Chapter LXXXVII: French

Par la Forest du _Touphon_ essartée
Par Hermitage sera posé le Temple,
Le Duc d’_Estampes_ par sa ruse inventée,
Du _Montlehery_ Prelat donra exemple.

English.

By the Forrest _Touphon_ cut off,
By the Hermitage shall the Temple be set,
The Duke of _Estampes_ by his invented trick,
Shall give example to the Prelat of _Montlehery_.

ANNOT.

Here is a fault in the Impression, for instead of _Touphon_, it must be written _Torfou_, which is a Forrest some 30 Miles from _Paris_ towards _Beausse_, near which is seated the Town of _Montlehery_, in the said Forrest is seated an Hermitage, and not far from thence the City of _Estampes_, which carryeth the Title of Dutchy; so that the sense of it is this, that this Forrest being cut off (as it is now for the most part) in the place where that Hermitage was, shall be built a Church or Convent, as it is now _Cælestins friars_, called _Marcoussy_, and that the said Hermitage shall be taken from the jurisdiction of the Town of _Montlehery_, under which it was before.

LXXXVIII.

French.

_Calais_, _Arras_, secours a _Theroanne_,
Paix & semblant simulera l’escoute,
Soulde d’_Allobrox_ descendra par _Roane_,
Destornay peuple qui defera la routte.

English.

_Calais_, _Arras_, shall give succours to _Theroanne_,
Peace or the like, shall dissemble the hearing,
Souldiers of _Allobrox_ shall descend by _Roane_,
People perswaded, shall spoil the March.

ANNOT.

This Prophecy did happen in the time of _Henry_ the II. King of _France_, about the year 1559.

The last Verse saith, that those two Towns _Calais_ and _Arras_ gave succours to _Theroanne_, that is to the Countrey where _Therouenne_ was seated, which was destroyed by _Charles_ the V. Emperour. This Countrey was called _Ponthieu_, of which _Therouenne_ was the chief Town.

The second Verse doth determine the time whereabout this came to pass, when he saith, _peace or the like shall dissemble the hearing_; because in the year 1556. in the beginning of _February_ there was a Truce for five years between the two Crowns of _France_ and _Spain_, concerning the Low Countreys, and this Truce signified not much, nor was well cemented, so that the Author saith, _Peace or the like shall dissemble the hearing_; that is, shall fain not to hear that the Cardinal _Caraffa_ did endeavour in _France_ to have the Truce broken.

The third Verse is obscure, because of a fault in the Impression, wherein they have put _Ronane_ instead of _Noanne_, that is _Hannone_ by transposition of letters, but that being corrected, the Verse is clear, supposing that _Philibertus Emanuel_ Duke of _Savoy_ was General of the Army, against _France_ in the _Low-Countreis_, and wandering about to do some notable exploit, he came down through the Province of _Hainault_, called in Latine _Hannonia_, and came to _Mariembourg_, as if he would have Besieged it, but after some light skirmishes he laid Siege to _Rocroy_, and this is the meaning of the third Verse, when he saith, _Souldiers of ~Allobrox~ shall descend by ~Noanne~_, that is, Souldiers in the Army of the Duke of _Savoy_, which in Latine is _Allobrox_, came down to _Mariembourg_, and turned back again to _Rocroy_.

The fourth Verse mentioneth what did happen at the Siege of _Rocroy_; that place being not yet very well fortified; the King was unwilling to put any of his best Souldiers therein, but the Duke of _Nevers_ undertook the defence of it, which he did really and gloriously perform, in so much, that the Duke of _Savoy_ was compelled to raise up the Siege, and going back towards St. _Quentin_, he took _Vervins_ by storm, and gave the booty of it to his Souldiers, who took heart upon it, having been much discouraged before by the resistance of the Duke of _Nevers_. This is the sense of the fourth Verse, _People persuaded shall spoil the march_; that is, the people of _Rocroy_ persuaded to hold out by the courage and presence of the Duke of _Nevers_, spoiled the march that the Duke of _Savoy_ had propounded to himself, insomuch, that raising the Siege he went to _Vervins_, and from thence to St. _Quentin_.