Chapter C: French

Fill de _Laure_, asyle du mal sain,
Ou jusqu’au Ciel se void l’_Amphitheatre_:
Prodige veu, ton mal est fort prochain,
Seras captive, & des fois plus de quatre.

English.

Daughter of _Laura_, Sanctuary of the sick,
Where to the Heavens is seen the _Amphitheatre_,
A prodigy being seen, the danger is near,
Thou shalt be taken captive above four times.

ANNOT.

This is an ingenious Stanza, concerning the City of _Nismes_ in _Languedoc_, famous for its _Amphitheatre_ built by the _Romans_, and remaining to this day, which Town he calleth Daughter of _Laura_, because the Lady _Laura_, Mistress to the famous Poet _Petrarche_ was born thereabout; he also calleth it Sanctuary of the sick, for the salubrity of the air.

The meaning of the two last Verses is, that when a prodigy shall be seen, _viz._ Civil War in _France_, it shall be taken above four times, as it hath happened by one party or other.

Legis cautio contra ineptos Criticos.

_Qui legent hos versus, maturè censunto:_
_Prophanum vulgus & inscium ne attrectato:_
_Omnesque Astrologi, Blenni, Barbari procul sunto,_
_Qui aliter faxit, is rite sacer esto._

THE PROPHECIES OF Michael Nostradamus.

_CENTURY_ VII.

I.

French.

L’Arc du Thresor par _Achilles_ deceu,
Aux procrées sceu le Quadrangulaire,
Au fait Roial le comment sera sceu,
Corps veu pendu au Sceu du populaire.

English.

The bow of the Treasure by _Achilles_ deceived,
Shall shew to posterity the Quadrangulary,
In the Royal deed the Comment shall be known,
The body shall be seen hanged in the knowledge of the people.

ANNOT.

By the bow of the Treasure, is understood the Marshal d’_Ancre_, Favorite to the Queen Regent of _France_ _Mary_ of _Medicis_, who was first complained of, for his maleversations by _Achilles de Harlay_ President of _Paris_, whence followed his death being Pistolled in the Quadrangle of the _Louvre_, by the command of _Lewis_ XIII. and his body afterwards dragged through the streets, and hanged publickly by the people upon the new Bridge.

II.

French.

Par _Mars_ ouvert _Arles_ ne donra guerre,
De nuit seront les Soldats estonnez,
Noir, blanc, a l’Inde dissimulez en terre.
Soubs la feinte ombre traistre verrez sonnez.

English.

_Arles_ shall not proceed by open War,
By night the Souldiers shall be astonished,
Black, white, and blew, dissembled upon the ground.
Under the fained shadow you shall see them proclaimed Traitors.

ANNOT.

_Arles_ is a considerable City in _France_; the rest is plain.

III.

French.

Apres de _France_ la victoire Navale,
Les _Barchinons_, _Salinons_, les _Phocens_,
Lierre d’or, l’Enclume serré dans balle,
Ceux de _Toulon_ au fraud seront consents.

English.

After the Naval victory of the _French_,
Upon those of _Tunis_, _Sally_, and the _Phocens_,
A golden Juy the Anvil shut up in a pack,
Those of _Toulon_ to the fraud shall consent.

ANNOT.

This foretelleth a Naval victory to the _French_ against the _Turks_, by the means of a Granado, called _Anvil_, that shall be shut up in a Barrel by a plot, to which those of _Toulon_ shall be privy.

IV.

French.

Le Duc de _Langres_ assiegé dedans _Dole_,
Accompagné d’_Authun_ & _Lionnois_,
_Geneve_, _Auspourg_, ceux de la _Mirandole_,
Passer les Monts contre les _Anconois_.

English.

The Duke of _Langres_ shall be besieged in _Dole_,
Being in company with those of _Autun_ and _Lion_,
_Geneva_, _Auspourg_, those of _Mirandola_,
Shall go over the Mountains against those of _Ancona_.

ANNOT.

_Langres_ is a City in _France_, whose Bishop is a Duke and a Peer of the Kingdom; _Dole_ is a City in _Burgundy_, so is _Autun_ and _Lion_, _Geneva_ is a City by _Savoy_, _Auspourg_, another in _Germany_, _Mirandola_ is a Countrey in Italy, so is _Ancona_.

V.

French.

Vin sur la Table en sera respandu,
Le tiers naura celle quil pretendoit,
Deux fois du noir de _Parme_ descendu,
_Perouse_ & _Pise_ fera ce quil cuidoit.

English.

Wine shall be spilt upon the Table,
By reason that a third man shall not have her whom he intended,
Twice the black one descended from _Parma_,
Shall do to _Perusa_ and _Pisa_ what he intended.

ANNOT.

_Perusa_, _Pisa_, and _Parma_, are three Cities in _Italy_.

VI.

French.

_Naples_, _Palerme_, & toute la _Sicile_,
Par main _Barbare_ sera inhabitée,
_Corsique_, _Salerne_ & de _Sardaigne_ l’Isle,
Faim, peste, guerre, fin de maux intemptée.

English.

_Naples_, _Palermo_, and all _Sicily_,
By barbarous hands shall be depopulated,
_Corsica_, _Salerno_, and the Island of _Sardinia_,
In them shall be famine, plague, war, and endless evils.

ANNOT.

_Naples_ is a City in _Italy_, _Palermo_ is a City in the Island of _Sicily_. _Corsica_, an Island in the _Mediterranean Sea_, belonging to the _Genoese_; _Salerno_ is a Town in _Italy_; _Sardinia_ an Island in the _Mediterranean_. The Reader may easily make an interpretation of the rest.

VII.

French.

Sur le combat des grands chevaux legers,
On criera le grand croissant confond,
De nuit tuer Moutons, Brebis, Bergers,
Abysmes rouges dans le fossé profond.

English.

At the fight of the great light Horsmen,
They shall cry out, confound the great half Moon,
By night they shall kill Sheep, Ewes, and Shepherds,
Red pits shall be in the deep ditch.

ANNOT.

By the great half Moon, is understood the _Turk_.

VIII.

French.

_Flora_ fuis, fuis le plus proche _Romain_,
Au _Fesulan_ sera conflict donné,
Sang espandu les plus grands pris en main,
Temple ne Sexe ne sera pardonné.

English.

_Flora_ fly, fly from the next _Roman_,
In the _Fesulan_ shall be the fight,
Blood shall be spilt, the greatest shall be taken,
Temple nor Sex shall be spared.

ANNOT.

_Fesulan_ is a Countrey in _Italy_. _Flora_ is the Goddess of Flowers, the rest is easie.

IX.

French.

Dame en l’absence de son grand Capitaine,
Sera priée d’amour du Viceroy,
Feinte promesse & malheureuse estreine,
Entre les mains du grand Prince _Barroy_.

English.

A Lady in the absence of her great Captain,
Shall be intreated of love by the Viceroy,
A fained promise, and unhappy new years gift,
In the hand of the great Prince of _Bar_.

ANNOT.

_Bar_ is a principality joyning to _Lorrain_, which _Henry_ IV. King of _France_ gave for a Portion to his Sister _Catharine_, when she married the Duke of _Lorrains_ Son. The rest is plain.

X.

French.

Par le grand Prince limitrophe du _Mans_,
Preux & vaillant chef de grand exercite,
Par Mer & Terre de _Galois_ & _Normans_,
Cap passer _Barcelonne_ pillé l’Isle.

English.

The great Prince dwelling near the _Mans_,
Stout and valiant, General of a great Army,
Of _Welchmen_ and _Normans_ by Sea and Land,
Shall pass the Cape _Barcelone_, and plunder the Island.

ANNOT.

_Mans_ is a City in _France_, chief of the Province called _le Main_. The rest is plain.