Not France, by the German support,
Aries doubleth his Bastarnan Pole.
ANNOT.
The two first Verses concern England; the third France; the fourth marketh the time by the motion of the Sign of Aries, which shall be favourable to France.
We shall leave the two first Verses to be interpreted by the English Nation, which is most concerned in it, and come to the last two, which concern France.
The third Verse saith that France shall not change as England, by reason of the help it shall have from Germany, which hath been made good already for these hundred years, notwithstanding the Wars between Henry II. and the Spaniard; the Conspiracy of the Protestant party against Francis the II. at Amboise; the civil Wars under Charles the IX. the League under Henry III. and Henry IV. the Forrain Wars under Lewis XIII. and Lewis XIV. now Reigning.
The Authors meaning by these words, but France not, is, you shall not see France change seven times in two hundred ninety years, as the Brittish nation, and then he giveth the reason of it, by German help, that is to say, that France shall have help from Germany.
The fourth Verse saith, that during those two hundred ninety years, Aries doubleth his Bastarnan Pole, to understand this, we must suppose first that the Sign of Aries ruleth over France, Palestine, Bastarnia, &c.
Secondly, we must learn from Ptolomy and other Geographers, that Bastarnia containeth the people that are towards Sarmatia or Poland, which were called by the Ancients, the people of Admone, Sidane, Roxolane, and by others Peucins, from the Island Peuce, which is in Istria.
Thirdly, we must suppose, that the Sign of Aries hath two Poles, the first is that of the Æquinoctial Line, and the second, that of the Eccliptick, because the Sign of Aries beginneth just in the Line of the Equator, and afterwards stretcheth towards the North. Now it is so that the place where its extension endeth in the Eccliptical Line of the Sun, is called by the Author the Bastarnan Pole.