VIII.

French.La Sangsue au Loup se joindra,Lors qu’en Mer le bled defaudra,Mais le grand Prince sans envie,Par Ambassade luy donra,De son bled pour luy donner vie,Pour un besoing s’en pourvoira.English.The Leech will joyn it self to the Wolf,When in the Sea Corn shall be wanting,But the great Prince without envy,By Embassy shall give him,Of his Corn to give him life,Of which in his need he shall make provision.

La Sangsue au Loup se joindra,Lors qu’en Mer le bled defaudra,Mais le grand Prince sans envie,Par Ambassade luy donra,De son bled pour luy donner vie,Pour un besoing s’en pourvoira.

La Sangsue au Loup se joindra,

Lors qu’en Mer le bled defaudra,

Mais le grand Prince sans envie,

Par Ambassade luy donra,

De son bled pour luy donner vie,

Pour un besoing s’en pourvoira.

The Leech will joyn it self to the Wolf,When in the Sea Corn shall be wanting,But the great Prince without envy,By Embassy shall give him,Of his Corn to give him life,Of which in his need he shall make provision.

The Leech will joyn it self to the Wolf,

When in the Sea Corn shall be wanting,

But the great Prince without envy,

By Embassy shall give him,

Of his Corn to give him life,

Of which in his need he shall make provision.

By theLeechis understood theSpaniard. By theWolfis meant theFrench, by reason of the multitude of those Creatures in that Kingdom; the meaning therefore of this Prophecy is, that there should be a great famine inSpain, wherein theSpaniardshould be constrained to make his application to theFrenchfor relief of Corn, which should be granted him. This happened in the year 1665 for you must understand that most of these last Prophecies were to be fulfilled in the Reign ofHenryIV.

French.Un peu devant l’ouvert commerce,Ambassadeur viendra dePerse,Nouvelle au Franc Pais porter,Mais non receu vaine esperance,A son grand Dieu sera l’offense,Feignant de le vouloir quitter.English.A little before that Trade shall be open,An Embassador shall come fromPersia,To bring news intoFrance,But he shall not be received, O vain hope!To his great God shall the offence be,Faining that he would leave him.

Un peu devant l’ouvert commerce,Ambassadeur viendra dePerse,Nouvelle au Franc Pais porter,Mais non receu vaine esperance,A son grand Dieu sera l’offense,Feignant de le vouloir quitter.

Un peu devant l’ouvert commerce,

Ambassadeur viendra dePerse,

Nouvelle au Franc Pais porter,

Mais non receu vaine esperance,

A son grand Dieu sera l’offense,

Feignant de le vouloir quitter.

A little before that Trade shall be open,An Embassador shall come fromPersia,To bring news intoFrance,But he shall not be received, O vain hope!To his great God shall the offence be,Faining that he would leave him.

A little before that Trade shall be open,

An Embassador shall come fromPersia,

To bring news intoFrance,

But he shall not be received, O vain hope!

To his great God shall the offence be,

Faining that he would leave him.

In the year 1608. the year before the Truce was concluded between theSpaniardand theHollanders, by which all free Commerce was opened throughEurope. The King ofPersiabeing then in War with the greatTurk, sent an Embassador to all the Christian Princes, and chiefly intoFrance, to move them to make a diversion in so fit a time, but he could prevail nothing, and went back againre infecta, which he thought to be a great injury done to his ProphetMahomet.

French.Deux Estendars du costé de l’Auvergne,Senestre pris, pour un temps prison regne,Et un Dame enfant voudra mener,An Censuart, mais discouvert l’affaire,Danger de mort, murmure sur la Terre,Germain,Bastille, Frere & Sœur prisonier.English.Two Standards in the County ofAuvergne,The left one taken, for a while Prison shall reign,And a Lady shall endeavour to carry a childTo the Censuart, but the plot being discovered,Danger of Death, murmur upon Earth,Own Brother,Bastille, Brother and Sister prisoners.

Deux Estendars du costé de l’Auvergne,Senestre pris, pour un temps prison regne,Et un Dame enfant voudra mener,An Censuart, mais discouvert l’affaire,Danger de mort, murmure sur la Terre,Germain,Bastille, Frere & Sœur prisonier.

Deux Estendars du costé de l’Auvergne,

Senestre pris, pour un temps prison regne,

Et un Dame enfant voudra mener,

An Censuart, mais discouvert l’affaire,

Danger de mort, murmure sur la Terre,

Germain,Bastille, Frere & Sœur prisonier.

Two Standards in the County ofAuvergne,The left one taken, for a while Prison shall reign,And a Lady shall endeavour to carry a childTo the Censuart, but the plot being discovered,Danger of Death, murmur upon Earth,Own Brother,Bastille, Brother and Sister prisoners.

Two Standards in the County ofAuvergne,

The left one taken, for a while Prison shall reign,

And a Lady shall endeavour to carry a child

To the Censuart, but the plot being discovered,

Danger of Death, murmur upon Earth,

Own Brother,Bastille, Brother and Sister prisoners.

This Stanza being most obscure and difficult, cannot be understood so well by parcels, as by laying down the wholeSynopsisof it, which I do the more willingly, because I think it will be delightful to the Reader, and that the whole being known, the meaning of every particular will easily be understood.

Charlesthe IX. King ofFrance, the last of the House ofValoisleft only one natural Son, called the Earl ofAuvergne, who had a Sister by the Mothers side, that was calledHenrietta de BalzacDuchess ofVerneuil, once Mistriss toHenrythe IV. by whom she had upon promiss of marriage one Son, at this time Duke ofVerneuil, and Governour ofLanguedoc; but this promiss being made void by Act of Parliament,HenryIV. marriedMaryofMedicis, by which he had issueLewisthe XIII. and other children: now upon the discontent of the Marshal ofBiron, the Dutchess ofVerneuil, the Earl ofAuvergneher Brother, and their party joyned with him for the promoting of the Duke ofVerneuil’s interest to the Crown, whereupon the King sent for the Earl ofAuvergne, who was then in his County a hundred Leagues fromParis; but the Earl trusting more the good will of the Citizens ofClermontinAuvergnewho loved him, then to the Kings Clemency, neglected to come, whereupon the King sent again the Lord d’Escures, with a pardon for what was past; he promised to come when he should see his pardon Signed and Sealed in good form; the King was offended at his proceeding, and took it very ill that a Subject of his would capitulate with him, who intended to deal plainly and sincerely; the King nevertheless past that over for many considerations, one of them was that the Earl was of the blood ofFrance, and brother by the Mother to one that had been his Mistress, besides that he was a Prince endowed with many good qualities, most of which did Sympathise with those of the King, thus the King sent him his Pardon as well for what was past, as for the present, but with this proviso that he should come; for all this, he did not stir out ofClermont; the King seeing that, did resolve to have him at any rate: there was several propositions made for to take him: at Hunting, at running of the Ring, at some Banquet, in the Fields, in the City; all these ways might be suspected by the Earl, but a new one was found out, of which he himself was the Author; the Troop of the Duke ofVendosmewas preparing for to Muster, the Earl intreated d’EurreLieutenant of the said company, that it might be in the Fields byClermonttowardsNonnain, because he intended to take revenge in the behalf of a Lady, upon the Inhabitants of that place. The King sent directions and orders to d’Eurre, how he should govern himself in that action, and gave him for Associates,la Boulaye, Lieutenant of the Marquess ofVerneuil’s Troop, andNerestanColonel of a Foot Regiment. By the Kings advice they imparted the business to the Viscount ofPont du Chasteau, to the Baron ofCanillacand some others, that had authority in that Province, and were devoted to the Kings service, and all keeping religiously the Laws of silence. The 12 ofNovemberthe Troop met at the Rendezvous; the Earl came thither by times with two only of his followers, thinking that the Troop should not be ready so soon, and so he should have pretext either to go back toClermont, or to go on further to visit his Mistress. The prudence and diligence of those that managed the business did prevent him, and begot a suspition in him, for he was seen to truss up his Cloak and to try whither his sword did not stick to the Scabbard. D’Eurrewent to him, and having complemented him rode on his left hand, while the Troop was setting in order;Nerestancame to salute him on the other side, and rode on his right hand, being followed by three stout Souldiers, habited like Lackeys, and appointed for this action. The Viscount ofdu Pont du Chasteauand his brother rode out of the Troop and encompassed him on all sides. One of the Souldiers laid hold on the Horses Bridle; d’Eurreat the same time laid hold on his Swords Hilt, saying, my Lord, we are commanded by the King to give him an account of your person, and we intreat you to submit unto his Majesties good pleasure, that we may have no occasion to use you otherways then we desire.Maison-villeandLivernewho were his two followers drew their Swords, thinking to make him way to escape, but some shot spent upon them, made them presently retire and run away. He was put upon a Trumpeters Nag as far asBriare, and thence conducted toMontargisin a Coach, and afterwards by water toParisand put in the Bastille.

By this History, and the explication of the wordCensuart, which is an ancient word derived from the Latine wordCensor; and taken here for the Kingly office, the whole Prophecy is easily understood, and obvious to the meanest capacity.

French.Embassadeur pour une Dame,A son Vaissau mettra la rame,Pour prier le grand Medecin,Que de l’Oster de telle peine,Mais a ce s’opposera Roine,Grand peine avant qu’en voir la fin.English.An Embassador for a Lady,Shall set Oares to his Ship,To intreat the great Physition,To take her out of such pain,But a Queen shall oppose it,A great deal of trouble before the end of it.

Embassadeur pour une Dame,A son Vaissau mettra la rame,Pour prier le grand Medecin,Que de l’Oster de telle peine,Mais a ce s’opposera Roine,Grand peine avant qu’en voir la fin.

Embassadeur pour une Dame,

A son Vaissau mettra la rame,

Pour prier le grand Medecin,

Que de l’Oster de telle peine,

Mais a ce s’opposera Roine,

Grand peine avant qu’en voir la fin.

An Embassador for a Lady,Shall set Oares to his Ship,To intreat the great Physition,To take her out of such pain,But a Queen shall oppose it,A great deal of trouble before the end of it.

An Embassador for a Lady,

Shall set Oares to his Ship,

To intreat the great Physition,

To take her out of such pain,

But a Queen shall oppose it,

A great deal of trouble before the end of it.

This Prophecy is concerningMary StuartQueen ofScotsput in Prison by QueenElizabeth, who is called here the opponant Queen, to the Embassy that the said Queen ofScotssent for relief to the King ofFrance, called here the great Physitian.

French.Durant le Siecle on verra deux ruisseaux,Tout un terrouer inonder de leurs eaux,Et submerger par Ruisseaux & Fontaines,Coups, &Monfrein,Beccoyran&Alais,Par leGardonbien souvent travaillez,Six cens & quattre,Ales& trente Moines.English.In this Age two Rivolets shall be seen,To overflow a whole Countrey with their waters,And to drown by Rivolets and Fountains,Coups, andMonfrein,BeccoiranandAlais,By theGardonoften troubled,Six hundred and fourAlais, and thirty Monks.

Durant le Siecle on verra deux ruisseaux,Tout un terrouer inonder de leurs eaux,Et submerger par Ruisseaux & Fontaines,Coups, &Monfrein,Beccoyran&Alais,Par leGardonbien souvent travaillez,Six cens & quattre,Ales& trente Moines.

Durant le Siecle on verra deux ruisseaux,

Tout un terrouer inonder de leurs eaux,

Et submerger par Ruisseaux & Fontaines,

Coups, &Monfrein,Beccoyran&Alais,

Par leGardonbien souvent travaillez,

Six cens & quattre,Ales& trente Moines.

In this Age two Rivolets shall be seen,To overflow a whole Countrey with their waters,And to drown by Rivolets and Fountains,Coups, andMonfrein,BeccoiranandAlais,By theGardonoften troubled,Six hundred and fourAlais, and thirty Monks.

In this Age two Rivolets shall be seen,

To overflow a whole Countrey with their waters,

And to drown by Rivolets and Fountains,

Coups, andMonfrein,BeccoiranandAlais,

By theGardonoften troubled,

Six hundred and fourAlais, and thirty Monks.

An Age is the space of one hundred years, the meaning therefore of this is, that within the Age following, his Prophecies namely as he saith after, in the year 1664. there shall be great Inundation inLanguedoc, caused by the overflowing of two small Rivers, besides that ofGardon, which Inundation shall drown these following places,Coups,Monfrein,BecoyranandAlais, besides, and Abbey wherein there was 30. Monks, but of this I could find nothing in the History, therefore those that live about those places must make it good.

French.Six cens & cinq tres grand nouvelle,De deux Seigneurs la grand querelle,Proche deGevaudansera,En une Eglise apres l’offrande,Meuttre commis, prestre de mande,Tremblant de peur se sauvera.English.In six hundred and five shall be great news;The quarrel of two great Lords,Shall be nearGevaudan,In a Church after the Offering,A murder committed, the Priest shall ask,And quaking for fear, shall save himself.

Six cens & cinq tres grand nouvelle,De deux Seigneurs la grand querelle,Proche deGevaudansera,En une Eglise apres l’offrande,Meuttre commis, prestre de mande,Tremblant de peur se sauvera.

Six cens & cinq tres grand nouvelle,

De deux Seigneurs la grand querelle,

Proche deGevaudansera,

En une Eglise apres l’offrande,

Meuttre commis, prestre de mande,

Tremblant de peur se sauvera.

In six hundred and five shall be great news;The quarrel of two great Lords,Shall be nearGevaudan,In a Church after the Offering,A murder committed, the Priest shall ask,And quaking for fear, shall save himself.

In six hundred and five shall be great news;

The quarrel of two great Lords,

Shall be nearGevaudan,

In a Church after the Offering,

A murder committed, the Priest shall ask,

And quaking for fear, shall save himself.

This (like the former) is a particuler accident, of which the publick History taketh no notice; it seemeth that in the year 1665. inGevaudan, a Province ofFrancenearLanguedoc, there was a great quarrel between two Lords who meeting at Church, did about the time of the Offering set one upon another, and one of them was killed, whereupon the Priest being terrified, ran away.

French.L’aventurier, six cens, & six ou neuf,Sera surpris par fiel mis dans un Oeuf,Et peu apres sera hors de puissance,Par le puissant Empereur General,Qu’ou Monde nest an pereil ny esgal,Dont un chascun luy rend obeissance.English.The adventurer, six hundred, six or nine,Shall be surprised by Gall put into an Egge,And a little while after shall be out of power,By the potent Emperour General,To whom in the world there is not his like or equal,Wherefore every one yieldeth obedience to him.

L’aventurier, six cens, & six ou neuf,Sera surpris par fiel mis dans un Oeuf,Et peu apres sera hors de puissance,Par le puissant Empereur General,Qu’ou Monde nest an pereil ny esgal,Dont un chascun luy rend obeissance.

L’aventurier, six cens, & six ou neuf,

Sera surpris par fiel mis dans un Oeuf,

Et peu apres sera hors de puissance,

Par le puissant Empereur General,

Qu’ou Monde nest an pereil ny esgal,

Dont un chascun luy rend obeissance.

The adventurer, six hundred, six or nine,Shall be surprised by Gall put into an Egge,And a little while after shall be out of power,By the potent Emperour General,To whom in the world there is not his like or equal,Wherefore every one yieldeth obedience to him.

The adventurer, six hundred, six or nine,

Shall be surprised by Gall put into an Egge,

And a little while after shall be out of power,

By the potent Emperour General,

To whom in the world there is not his like or equal,

Wherefore every one yieldeth obedience to him.

This Prophecie was concerning the Duke ofSavoyandHenrythe IV. for about that time mentioned by the Author, after the death of Marshalde Biron, who sided with the Duke ofSavoy(which death is called here Gall put into an Egg;) the Duke ofSavoyrefused to perform the treaty concerning the restitution of the Marquisate ofSaluces, whereforeHenrythe IV. went and subdued most of his Countrey, and compelled him to give the Province ofBresseinstead of the said Marquisate.

French.Au grand Siege encor grand forfaits,Recommenceant plus que jamais,Six cens & cinq sur la verdure,La prise & reprise sera,Soldats es Champs jusqu’ en froidure,Puis apres recommencera.English.At the great Siege yet great misdemeanors,Beginning again more than ever,Six hundred and five about the Spring,The taking and retaking shall be,Souldiers in the fields till Winter,And after that shall begin again.

Au grand Siege encor grand forfaits,Recommenceant plus que jamais,Six cens & cinq sur la verdure,La prise & reprise sera,Soldats es Champs jusqu’ en froidure,Puis apres recommencera.

Au grand Siege encor grand forfaits,

Recommenceant plus que jamais,

Six cens & cinq sur la verdure,

La prise & reprise sera,

Soldats es Champs jusqu’ en froidure,

Puis apres recommencera.

At the great Siege yet great misdemeanors,Beginning again more than ever,Six hundred and five about the Spring,The taking and retaking shall be,Souldiers in the fields till Winter,And after that shall begin again.

At the great Siege yet great misdemeanors,

Beginning again more than ever,

Six hundred and five about the Spring,

The taking and retaking shall be,

Souldiers in the fields till Winter,

And after that shall begin again.

This Stanza is about the same subject as the precedent. By the great Siege here is meant the Siege ofMontpelian, the strongest place inSavoy, whichHenrythe IV. took, and by it compelled the Duke ofSavoyto an agreement. The rest is easie.

French.Nouveau esleu Patron du grand Vaisseau,Verra long temps briller le grand flambeau,Qui sert de Lampe a ce grand territoire,Et auquel temps Armées soubs son nom,Jointes a celles de l’heureux deBourbon,Levant, Ponant, & Couchant sa memoire.English.The new elected Master of the great Ship,Shall a great while see the great light shine,Which serveth for a Lamp to this great Territory,And at which time Armies under his name,Joyned with those of happy ofBourbon,East, West, and North his memory shall be.

Nouveau esleu Patron du grand Vaisseau,Verra long temps briller le grand flambeau,Qui sert de Lampe a ce grand territoire,Et auquel temps Armées soubs son nom,Jointes a celles de l’heureux deBourbon,Levant, Ponant, & Couchant sa memoire.

Nouveau esleu Patron du grand Vaisseau,

Verra long temps briller le grand flambeau,

Qui sert de Lampe a ce grand territoire,

Et auquel temps Armées soubs son nom,

Jointes a celles de l’heureux deBourbon,

Levant, Ponant, & Couchant sa memoire.

The new elected Master of the great Ship,Shall a great while see the great light shine,Which serveth for a Lamp to this great Territory,And at which time Armies under his name,Joyned with those of happy ofBourbon,East, West, and North his memory shall be.

The new elected Master of the great Ship,

Shall a great while see the great light shine,

Which serveth for a Lamp to this great Territory,

And at which time Armies under his name,

Joyned with those of happy ofBourbon,

East, West, and North his memory shall be.

The three first Verses are concerningClementthe VIII. who was elected Pope about that time, and was Instrumental to make a Peace between the King ofFranceand the Duke ofSavoy, and was Pope a good while.

By the great Ship is meant the Church, of which he is called Master. The rest is easie.

French.EnOctobreSix cens & cinq,Pour voieur du Monstre Marin,Prendra du Souverain le cresme,Ou en six cens & six enJuin,Grand joye aux Grands & au Commun,Grand faits apres ce grand Baptesme.English.InOctobersix hundred and five,The Purveyor of the Sea Monster,Shall take the unction of the Sovereign,Or in six hundred and six inJune,Great joy shall be to the Great ones, and to the Commons,Great feats shall be after this great Baptism.

EnOctobreSix cens & cinq,Pour voieur du Monstre Marin,Prendra du Souverain le cresme,Ou en six cens & six enJuin,Grand joye aux Grands & au Commun,Grand faits apres ce grand Baptesme.

EnOctobreSix cens & cinq,

Pour voieur du Monstre Marin,

Prendra du Souverain le cresme,

Ou en six cens & six enJuin,

Grand joye aux Grands & au Commun,

Grand faits apres ce grand Baptesme.

InOctobersix hundred and five,The Purveyor of the Sea Monster,Shall take the unction of the Sovereign,Or in six hundred and six inJune,Great joy shall be to the Great ones, and to the Commons,Great feats shall be after this great Baptism.

InOctobersix hundred and five,

The Purveyor of the Sea Monster,

Shall take the unction of the Sovereign,

Or in six hundred and six inJune,

Great joy shall be to the Great ones, and to the Commons,

Great feats shall be after this great Baptism.

In the year 1606. the 14 ofSeptember, instead of which the printer hath putOctober, the Dolphin ofFrance,Lewisthe XIII. son toHenrythe IV. was Christened with his two Sisters atFountainbleau, and because the Ceremonies were extraordinary, and our Author calleth this a great Baptism, it will not be amiss for the satisfaction of the curious Reader, to give here succinctly a description of it.

In the great quadrangle of the Castles Yard, was erected a great Theatre, all spread and hanged with most rich Carpets and Hangings, in the middle of which Theatre was a square of thirty foot on each side, with rails about it, all covered with Carpets, in the front of it was erected an Altar, adorned with the Ornaments belonging to the Order of the Holy Ghost, behind the Table was a Footstool of three steps, spread with Carpets, and in the middle of the Footstool was a kind of a Stand, covered with a Silver Cloth, upon which were the Fount, covered with a most exquisite Towel, and a Canopy over it, on both sides of the Altars were two Scaffolds for two Quires of Musick, and a little lower on the right hand a Bench covered with Carpets for the Prelates to sit, among which were three Archbishops, nine Bishops and three Abbots, on the left hand were the Lords of the Councel, and before the Altar was the Cardinal ofGondy, encompassed with Almoners and Chaplains, and a great multitude of spectators seated upon Benches, in form of a Theatre, round about the Theatre were the guard ofSwitzers, having every one a Torch in his hand.

The Dolphin and his Sisters were in their Chambers upon Beds of State, with their Robes lined with Hermines, and were brought to the quadrangle, the waiting Gentlemen going before with Torches in their hands, with the Bed Chamber men, and Gentlemen of the Chamber, five Drums, Waits, and Trumpeters, Heralds, and the Knights of the Holy Ghost, with the three Honours; in the first, for the youngest Daughter, the Ewer, the Bason, the Pillow, the Wax Taper, the Chrisme, the Saltseller, were carryed by the Baron, Son to Marshalde la Chastre, by the LordsMontigny,la Rochepot,Chemerand,Liencourt,Fervacques, and the Lady was carryed by the Marshal ofBois Dauphin, followed byCharlesDuke ofLorrainGodfather, and ofDon Juan de Medicis, Brother to the great Duke ofTuscany, representingChristian, Daughter to the Duke ofLorrain, and Wife of the great Duke. After that followedthe Dutches ofGuise, the Countesses ofGuiche, ofSaulx, the MarchionessMonlaur, and other Ladies.

The Marshals ofLaverdin, and ofla Chastre, the Dukes ofSilly, ofMonbazon, ofEspernon, ofEsguillondid the same office for the elder Lady. The Lord ofRagnycarryed her forDianaDutchess ofAngoulesme, who did represent theInfanta,Clara,Eugenia,Eusabella, Archidutchess ofAustria, followed by the Dutchess ofRohan,Montmorency,Mayenne.

The third Honour for the Dolphin was carried by the Earl ofVaudemont, the Knight ofVendosmehis elder Brother, the Duke ofMensier, the Earl ofSoissons, and the Prince ofCounty, all three Princes of the Blood, and the Dolphin was carryed by the LordSouvrayhis Governour, in the room of the Prince ofCondé, first Prince of the Blood, who because of his sickness could do him no other service then to hold him by the hand. The Duke ofGuisecarryed his Train, and the Cardinal ofJoyousefollowed him, representing the PopePaulthe V. then followedEleonorWife toVincentDuke ofMantua, and the Princess of the Blood, all richly attired.

The Dolphin being brought upon the Table of the quadrangle, the Cardinal ofGondyappointed for this Ceremony, came near him; and having heard him answer pertinently to the questions asked by the Almoner according to the usual forms, and to say the Lords Prayer and the Creed in Latine, he was exercised, appointed, and by the Cardinal ofJoyouse Legat, namedLewis.

The Ladies were afterwards brought upon the Table, and the eldest, namedElizabethby the Dutchess ofAngoulesme, representing the Archidutchess her Godmother, without any Godfather.

The youngest was named byDon JuanofMedicis(representing the great Dutchess)Christierne.

At Supper the King was waited upon by the Princess of his Blood; the Prince ofCondéserved for Pantler, the Prince ofComptyfor Cupbearer, the Duke ofMonpensierfor Squire Carver, the Earl ofSoissonsfor high Steward, the Duke ofGuiseand the Earl ofVondemontwaited upon the Queen, and the Duke ofSullywaited upon the Legat. The Godfathers sat, and after them the Princesses, Ladies and Lords of high quality, at the great Ball the Duke ofLorraindid precede by the Kings order, for the only consideration that he was Godfather.

The next day there was a runing at the Ring, and at night the Duke ofSullycaused an artificial Castle to be assaulted with an innumerable quantity of Squibs, Chambers, Canon shots, and other Fire Works, but never any thing was seen more incredible or wonderful, then the beauty, ornament and lustre of the Princesses and Ladies of the Court; The Eyes could not stedfastly behold the splendor of the Gold, nor the brightness of the Silver, nor the glittering of Jewels; the Princes and Lords did out vie one another who should be most richly attired, among the rest the Duke ofEspernonhad a Sword valued at 30000. Crowns, and upon the Queens Gown were 32000. Pearls, and 3000. Diamonds.

French.Au mesme temps un grand endurera,Joyeux, malsain, l’an complet ne verra,Et quelques uns qui Seront de la feste,Feste pour un feulement, a ce jour,Mais peuapres sans faire long sejour,Deux se donront l’un l’autre de la teste.English.At the same time a great one shall suffer,Joyful, sickly, shall not see the year compleat,And some others who shall be of the feast,A feast for one only at that day,But a little while after without long delay,Two shall knock one another in the head.

Au mesme temps un grand endurera,Joyeux, malsain, l’an complet ne verra,Et quelques uns qui Seront de la feste,Feste pour un feulement, a ce jour,Mais peuapres sans faire long sejour,Deux se donront l’un l’autre de la teste.

Au mesme temps un grand endurera,

Joyeux, malsain, l’an complet ne verra,

Et quelques uns qui Seront de la feste,

Feste pour un feulement, a ce jour,

Mais peuapres sans faire long sejour,

Deux se donront l’un l’autre de la teste.

At the same time a great one shall suffer,Joyful, sickly, shall not see the year compleat,And some others who shall be of the feast,A feast for one only at that day,But a little while after without long delay,Two shall knock one another in the head.

At the same time a great one shall suffer,

Joyful, sickly, shall not see the year compleat,

And some others who shall be of the feast,

A feast for one only at that day,

But a little while after without long delay,

Two shall knock one another in the head.

This Stanza hath relation to the precedent, for about the time of, or a little before that famous Christning died PopeLeothe IX. formerly called Cardinal ofFlorence, who did not live a whole year in the papacy; and is called hereJoyful,Sickly, because though infirm, he did much rejoyce in the obtaining of it; those others that were of the Feast, were some Cardinals of his party, who died also within the same year.

The two last Verses signifie the differences that happened, betweenPaulV. his Successor, and the Common-wealth ofVenicepresently after his death.

French.Considerant la tristePhilomele,Qu’en pleurs & cris sa plainte renouvelle,Racourcissant par tel moyen ses jours,Six cens & cinq elle en verra l’yssue,De son tourment, ia la toile tissue,Por son moien senestre aura secours.English.Considering the sadPhilomela,Who in tears and cries reneweth her complaint,Shortning by such means her days,Six hundred and five shall see the end,Of her torment, then the Cloath Woven,By her sinister means shall have help.

Considerant la tristePhilomele,Qu’en pleurs & cris sa plainte renouvelle,Racourcissant par tel moyen ses jours,Six cens & cinq elle en verra l’yssue,De son tourment, ia la toile tissue,Por son moien senestre aura secours.

Considerant la tristePhilomele,

Qu’en pleurs & cris sa plainte renouvelle,

Racourcissant par tel moyen ses jours,

Six cens & cinq elle en verra l’yssue,

De son tourment, ia la toile tissue,

Por son moien senestre aura secours.

Considering the sadPhilomela,Who in tears and cries reneweth her complaint,Shortning by such means her days,Six hundred and five shall see the end,Of her torment, then the Cloath Woven,By her sinister means shall have help.

Considering the sadPhilomela,

Who in tears and cries reneweth her complaint,

Shortning by such means her days,

Six hundred and five shall see the end,

Of her torment, then the Cloath Woven,

By her sinister means shall have help.

This sadPhilomelawasHenriettaofBalzacDaughter toFrancisofBalzac, Marquess ofEntragues, and Mistress toHenrythe IV. who being found guilty of a Conspiracy against the State, was confined to the Abbey of the Nuns ofBeaumont lez Tours, where she was seven Months, after which the King taking pitty of her, passed a Declaration, wherein in respect of his former Love, and of the Children that he had by her, he forgave her all what was past, did abolish and suppress for ever the Memory of the Crime that she was accused off, and did dispense her from appearing before the Parliament, who in her absence did Register her Letters of Pardon the 6. ofSeptember1605. Thus Reader you may see how punctual was our Author in his Prognostications.

French.Six cens & cinq, six cens & six & sept.Nous monstrera jusques l’an dixsept,Du boutefeu l’Ire, haine & envie,Soubs l’Olivier d’assez long temps caché,Le Crocodil sur la Terre a caché,Ce qui estoit mort sera pour lors en vie.English.Six hundred and five, six hundred and six and seven,Will shew us unto the year seventeen,The anger of the bontefeu, his hatred and envy,Under the Olive-Tree a great while hidden,The Crocodile upon the ground hath hidden,What was dead, shall then be alive.

Six cens & cinq, six cens & six & sept.Nous monstrera jusques l’an dixsept,Du boutefeu l’Ire, haine & envie,Soubs l’Olivier d’assez long temps caché,Le Crocodil sur la Terre a caché,Ce qui estoit mort sera pour lors en vie.

Six cens & cinq, six cens & six & sept.

Nous monstrera jusques l’an dixsept,

Du boutefeu l’Ire, haine & envie,

Soubs l’Olivier d’assez long temps caché,

Le Crocodil sur la Terre a caché,

Ce qui estoit mort sera pour lors en vie.

Six hundred and five, six hundred and six and seven,Will shew us unto the year seventeen,The anger of the bontefeu, his hatred and envy,Under the Olive-Tree a great while hidden,The Crocodile upon the ground hath hidden,What was dead, shall then be alive.

Six hundred and five, six hundred and six and seven,

Will shew us unto the year seventeen,

The anger of the bontefeu, his hatred and envy,

Under the Olive-Tree a great while hidden,

The Crocodile upon the ground hath hidden,

What was dead, shall then be alive.

This Stanza is so difficult, signifieth nothing but the confusions that have happened inFrancefrom the year 1605. to the year 1617. which would be too tedious and prolix here to relate, the Reader may see them in theFrenchHistory.

French.Celuy qui a par plusieurs fois,Tenu la Cage & puis les bois,Rentre a son premier estre,Vie sauve pen apres sortir,Ne se scachant encor cognoistre,Cherchera subject pour mourir.English.He that hath many times,Been in the Cage and in the Woods,Cometh again to his first being,And shall go out a little after with his life safe,And not able yet to know himself,Shall seek a subject to be put to death.

Celuy qui a par plusieurs fois,Tenu la Cage & puis les bois,Rentre a son premier estre,Vie sauve pen apres sortir,Ne se scachant encor cognoistre,Cherchera subject pour mourir.

Celuy qui a par plusieurs fois,

Tenu la Cage & puis les bois,

Rentre a son premier estre,

Vie sauve pen apres sortir,

Ne se scachant encor cognoistre,

Cherchera subject pour mourir.

He that hath many times,Been in the Cage and in the Woods,Cometh again to his first being,And shall go out a little after with his life safe,And not able yet to know himself,Shall seek a subject to be put to death.

He that hath many times,

Been in the Cage and in the Woods,

Cometh again to his first being,

And shall go out a little after with his life safe,

And not able yet to know himself,

Shall seek a subject to be put to death.

This is yet concerning the Earl ofAuvergnehalf Brother to the Dutchess ofVerneuil, who for his misdemeanours having been put several times in the Bastille, and set free again, nevertheless was attempting still some new thing, which might have endangered his life.

French.L’Autheur des maux commencera Regner,En l’an fix cens & sept sans espargner,Tous les subjects qui sont a la Sangsüe,Et puis apres s’en viendra peu a peu,Au franc Païs rallumer son feu,S’en retournant d’ou elle est issue.English.The Author of evils shall begin to Reign,In the year six hundred and seven, without sparing,All the subjects that belong to the Leech,And afterwards shall come by little and little,To the free Countrey to kindle again his fire,Going back again from whence it came.

L’Autheur des maux commencera Regner,En l’an fix cens & sept sans espargner,Tous les subjects qui sont a la Sangsüe,Et puis apres s’en viendra peu a peu,Au franc Païs rallumer son feu,S’en retournant d’ou elle est issue.

L’Autheur des maux commencera Regner,

En l’an fix cens & sept sans espargner,

Tous les subjects qui sont a la Sangsüe,

Et puis apres s’en viendra peu a peu,

Au franc Païs rallumer son feu,

S’en retournant d’ou elle est issue.

The Author of evils shall begin to Reign,In the year six hundred and seven, without sparing,All the subjects that belong to the Leech,And afterwards shall come by little and little,To the free Countrey to kindle again his fire,Going back again from whence it came.

The Author of evils shall begin to Reign,

In the year six hundred and seven, without sparing,

All the subjects that belong to the Leech,

And afterwards shall come by little and little,

To the free Countrey to kindle again his fire,

Going back again from whence it came.

The Author being a zealous Roman Catholick, calls here theHollandersthe Authors of evils, who in the year 1607 and 1608. made a grievous War, and had several successes against theSpaniard, with the help of theFrenchandEnglish, till the year 1609. when by the mediation of theFrenchandEnglishEmbassadors, the Truce was concluded atAntwerp, between the Arch-duke and the States of theUnited Provinces, the Articles of it to the number of 38. were solemnly proclaimed and published the ninth ofApril, and ratified by the King ofSpainin the Month ofJulynext ensuing.

French.Cil qui dira descouvrisant l’affaire,Comme du mort, la mort pourra bien faire,Coups de Poniards par un qu’auront induits,Sa fin sera pis qu’il n’aura fait faire,La fin conduit les homines sur la Terre,Gueté par tout, tant le jour que la nuit.English.He that shall say discovering the business,How of the dead, can make a death well,Strokes of a Dagger by one that hath been induced to it,His end shall be worse then he hath caused to be done,The end leadeth all men upon the Earth,Espied every where, as well by day as by night.

Cil qui dira descouvrisant l’affaire,Comme du mort, la mort pourra bien faire,Coups de Poniards par un qu’auront induits,Sa fin sera pis qu’il n’aura fait faire,La fin conduit les homines sur la Terre,Gueté par tout, tant le jour que la nuit.

Cil qui dira descouvrisant l’affaire,

Comme du mort, la mort pourra bien faire,

Coups de Poniards par un qu’auront induits,

Sa fin sera pis qu’il n’aura fait faire,

La fin conduit les homines sur la Terre,

Gueté par tout, tant le jour que la nuit.

He that shall say discovering the business,How of the dead, can make a death well,Strokes of a Dagger by one that hath been induced to it,His end shall be worse then he hath caused to be done,The end leadeth all men upon the Earth,Espied every where, as well by day as by night.

He that shall say discovering the business,

How of the dead, can make a death well,

Strokes of a Dagger by one that hath been induced to it,

His end shall be worse then he hath caused to be done,

The end leadeth all men upon the Earth,

Espied every where, as well by day as by night.

This Stanza is wholly abstruse and Enigmatical, therefore I will not pretend to expound it, but leave the interpretation to those that have more time and leasure then I.

French.Quand la grand Nef, la prove & Gouvernail,Du franc Pais, & son Esprit vital,Descueils & slots par la Mer Secovée,Six cens & sept & dix cœur assiegé,Et des reflux de son corps afflegé,Sa vie estant sur ce mal renovée.English.When the great Ship, the Prow, and Rudder,Of theFrenchCountrey, and her vital Spirit,Being tossed by Baks and Waves,Six hundred and seven, and ten, a heart beset,And by the ebbing of his body afflicted,Her life being upon this, evil knotted again.

Quand la grand Nef, la prove & Gouvernail,Du franc Pais, & son Esprit vital,Descueils & slots par la Mer Secovée,Six cens & sept & dix cœur assiegé,Et des reflux de son corps afflegé,Sa vie estant sur ce mal renovée.

Quand la grand Nef, la prove & Gouvernail,

Du franc Pais, & son Esprit vital,

Descueils & slots par la Mer Secovée,

Six cens & sept & dix cœur assiegé,

Et des reflux de son corps afflegé,

Sa vie estant sur ce mal renovée.

When the great Ship, the Prow, and Rudder,Of theFrenchCountrey, and her vital Spirit,Being tossed by Baks and Waves,Six hundred and seven, and ten, a heart beset,And by the ebbing of his body afflicted,Her life being upon this, evil knotted again.

When the great Ship, the Prow, and Rudder,

Of theFrenchCountrey, and her vital Spirit,

Being tossed by Baks and Waves,

Six hundred and seven, and ten, a heart beset,

And by the ebbing of his body afflicted,

Her life being upon this, evil knotted again.

This Stanza signifieth the great troubles that were inFrancefrom the year 1610 in whichHenrythe IV. died, to the year 1617. in which the Marshal d’Ancrewas killed.

This man was namedConcino ConciniaFlorentineborn, who in a little time was grown very great, and from a base extraction had ascended to the dignity of Marshal ofFrance, by the favour of the Queen RegentMaryofMedicis, and grew so rich, that he offered to the King to maintain at his own charge 6000. foot, and 800. Horses for four Months together; he had made himself Master of many strong Places inPicardyandNormandy, went about to buy the Government of several Provinces, did dispose of the Kings Exchequer at his pleasure, and spent vast sums of money at his Masters charge. His insolencies were the cause of his ruine, when he thought least of it; for he threatned every one with words and deeds, so far as to say, that he would cause them to eat up their fingers, that should oppose his Will, and so caused many Officers and Souldiers of the contrary party to be put to death. The KingLewisthe XIII. was particularly informed of the unsufferable pride and misdemeanors of this Marshal, and that his design was to keep up the War inFrance, to continue his Authority and Power; therefore the King commandedVitry, the Captain of his Guards, to apprehend him. This was a difficult thing, because that the Marshal (besides his Menial servants) had always twelve Guards wearing his Livery, that were desperate fellows; there was also another difficulty, because no body could tell, when or at what time he would come to theLouvre; nevertheless at last he came to it, upon the 24. ofApril1617. attended with a great Train and his Guards; the great Gate was opened to him, and presently shut again,Vitrydrew near to him, and holding his staff to him, said,I arrest you in the Kings name, upon these words the Marshal stept back, as if it were to make resistance, saying,Me?whereupon those that were withVitryshot three Pistols at him, one did hit him in the Heart, the other in the Head, and the third in the Belly, so that he fell down dead immediately upon his left side, a certain Lord that was on his right hand speaking with him, fell down also without any hurt, but his followers seeing him dead run away.

This death was the cause of great alteration, in the publick Government. The body of the said Marshal was buried at St.Germain de l’Auxerrois, but the people digged it out, and dragged it to the new Bridge, where they hanged it by the feetupon a Gibbet, having cut off his Nose, his Ears and his privy parts, then they took him down, and dragged him through the Town, and afterwards burnt it. Thus did perish he that was worth about two Millions of Pounds Sterling, and pretended to make his house perpetual and Sovereign. The new Officers that had governed the State from the 24 ofNovemberto the 24 ofApril1617. were arrested in their houses, and the old ones put in again, and the Princes called back again to the Court.

French.LeMercurialnon de trop longue vie,Six cens & huit & vingt, grand maladie,Et encor pis danger de feu & d’eau,Son grand amy lors luy sera contraire,De tels hazards se pourroit bien distraire,Mais bref, le ser luy sera son Tombeau.English.TheMercurialnot too long lived,Six hundred and eight and twenty, a great sickness,And what is worse a danger of fire and water,His great friend then shall be against him,He might well avoid those dangers,But a little after, the Iron shall make his Sepulcher.

LeMercurialnon de trop longue vie,Six cens & huit & vingt, grand maladie,Et encor pis danger de feu & d’eau,Son grand amy lors luy sera contraire,De tels hazards se pourroit bien distraire,Mais bref, le ser luy sera son Tombeau.

LeMercurialnon de trop longue vie,

Six cens & huit & vingt, grand maladie,

Et encor pis danger de feu & d’eau,

Son grand amy lors luy sera contraire,

De tels hazards se pourroit bien distraire,

Mais bref, le ser luy sera son Tombeau.

TheMercurialnot too long lived,Six hundred and eight and twenty, a great sickness,And what is worse a danger of fire and water,His great friend then shall be against him,He might well avoid those dangers,But a little after, the Iron shall make his Sepulcher.

TheMercurialnot too long lived,

Six hundred and eight and twenty, a great sickness,

And what is worse a danger of fire and water,

His great friend then shall be against him,

He might well avoid those dangers,

But a little after, the Iron shall make his Sepulcher.

This is concerningLewisthe XIII. King ofFrance, who fell dangerously sick of the Plague atLions, about the year 1628. after that went with his Army intoSavoy, where he escaped many dangers of fire and water. As for the Verse it must not be understood, as if he had been killed, but that the cares he took about his Armies should shorten his days. The fourth Verse is to be understood of the LordBellingham, then favorite to the King, who forsook him in his sickness, for which he was afterwards disgraced, and could never come into favour again.

French.Six cens & six, six cens & neuf,Un Chancelier gros comme un BœufVieux comme lePhœnixdu Monde,En ce Terroir plus ne luira,De la Nef doubly passera,Au ChampsElysiensfaire ronde.English.Six hundred and six, six hundred and nine,A Chancellor big as an Oxe,Old as thePhœnixof the World,Shall shine no more in this Countrey,Shall pass from the Ship of forgetfulness,Into theElysianFields to go the round.

Six cens & six, six cens & neuf,Un Chancelier gros comme un BœufVieux comme lePhœnixdu Monde,En ce Terroir plus ne luira,De la Nef doubly passera,Au ChampsElysiensfaire ronde.

Six cens & six, six cens & neuf,

Un Chancelier gros comme un Bœuf

Vieux comme lePhœnixdu Monde,

En ce Terroir plus ne luira,

De la Nef doubly passera,

Au ChampsElysiensfaire ronde.

Six hundred and six, six hundred and nine,A Chancellor big as an Oxe,Old as thePhœnixof the World,Shall shine no more in this Countrey,Shall pass from the Ship of forgetfulness,Into theElysianFields to go the round.

Six hundred and six, six hundred and nine,

A Chancellor big as an Oxe,

Old as thePhœnixof the World,

Shall shine no more in this Countrey,

Shall pass from the Ship of forgetfulness,

Into theElysianFields to go the round.

Six and nine joyned together makes 15. the meaning of this therefore is, that about the year 1615. should die the Chancellor ofFrance, who was thenNicolas BrulartLord ofSillerya very corpulent man.

French.Deux freres sont de l’ordre Ecclesiastique,Dont l’un prendra pour laFrancela pique,Encor un coup si l’an six cens & six,N’est afflige d’une grand maladie,Les Armes en main jusques six cens & dix,Gueres plus loing ne s’estendant sa vie.English.Two Brothers are of the Ecclesiastical Order,One of which shall take up the Pike forFrance,Once more, is in the year six hundred and six,He be not afflicted with a great sickness,The Weapons in his hands till six hundred and ten,His Life shall reach not much further.

Deux freres sont de l’ordre Ecclesiastique,Dont l’un prendra pour laFrancela pique,Encor un coup si l’an six cens & six,N’est afflige d’une grand maladie,Les Armes en main jusques six cens & dix,Gueres plus loing ne s’estendant sa vie.

Deux freres sont de l’ordre Ecclesiastique,

Dont l’un prendra pour laFrancela pique,

Encor un coup si l’an six cens & six,

N’est afflige d’une grand maladie,

Les Armes en main jusques six cens & dix,

Gueres plus loing ne s’estendant sa vie.

Two Brothers are of the Ecclesiastical Order,One of which shall take up the Pike forFrance,Once more, is in the year six hundred and six,He be not afflicted with a great sickness,The Weapons in his hands till six hundred and ten,His Life shall reach not much further.

Two Brothers are of the Ecclesiastical Order,

One of which shall take up the Pike forFrance,

Once more, is in the year six hundred and six,

He be not afflicted with a great sickness,

The Weapons in his hands till six hundred and ten,

His Life shall reach not much further.

In the year 1606. there was two Brothers of the House ofJoyeuse, one calledFrancisCardinal ofJoyeuse, and the other a Capuchin Frier, the rest of the Brothers being dead without issue; Father Angel got a dispensation from the Pope to go out of his Covent, and to Marry, that the Family might not be extinguished, and so turned Courtier and Souldier again, till he had got a Daughter, who was afterwards married to the Duke ofGuise; after that, remembring his Vows, he turned Capuchin again, and a little while after died, coming fromRometoParis.

French.Celeste seu du costé d’Occident,Et du Midy courir jusqu’au Levant,Vers demy morts sans point trouver racine,Troisiesme Age aMarsle Belliqueux,DesEscarboucleson verra briller feux,AgeEscarboucle, & a la fin famine.English.A Cœlestial fire on the West side,And from the South shall run to the East,Warm, half dead, and incapable to find Roots,The third Age toMarsthe Warriour,Out ofCarbunclesfires shall be seen to shine,The Age shall be aCarbuncle, but in the end famine.

Celeste seu du costé d’Occident,Et du Midy courir jusqu’au Levant,Vers demy morts sans point trouver racine,Troisiesme Age aMarsle Belliqueux,DesEscarboucleson verra briller feux,AgeEscarboucle, & a la fin famine.

Celeste seu du costé d’Occident,

Et du Midy courir jusqu’au Levant,

Vers demy morts sans point trouver racine,

Troisiesme Age aMarsle Belliqueux,

DesEscarboucleson verra briller feux,

AgeEscarboucle, & a la fin famine.

A Cœlestial fire on the West side,And from the South shall run to the East,Warm, half dead, and incapable to find Roots,The third Age toMarsthe Warriour,Out ofCarbunclesfires shall be seen to shine,The Age shall be aCarbuncle, but in the end famine.

A Cœlestial fire on the West side,

And from the South shall run to the East,

Warm, half dead, and incapable to find Roots,

The third Age toMarsthe Warriour,

Out ofCarbunclesfires shall be seen to shine,

The Age shall be aCarbuncle, but in the end famine.

This signifies nothing but the troubles that were allFranceover, from the year 1620. to the year 1628. whenRochelwas taken, and the great famine that was in the year 1626.

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