Shall beat down the attempt of the _Barbarians_,
Then in his Noon he shall be perplexed and have untoward business,
Young _Ogmion_ shall pull down his strength.
ANNOT.
This Stanza was made concerning _Philip_ the II. King of _Spain_, who for
the first seven years that he came to his Crown, had prosperous fortune,
did brave exploits against the _Barbarians_, and chiefly in the person
of his Brother _Don Juan_ of _Austria_, who got the memorable Battle of
_Lapantho_ against the _Turks_, but in the middle of _his Noon_, that
is of his Age, fell into great perplexities and cross businesses, being
constrained to put his onely son _Don Carla_ to death, and to poison his
wife and after that never prospered, when young _Ogmion_ (that is _Henry_
IV. King of _France_) came to the Crown.
XC.
French.
Un Capitaine de la grand _Germanie_,
Se viendra rendre par simulé secours,
Au Roy des Roys, aide de _Pannonie_,
Que sa revoke fera de sang grand cours.
English.
A Captain of the great _Germany_,
Shall come to yield himself with a fained help,
Unto the King of Kings, help of _Hungary_,
So that his revolt shall cause a great bloodshed.
ANNOT.
_Pannonia_ in Latine is _Hungary_, there is nothing hard in this, unless
it be what he meaneth by the King of Kings, whether it be the great Turk
or the Emperour.
XCI.
French.
L’Horrible peste _Perynthe_ & _Nicopole_,
Le _Chersonese_ tiendra & _Marceloine_,
La _Thessalie_ naistera l’_Amphipole_,
Mal incogneu & le refus d’_Antoine_.
English.
The horrid pestilence shall seize upon _Perynthe_ and _Nicopolis_,
The _Chersonese_ and _Marceloine_,
It shall waste _Thessalia_ and _Amphipolis_,
An unknown evil and the refusal of _Antony_.
ANNOT.
There is several faults in the impression here, for instead of
_Perynthe_, it must be _Corinth_. For _Marceloine_, it must be
_Macedoine_: the substance of the whole is, that there shall be a great
plague in all these Countries of _Asia_. The refusal of _Antony_ is
foisted here to make up the rime with _Macedony_.
XCII.
French.
Le Roy voudra dans Cité neufve entrer,
Par ennemis expugner l’on viendra,
Captif libere, faulx dire & perpetrer,
Roy dehors estre, loin d’ennemis tiendra.
English.
The King shall desire to enter into the new City,
With foes they shall come to overcome it,
The Prisoner being free, shall speak and act falsly,
The King being gotten out, shall keep far from enemies.
ANNOT.
The sense of all these words so ill jointed, is no more but that a
certain King shall desire to enter into a new City, and there they shall
come and Besiege him, where he shall both act and speak deceitfully to
get his liberty, which having obtained, shall keep far from his foes.
XCIII.
French.
Les ennemis du Fort bien esloignez,
Par Chariots conduits le Bastion,
Par sur les Murs de _Bourges_ esgrongnez,
Quand _Hercules_ battra l’_Hæmathion_.
English.
The enemies being a good way from the Fort,
Shall upon Wagons be conducted to the Bulwark,
From the top of _Bourges_ Walls they shall be cut less,
When _Hercules_ shall beat the _Hæmathion_.
ANNOT.
_Bourges_ is the chief City of a Province in _France_ called _Berry_.
There is nothing difficult in this, but onely what he meaneth by
_Hercules beating the Æmathion_, unless by _Hercules_ he meaneth the
_French_, and by _Æmathion_ the _Spaniard_.
XCIV.
French.
Foibles Galeres seront unis ensemble,
Ennemis faux, le plus fort en rempart,
Foible assailies _Wratislavie_ tremble;
_Lubeck_ & _Mysne_ tiendront _Barbare_ part.
English.
Weak Galleys shall be united together,
False enemies, the strongest shall be fortified,
Weak assaults, and yet _Breslaw_ quaketh for fear,
_Lubeck_ and _Misne_ shall take the part of the _Barbarians_.
ANNOT.
_Breslaw_, _Lubeck_ and _Misne_, are three Cities of _Germany_; the rest
is plain.
XCV.
French.
Le nouveau fait conduira l’exercite,
Proche apamé jusque aupres du Rivage,
Tendant secours de _Melanoise_ eslite,
Duc yeux privé, a _Milan_ fer de Cage.
English.
The new man shall lead up the Army,
Near _Apamé_, till near the Bank,
Carrying succours of choice Forces from _Milan_,
The Duke deprived of his eyes, and an Iron Cage at _Milan_.
ANNOT.
_Apamé_ is a barbarous word, at least I cannot tell what language it is,
the rest is plain enough, and signifieth that a Duke shall be deprived of
his eyes, and shall be put in an Iron Cage at _Milan_.
XCVI.
French.
Dans Cité entrer exercite desniée,
Duc entrera par persuasion,
Aux foibles portes clam Armée amenée,
Mettront feu, mort, de sang effusion.
English.
The Army being denied the entrance of the City,
The Duke shall enter by persuasion,
To the weak Gates, _clam_ the Army being brought,
Shall put all to fire and sword.
ANNOT.
_Clam_ here is in Latine _præposition_, signifying secretly; the rest is
easie.
XCVII.
French.
De Mer Copies en trois parts divisées,
A la seconde les Vivres failliront,
Desesperez cherchant Champs _Elisées_,
Premiers en breche entrez victoire auront.
English.
A Fleet being divided into three parts,
The victuals will fail the second part,
Being in despaire they’l seek the _Elysian_ Fields,
And entring the breach first, shall obtain victory.
ANNOT.
A Fleet being divided into three parts, the second division shall fall
into want of victuals, for which being desperate, they shall attempt the
Town of the enemy, and shall enter it by the breach, and get the victory.
XCVIII.
French.
Les affligez par faute d’un seul taint,
Contremenant a partie opposite,
Aux _Lygonois_ mandera que contraint,
Seront de rendre le grand chef de _Molite_.
English.
The afflicted want of one only died,
Carrying against the opposite part,
Shall send word to those of _Lyon_, they shall be compelled,
To surrender the great chief of _Molite_.
ANNOT.
This is the most nonsensical thing that is in all the Book, for neither
the words nor the connexion is intelligible, therefore it being so much
out of the common road of our Author, I am apt to believe that it was at
first very falsly printed, and that those that came after, were loth to
alter it for the respect of antiquity.
XCIX.
French.
Vent _Aquilon_ fera partir le Siege,
Par murs jetter cendres, chaulx, & poussiere,
Par pluye apres qui leur sera bien piege,
Dernier secours encontre leur Frontiere.
English.
The North wind shall cause the Siege to be raised,
They shall throw ashes, lime, and dust,
By a rain after that shall be a trap to them,
It shall be the last succours against their Frontiere.
ANNOT.
Here is described a notable stratagem of a Besieged Town, who against
rainy weather cast so much ashes, lime and dust, that the rain coming
thereupon, it made such a mire, as the Besiegers were not able to assault
it.
C.
French.
Navale pugne nuict sera superée,
Le feu, aux Naves a l’Occident ruine,
Rubriche neuve, la grand néf colorée,
Ire a vaincu, & victoire en bruine.
English.
In a Sea-fight, night shall be overcome,
By fire, to the Ships of the West ruine shall happen,
A new stratagem, the great Ship coloured,
Anger to the vanquished, and victory in a Mist.
ANNOT.
He foretelleth of a Sea-fight in the night, wherein by the light of the
burning Ships night shall be overcome, the Ships that came from the West
shall be worsted, and by a stratagem of a great Ship painted in colours,
anger shall remain to the vanquished, and the victory shall be got in a
Mist.
THE PROPHECIES OF Michael Nostradamus.
_CENTURY_ X.
I.
French.
A l’Ennemy, l’ennemy foy promise,
Ne se tiendra, les captifs retenus,
Prins preme mort & le reste en chemise,
Donnant le reste pour estre secourus.
English.
To the enemy, the enemy faith promised,
Shall not be kept, the prisoners shall be detained,
The first taken, put to death, and the rest stripped,
Giving the remnant that they may be succoured.
ANNOT.
These words are plain, though the sense be a little intricated, and the
contents being of small concernments, deserve no further explanation.
II.
French.
Voile Gallere Voile nef Cachera,
La grand Classe viendra sortir la moindre,
Dix Naves proches le tourneront poulser,
Grand vaincüe, unies a soy joindre.
English.
The Galley and the Ship shall hide their Sails,
The great Fleet shall make the little one to come out,
Ten Ships near hand, shall turn and push at it,
The great being vanquished, they shall unite together.
ANNOT.
These are some particularities of a Sea fight between a great Fleet and a
small one, wherein he saith, that some had hid their Sails, belike they
were unwilling to come out of the Harbour and to fight; but he saith,
that the great Fleet will compel the little one to come out; but ten
great Ships will come to help the little Fleet, and after the great one
hath been overcome, will joyn themselves to the little Fleet.
III.
French.
En apres cinq troupeau ne mettra hors,
Un fuitif pour _Penelon_ laschera,
Faux murmurer secours venir par lors,
Le Chef le Siege lors abandonnera.
English.
After that, five shall not put out his flock,
He’l let loose a runnaway for _Penelon_,
There shall be a false rumour, succours shall come then,
The Commander shall forsake the Siege.
ANNOT.
This Stanza is either nonsensical or falsely printed, and what he meaneth
by _Penelon_, is utterly unknown.
IV.
French.
Sur la minuit conducteur de l’Armée,
Se sauvera subit esvanovy,
Sept ans apres la fame non blasmée,
A son retour ne dira oncq ouy.
English.
About midnight the leader of the Army,
Shall save himself, vanishing suddenly,
Seven years after his fame shall not be blamed
And at his return he shall never say yea.
ANNOT.
This is plain of a General of an Army, who shall forsake his Army,
and save himself, and yet seven years after when he cometh back, his
reputation shall be as clear, as if he never had committed such an errour.
V.
French.
_Albi_ & _Castres_ feront nouvelle ligue,
Neuf _Arriens_, _Lisbonne_, & _Portuguez_,
_Carcas._ _Thoulouze_, consumeront leur brigue
Quand chef neuf monstre de _Lauraguez_.
English.
_Albi_ and _Castres_ shall make a new league,
Nine _Arriens_, _Lisbonne_, and _Portuguez_,
_Carcas._ _Thoulouse_, shall make an end of their confederacy;
When the new chief shall come from _Lauragais_.
ANNOT.
_Albi_, _Castres_, _Carcassonne_, and _Thoulouse_, are Cities of
_Languedock_, which our Author saith, will enter into a confederacy among
themselves, and joyn with _Lisbon_ and the _Portuguez_, and this shall
happen when the general of the Army, shall be one born in _Lauragais_,
which is another of the same Province.
VI.
French.
_Gardon_ a _Nismes_ eaux si haut desborderont,
Qu’on cuidera _Deucalion_ renaistre,
Dans le _Colosse_ la pluspart fuiront,
Vesta Sepulchre feu esteint apparoistre.
English.
_Gardon_ at _Nismes_, waters shall overflow so high,
That they’l think that _Deucalion_ is born again,
Most of them will run into the _Colossus_,
And a Sepulchre, and fire extinguished, shall appear.
ANNOT.
Near _Nismes_ there is the River called _Gardon_, which cometh from St.
_Romans_, and dischargeth it self into the _Rhosne_ at _Beaucaire_, there
is to be seen in that City abundance of _Antiquitez_, which the _Goths_
had built 1150. years before; there is also many _Roman_ Antiquities,
as an _Amphitheater_, so well builded that neither the _Goths_ nor the
_Saracens_, nor _Attila_, nor _Charles Martel_, with all their power,
could not utterly demolish it. The Author nameth it _Colossus_, because
its building appeared like a _Colossus_ for solidity.
There is also an ancient Temple which is called the _Fountain_, builded
as a Quadrangle, and supported by two rows of great Pillars, which at
present is a Church of Nuns.
This being supposed, the River of _Gardon_ did overflow so much, that
its Waters joyning with that of a Flood that happened there the ninth
of _September_ 1557. every one thought that _Deucalion_ had been born
again. The Author saith this; because in the fables of the ancients.
_Deucalion_ is thought to be the Author of the Flood which _Ovid_
mentioneth. During this Flood which was like to overflow the Town, as
well as the Countrey, many did retire themselves into that Amphitheater.
And in that ancient Temple of the _Fountain_, the Waters overthrowing
a great many old buildings did discover abundance of Antiquities, and
amongst the rest one of those Lamps that burneth always, in the Sepulchre
of a _Vestal_, which went out as soon as it felt the fresh Air.
In confirmation of this, the History of _Provence_ saith, that the storm
began about five of the Clock in the Morning, and lasted till Eight
of the Clock at night, and that these waters did uncover abundance of
Antiquities that were hidden 1100. years before, as Pillars, Portico’s,
Medals, Jasper-stones, and serpentine-stones, pieces of broken Vessels,
Epitaphs, lodging Rooms, and Caves, and all other things that use to be
found in the ruines of a Palace.
There was also heard in the Air Dogs barking, Pillars of fire, Armed men
fighting, and were seen two Suns in the Clouds of the Colour of Blood,
all which were the sad presages of the Civil Wars of _France_ presently
after, and chiefly that of _Provence_.
The ninth Century in the ninth Stanza, speaketh almost the same, and
sheweth that _Nismes_ shall perish by Water.
VII.
French.
Le grand conflict qu’on appreste a _Nancy_,
L’_Æmathien_ dira tout je soubmets,
L’Isle _Britane_ par Vin Sel en solcy,
_Hem. mi._ deux _Phi._ long temps ne tiendra _Mets_.
English.
A great War is preparing at _Nancy_,
The _Æmathien_ shall say I submit to all,
The _British_ Island shall be put in care by Salt and Wine,
_Hem. mi._ two _Phi._ shall not keep _Mets_ long.
ANNOT.
_Nancy_ is the chief City of _Lorrain_, and by the _Æmathien_ is
understood the _French_, the _British_ Isle is _England_, which is said
here, shall come into great distress by Salt and Wine, because the
Countrey aboundeth in those two Commodities. The last Verse I do not
understand, save that _Mets_ is a great City in _Lorrain_.
VIII.
French.
_Index_ & _Poulse_ parfondera le front
De _Senegalia_ le Comte a son Fils propre,
La _Myrnamée_ par plusieurs de plain front,
Trois dans sept jours blessez mort.
English.
_Index_ and _Poulse_ shall break the forehead,
Of the Son of the Earl of _Senegalia_,
The _Myrnamée_ by many at a full bout,
Three within seven days shall be wounded to death.
ANNOT.
_Senegalia_ is a Town in _Italy_, all what can be gathered out of the
obscurity of this Stanza, is, that the son of the Earl of that Town shall
have his forehead broken, and within seven days after, three more shall
be wounded to death.
IX.
French.
De _Castilon figuieres_ jour de brune,
De femme infame naistra Souverain Prince,
Surnum de chausses per hume luy posthume,
Onc Roy ne fut si pire en sa Province.
English.
Out of _Castilon figuieres_ upon a misty day,
From an infamous woman shall be born a Soveraign Prince,
His surname shall be from _Breeches_, himself a posthume,
Never a King was worse in his Province.
ANNOT.
_Castilon figuieres_ is a petty Town in _Provence_, in which he saith
that a Soveraign Prince shall be born of an infamous Woman, and shall be
a posthume, which in Latine signifieth one that is born after his Fathers
death; he saith also that his name shall be derived from _Breeches_ and
that never a King was worse in his Countrey, whether by worse, he meaneth
in manners or fortune, I know not.
X.
French.
Tasche de murdre, enormes Adulteres,
Grand ennemy de tout le genre humain,
Que sera pire qu’ayeulx, Oncles ne Pere,
En fer, feu, eau, sanguin & inhumain.
English.
Endeavour of Murder, enormous Adulteries,
A great enemy of all mankind,
That shall be worse then Grand-father, Uncle, or Father,
In Iron, fire, water, bloody and inhumane.
ANNOT.
This Stanza as well as the next hath relation to the precedent, making
mention what a wicked person shall that Posthume be of which he spoke
before.
XI.
French.
Dessoubs _Jonchere_ du dangereux passage,
Fera passer le posthume sa bande,
Les Monts _Pyrens_ passer hors son bagage,
De _Parpignan_ courira Duc a _Tende_.
English.
Below _Joncheres_ dangerous passage,
The posthume shall cause his Army to go over,
And his Baggage to go over the _Pyrenean_ Mountains,
A Duke shalt run from _Perpignan_ to _Tende_.
ANNOT.
This is still concerning the same posthume or Bastard, who shall cause
his Army to pass at _Jonchere_, and his Bagage to go over the _Pyrenean_
Mountains, which parts _Spain_ from _France_, and that upon the fear
of him a Duke shall run from _Perpignan_, which is the chief City of
_Roussillon_ to _Tende_, which is a little Town in _Provence_.
XII.
French.
Esleu en Pape, d’Esleu sera mocqué,
Subit soudain, esmeu prompt & timide,
Par trop bon doux a mourir provoqué,
Crainte estainte la nuit de sa mort guide.
English.
Elected for a Pope, from Elected shall be baffled,
Upon a sudden, moved quick and fearful,
By too much sweetness provooked to die,
His fear being out in the night shall be Leader to his death.
ANNOT.
This Prophecy was fulfilled in the person of the Cardinal _Santa
Severina_, who in the Conclave of Cardinals after the death of Pope
_Innocent_ IX. was Elected Pope, and presently after was baffled by the
same Cardinals, and _Clement_ the VIII. chosen in his place, for which
the other a little while after died for grief.
XIII.
French.
Soubs la pasture d’animaux ruminans,
Par eux conduits au ventre _Herbi-polique_,
Soldats cachez, les armes bruit menants,
Non loin tentez de Cité _Antipolique_.
English.
Under the pasture of Beasts chewing the cud,
Conducted by them to the _Herbi-polique_ belly,
Souldiers hidden, the Weapons making a noise,
Shall be attempted not far from _Antipolick_ City.
ANNOT.
The sense of this is, that some Souldiers disguised like Herds-men, shall
lead Oxen into a place where were hidden before Weapons in the Grass, but
the Weapons making a noise by their clashing they shall be discovered,
not far from a place that he calleth here _Antipolique_, purposely
to rime with _Herbipolique_ in _French_, which word _Herbipolique_
signifieth a Town of Pasture.
XIV.
French.
_Urnel_, _Vaucile_, sans conseil de soy mesmes,
Hardy, timide par crainte prins vaincu,
Accompagné de plusieurs putains, blesme,
A _Barcelonne_ aux Chartreux convaincu.
English.
_Urnel_, _Vaucile_, without advice of his own,
Stout and fearful, by fear taken and overcome,
Pale, and in company of many Whores,
Shall be convicted at _Barcelone_ by the Charterhouse.
ANNOT.
This Stanza is an Horoscope, which the Author made upon that Gentleman
named _Urnel Vaucille_, and signifieth that the said man should find
himself in such perplexity that he could not be able to take advice what
to do, and that fear should make him hide himself, to be apprehended, in
a place where he should be taken.
When he was taken, he was presently convicted of those crimes that he
was accused of: therefore the Officers of Justice did conduct him to the
Charter-house of _Barcelone_, which is four miles from the said Town, in
a place called _Campo alegre_, for the beauty and situation of it, to
that place many Whores did accompany him to receive the punishment they
had deserved, therefore the Author saith that he went thither pale, as
foreseeing the terrour of the punishment he was to undergo.
XV.
French.
Pere Duc vieux d’ans & de soif chargé,
Au jour extreme fils desniant l’esguiere,
Dedans le puis vif, mort viendra plongé,
Senat au fils la mort longue & legere.
English.
A Father Duke, aged and very thirsty,
In his extremity, his son denying him the Ewer,
Alive into a Well, where he shall be drowned,
For which the Senate shall give the son a long and easie death.
ANNOT.
It is a Duke very aged who shall die of a Dropsie, or of some other
burning disease, which will make him very thirsty, the Physitians shall
forbid any water to be given him, therefore this Duke shall press his son
very much to give him the Ewer, that he may drink his fill, but his son
refusing, the Father shall fall into such a rage, that being alone he
will go and throw himself into a Well, where he shall be drowned.
This unhappy death will be the cause of much murmuring, and the Senate
or Parliament of that place will make enquiry after it, by which enquiry
the son will be found guilty, therefore for his punishment, he shall be
condemned to a long and easie death, as to live all his days in some
Monastery.
XVI.
French.
Heureux au Regne de _France_ heureux de vie,
Ignorant sang, mort, fureur, rapine,
Par non flatteurs seras mis en envie,
Roy desrobé, trop de foy en cuisine.
English.
Happy in the Kingdom of _France_, happy in his Life,
Ignorant of blood, death, fury, of taking by force,
By no flatterers shall be envied,
King robbed, too much faith in Kitchin.
ANNOT.
This is a Prognostication of a King of _France_, who though happy in his
Reign and Life, and being given to no great vices, as blood, fury, or
taking by force, yet shall be much envied and robbed by his Subjects, and
chiefly by those he trusteth about his Kitchin.
XVII.
French.
La Reyne _Ergaste_ voiant sa fille blesme,
Par un regret dans l’estomach enclos,
Cris lamentables seront lors d’_Angolesme_,
Et au germain mariage forclos.
English.
Queen _Ergaste_ seeing her Daughter pale,
By a regret contained in her Breast,
Then shall great cries come out of _Angolesme_,
And the Marriage shall be denyed to the Cousin German.
ANNOT.
It is unknown what Queen he meaneth by the name of _Ergaste_; the rest is
easie. _Angolesme_ is a City of _Gascony_ or _Languedoc_.
XVIII.
French.
Le rang _Lorrain_ fera place a _Vendosme_,
Le haut mis bas, & le bas mis en haut,
Le fils d’_Hamon_ sera esleu dans _Rome_,
Et les deux grands seront mis en defaut.
English.
The House of _Lorrain_ shall give place to _Vendosme_
The high pulled down, the low raised up,
The son of _Hamon_ shall be Elected into _Rome_,
And the two great ones shall not appear.
ANNOT.
The two first Verses of this Prophecy were fulfilled in the time of
_Henry_ the third King of _France_, in whose time the Duke of _Guise_,
and House of _Lorrain_ were grown so powerful in _France_, that they
drove the King from _Paris_, and assumed themselves a rank and authority
over the Princes of the Blood, so that the King was forced to cause them
to be slain, after which _Henry_ IV. who was King of _Navarre_ and Duke
of _Vendosme_ took his place again as first Prince of the Blood.
The two last Verses are too obscure to be interpreted, and I believe
were onely forced by our Author to make up his Rime, as he hath done in
several other places.
XIX.
French.
Jour que sera pour Roine saluée,
Le jour apres le salut, la Priere,
Le compte fait raison & valbuée,
Par avant humble oncques ne fut si fiere.
English.
The day that she shall be saluted Queen,
The next day after the Evening Prayer,
All accompts being summoned and cast up,
She that was humble before, never was one so proud.
ANNOT.
It is a woman (be like of a small Fortune) who coming to be a Queen by
her humility, the next day after Evening Prayer she shall appear so
proud, as the like was never seen.
XX.
French.
Tous les amis qu’auront tenu party,
Pour rude en lettres mis mort & saccage,
Biens publiez par fixe, grand neanty,
Onc _Romain_ peuple ne fut tant outrage.
English.
All the friends that shall have taken the part
Of the Unlearned, put to death and robbed,
Goods sold publickly by proclamation, a great man seized of them,
Never _Roman_ people was so much abused.
ANNOT.
The sense of this is, that a great man that took part with all those that
were unlearned shall be put to death, and their goods praised and sold
publickly, upon which goods another great man shall seize, and this is to
be done in _Rome_.
There is fault in the Impression of the third _French_ Verse, for instead
of _fixe_ it must be _fisc_ and instead of _Neanty_ it must be _Nancy_.
XXI.
French.
Par le despit du Roy soustenant moindre,
Sera meurdry luy presentant les bagues,
Le Pere & Fils voulant Noblesse poindre,
Fait comme a _Perse_ jadis firent les _Magues_.
English.
To spite the King, who took the part of the weaker,
He shall be murdered, presenting to him Jewels,
The Father and the Son going to vex the Nobility,
It shall be done to them as the _Magi_ did in _Persia_.
ANNOT.
This is a King who with his son taking the peoples part against the
Nobility shall be killed, in presenting to him Jewels, and he and his son
shall be dealt with all as the _Magi_, that is the Grandees of _Persia_
used to do with their Kings, whom they were wont to murder, or depose.
XXII.