XXXII.
French.
Le grand sepulchre du peuple Aquitanique,
S’aprochera aupres de la Toscane,
Quand Mars sera pres du coin Germanique,
Et au terroir de la gent Mantuane.
English.
The great grave of the Aquitanick people,
Shall come near Tuscany,
When Mars shall be in the German corner,
And in the Territory of the Mantuan people.
ANNOT.
The Lord of Thou saith in his History, that the Cardinal Caraffa got by the King of France’s permission, out of Corsica, several Troops of Gascons, and brought some with them, to the number of about 2000 which were quartered about Rome. Many of them were among the Troops of the Duke of Guise, being allured thither by the reputation of their Countreyman Captain Monluc.
The Author foretelleth, that they shall find their Graves near Tuscany, because the Territory of Rome joyneth to that Province.
Then in the 3 and 4 Verse he specifieth the time by two marks; one is, when Mars shall be near the German corner; the other, when he shall be in the Territory of the Mantuan people, and the War was then in that Territory; for the Duke of Ferrara to shew he would not stand still, sent his son Alphonso d’Este to make incursions there, and to take some places.
Moreover the War was then near the German corner, which is Lorrain, when Henry II. besieged Thionville in the year 1558. Paradin sheweth, that Mars was in the German corner two years before, sith about the end of the year 1555; the Duke of Nevers by an extraordinary endeavour in the middle of the Winter, did relieve Mariembourg: and the following years the French Garrisons kept the fields to avoid surprises. And in the year 1557. when the Duke of Guise fought in Italy, the Duke of Savoy brought his Army against Mariembourg; so it proved true that Mars, viz. the War was in the German corner; for that Town is in the borders of Germany, and was in that corner till the taking of Thionville.