Garencières allegorises here so widely as to show what havoc ingenuity can play with analogy, which is a key to the occult things of the universe in good hands—those of the prophet, poet, or genius of any sort. The rod, he says, is the pen, placed in the middle of the branches means the fingers of the hand, the water he dips it in is the ink he writes with, wetting limb and foot is the paper covered from top to bottom. Was manuscript ever, since the world began, more mystically shadowed forth?
The interest of English readers will perhaps be most readily drawn to Nostradamus, by dealing first with some of the most remarkable prophecies concerning England; and with the invaluable aid of M. Anatole le Pelletier’s admirable work on Nostradamus, this can at any rate for a few of the quatrains be most readily accomplished. He gives six examples from the various “Centuries.” The first relates to the supremacy of England at sea: “L’Angleterre le Panpotent des mers.” The word Panpotent is a barbarous Græco-Latin word for πᾶν-potens, all-powerful. The periods M. le Pelletier would assign to these changes or revolutions in England extend from 1501, the birth of Lutheranism, to 1791, the commencement of the French Revolution.
He selects Century iii., quatrain 57:—
“Sept fois changer verrez gent Britanique,
Teints en sang en deux cens nonante an;
Franche non point, par appuy Germanique;
Aries doubte son pole Bastarnan.”
“You shall see the British nation, inundated with blood, change seven times in 290 years. But France not so, thanks to the firmness of her Germanic kings. The sign of the Ram shall no longer recognise the north of Europe (son pole Bastarnan) it will so have changed.”[55]
Here we have to notice that 1501 plus 290 equals 1791, which may if you like be taken as the date of the commencement of the French Revolution, though commonly it is reckoned from 1789, the taking of the Bastille. The Germanic kings are the descendants of Hugh Capet. Bastarnia stands for Poland as its ancient name. The first dismemberment of Poland took place in 1772. Then Russia grew into power, Peter ascended the throne 1682, and Lutheranism triumphed in Germany. Such changes might well startle the Ram from all recognition of the northern world.
1501 is the date of the Renaissance, and from that to 1792 England is to undergo seven revolutions.
1. In England Henry VIII. breaks free from Rome, and the Church of England is set up in 1532.
2. 1553 Mary restores the Papal religion.