Chapter XLIX: French

Jardin du Monde aupres de Cité neufve,
Dans le chemin des Montagnes cavées,
Sera saisi & plongé dans la Cuve,
Beuvant par force eaux Soulphre envenimées.

English.

Garden of the World, near the new City,
In the way of the digged Mountains,
Shall be seized on, and thrown into the Tub,
Being forced to drink Sulphurous poisoned waters.

ANNOT.

This word _Garden of the World_, doth signifie a particular person, seeing that this _Garden of the World_ was seized on and poisoned in a Tub of Sulphurous water, in which he was thrown.

The History may be this, that _Nostradamus_ passing for a Prophet and a great Astrologer in his time, abundance of people came to him to know their Fortunes, and chiefly the Fathers to know that of their Children, as did Mr. _Lafnier_, and Mr. _Cotton_, Father of that renowned Jesuit of the same name, very like then that Mr. _du Jardin_ having a son did ask _Nostradamus_ what should become of him, and because his son was named _Cosmus_, which in Greek signifieth the World, he answered him with these four Verses.

_Garden of the World_, for _Cosmus of the Garden_, In his travels shall be taken hard by the New City, in a way that hath been digged between the Mountains, and there shall be thrown in to a Tub of poisoned Sulphurous water to cause him to die, being forced to drink that water which those rogues had prepared for him.

Those that have learned the truth of this History, may observe it here. This ought to have come to pass in the last Age, seeing that the party mentioned was then born when this Stanza was written, and this unhappy man being dead of a violent death, there is great likelyhood, that he was not above forty years old.

There is another difficulty, to know which is that new City, there being many of that name in _Europe_, nevertheless the more probable is, that there being many Knights of _Maltha_ born in _Provence_ (the native Countrey of our Author) it may be believed that by the new City he meaneth the new City of _Maltha_ called _la Valete_, hard by which there is paths and ways digged in the Mountains, which Mountains are as if it were a Fence and a Barricado against the Sea, or else this _Cosmus_ might have been taken by Pyrats of _Algiers_, and there in the new City of the _Goulette_ be put to death in the manner aforesaid.

L.

French.

La _Meuse_ au jour Terre de _Luxembourg_,
Descouvrira _Saturne_ & trois en _Lurne_,
Montaigne & plaine, Ville, Cité & Bourg,
_Lorrain_ Deluge, trahison par grand _hurne_.

English.

The _Maes_ by day in the Land of _Luxembourg_,
Shall discover _Saturn_, and three in the _Lurne_,
Mountain and plain, Town, City, and Countrey Town,
A _Lorrain_ flood, treason by a great _hurne_.

ANNOT.

The _Maes_ is a River that runneth through a part of _Lorrain_ and _Luxembourg_; as for the words _Lurne_ and _hurne_ I do not understand them, neither do I think they are to be found in all the _French_ Language, both obsolete and modern; all what I can gather out of this, is, that a great overflowing of the River _Maes_, shall be both in _Luxembourg_ and _Lorrain_, insomuch that three Leaden Mines (which is meant here by _Saturn_) shall be discovered, and after that, a great Treason shall happen in the said _Lorrain_.

LI.

French.

Des lieux plus bas du Pais de _Lorraine_,
Seront des basses _Allemagnes_ unis,
Par ceux du Siege _Picards_, _Normans_, du _Maine_,
Et aux Cantons se seront reunis.

Transcriber’s Note: An English version was omitted from this printing, but the annotation below is an accurate enough (if not very poetic) translation.

ANNOT.

The sense of this is, that the lower _Lorrain_ and _Germany_ being united together, shall have War with the other three Nations, of _Picards_, _Normans_, and _Manceaux_, which having Besieged a Town, shall constrain the _Lorrainers_ and _Low-germans_, to unite themselves with the Cantons of _Switzerland_.

LII.

French.

Au lieu ou _Laye_ & _Scelde_ se marient,
Seront les Nopces de long temps mamée,
Au lieu d’_Anvers_ ou la grappe charient,
Jeune vieillesse conforte intammée.

English.

In the place where _Laye_ and _Scelde_ are united,
Shall the Nuptials be, that were long a doing.
In the place of _Antwerp_ where they draw the grape,
The young unspotted will comfort the old Age.

ANNOT.

There is fault in the Impression, for instead of _Laye_ it must be _Lis_, which is a River that runneth through _Flanders_, and dischargeth it self into the _Scelde_, which is the River that passeth at _Antwerp_, the sense therefore of this Prophecy is, that in the place where the River of _Lis_ joyneth with the _Scelde_, there shall the Nuptials be consummated that were long a doing, and the place of _Antwerp_, where they unload the Wines, there shall a young unspotted Lady Marry, and comfort an old man.

LIII.

French.

Les trois Pellices de loing s’entrebattront,
La plus grand moindre demeurera a l’ecoute,
Le grand _Selin_ n’en sera plus patron,
Le nommera feu, pelte, blanche, route.

English.

The three Concubines shall fight one with another a far off,
The greatest less shall remain watching,
The great _Selin_ shall be no more their Patron,
And shall call it fire, pelte, white, route.

ANNOT.

This Prophecy is concerning the _Turkish_ Empire, where three of the great _Turks_ Concubines, which in Latine are called _Pellices_, shall make War one against another, the great _Turk_ himself favouring neither party.

LIV.

French.

Née en ce Monde par Concubine furtive,
A deux hault mise par les tristes nouvelles,
Entre Ennemis sera prinse Captive,
Et amenée a _Malines_ & _Bruxelles_.

English.

Born in this world from a stolen Concubine,
Set up at two heights by the sad news,
Shall be taken Prisoner among the Enemies,
And brought to _Malines_ and _Bruxelles_.

ANNOT.

This is concerning some Lady of quality, born of a Concubine, who shall be set up by reason of some sad news that shall be brought, and afterwards shall be taken Prisoner, and carryed to _Malines_ and _Bruxelles_, two Cities of the Low-Countreys.