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 is a Prophecie of a Tragical Nuptial, where all the Maids shall be drowned with their Cloaths in a Well, insomuch that none shall survive, and the Bride shall be poisoned, and die by Aconite, which is one of the most poisonous herbs that is, witness Juvinal: Lurida terribiles miscent asonita novercæ.

LXXII.

ANNOT.

By the Artomiques he meaneth the Protestants; because they take the Communion with leavened Bread, which in Greek is called Artos.

Agen, Lectoure, saint Fœlix, Bazas, Condon and Marzan, are Cities of Gascony. The rest is plain.

LXXIII.

ANNOT.

To understand the whole sense of this, we must first know what is meant by the particular terms.

The great Nephew is the Brother or Sisters son of some great person, who by force shall discover the Treason or Cowardise, committed by some pusillanimous or fearful man.

Ferrara and Ast are two towns in Italy, shall make tryal of a Duke, by being either taken or assaulted.

When the Pantomime shall be in the evening; that is, when the Comedy shall be acted; for Pantomime in Greek signifieth a Comedian.

LXXIV.

ANNOT.

Lake Leman, is the Lake of Geneva. The Brannonices are those of Sens, so called; because they took Rome under the Conduct of their Captain Brennus, and afterwards built Brenona, a Town belonging since to the Venetians, who calls it Verona.

Aquitania is that Province of France, called now Gascony. Maine is a Province in France. The rest needeth no explication.

LXXV.

ANNOT.

There is nothing difficult here, but what he meaneth by the white Terretory, whether it be positive, or Allegorical, I leave the judgement of it to the Reader.

LXXVI.

ANNOT.

Nictobriges in Greek signifieth a people living in a dark and moist Countrey. Perigort and Bigorre are two Towns in France. The rest is plain.

LXXVII.

ANNOT.

Selyn is the name of a Turkish Emperour, the meaning therefore of this, is, that under the Reign of one Selyn a Turkish Emperour, Italy shall be in peace, and all the Christian Princes united.

LXXVIII.

ANNOT.

Parma is a City in Italy. The rest is plain.

LXXIX.

ANNOT.

Monheurt, Marsan, Aiguillon, are Towns in Gascony.

Landes is a desert Countrey, wherein nothing groweth but Pine-trees, Bourdelois are those of Bourdeaux.

Navarre is a Kingdom, and Begorre a Province joyning to those Landes, or Pine-trees Countrey.

LXXX.

ANNOT.

This Prophecy was fulfilled, when Rome was taken and sacked by Charles Duke of Bourbon, and Philibert of Chalon Prince of Orenge, Generals of the Emperour Charles the V. with such cruelties, as never was committed by the bloody Goths and Vandales, and to shew that the Author intended Rome, is apparant by two instances. The first is by the great River, which is the Tyber, which though not very great in its Channel and depth, yet is very great, yea, the greatest in Europe by its fame. The other is the word Colisée, which is that famous Arch of Traian in Rome, remaining yet to this day.

LXXXI.

ANNOT.

This is concerning the Siege of Antwerp by the Prince of Parma, Governour of the Low-Countreys for the King of Spain, who having besieged, caused a Bridge of Boats to be made upon the River Scheld, to hinder the succours of the Hollanders, who by that means were constrained to surrender it.

LXXXII.

ANNOT.

That great troop from Sclavonia shall be the Venetians, because they possess most part of that Countrey. The old Olestant is their Duke, because he is not chosen unless he be very old, by Romania is understood what the Venetians possess in that Countrey.

LXXXIII.

ANNOT.

This needeth no interpretation.

LXXXIV.

ANNOT.

Auxerre is a City of France, distant from Paris 40. leagues to the Southward.

LXXXV.

ANNOT.

The first Verse is altogether Allegorical and Metaphorical, therefore I leave it to the judgement of every Reader. I shall only deliver my opinion upon the whole: I take it to be some white Prince, that shall be overcome by a black one, put in a Dungcart, after that, tied upon a black Camel, and then the younger son of that black Prince shall give the prisonner a little more liberty.

LXXXVI.

ANNOT.

This Prophecy is remarkable for the things that it foretelleth, viz. that in the year that Saturn shall be in conjunction with Sol in the Sign of Aquarius, a King of France shall be annointed both at Rhemes and Aix, for Rhemes is a City in France, where the Kings use to be Annointed and Crowned, and Aix is another in Germany, where the Emperours use to be so. But the last Verse is ominous, where he saith, that after his Conquests he shall murder innocent persons.

LXXXVII.

ANNOT.

One King shall have two Sons, the eldest shall succeed him in the Kingdom, the youngest having been well brought up and educated, shall raise troubles, against the King his Brother; but he shall be destroyed by the means of his own Father in Law.

LXXXVIII.

ANNOT.

Phtyriasis in Greek is the disease called by the Latines Morbus pedicularis, when one is devoured by Lice, as were Herodes, Sylla, Pherecydes, and Philip II. King of Spain, &c.

As for Port d’Esleu, the question is, whether it be the proper name of a place, or the name of a man, that shall throw another in the water.

LXXXIX.

ANNOT.

Here may be alleadged that passage of Scripture, There is nothing so secret but shall be revealed; for here is plainly told the number of those wicked persons, who conspired against their lawful Sovereign King Charles I. of blessed memory, as also the place where the Plot was first laid; for it is well known that they used to assemble at the Bear at the Bridge foot.

XC.

ANNOT.

Milan is a City in Italy, and Thesin is the River that passeth by it.

XCI.

ANNOT.

To understand this Stanza, we must suppose four Histories, Paradin relateth the first, which is, that the French and Spanish Armies having their Winter quarters in the Dukedome of Milan, Anno 1555.

The Marquess of Pescaire, sent word to the Duke of Nemours, by a French Gentleman, that he and three more desired to break a Lance with him upon the borders of Ast.

The Duke accepted the challenge, without giving notice to the Marquess of Brissac, then General of the French Army, who was very angry at it, nevertheless he advised the Duke to go, but not with a Guilt and light Armour, but with a wrong one, such as became a Cavaliero, which he did not do, nor the other three that went with him: whence it came, that the Lord Classe a French man, running against Malespine, was wounded to death in the shoulder; nevertheless one of the seconds to the Duke of Nemours, the Lord Moncha killed upon the place Carassa, Nephew to pope Marcel II. and the Lord Manoa, one of the Duke of Nemours party, falling from his Horse a little wounded, broke his neck.

As for the Duke of Nemours, he ran twice against the said Marquess, without hitting one another, but at the third time they both brake their Lances, without doing any harm. Thus, the French Duke was compelled to fight a Duel.

We have the second History from Turpin, and many others, which is, that the Marquess of Masseran, having put himself into the King of France’s service, in hopes to have the Government of Bielais; and proving a Traitor, the Marshal of Brissac, who had discovered his perfidiousness, resolved to take him in his house of Gaillany, which he had fortified to secure his retreat after his Treason.

The Lord de Termes was commanded to do it, which he did so dexterously, that he took him into his house after dinner, and then compelled him presently to surrender the Castle of Jamaglia, the Marquess obeying, sent thither presently his son Claudius, to put it into the hands of the Lords de la Mante, and of Villars.

These two viewing the Castle, to observe the places that might be fortified, and going from room to room, heard a lamentable voice, crying. Have mercy upon me. They caused presently the Prison doors to be opened, and found a poor Gentleman of Vercelle, whom the Marquess had detained there 18 years, for endeavouring to serve an execution against him, in the Duke of Savoy’s behalf.

And it is remarkable that his Imprisonment was all this while concealed, so that no body ever heard of it, in so much that his friends suspecting he had been killed by one of his enemies, they prosecuted him so hard, that after much tortering, he confessed what he had not done, and was consequently put to death in the presence of the said Marquess of Masseran, who knew the Countrey. Thus we see one wrongfully accused that was executed, and this Gentlemans Imprisonment, which was to be perpetual.

After this, they carryed the poor Gentleman almost all naked, and being nothing but skin and bones, to the Lord of Termes, who caused him to be clothed, and gave him Money to go back to his friends.

The third History is, that the Duke of Nemours Son was one of the chief ring-leaders of the League against Henry IV. and did what he could before he dyed to get the Kingdom of France, endeavouring first to make himself Sovereign Prince of Lion, Forrest, and Beaucolois.

The fourth History is, that at the latter end of the year 1555. the Lord la Mole carrying to Rome the Cardinals of Tournon and Lorrain, went directly to the Island of Corsica, whence he drew some Forces, which he joyned to his, and to those of Monluc, and would not Land at Monaco for some reasons, but went directly to Civita Vecchia. By this we understand that Verse of the Stanza. The Ship of the Mole shall not come near Monaco.

XCII.

ANNOT.

These words are plain enough, though no body can tell whether the thing is past already, or shall come to pass hereafter.

XCIII.

ANNOT.

This seemeth to be an allusion to the Birth of Alexander the great; for it is said, that when his mother Olympia proved with Child of him, there was seen in her Bed, and about her Bed a great Serpent, which was the presage of his future greatness: therefore our Author also will have, that when such a Prodigie shall appear in France, that then shall be born such a Prince as he mentioneth here: the circumstances are, that this Serpent shall be seen by a Lady in the night time, and that the Dogs of the house shall not bark at him.

XCIV.

ANNOT.

The two first Verses are easily understood by those that know the Pyrenean Mountains, to be those that part Spain from France. The two last Verses signifie there shall be bloody Wars in those places; the Rhosne is a swift River of France, that passeth through the City of Lyons; Leman is the Lake of Geneva, and Narbon is a City of Languedock.

XCV.

ANNOT.

This signifies, that a Kingdom shall be left to two, who shall keep it but a little while, about the space before mentioned.

By the two Vestals that shall rebel, are to be understood two Nuns, who having Interest in the state by their nearness of blood, shall challenge a title in the Kingdom. The last Verse signifies, that the youngest that contended for the Kingdom, shall overcome the eldest, in the Province of Gascony.

XCVI.

ANNOT.

This signifies, that the Princess born so long after her Brother, shall be married to a King of France, which is understood here by the Kingdom of Libra; therefore the last King Lewis the XIII. was called the Just, because born under the Sign of Libra.

XCVII.

ANNOT.

This signifies the late change of state in Portugal, when they threw off the Spanish yoke, and chose a King amongst themselves, John the IV. Duke of Branganza, Father to the present Queen of England; for by the Lusitanians are meant the Portugals, so called from their Countreys name Lusitania; Pactoles is the River that runs by Lisbonne, otherwise called Tagus, in Greek χροσοροος from the Sands.

XCVIII.

ANNOT.

The meaning is, that when the people of Albania lying between the Venetian Territories, and Grecia, shall come to Rome, by the means of a Bishop of Langres, who is a Duke and Peer of France; being covered with half Helmets, a kind of a Cap that they wear in War; then shall be fire, blood, small Pox, and want of Corn.

XCIX.

ANNOT.

This is scarce to be understood of any body, but the present King of France Lewis the XIV. who was the elder son, and born of Queen Ann, Daughter to the King of Spain, who by his valour and fortune made last year such progress in the Conquest of Flanders, that it hath caused admiration in every body; insomuch that is he do the like this year, it may be probably suspected, he will afterwards go deep into Spain according to the contents of this Prophecy.

C.

ANNOT.

The meaning is, that when Mars is Ecclipsed, the Lightning shall fall on some of the King of Frances Palaces, then shall be a great War, for the space of seven Months, and many shall die by witchcraft; and Rouen the chief City of Normandy, and Eureux another of the same province, shall stick fast to the Kings Interest.