Chapter IX: French

Aux Temples Saints seront faits grands scandales,
Comptez seront peur honneurs & louanges,
D’un que l’on grave d’Argent, d’Or les Medals,
La fin sera en tourmens bien estranges.

English.

To the holy Temples shall be done great scandals,
That shall be accounted for honours and praises,
By one, whose medals are graven in Gold and Silver,
The end of it shall be in very strange torments.

ANNOT.

Here the Reader must understand that the Author was a _Roman_ Catholick, and therefore calleth Holy Temples, the Churches of the _Romish_ Religion, which in the beginning of the Civil Wars in _France_, were much abased by those of the Protestant Religion, then called _Huguenots_, whose chief was _Henry_ King of _Navarre_, who was the only man amongst the Protestant party, that could have Money and Medals coined to his stamp, as being King of _Navarre_. But the last Verse of this Prophecie proved too true, when upon St. _Bartholomews_ day, the 24 of _August_, in the year 1572. the general Massacre of the Protestants was made through _France_.

X.

French.

Un peu du temps les Temples des Couleurs,
De blanc & noir des deux entremislée,
Rouges & jaunes leur embleront les leurs,
Sang, terre, peste, faim, feu, eau affollée.

English.

Within a little while the Temples of the Colours,
White and Black shall be intermixt,
Red and Yellow shall take away their Colours,
Blood, earth, plague, famine, fire, water shall destroy them.

ANNOT.

By the Temples of the Colours White and Black, I suppose he means that of Peace, and of War; by the Red and Yellow, may be meant the Empire of the _Sweads_, who shall be at variance together; and by their long War shall bring the Plagues here mentioned, as it came to pass in the Wars of _Germany_, between the Emperour and _Gustavus Adolphus_, King of the _Sweads_.

XI.

French.

Les sept rameaux a trois seront reduits,
Les plus aisnez seront surprins par morts,
Fratricider les deux seront seduits,
Les Conjures en dormant seront morts.

English.

The seven branches shall be reduced to three,
The eldest shall be surprised by death,
Two shall be said to kill their Brothers,
The Conspirators shall be killed, being asleep.

ANNOT.

It is apparent, that he speaks of seven Brethren, that shall be reduced to three, whereof the eldest son shall be surprised by death, and two of the rest shall be said to have murdered their Brother, the Conspirators shall afterwards be killed in their sleep.

XII.

French.

Dresser Copie pour monter a l’Empire,
Du _Vatican_ le sang Royal tiendra,
_Flamens_, _Anglois_, _Espagne_ aspire,
Contre l’_Italie_ & _France_ contendra.

English.

To raise an Army, for to ascend unto the Empire,
Of the _Vatican_, the Royal blood shall endeavour,
_Flemings_, _English_, _Spain_ shall aspire,
And shall contend against _Italy_ and _France_.

ANNOT.

This prediction signifies no more, but that there shall be a great commotion among the Nations, of _Europe_, concerning the election of a Pope, which is called here the Empire of the _Vatican_; because the _Vatican_ is the Popes Palace in _Rome_.

XIII.

French.

Un dubieux ne viendra loing du regne,
La plus grand part le voudra soustenir,
Un Capitole ne voudra point quil regne,
Sa grande Chaire ne pourra maintenir.

English.

A doubtful man shall not come far from the Reign,
The greatest part will uphold him,
A Capitol will not consent that he should Reign,
His great Chair he shall not be able to maintain.

ANNOT.

What should that doubtful man be, whom our Author doth mention here, is not easie to be understood; but it seemeth that it shall be some body pretending to the Popedom, who shall have a great party for himself, and yet for all that shall be excluded, and not able to keep his Seat; so that this Prophecie is but the second part of the foregoing; for they have both a relation together. The Capitol anciently was the Citadel of _Rome_, and now is the place where the Courts of Judicature meet, called _Campidoglio_.

XIV.

French.

Loing de sa Terre Roy perdra la Bataille,
Prompt, eschapé poursuivy, suivant pris,
Ignare pris soubs la dorée maille,
Soubs feint habit, & l’Ennemy surpris.

English.

Far from his Countrey the King shall loose a Battle,
Nimble, escaped, followed, following, taken,
Ignorantly taken under the gilded Coat of Mail,
Under a feigned habit the enemy taken.

ANNOT.

This Prophecy was fulfilled in the year 1578. when _Don Sebastian_ King of _Portugal_, went into _Affrica_, to help and succour _Muley Hamet_, against _Muley Maluc_, that had expelled him out of the Kingdom of _Fez_ and _Morocco_, and there fought that famous Battle of _Alcasserquibir_, wherein his whole Army was routed, and himself slain by the _Moores_, and his body afterwards sold to the King of _Spain_ for a 100000. Crowns.

XV.

French.

Dessous la Tombe sera trouvé le Prince,
Qu’aura le pris par dessus _Nuremberg_:
L’_Espagnol_ Roy en _Capricorne_ mince,
Feinct & trahy par le grand _Vutitemberg_.

English.

Under the Tomb shall be found the Prince,
That shall have a price above _Nuremberg_,
That _Spanish_ King in _Capricorn_ shall be thine,
Deceived and betrayed by the great _Vutitemberg_.

ANNOT.

We hear of no Prince that had that advantage upon _Nuremberg_, but only _Gustavus Adolphus_ King of _Sweden_, who took it. The last two Verses signifie no more, then that the King of _Spain_ shall be wasted at the time when the Sun is in _Capricorn_.

XVI.

French.

Ce que ravy sera du jeune Milve,
Par les _Normans_ de _France_ & _Picardy_,
Les noirs du Temple du lieu de _Negrisilve_,
Feront aux Berge & feu de _Lombardie_.

English.

That which shall be taken from the young Kite,
By the _Normans_ of _France_ and _Picardie_,
The black ones of the Temple of the place called black Forrest.
Shall make a Rendezvouz, and a fire in _Lombardie_.

ANNOT.

The meaning is, that what the _Normans_ and those of _Picardie_ shall save from the hand of a young conquering Prince, the same shall be imployed in building a Temple in the black Forrest, which is that part of the Forrest of _Arden_, that lies near _Bohemia_, and another part of it to build a House in _Lombardie_.

XVII.

French.

Apres les livres bruslez les Asiniers,
Contraints seront changer d’habits divers:
Les _Saturnins_ bruslez par les meusniers,
Hors la pluspart qui ne sera convers.

English.

After the Books shall be burnt, the Asses,
Shall be compelled several times to change their Cloaths,
The _Saturnins_ shall be burnt by the Millers,
Except the greater part, that shall not be discovered.

ANNOT.

This seems to foretell a persecution of ignorant men against the learned, after which shall happen a confusion amongst the ignorant persons, who shall be forced to disguise themselves.

The last two Verses seem to be of the same sense, for by the _Saturnins_ I understand studious people, and by the _Millers_ rude and unlearned persons.

XVIII.

French.

Par les Physiques le grand Roy delaissé,
Par sort non art de l’Ebrieu est en vie,
Luy & son Genre au Regne hault pousé,
Grace donnée a gent qui Christ envie.

English.

The great King being forsaken by Physicians,
Shall be kept alive by the Magick and not by the art of a Jew,
He, and his kindred shall be set at the top of the Kingdom,
Grace shall be given to a Nation that envieth Christ.

ANNOT.

This in plain words signifieth no more, but that a King shall be desparately sick and forsaken by his _Physicians_, and shall recover by the help of a Jew, for which fact those of that Nation shall be reestablished in his Countrey.

XIX.

French.

La vraye flamme engloutira la Dame,
Que voudra mettre les Innocens a feu,
Pres de l’aussaut l’exercite s’enflamme,
Quand dans _Seville_ monstre en Bœuf sera veu.

English.

The true flame shall swallow up the Lady,
That went about to burn the guiltless,
Before the Assault the Army shall be incouraged,
When in _Seville_, a Monster like an Ox shall be seen.

ANNOT.

_Seville_ is the chiefest City of _Andalusia_ a Province in _Spain_; the rest is plain.

XXI.

French.

L’Union feinte sera peu de durée,
Les uns changes reformez la plus part:
Dans les Vaisseaux sera gent endurée,
Lors aura _Rome_ un nouveau Leopart.

English.

The feigned union shall not last long,
Some shall be changed, others for the most part reformed,
In the Ships people shall be pen’d up,
Then shall _Rome_ have a new Leopard.

ANNOT.

When the things contained in the three first Verses shall come to pass, then _Rome_ shall have a new Pope, expressed here by the word Leopard from the variousness, that is, in his Pontifical Garments.

XXI.

French.

Quand ceux du Pole _Artique_ unis ensemble,
En Orient grand effrayeur & crainte,
Esleu nouveau soustenu le grand tremble,
_Rodes_, _Bisance_ de sang _Barbare_ taincte.

English.

When those of the _Artick_ Pole shall be united together,
There shall be in the East a great fear and trembling,
One shall be newly Elected, that shall bear the brunt,
_Rodes_, _Bisance_, shall be dy’d with _Barbarian_ blood.

ANNOT.

This foretelleth an union between the _Europeans_, or Nations of the North against the Eastern people, or Turks, and that the Christians shall make choice of such a General, that shall make the East quake, and get such Victories, whereby _Rhodes_ and _Constantinople_ shall be dyed with Turkish blood.

XXII.

French.

Dedans la Terre du grand Temple Celique,
Neveu a _Londres_ par paix feinte meurtry,
La Barque alors deviendra Schismatique,
Liberté feinte sera au corne & cry.

English.

Within the ground of the great Cœlestial Temple,
A Nephew at _London_ by a fained peace shall be murdered,
The Boat at that time shall become Schismatical,
A fained liberty shall be with _Hue and Cry_.

ANNOT.

I think that by the _great Cœlestial Temple_, he meaneth that of St. _Paul_, in which, or in the ground about it, shall be murdered a Nephew by his Uncle, which shall cause great divisions and dissensions in the City, compared here to a Boat, and that a dissembled or fained liberty shall be proclaimed.

XXIII.

French.

Despit de Roy, numismes descriez,
Peuples seront esmeus contre leur Roy,
Paix fait nouveau, Saintes Loix empirées,
_Rapis_ onc fut en si piteux arroy.

English.

The despight of a King, and Coin being brought lower
People shall rise against their King,
Peace newly made, Holy Laws being made worse,
_Rapis_ was never in such a great disorder.

ANNOT.

The first thing here to be observed, is the word _Rapis_, which is the _Anagramme_ of _Paris_, which he saith was never in such a trouble before, as it shall be when the people shall rebel against the King for hatred, and because he shall have put low the price and intrinsical value of Coin and Money; he foretelleth also that there shall be a new Peace made, and that the Holy Laws shall be much impaired.

XXIV.

French.

_Mars_ & le Sceptre se trouvera conjoint,
Dessoubs _Cancer_ calamiteuse guerre,
Un peu apres sera nouveau Roy oingt.
Qui par long temps pacifiera la Terre.

English.

_Mars_ and the Scepter, being conjoyned together,
Under _Cancer_ shall be a calamitous War,
A little while after a new King shall be anointed,
Who for a long time shall pacifie the Earth.

ANNOT.

The meaning of this is, that when the Planet of _Mars_ shall be in conjunction with the constellation he calleth here the _Scepter_, that then shall be a very calamitous War. The two last Verses are plain enough of themselves.