Chapter XVIII: French

Le rang _Lorrain_ fera place a _Vendosme_,
Le haut mis bas, & le bas mis en haut,
Le fils d’_Hamon_ sera esleu dans _Rome_,
Et les deux grands seront mis en defaut.

English.

The House of _Lorrain_ shall give place to _Vendosme_
The high pulled down, the low raised up,
The son of _Hamon_ shall be Elected into _Rome_,
And the two great ones shall not appear.

ANNOT.

The two first Verses of this Prophecy were fulfilled in the time of _Henry_ the third King of _France_, in whose time the Duke of _Guise_, and House of _Lorrain_ were grown so powerful in _France_, that they drove the King from _Paris_, and assumed themselves a rank and authority over the Princes of the Blood, so that the King was forced to cause them to be slain, after which _Henry_ IV. who was King of _Navarre_ and Duke of _Vendosme_ took his place again as first Prince of the Blood.

The two last Verses are too obscure to be interpreted, and I believe were onely forced by our Author to make up his Rime, as he hath done in several other places.

XIX.

French.

Jour que sera pour Roine saluée,
Le jour apres le salut, la Priere,
Le compte fait raison & valbuée,
Par avant humble oncques ne fut si fiere.

English.

The day that she shall be saluted Queen,
The next day after the Evening Prayer,
All accompts being summoned and cast up,
She that was humble before, never was one so proud.

ANNOT.

It is a woman (be like of a small Fortune) who coming to be a Queen by her humility, the next day after Evening Prayer she shall appear so proud, as the like was never seen.

XX.

French.

Tous les amis qu’auront tenu party,
Pour rude en lettres mis mort & saccage,
Biens publiez par fixe, grand neanty,
Onc _Romain_ peuple ne fut tant outrage.

English.

All the friends that shall have taken the part
Of the Unlearned, put to death and robbed,
Goods sold publickly by proclamation, a great man seized of them,
Never _Roman_ people was so much abused.

ANNOT.

The sense of this is, that a great man that took part with all those that were unlearned shall be put to death, and their goods praised and sold publickly, upon which goods another great man shall seize, and this is to be done in _Rome_.

There is fault in the Impression of the third _French_ Verse, for instead of _fixe_ it must be _fisc_ and instead of _Neanty_ it must be _Nancy_.

XXI.

French.

Par le despit du Roy soustenant moindre,
Sera meurdry luy presentant les bagues,
Le Pere & Fils voulant Noblesse poindre,
Fait comme a _Perse_ jadis firent les _Magues_.

English.

To spite the King, who took the part of the weaker,
He shall be murdered, presenting to him Jewels,
The Father and the Son going to vex the Nobility,
It shall be done to them as the _Magi_ did in _Persia_.

ANNOT.

This is a King who with his son taking the peoples part against the Nobility shall be killed, in presenting to him Jewels, and he and his son shall be dealt with all as the _Magi_, that is the Grandees of _Persia_ used to do with their Kings, whom they were wont to murder, or depose.

XXII.

French.

Pour ne vouloir consentir au divorce,
Qui puis apres sera cogneu indigne,
Le Roy des Isles sera chassé par force,
Mis a son lien qui de Roy n’aura signe.

English.

For not consenting to the divorce,
Which afterwards shall be acknowledged unworthy,
The King of the Island shall be expelled by force,
And another subrogated, who shall have no mark of a King.

ANNOT.

This is plain concerning _England_ and the late calamities thereof, when our gracious King for not consenting to the wicked factions of the Parliament then, and that have been acknowledged so since, was expelled by force, and an Usurpator that had not the least sign of a King sat in his place.

XXIII.

French.

Au peuple ingrat faites les remonstrances,
Par lors l’Armée se saisira d’_Antibe_,
Dans larc _Monech_ feront les doleances,
Et a _Freius_ l’un l’autre prendra ribe.

English.

The remonstrances being made to the ungrateful people,
At that time the Army shall seize upon _Antibe_,
In the River of _Monaco_ they shall make their complaints,
And at _Freius_ both of them shall take their share.

ANNOT.

This signifieth that at the same time that the remonstrances shall be made to an ungrateful people; the Army shall seize upon the Town of _Antibe_, which is a Sea Town between _France_ and _Italy_, and that there shall be great complaints at _Monaco_, which is another Sea Town near it, and at the place called _Freius_, both parties shall either agree, or divide their shares.

XXIV.

French.

Le captif Prince aux _Itales_ vaincu,
Passera _Gennes_ par Mer jusque a _Marseille_,
Par grand effort des forens survaincu,
Sauf coup de feu, barril liqueur d’Abeille.

English.

The captive Prince vanquished in _Italy_,
Shall pass by Sea through _Genoa_ to _Marseilles_,
By great endeavours of forrain forces overcome,
But that a Barrel of Honey shall save him from the fire.

ANNOT.

A Prince vanquished in _Italy_, and taken Prisoner shall come through _Genoa_ to _Marseilles_, where he shall be once more overcome by strangers, but that a Barrel of Honey shall save him from being burnt. This is the sense of the words as near as I can judge, the judicious Reader may make what construction he pleaseth upon them.

XXV.

French.

Par _Nebro_ ouvrir de _Brisanne_ passage,
Bien esloignez _el tago fara muestra_,
Dans _Pelligouxe_ sera commis l’outrage,
De la grand Dame assise sur l’_Orchestra_.

English.

By _Nebro_ to open the passage of _Brisanne_,
A great way off, _el tago fara muestra_,
In _Pelligouxe_ the wrong shall be done
Of the great Lady sitting in the _Orchestra_.

ANNOT.

Here once more I lost my Spectacles, and could not see through, therefore I had rather be silent then coin lies, I shall only tell you, that _orchestra_ in Latine is the seat wherein noble Personages sit at the beholding of Stage-plays.

XXVI.

French.

Le successeur vengera son Beau frere,
Occuper Regne soubs ombre de vengeance,
Occis obstacle son sang mort vitupere,
Long temps _Bretagne_ tiendra avec la _France_.

English.

The Successour shall avenge his Brother in Law,
Shall hold by force the Kingdom, upon pretence of revenge,
That hinderance shall be killed, his dead blood ashamed,
A long time shall _Brittany_ hold with _France_.

ANNOT.

This is plain enough of it self, without any interpretation.