V
Persecuted will be for the duration of the fight
By the field will be more heavily oppressed:
Burgo and city will hold more struggles
Carcass. Narbonne eventually exhausted
Original
Chasss seront pour faire long combat,
Par le pays seront plus fort grevs:
Bourg & Cit auront plus grand debat,
Carcas Narbonne auront coeur esprouvz.
In the rural areas "will be more heavily oppressed”, obviously, he is referring to the clergy (priests. Just remember that after the outbreak of the French Revolution, one of the most persecuted social organization was indeed the clergy, where the religious not related with any parish church were forced to cease functions among other reforms. When he infers the word “Burgo” is referring to the rural regions, housing priests, warriors, artisans and merchants. Also remember that where the clergy was more sympathetic was just on the field.
Now it seems strange that the word “Burgo” denotes more with the word city unless two reasons. That the first case points to two elements symbolized in different ways: on one side the “Burgo”, this means peasants, clergy, craftsmen, merchants and on the other hand citizens across or rather to those who lived in the city and thus indirectly pointing to Paris. In this first reason he points to a kind of confrontation. In the second reason he may try to better symbolize the concept of “Burgo” that is usually used for villages and he makes it by adding one more quality, this is that “Burgo” is also a city.
Clearly, in both cases, we are faced with a vision of what was happening in France after the storming of the Bastille. The massacres of September, as the story called those acts of genocide, are looming in this quatrain without wishing and other acts of extreme violence.
Here, without doubt the name is changing to compress the verse in octosyllable. Carcass is Carcassonne. In Narbonne there is no problem of syllables. Both localities are currently owned paradoxically to the same district of Aude in France. (And paradoxically they are also enclaves where the “Burgo” was strong and obviously the clergy as well).
"Exhausted" means tired, exhausted, but of what? ... if we consider the previous verses they are tired of the persecution and violence. Villagers often supported the church of their villages by their daily contact, proximity and fond. They do this as opposed to new laws issued in Paris.
In short there are no prophetic events in a strict sense, but rather Nostradamus speaks about situations looming in his visions. A relevant fact is that in this quatrain we are still in the French Revolution and its consequences. It should be also noted that many visions can not be literally built with precise data given (what I said in my first example, see Introduction), as strange visions appear incomprehensible to the seer. Neither could point out patterns sharp as dates, ages or times that right through the years have gone to be modified by the universal knowledge.
And here is where I find the shortcomings of the interpretations that many studious make about the prophecies. Such is the case for example of the new calendar imposed by the French Revolution for a short period of time, replacing the Gregorian from the times of Nostradamus. Consequently he could not have understood in its magnitude as prophetic visions appear chaotic and fleeting.
From this same understanding is that we can then explain the reason for the disorder of his quatrains. And that is as his visions are not necessarily showing in sequence and if he had one it would be incomprehensible to the prophet. Then we can`t say he intentionally ordered the quatrains rather he never sorted them with a magical order, cabalistic, astrological or occult at the time to transcribe what is being observed.
He neither is given to that. Not for lack of esoteric knowledge, astral or prophetic, but because, if he attributed to "divine" these visions, it would be disloyal to God and he would not be worthy, if he changes the order of these visions. He could not even hide them, because he knows God allowed him accessing to these prophecies as a design plan. Perhaps the only thing he could do was make them seem poetry, using quatrains, as explained in the introduction.
Many studious argue that perhaps the quatrains were intentionally "hidden" and he used words from other languages. All this, so the Inquisition did not have the slightest reason for considering a threat to faith.
Know that this is valid considering that Nostradamus was a Jewish converted to Christianity and also very assiduous to occult, alchemy and even the predictions.
If Nostradamus was actually what studious claim, this is, using words that hid them in other languages, puns and other concoctions things would not match immediately: The first thing is that if he did so, we would face someone who does fully understand each and every one of the visions that were introduced, he could dispose of them at his will. And that knowledge would lead him through a deliberate concealment. Since one can change what you know, what is understood, not what you don´t know, don´t understand or comprehend. We return then to my example of Roman from the introduction. The most he could interpret these visions are in a familiar way to him (by comparison, likeness or the assignment). Because if he would modify what he doesn´t know, he will simply risk losing the substance of these future visions and by the way that would set against the Divine, who was ultimately who chose him to be the witness and transmitter of these visions.
It is different to those visions where he thinks he recognizes some people, visions that are very close to happen, as the case of a quatrain which says that “an old lion will die at the hands of a young lion”, in an opened allusion to a king who dies fighting in a tournament, very well could do what studious say: intentionally conceal through word games, numbers or words in other languages or the same arrangment of the quatrains in order to avoid the suspicions of some. But if you look at the quartet he did not, and he subtly used literary figures to prophesy the event. By saying old lion, he is referring to an old king.
What greater concealment to have at his will from literary figures with a heavy dose of symbolism to do what studious say he did, but only in the events he knows, understands and comprehend. Not in the rest where you do not know, does not understand or comprehend. But let us analyze the 6th Quatrain.
VI
The eye of Ravenna will be overthrown.
When the wings of his feet fail:
Both from Brescia will have rebuilt
Torino. Vercelli that ravaged Gauls
Original
L'oeil de Ravenne sera destitu,
Quand ses pieds les ailles failliront:
Les deux de Bress auront constitu,
Turin Derseil que Gaulois fouleront.
Here we will discover lots of symbols.
"Will be overthrown" for obvious these words point to a person who performs a job and is fired. So saying "the eye of Ravenna" in the above verse is alluding to the kind of position that removed person practiced and the site where he exercised. The eye symbol is a symbol of power by default, omnipresence. It is a political power. Is the one that everything sees. And by "When the wings of his feet fail” he is referring to the God Mercury whose characteristic was to have wings on their feet. Mercury was in Roman mythology the god of business and commerce. Then we have the why that person mentioned by Nostradamus was removed especially when added to the beginning of the phrase "When the wings of his feet fail". In short, it is when trade or business activities fail.
Continuing the series of events since the French Revolution, we say that "The eye of Ravenna" is without doubt the Pope Pius VI. He is the character or dismissed because Ravenna was head of the pontifical states to those years. The non-acceptance by the directory of economic provisions of the Treaty of Tolentino (February 19, 1797) provoked the French Directory return to the fight against the Holy See and the Pontifical States and depose the Pope and overtook him. The pope died in prison in France the year 1799. The paradox of this is that the numbering of the quatrain has to do with the number the Pope had, Quatrain VI, Pius VI. That is perfectly could be facing a master key in the symbolic world of Nostradamus. Since many historical characters have some numerical connotation associated with them and it is perfectly understandable to conceal some names under its number of quatrains.
Moving away a little of this analysis should be added within the context of the whole work of Nostradamus that many of the quatrains do not interrelate the four lines that compose it, perhaps an effective way to cover up the prophecy itself. It is likely that two lines are related to each other, but there are cases where the third verse is related with the fourth in a quatrain but not the first nor the second of the same quatrain. There are two explanations for this, the first refers to so many visions and how to transcribe all of them is making them in pairs instead of a quatrain, though his poetry is available in 4. The second explanation is that once the quatrains are written, they are intentionally grouped in two but randomly or numerically, as many studious say, but has no logic sustaining this view but rather esoteric.
“Both from Brescia will have rebuilt Torino. Vercelli that ravaged Gauls”. By saying the two of Brescia, Nostradamus is pointing to two men whose power made possible the reconstruction of Torino and Torino is no more than Turin, province in the Lombardy region. Similarlly, Vercelli is another city in the province of Vercelli. In the words from Brescia he is suggesting several parameters: 1) they were natives of that city or area, or 2) they are indirectly related to that city or area or someone who has some relationship to the concept Brescia, to continue with "that ravaged Gauls".
But let's be specific: The French forces subjugated the whole of northern Italy during the wars of 1553 and in that north it was Turin or Turino and Vercelli. Nostradamus knew that fact. The two or both who made possible the reconstruction was the Pope Pius VII and Ercole Consalvi, his secretary of state, as once the revolutionaries were settled in the area, they had to find a more correct position. Consalvi and Pius VII chose the correct option, reformism. They chose to accept the good that brought the revolution and reform the bad. But what is the relationship Consalvi and Pius VII had with Brescia?
It is an interesting. The two men were somehow followers of Pope Pius VI. Pope Pius VII could have taken another name, but continued with the same name as its predecessor and serial number, or rather "Both of Brescia”, as noted by Nostradamus, were Consalvi and Pius VII. And what is the relation between Brescia and Pope Pius VI: His name was Conte Onofrio Angelo Braschi Giovanni Antonio Melchiorre Natale dei and Brescia, is it a coincidence?
VII
Late arrived, the execution completed.
Headwinds, letters taken on the road:
The conspirators XIIIJ of a sect.
For Rousseau severed business.
Original
Tard arriv l'execution faicte,
Le vent contraire lettres aux chemin prinses:
Les conjurez xiiij d'une secte:
Par le Rousseau semez les entreprinses
This quatrain refers particularly to the death of Louis XVI (January 21, 1793). But let's see how it is related.
The first line refers to an execution done or completed. In the next verse "Headwinds" attempts to symbolize that the defence of Louis XVI came down with some of the following two elements: The first element is the famous monarch’s iron cupboard with which came to public light a number of documents that made, even more, his unsuccessful defence, "letters taken on the road". The second element is called the Manifesto of Brunswick, on 25 July 1792, where Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick and commander of the Prussian forces, issued a manifesto threatening the Parisians with a terrible vengeance if the royal family received some damage, also threatening to punish any opposition to the Prussian armies or forced reinstatement of the monarchy. (“Late arrived, the execution completed.”)
The manifesto was seen as the ultimate proof that a conspiracy existed between Louis and foreign forces (in this case Prussia) against France. Louis was officially arrested on 13 August 1792. If we consider the entire second verse we can conclude that "Headwinds" means of the revolution, troubled times contrary to Louis XVI. But remember that also his home was broken up by the revolutionary mob, and there was the place where his famous iron wardrobe was found. ("letters taken on the road"). The fact that the letters were taken or intercepted leaves the manifesto of Brunswick without sustaining, since the manifesto was published not taken. What was really taken, were the letters the King had secretly store in his iron wardrobe.
The next couple of verses mentions French thinker Rousseau (1712 -1778) while we stand still in the French Revolution, is not referring directly, although Nostradamus identifies his name nearly 200 years in advance. The French Revolution was heavily influenced by the ideas of the philosopher. At the same time, the convention of Paris, an institution leader of the Revolution and subsequently sentenced to King Louis XVI to the guillotine was protection of the Jacobin club. The democracy Jacobin club advocated was direct heir from the democratic model of Jean Jacques Rousseau, in his individual´s hostile and communitarian aspects. Also the political pluralism owes its beginning to this thinker.
Consider the following: "The conspirators XIIIJ of a sect". The verse speaks of conspirators, such conspiracy or plot term usually refers to an act or series of acts done by several people with the intention of seizing power, obviously monarchical power represented by Louis XVI. Those who are identified as a cult and the only sect that is very clear in the French Revolution was the Jacobin club, dominators of the assembly that condemned the king. And Nostradamus identifies them by the symbol XIIIJ. He is openly refering to the club of the Jacobins. Then J is for Jacobin. The number 13 in Roman is because the plot came from 13 of its members. Jean Paul Marat Danton, St. Just, Robespierre, to name a few.
Obviously the verse "For Rousseau severed business" refers to that from the machinations of these conspirators failed businesses or missions to save the king from the guillotine and one of those failed companies, was the attempt by Louis XVI to convene the other monarchies against the French Revolution.
VIII
How many times taken the Solar City
Laws will be changed barbaric and vain:
Your evil is approaching. No more tax
The great Adrian will travel through your veins.
Original
Combien de fois prinse cit solaire.
Seras changeant les loix barbares & vaines:
Ton mal s'approche. Plus sera tributaire,
La grand Hadrie recourira des veines.
"How often taken solar city" is a clear mention to the history of Paris, which has often been taken and was not an exception during the revolution. But why it is Paris? Let’s see: Solar or from the sun or radiating sun, this is light. In few words he is referring to the so called light city or Paris. On the other hand, we can consider that Louis XVI was king of a dynasty where an ancestor was proclaimed king of the sun. Clearly, the city where the solar king lives was the solar city, again, Paris. But in this case will be taken by "The great Adrian".
Nostradamus omens that the "Laws will be changed barbaric and vain”. Here, to explain this verse we must focus on the last verse of the quatrain, where bursts "The great Adriano", therefore it is more appropriate to say that this quatrain is a whole referred to Napoleon Bonaparte (below I give more details) considered by some as "an enlightened monarch".
The laws of the board were "barbaric and vain", laws that kept all of France under the terror. By using the words "Your evil is approaching" Nostradamus is saying that the time is close to the Napoleonic period who ruled the destinies in post revolution of France. Recall also that Napoleon Bonaparte lived wars and conquests which sued many human casualties in Europe.
Many historians called him "tyrannical dictator" by the same. By saying "No more tax" Nostradamus refers to no more will need to fill the coffers of the monarchy with taxes and that by the way was one of the ones who exacerbated the revolution against Louis XVI.
Perhaps he refers to the weight load of pain that Paris and France in general beared, with the cruel laws imposed by the board. In both cases "No more tax" and saying “The great Adriano will travel through your veins” is a marked verse with symbolism. Let’s see who is Adrian, the one Nostradamus refers to: The great emperor Adrian was an emperor known as the traveller, a lighted, who promulgated laws and for many historians, the government of Adrian was the golden age of the Roman Empire, somehow the enlightened age. This parallel undoubtedly refers to another traveller named emperor Napoleon Bonaparte who like Adriano travelled and changed laws and codes.
Recall Napoleon also like Adrian was consul (11 November 1799) and Emperor (May 18, 1804). By saying "will travel through your veins", the veins are where the blood flows, therefore symbolizes the blood. Travel is a symbolic journey, a journey that is by blood travelling or blood around the streets of Paris (solar city) that saw blood flowing from many because of the period of terror. In brief Napoleon will travel the streets of Paris that have been marked by horror and the blood of a bloody revolution. It is noteworthy that overthrew the Jacobin Convention and enacted the constitution of the year VIII of the French Republican calendar (December 24, 1799), it is paradoxically the same number of the quatrain. Finally Nostradamus is referring the year 1799 when Napoleon returned to France and overthrew the board.
