On the Prognostications of Paracelsus

Translated or corrected from the Latin edition. Published circa 1530, presumed to prophecy up to circa 1575.

Marcus Titius, ad Lectorum

If you seek the blissful paths the stars unfold,
And the mystic words in secret signs enrolled,
What sacred omens stars in years to come decree,
And what hopes or fears they show to you and me.

By what signs they stir the human mind with dread,
May God's mercy guide us on the path we tread.
Theophrastus, the sage summoned from ethereal height,
With wondrous words imparts his wisdom and his light.

So let whoever's threatened by ill fate's decree,
Beware the words that speak of dire calamity.

Latin Preface, +- Levi, from the English, corrected with the Latin

Socrates, discoursing one day upon the curious research of matters celestial, forgetting things human and that which is under our feet, exclaims:

'That which is above us does not exist for us',

signifying thereby that an anxious and superstitious speculation of the heavens is vain, empty and dangerous. For it happens that someone, having been taught by his own peril, is eventually drawn away from such studies. Truly also in (the dialogues of) Plato does he praise moderation in all things. It is in this manner that the words of this wiseman should be judged, for there is no reason to think that he would calumniate astrology, being himself an excellent Astrologer as Plato testifies.

I will not here make an apology for Astrology, as it has been sufficiently praised by learned individuals. I will say one thing, that there is not another art that can so justly be called divine in its fount, its tradition and its doctrine. Read Moses who will tell you why God placed in the firmament the Sun, the Moon and the Stars, saying that they shall serve as signs for seasons and years. Thus St. Paul also praises the wise of this world who recognised in the visible things their Invisible Creator. But in this he rebukes them rightly, for not having worshipped the Creator above creation. God commands us, in fact, to inspect the elements and to know and adore from these works their Maker. For they are indeed visible, and through them, all secrets and hidden natures are revealed: the marvelous arts manifested in roots, stones, and even in the effects and nature that have been discovered by wise men through sagacity and industry, by men who Homer and Hesiod called Alphistas en Meropes, that is, investigators. Rightly it it said that not too much of this must be attributed to human cognition, for it is a divine wisdom, which proceeds from the Father of Light, as St. Jacob says. For just as God revealed the signs of letters so that our senses might perceive and speak expressively, He also imparts and teaches all disciplines through them as instruments.

And because God has created His marvellous works so wonderfully for the benefit of humanity, He also desired them to be known. He established a school, not accessible to everyone, in which we diligently learn things that are not visible to all. So the fisherman draws his net from the depths of the sea and catches many thousands of deep fish, which he never saw. So the miners bring forth masses of gold and silver from the caverns and depths of the earth, where the bodily eye cannot penetrate. So God teaches hidden things of nature and the threats of the stars and then reveals them to us. Thus there is nothing hidden which shall not become revealed and placed in the light, whether in the firmament of the heavens, in the sea or on the earth, all must be brought to the light of day. And these Alphistas or investigators which seek out are called celebrated men and cause their names to pass from mouth to mouth; for truly they have brought light to the arts of nature, and their memory must not become extinct. Truly the Muse never cedes her inheritance of glory to death, and it is by Genius that we live, and all the rest belongs to death.

In the same wise, according to our gifts and what has been conceded to us by God, we desire to glean after those noble harvesters and explain to the world the warnings of Nature and of the stars, for a period to come of fourty four (some: fourty two, twenty four) years, so that men may learn to fear God, preparing themselves for the Last Judgment. It can not be expressed in what manner all flesh has corrupted its way, rebellion against God and disturbance is everywhere, Heaven and Earth are confounded, and were God not to shorten the days of His wrath no flesh could be saved. In truth the disorderly life of men of my time is that which moved me to diligently study the stars.

There are signs in the Sun and the Moon and the Stars that announce the coming of the judgment of God, the axe is at the foot of the tree. Blood flows upon blood, and as the Prophet says no man is found who seeks God, all are made useless, there is not even one. But the Prophets and Evangelists call us to charity, concord and unity. Unity is in the Divine Triad, and the Triad is reduced to Unity, so it is in this wise that in human society unity, peace and tranquillity should arise. Where unity is broken into plurality, here there are dissensions and war, there are as many opinions as there are heads, each is his own master, there is no harmony possible; but in unity there is quiet and abundant peace. See how good and how pleasant is is for brethren to live in unity exclaims David! All creatures rejoice in unity, one law of harmony has Heaven, the earth one law of friendship and fruitfulness in its time. All obey unity except Satan and those men who, by their wickedness, do not walk in harmony with the signs of the heavens—the Sun, Moon, and Stars—which serve as reminders to worship and honour God.

Even small children understand why these signs exist and why they bring forth impending destruction and sudden calamity. Blessed he who sitteth not in the chair of pestilence and impiety, and who does not walk in the counsel of sinners, for they shall be visited by wrath and destruction from God. Every man feels in his own conscience the punishment which he cannot avoid.

No one can overcome God in the day of His fury; it is painful to kick against the goads. The Lord of Hosts is a strong God, who visits the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation. Extremely demented are those who oppose God. Foolhardy Giants who would dethrone Jove, who instead were themselves overthrown by His thunder. Now to show to men their stupidity, which we propose to do to a small number by thirty and two figures.

We have seen the consummate sin of Gomorrha, their iniquity crying out to heaven and being carried to it. It happens that when everything is at its highest point, the bow is prone to snap, whether people like it or not, and they are brought down to a more humble state, to their great detriment. Thus by perpetrating crime after crime corruption will in the end exhaust itself, and who can be sad about this? Behold, the salvation of the multitude is coming and redemption shall overcome all evil.

Who would not be impatient to see those good days, where unity is restored and we shall live in peace under one shepherd? Away all troubles and injustise, the balsam shall descend upon the beard of Aaron; the benediction, the clarity, the grace of God shall come to those who have learned unity.

Pride was odious even in the heavens, and the celestial spirits were not affected by the fall of Lucifer, but they affirmed the Divine Judgment. Let us therefore not grieve if God now opens up the hells to the feet of the haughty by their own proud thoughts. As we say, let us rather rejoice, for the judgment has commenced in the House of God itself, and it will come upon all the proud.

Our prognostications have but one aim, as we have said, to reveal the threatenings of Heaven against haughty minds, and those wicked in this world. For God desired to finally deliver and avenge His opressed children, to liberate them, to cast down the powerful and the lift up the humble.

This is the beginning of the pains, but not yet its consummation, for with such a force it shall become manifested that it will prevent the just from being seduced and drawn into the ruin of the perverse.

However, let no one be named in this prediction, for only God knows whom He has decreed to punish. They are unknown to all people, although they may sense the wickedness more quickly than we can perceive and divine. All is concealed to us, and yet truly revealed.

These are all the things that are revealed to us, but secret Cabalistic knowledge is not pronounced here, for as they say it is the mother and inventor of Astrology. For God blinds their eyes, and hardens their hearts, and they no longer see with their eyes, nor know with their hearts, nor are they converted and healed.

Finishing this preface I pray that all who read these words interpret them in simplicity. Let them keep their minds free from all hate, fear and envy. For the events will strike in justice and then those who will shall know.

I know many who have pronounced in the same way, and I do not reprehend their works, studies and abilities, but rather maximally encourage them.

I see death coming upon many of the monasteries, but truly if men were wise, they would repent and turn towards God, who is trustworthy and merciful, and allows himself to be easily moved by the importunity of prayers.

Furthermore we do not attribute to the stars a fatal power, they merely influence us, but if the Lord wills it, He alone can alter the direction and change all.

Jozua prayed and the Sun stood still, so that he would victor over his enemies. Ezechias prayed and the shadow tarried on the sundial. Elias prayed and the heavens closed. Extremely powerful are the continuous prayers of the Saints. Those who would avert the threatened punishments have only these things to do: to repent, to pray, to live piously and soberly.

May this be conceded to us by our Father through His Beloved Son, in His Holy Spirit. Amen.

OVIDIUS, FASTI

Happy souls, who first cared to know,
and ascend into the superior mansions,
Above the vice, above human frailty,
Certainly they raised their heads.

Figure I.

What is seen?
A hand holding a sword from a cloud, a snake coiled around the sword, having a bushel in its mouth, its tail moving through a first keyhole but not a second.

Description:
In all things, there is an external mark by which we perceive that which is not subject to the eyes, namely the internal. Similarly, both nature and magic have their own marks by which they are identified, and you also carry your own distinctive mark. You burn with a desire to devour and seek those who have some dealings with you. Thrice and four-blessed are those free from any need to deal with you, who will enjoy perpetual tranquility, having nothing at all to do with you. However, if there are those who desire to have some kind of interaction with you, it is your beauty or excellence more than justice and integrity which is demanded.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
’It would require a larger book to elucidate this figure than the one in which all the figures are contained.’ ‘The first figure is sufficiently known to the intelligent’. ‘France.’

My opinion:
The hand from the cloud is the Hand of God. Holding the sword it represents judgment or punishment or discernment. The serpent signifies change. It devours the bushel, that is fertility or industry or fruitfulness. Its tail passes through the first lock or veil, which is the royal power or state, but not the second, the priestly. It seems then that Divine Judgment on an impious royal power is signified. The Englishman interprets it as France. Perhaps the reign of Francis I, his war against the Emperor Charles V, and his impious and sacrilegious alliance with the Ottomans, or other matters of the Italian Wars. Or his persecution of the Protestants is signified. Or Henry II is also signified, who continued in the same policies. The punishment may be the wars of religion in France, or the end of the House of Valois as the ruling dynasty.

Figure II.

What is seen?
A dead shrub with three fleur-de-lis.

Description:
Just as one who brings forth a flower from the earth more excellent than all others, and in its proper place and time turns it dry, withered, and rotten, so it happens to you. Today, though you may be a lily of the field, tomorrow (as Christ said) you will be cast into the furnace, that is, into solitude, desolation, and exile. You will migrate into submission to all things that will humble you more than usual in the years past. If only you had made your affairs stable and firm through prudence, counsel, and the fear of the Lord. But your own cunning has overturned you, and you must exit as you entered.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
’This figure resembles the shape of a lily. However, if we examine it more closely, it can also be compared to a buttercup or, if you prefer, a toad: for the lily, by magical sign, gradually transforms into these small creatures. Just as bovine animals attempt to equal great bulls in size through swelling and bloating until they burst, so too do the arrogant and conceited carry themselves excessively until they perish, are depressed, and humiliated. Let it be known that it is indeed a lily, but don't overlook the fact that it is not cultivated but wild, entangled in brambles: it envies all its own scent and is tormented by a wondrous envy.’ ‘France.’

My opinion:
The fleur-de-lis is an obvious symbol of French monarchy, but more generally of royal power per se. Or the sacred oil that was used to anoint the king to secure the Heavenly Mandate. The symbol is also associated with the Holy Virgin. Or faith, wisdom, and chivalry. Or the Trinity. Or the three points signify the Three and the band on the bottom signifies the Virgin as their pendant. Or the band signifies the Deitas as common Divine Substance. ‘As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.’ But, more likely the first interpretation, France, because there are three signs, and the Englishman agrees. Why is it said toads? In ancient times there came to Clovis a hermit who promised to swap his shield of three black toads for the fleur-de-lis at his conversion. The toads here then signify evil most probably. For as Charbonneau-Lassay says the green and brown frogs were quite well regarded by the ancients, and a sign of resurrection and virgin birth, divine fecundity. But as he quotes Msgr. Barbier de Montault it were only the foolish Hebrews who mistook the honourable frog for the toad, because of a similarity in external shape, so that they spoke evil of frogs, while meaning toads. For the toad has been universally regarded as evil because of its disgusting form. So it represents lust in its filthiest aspects. And also greed and envy. Or even the Devil himself. But he mentions also the one redeeming aspect of the toad, for they were said to contain in themselves a hidden stone which could remove all poison from the body or from wine. Thus it is said: ‘They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them.’ This figure then represents the decline of France from divine lily into devilish toad. Here either the same interpretation is given as in figure I, or perhaps we may relate it to the evils of the French Revolution and the like, by which French became the most hateful of the nations. But it is said ‘you must exit as you entered’. And the toadstone is hidden in the toad. So perhaps we must say that as France was the first daughter of the Church, so she must be redeemed and go out having redeemed herself, becoming a purification of the world.

Figure III.

What is seen?
On the left, six spears leaning to the left. In the middle, five spear standing straight. On the right, two spears leaning on the middle spears. In the background a city.

Description:
While you refused to delight in your own peace, you were an insatiable, bottomless barrel. Bloated, thickened, and expanded, you kick against an immense burden, namely greed, the pride of life, and lust. Your insolence has destroyed you, and you have reaped the consequences of your own dissensions and disturbances. You boast in wickedness, for you are powerful in iniquity. Therefore, the time of your punishment will come, and you will be humbled and brought back to your former state. You will indeed repent, but there will be no place for this repentance to take effect.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
And the poets say that envy is the greatest torment that Sicilian tyrants have not discovered, as the lily itself is consumed, pierced, and suffocated by its own thorns; and if certain individuals were to feel, understand, and believe all these things, their joy would suddenly turn into mourning, and they would weep rather than laugh. However, since they do not hold these things dear, calamity, distress, and ultimate despair of all things will come upon them. They will be deserted and abandoned by all their allies and associates who have thus far held it in delight. Its strength will therefore dwindle, and it will not be able to free itself from the impending wrath. However, I do not wish for the enemy, no matter how shattered, to be despised; great prudence is required in this matter. If I were allowed to proceed, as we mentioned initially, to expound on everything not universally but in detail, many disadvantages would be revealed.’ ‘Kaiser Wilhelm’.

My opinion:
The spears are set down, not being used, showing that there is peace or forgetfulness of war. The thorned lily as envy is mentioned. This would speak for another France interpretation. But the Englishman has interpreted in to refer to Wilhelm, who out of envy made Germany into a great power but antagonised foreign powers, perhaps leading to the Great War. This seems reasonable. It is said ‘will be deserted and abandoned by all their allies and associates’. And there was clearly envy in the bellicosity of Wilhelm. And his predecessor Friedrich was a despiser of war, showing that the former state was indeed peace achieved by the unification of Germany by Bismarck. And after the Great War Germany indeed was humiliated and destroyed. But in general it seems more likely that Paracelsus refers to the fattened and luxurious cities of the Renaissance, brought into the wars of Religion which would plague Europe for centuries after. Perhaps the six spears to the left signify the incomplete abandonment of war, for six signifies incompleteness. For this abandonment of war was not by a true peace, but by forgetfulness and luxury. Then the five in the middle to which two future ones are added signify the true consummation of war, either the Wars of Religion or the Great War. Or again the Italian Wars are meant.

Figure IIII.

What is seen?
A Patriarchal Cross vertically divided in half. On the right a dead tree. On the left a small fort on a hill.

Description:
You held your love in both your right and left hands, but in reverse order, and with that belief, you thought your affairs would be steadfast. However, both sides will constrain you and pursue you with hatred, as prophesied. And this love of yours, like that of a harlot, will lead to your own downfall and decline. You presumed yourself to be the head, but you will become a headless tale, a mere trunk and useless wood. Indeed, you will be compelled to devour this vexation, this weariness, and this contempt, and the desires you have pursued will turn into tortoises devouring you.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English (until VIII):
’As for the subsequent figures of this tragedy, up to the eighth, they will seek various human and foreign counsels, supports, and aids, linking alliances to alliances, until they drink from the prepared cup and taste the prepared table in the sight of God. They will establish it as a feast, restoration, and consolation for humanity, turning everything up and down, moving every stone, constructing, destroying, and working wickedly. But beyond God, as there is no salvation and liberation, there is also no rest or safe refuge, if only people were wise and understood, and considered the ultimate things and looked a little higher. Whatever you do, do it wisely and consider the end. The Lord says, 'Call upon me (do not seek the arm of the world; cursed is the one who trusts in man), and I will deliver you, I will rescue you, and I will glorify you.' Do not put your trust in princes, for there is no salvation in them. The eighth head, however, will reign and triumph; for it is necessary for an empire to exist on earth, to which all other members should align and settle. For how could it be possible for tranquility of human life, security, peace, and justice to prevail among mortal and wretched humans, where the authority and majesty of this head did not appear by the command and snap of this finger, and again this head would extend itself into the remaining members, which would retain their human nature by the grace of the divine. It is well known through our grave danger how the world has perished in apostasy, where each one has turned aside to his own way, seeking his own things and abandoning the common. No one should forget their calling for which they were called upon the earth.’ ‘Pope and Church’.

My opinion:
A cross divided in left and right. Either schism in general, or the East-West Schism, or the schism of the Reformation. Or the two powers of the Cross, royal and ecclesiastical. The one on the side of the fortress, showing how there is only true security with God, and the other on the side of the dead true, showing how trusting in human alliances is death. But it is said both sides will constrain, that is, both church and state. Your love was like a harlot, that is, spread between two, not united towards God. You considered yourself the head, but will become headless, perhaps the Pope, as the Englishman also thinks. Devouring tortoises, for the tortoise was generally regarded as a symbol of the underworld due to its aquatic nature, and an evil creature. So St. Jerome, the tortoise is heavy and slow with its own weight, signifying the grievous sin of the heretics. But others, such as the Far Easterners, say that the tortoises live forever, or very long, and are the seat of the world or of immortals. Thus tortoises devouring may mean eternal damnation. Perhaps it could be interpreted as the Church of England removing itself from the Pope, installing the King as head. For here the royal and ecclesiastical power are placed in inverted order. Or it signifies the Pope trusting in secular alliances such as the Holy League.

Figure V.

What is seen?
A crown, with a lock or keyhole above it, floating above a pond.

Description:
The wisdom of human affairs indeed requires a royal crown, but it is lacking in you; for you have chosen a different path, forgetting mercy and stripping yourself of humanity. Falling into tyranny, you have committed heinous and monstrous crimes. The stone will fall upon you, shatter and crush you, and the vengeance for the spilled innocent blood will be inflicted upon you. It will visit you, I say, from the south and from the east, whom you have greatly despised. And yet, in a short time, not one year will pass, nor another, and there will be no one in whom you can trust for salvation. Your alliances will be in vain, for even your allies will fall.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English (see also IIII):
’Kaiser Wilhelm.’

My opinion:
The waters signify the affairs of this world, or the trapping of this world, or the changing and illusory nature of this world, above which the true king floats, ruling but not being ruled. But the crown is locked from the above, that is, shielded from the Divine Influence, so that it falters in its state. Thus the wisdom of humanity is forgotten and tyranny is gained. The Englishman thinks again Wilhelm. It is said you will be visited, punished, from the south and the east. But the east, that is Austria, and the south, that is the Ottomans, were allied with the Germans. Or by the east is meant Russia and the south Italy. Here then Germany would be seen as the principal aggressor and source of the Great War. But, more likely, the Italian or Religious wars. More generally, the shutting of of the royal powers from Divine Grace and their decline into absolutism and tyranny.

Figure VI.

What is seen?
A broken laurel branch on a rock, a cliffside, an island perhaps.

Description:
Your odor is heavy, not to be endured by everyone: however, it will be tempered if at some point the sun, through the opposition of dense clouds, is not going to scatter its rays over you so widely and intensely: undoubtedly, it will then nourish you more vigorously. In the beginning, indeed, you flourished and triumphed in a wonderful manner: however, your plan became devoid of friends, and therefore it could not hold firm: But from there, you will reap remarkable praise and victory for your accomplished deeds, for it seems that you have returned to yourself.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English (see also IIII):
’Napoleon on St. Helena.’

My opinion:
The Englishman interprets it Napoleon. The laurel as sign of victory, broken showing its defeat. The laurel also as obvious symbol of the French Empire of Bonaparte. On a rock, perhaps St. Helena but more generally a place of isolation and relative security and contemplation, as in the ‘you have returned to yourself’. Indeed the interpretation seems fitting, for Napoleon was indeed of heavy odour and not easily endured, and victorious in beginning but defeated without friends in the end. But still his name is praised much to this day for the many things he did, so that the prophecy is true. But, perhaps more likely, the laurel as sign of Renaissance Humanism, return to ancient forms of Greece and Rome, which began great in its fervour but ended in brokenness, yet today is also still praised much for many things.

Figure VII.

What is seen?
A bishop (Pope?) wallowing through water (mire?) surrounded (attacked?) by spears from all sides.

Description:
The magic of all your affairs foretells destruction, sealed by the marked stone; you will indeed lead a frail and wretched life, as you have exceeded your bounds and sought the earth beyond your limit. In previous years, you overflowed with abundance, wealth, and pleasure, and your pride in life was shattered: but an excessively tense bow tends to snap. Your very own weight will cause your downfall, as you grow larger; for it often happens that those who presumptuously seek to extend their wings beyond the nest fall disgracefully: they are afflicted with numerous calamities because they fail to recognize themselves, and you will suffer the punishment of one who transfers and destroys kingdoms: you refused to guard your own well-being while disregarding the danger of others.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English (see also IIII):
’Pope and Church’.

My opinion:
The corruption and affluence of the clergy and the Papacy. Renaissance Popes indulging in great luxuries and abundance. The punishment of the Reformation. The meddling of the Church in too many secular affairs. More specifically, the failure of the Holy League after the death of Pius V. But against this, the great reformation of morals and and strict applications of canons accomplished by the Holy Father, the Inquisition, and the Jesuits. But Rome still was, as always, a nest of snakes, so that the Holy Pope was hated for ‘wishing to turn the city into a vast monastery’. But we may say that the punishment was already deserved by many of his predeccesors, for the Lord of Hosts visits punishments upon the pious sons for the sins of the impious fathers.

Figure VIII.

What is seen?
A hand from a cloud holding a sword, which at its point has a radiant sun. On the left trees.

Description:
Who is there in the universe of things, who can surely know to whom the sun projects its rays? That is, to whom are granted those things which would otherwise be impossible to bestow upon humans, and because all things are in the powerful hand of God, who bestows what should be bestowed upon whom He wishes; in vain do humans try to kick against the goad, as they say. Therefore, let their plans be confounded and let human counsels fail, for all these things have a limit. Prudence, counsel, and power are not against the Lord; you will perish with your own if you try to swim against the current.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English (see also IIII):
’Kaiser Wilhelm.’

My opinion:
The Hand of God holding the radiant sword, that is, the light of discernment. For indeed only God illuminates the hearts of men, and human counsel fails. Or the sword again signifies Divine retribution against the unjust. The Englishman again thinks Kaiser Wilhelm, and I suppose the Great War as Wrath of God. But more generally and more likely Renaissance humanism and modern science, the wisdom of this world separated from the Divine light. Perhaps by extension the horrors of technology, as shown preeminently during the Great War. Or, as in the Latin interpretation, the Universal Imperium, under which all must be subjugated. For then the figure signifies Divine Kingship. Perhaps is meant the HRE, which in turn became of course the German Empire until the Great War.

Figure VIIII.

What is seen?
A lion with two rods. In the background a city with ships (a port?)

Description:
The fact that people now dread this fierce and terrifying beast is not without divine influence; however, even this terror has its limit. For the rod that has been ordained by divine providence over you will break your ferocity and cruelty; it will render you weak and feeble. In such a way that those people who were struck and amazed by the terror of this beast, seized by astonishment, will say: "We never imagined that this small rod would so suddenly tame such a wild and untamed lion." Therefore, in all things, limits must be considered.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
’As for the ninth, sometimes the rod is salutary. What father does not occasionally rebuke his son? You will return to the one who strikes you. It is necessary for the rod to threaten and bend over you; but it will rise up in righteousness, for it does not seem prudent for anything to be withheld from anyone. You will be under the rod, and it will chastise you, and you will be corrected; therefore, bear it with an equal mind, bear it, and do not blame what cannot be changed.’ ‘The wild Lion, that is Bohemia, will again enter the Church.’

My opinion:
The Lion and port immediately reminds of Venice. But the Englishman per Theophrastus interprets Bohemia. Perhaps is meant the Hussite Wars, but then there would be no prophecy, for these were formerly. So more likely are prophesied the Protestant (post-Hussite) Bohemian revolts against the Habsburgs, the victory of the Habsburgs and the re-Catholisation of the Czech lands. Thus sometimes the use of the rod, that is, military force, is salutary for the soul, or the souls of a certain nation. But, equally likely, the decline of Venice is predicted. For after the disbanding of the Holy League Venice lost Cyprus and the city declined, especially also in the following centuries. Thus the city was chastised for its greed and ambition.

Figure X.

What is seen?
A monk destroying? his hood while sitting on a pontoon? on a lake?

Description:
Your attire is not bridal, for your heart, veiled with hoods, has been exposed to the world through magic; and just as gold is tested and purified seven times by fire, so you will be subjected to much greater vexations and temptations, and you will be troubled and worn out. However, your contempt and disgrace will not be taken away from you. In the beginning, you did not consider yourself; through your impious extortion, you drained the wretched ones, but now, plunder and the sweat of the poor will be demanded from your hands once again, and you will be delivered up; such are the goods of transience and flux that belong to you.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
’The following picture demands repentance in ashes and sackcloth, following the example of the people of Nineveh who repented at the preaching of Jonah. In vain will they cleanse themselves with their own righteousness; it is necessary that they acknowledge their sin in words and deeds. When they seek refuge in the knowledge of God's justice and how it justifies the wicked, they shall come. Living miserably in their own filth, like wild beasts, is futile.’ ‘Pope and Church.’

My opinion:
The corruption of the monasteries. Having grown fat and weak, having extorted the poor, the monks have done injury to their cowls. He sits on a piece of wood above the waters, signifying that it is only human construction which prevents him from drowning in the waters of sin. So their attire was no longer bridal, for instead of being prepared to enter into union with God, they veiled their hearts from the Divine Charity. And instead their hearts were exposed to the things of the world, so that they would either be purified or perish. And again sweat and poverty would be demanded from them. Here are also then prophesied the reforms, both those of Trent and those of various orders, for example specifically those of the Trappists, the Cistercians who reintroduced the strict observance of penitence in hard labour.

Figure XI.

What is seen?
A bear outside the city, biting his own hands, or eating.

Description:
With your swollen belly, filled with rich delicacies, and having risen under a too favorable star, you have thus far fattened yourself well and taken care of your skin, as they say. You indulged your inner desires excessively, devouring honey and overflowing with sweetness, leisure, and abundant pleasure. However, it would have been wise to foresee adversity in the midst of prosperity, forgetting beautifully about the coming winter, famine, and all your future calamities, as you are now reduced to extreme poverty. Thus, you are forced to suckle your own ankles and subsist on your own juices, as they say. Therefore, you have become like a beast devoid of reason and prudence.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
You are brutish and beast-like, lacking reason. Consider the ant, wise one, who prepares food in summer and gathers supplies for the winter. But you have neglected yourself, not considering the future, and you perish in hunger along with your children who are in you, and in cold.

My opinion:
The bear may in general represent royal power, but more specifically here perhaps Russia. For the bear devours honey and is fattened, and holds its sleep in the winter. Thus perhaps here is predicted the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible, and his conquests to the east, and also then the defeat of Russia in the Livonian war. The Tatar sack of Moscow. Perhaps again the massacre of Novgorod by the Tsar, and later the Time of Troubles, where anarchy reigned in Russia. More speculatively, communism and the Soviets. The Englishman had no interpretation.

Figure XII.

What is seen?
A royal folding chair. It is upside down?, and one leg is missing, instead replaced with the letters S P R.

Description:
No one should rashly claim the honor of a higher seat and choose the first place among the Pharisees, for whoever exalts themselves will be humbled. Thus, you placed yourself in a more honorable position without considering your outcome. You are now compelled with shame, danger, and ultimate ruin to occupy the lowest place. For the highest position was not rightfully yours. The weighty and unbearable burden of your actions will cause you to fall, S.P.. The seats of the money changers will be overturned, the honors, wealth, and pleasure you sought will slip away from you, and you will not hesitate to receive the reward deserved by your devastation.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
This entire prophecy of ours is wonderfully confirmed by the divine Virgin, drawn down from the heavenly abode. Thus, as she marvels, she realizes through these little things that impossible events occur before reason's eyes. What does Diogenes ask? What does God do in heaven? She answers, 'He casts down the high and humbles the lowly here.' ‘Pope and Church.’

My opinion:
SPR seems to me either a shortened form of SPQR, simply meaning the Roman Senate and People, or it may signify the Seat of St. Peter, as in the simpler abbreviation S.P.. Perhaps referring to the Sack of Rome of 1527, but then the prognostication would have had to been written earlier than the year of publication. But indeed here Rome, the city of the highest seat and the first place among Pharisees, was reduced to rubble and starvation. A mere ten thousand inhabitants remained, the churches and monasteries, and the palaces and shrines pillaged from their rich decorations. Or here is meant the Renaissance and its humanism, from which Rome was here cleansed, so that it would be later restored to purity with the Inquisition and Trente. Or the Pope Clement VII generally is meant, who loved the Renaissance arts, was a clear nepotist, obstructed the divine Savonarola, and failed generally in his government of ecclesiastical and secular affairs. So here the haughty and luxurious were punished, and the seat of power was turned upside down. Thusly is the judgment of God.

Figure XIII.

What is seen?
A man swinging a sword, perhaps a Landsknecht. A humble cottage in the background.

Description:
Excessive indulgence begets contempt. Just as wicked people exploit the kindness of a good man, attempting to elevate themselves through their own foolishness, it happens as it does to thriving grass when it is cut down at the proper time. If you had governed your affairs with reason, counsel, and prudence, you would not have subjected yourself to such heavy penalties for your foolishness. For it is your own hide that is at stake, the danger of your head in the snares, and your life and well-being are brought into jeopardy. You cannot emerge unscathed. Likewise, those who ascend to heaven by their own designs will be cast down and precipitated into the depths of hell, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
Therefore, humble yourselves, you mighty ones, under the hand of God, ‘Austria.’

My opinion:
It seems here to signify the mercenary Landsknecht, hired by the Emperor, attaining to their peak under Charles V. So they captured the French king and defeated Suleiman, but also sacked Rome, as we have already discussed. Perhaps this is the sense, the military might of the sword cuts both ways. So the Emperor gained great victories and honour by his arm, but did also great damages. See also the Italian wars. See the failure of the Algerian campaign. See the Eighty Years’ War or Dutch Revolt. Also the Wars of Religion, the Thirty Years’ War. Thus, wishing to exalt itself in military might, the HRE, and Austria, were humiliated. So also the Englishman seems to interpret. More generally also, those who live by the sword die by the sword. Perhaps, speculatively, the acceptance of the heretical religions by the HRE leading to its downfall.

Figure XIIII.

What is seen?
Two hands from the clouds rip apart a piece of paper (a charter, a bull?), above a city surrounded by waters, with a single entrance over the water.

Description:
It is true that excessive license tends to make everyone worse. For those who loosen the reins too much on their subordinates often fall into the greatest calamities. It often happens that someone is eventually slain by their own sword, or falls into the pit they themselves dug or created. They become the author of their own destruction. That overly generous donation and excessive concession gives birth to contempt, rebellion, and arrogance, which later leads to the plundering, tearing apart, and destruction of the granted privileges. It has led your heart, elevated and arrogant, to deceive not only your own people but also those beneath you whom you wished to despise. You too shall be annihilated.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
so that you may at least taste eternal life if you are not willing to experience what the scripture says, 'The mighty will endure torment.’ ‘Austria.’

My opinion:
The Englishman also interprets this to refer to Austria, or the HRE. For the city may be here the City of God, the Divine Mode of Government of Empire, sanctified by the holy Bull. But now the Hands of God are seen ripping apart the papers, perhaps prophesying the destruction of the HRE and of Austria. For the HRE did grant many privileges in later times to its princes, and allowed heretical doctrines to spread among its members, so that the body became sick and the members were turned against eachother, so that contempt, rebellion and arrogance gave way to plundering, tearing apart, and desctruction. So did the Emperor not only deceive his own, thinking that by giving license to error he was doing favours, but also those beneath him, for so were sent many souls into the underworld which otherwise would have enjoyed perpetual felicity in Heaven. But now you too had to be annihilated, and so it was done by the Scourge of God, Napoleon, the new Attila. Indeed, as the Scriptures say, the mighty will endure torment.

Figure XV.

What is seen?
Three crowns vertically arranged, above them a lock or keyhole.

Description:
You have abused your excessive freedom, for you clearly recognized no authority on Earth. And indeed, you exceeded all limits in your own self, for there is nothing so sublime that cannot be brought down. Therefore, a head will be imposed upon you, and under this head, like a member in a body, you will serve, and together with the other members, you will sustain the whole body due to your pride, which you extended to the highest degree. There will come upon you someone whom you did not foresee, and he will render your plans futile. However, all these matters will be settled when you sleep with your fathers.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
The counsels of the mighty hunters ascend to the height of the heavens on earth; they strive, as in ancient times, like the Giants who sought to overthrow and cast down Jupiter from the sky. ‘Pope and Church.’

My opinion:
The three crowns vertically arranged remind of the Papal Tiara, signifying either the three domains of the world, or Christ as King, Priest, and Prophet. Thus by extension the double royal and priestly power of the Pontifex Maximus. But above them a lock, signifying, as we have seen before, the shutting away of influences from above, that is, from Divine Grace. Thus most obviously it is interpreted the taking away of divine inspiration from the Pope. And the description and interpretation speak about pride, and the lack of recognition of a superior on Earth. But it is also said that another unexpected head will be placed upon those who rebel. So perhaps then the Lutherans or Anglicans are meant. For they refused to have the Pope as head and, expecting now to have no superior on earth, were forced under the yoke of the royal or imperial powers. Thus it happens often with those who rebel and expect freedom, but are really cast into a worse type of servititude. So generally with sinners, who remove the light yoke of Christ as tyranny and choose freedom of sin, which in truth is slavery. But the three crowns perhaps do refer also to Henry VIII, for he was styled King of England, France, and Ireland, making three crowns in total.

Figure XVI.

What is seen?
A head (one of the winds, Boreas? South winds?) blowing (apart?) scrolls, papers (bulls?), and books.

Description:
Paul rightly says: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Today, many people will be frustrated by their childish efforts. There is no end to the writing of books, as the wise man says, but time reveals and conceals all things. It will become clear that we embraced dung instead of saffron, rubble instead of pearls, and filth instead of precious gems. You will fall into the hands of those who plunder, and you will be carried away like a leaf in the wind, completely disturbed, and no one knows who will gather you up.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
They build Babylonian towers, attempting to fortify themselves against God and man. But when God scattered and dispersed them in the confusion of their languages, so too will our endeavors be frustrated, and we will pay the price for our foolishness. ‘Old Theology’.

My opinion:
The Englishman interprets ‘Old Theology’, most probably Scholasticism. More likely referring to the Humanist scholars and their works, as Scholasticism had already greatly declined by 1530. Or it refers to the second period of late Scholasticism, which was inflamed also by the Jesuits and Cajetan and the like, which declined in the face of the Enlightenment. Or it refers to the third period of neo-Scholasticism, which declined after the Second World War. But again, more probable the destruction of humanist scholarship in the face of the revolution of the new science. Or perhaps aristotelean science in the face of the same. Or in general all sciences of books and mere learning, rather than the practice. Or, all rationalism and academism, as opposed to the Hermeticism, Neoplatonism and Pythagoreanism of Paracelsus. Perhaps in general, all those doctrines which are mere preparation and not practice. Or those doctrines which are only outer and not inner. All the outer and preparatory will pass away and time will reveal that it was vain.

Figure XVII.

What is seen?
A man working with hammer and chisel. In some versions building a house with other masonic instruments such as the square present.

Description:
It is the task of a wise architect to construct buildings solidly, to lay a strong foundation, and as Christ said, to build upon a firm rock so that when the winds blow, the rain falls, and the rivers come, the built structures are not swept away. If they are destroyed, the wise architect will attempt to rebuild, to demolish, to rebuild again, and to change squares into circles. And indeed, what has been set, as I said with force, should be fortified and supported so that it cannot be easily demolished by an enemy, and what has been leveled to the ground should be prevented from being rebuilt. In this way, the folly of both parties becomes apparent. Many have erected many things, and many have destroyed what was erected. However, the destroyed things must be rebuilt towards the end of things. They do not give due consideration to fragility, vanity, and foolishness. They entrust and commit everything to the sand.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
You cannot expose your fortifications, towers, and artifices to them; ‘The New Religion.’

My opinion:
A man working with hammer and chisel, either making an inscription or a plan for a building. A mason, that is, an architect. The ground behind him is rocky and not sandy. The wise architect is said to demolish, rebuild, demolish, rebuild, and to change squares into circles. To change a square into a circle is the Great Work, for the square signifies earth and the circle heaven. And to this end, namely heaven, must all works be directed. Not as with the Babylonians and their tower, who wished to enter into heaven by their own external constructs. Much rather a square is made into a circle not by adding things unto it but by removing the sides so perfectly that there is no more edge, no more inequality. And this is removing and rebuilding over and over, each time blotting out sin and attaining to virtue over and over until the work has been accomplished. For what are the blowing winds and flowing rivers but more or less strong temptations? But foolish and vain men construct things for their own temporal gain, and are made into nothing. Or they easily expose their unstable artifices to the external world, so that they are easily destroyed and the small beginning of virtue in them is eradicated. The Englishman interprets ‘the New Religion’, or Protestantism. For we also read ‘the folly of both parties’. Thus perhaps we may interpret historically the folly of the Protestants in destroying Christendom, and the folly of the Counter-Reformers in building back with an eye towards the things of this world, which is sand, rather than with a view towards the End of all things, Who is the only solid rock. Or by extension the solid rock is St. Peter as vicar of Christ, so that those who build ‘churches’ outside the Holy Seat build on sand, so that they are swept away easily. And historically this has happened obviously with Protestantism, which has divided into an innumerable host of denominations and independent ‘churches’.

Figure XVIII.

What is seen?
A head (one of the winds, Boreas? South winds?) blows upon three sacks of grain?, the first entirely full, the second half empty, the third quite scarce.

Description:
The eagle does not arise from you; therefore, it will unleash a fierce wind upon you, which will bury you along with your offspring. Thus far, you have enjoyed prosperity, but fortune, which excessively favors someone, makes them foolish. It makes one say, "My soul, you have many good things stored up for many years; rest, eat, drink, rejoice, and enjoy your blessings." However, you do not know what the late evening brings; sudden destruction is imminent for you. Tonight, they will demand your soul from you. To whom will the things you have prepared belong? The south winds will scatter your precious possessions; the floodwaters (the Deluge) will drown them. For life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. Everything is transient. It is a valley of shadows, of death and tears. Even though you are mortal, why do you concern yourself with mortal things?

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
Whether you like it or not, exposed to the winds, they will toss you here and there. ‘Germany.’

My opinion:
The south winds destroy the hoards of grain, so that perhaps famine comes. There were a few famines in this time, firstly mostly in Italy, in the last decades of the 16th century throughout the whole of Europe. Perhaps later even famines caused by the Thirty-Years’ War. The Englishman interprets ‘Germany’. Perhaps he means the German Peasants’ War, which caused decades of agricultural and economic failure. But this was a few years before the publications of the Prognostications, so that it seems unlikely. Or perhaps he means the much more future economic stagnation of the German states, the failure to become a united nation and such things. In general, the vanity of material possessions, both for individuals and for states.

Figure XVIIII.

What is seen?
A dead (or dying?) elk (or hart, deer?).

Description:
Human plans will overthrow you; indeed, they will be entirely contrary to you. You may take pleasure in yourself, indulge excessively, and even leap over rivers and mountains, enjoying the delights of a garden paradise. But because you lack reason and common sense and misplace your swift leaps, you will find yourself in a situation where you must escape by the very means you see before you. Your refuges will then deceive you in a wondrous manner. Indeed, they will follow you like wild beasts, sniffing out your tracks. Remember, therefore, that all human things are vain. Look within and recognize yourself, and consider the impending evils that await you. For whatever is foreseen hurts less. Rectify the state of your affairs entirely, for unless you observe true and proper order in your affairs, you will perish along with what is yours.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
You will be far inferior to the one who will triumph (leap?) over you. ‘Germany.’

My opinion:
A deer dead, having misplaced its leaps, and having been leaped or triumphed over. Then Englishman here also interprets ‘Germany’. Perhaps he refers to matters already discussed, the rise and fall of the German Empire and such. Or perhaps the HRE. The sense seems similar to Figure XVIII.

Figure XX.

What is seen?
A man in a (scholars?) garb, holding an inverted cross.

Description:
Human inventions endure only as long as people can retain them. But when one is abandoned and left alone, they must rely solely on their own strength. It is necessary for them to turn these superior things into lower things and thus frustrate their own thoughts. The wisdom of this world, which is esteemed highly among humans, becomes foolishness before God. For it is said, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." The wisdom of God alone stands firm, and even those who desire not to yield to it are compelled to do so. All flesh, with its reasoning and judgment, and its wisdom, is like the grass of the field. It is astonishing how pleasing it is to us, to the extent that we worship the works of our own fingers. But all human glory is like the flower of the grass; the grass withers, the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever. The same fate befalls your doctrine and your life when hypocrisy takes hold.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
Who knows the counsels of God, except the spiritual one who searches even the depths, reveals all things, and is judged by no one? Men barely know what is in a man and to what end and purpose they should direct all things. However, since everything depends solely on the hand of God, with what strength, what power, or what counsel can a person attempt or undertake anything? ‘Materialism.’

My opinion:
In general, the scholars are condemned who trust in their own wisdom and build their own edifices, their own systems, as a sign of their pride. More specifically probably a sense like in Figure XVI. The Humanism so hated by Paracelsus is probably meant. But of course again more generally all the all too exoteric doctrines which miss the point. But also can be meant those theologians who do not practice what they preach, and are condemned by their own hypocrisy, that is, their own acting. For to act, that is, to appear, rather than to be is a nigh unforgivable sin. Again, the upside down cross, the Humanists destroy the doctrine of Christ by their idolatry of Antiquity. Or the New Science and the Enlightenment are predicted. Or, as the Englishman thinks, ‘Materialism’ more generally.

Figure XXI.

What is seen?
A noble bird (predator? Eagle? Phoenix?) with crown and aureole swerves down towards a turbaned (also crowned?) head sticking above the water.

Description:
With peace acquired, your weakened troops and enfeebled hunting dogs, it will be time for them to visit you once again. Stripped of everything, your nakedness will be cast out along with your offspring. You will yield and abandon everything, except your own judgment. You will be entangled in the snares that you set for others, and you will never return to your former state. You will be completely fallen along with your children who are within you, and there will be nothing in you that will not be explored, traversed, and destroyed. Be certain of this.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
The strength and power of man are like a fragile reed and hemlock. All those who trusted in you will fall and perish along with them. ‘The Turk drowning in the Bosphorus, and of Turkey in Europe.’

My opinion:
The turbaned man is indeed with the Englishman easily interpreted to be the Turk. For in 1529, around the publication of this prognostication, the Turk was defeated at Vienna. But here there is no drowning yet. So more likely is prophesied here the Holy Battle of Lepanto in 1571, where Christendom victored over the Infidel through the power of the Holy Virgin, and the Turk never recovered from this defeat, and fell into humiliation. For since this battle the Ottomans began to stagnate. The Eagle signifies then either the HRE, which defeated the Turk in Vienna earlier, or more broadly the Eagle signifies Christ. For the eagle signifes both royal power and psychopompic qualities. Or it signifies contemplation, being regarded as the only creature always able to look at the Sun. Or it is regarded as immortal because it refreshes itself in the Fountain of Life. This all per Charbonneau-Lassay. But most likely then the Holy League and HRE as royal executors of the Divine Will. ‘You will be completely fallen etc.’ namely Turkey will be wholly despoiled of its former grandeur through its decline into the ‘Old Man of Europe’ and the revolution of Atatürk and his own.

Figure XXII.

What is seen?
A hand from a cloud, holding a sword, threatens (destroys?) a city, while a man (a monk) sleeps next to some knightly armour (which he perhaps took off to take a nap.)

Description:
Indeed, you cover yourself with a remarkable mask, for you do not openly proclaim with your mouth the things that lie hidden in your heart. However, let it not escape your notice that nothing is so concealed that it will not be revealed at some point. Your plans will be exposed, evident to all. Now you cunningly attempt to subjugate those who bear both soft and hard, civilian and military garments, seeking to reconcile matters of peace and war, and to administer everything according to your whim. In this hope, you will be frustrated, accomplishing nothing. In vain, I say, you will rejoice in the bosom that you boast of. Then you will not be able to appease the matter with your own blood. It is God who will exact vengeance; do not be arrogant, but fear and humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
For since you could not cleanse your own house and be of benefit to your own, what hope can others conceive of you? ‘Knight and Monk, Aristocracy and Clergy.’

My opinion:
God destroys the city, the commonwealth, as the monk sleeps next to his armour. Generally and symbolically, God destroys the works of those who remove from themselves the armour of faith and fall into the slumbers of luxury. Specifically, according to the description, hypocrisy and cunning, wishing to please all parties, are condemned. Perhaps certain diplomatic efforts are ment. Or perhaps, simply the degeneration of the knight and the monk, of aristocracy and clergy, as also the Englishman seems to interpret. As punishment for the negligence of the two higher estates God visits punishment upon them. The punishment perhaps may be interpreted to be the Religious wars and the ensuing chaos.

Figure XXIII.

What is seen?
Three scholars (theologians?) in debate. A thief steals something.

Description:
Just as three persons exist in divine triunity and are fulfilled in unity, so too unity befits human beings. For unless men are bound together by unity of doctrine and life, there will be perpetual desolation and devastation. Chaos and confusion of all things will ensue, for every kingdom divided against itself will be desolated. No one is harmed except by oneself; spittle falls back upon the one who spits it out, and kingdoms labor under their own peril. Small matters grow through concord, while the greatest fall apart through discord. All things are subject to vanity, but it is harmony that must be pursued, for it is by it that kingdoms and empires endure. It will return; rejoice and be glad.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
All those who desire war will fail and desist from their undertaking. For everything will be directed towards peace and the tranquility of life. ‘While Theology disputes, the Mystic steals away the Truth of Religion.’

My opinion:
Three debate or discuss. Perhaps the Reformation disputes. Perhaps the Council of Trent. Perhaps Scholasticism. They are three, perhaps the circumincession (conceived of as debate) of the Divine Trinity. Who is the thief? According to the interpretation of the Englishman, the mystic, who steals away the truth of religion while theology disputes. But the description strangely seems to guide towards a more political interpretation. Thus perhaps are meant certain diplomatic or peace talks, which seek to promote concord. But the thief then would be one ruining the harmony by seeking his own benefit. Or, extremely speculatively, in a way following the Englishman (perhaps him following Levi), the thief as the possessors of esoteric doctrine, retreating towards the East, but ‘it will return; rejoice and be glad’. Or Luther taking with him a part of true doctrine but refusing to take part in true discussion. Or taking a part of earlier theological works, perhaps the Scholastics.

Figure XXIIII.

What is seen?
On top, a hand from a cloud holding a sword pointed downwards. Beneath it, a chicken or rooster. Left from it, a (tame?) bear, sitting down, holding out its tongue. Right from it, a seated man (king? prince? scholar?) extending his hand towards it (giving a blessing?).

Description:
What kind of covenant is the pact between you? Examine it yourselves: the forms are not the same, much less the minds. Different nature begets different character. Thus, the soul cannot remain consistent within diversities; it will flow here and there, marvelously adorned with a marvelous nature, assuming what it was not, while remaining what it was. External appearance represents your vain affections of the soul. But if you wish to be guided by your own interests, shed the traits of beasts, return to being human. Establish nothing contrary to reason, counsel, and prudence. Render to whom fear is due, fear; and to whom honor is due, honor. Yet, what seems difficult to you is seen as you being more beastly than human, lacking reason in all your affairs. Therefore, you shall perish by your own foolishness and lack of counsel.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
Thus, treaties, agreements, and conventions will be dissolved. ‘A strange forecast.’

My opinion:
The falseness of one or another covenant or alliance is exposed, wherein there is too great a diversity between the partners for there to be true unity, so that there is hypocrisy or acting, one nature assuming another external form not appropriate to it. Said to be beastlike, inhuman, irrational. The tame bear perhaps again Russia. The rooster most likely France, especially France qua Catholicity in the times of the Renaissance. A strange forecast indeed, as the Englishman says. Perhaps a prophecy of the Franco-Russian Alliance or Dual Entente. An alliance blessed by men but hated by God. Significant cause leading up to the Great War. The beastliness and inhumanity of the Great War shown. You shall perish by your own foolishness, Battle of the Somme; Russias corruption into Communism.

Figure XXV.

What is seen?
A scholar (Humanist, Scholastic, Reformer?) entangled and clouded. More likely, any ‘rationalist’ strains within theology/philosophy.

Description:
In all actions, there should be a particular goal to which all the arrows of arguments are directed, so that the sum of a certain written work can be determined. However, because knowledge of this matter was desired in an ambiguous and uncertain manner, you pronounced everything as ambiguous and uncertain, becoming entangled in your own snares. Perhaps you thought it was unnecessary to seal true scripture with your own seal. Relying on the reason of wisdom and your own prudence, freely engaging in skeptical discourse back and forth, you have put yourself in danger and made all your followers marvelously doubtful. Therefore, as you build on sand, you will weep and mourn.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
The child will delight over the hole of the asp, the lamb will play with the wolf, sickles will be turned into plowshares, and perpetual fear will render the lands void. The deceitful herb will destroy both the lower and upper realms. And your uncultivated land will hang reddened on the hedges. It would be tedious to go through each individual figure. All, even simple children, we embrace with one torch and predict simply that God has granted enough to the children of humanity, for He is patient, long-suffering, and full of compassion. However, His slowness will be compensated by gravity. The sun will rise, giving rain, filling our hearts with joy and gladness. Yet ungrateful humans despise the riches of His goodness, tolerance, and leniency, ignorant that His mercy invites them to repentance. Let them repent, so that they do not labor in vain and to no avail, nor should they be distrustful. ‘Rationalism’.

My opinion:
The Englishman seems to have an easy and correct interpretation, namely Rationalism, or perhaps more specifically Skepticism. For those who use only the faculty of reason and nothing else must fall by necessity into the traps of endless reasonings and doubts. For reason by itself does not provide anyone with certitude, but unchecked leads only to confusion and vagueness. So they write for the sake of writing, study for the sake of studying, having lost out of sight their ultimate End. So they build on sand and their works will prove vain. The Latin interpretation seems vague and confused. But its message seems ultimately simple and clear, namely that wicked works and empty labour leads to destruction, and that peace and contentness are given to those who repent.

Figure XXVI.

What is seen?
A crown crowned with a flower (a rose?), crowned with the letter F, sitting on a nest?.

Description:
The Sibyl's prophecy brings forth the Aeolic digammas; therefore, you, rightly inserted as 'F' in the rose, have been brought forth by time, and indeed a timely one. Whatever the Sibyl has foretold about you will be fulfilled in you with certainty, and beyond, as summer extends its roses. This time of ours is troublesome, where everything is tossed up and down; thus, turmoil is the most evident sign of human fickleness. But you will stand firm from all sides, for everything of yours will be steadfast, founded upon the solid rock, like Mount Zion that shall never be moved. Everything will succeed according to your own judgment. So much so that people will marvel and be astonished. However, time and age will carry all these things with them. And when the appointed time comes, those things will also come which it has brought forth.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
The Sun, who is the first accuser in his own trial, will enlighten him. ‘The mysterious Prophecy.’

My opinion:
The digamma, the F, could signify France. Or, with the Aeolians, we say that it is in truth a digamma, and that is is the W, or the Hebrew Waw. This would then signify the number six. This also is a solar number, especially in the 666 configuration of the solar square, ‘The Sun, who is the first accuser in his own trial, will enlightem him.’ Or six signifies incompleteness, as before. Or the things of this world, or creation per se. Or perhaps even by extension the Antichrist. But the description seems entirely positive, which makes these negative interpretations unlikely. This F or Digamma sits upon the Mystical Rose, Wisdom or the Seat of Wisdom. Or the Virgin Mary. If Mary, the Wav as name of the Lord, like the G of the Masons. What did the Sibyl foretell? Hear St. Augustine:
”For Flaccianus, a very famous man, who was also a proconsul, a man of most ready eloquence and much learning, when we were speaking about Christ, produced a Greek manuscript, saying that it was the prophecies of the Erythraean sibyl, in which he pointed out a certain passage which had the initial letters of the lines so arranged that these words could be read in them: 'Ihsous Xristos Theou uios swthr, which means, "Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Saviour." And these verses, of which the initial letters yield that meaning, contain what follows as translated by some one into Latin in good rhythm:

I Judgment shall moisten the earth with the sweat of its standard,
H Ever enduring, behold the King shall come through the ages,
S Sent to be here in the flesh, and Judge at the last of the world.
O O God, the believing and faithless alike shall behold Thee
U Uplifted with saints, when at last the ages are ended.
S Seated before Him are souls in the flesh for His judgment.
C Hid in thick vapors, the while desolate lieth the earth.
P Rejected by men are the idols and long hidden treasures;
E Earth is consumed by the fire, and it searcheth the ocean and heaven;
I Issuing forth, it destroyeth the terrible portals of hell.
S Saints in their body and soul freedom and light shall inherit:
T Those who are guilty shall burn in fire and brimstone for ever.
O Occult actions revealing, each one shall publish his secrets;
S Secrets of every man's heart God shall reveal in the light.
TH Then shall be weeping and wailing, yea, and gnashing of teeth;
E Eclipsed is the sun, and silenced the stars in their chorus.
O Over and gone is the splendor of moonlight, melted the heaven,
U Uplifted by Him are the valleys, and east down the mountains.
U Utterly gone among men are distinctions of lofty and lowly.
I Into the plains rush the hills, the skies and oceans are mingled.
O Oh, what an end of all things! earth broken in pieces shall perish;
S Swelling together at once shall the waters and flames flow in rivers.
S Sounding the archangel's trumpet shall peal down from heaven,
W Over the wicked who groan in their guilt and their manifold sorrows.
T Trembling, the earth shall be opened, revealing chaos and hell.
H Every king before God shall stand in that day to be judged.
P Rivers of fire and brimstone shall fall from the heavens.”

So speaks the Sibyl. Thus it seems that this prophecy must primarily be referred to the Last Judgment, where Christ, born from the Virgin, and having first gained the Crown, being Himself the Spiritual Sun, will judge all men. Or less probably the coming of the Antichrist is predicted. More specifically, but unlikely, a special role for France is prophesied towards the end times. This would align with the interpretation we have given for Figure II.

Figure XXVII.

What is seen?
Five hands with swords, emerging from the clouds.

Description:
Wise men have never approved of polyarchy, for the commonwealth has been poorly governed under the rule of many: one king, one lord, both are forgotten. Private dominions have invaded the world, neglecting the common good. They care more for their personal interests than for public affairs, seeking their own gain rather than that of others. Therefore, they will be once again subjugated, recognizing in their former frugality that their own interests are intertwined with the interests of others. There will be one true and solid authority, and that singular rule will achieve success, with fortune favoring it in all matters. Those who were afflicted, calamitous, and miserable under their rule will rejoice and be glad.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
Each person will return to their calling, to their plow, to their duty, rest, and function. ‘The Balkan federation?’

My opinion:
The interpretation of the Englishman seems oddly specific and tenuous. But indeed perhaps Yugoslavia in its socialist and communist forms. But, more likely, the wars against the authority of the Holy Roman Emperor, the one king and one lord. More generally, princes fighting for their own benefits rather than the common good. ‘They will be subjugated once again’, perhaps Napoleon, perhaps the German Unification. But the ‘plow’ admits more easily of a socialist interpretation. Or this is all interpreted more eschatologically. For when the King of Kings returns there will be peace and justice, and all will be returned to their own calling and duty, their own rest and function, and there will be no more confusion and disorder.

Figure XXVIII.

What is seen?
Four men (of different estates?) sitting and conversing around a Patriarchal cross.

Description:
Different people have different opinions and make different decisions; thus, they reach no firm or solid conclusions, nor do they make sound judgments. I wanted you to consider and carefully ponder how, around the forty-second year to come, someone will surround and lead you where you do not wish to go. They will do as they please, bending you to their will, inclining you as they desire. Your plans do not come from the one you claim to have among you. Remember how foolish, impious, and vain your thoughts are. If you were aware of the punishment reserved for your foolishness, undoubtedly you would attend to it on that day of yours, and the things that lead to your peace, which are currently hidden from you, would be taken into account.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
For the enemy of the faith is most destructive through disbelief/doubt. ‘Pope and Church’.

My opinion:
Most obviously the Council of Trent. ‘Your plans do not come from the one you claim to have among you’, that is, Christ. Or, more generally, the vanity of dialogue with heretics. The foolish attempts at reconciliation with them. So the Latin interpretation, infidelity and doubt are the greatest enemy of the Faith. So those who discuss sacred things too often only increase the doubt in the minds of men, leading them astray into unrest and damnation. Even more generally, men relying on their own thoughts and judgments in sacred matters. Perhaps a part of the Humanists is meant, who tried to hold a certain middle ground between Protestantism and Catholicism. Something like this also the Englishman, ‘Pope and Church’. Perhaps also the Protestant responses to Trent, such as Chemnitz’ Examen decretorum Concilii Tridentini, which would line up better with the predicted ‘forty-second year to come’.

Figure XXVIIII.

What is seen?
A lamb, dressed in episcopal (Papal?) attire.

Description:
The common complaint of the whole world is that no one is content with their own lot and seeks to serve their own desires. Hence, in order to break free from boundaries, we invade foreign pastures, attempting to allure the wealth, fortunes, and abilities of others through deceit and simple appearances. From there, all kinds of disputes, disagreements, and quarrels arise. However, human affairs will be reduced to such a state that, with the arrival of the shepherd around the fourty-third year, each sheep will be led to its own fold. There will be one flock, under one shepherd, leader, and Emperor. That will be an exceedingly happy hour, and blessed is anyone who attains it.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
Each person will return to their calling, to their plow, to their duty, rest, and function. ‘The New Religion.’

My opinion:
Unclear whether is predicted a ecclesiastical or secular shepherd. The fourty-third year, which would be arround 1573, has no clear event to me. Perhaps it may be referred again to the sacred victory at Lepanto, confirming either the monarchy of the Pope as shepherd or of the Habsburgs, or of Christendom in general. But the Habsburg were still at this time closely in battle with the Dutch, so that this interpretation is unlikely. And the image of the sheep in mitre seems to indicate a Papal interpretation. But there was no clear reconciliation with the rebellious Protestants, so that speaking of ‘one flock under one shepherd’ would be a little extreme. The Englishman interprets this as referring to ‘the New Religion’, that is, Protestantism. This interpretation seems even more unclear to me. Or he must mean another ‘New Religion’, some kind of perennialism or occultism or other secret doctrine which he wished to propound. But most likely we must refer this figure also eschatologically. For the True Emperor, who is also the Lamb of God, will return only at the End of Times. See also Figure XXVII.

Figure XXX.

What is seen?
Three men, of which one a monk, and another handing a book? over, converse. The third man points to the man giving the book.

Description:
Indeed, you have held many futile assemblies thus far. However, you refused to listen to opposing views and greatly despised your adversary, whether absent or present. Therefore, you labored in vain, and today you do not recognize yourself, but with a defiant and hardened demeanor, you persist in a path that you cannot and should not pursue. You willingly sat in the chair of Saint Peter, but it will crumble, and you yourself will fall. The one who is your Lord will hinder your efforts. Therefore, return to your heart, for you will achieve nothing. You deceive and delude yourself with empty hopes, for it is impossible for your plans to lead to a prosperous outcome. All will be in vain; you will waste your efforts and resources, toiling in vain day and night, achieving nothing. For your concerns are not the concerns of God.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
For the enemy of the faith is most destructive through disbelief/doubt. ‘Pope and Church’.

My opinion:
Most obviously the Council of Trent, as in Figure XXVIII. But the same interpretations given there can apply here. For ‘you willingly sat in the chair of St. Peter’ may also apply to the Protestant usurpation of authority, or even the royal usurpation of ecclesiastical authority. Or both are condemned for their hardness of heart. More generally, vain are the works of the proud, whose wills are not aligned with the Will of God.

Figure XXXI.

What is seen?
Four children, one tonsured as a monk, dance.

Description:
Such great and profound renewal and transformation of all things is to come that it will seem as if the golden age has returned, where childlike innocence, simplicity, and integrity will reign, casting aside all cunning, deceit, and human treachery. And soon, although that fortieth or so year (era?) may seem distant to many, it will come. For it is impossible for all the evils that the roaring Lion has unleashed upon the world to be exterminated in the blink of an eye or in an instant. They will gradually diminish, yet a few remnants of ancient deceit will remain. However, those who reach the life of the innocent will live well and happily.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
They will return to their former simplicity and childlike candor. ‘The New Religion.’

My opinion:
Childlike purity and innocence and joy, the Golden Age, Satya Yuga. Said to come about the fourtieth year, but fourty is interpreted to mean the entire time of this life, so that this Golden Age will come only after the Great Judgment. So it seems distant to many, because their hearts are fleshly, and they see not how short the time of this life is. For every man must face judgment as soon as he perishes, and he knows not when he perishes, but it will come. But in the description a progressivist description is given, saying that gradually the evils of the roaring Lion, that is the Devil, will be exterminated. But history has clearly proven this false, and also from first principles is it known that the arc of history tends towards hellfire. So perhaps it must be interpreted thusly, namely that the evils the Devil has unleashed upon the world must be exterminated through time, that is, that throughout the time of this world the wheat grows up with the tares, but that the tares throughout history become more clearly distinguished, so that they will ‘diminish’ in the sense that they will no longer even appear to belong to the elect, but that unto the end a few remnants of ancient deceit will remain, that is, that unto the end a few friends of the Satan remain hidden among the saints of God. The Englishman interprets again ‘the New Religion’, we refer it eschatologically.

Figure XXXII.

What is seen?
An old man lies down to rest under a tree, the sun shines down upon him, the fortress sits upon the hill behind him.

Description:
You have striven with great sweat and labor to reform the world, so that a new order of the ages may emerge. You will rightfully rest after your arduous work, and fortunate is the one who will be born in this peace and slumber, for they will not know evil. Everything will then be calm, restored, and brought back to its original state. No one could hinder your most sacred efforts, and therefore, let no one now stir you until the number is complete, the number that your enemies assigned from the days of their birth. Then sin will abound again, charity will grow cold, faith will perish, and the end of the world will come.

Interpretation from the Latin and the English:
‘The Guide of the World.’ He who often establishes favorable conditions for peace will himself rest in peace. But often, roused and awakened, all his enemies are scattered; the earth trembles, and all creatures groan. He is the one who overturns, raises up, destroys, rebuilds, transfers, and utterly abolishes kingdoms. He has done whatever he pleased. He established to deal with the children of men for forty-four (twenty- four) years, and then again composed himself to rest and incline. Indeed, those years will be like yesterday, which has passed; he will accomplish everything in them. Already he will seize another, snatch, amend, or overthrow. But who resembles the one who sleeps, let no one suspect; his name is concealed, it will not be remembered. As for conjectures, they deceive in order to deceive, but the outcome proves the actions. Therefore, let all those who are going to read this prognostication of ours remember that no one is singled out by name; we desire to be free from suspicion. The names are now hidden, obscure, and unknown; but when all actions are completed and past, then people will judge freely even with the addition of proper names, without danger. However, I wish to remind everyone not to think that it does not concern them; many believe they are sitting on the shoulders of God, not realizing that they are an abomination before God, and therefore they will not escape the prophesied punishment. But those who are admonished and repent will be corrected; however, they will be corrected only to be overthrown. May God in His favor avert all impending evils through His beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

My opinion:
The sage who has completed the Great Work rests under the World Tree, illuminated by the Sun of Justice. Fortunate he who is born in this state of sleep, because he knows no evil. Here the state of sleep signifies the complete transcended, supraformal state. He who has namely died unto the world is born into this state, and is no longer subject to evil. His name is concealed, it will not be remembered, for he has become nameless and formless, that is, above name and form. Furthermore we may interpret fourty-four like we have interpreted fourty. But if we say that it is fourty-two, this is an evil number. For the Antichrist will trample upon the Holy City for so many months. And Elisha caused so many insulting young men to be killed. And the children of Israel wandered through the desert so many times before being given rest. So fourty-two would signify the malificent aspect of the duration of this world, in which God will accomplish all these things. For in these latter days in which we are sin will abound again, charity will grow cold, faith will perish, and the end of the world will come. So we may do nothing but repent, pray, live piously and soberly. May God grant us this. Amen.

FINIS