Chapter LV: French

L’Horrible guerre qu’en Occident s’appreste,
L’An ensuivant viendra la Pestilence,
Si fort terrible, que jeune, viel, ne beste,
Sang, feu, _Mercu._ _Mars_, _Jupiter_ en _France_.

English.

An horrid War is a preparing in the West,
The next year shall come the Plague,
So strangly terrible, that neither young nor old, nor beast shall
escape
Blood, fire, _Mercu._ _Mars_, _Jupiter_ in _France_.

ANNOT.

That word _a preparing_ in the first Verse, signifieth that he speaketh of a time, wherein War was a making ready, when he was a writing.

The _West_, of which our Author speaketh, is not formerly the West which is _Spain_, but is the West respectively to his Countrey of _Provence_, which is _Picardy_, _Lorrain_, and the Countrey of _Mets_, in all these Places that are Westerly from _Provence_, there was great Wars in the year 1557 in _Picardy_ in the year 1558. at _Calais_ and _Thionville_, and at last from the middle of that year to the end of it, were seen two great Armies of both Kings, which threatned a horrid slaughter, had not God Almighty provided against it by the treaty of Peace of the _3d._ of _April_ 1559 the year following, which was 1559. there did happen what he foretelleth, _viz._, the Plague so strangely terrible to Young, Old, and Beasts _&c._

And in those quarters there was nothing but Fire and Blood; that is, Massacres and ruines of all sorts, then did Rule in _France_, the three Planets of _Jupiter_, _Mars_ and _Mercury_, _Jupiter_ and _Mercury_, for the peace that was then concluded, and _Mars_ for the War that was then on foot.

The History of _Provence_ mentioneth, that that Pestilence was called by the Physitians, _Febris erratica_, by which within the space of five or six Months, died almost an infinite number of people.

LVI.

French.

Camp prés de _Noudam_ pasiera _Goussanville_,
Et a _Maiotes_ laissera son enseigne,
Convertira en instant plus de mille,
Cherchant le deux remettre en chaine & legne.

English.

A Camp shall by _Noudam_ go beyond _Goussanville_,
And shall leave its Ensign at _Maiotes_,
And shall in an instant convert above a thousand,
Seeking to put the two parties in good understanding together.

ANNOT.

These three words of _Noudam_, _Goussanville_, and _Maiotes_ are three little inconsiderable Countrey Towns, situated near one another; the meaning then of it is, that an Army near _Noudam_, shall go through _Goussanville_, and shall in an instant convert, that is, draw to his party above a thousand of the contrary party, the business being about the procuring of a good understanding and amity between two great ones.

LVII.

French.

Au lieu de _Drux_ un Roy reposera,
Et cherchera Loy changeant d’Anatheme,
Pendant le Ciel si tresfort Tonnera,
Portée neufve Roy tuera soy mesme.

English.

In the place of _Drux_ a King shall rest himself,
And shall seek Law changing Anatheme,
In the mean while the Heaven shall Thunder so strongly,
That a new gate shall kill the King him self.

ANNOT.

_Drux_ is a City in _Normandy_, near which _Henry_ the IV. got a memorable victory.

It is said that in that place a King shall rest himself, and shall endeavour to change Religion, but at that time it shall Thunder and Lighten so much, that by the fall of a new gate, the King himself shall be killed.

LVIII.

French.

Au costé gauche a lendroit de _Vitry_,
Seront guettez les trois rouges de _France_,
Tous assommez rouge, noir non meurdry,
Par les _Bretons_ remis en asseurance.

English.

On the left hand over against _Vitry_,
The three red ones of _France_ shall be watched for,
All the red shall be knockt dead, the black not murdered,
By the _Britains_ set up again in security.

ANNOT.

What is meant here by the three red ones of _France_ is hard to decide, whether they be Cardinals or Judges; because both wear commonly Scarlet Gowns, or some Noblemen cloathed in Scarlet, but it seemeth by this that there shall be a lying in wait for four men, three of which shall be cloathed in Red, and one in Black, those in Red shall be knockt down dead, but he in Black shall not, and this is to be done on the left hand, over against _Vitry_, which is a City in _Champagne_.