Chapter XXXVIII: French

La gent _Gauloise_ & Nation estrange,
Outre les Monts, morts pris & profligez,
Au mois contraire & proche de vendange,
Par les Seigneurs en accord redigez.

English.

The _French_ Nation, and another Nation,
Being over the Mountains, shall die, and be taken,
In a month contrary to them, and near the vintage,
By the Lords agreed together.

ANNOT.

Two kind of Nations were led into _Italy_ by the Duke of _Guise_ to succour the Pope, _viz._ _French_ and _Germans_, meaning by the _Germans_ all those that use the _German_ Tongue, as _Switzers_, &c.

The Author saith, these two Nations were led beyond the Mountains, because they went beyond the _Apennine Alpes_, to come down into the Champion Countrey of _Italy_, where some of them died by the Sword, others by famine and sickness; others lost their liberty, being made prisoners of War, others were exposed to the inconveniences that attend a ruined Army. He addeth, that these accidents shall befall them in a Month near the _Vintage_, that Month is _September_: He calleth it _Contrary_, because the Grapes being ripe, the starved Souldiers did eat abundance of them, and so fell into a bloody flux. The _Pope_’s Tenants made use of this Stratagem to ruine that Army.

The _Spaniard_ had his revenge the year following, for the Duke of _Guise_ having missed his design, and being stept before _Civitella_, and incensed that the _Pope_ did not keep his word with him, he resolved to go back again into _France_, and so the _Pope_ did by the means of the Common-wealth of _Venice_, and of the Duke of _Florence_, it was concluded and signed with the 23 of _September_.

This is the Authors meaning in the 4 Verse, that all the misfortune which befell the _French_, was by reason of that peace; for the _Pope_ disbanded his Troops, consisting most of _French_ and _Switzers_, the greatest part of whom fell into the hands of their enemies, and of the Countrey people, others died of sickness. It is true, that the Duke of _Guise_ brought his own Army back without much loss, but the Author speaketh here of the _Gascons_ and _Switzers_, that were in the _Pope_’s service, under the command of Marshal _Strozzy_, _Monluc_, Cardinal _Caraffa_, and others.

The time of this peace agreeth with the Prophesie, for it was concluded on the 23 of _September_, which is a Month near the _Vintage_.

XXXIX.

French.

Les sept en trois Mois en concorde,
Pour subjuger les _Alpes Apeninnes_,
Mais la tempeste & _Ligure_ coüarde,
Les profligent en subites ruines.

English.

The seven shall agree together within three Months,
To conquer the _Apennine Alpes_,
But the tempest, and coward _Genoese_,
Shall sink them into sudden ruines.

ANNOT.

There shall be seven persons, who shall be three Months in making an agreement to go beyond the _Apennines_, but they shall be hindred by a tempest, and by the cowardliness of the _Genoeses_.

XL.

French.

Le grand Theatre se viendra redresser,
Les dez jettez & les rets ia tendus,
Trop le premier en glaz viendra lasser,
Par arc prostrais de long temps ia fendus.

English.

The great Theatre shall be raised up again,
The Dice being cast, and the nest spread,
The first shall too much in Glass.
Beaten down by Bows, who long before were split.

ANNOT.

This must be put among _Insolubilia de Alliaco_.

XLI.

French.

Bossu sera esleu par le Conseil,
Plus hideux Monstre en Terre napperceu,
Le coup volant luy crevera un œil,
Le traistre au Roy pour fidele receu.

English.

Crook-back shall be chosen by the Councel,
A more hideous Monster I never saw upon Earth.
The flying blow shall put out one of his eyes,
The Traitor to the King, shall be admited as faithful.

ANNOT.

This needs no explication.

XLII.

French.

L’Enfant naistra a deux dents en la gorge,
Purres en _Tuscie_ par pluie tomberont,
peu d’ans apres ne sera Bled ny Orge,
pour saouler ceux qui de faim failleront.

English.

A Child shall be born with two Teeth in his mouth.
It shall rain stones in _Tuscany_,
A few years after there shall be neither Wheat nor Barley
To feed those that shall faint for hunger.

ANNOT.

Those two Prodigies mentioned in the two first Verses, do presage a great Famine that shall ensue a few years after.

XLIII.

French.

Gens d’alentour du _Tar_, _Lot_, & _Garonne_,
Gardez les Monts _Apennins_ de passer,
Vostre tombeou pres de _Rome_ & d’_Ancone_,
Le noir poil crespe fera Trophée dresser.

English.

People that live about the _Tar_, _Lot_, and _Garonne_,
Take heed to go over the _Apennine_ Mountains,
Your Grave is near _Rome_ and _Ancona_,
The black frisled hair shall dress a Trophy of you.

ANNOT.

The _Tar_, the _Lot_, and the _Garone_, are three Rivers of _Gascony_, the Inhabitants of which are forewarned not to go over the _Apennine_ Mountains, or else they shall meet with their Graves near _Rome_ and _Ancona_. This hath relation to the 38 Stanza, and to the interpretation thereof, therefore _vide_.

XLIV.

French.

Quand l’Animal a l’Homme domestique,
Apres grands peines & sauts viendra parler,
Le foudre a vierge sera si malefique,
De Terre prinse & suspendue en l’Air.

English.

When the Beast familiar to Mankind,
After great labour, and leaping shall come to speak,
The Lightning shall be so hurtful to a Virgin,
That she shall be taken from the Earth, and suspended in the Air.

ANNOT.

It is a Dog that shall come howling and leaping to his Mistresses friends; because she was killed and suspended in the Air by the Lightning.

XLV.

French.

Les cinq estranges entrez dedans le Temple,
Leur sang viendra la Terre prophaner,
Aux _Thoulousain_ sera bien dur exemple,
D’un qui viendra ses loix exterminer.

English.

The five strangers having come into the Church,
The blood shall prophane the ground,
It shall be a hard example to those of _Thoulouse_,
Concerning one that came to break their Laws.

ANNOT.

I suppose these _five strangers_ to be _five Commissioners_, for the altering something in the Government of _Thoulouse_, who shall be all killed in a Church, and the ground prophaned by their blood, according to the _Romish_ opinion.

XLVI.

French.

Le Ciel (de _Plancus_ la Cité) nous presage,
Par clercs insignes & par estoiles fixes,
Que de son change subit saproche lage,
Ne pour son bien, ne pour ses malefices.

English.

The Heaven foretelleth concerning the City of _Plancus_,
By famous Clerks, and fixed Stars,
That the time of her sudden change is near hand,
Neither because of her goodness, or wickedness.

ANNOT.

The City of _Plancus_ is _Lion_, because he was the Founder of it. That City is threatned here of a sudden change, caused neither by her goodness or wickedness, but by a certain position and aspect of the fixed Stars, which makes it fatal.

XLVII.

French.

Le vieux Monarque dechassé de son Regne,
Aux Orients son secours ira querre,
Pour peur des Croix ploiera son Enseigne,
En _Mitylene_ ira par Mer & par Terre.

English.

The old Monarch being expelled out of his Kingdom,
Shall go into the East to get succours,
For fear of the Crosses he shall fold up his Colours,
He shall go into _Mitylene_ by Sea and Land.

ANNOT.

_Mitylene_ is an Island of the _Archipelago_, belonging to the Turk.

XLVIII.

French.

Sept cens Captifs attachez rudement,
Pour la moitie meurtrir, donné le sort,
Le proche espoir viendra si promptement,
Mais non si tost qu’une quinziesme mort.

English.

Seven hundred prisoners shall be tied together,
To murder half of them, the lot being cast,
The next hope shall come quickly,
And not so quickly, but fifteen shall be dead before.

ANNOT.

By the next hope, he meaneth the reprieve. The rest is clear.

XLIX.

French.

Regne _Gaulois_ tu seras bien changé,
En lieu estrange est translaté l’Empire,
En autre mœurs & Lois seras rangé,
_Rouan_ & _Chartres_ te feront bien du pire.

English.

_French_ Kingdom thou shalt be much changed,
The Empire is translated in another place,
Thou shalt be put into other manners and Laws,
_Rouan_ and _Chartres_ shall do the worse they can to thee.

ANNOT.

_Rouan_ is the chief City of the Province of _Normandie_, and _Chartres_ the chief City of that of _Beausse_.

L.

French.

La Republique de la grande Cité,
A grand rigueur ne voudra consentir,
Roy sortir hors par Trompette Cité,
L’Eschelle au Mur la Cité repentir.

English.

The Common-wealth of the great City,
With great harshness shall not consent,
That the King should go out being summoned by a Trumpet,
The Ladder shall be put to the Wall, and the City repent.

ANNOT.

It is hard to know what he meaneth by the great City wherein there is a Common-wealth, whether it be _Venice_, _Genoa_, _Geneva_, _Luca_, or some of the Cities of _Switzerland_; but it seemeth that a King shall take shelter in it, who shall be summoned by a Trumpet to come out, but the City will not suffer it, for which the said City shall be scaled, and repent.