugeor Exaltation, the other theruine of the Clergy: where it is to be observed, theAugein tearms of Astrology signifieth mounting or ascending, and cometh from the Latinverbe augere, which signifieth to augment or increase. This augmentation and ruine of theClergyis made good by the several changes that have been in the Ecclesiastical estate, inFrance,England, Low-Countreys,Denmark,Swede,Poland,Hungary,Valachia,Transylvania,Moldavia,Dalmatia,Geneva,Switzerland, &c.

The fourth Verse saith. By those that will hear nothing from them: that is, by the Protestants that will hear nothing from theRomanCatholicks.

French.Faux a l’Estang, joint vers laSagittaire,En son hautAugede l’Exaltation,Peste, Famine, mort de main Militaire,Le Siecle approcher de renovation.English.The Sith to the Fish-pond, joyned toSagittarius,In the highestAugeof the Exaltation,Plague, Famine, Death by a Military hand,The age groweth near to its renovation.

Faux a l’Estang, joint vers laSagittaire,En son hautAugede l’Exaltation,Peste, Famine, mort de main Militaire,Le Siecle approcher de renovation.

Faux a l’Estang, joint vers laSagittaire,

En son hautAugede l’Exaltation,

Peste, Famine, mort de main Militaire,

Le Siecle approcher de renovation.

The Sith to the Fish-pond, joyned toSagittarius,In the highestAugeof the Exaltation,Plague, Famine, Death by a Military hand,The age groweth near to its renovation.

The Sith to the Fish-pond, joyned toSagittarius,

In the highestAugeof the Exaltation,

Plague, Famine, Death by a Military hand,

The age groweth near to its renovation.

The sense of all this is, that when a Meadow that was aFish-pondbefore, shall be Mowed, the Sign ofSagittariusbeing in itsAugeor ascendant, then shallPlague,Famine, andWarReign, and that age (which a Century of years shall be near its end and renovationviz.of another Century.)

French.Par quarante ans l’Iris n’apparoistra,Par quarante ans tous les jours sera veu,La Terre aride en siccité croistra,Et grand deluge quand sera apparceu.English.During fourty years the Rainbow shall not appear,During fourty years it shall be seen every day.The parched Earth shall wax dryer and dryer,And great Flouds shall be when it shall appear.

Par quarante ans l’Iris n’apparoistra,Par quarante ans tous les jours sera veu,La Terre aride en siccité croistra,Et grand deluge quand sera apparceu.

Par quarante ans l’Iris n’apparoistra,

Par quarante ans tous les jours sera veu,

La Terre aride en siccité croistra,

Et grand deluge quand sera apparceu.

During fourty years the Rainbow shall not appear,During fourty years it shall be seen every day.The parched Earth shall wax dryer and dryer,And great Flouds shall be when it shall appear.

During fourty years the Rainbow shall not appear,

During fourty years it shall be seen every day.

The parched Earth shall wax dryer and dryer,

And great Flouds shall be when it shall appear.

The Interpretation of this is easie, and signifieth nothing else but that during 40. years theRainbowshall not be seen, and during that time there shall be an exceeding great drought upon the Earth, and that for 40. years after theRainbowshall be seen every day, which shall cause great flouds and innundations.

French.Par la discorde, negligenceGauloise,Sera passage aMahometouvert,De sang trempé la Terre & MerSenoise,Le PortPhocende Voiles & Nefs couvert.English.Through the discord and negligence of theFrench,A passage shall be opened toMahomet,The Land and Sea ofSiennashall be bloody,ThePhocenHaven shall be covered with Sails and Ships.

Par la discorde, negligenceGauloise,Sera passage aMahometouvert,De sang trempé la Terre & MerSenoise,Le PortPhocende Voiles & Nefs couvert.

Par la discorde, negligenceGauloise,

Sera passage aMahometouvert,

De sang trempé la Terre & MerSenoise,

Le PortPhocende Voiles & Nefs couvert.

Through the discord and negligence of theFrench,A passage shall be opened toMahomet,The Land and Sea ofSiennashall be bloody,ThePhocenHaven shall be covered with Sails and Ships.

Through the discord and negligence of theFrench,

A passage shall be opened toMahomet,

The Land and Sea ofSiennashall be bloody,

ThePhocenHaven shall be covered with Sails and Ships.

In the year 1559.Sultan SolymancalledLeonclavius, according to the alliance made between him andFrancisI. King ofFrance, was desired byHenryII. his Son to send him some succours: Whereupon he sent some of his Gallies to scour theTyrrheneanSea (otherwise the Sea ofTuscany) to give a diversion to theSpanishforces inItaly, while the King by the means of the Marshal ofBrissac, should continue his Conquests in thePiemontandMilanese.

All what thisTurkishFleet did, was to plunder and over-run the Island ofElbe, and to attemptPiombinowithout effect; and because these places were seated upon the Sea ofSienna, called in LatinMare Tirrhenum, the Author saith that both the Land and Sea ofSiennashall be died with Blood, and at that time the Haven ofMarseilles, which was called by the Ancients, Port-Phocenwas full of Sales and Ships, as well to go into the Island ofCorse, as for other designs. This History makes good thatStanzawhich saith, that through thediscordandnegligenceof theFrench, a passage shall be opened toMahomet, wherein it is to be observed that the Marshal ofBrissacdoing wonders for the King inPiemont, his virtue got him abundance of enviers and enemies in the Kings Councel, which was the cause of a great discord among them, by the diversity of opinions, and this diversity was the cause of a prodigious negligence in sending to him relief, asTurpinwitnesseth in his History ofNaples, andParadinin the continuation of his History.

By this discord and negligence,a passage was opened to Mahomet, his Fleet going freely upon theMediterraneanSea near the Coasts ofFrance. And the reason of it was, because this discord and negligence did compelHenrythe II. to ask succours ofSolyman, that theSpaniardmight be compelled to divide his Forces in sending some to the Sea-Towns, and so should not be so strong inPiemont; and thus must be understood theFrench discord and negligence, in the first and second Verse. As for the many Sails and Ships that were then in the Haven ofMarseilles, to go into the Island ofCorsica, the following Stanza’s are full of predictions concerning it.

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