The true prophecies or prognostications of Michael Nostradamus, physician to Henry II. Francis II. and Charles IX. Kings of France, and one of the best astronomers that ever were. / A work full of curiosity and learning. Translated and commented by Theophilus de Garencieres, Doctor in Physick Colleg. Lond.

ANNOT.

This foretelleth of a Frenchman, who shall by War obtain an Empire or Kingdom, and shall be betrayed by his Brother in Law a Pupil, whom afterwards he shall treacherously cause to mount a fierce prancing Horse, who shall throw him down and drag him, for which the said King shall be hated long after.

XXXV.

ANNOT.

This is concerning the younger son of a King, who being extreamly in love with his Cosen German, shall disguise himself in a womans apparel, and shall go so disguised to the Temple of Artemide (that is of some Church Dedicated to the Virgin Mary) to meet her, but in going, shall be murdered by an unknown man named du Marne.

XXXVI.

ANNOT.

The two first Verses are concerning Philip the II. King of Spain, who is called here the King of the South, whom after his vain and frustrated Invasion of 88. the Harmotique Island (that is England) shall deride, and he after that shall have some good years, that is of Peace, still pillaging and plundering his Subjects, and shall change the price of England, that is, make it of a higher value, and more flourishing then ever it was before, as it did prove in Queen Elizabeth’s time.

XXXVII.

ANNOT.

This Lake of Borget is in Savoy, as also Montmelian, Chambery, Moriene, and St. Julian; the meaning of it then is, that a great Army shall be gathered about that Lake, which shall go through Chambery, Moriene, and Montmelian, and shall fight at St. Julian.

XXXVIII.

ANNOT.

The first two Verses are inexplicable; the two last signifie that there shall be an Army of Frens, with whom Hadria (that is Venice) and the Ursini the noblest Family in Italy shall take part, insomuch, that many of the contrary party shall run for fear to the Grisons, which is a Nation dwelling in the Valteline and other Countreis there about, between the Venetians and the Switzers.

XXXIX.

ANNOT.

Although the words be intricate, nevertheless the sense is plain, concerning Francis the II. King of France, who being married young, and before he was 18. years of Age, to Mary Stuart Queen of Scotland, died presently after, and left her a widow, and also England and Scotland (which he calleth here two Islands) at variance among themselves; of the last Verse the sense is very obscure, and hath relation to what did happen afterwards to the said Mary Queen of Scots and Dowager of France.

XL.

ANNOT.

This Prophecy is plain, concerning his Majesty King Charles II. now Reigning, who having been recommended by his dying Father to his Subjects, presently after his death they turned tail, and took the Kingdom from him for a good while.

XLI.

ANNOT.

Caussade, Charlus, and Villefranche are little Towns in Provence, not far one from another; the rest is easie.

XLII.

ANNOT.

This is only a foretelling of some Gallant Prince, who shall maintain his Subjects in great peace and tranquility.

XLIII.

ANNOT.

This is concerning another King, who through his too much goodness, simplicity and negligence, shall make and unmake those about him, and being fickle, shall believe false reports, made concerning his own wife; and at last by his to much goodness, shall be put to death.

XLIV.

ANNOT.

Blois is a City in France; Ligures are the Genoeses, in Latine called Ligures; as for Mammel I cannot tell what to make of it; Cordua is a City of Spain, and the Dalmatians is a Nation near the Adriatick Sea, and under the Venetians; I leave the interpretation of the last Verse to the ingenious Reader.

XLV.

ANNOT.

The Reign or Kingdom of Navarre is called not true, because the King of Spain doth possess it, and not the King of France, who is the lawful King thereof, as also in regard of the Kings of France, and before of Jane of Albret, and Antony of Bourbon.

This Kingdom being not true in regard of the said ones, the title and quality is called here shadow. The Author saith that the quality of the King of Navarre shall make the life of illigitimate chance, because after the death of Francis the II Catherine of Medicis being not opposed in the Regence by Antony of Bourbon King of Navarre, she was willing to gratifie him in what she could.

And because his Brother Lewis Prince of Condé had been condemned to death, and not executed, it was a fair occasion for her to shew the King of Navarre how much she did defer to him. Therefore twelve days after the death of King Francis, he was freed out of Prison, and was admitted to justifie himself under the King of Navarre’s Bail.

Thus the shadow of the Kingdom of Navarre not true, did cause the life of a Prince to be saved, but that life was illegitimate, and that Kingdom not true by chance, that is, by accident, because of the death of King Francis.

Leaving off the third Verse to be explained after the fourth; King (saith the Author) shall give Orleans for legitimate, because Charles the IX. who during the life of Francis the II. did bear the title of Duke of Orleans, did succeed his Brother; thus the Verse saith that Orleans shall give a King for legitimate.

Now for the third Verse, you must suppose that by the Treaty at Madrid 1526. and after this by that of Cambray, the King Francis the I. did part with the Sovereignty of Flanders, and of all the Low Countreis in favour of Charles the V. Emperour, it is of that uncertain allowance of Cambray, of which the Author talketh here, and saith, that in that time viz. of the death of Francis the II. that allowance shall be uncertain, because Francis the I. having no power of himself to renounce the rights and dependance of the Crown of France, the Parliament that was assembled then, would have made void that allowance without breaking the Peace, declaring that the Kings of France ought to preserve the right they had upon the Low-Countreis, and to require them again upon any occasion, and upon that France did not refuse the Election which the Low-Countreis made of the Duke of Alencon for their Sovereign Prince and Duke of Brabant.

XLVI.

ANNOT.

This Prophecy is concerning an old Elector of Saxony, who being in health before, shall die suddenly, being poisoned in a golden Cup by a woman, whom he calleth here infamous slut.

And that from Brunswick (a Countrey adjacent to Saxony) shall come a Messenger, upon pretence of Love, who shall persuade the people that the said Elector was a Seducer.

XLVII.

ANNOT.

I believe that there is a fault here in the impression, and that instead of Bourze it must be Bourges, which is a famous City in France, and Capitol of the Province of Berry, for I do not know any Town in Europe called Bourze. What he meaneth by the Lady Garlant is unknown. I believe also that instead of Leon it should be Lyon, which is another famous City, and the first Archbishoprick of the said Kingdom. Formande is a barbarous word, and I believe put in only to make up the Rime, as he hath done in several other places, as much then as can be gathered out of the sense is this, that from that City Bourges, which usually is a Dowry for a Queen of France, which is called here Garlant, shall a treason be hatched against the Archbishop of Lion, which I suppose came to pass in the time of Henry the III. when Peter of Pinac Archbishop of the said Lion, being accused by the Deputies of Bourges for siding with the League, escaped narrowly to be killed, when the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal his brother were. Queen Catherine of Medicis the Kings Mother having then the said Province and Town of Bourges for her jointure.

The last Verse hath no relation to the three foremost, and hath its interpretation by it self, which is plain enough.

XLVIII.

ANNOT.

Every Traveller knoweth that Castille (which is taken here for Spain) is divided into two parts viz. Castilia la Vecchia, and Castilia la Nuova, our Author then saith that out of Castilia la Vecchia, which is situated at the further end of Europe on that side, shall come a band of men, who shall destroy the Thieves that robbed and vexed the Travellers by the Bridge of Laigne, which it seemeth was an infamous place for robbing.

XLIX.

ANNOT.

This word Garden of the World, doth signifie a particular person, seeing that this Garden of the World was seized on and poisoned in a Tub of Sulphurous water, in which he was thrown.

The History may be this, that Nostradamus passing for a Prophet and a great Astrologer in his time, abundance of people came to him to know their Fortunes, and chiefly the Fathers to know that of their Children, as did Mr. Lafnier, and Mr. Cotton, Father of that renowned Jesuit of the same name, very like then that Mr. du Jardin having a son did ask Nostradamus what should become of him, and because his son was named Cosmus, which in Greek signifieth the World, he answered him with these four Verses.

Garden of the World, for Cosmus of the Garden, In his travels shall be taken hard by the New City, in a way that hath been digged between the Mountains, and there shall be thrown in to a Tub of poisoned Sulphurous water to cause him to die, being forced to drink that water which those rogues had prepared for him.

Those that have learned the truth of this History, may observe it here. This ought to have come to pass in the last Age, seeing that the party mentioned was then born when this Stanza was written, and this unhappy man being dead of a violent death, there is great likelyhood, that he was not above forty years old.

There is another difficulty, to know which is that new City, there being many of that name in Europe, nevertheless the more probable is, that there being many Knights of Maltha born in Provence (the native Countrey of our Author) it may be believed that by the new City he meaneth the new City of Maltha called la Valete, hard by which there is paths and ways digged in the Mountains, which Mountains are as if it were a Fence and a Barricado against the Sea, or else this Cosmus might have been taken by Pyrats of Algiers, and there in the new City of the Goulette be put to death in the manner aforesaid.

L.

ANNOT.

The Maes is a River that runneth through a part of Lorrain and Luxembourg; as for the words Lurne and hurne I do not understand them, neither do I think they are to be found in all the French Language, both obsolete and modern; all what I can gather out of this, is, that a great overflowing of the River Maes, shall be both in Luxembourg and Lorrain, insomuch that three Leaden Mines (which is meant here by Saturn) shall be discovered, and after that, a great Treason shall happen in the said Lorrain.

LI.

Transcriber’s Note: An English version was omitted from this printing, but the annotation below is an accurate enough (if not very poetic) translation.

ANNOT.

The sense of this is, that the lower Lorrain and Germany being united together, shall have War with the other three Nations, of Picards, Normans, and Manceaux, which having Besieged a Town, shall constrain the Lorrainers and Low-germans, to unite themselves with the Cantons of Switzerland.

LII.

ANNOT.

There is fault in the Impression, for instead of Laye it must be Lis, which is a River that runneth through Flanders, and dischargeth it self into the Scelde, which is the River that passeth at Antwerp, the sense therefore of this Prophecy is, that in the place where the River of Lis joyneth with the Scelde, there shall the Nuptials be consummated that were long a doing, and the place of Antwerp, where they unload the Wines, there shall a young unspotted Lady Marry, and comfort an old man.

LIII.

ANNOT.

This Prophecy is concerning the Turkish Empire, where three of the great Turks Concubines, which in Latine are called Pellices, shall make War one against another, the great Turk himself favouring neither party.

LIV.

ANNOT.

This is concerning some Lady of quality, born of a Concubine, who shall be set up by reason of some sad news that shall be brought, and afterwards shall be taken Prisoner, and carryed to Malines and Bruxelles, two Cities of the Low-Countreys.

LV.

ANNOT.

If by Phybe we understand the Admiral of Chastillon, and by Nore, Queen Margaret of Valois, the rest will be easie. For in the year 1572. a Match was made between Henry the IV. then King of Navarre, chief of the Protestant party, and Margaret of Valois, Sister to Charles the IX. to this Wedding were the chief of the Protestant party invited, who were there Massacred, and among the rest Gaspard of Coligny, Lord of Chastillon, and Admiral of France, whom he calleth here Phybe. And when he saith, that Husband and Mother shall scorn Nore, he sheweth the slight Opinion and regard that the Queen Mother had for her Daughter, and Henry the IV. for his Wife, whom he after repudiated.

LVI.

ANNOT.

A Prelate, is a man of eminent dignity in the Church, the Royal prelate must be a Churchman of the Royal Blood, who bowing himself too much, shall fall into an Hæmorhagie or Flux of Blood at his Mouth. The third Verse signifieth, that the Kingdom of England shall be relieved from some distress by another Kingdom or Prince that had been a Slave a great while at Tunis, and lyen there, dead alive like a Log of Wood.

LVII.

ANNOT.

This is concerning a great Tyrant, who being exalted to the dignity of a King, shall not know how to govern; but shall slight and put to shame the Children of the greatest Nobility, and shall banish their Wives out of the Land; this hath a relation to the late Tyrant Cromwell.

LVIII.

ANNOT.

You must observe here, that by Æmathien the Author meaneth the King of France, as he doth in many other places; and by Selin, he meaneth the great Turk, because such was the name of him that lived in his time, this being presupposed the meaning of this is, that the great Turk shall fight against the King of France, and shall attempt Phocens, which is Marseilles, as being a Colony of the old Phocenses in Græcia, which shall cause all France to quake, and the Ship to be in danger, which is Paris, who beareth a Ship for its Arms.

LIX.

ANNOT.

The Marshal of St. André, Governour of Lyon being absent, the Protestants undertook the taking of it, at the solicitation of some principal Lords at Court, among whom were named the Prince of Condé, and the Vidame of Chartres, Francis of Vendosme, Knight of the Order. The Abbot of Savigny, who did supply the place of the Governour, and was named Antony of Albon, since that Archbishop of Arles, having discovered this Conspiracy, went to surprise the undertakers, but as he was going upon the night of the 5 of September, he met with some of the confederates upon the Bridge of Saone, which made him retreat with some loss.

The next day having gathered more Forces, he took three of them that were strangers and young, the rest escaping, those three were hanged the next Saturday, which was the 7 of that Month.

The Marshal being come to Town, there was Execution made upon some of the Inhabitants, to the number of 4 that were hanged.

After that there were informations made concerning the Authors and Abettors of the said conspiracy, and many other Citizens and strangers were put to Prison, and besides them the Vidame of Chartres, who was carryed to Paris, and put into the Bastille, and after that in the Tournelles, where he died before his process was ended, the 23 December 1560.

It is what our Author saith in this stanza; in the first Verse he saith, that there were five and twenty of a breadth, of whose five and twenty there was five Citizens of the Town, and the rest were Germans, Bressans and Italians, of these Citizens 4 were hanged, and three of the strangers.

Those 25 undertakers, of which the Author saith, that under Noblemen they shall conduct a long Train; that is, that under the support and favour of many Noblemen, they would undertake a thing that should not end so soon as it proved afterwards; for although this enterprise did fail, yet was the beginning of horrid combustions that followed afterwards.

This enterprise it seemeth was discovered by barking of Mastiffs.

The Apology for the City of Lyon treateth at large of this, and nameth all those conspirators, who for the most part were of Germany and Geneva.

LX.

ANNOT.

All these Cities are situated by the Mediterranean Sea, and most of them upon that part of it, which is called the River of Genoa, and are threatned here by all the plagues above mentioned; as for the word nolte it is a barbarous one, forced here to make up the Rime in French.

LXI.

ANNOT.

It seemeth that there will be a conspiracy of some men out of all the above mentioned Cities, to surrender Hungary (which in Latine is called Pannonia) to the great Turk, but that conspiracy shall be discovered by a Matron, that is, a grave ancient Woman.

LXII.

ANNOT.

This seemeth to have a relation to the precedent, and that near that place he calleth Sorbin, preparations shall be made to Invade Hungary, but they shall have notice of it by some body of Buda.

He that is called here Chief Bizantin, is the great Turk or his grand Vizir, who hath his abode in Constantinople, anciently called Bizantium.

LXIII.