Chapter XVI: French

A son haut prix plus la larme _Sabæe_,
D’humaine chair par mort en cendre mettre,
L’Isle _Pharos_ par _Croisars_ perturbée,
Alors qua _Rhodes_ paroistra dur espectre.

English.

The _Sabæan_ Tear shall be no more at its high price,
To turn humane flesh by death into ashes,
The Island _Pharos_ shall be troubled by _Croisars_,
When at _Rhodes_ shall a hard Phantasm appear.

ANNOT.

The _Sabæan Tear_, is Frankincense, so called; because it is the Gum of a Tree that groweth in that Countrey, whence the Poet saith,

_India mittit ebur, molles sua thura Sabæi._

The meaning therefore of the two first Verses, is, that Frankincense shall be no more so dear as it hath been; because it shall be no more used, in enbalming and burning of dead bodies.

The third verse saith, the Island _Pharos_ (which is that little Island that lyeth before the Harbour of _Alexandria_) shall be troubled by _Croisars_, that is, Christians, when there shall appear a Phantasme, or a Vision shall be seen at _Rhodes_.

XVII.

French.

De nuit passant le Roy pres d’une _Andronne_,
Celuy de _Cipres_ & principal de guerre,
Le Roy failly la main fuit long du _Rhosne_,
Les conjurez liront la a mort mettre.

English.

The King going along by night near an _Andronne_,
He of _Cyprus_ and chief of the War,
The King having missed the hand, runneth away along by the _Rhosne_,
The Conspirators shall put him to death there.

ANNOT.

I could not find what he meaneth by _Andronne_, therefore I believe it is a barbarous and forged word, which the Author hath foisted in, to make the first Verses rhime with the word _Rhosne_ in the third Verse, which is a famous River in _France_.

XVIII.

French.

De duel mourra l’infelix profligé,
Celebrera son victrix l’Hecatombe,
Pristine loy franc edict redigé,
Le mur & Prince septiesme ira au tombe.

English.

The unhappy being overcome, shall die for grief,
His Victrix shall celebrate the Hecatomb,
The former law and free Edict shall be brought again,
The wall and seventh Prince shall go to the Grave.

ANNOT.

_Victrix_ is a Latine word, and the Feminine Gender of _victor_, and signifieth a woman that is victorious; _Hecatomb_ is a Sacrifice, wherein an hundred Oxen are killed.

XIX.

French.

Le grand Royal d’Or, d’Airain augmenté,
Rompu la pache par jeune, ouverte guerre,
Peuple affligé par un chef lamenté,
De sang barbare sera couverte Terre;

English.

The great Golden Royal, being increased with Copper,
The agreement being broken by a young man, there shall be open War,
People afflicted by the loss of a General lamented,
The ground shall be covered with barbarous blood.

ANNOT.

By the great golden Royal, is understood (if I mistake not) a King rich in Gold and Silver, who being joyned with one rich in Copper, shall make open War against one that shall have broken his agreement.

_Quære_: Whether this came not to pass when _Gustaphus Adolphus_ King of _Sweden_ and rich in Brass, being helped by the _French_ Gold and Silver; was not the General so much lamented, after he had almost ruined the Emperour, whom he did challenge to have broken his word, and had covered the ground with _German_ and _Swedish_ blood.

XX.

French.

De la les _Alpes_ grand Armée passera,
Un peu devant naistra monstre vapin,
Prodigieux, & subit tournera,
Le grand _Toscan_ a son lieu plus propin.

English.

Beyond the _Alpes_ shall a great Army go, and
A little before shall be born a Vapin Monster,
Prodigious and suddenly the great _Toscan_
Shall return to his nearest place.

ANNOT.

What the Author meaneth by _vapin_, is unknown to me, as for the word _propin_, it is a diminutive of the Latine word _propinquus_, by the figure of Rhetorick, called _Tmesis_.

XXI.

French.

Par le trespas du Monarque Latin,
Ceux quil aura par Regne secourus,
Le feu livra divisé le butin,
La mort publique aux hardis accourus.

English.

By the death of the Latine Monarque,
Those that he shall have succoured in his Reign.
The fire shall shine, the booty shall be divided,
The stout comers in shall be put to publick death.

ANNOT.

Every body may judge of this as well as I, therefore to trouble my self it should be to no purpose.

XXII.

French.

Avant qu’a _Rome_ grand aye rendu l’Ame,
Effrayeur grande a l’Armée estrangere,
Par escadrons l’embusche pres de _Parme_.
Puis les deux rouges ensemble feront chere.

English.

Before that a great man yeildeth up his Soul at _Rome_,
The Army of strangers shall be put into a great fright,
By Squadrons the ambush shall be near _Parma_.
After that, the two red ones shall make good cheer together.

ANNOT.

Here is nothing difficult, but what he meaneth by the two red ones, for my part I suppose them to be two Cardinals.

XXIII.

French.

Les deux contens seront unis ensemble,
Quand la pluspart a _Mars_ seront conjoints,
Le grand d’_Affrique_ en effrayeur & tremble,
_Duumuirat_ par la chassé desjoint.

English.

The two contented shall be united together,
When the most part shall be joyned to _Mars_,
The great one of _Africa_ shall be in fear and terrour,
_Duumuirat_ shall by the pursuit be disjointed.

ANNOT.

This signifieth, that two powerful Princes shall joyn together, to make War in _Africa_, which shall be much terrified at it, but this _Duumuirat_, that is, this agreement of two Princes shall be broken off, and disjoyned.

XXIV.

French.

Le Regne & Roy soubs _Venus_ eslevé,
_Saturne_ aura sur _Jupiter_ Empire,
La Loy & Regne par _Jupiter_ levé,
Par _Saturnins_ endurera le pire.

English.

The Kingdom and King being raised under _Venus_,
_Saturn_ shall have power over _Jupiter_,
The Law and Reign raised by _Jupiter_,
Shall be put to the worse by the _Saturnins_.

ANNOT.

I shall leave this to be expounded by those that have more skill in Astronomy then I have.

XXV.

French.

Le Prince _Arabe_, _Mars_, _Sol_, _Venus_, _Lion_,
Regne d’Eglise par Mer succombera,
Devers la _Perse_ bien pres d’un Million,
_Bizance_, _Ægypte_, _Ver._ _Serp._ invadera.

English.

The _Arabian_ Prince, _Mars_, _Sol_, _Venus_, _Leo_,
The Kingdom of the Church shall be overcome by Sea
Towards _Persia_ very near a Million,
_Byzance_, _Ægypt_, _Ver._ _Serp._ shall invade.

ANNOT.

This is of the same nature as the foregoing, therefore I leave it to the same expositors.

XXVI.

French.

La gent esclave par un heur Martial,
Viendra en haut degré tant eslevée,
Changeront Prince, naistra un Provincial,
Passer la Mer, copie aux Monts levée.

English.

The Slavish Nation shall by a Martial luck
Be raised to so high a degree,
That they shall change their Prince, and elect one among themselves,
They shall cross the Sea with an Army raised in the Mountains.

ANNOT.

This is so plain, that it needeth no interpretation.

XXVII.

French.

Par feu & armes non loin de la Mar negro,
Viendra de _Perse_ occuper _Trebisonde_,
Trembler _Pharos_, _Metelin_, Sol alegro,
De sang _Arabe_ d’_Adrie_ couvert l’Onde.

English.

By Fire and Sword not far from the black Sea,
They shall come from _Persia_ to seize upon _Trebisonde_,
_Pharos_ and _Methelin_ shall quake, Sun be merry,
The Sea of _Adria_ shall be covered with _Arabian_ blood.

ANNOT.

This Prophecy foretelleth clearly and plainly, that the _Persians_ shall come to invade the Turkish dominions, a part of which is the Empire of _Trebisond_, and that _Pharos_ and _Methelin_ two Islands in the _Mediterranean_ Sea, shall quake for fear.

As also that the _Adriatick_ Sea, which is that Sea that belongeth to the _Venetians_ shall be covered with Turkish blood, at which the Author is so jocund, as with an exclamation he inviteth the Sun to be merry, and rejoyce at it.

XXVIII.

French.

Le bras pendu & la jambe liée,
Visage pasle, au sein poignard caché,
Trois qui seront jurez de la meslée,
Au grand de _Genes_ sera le Fer lasché.

English.

The arm hanging, and the leg bound,
With a pale face, a Dagger in the bosom,
Three that shall be sworn to the fray,
To the great one of _Genoa_ the Iron shall be darted.

ANNOT.

This manifestly foretelleth a conspiracy of three men against the Duke of _Genoa_, one of which three men, under the shew of a sore Arm, and an impotent Leg, shall carry a Dagger in his bosom, with which he shall stabb the said Duke.

XXIX.

French.

La liberté ne sera recouvrée,
L’Occupera noir, fier, vilain inique;
Quand la matiere du Pont sera ouvrée,
D’_Hister_, _Venise_ faschée la Republique.

English.

The liberty shall not be recovered,
It shall be occupied, by a black, fierce, and wicked villain;
When the work of the _Hister_-Bridge shall be ended,
The _Venetian_ Common-wealth shall be vexed.

ANNOT.

This Stanza is divided into two parts, the first of which is comprehended in the two first Verses, _viz._ that the liberty of some politick body (he nameth not which) shall not be recovered, but shall be seized upon, by a black, fierce, and wicked villain.

The second part is contained in the two last Verses, wherein he saith, that the Common-wealth of _Venice_ shall be in trouble, when the Bridge made over the River _Hister_ shall be finished.

XXX.

French.

Tout a l’entour de la grande Cité,
Seront Soldats logez par Champs & Villes,
Donner l’assaut _Paris_, _Rome_ incité,
Sur le Pont sera faite grand pille.

English.

Round about the great City,
Soldiers shall lye in the Fields and Towns,
Paris shall give the Assault, _Rome_ shall be attached;
Then upon the Bridge shall be great plundering.

ANNOT.

This is concerning the taking and sacking of _Rome_, by the Duke of _Bourbon_, General of _Charles_ V. Forces, therefore he saith that _Paris_ shall give the Assault, because the said Duke of _Bourbon_ was a _Frenchman_.

XXXI.

French.

Par Terre _Attique_ chef de la sapience,
Qui de present est la Rose du Monde,
Pont ruiné & sa grand preeminence,
Sera subdite & naufrage des Ondes.

English.

In the Countrey of _Attica_ which is the head of wisdom,
And now is the Rose of the World,
A Bridge shall be ruinated with its great preeminence,
It shall be subdued, and made a wrack by the Waves.

ANNOT.

He foretelleth the destruction of a famous Bridge in the Countrey of _Attica_, of which _Athens_ is the chief City, and because it was always famous for learning, he calleth it here the head of Wisdom; and that Wisdom, the Rose of the World.

XXXII.

French.

Ou tout bon est, tout bien Soleil & Lune,
Est abondant, sa ruine s’approche,
Le Ciel s’advance a changer ta fortune,
En mesme estat que la septiesme Roche.

English.

Where all well is, all good O Sun and Moon,
Is existent, his ruine draweth near,
The Heaven is making hast to change thy fortune,
Into the same case as the seventh Rock is.

ANNOT.

By this dark Stanza, the Author seemeth to foretell the woful condition of a Countrey that was happy before, but shall fall to ruine, I suspect he intended _France_, because being a _Frenchman_ he did not name it, for I think there was never such a change in the world as was in that Kingdom, in the time of the Civil Wars between the Roman Catholicks, and the Protestants.

XXXIII.

French.

Des principaux de Cité rebellée,
Qui tiendront fort pour liberté r’avoir,
Detrencher masles, infœlice meslée!
Cris, hurlemens a _Nantes_ pitieux voir.

English.

Of the chief men in a rebelled City,
Who shall stand out to recover their liberty,
The Males shall be cut in pieces, O unhappy quarrel!
Cries and houlings, it shall be pity to see at _Nantes_.

ANNOT.

The Author applyeth this Prophecie to the City of _Nantes_ in _Britany_, but want of Books that treat of the History of that Countrey; I could neither satisfie my self, nor the Reader, if this hath come to pass already or not.