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. / A work full of curiosity and learning. Translated and commented by Theophilus de Garencieres, Doctor in Physick Colleg. Lond.

by Nostradamus

XII.

French.

Le tant d’argent de Diane & Mercure,

Les simulachres au Lac seront trouvez,

Le Figulier cherchant argille neuve,

Luy & les siens, d’or seront abreuvez.

English.

The so much Silver of Diana and Mercury,

The Statues shall be found in the Lake,

The Potter seeking for new clay,

He and his shall be filled with Gold.

ANNOT.

This Prophecy is concerning a Potter, who seeking and digging for new Clay, shall find in a drained Lake the Statues of Diana and Mercury all of silver, besides other great riches; seeing this Prophecy is not come to pass yet (that I know) it will not be amiss, for the divertisement of the Reader, to relate here a notable and authentical History of a Potter that hath much ressemblance with this, and will be a convincing Argument, that Mines grow in the Earth as Turfs do, and as Virgil sayeth of the golden branch:

Uno avulso non deficit alter.

It is written by Doctor de Rochas, Physitian to the present Chancellor or France, who was upon the place, and an eye witness of the circumstances of it, having also an interest in it, in the behalf of his Father, who was overseer of the Mines in that Province, therefore I shall relate it in his own words, as they are in his Book of Mineral Waters.

A notable History.

In Provence near Thoulon, is a Mountain called Carquairené, at the foot of which and near the brim of the Sea, there dwelled a Potter with all his tools about him; It chanced that on a day as he went to fetch Wood in that Mountain, to bake his wares, he heard a voice of a little Kid, which some Shepherd had left behind them unawares, and was fallen in a little hole that answered to natural, great and deep Caves; this man seeing no Shepherds about him, thought presently it was a strayed Kid, therefore he followed the cry with his ear so directly, that he came by the orifice of that hole, where he heard and saw the Kid, which he resolved to carry away with his Wood, therefore he took the Cords that were at his Mules Saddle, and that he used to bind his Load with, and with the help of them, and of some big pieces of Wood he got down, where, he did observe round about him many other Caves, contiguous and separated from this, which his curiosity caused him to view, and found in the chief of these Caves a great quantity of stones heaped upon one another, & of a substance and colour of Brass, and among the rest there was one that came forth out of the Rock, about the bigness, shape, and length of a mans arm, when it is stretched out; he did apparently judge that the weight and brittleness of that matter had caused those stones to fall down, and that the same that he saw come out of the Rock in this manner, was already loose and like to fall; this man finding himself among such an abundance of rich Lingots, which fortune did offer him, did not know the value of them, but did like the Cock of Æsop which left the precious Pearl to take the Corn of Wheat; thus this Jason took very little of this Golden Fleece, and only a small piece, which he broke from a bigger with one of his Tools, and imployed all his industry to carry away his Kid, which at last with much ado he got out, and carried upon his Mule, believing certainly that this provision would be more profitable to him and his Family, then the yellow stone which he had in his pocket, weighing about five pounds, and which he intended to give to a Tinker of Thoulon, his Gossip and good friend, in hope that for the same he might be presented with a bottle of Wine, to keep company to his Kid; and accordingly the next morning by break of day he went to Thoulon and stayed in the Shop of his friend, who did look with admiration upon so resplendent Brass; a Gold-smith who lodged over the way, and observed the splendor of that Divine mettal, drew near, and presently would have bargained for it, with a great deal of transportation and alteration. The Potter asked him only twenty pence, which the Gold-Smith would have given him presently, but the Tinker making sign to him to retract his words, he put his lingot in his pocket again, with protestation that he would not part with it, unless he had something that were worth the pains of going where he had it; in conclusion, after many contestations and disputes, the Potter who did suspect that it might be gold, would not sell nor deliver it under the sum of thirty Crowns, which the Gold-Smith paid him presently, and which he carried away with more joy, then if he had been possessor of greater riches; the Gold-smith on the other side, who thought that his profit would be above a hundred pounds sterlings, did refine this stone, that was about five pound weight, out of which he drew four pound weight, of very good and pure gold, the rest was a kind of dross, that made it thus brittle; one ought not to think that the Mine is all of the same perfection, but it purifieth it self, according as nature thrusteth it out of the Rock, as we see that Rubies and Emeralds are purer, then the Rock from whence they come. This Gold-Smith having found such fortune, and being resolved to make the best use of it, went to the Lord Scaravaque, then Governour of the Town, and imparted unto him this new discovery, that he might have his assistance and favour in it, and that under his power and authority he might follow and wait upon this precious business without being disturbed by any body, to which the Governour did so much the easier consent, that this Tradesman did oblidge himself to give him the best part of the profit that should arise from thence, and that should exceed any Travels into the Indies or Peru.

In the mean time the Potter was not asleep, the Gold-smiths money had stirred his appetite, and the charm of this witchcraft that worketh generally upon all spirits, did put him upon new hopes. He went into the Mountain with his wife, and with the help of a rope Ladder, which he had provided, and some Iron tools, wherewith he had loaded his Mule, he went down into the Caves, and with much endeavour did at last break that piece, that came out of the Rock like a mans arm, because all the other that were tumbled upon the ground, were so big and heavy that he could not remove them, when he had broken it down, though it were about fourscore and two pounds weight, nevertheless with the help of his wife and of his Ropes and Ladder he got out again, and stopt the hole with a large stone, and some Earth, upon which he planted some small Bushes so ingeniously, that this hole could never be found out again.

The Lord Scaravaque who was most impatient, to conquer like another Jason this Golden Fleece, and who was set on by the persuasions of the Gold-smith, sent for the Potter, under pretence to employ him in the making and furnishing of some Tiles and other small commodities that depended on his art. The Potter obeyed presently, drawn by the hopes to sell his wares well, and mistrusting nothing at all what they would ask him. As soon as he came, the Governour asked him and perswaded him with the best and most flattering words he could, to tell where he had the yellow stone that he sold to the Gold-smith. The Potter who more and more began to know the value of this rare Treasure, invented presently a lie, to free himself of the importunity of them that would have deceived him; therefore with an ingenuity, as simple as artificial he answered, he had found it upon the brim of the Sea, where may be some Ship had been cast away, or the Waves had cast it upon the shore.

The Governour answered that this could not be, and therefore threatned him of violence, and to send for all that he had in his House, which put the fellow into a great perplexity, because of the other stone that should be found there, therefore he chose rather to give it them out of his good will, then to put himself in danger of loosing all, and perchance of being abused to boot, without any more ado, he ingenuously confessed he had another piece of the same stuff as the former in his House, which he had likewise found in the same place, which he was ready to put into their hands, provided he might have his share of it, and be suffered to get his livelihood peaceably. The Lord Scaravaque did promise him all what he desired, and gave him some men to keep him company, with command to bring him back again, and to take special care he should not make an escape. At last this poor man came back again with that piece, which did more inflame the passion that the Governour had to know the place whence came that rich treasure; but neither for prayers, promises, or threats he would never reveal it, which did oblige the Governour to shut him up close in a Chamber, where nevertheless they gave him Victuals and made ready a Bed, but he refused both, and by an extraordinary sadness, gave shew that some notorious mischance was waiting on him, which proved true, for he was found dead in the Morning; which did put the Lord Scaravaque in a grief unexpressible, to see himself deprived by this accident, of the fruit that his hopes had made him conceive. He had recourse to the Potters wife for this discovery, but she could never attain to it, whatsoever exact searches she could make: yea, and after she was married again with a young man, who had spent in that search most of his time. The Lord Scaravaque and other persons of quality have employed all their skills and endeavours, but all their industry and charges have been without effect, as well as of many others, who attempted the same; about that time my Father who was overseer of the Mines in Provence, having received the news of a business of such consequence, that did concern his place, went presently unto that Mountain, to see if he could discover those wonders, I was then in his company, as also that woman, viz. the Potters wife, who carried us in several places for many days, without any success at all, although she gave notice that she could here the Waves of the Sea, when she was in the Cave with her first Husband, so that all our endeavours proved fruitless and unprofitable, because my Father fell sick, which made us forsake our quest, which is of such a consequence as not to be neglected.

During the time of our painful visiting that Mountain, I did consider the particularities of that rich Mountain, and observed that the top of it was almost all Azur, which tokens are the beams of that golden Sun and are the hairs of that fair goodness, under whose feet all things submit; in a word, are the true and infallible signs that underneath are Mines of Gold and Silver. And as I have directed all my thoughts many times to find out the means to compass so excellent a work, whose profit would surpass all what the Indies furnish unto strangers, and that with so much less charges and danger, that there is no heed of Ships or Fleet to cross over the Sea, from one Pole to the other, nor fight against any enemies: at last I have attained to a certain knowledge, which putteth me in hope, and makes me promise and engage my word, that at least I shall find a thred of that golden Mine, which may chance to lead us to the Centre of all these Treasures, but the Royal Authority being necessary to prop up this design, it belongeth to his Majesty to take what course he thinketh best for this, and to me to obey, execute his will. This digression which is an assured experiment, (that is a certain truth), is not come into this discourse, but only to prove that Mines grow by augmentation, in converting into their own nature the more subtle parts of the Neighbouring Earth. Thus far Doctor de Rochas.