XXXV.
French.
Le Lion jeune le vieux surmontera,
En champ bellique par singulier Duelle,
Dans Cage dor Lœil il lui crevera,
Deux playes une puis mourir mort cruelle.
English.
The young Lion shall overcome the old one,
In Martial field by a single Duel,
In a Golden Cage he shall put out his Eye,
Two wounds from one, then he shall die a cruel death.
ANNOT.
This is one of the Prophecies that hath put our Author in credit, as well for the clearness as for the true event of it.
Cæsar Nostradamus our Authors son, in his History of Provence, writeth that by this Stanza his father intended to foretell the manner of Henry the second’s death.
The French Histories relate that this great Prince desiring to honour the Nuptial of his Daughter Elizabeth, married to Philip II. King of Spain, did appoint a Tournament to be kept in St. Anthony’s street in Paris, where himself would be one of the Defendants against all comers, and for that purpose chose for his companions and associates Don Alfonso d’Este Duke of Ferrara, and Francis of Lorrain, Duke of Guise.
The Tornament being almost ended, in which the King had shewed much Valour being mounted upon a Horse of the Duke of Savoy, Philibert’s, Emanuel his Brother in Law, this Duke intreated the King to leave off, because he had got the Victory; and the weather was hot, and the night drawing on: But this Martial King would need break one Launce more, and commanded the Captain Gabriel de Lorges to be called, a young and valiant Lord and Captain of the Scottish Guard. Being come, the King commanded him to run against him, which he refused a great while; but the King waxing angry, he obeyed, and set Spurs to his Horse, he did hit the King in the lower part of his Beaver, the Launce was broken into shivers, and the mean stump lifting up the Beaver, a splinter got in, and wounded the King a little above the right Eye, where finding the Bone too hard, it went very deep under the said Eye, and broke some Veins belonging to the Membrane, called Pia Mater.
The blow was so violent that the King bended his head towards the lists, and fell, into a Swound, being presently disarmed, they perceived the splinter of the Launce in his Eye, and his face all bloody. He lived ten days after, and died with great Convulsions, because the Sinews were offended, whereupon he suffered grievous Torment.
His death was also foretold by Luke Gaurick a great Astrologer, who being constrained by the Queen Catharine of Medicis, to tell her by what kind of death her Husband should end his days, told her it should be in a Duel, which made him to be hissed at, Kings being exempted of those accidents.
According to this Narrative the Author calleth the King an old Lion, and the Captain Lorges, since Earl of Montgomery, the young Lion; because both fought like Lions. The young Lion overcame the old one in Martial field, and in a fight of one against one, and consequently a Duel.
He overcame him by putting his Eye out in a Golden Cage, that is, in his Gilded Helmet.
Of which Wound there came another, because the blood of some broken Veins, creeping into the Brains by the vehement agitation of the head, caused an Impostume there, which could not be remedied: therefore the Author saith two Wounds from one, that is, one wound made two: and the King died of a cruel death, as we have said before.