Chapter LII: French

La grand Cité qui n’a Pain a demy,
Encor un coup la saint _Barthelemy_,
Engravera au profond de son Ame,
_Nismes_, _Rochelle_, _Geneve_ & _Montpelier_,
_Castres_, _Lion_, _Mars_ entrant au _Belier_,
S’entrebattront le tout pour une Dame.

English.

The great City that hath not bread half enough,
Shall once more engrave
In the bottom of her soul St. _Bartholomew_’s day,
_Nismes_, _Rochel_, _Geneva_ and _Montpelier_,
_Castres_, _Lion_, _Mars_ coming into _Aries_,
Shall fight one against another, and all for a Lady.

ANNOT.

That great City mentioned here, is _Paris_, which is threatned of another St. _Bartholomew_’s day, which was fatal to the Protestants in _France_, for upon that day in the year 1572. there was a general Massacre made of them through all _France_, insomuch, that in _Paris_ alone there was above ten thousand slain.

As for those Towns here named that are to fight about a Lady, I cannot guess what Lady it should be, unless he meaneth the _Roman_ Church.