The Affairs not succeeding according to the Pope’s, and the King of France’s desire, they made Peace with the Spaniard the 14th of October 1557. and because it was an effect of Gods Providence, which moved the Pope’s, and the Kings hearts; the Author saith, they were struck from Heaven.
After this Peace the Author mentions an Earth-quake, which is very likely considering the overflowing of the Tyber, which followed immediately.
The night after, that Peace was proclaimed at Rome, on a Tuesday the Tyber did so overflow his Banks, that the inundation was thought the greatest that ever was, yea greater than that which happened in the year 1530. under Clement VII.
There were ten or twelve Mills carried away, all the Vine-yards along the Tyber, from Pontemole to St. Peters Church, were buried under the Sands, that the water carried.
Abundance of Houses fell to the ground. In Rome many Gardens and houses of pleasure were destroyed, the loss of the Wines, Hay, Wood, and Corn could not be valued.
In Florence the River of Arno did more mischief than the Tyber at Rome, the History of the Genealogy of the house of Medicis, made by Peter de Boissat, mentioneth, that in some places of the City of Florence, the water overflowed to the heigth of eight Fathoms, and covered all the valley of Arne.
The damage was yet greater at Empoly, a Town in Tuscany, where, of three thousand people, there escaped but eighteen.
But to return to Tyber, its waters being retired into their Channel, left so much mud, where it had overflowed, that no body could walk upon it, and upon that mud near the Tyber, was a Serpent seen of a prodigious bigness, which was killed by the Countrey people.
This is the Authors meaning in the last Verse, Arne, Tyber, full of Surges, Serpent cast upon the Shore.
In the third Verse he saith, those three Princes were struck or moved from Heaven to make Peace, that is, from God; every one considering that this War was only for their mutual distruction.