Chapter XLV: French

Lombre du Regne de _Navarre_ non vray,
Fera la vie de sort illegitime,
La vers promis incertain de _Cambray_,
Roy d’_Orleans_ donra mur legitime

English.

The shadow of the Reign of _Navarre_ not true,
Shall make the life of illegitimate chance,
The uncertain allowance from _Cambray_,
King of _Orleans_ shall give a lawfull Wall.

ANNOT.

The _Reign_ or Kingdom of _Navarre_ is called _not true_, because the King of _Spain_ doth possess it, and not the King of _France_, who is the lawful King thereof, as also in regard of the Kings of _France_, and before of _Jane_ of _Albret_, and _Antony_ of _Bourbon_.

This Kingdom being _not true_ in regard of the said ones, the title and quality is called here _shadow_. The Author saith that the quality of the King of _Navarre_ _shall make the life of illigitimate chance_, because after the death of _Francis_ the II _Catherine_ of _Medicis_ being not opposed in the Regence by _Antony_ of _Bourbon_ King of _Navarre_, she was willing to gratifie him in what she could.

And because his Brother _Lewis_ Prince of _Condé_ had been condemned to death, and not executed, it was a fair occasion for her to shew the King of _Navarre_ how much she did defer to him. Therefore twelve days after the death of King _Francis_, he was freed out of Prison, and was admitted to justifie himself under the King of _Navarre_’s Bail.

Thus the _shadow of the Kingdom of ~Navarre~ not true_, did cause the life of a Prince to be saved, but that life was illegitimate, _and that Kingdom not true by chance_, that is, by accident, because of the death of King _Francis_.

Leaving off the third Verse to be explained after the fourth; _King_ (saith the Author) _shall give_ Orleans _for legitimate_, because _Charles_ the IX. who during the life of _Francis_ the II. did bear the title of Duke of _Orleans_, did succeed his Brother; thus the Verse saith that _Orleans shall give a King for legitimate_.

Now for the third Verse, you must suppose that by the Treaty at _Madrid_ 1526. and after this by that of _Cambray_, the King _Francis_ the I. did part with the Sovereignty of _Flanders_, and of all the _Low Countreis_ in favour of _Charles_ the V. Emperour, it is of that _uncertain allowance_ of Cambray, of which the Author talketh here, and saith, that in that time _viz._ of the death of _Francis_ the II. that _allowance shall be uncertain_, because _Francis_ the I. having no power of himself to renounce the rights and dependance of the Crown of _France_, the Parliament that was assembled then, would have made void that _allowance_ without breaking the Peace, declaring that the Kings of _France_ ought to preserve the right they had upon the _Low-Countreis_, and to require them again upon any occasion, and upon that _France_ did not refuse the Election which the _Low-Countreis_ made of the Duke of _Alencon_ for their Sovereign Prince and Duke of _Brabant_.

XLVI.

French.

Vif sort mort de l’or vilain indigne,
Sera de _Saxe_ non nouveau Electeur,
De _Brunswick_ mandra d’amour signe,
Faux le rendant au peuple seducteur.

English.

The living receives his death from Gold, infamous slut!
Shall be of _Saxony_ not the new Elector,
From _Brunswick_ shall come a sign of love,
Falsly persuading the people that he is a seductor.

ANNOT.

This Prophecy is concerning an old Elector of _Saxony_, who being in health before, shall die suddenly, being poisoned in a golden Cup by a woman, whom he calleth here _infamous slut_.

And that from _Brunswick_ (a Countrey adjacent to _Saxony_) shall come a Messenger, upon pretence of Love, who shall persuade the people that the said Elector was a Seducer.