Chapter LXIII: French

La Dame seule au Regne demurée,
L’unique esteint premier au lict d’honneur,
Sept ans sera de douleur epleurée,
Puis longue vie au regne par bonheur.

English.

The Lady shall be left to reign alone,
The only one being extinguished, first in the Bed of Honour,
Seven years she shall weep for grief,
After that she shall live long in the Reign by good luck.

ANNOT.

The second and fourth Verses perswade me, that this Stanza came to pass in the time of _Catharine_ of _Medicis_, wife to _Henry_ II. because she lived long, and the King died in the bed of Honour, and thus he saith, _that she was left to Reign alone_; because her four Sons were all little ones, so that she alone was Regent in _France_.

The second Verse saith, _The holy one being extinguished, first, in the Bed of Honour_.

By this word _the only one_, the Author meaneth not the only Son, but the only one living, such as _Henry_ II. was to her, _who was extinguished in the Bed of Honour_, and died of the wound he received at Tilting.

The third Verse saith, that after his death, her mourning lasted seven years, that is, from the first of _August_ 1559. to the first of _August_ 1566. because that all those 16 Months that _Francis_ II. she had nothing but continual sorrow, by the conspiracy of _Amboise_, the secret practises of the King of _Navarre_, and Prince of _Condé_ his Brother, by the insurrection of the Protestants, when _Charles_ IX. visited his Kingdom, _Anno_ 1556. after which she put off her mourning.

The fourth Verse signifieth, that she should be long lived; for she lived above 60 years, He saith also, that she was Regent by great luck, that is, great luck for her self, but not for the Kingdom, for it was most unhappy in her time.

LXIV.

French.

On ne tiendra pache aucun arresté,
Tous recevants iront par tromperie,
De trefue & paix, Terre & Mer protesté,
Par _Barcelone_ classe prins d’industrie.

English.

No agreement shall be kept,
All those that shall admit of it deal falsly,
There shall be protestations made by Land and Sea,
_Barcelone_ shall take a Fleet by craft.

ANNOT.

This is a description of the sad and calamitous estate of _France_, in the time of the Civil wars, when no agreement could be kept on the _Roman_ Catholicks side, witness the several Peaces that were made and broken, the Massacre of _Vassa_, and that infamous perfidy committed by them on St. _Bartholomews_ day, being the 24 of _August_, _Anno_ 1572.