man that shall be taken out of his Grave alive. The two last speak, that
a great man of _Lorrain_ shall be poisoned by the Marques _de pont_, in
the Row of a Barbel, which according to Physitians, is a dangerous meat
of it self, and chiefly if it be Stewed, the Poisoner himself seemeth to
be no other than a Duke of _Lorrain_, or one of his Sons, for he stileth
himself _N._ Duke of _Lorrain_, Prince of _Bar_, and Marques _du Pont_.
XXV.
French.
Par guerre longue tout l’exercite espuiser,
Que pour Soldats ne trouveront pecune,
Lieu d’Or, d’Argent cair on viendra cuser,
_Gaulois_ Ærain, signe croissant de Lune.
English.
By a long War, all the Army drained dry,
So that to raise Souldiers they shall find no Money,
Instead of Gold and Silver, they shall stamp Leather,
The _French_ Copper, the mark of the stamp the new Moon.
ANNOT.
This maketh me remember the miserable condition of many Kingdoms, before
the _west-Indies_ were discovered; for in _Spain_ Lead was stamped for
Money, and so in _France_ in the time of King _Dagobert_, and it seemeth
by this Stanza, that the like is to come again, by reason of a long and
tedious War.
XXVI.
French.
Fustes Galées autour de sept Navires,
Sera livrée une mortelle guerre,
Chef de _Madrid_ recevra coups de vires,
Deux eschapées & cinq menez a Terre.
English.
Fly-boats and Galleys round about seven Ships,
A mortal War there shall be,
The chief of _Madrid_ shall receive blows of Oars,
Two shall escape, and five carried to Land.
ANNOT.
_Paradin_ saith in his History, that in the year 1555. towards the end
of _August_, those of _Diepe_ had permission from the King to fight a
Fleet of the _Spaniards_, which was coming into _Flanders_, and brought
Men, Money, and several Merchandises. They went to Sea, and after much
searching, they discovered the Fleet, wherein were 22 great Ships.
The _Diepois_ had but 19 men of War, and five or six Pinnaces, with which
they set upon them between _Calais_ and _Dover_. The fight was very
bloody, almost all the Ships grapled one with another, and being so close
together, represented a Land fight.
The _French_ at last did their utmost endeavour against the Admiral,
which was succoured by six other Ships, of which two were taken with the
Admiral, and carryed to _Diepe_; this is the Authors meaning, when he
saith, _Fly-boats and Galleys about seven Ships_. He nameth the Admiral
_Chief of Madrid_; that is, chief _Spaniard_, which received blows of
Oars, whose Ship was taken, and four more of his Company, which were
brought to _Diepe_. In this agree the Historians on both sides.
XXVII.
French.
Au coin de _Vast_ la grand Cavalerie,
Proche a _Ferrare_ empeschée au Bagage,
_Pompe_ a _Turin_ front telle volerie,
Que dans le fort raviront leur hostage.
English.
In the corner of _Vast_ the great Troop of Horse,
Near _Ferrara_, shall be busied about the baggage,
_Pompe_ at _Turin_, they shall make such a robbery,
That in the Fort they shall ravish their hostage.
ANNOT.
I could not find what he meaneth by this place _Vast_, which being the
Key of all the rest, I could proceed no further, but am constrained to go
to bed, and leave this for to night, among _Insolubilia de Alliaco_.
XXVIII.
French.
Le Capitaine conduira grande proye,
Sur la Montagne des ennemis plus proche,
Environné par feu fera telle voye,
Tous eschapez, or trente mis en broche.
English.
The Captain shall lead a great Prey
Upon the Mountain, that shall be nearest to the Enemies,
Being encompassed with fire, he shall make such a way,
That all shall escape, but thirty that shall be spitted.
ANNOT.
The two first Verses are plain.
The meaning of the last two is, that the said Captain being encompassed
with Fire, shall make himself such a way, that all his men shall escape,
but thirty that shall be spitted by the enemies.
XXIX.
French.
Le grand Duc d’_Albe_ se viendra rebeller,
A ses grands peres fera le tradiment,
Le grand de _Guise_ le viendra debeller,
Captif mené & dresse monument.
English.
The great Duke of _Alba_ shall rebel,
To his Grandfathers he shall make the Plot,
The great _Guise_ shall vanquish him,
Led Prisoner, and a Monument erected.
ANNOT.
_Ferdinand_ of _Toledo_, Duke of _Alba_ in _Spain_, a faithfull servant
of _Charles_ V. and _Philip_ II. his Son, after he had made several
proofs of his Valour, and prudence in the affairs of _Piemont_ and
_Milanese_, was commanded to go to _Naples_ and _Rome_, to succour the
_Colonesse_, and others of the _Spanish_ party; to obey this command,
the Author saith, _He went about to rebel_, not against his Prince, but
his _Grandfathers_, _viz._ the Pope and the Cardinals, upon which the
Senate of _Venice_ wrote to him, desiring that he would not trouble the
Pope, seeing that all his Predecessors had fought for him, as the Lord of
_Thou_ saith in his sixteenth Book; but he answered, that it was the Pope
himself that was the cause of it, and that he was bound to oppose him.
During that rebellion to his great fathers, as the Author calleth it, the
great _de Guise_, came with his Troops, and compelled him to a diversion,
and to let alone Marshal _Strozzy_, the Cardinal _Caraffa_, Captain
_Montluc_, _Camillo Ursini_, Captain _Charry_, and others; so that all
the Countrey about _Rome_ was freed, and thus the Author saith, _the
great de Guise shall come to quell him_.
The fourth Verse addeth two things, that a Prisoner was carryed away, and
that a Monument was erected. History makes no mention of the Prisoner,
unless it were that Captain _Montluc_, having taken by assault the
Town of _Pianea_ or _Corsmian_, by a sink which he broke; the Captain
_Gougues_ a _Gascon_ being a Prisoner of War in the Town, with many
others, and hearing the cries of _France, France_, perswaded his Comrades
to fall upon their Keepers, and to kill them with their own weapons and
this Prisoner that was taken at _Montisel_, was brought back again into
_France_, as well for his known Valour, as for his Warlike deliverance,
and since that made himself famous in _Florida_.
_As for the Monument erected_, makes me think he meaneth the Constable of
_France_, who was taken Prisoner at the Battle of St. _Quentin_, and by
the Monument, he meaneth the _Escurial_, which _Philip_ the II. caused
to be built in memory of that Victory, which obliged _Henry_ the II. to
call back again in all hast the Duke of _Guise_ with all his Forces, or
else _France_ had been in danger to be lost.
XXX.
French.
Le sac sapproche, feu, grand sang espandu,
_Pau_ grand Fleuve, aux Bouviers l’entreprise,
De _Genes_, _Nice_ apres long temps attendu,
_Fossan_, _Thurin_, a _Savillan_ la prise.
English.
The plundering draws near, fire, abundance of blood spilt,
_Pau_ a great River, an enterprise by Herdsmen,
Of _Genes_, _Nice_ after they shall have staid long,
_Fossan_, _Thurin_, the prize shall be at _Savillan_.
ANNOT.
The plundering draweth near, here the Author speaketh of things that
should happen in his days. He writ this the first of _March_ 1555.
and History mentioneth that from the first of _March_ 1555. till the
beginning of 1559. the plundering of _Piemont_ in _Italy_ was very great,
since the taking of _Cazal_ by the _French_, for there was nothing but
continual fightings, taking and retaking Towns, Skirmishes and Battles,
and most of them by the River _Pau_, the greatest of _Italy_. The rest
of the second Verse, and the beginning of the third saith, that the
undertaking of _Genoa_ shall be by the Herdsmen, by whom he meaneth the
_Turks_, who being called by the _French_ to help them in the taking of
_Nice_, made an action fit for Herdsmen and villanous Traitors, doing
nothing, because they had been bribed by the _Genoeses_.
This was done after the _French_ had stay’d long for this infidel, who
endeavoured to delude the _French_, and take all for himself; and this
is the meaning of, _After Nice had stayed long_. In the mean time the
_Spaniards_ increased their Victories, as the fourth Verse witnesseth to
the taking of _Fossan_, _Thurin_, and _Savillan_.
_Fossan_ is a Town of _Piemont_, which that it might be distinguished
from _Marseilles_, which the Author often calleth _Fossen_ or _Phocen_,
he putteth in the Epithete of _Thurin_, to signifie he meaneth _Fossan_
in _Piemont_.
He saith that _Fossan_ of _Piemont_ shall have the taking towards
_Savillan_, that is, this _Fossan_ which belongeth to the _Spaniards_,
will take some Towns near _Sivillan_.
XXXI.
French.
De _Languedoc_, & _Guienna_ plus de dix
Mille, voudront les _Alpes_ repasser.
Grans _Allobroges_ marcher contre _Brundis_,
_Aquin_ & _Bresse_ les viendront recasser.
English.
From _Languedoc_, and _Guienna_ more then 10000.
Would be glad to come back over the _Alpes_.
Great _Allobroges_ shall march against _Brundis_,
_Aquin_ and _Bresse_ shall beat them back.
ANNOT.
_Languedoc_ and _Guienne_ are two Provinces in _France_, from whence many
Souldiers shall be raised to go into _Italy_, but being distressed, shall
wish to come back again over the _Alpes_. By the great _Allobroges_,
I understand those of _Savoy_ and _Piemont_, who shall go against
_Brundis_, in Latine _Brundusium_, but shall be beaten back by _Aquin_
and _Bresses_, Cities belonging to the _Venetians_.
XXXII.
French.
Du Mont Royal naistra d’une Casane,
Qui Duc, & Compte viendra tyranniser,
Dresser Copie de la marche _Millane_,
_Favence_, _Florence_ d’or & gens espuiser.
English.
Out of the Royal Mount shall be born in a Cottage,
One that shall tyranise over Duke and Earl,
He shall raise an Army in the Land of _Millan_,
He shall exhaust _Favence_ and _Florence_ of their gold.
ANNOT.
This needeth no Interpretation.
XXXIII.
French.
Par fraude Regne, forces expolier,
La classe obsesse, passages a l’espie,
Deux faincts amis se viendront r’allier,
Esueiller haine de long temps assoupie.
English.
By fraud a Kingdom and an Army shall be spoilt,
The Fleet shall be put to a strait, passages shall be made to the
spies,
Two feigned friends shall agree together,
They shall raise up a hatred that had been long dormant.
ANNOT.
The words are plain.
XXXIV.
French.
En grand regret sera la gent _Gauloise_,
Cœur vain, leger croira temerité,
Pain, sel, ne vin eau venin ne cervoise,
Plus grand captif, faim, froid, necessité.
English.
In great regret shall the _French_ Nation be.
Their vain and light heart shall believe rashly.
They shall have neither Bread, Salt, Wine, nor Beer,
Moreover they shall be Prisoners, and shall suffer hunger, cold,
and need.
ANNOT.
The words are plain, and the onely question is whither this distress
threatned here to _France_ is past or to come.
XXXV.
French.
La grand poche viendra plaindre pleurer,
D’avoir esleu, trompez seront en l’Aage,
Guiere avec eux ne voudra demeurer,
Deceu sera par ceux de son langage.
English.
The great Pocket shall bewaile and bemoan,
For having Elected one, they shall be deceived in his Age,
He shall not stay long with them,
He shall be deceived by those of his own language.
ANNOT.
The great Pocket which is the Key of this Stanza being obscure, forceth
me to leave the rest unperfect.
XXXVI.
French.
Dieu, le Ciel tout le Divin Verbe a l’Onde,
Porté par rouges sept razes a _Bizance_,
Contre les oingts trois cens de _Trebisonde_,
Deux Loix mettront, & horreur, puis credence.
English.
God, Heaven, all the Divine Word in water,
Carryed by red ones, seven shaved heads at _Bisantium_,
Against the anointed three hundred of _Trebisond_,
They shall put two Laws, and horror, and afterwards believe.
ANNOT.
This seemeth to foretel that the Sacrament according to the
_Roman_ Church, shall be carried by Cardinals and seven Priests to
_Constantinople_, against which three hundred of _Trebison_ shall
dispute, who shall compare the two Laws with horror, and afterwards
believe.
XXXVII.
French.
Dix envoyez, chef de nef mettre a mort,
D’un adverty, en classe guerre ouverte,
Confusion chef, l’un se picque & mord,
_Leryn_, _Stecades_ nefs, cap dedans la nerte.
English.
Ten shall be sent to put the Captain of the Ship to death,
He shall have notice by one, the Fleet shall be in open War,
A confusion shall be amongst the Chief, one pricks and bites,
_Leryn_, _Stecades_ nefs, caps dedans la nerte.
ANNOT.
The three first Verses are plain; as for the fourth I believe it to be
the Language of the _Antipodes_, for I think no man can understand it.
XXXVIII.
French.
L’Aisné Roial sur coursier voltigeant,
Picquer viendra si rudement courir,
Gueule lipée, pied dans l’Estrein pleignant,
Traine, tiré, horriblement mourir.
English.
The eldest Royal prancing upon a Horse,
Shall spur, and run very fiercely
Open mouth, the foot in the Stirrup, complaining,
Drawn, pulled, die horribly.
ANNOT.
This foretelleth of the eldest Son of a King, who prancing upon his
Horse, shall Spur and run so fiercely, that his foot being intangled in
the Stirrup he shall be dragged and pulled, and die a fearful death.
In the year 1555. upon the 25 of _May_, this came to pass in the person
of _Henry_ of _Albret_, the second of that name, King of _Navarre_.
This Prince _Henry_ II. the eldest Royal riding upon a horse did spur him
so hard, that he ran away with him, so that he perceiving the danger he
was in, pulled the Bridle so hard that the horse’s mouth was broken; the
pain did not stop the horse, but contrariwise, he grew the more untoward,
that _Henry_ fell down, and in falling one of his feet hung in the
stirrup, so that he was drawn, and died a horrid death. This I found in
the History of _Naples_.
XXXIX.
French.
Le conducteur de l’Armée _Francoise_,
Cuidant perdre le principal Phalange,
Par sus pavé de l’_Avaigne_ & Ardoise,
Soy parfondra par _Gennes_ gent estrange.
English.
The leader of the _French_ Army,
Thinking to rout the chiefest Phalange,
Upon the Pavement of _Avaigne_, and Slate,
Shall sink in the ground by _Gennes_, a strange Nation.
ANNOT.
It seemeth that a _French_ General, thinking to rout and overcome the
chiefest strength of his enemy, and going upon a brittle Pavement, made
of Slate, shall sink in the ground not far from _Genoa_, which he calleth
a strange Nation to the _French_.
XL.
French.
Dedans tonneaux hors oingts d’huile & graisse,
Seront vingt un devant le port fermez,
Au second guet feront par mort prouesses,
Gaigner les portes & du quet assommez.
English.
With Pipes annointed without with Oyl and Grease,
Before the harbour, one and twenty shall be shut,
At the second Watch, by death, they shall do great feats of Arms,
To win the Gates, and be killed by the Watch.
ANNOT.
The words and sense of this Stanza are plain.
XLI.
French.
Les os des pieds, & des mains enferrez,
Par bruit maison long temps inhabitée,
Seront par songes concavant deterrez,
Maison salubre & sans bruit habitée.
English.
The bones of the feet and of the hands in shackles,
By a noise a house shall be a long time deserted,
By a dream the buried shall be taken out of the ground,
The house shall be healthful, and inhabited without noise.
ANNOT.
I have found the truth of this Stanza upon the place, in my going to
_Lion_, it was my fortune to lye at a Town four Leagues on this side of
it, called _Lapacodier_, where this Story was told me to have happened
few days before.
It chanced that a Company of Foot was to lie in the Town, and distressed
for quarter, they enquired why such a house was empty, and were told
it was not inhabited by reason of a noise heard there every night. The
Captain of the Troop resolved, since he feared not the living, not to
fear the dead, and thereupon lay in the house that night, where Beds
were provided for him, and about half a Dozen of his stoutest Souldiers;
so they laid down their weapons on the Table, and began to be merry at
Cards and Dice, expecting the event. The door being fast locked, about
twelve and one they heard as though some body knockt at the door, one
of the Souldiers by the Captains command, with a Pistol in his hand,
and a Candle, opened the door, then appeared to them a Phantasm, in the
shape of an old man, loaded with Chains, that made a great noise, this
Phantasm beckened to the Captain at the Table to come to him, the Captain
also rising, beckened to the Phantasm to come to him, this lasted for a
while, till the Captain resolved to go to him, and so taking a Candle in
one hand, and a Pistol in the other, bid his Souldiers follow him hand
in hand with their Arms, then taking the Phantasm by the hand, which was
exceeding cold, he led them into the Cellar, and through many turnings,
till at last the Phantasm vanished, and the Candles went out, then were
they constrained to remain there till day light, when perceiving where
they were, and having taken notice of the Place where the Phantasm left
them, they went out, and related the story to the Townsmen; so afterwards
they digged in that place, where they found a kind of a Trunk, and the
bones of a man in it shackled, they buryed the body in a Church-yard, and
no noise was heard afterwards in that house, this came to pass about 1624.
XLII.
French.
Quand _Innocent_ tiendra le lieu de _Pierre_,
Le _Nizaram Sicilian_ se verra,
En grands honneurs, mais apres il cherra,
Dans le bourbier d’une Civile guerre.
English.
When _Innocent_ shall hold the place of _Peter_,
The _Sicilian Nizaram_ shall see himself
In great honours, but after that he shall fall
Into the dirt of a Civil war.
ANNOT.
Nothing can be more plain and true than this Prophecie, and those that
deny it, may also deny the light of the Sun, but to make it more evident,
we will examine it Verse by Verse.
_When ~Innocent~ shall hold the place of ~Peter~_; that is, when one
named _Innocent_ shall be Pope, as he was that preceded the last.
_The ~Sicilian Nizaram~ shall see himself in great honours_; that is, the
_Sicilian Nizarim_, for _Nizaram_, is the Annagramme of _Mazarin_, letter
for letter, who was born in _Sicily_, shall see himself in great honours,
as he did; for he was then in his greatest splendor.
_But after that he shall fall into the dirt of a Civil war_; As every one
knows he did, having put in Prison the Prince of _Condé_, the Prince of
_Conty_, and the Duke of _Congueiulle_, can any thing be more plain, and
yet when I read this forty years ago, I took it to be ridiculous.
XLIII.
French.
_Lutece_ en _Mars_, Senateurs en credit,
Par une nuict _Gaule_ sera troublée,
Du grand _Cræsus_ l’Horoscope predit,
Par _Saturnus_, sa puissance exillée.
English.
_Lutetia_ in _Mars_, Senators shall be in credit.
In a night _France_ shall be troubled,
The Horoscope of the great _Cræsus_ foretelleth,
That by _Saturn_ his power shall be put down.
ANNOT.
_Lutetia_ in Latine is the City of _Paris_, after the death of _Henry_
IV. the Parliament of _Paris_ began to prick up their ears, and to go
about to call the great ones to account, amongst whom was the Marquess
d’_Ancre_, favourite of the Queen Regent, that had gathered great
riches, and therefore is called here _Cræsus_, our Author saith, that
his power shall be put down by _Saturnus_, which must here be understood
mistically, which proved true, for by the Kings command, then _Lewis_
XIII. he was shot with three Pistols in the _Louvre_.
XLIV.
French.
Deux de poison saisis nouveaux Venus
Dans la cuisine du grand Prince verser,
Par le souillard tous deux au fait cogneus,
Prins qui cuidoit de mort l’aisné vexer.
English.
Two newly come being provided with poison,
To pour in the Kitchin of the great Prince,
By the Cooks Boy the fact shall be known,
And he taken, that thought by death to vex the elder.
ANNOT.
This came to pass in the time of _Henry_ IV. who was poisoned at _Melan_,
by two unknown men, who were discovered by the Cooks Boy in the doing of
it, and were both taken, the History is at large in _Peter Matthew_ his
Historiographer, which I could not insert here for the satisfaction of
the Reader; because I could not get the Book, the Reader may satisfie
himself upon the place.
Other Stanzas, taken out of twelve, under the seventh Century, out of
which eight have been rejected, because they were found in the foregoing
Centuries.
LXXIII.
French.
Renfort de Sieges manubis & maniples,
Changez le sacre & passe sur le pronsne,
Prins & captifs n’arreste les prez triples,
Plus par fonds mis elevé, mis au Trosne.
English.
Recruit of Sieges, spoils and prizes,
_Corpus Christi_ day shall be changed, and the pronsne slighted,
They shall be taken and made Prisoners, do not stay in the threefold
Field,
Moreover, one put in the bottom shall be raised to the Throne.
LXXX.
French.
L’Occident libre les Isles _Britanniques_,
Le recogneu passer le bas, puis haut,
Ne content triste Rebel corss. _Escotiques_,
Puis rebeller par plui & par nuict chaut.
English.
The West shall be free, and the _Brittish_ Islands,
The discovered shall pass low, then high,
_Scottish_ Pirates shall be, who shall rebel,
In a rainy and hot night.
LXXXII.
French.
La stratageme simulte sera rare,
La Mort en voye rebelle par contrée,
Par le retour du voyage _Barbare_,
Exalteront la potestante entrée.
English.
The stratagem and grudge shall be scarce,
Death shall be in a rebellious way through the Countrey,
By the return from a _Barbarian_ travel,
They shall exalt the Protestant entrance.
LXXXIII.
French.
Vent chaut, conseil, pleurs, timidité,
De nuict au lict assailly sans les Armes:
D’oppression grand calamité,
L’_Epithalame_ converty pleurs & larmes.
English.
Hot wind, councel, tears, fearfulness,
He shall be assaulted in his bed by night without Arms,
From that oppression shall be raised a great calamity,
The _Epithalamium_ shall be converted into tears.
ANNOT.
The reason why I have put no Annotations to these, as I have done to
the rest, is, because according to my judgement, and that of the most
Learned, they are spurious.
TO THE READER.
Friendly Reader,
_Before you Read the following Epistle, I would have you be warned of
a few things: One is, that according to my opinion, it is very obscure
and intelligible in most places, being without any just connection, and
besides the obscurity of the sense, the crabbedness of the expression is
such, that had not the importunity of the Bookseller prevailed, I would
have left it out, but considering the respect due to Antiquity, the
satisfaction we owe to curious persons, who would perhaps have thought
the Book imperfect without it, we let it go, trusting to your Candor and
Ingenuity._
Farewell.
THE PROPHECIES OF Michael Nostradamus.
_CENTURY_ VIII. IX. & X.
_That had not been Printed before, and are in the same Edition of 1568._
TO THE
_Most Invincible, most High, and most Christian King of ~France~ ~HENRY~
the Second; ~Michael Nostradamus~ his most obedient Servant and Subject,
wisheth Victory and Happiness._