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.

The Author being a Papist, is probable that in this Prophecy he aimed at Luther, after whose coming the world hath been full of Sects and Schisms.

XLVI.

ANNOT.

Auch, Lectoure and Miranda are three Towns in Guyenna, a Province of France, the chief City whereof is Bourdeaux. The rest is easie.

XLVII.

ANNOT.

The Leman Lake, in Latin Lacus Lemanus, is the Lake of Geneva, therefore it is palpable, that by this Prophecy, the Author aimeth at Calvin, and his Successors, who began the Reformation in that Town. I leave the rest to the Readers Judgement, it is enough I have opened the door.

XLVIII.

ANNOT.

All this signifieth no more, but that the Authors Prophecies extend to the end of the world.

XLIX.

ANNOT.

I desire Posterity to take special notice of this Stanza, that in case it should come to pass, our Author may be admired for the specification of the time, which is so punctually set down, here that it admitteth no ambiguity. The plain meaning is, that the Turks, which he calleth those of the East. By the virtue of the Moon, which is their Ensign and Badge, shall in the year 1700. carry away abundance of people, and shall subdue almost the whole Northern Countrey, which to them is Russia, Poland, Hungary, Sweden, Denemark, &c.

L.

ANNOT.

The meaning is, that at that time, as such conjunction of Planets shall be, which he calleth here Aquatick triplicity, there shall be born upon a Thursday a famous man, such as he describeth here, who shall be a foe and a terrour to the Turks, signified here by the Orients.

LI.

ANNOT.

This signifieth, that when Jupiter and Saturn shall be in conjunction in the head of Aries, that then shall be great commotions in France and Italy.

LII.

ANNOT.

This third position of the Celestial bodies foretelleth the death of the great Turk, who should be murdered in his own Chamber, as happened to Sultan Osman, who was strangled in his Chamber, by the command of Daout Bassa great Vizeir, about the year 1622. vide the Turkish History.

The rest of the Prophecy is concerning a King, who being newly joyned to the Church, (I suppose of Rome) shall bring much mischief to it, and in his time Europe shall be brought very low, and in a manner confined to a corner of the North, which hath relation to the foregoing 49. Stanza, which see in its place.

LIII.

ANNOT.

This is a true Prophecy of the mischiefs that have happened in the World by the finding of the Mines in America; first to the Indians themselves, called here a great People, by the cruelty of the Spaniards, and then to all Christendom besides, by the evils that this Idol Mammon hath brought into it.

LIV.

ANNOT.

This obscure Stanza must be interpreted thus.

Two revolts shall be made by the wicked Link-carrier; that is, Paris which is the Link-carrier of France, and whose example the rest of the Towns follow, shall revolt twice, the first revolt was against Henry III. in the time of the Barricadoes, the second against Henry IV. his successor.

Which shall make a change of the Reign and the Age: This happened when the house of Valois was extinguished, and the house of Bourbon came in, and that is the change of the Reign. The change of the Age, was, because this did happen about the end of the year 1599. and the beginning 1600. which was a change of Age.

The moveable sign offers it self for it: That is, the position of the Heavens was such as to forward these accidents.

To the two equals in ambition: That is, to Henry III. and Henry IV. who both intended, and went about to reduce Paris to obedience.

LV.

ANNOT.

There is nothing difficult here, but what Climat is that is opposite to the Babylonian, of which every body may satisfie himself by perusing the Globe.

LVI.

ANNOT.

I conceive there is some things omitted, and corrupted by the Press in this Stanza, which rendreth it so difficult, therefore I had rather leave it to the decision of the impartial Reader, than venture my opinion upon it.

LVII.

ANNOT.

The words and sence are plain, and I cannot believe that there is any great mystery hidden under these words.

LVIII.

ANNOT.

In the first Verse the Author speaketh of a Monster that had two heads, and four Arms, and the Belly slit, that is to say, it was a female.

His Son Cæsar in his History of Provence, saith, that in the Town of Senan in Provence, a Child was born with two heads, and that it was foretold by some that were skilful in Astronomy, by which words I guess he spake of his Father, sith the Astrologers cannot foretel the birth of a particular Monster, and therefore Nostradamus only was able to do it in those days.

He saith in the same place, that it was born in February 1554. and was brought to Salon to be shewed to his Father, and thence was carried to Claudius Earl of Savoy Governour of Provence, who commonly had his residence at Salon.

He maketh no mention if he had four Arms, nor what Sex it was of, it may be that being in swadling cloths, nobody took notice of the Arms or Sex.

The Author Prophecieth that it should live some years, it may be two or three, and that is was preserved to see, whether in time it should have the use of its Senses, of the Tongue, and understanding of its two Heads, to see whether there were two Souls, or onely one, and to say the Truth. I think that in such an accident both Heads ought to be Baptized, that in case there should be two Souls, both should partake of the blood of Christ, for their Eternal Salvation.

I do not find in the same History how long it lived, it being a thing not much material to History. In the third Verse he marketh, The day that Aquilare shall celebrate his Festivals; and in the fourth he saith that Fossan, Thurin, chief Ferrare shall run away.

To understand this, one must suppose here that the Town of Cazal is called here the chief of Ferrare; because it is the chief City of Montserrat, and as Paradin saith, is called Cazal St. Bas, a handsom and strong place, honoured with many Nobles and antient Families, as of the Earls of St. George and of Biandratte.

Secondly, We must suppose that in the year 1554. the Lord Figuerol, Lieutenant to the Governour of Milan did command in that place. Of this Figuerol I find in the Author of the four Volumes of the States and Empires, (when he speaketh of Spain) that the House of Figueroas was the root of that of Aquilar, which hath several branches, out of which came the Duke of Feria, and the Marquess of Pliego, so that Figuerol and Aquilar is the same thing.

If it be objected that Figueroas and Figuerol are not the same, Paradin teacheth us, that this Figuerol was bred up amongst the Genoeses, and the corrupted Italian of Genoa may have named the Captain Figuerol in stead of Figueroas.

Thirdly, We must suppose here that Cazal was taken in the night that is between Shrove-Tuesday and Ash-Wednesday, and that from Shrove-Sunday to that day there were great rejoycings, because of a famous Marriage that was made between two persons of quality, where the Lord Figuerol was one of the chief persons invited.

Fourthly, That these rejoycings were the occasion of the taking of Cazal; because the Lord Salvaison Governour of Verrüe hearing of this Feast, resolved to be among them, though with a different intention. He had before hand made himself sure of one Fontarole, who under pretence to sell fruit, went up and down the Town to spie what was a doing.

Fifthly, The resolution of surprizing Cazal was agreed upon, and the time appointed to be the night between Shrove-Tuesday and Ash-Wednesday, when the Governour, Inhabitants and Souldiers should be buried in sleep, weary of debaucheries committed the day before.

Sixthly, This resolution was so happily put into execution, that Figuerol hearing the noise of the French being in Town, came out of his house, having only his night Gown upon him, and a Halbert in his hand, to quiet those whom he only thought to be some drunken persons; but hearing the cry of France, France, he presently retired into the Castle, with all those that were come to the Nuptials.

Seventhly, The Marshal of Brissac coming about seven of the Clock in the Morning, caused the Tower of Cazal to be assaulted, which was taken with a considerable loss of the French, and after that the Castle which held out 12 days.

All this being supposed, mark what the Author saith in the third Verse.

The day that Aquilare shall celebrate his Festivals, that is, the day that Figuerol of the house of Aquilare shall celebrate his Festivals, not only one Festival, but his Festivals, that is of three days.

Fossen, Thurin, saith the fourth Verse, Chief Ferrare shall run away.

Fossen, Thurin, doth not signifie two Towns, but one onely; for although Fossen and Thurin be two Towns, of which Fossen in the time of the Wars in Italy under Henry II. belonged to the Spaniard, and Thurin to the French. These two Towns signifie but one, which is that of Fossen, to which to distinguish it from Marseilles, he giveth the Epithete of Thurin, so much as to say, that he speaketh of Fossen a Town of Piemont, the chief Town of which is Thurin, and not of Fossen, which the Author taketh often for Marseilles.

Which the Author maketh plain, when he saith in the singular number, that Fossen, Thurin, chief Ferrare shall run away, to shew that it is onely one Town of which he speaketh, otherwise if he had intended to speake of two, he would have put it in the plural number, which is more manifest by the History, wherein we learn that Fossen belonged to the Spaniards, and Thurin to the French, and consequently, being of contrary parties, they could neither follow, nor fly from a Town which belonged to one of them.

If any one should object, that the sense of the fourth Verse is, that the Chief Ferrare shall fly or follow these two Towns, the preceding reason is repugnant to that sense; because a Town that is of one party, cannot be friend to two Towns, one of which is of its party, and the other of the contrary.

The reading of this work shall convince every body, that the Author setteth down sometimes two Towns for one, to distinguish them from others, as he nameth Paul Mansol, to distinguish that Town of St. Paul, which is three Leagues from the Rhosne, over against Pont St. Esprit, from that St. Paul which is in Provence.

Now that Fossen in Piemont shall run from Cazal the chief City of Montserrat, because that being taken by the French, Fossen could not expect but perpetual damages from it.

But why? will you say, doth the Author speak rather of Fossen, than of other places that held for the Spaniards? I answer, because Fossen was the strongest place that the Spaniards had in Piemont and which could not be taken by the French, though her neighbour Saviliane was, as we shall shew hereafter.

In the Vulgar impression of this Stanza, there is two faults, one is, that in the first Verse it puts Aquileya, which is a Town that is not in Italy, truth it is, that there is Aquilee a little above Venice, but this hath no correspondency with Fossen, Thurin, nor the Chief of Ferrara.

In the fourth Verse the impression setteth down shall follow, which maketh nonsense, and therefore I put shall run away, which is a word in French near the other, and maketh a compleat sense, to which agreeth the birth of that Monster in February, and the taking of Cazal in the Month of March. In that year, John Statius setteth Shrove-Tuesday upon the 16 of February, and consequently we must say, that the Town was not taken that year 1554. for the Citadel was taken 12 days after, which should have been the 19 of February, and notwithstanding the History marks that it was taken upon the 14 of March.

Therefore we must conclude, that it was taken the year following 1555. and to say truth, in that year Ash-wednesday was the 27. of February; in that day the Town was taken, and two days after the Tower of Cazal; after which the Citadel was besieged the second of March, and the first Saturday of Lent, and was taken twelve days after, which was the 14. of March, which convinceth me that Cazal was taken in the year 1555. upon the 27. of February, and therefore that this Stanza is wholly Prophetical.

LIX.

ANNOT.

This is very plain, and signifieth no more, but that some persons that were banished into Islands, and could not hold their tongues; upon the coming of a Monarque, more cruel than his Predecessor, shall be murdered, and burnt.

LX.

ANNOT.

This Prophecy is for the future; for since Nostradamus’s time till now, such an Emperour was not heard of, that was born near Italy, that cost the Empire so dear, and proved more a Butcher, than a Prince.

LXI.

ANNOT.

The two first Verses foretell what hath happened to England under the Government of a Common-wealth, and how their new Magistrate Cromwel made a havock of them. The third and fourth Verses, mention what great sums they exacted from those of the Kings party, and how for that cause Swedeland foresook their friendship.

LXII.

ANNOT.

Here the Author bemoaneth the loss of one eminent person in Learning, be like of Julius Scaliger, who lived in his time, and was once his intimate friend, the two last Verses that great miseries, as Fire and Flood shall happen by the ignorance of Princes.

LXIII.

ANNOT.

This foretelleth a great tranquillity every where, and after that, Wars again:

LXIV.

ANNOT.

This Stanza is full of prodigies that are to happen, and for that in the last Verse, it is no great wonder, for many brute beasts have spoken, speak now a days, and shall speak hereafter.

LXV.

ANNOT.

The meaning of all this is, that when a child shall be born without hands, there shall be fearful Lightning; a Royal child shall be hurt at Tennes, and by that Lightning some shall be bruised by a Well, and in a Mill, and three in the Field shall be killed.

LXVI.

ANNOT.

This Stanza hath a connexion with the foregoing, for the two first Verses signifie, that he who shall carry the news of that fearful Lightning, and of the mischief done by it, shall have much ado to recover his breath.

In the last two Verses, the Towns are named which shall suffer most by that storm, and chiefly by the Hail and the Wind.

LXVII.

ANNOT.

The words and sense of this are plain, and foretell a great famine, which being first in one Countrey and then in another, shall at last become general, and last so long, that people shall pluck the Roots from the Trees, and the children from the breast to feed upon.

LXVIII.

ANNOT.

This is very plain concerning three innocent persons, who shall be delivered up by their unfaithful keepers, and shall be put to great torments by drunken Executioners, which torments shall be suspected to come by poison.

LXIX.

ANNOT.

A Stade cometh from the Greek word σταδιον, ἀπὸ τῆς στασεος, because Hercules did overrun so much ground at one breath; but what space of ground the Author meaneth by seven Stades, is unknown to me. The rest of the Prophecy may very well be appropriated to the last fearful eruption of Mount Ætna, which sunk so many Towns and Buildings, and the relation of which is so handsomly and truly made by the most honourable the Earl of Winchelsey, who was an eye witness to it, in his return from his Embassy at Constantinople.

LXX.

ANNOT.

The meaning of the two first Verses, is, that while the Rain, Famine, and War shall be in Persia, a Monarque shall be betrayed by his credulity. The third Verse signifieth that this Rain, Famine and War being ended in Persia, it shall begin in France. And the fourth Verse, that this shall be an Omen to a great Person of his approaching death.

LXXI.

ANNOT.

It is hard to guess what this Sea Tower is, which was taken and retaken three times; first by the Spaniards, next by the Barbarians, and then by the Ligurians, that is, either the Genoeses, or those of Ligorne, unless he meaneth the Pignon de Velez in Africa, first taken by Charles the V. upon the Barbarians, then retaken again by them, taken again by the Spaniards, by the help of the Genoeses. In the third Verse Marseille, Aix, and Arles, are threatned by those of Pisa, that is the Florentines, of being ruinated by Fire and Sword, and to be plundered, as also Avignon by those of Piemont.

LXXII.

ANNOT.

Marseilles is a Sea-Town in Provence, Narbon, and Tholoze are Cities of Languedoc, and Bourdeaux is the chief Town in Gascony, the rest is easie to be understood.

LXXIII.

ANNOT.

This Stanza is concerning as many Countreys, as there are Verses: the first is France, which by neglect and carelesness of her in Inhabitants, shall be assaulted on five several sides. The second is concerning Tunis and Argier, Cities of Barbary, which shall be stirred and moved (I suppose) to rebel. The third regardeth Leon, Sevil, Barselona, Cities in Spain, and the fourth the Venetians.

LXXIV.