At the Watch word his death shall be protracted,
Then afterwards at Easter he shall bleed in the Temple.
ANNOT.
The Prince of Condé, whose name was Lewis, and the youngest of the Children of Charles of Bourbon, the first Duke of Vendosme, father to Anthony of Bourbon, King of Navarre, went away from the Court in the time of Francis the second King of France, and came into Bearn to the King his Brother. He was summoned many times by Francis II. to come to Court; but finding his name to be amongst those that intended to surprise Lion, he durst not venture.
Nevertheless he was perswaded by his Uncle the Cardinal of Bourbon, and came to the Court at Orleans. It is easie to believe that he fained himself to be hurt by a fall from his Horse, or that really he was so; having his Arm in a Scarf, and his Leg swadled up, in which posture he came to testifie his obedience to the Kings commands.
In this posture of a wounded man, whether really and fictitiously he came from Palais, which by mistake is printed Calais; the Printer being ignorant, that in Bearn, where the Prince had sheltered himself, there is a Castle called Palais, which was the place that the Prince used to live in.
Being come to Court he was presently arrested, arraigned and condemned to death. Nevertheless the Kings sickness proving mortal, the execution was suspended, and his life saved. After that the Prince sought all occasions to revenge himself, and began about Easter in April following. It was not by an open Rebellion against the King, but under pretence to maintain the Protestant Religion: therefore the Author saith, that this life saved shall bleed in the Temple; because the Princes pretext was the Temple and the Church; that is Religion. Hence the fourth Verse is clearly understood. Resteth the third Verse, which saith, that his life was differred till the Watch word; because the Queen seeing the King her Son upon his death bed, caused secretly the execution of the Sentence to be differred, that she might make use of the King of Navarre, and of the Prince his Brothers favour, against the house of Guise, for the obtaining of the Regency.
Moreover I observe, that in the year 1562. the Prince of Condé began openly to rebel, surprising the City of Orleans the 29 of March, which was Easter day that year, which sheweth the truth of the fourth Verse.