CENTURY VI.
I.
French.
Autour des Monts Pyrenees grand amas,
De gent estrange secourir Roy nouveau,
Pres de Garonne du grand Temple du Mas,
Un Romain Chef le craindra dedans l’Eau.
English.
About the Pyrenean Mountains there shall be a great gathering
Of strange Nations to succour a new King;
Near Garonne and the great Temple of Mas,
A Roman Captain shall fear him in the Water.
ANNOT.
The Pyrenean Mountains are those that part Spain from France; Garonne is the
River that runneth at Bourdeaux, it seemeth then, that upon that River a Roman
Captain shall stand in much fear of the new King before mentioned.
II.
French.
En la cinq cens octante plus & moins,
On attendra le siecle bien estrange,
En l’an sept cens & trois (cieux en tesmoins),
Regnes plusieurs un a cinq feront change.
English.
In the year five hundred fourscore more or less,
There shall be a strange Age,
In the year seven hundred and three (witness Heaven),
Many Kingdoms, one to five shall be changed.
ANNOT.
What strange age it was in the year 1580. every one may satisfie himself by History.
As for the year 1703. our Author saith there will be great wonders, chiefly
there shall many changes be in Kingdoms, insomuch, that one shall be divided into
five.
III.
French.
Fleuve qu’esproune le nouveau nay Celtique,
Sera en grande de l’Empire discorde:
Le jeune Prince par gent Ecclesiastique,
Le Sceptre osté Corone de concorde.
English.
The River that makes tryal of the new born Celtick,
Shall be at great variance with the Empire,
The young Prince shall be an Ecclesiastical person,
And have his Scepter taken off, and the Crown of concord.
ANNOT.
This River is the River of Rhyne, because the ancient French when they had a
King newly born, they used to put him upon a Target, to make him swim upon that
River, to try whether by his swimming he was lawfully begotten or no; the meaning
therefore is, that this new born Celtique or French King shall be at variance with the
Empire, and that in his young years the Clergy shall take his Scepter and Crown
from him.
IV.
French.
Fleuve Celtique changera de Rivage,
Plus ne tiendra la Cité d’Agripine,
Tout transmué horsmis le viel Language,
Saturn, Leo, Mars, Cancer en rapine.
English.
The River of the Low-Countreys shall change her Shoare,
It shall touch no more the City of Agrippina,
All shall be transformed, except the old Language,
Saturn, Leo, Mars, Cancer in Rapine.
ANNOT.
This is a strange prediction, if it should prove true, that the Rhine should change
its course, and should touch no more the City of Colen, which is here called
Agrippina; because its name in Latine is Colonia Agrippina, being a Colony of the
Romans, built by M. Agrippa, son in Law to Augustus; others say by Agrippina,
Mother to the Emperour Nero.
The last Verse signifieth no more than an unfortunate position and Aspect of
the two Planets, Saturn and Mars, and of the two Signs, Leo and
Cancer.
V.
French.
Si grand famine par une pestifere,
Par pluye longue le long du Pole Artique.
Samarobryn cent lieux de l’Hemisphere,
Vivront sans loy exempt de politique.
English.
So great a famine with a plague,
Through a long Rain shall come along the Artick Pole,
Samarobryn a hundred Leagues from the Hemisphere,
Shall live without Law, exempt from pollicy.
ANNOT.
The two last Verses foretel a great Plague and Famine that shall come from the
North, by the means of the long Rain.
Samarobryn he calls a people, that shall be a hundred Leagues from our Hemisphere,
and shall live without Law and Policy.
VI.
French.
Apparoistra vers le septentrion,
Non loing de Cancer l’estoille cheveluë,
Suze, Sienne, Boëce, Eretrion,
Mourra de Rome grand, la nuict disperuë.
English.
Towards the North shall appear,
Not far from Cancer a blazing Star,
Suza, Sienna, Boëce, Eretrion,
There shall die at Rome a great man, the night being past.
ANNOT.
Here he foretelleth the apparition of a Commet that shall be vertical to the Cities
here named, and not far from the Sign of Cancer, at which time a great person
shall die at Rome, about the dawning of the day.
VII.
French.
Norvege & Dace, & l’Isle Britannique,
Par les unes freres seront vexées,
Le chef Romain issu du sang Gallique,
Et les copies aux forests repousées.
English.
Norvegia, and Dacia, and the Brittish Island,
Shall be vexed by the Brothers united.
The Roman Captain issued from French blood,
His Forces shall be beaten back to the Forrest.
ANNOT.
The difficulty lyes in the word Brothers, which I suppose to be the United Provinces.
The rest is plain.
VIII.
French.
Ceux qui estoient en regne pour scavoir,
Au Royal change deviendront a pauvris,
Uns exilez sans appuy, Or navoir,
Lettréz & lettres ne seront a grand pris.
English.
Those that were in esteem for their learning,
Upon the change of a King shall become poor,
Some banished, without help, having no Gold,
Learned and learning shall not be much valued.
ANNOT.
This Prophecie is clear enough, and here the Author hath said nothing, but what
doth commonly happen.
IX.
French.
Aux Temples Saints seront faits grands scandales,
Comptez seront peur honneurs & louanges,
D’un que l’on grave d’Argent, d’Or les Medals,
La fin sera en tourmens bien estranges.
English.
To the holy Temples shall be done great scandals,
That shall be accounted for honours and praises,
By one, whose medals are graven in Gold and Silver,
The end of it shall be in very strange torments.
ANNOT.
Here the Reader must understand that the Author was a Roman Catholick, and
therefore calleth Holy Temples, the Churches of the Romish Religion, which in the
beginning of the Civil Wars in France, were much abased by those of the Protestant
Religion, then called Huguenots, whose chief was Henry King of Navarre, who was
the only man amongst the Protestant party, that could have Money and Medals
coined to his stamp, as being King of Navarre. But the last Verse of this Prophecie
proved too true, when upon St. Bartholomews day, the 24 of August, in the year
1572. the general Massacre of the Protestants was made through France.
X.
French.
Un peu du temps les Temples des Couleurs,
De blanc & noir des deux entremislée,
Rouges & jaunes leur embleront les leurs,
Sang, terre, peste, faim, feu, eau affollée.
English.
Within a little while the Temples of the Colours,
White and Black shall be intermixt,
Red and Yellow shall take away their Colours,
Blood, earth, plague, famine, fire, water shall destroy them.
ANNOT.
By the Temples of the Colours White and Black, I suppose he means that of
Peace, and of War; by the Red and Yellow, may be meant the Empire
of the Sweads, who shall be at variance together; and by their long War shall
bring the Plagues here mentioned, as it came to pass in the Wars of Germany, between
the Emperour and Gustavus Adolphus, King of the Sweads.
XI.
French.
Les sept rameaux a trois seront reduits,
Les plus aisnez seront surprins par morts,
Fratricider les deux seront seduits,
Les Conjures en dormant seront morts.
English.
The seven branches shall be reduced to three,
The eldest shall be surprised by death,
Two shall be said to kill their Brothers,
The Conspirators shall be killed, being asleep.
ANNOT.
It is apparent, that he speaks of seven Brethren, that shall be reduced to three,
whereof the eldest son shall be surprised by death, and two of the rest shall be said
to have murdered their Brother, the Conspirators shall afterwards be killed in their
sleep.
XII.
French.
Dresser Copie pour monter a l’Empire,
Du Vatican le sang Royal tiendra,
Flamens, Anglois, Espagne aspire,
Contre l’Italie & France contendra.
English.
To raise an Army, for to ascend unto the Empire,
Of the Vatican, the Royal blood shall endeavour,
Flemings, English, Spain shall aspire,
And shall contend against Italy and France.
ANNOT.
This prediction signifies no more, but that there shall be a great commotion
among the Nations, of Europe, concerning the election of a Pope, which is called
here the Empire of the Vatican; because the Vatican is the Popes Palace in
Rome.
XIII.
French.
Un dubieux ne viendra loing du regne,
La plus grand part le voudra soustenir,
Un Capitole ne voudra point quil regne,
Sa grande Chaire ne pourra maintenir.
English.
A doubtful man shall not come far from the Reign,
The greatest part will uphold him,
A Capitol will not consent that he should Reign,
His great Chair he shall not be able to maintain.
ANNOT.
What should that doubtful man be, whom our Author doth mention here, is not
easie to be understood; but it seemeth that it shall be some body pretending to
the Popedom, who shall have a great party for himself, and yet for all that shall be
excluded, and not able to keep his Seat; so that this Prophecie is but the second part
of the foregoing; for they have both a relation together. The Capitol anciently
was the Citadel of Rome, and now is the place where the Courts of Judicature meet,
called Campidoglio.
XIV.
French.
Loing de sa Terre Roy perdra la Bataille,
Prompt, eschapé poursuivy, suivant pris,
Ignare pris soubs la dorée maille,
Soubs feint habit, & l’Ennemy surpris.
English.
Far from his Countrey the King shall loose a Battle,
Nimble, escaped, followed, following, taken,
Ignorantly taken under the gilded Coat of Mail,
Under a feigned habit the enemy taken.
ANNOT.
This Prophecy was fulfilled in the year 1578. when Don Sebastian King of Portugal,
went into Affrica, to help and succour Muley Hamet, against Muley Maluc, that
had expelled him out of the Kingdom of Fez and Morocco, and there fought that famous
Battle of Alcasserquibir, wherein his whole Army was routed, and himself slain
by the Moores, and his body afterwards sold to the King of Spain for a 100000.
Crowns.
XV.
French.
Dessous la Tombe sera trouvé le Prince,
Qu’aura le pris par dessus Nuremberg:
L’Espagnol Roy en Capricorne mince,
Feinct & trahy par le grand Vutitemberg.
English.
Under the Tomb shall be found the Prince,
That shall have a price above Nuremberg,
That Spanish King in Capricorn shall be thine,
Deceived and betrayed by the great Vutitemberg.
ANNOT.
We hear of no Prince that had that advantage upon Nuremberg, but only Gustavus
Adolphus King of Sweden, who took it. The last two Verses signifie no more,
then that the King of Spain shall be wasted at the time when the Sun is in Capricorn.
XVI.
French.
Ce que ravy sera du jeune Milve,
Par les Normans de France & Picardy,
Les noirs du Temple du lieu de Negrisilve,
Feront aux Berge & feu de Lombardie.
English.
That which shall be taken from the young Kite,
By the Normans of France and Picardie,
The black ones of the Temple of the place called black Forrest.
Shall make a Rendezvouz, and a fire in Lombardie.
ANNOT.
The meaning is, that what the Normans and those of Picardie shall save from the
hand of a young conquering Prince, the same shall be imployed in building a Temple
in the black Forrest, which is that part of the Forrest of Arden, that lies near Bohemia,
and another part of it to build a House in Lombardie.
XVII.
French.
Apres les livres bruslez les Asiniers,
Contraints seront changer d’habits divers:
Les Saturnins bruslez par les meusniers,
Hors la pluspart qui ne sera convers.
English.
After the Books shall be burnt, the Asses,
Shall be compelled several times to change their Cloaths,
The Saturnins shall be burnt by the Millers,
Except the greater part, that shall not be discovered.
ANNOT.
This seems to foretell a persecution of ignorant men against the learned, after
which shall happen a confusion amongst the ignorant persons, who shall be forced to
disguise themselves.
The last two Verses seem to be of the same sense, for by the Saturnins I understand
studious people, and by the Millers rude and unlearned persons.
XVIII.
French.
Par les Physiques le grand Roy delaissé,
Par sort non art de l’Ebrieu est en vie,
Luy & son Genre au Regne hault pousé,
Grace donnée a gent qui Christ envie.
English.
The great King being forsaken by Physicians,
Shall be kept alive by the Magick and not by the art of a Jew,
He, and his kindred shall be set at the top of the Kingdom,
Grace shall be given to a Nation that envieth Christ.
ANNOT.
This in plain words signifieth no more, but that a King shall be desparately sick
and forsaken by his Physicians, and shall recover by the help of a Jew, for which fact
those of that Nation shall be reestablished in his Countrey.
XIX.
French.
La vraye flamme engloutira la Dame,
Que voudra mettre les Innocens a feu,
Pres de l’aussaut l’exercite s’enflamme,
Quand dans Seville monstre en Bœuf sera veu.
English.
The true flame shall swallow up the Lady,
That went about to burn the guiltless,
Before the Assault the Army shall be incouraged,
When in Seville, a Monster like an Ox shall be seen.
ANNOT.
Seville is the chiefest City of Andalusia a Province in Spain; the rest is plain.
XXI.
French.
L’Union feinte sera peu de durée,
Les uns changes reformez la plus part:
Dans les Vaisseaux sera gent endurée,
Lors aura Rome un nouveau Leopart.
English.
The feigned union shall not last long,
Some shall be changed, others for the most part reformed,
In the Ships people shall be pen’d up,
Then shall Rome have a new Leopard.
ANNOT.
When the things contained in the three first Verses shall come to pass, then Rome
shall have a new Pope, expressed here by the word Leopard from the variousness,
that is, in his Pontifical Garments.
XXI.
French.
Quand ceux du Pole Artique unis ensemble,
En Orient grand effrayeur & crainte,
Esleu nouveau soustenu le grand tremble,
Rodes, Bisance de sang Barbare taincte.
English.
When those of the Artick Pole shall be united together,
There shall be in the East a great fear and trembling,
One shall be newly Elected, that shall bear the brunt,
Rodes, Bisance, shall be dy’d with Barbarian blood.
ANNOT.
This foretelleth an union between the Europeans, or Nations of the North against
the Eastern people, or Turks, and that the Christians shall make choice of such a
General, that shall make the East quake, and get such Victories, whereby Rhodes
and Constantinople shall be dyed with Turkish blood.
XXII.
French.
Dedans la Terre du grand Temple Celique,
Neveu a Londres par paix feinte meurtry,
La Barque alors deviendra Schismatique,
Liberté feinte sera au corne & cry.
English.
Within the ground of the great Cœlestial Temple,
A Nephew at London by a fained peace shall be murdered,
The Boat at that time shall become Schismatical,
A fained liberty shall be with Hue and Cry.
ANNOT.
I think that by the great Cœlestial Temple, he meaneth that of St. Paul, in which,
or in the ground about it, shall be murdered a Nephew by his Uncle, which shall
cause great divisions and dissensions in the City, compared here to a Boat, and that
a dissembled or fained liberty shall be proclaimed.
XXIII.
French.
Despit de Roy, numismes descriez,
Peuples seront esmeus contre leur Roy,
Paix fait nouveau, Saintes Loix empirées,
Rapis onc fut en si piteux arroy.
English.
The despight of a King, and Coin being brought lower
People shall rise against their King,
Peace newly made, Holy Laws being made worse,
Rapis was never in such a great disorder.
ANNOT.
The first thing here to be observed, is the word Rapis, which is the Anagramme of
Paris, which he saith was never in such a trouble before, as it shall be when the
people shall rebel against the King for hatred, and because he shall have put low the
price and intrinsical value of Coin and Money; he foretelleth also that there shall be
a new Peace made, and that the Holy Laws shall be much impaired.
XXIV.
French.
Mars & le Sceptre se trouvera conjoint,
Dessoubs Cancer calamiteuse guerre,
Un peu apres sera nouveau Roy oingt.
Qui par long temps pacifiera la Terre.
English.
Mars and the Scepter, being conjoyned together,
Under Cancer shall be a calamitous War,
A little while after a new King shall be anointed,
Who for a long time shall pacifie the Earth.
ANNOT.
The meaning of this is, that when the Planet of Mars shall be in conjunction with
the constellation he calleth here the Scepter, that then shall be a very calamitous War.
The two last Verses are plain enough of themselves.
XXV.
French.
Par Mars contraire sera la Monarchie,
Du grand Pescheur en trouble ruineux,
Jeune, noir, rouge prendra la Hierarchie,
Les proditeurs iront jour bruineux.
English.
By Mars contrary shall the Monarchy
Of the great Fisherman, be brought into ruinous trouble,
A young, black, red shall possess himself of the Hierarchy,
The Traitors shall undertake it on a misty day.
ANNOT.
This Prophecie is concerning a certain Pope, signified here by the word of great
Fisherman; because in his Seal is graven a Fisherman, and therefore in all his Bulls
and Expeditions, it is always written, Datum Romæ sub sigillo piscatoris: this Pope then
it seemeth, shall be brought to ruine, and another it seemeth shall succeed him, having
here three Epithetes, viz. Young, Black, and Red, which signifieth, that against the
common election of Popes, he shall be elected young, and shall be Black in
his complexion, and Red in Cloaths, viz. a Cardinal. Hierarchy is a Greek word,
signifying Dominion over the Church. The last Verse needeth no explication, being
plain enough of it self.
XXVI.
French.
Quattre ans le siege quelque peu bien tiendra,
Un surviendra libidineux de vie,
Ravenna, & Pise, Verone soustiendront,
Pour eslever la Croix de Pape envie.
English.
Four years he shall keep the Papal seat pretty well,
Then shall succeed one of a libidinous life,
Ravenna, Pisa, shall take Verona’s part,
To raise up the Popes Cross to Life.
ANNOT.
This Prediction seemeth to have not only a relation to the foregoing, but also a
connexion; for the Author still handleth the matter of the Popedome, and saith,
that after that Pope shall have Reigned four years, there shall succeed one that shall
be notorious for debauchedness and lechery, and that those Towns he mentioneth
here (which are all in Italy) shall take the Popes part.
XXVII.
French.
Dedans les Isles de cinq fleuves a un,
Par le croissant du grand Chyren Selin,
Par les bruynes de l’air fureur de l’un,
Six eschapez, chachez fardeaux de lin.
English.
In the Islands from five Rivers to one,
By the increase of great Chyren Selin,
By the Frost of the Air one shall under furious,
Six shall escape, hidden within bundles of Flax.
ANNOT.
Chyren by transposition is taken for Henry, and Selin for a King called so; because
it is the name of a Turkish Emperour: So that by this Stanza I suppose he means
Henry II. his Master, King of France. The rest is plain.
XXVIII.
French.
Le grand Celtique entrera dedans Rome,
Menant amas d’exilez & bannis,
Le grand Pasteur mettra a mort tout homme,
Qui pour le Coq estoient aux Alpes unis.
English.
The great Celtique shall enter into Rome,
Leading with him a great number of banished men,
The great Shepheard shall put to death every man,
That was united for the Cock near the Alpes.
ANNOT.
Because this word Celtique is often repeated in this Book, it would not be amiss
to satisfie the Reader of the meaning of it; it is properly the Nation of the Flemings,
and some others of the Low-Countreys as far as the Mase and the Rhyne, which
anciently were called Galli Celtæ. By the great Shepheard, is meant the Pope, and
by the Cock is meant the French Nation. The rest is easie.
XXIX.
French.
La Veufve Sainte entendant les nouvelles,
De ses rameaux mis en perplex & trouble,
Qui sera duit appaiser les querelles,
Par son pourchas des Razes sera comble.
English.
The holy Widow hearing the News
Of her Branches put in perplexity or trouble,
That shall be skilfull in appeasing of quarrels,
By his purchase shall make a heap of shaven heads.
ANNOT.
By the holy Widow, is meant the City of Rome, which is called in Italian, Roma la
santa, because of the blood of so many Martyrs that hath been shed there, for the
maintenance of the Christian Religion, he calleth it a Widow; because at that time
there will be no Pope elected, and there shall be a kind of interregnum, as it always
happens when a Pope is dead, until the new one be elected. What he calleth here
Branches, are the Clergy men, and the shaven heads the Priests.
XXX.
French.
Par l’apparence de feinte Saincteté,
Sera trahy aux ennemis le siege,
Nuit qu’on croioid dormir en seureté,
Pres de Brabant marcheront ceux de Liege.
English.
By the appearance of a feigned holiness,
The siege shall be betrayed to the enemies,
In a night that every one thought to be secure,
Near Brabant shall march those of Liege.
ANNOT.
Brabant is one of the seventeen Provinces, and Liege is a great City upon the
River of Maze. The rest is not difficult.
XXXI.
French.
Roy trouvera ce quil desiroit tant,
Quand le Prelat sera repris a tort,
Response au Duc le rendra mal content,
Qui dans Milan mettra plusieurs a mort.
English.
A King shall find what he so much longed for,
When a Prelate shall be censured wrongfully,
An answer to the Duke will make him discontented,
Who in Milan shall put many to death.
ANNOT.
This Prophecie is too indefinite, to admit of a particular sense; for there be so
many Prelates, so many Kings, so many Dukes, that it is not easie to fix upon any
particular one, and therefore we must leave this Stanza in Democritus’s Well.
XXXII.
French.
Par trahison de verges a mort battu,
Puis surmonté sera par son desordre,
Conseil frivole au grand captif sentu,
Nez par fureur quand Berich viendra mordre.
English.
By Treason one shall be beaten with rods to death,
Then the Traitor shall be overcome by his disorder,
The great Prisoner shall try a frivilous Counsel,
When Berich shall bite anothers nose through anger.
ANNOT.
The words are so plain, that every one may make his own interpretation of
them.
XXXIII.
French.
Sa main derniere par Alus sanguinaire,
Ne le pourra par la Mer garentir,
Entre deux fleuves craindra main militaire,
Le noir l’Ireux le fera repentir.
English.
His last hand bloody through Alus,
Shall not save him by Sea,
Between two Rivers he shall fear the military hand,
The black and Cholerick one shall make him repent.
ANNOT.
This seemeth to be concerning a bloody man, that had killed one Alus, and
sought to save himself by Sea; but was taken between two Rivers, and put to death
by the command of one that was a black and Cholerick man.
XXXIV.
French.
De feu volant la machination,
Viendra troubler le Chef des Assiegez,
Dedans sera telle sedition,
Qu’en desespoir seront les profligez.
English.
The device of flying fire
Shall trouble so much the Captain of the Besieged,
And within shall be such mutiny,
That the Besieged shall be in despair.
ANNOT.
It is a Fort or Town besieged by an Enemy, who shall torment the besieged so
much with Bombs and Granadoes, and other flying fire, that they shall despair to
escape.
XXXV.
French.
Pres de Rion & proche Blanchelaine,
Aries, Taurus, Cancer, Leo, La Vierge,
Mars, Jupiter, le Sol ardra grand plaine,
Bois & Citez, Lettres cachez au Cierge.
English.
Near Rion going to Blanchelaine,
Aries, Taurus, Cancer, Leo, Virgo,
Mars, Jupiter, Sol shall burn a great Plain,
Woods and Cities, Letters hidden in a wax Candle.
ANNOT.
The meaning of it is, that when by the virtues and meetings of the said Constellations,
a great plain shall be burnt by Rion (which is a City in Auvergne) that
then Letters shall be found hidden in a wax Candle.
XXXVI.
French.
Ne bien ne mal par bataille terrestre,
Ne parviendra au confins de perouse,
Rebeller pise, Florence voir mal estre,
Roy nuit blessé sur mulet a noire house.
English.
Neither good nor evil by a Land-fight,
Shall reach to the Borders of Perusa,
Pisa shall rebel, Florence shall be in an ill case,
A King being upon his Mule shall be wounded in the night time.
ANNOT.
Perusa, Pisa, and Florence are Cities in Italy; the rest is plain.
XXXVII.
