The true prophecies or prognostications of Michael Nostradamus, physician to Henry II. Francis II. and Charles IX. Kings of France, and one of the best astronomers that ever were

Before thou goest on further to the perusing of this Work, thou art humbly intreated by the Authour, to forgive him his Anglicisme; for being born a Forreigner, and having had no body to help him to the polishing of it, for several reasons, it cannot be expected he should please thine Ears, so much as he may perhaps do thy Fancy. Every Exotick Plant can hardly become Domestical under one or two Generations: Besides that, the Crabbedness of the Original in his own Idiome, can scarce admit a Polite Eloquency in another. The very Antient English Language in this refined Age, is become both obsolete and unintelligible, as we may see in Chaucer, Gower, and others. If you adde to this, that the Authours Nation hath been alwayes famous for its Civility to those that were Strangers to their Language, as not onely to abstain from laughing at them when they spoke amiss, but also in redressing them charitably to the best of their power. I may probably expect you will measure me with the same measure, as you would be if you were in my case.

As for the Errataes of the Press, I could not help them, being out of Town most part of the time that the Book was a Printing; when you meet with any, I hope your Charitable Pen will either mend or obliterate them, and not lay another mans fault upon me, who neither for pride nor ostentation undertook this laborious Work, but that I might give some Satisfaction and Recreation to the Learned and Curious, who have had a longing for it ever since its Birth.

Farewell.

IN

Explicatum à doctissimo sagacissimoq; Viro Domino

De

GARENCIERES

FAMOSI

Nostradami Vaticinium.

Abdita qui medici legit præsagia Vatis, Non valet hoc quisquam pandere carmen, ait. Falleris, en Medicus merito quoque nomine Vates, Invia luminibus permeat antra novis. Sed minus ingenio tantum mirere laborem Id succisivo tempore fecit opus.

Petrus Cottereau.

Aliud.

Præteritos in vate tuo cognoscere casus Vix licet; ast etiam nota futura tibi. Si potes è mediis lucem proferre tenebris; Ipsa metallorum semina te-ne latent? Nulla tuum fugiunt naturæ arcana cerebrum, Per quem ~Nostradami~ Pythica verba patent.

Idem.

Perenni Famæ Doctissimi Viri Theophili de Garencieres Doctoris Medici Colleg. Lond. de Interpretatione NOSTRADAMI Fatidici Tetrastichon hoc dicavit.

Dudleyus, dimidia pars ipsius animæ.

Qvæ primus fecit, facit illa secundus ~Apollo~, Conjungens medicis oracula sacra triumphis. Quis major, rogitas? facile est discernere noris Si Latonigenæ cessare oracula ~Phœbi~.

By the same, To the Author of this, and a more Excellent Work.

Mystically.

The God of Arts that gives thee Light, as clear As his, that thou might’st be his Agent here In all his Secrets; courts thee to go on, Till thou hast made thy self another Sun.

Æternum vivant si vera Oracula Phœbi ~Nostradami~ vivent; & Patris illa mei;

Petrus.

THE

PREFACE

TO THE

READER.

READER,

Before I speak any thing of the Author, or of his Works, I think it convenient to speak somthing of my self, and of my intention in setting out this Translation, with my Annotations.

The Reputation that this Book hath amongst all the Europeans, since its first coming out, which was in the year 1555. and the curiosity that from time to time the learned have had to see the Mysteries contained in it, unfolded: is a sufficient warrant for my undertaking.