Chapter LXV: French

Gris & bureau demy ouverte guerre,
De nuit seront assaillis & pillez,
Le bureau prins passera par la serre,
Son Temple ouvert, deux au plastre grillez.

English.

Between the Gray and sad Gray shall be half open War,
By night they shall be assaulted and plundered,
The sad Gray being taken, shall be put in Custody,
His Temple shall be open, two shall be put in the Grate.

ANNOT.

This Stanza affordeth us a commical History, which is, that about the year 1601. when there sprang up in _France_ a Kind of Friers, who bosted themselves to be the true observers of the Rule of St. _Francis_, and that the Cordeliers and Capushines did not keep it so exactly, but they had need of a great reformation; the King _Henry_ IV. granted them a Convent at _Beaufort_, and upon his example many other places desired them, they went to possess themselves of the house of _la Blamet_, near _Angiers_; but the Cordeliers being loath to be dispossessed by these new comers, called _Recollets_, did besiege them by main force, broke open the Gates, scaled the Walls, the besieged did not defend themselves by words or exorcismes, but with good Stones and Flints, so that if the people had not come, the fray would not have ended without murder, some of them were put in Prison, others kept in Custody: this is the meaning of the Author, when he saith, _There will be half an open War between the Gray and the sad Gray_; for the Cordeliers have a Gray habit, and the Recollets a sad Gray.

LXVI.

French.

Au fondement de nouvelle secte,
Seront les os du grand _Romain_ trouvez,
Sepulchre en Marbre, apparoistra converte,
Terre trembler en _Auril_ mal enfeüvez.

English.

At the foundation of a new sect,
The Bones of the great _Roman_ shall be found,
The Sepulchre shall appear covered with Marble,
The Earth shall quake in _April_, they shall be ill buried.

ANNOT.

The meaning is, that when they shall go about to make a foundation of a house, for a new Sect of Friers; they shall find the bones of a famous _Roman_ in a Marble Sepulchre, and that in _April_ the Earth shall quake, whereby many shall be swallowed up.

LXVII.

French.

Au grand Empire par viendra tout un autres,
Bonté distant plees de felicité,
Rege par un issu non loing du peautre,
Corruer Regnes grande infelicité.

English.

To the great Empire quite another shall come,
Being farther from goodness and happiness,
Governed by one of base parentage,
The Kingdom shall fall, a great unhappiness.

ANNOT.

This needeth no Interpretation.