Prophecy of John Cyprianus Noah Millstone Principal Investigator MPESE Sebastiaan Verweij Co-Investigator MPESE Richard Bell Research Associate Victoria Anker BRIHC Research Impact Fellow Mike Jones Research Software Engineer Tim Wales Research Assistant Manuscript Pamphleteering in Early Stuart England (MPESE) 2017 United Kingdom London British Library Additional MS 28640 John Rous's diary

British Library, Additional MS 28640

English prophecy

A most strange & wonderfull prophesie &c. calculated by the famous &c maister Iohn Cypriano, conferred with &c Iames Marchecelsus and other Astronomers under the Emperor &c sent out of Germany into Italy &c to the rarest Necromancer in the &c.

Whereunto is annexed Tarquatus &c. translated out of Italian.

A most strange & wonderfull prophesie upon this troublesome world.

Oxford & Cambridge, Wittenberge & Padua you glorious vniuersities of Christendome take truce for a season, with your deepe inspiring sciences & vouchsafe to fixe your ingenious judgments vpon this rare & wonderfull prohecie calculated by the famous Doctor in Astrologie Master Iohn Cypriano As= tronomer vnder the Emperor of Christendome, agreable to the judgments of Iames Marcheselsus & Signior Guinardo two learned Clerkes in Germanie &c the like not accomplished in any age, for the angry heavens by fearfull visions, foredooming Commets & strange conjunction of Planets doth prognosticate to this sinfull world, the alteration of kingdomes fall of princes, overthrowe of Commonwealths, desolation of countries, ruine of Cities Townes & Villages, Earthquakes Flouds & mighty tempests where by the whole world will be greatly annoied. Also by the variable course of the elements all nations vnder the circuite of the sunne will be grie= vouslie vexed with bloudie warres famine death scarcitie &c. with strange & fearfull accidents in Europe Africa & Asia, all which for our wickednes &c

In the Northerne border of the earth, is scituate a Forest triangle-wise environed with a wall of brasse, from which forrest shall flie a fortunate fowle that shall swimme even to the borders of Africa & there light vpon a golden tree from whence she shall pull three branches of gould & so tri= umphantly returne backe to the forrest againe. & at which an eagle that buildes her neste vpon a golden steeple, shall much repine & sende forthe many secret fiers to wast the said forrest but every one shall be quenched be= fore the blaze be kindled. Many princes shall seeke by pollicie to hunte therein but at the gates thereof shall take a greate repulse: so fortu= nate & fruitefull shall this forest be & so invincible her towers of brasse that all the kingdomes of the earth shall admire her fortitude & grace her with the title of that blessed paradice &c. After this the sea shall be mightier then the land, for there the corners of the world shall meete & fight a terrible battaile wherein a mightie man shall be overthrowne/

In the West shall lurke a bloudie serpent in a Denne which hath not seene the light these many yeeres, but yet this bloudie serpent shall haue many stings, which shall stretche into all the corners of Europe & be annoyance to the whole state of Christendome. Then from the north shall come a Dragon that shall breake out the serpents teeth & plucke forth his stings, that he shall neither bite nor sting, yet shall the serpent keepe his Denne & receiue succour from the Eagle in the golden steeple.

In the South shall liue a wolfe vpon the Commons bloude & quaffe downe townes into his thirstie throate, but in the middest of this blou= die banquet shall he choke himselfe & die.

Out of the Easte shall come a dismall blacke dogge that like a thiefe by night shall enter Germanie, in which enterprise he shall loose one of his limbes & departe with a yelping sounde at which the Limits of Africa & Asia shall quake. This dogge shall afterward forsake his maister & chuse himselfe a newe name, whereby the Scriptures shall be full-filled. This dog is the Turke who shall forsake Mahomet & chuse the name of Christian, which is a signe the day of Doome is at hand when all the earth is subjecte to one god.

The Flower de luce & France shall liue long at variance but at length shall agree.

The bowels of Spaine shall be splitte in sundre & Divided for wante of governmente, even in those dayes when the golden eagle shall be consumed with fire That seaven headed citie nowe more braue then Ierusalem shall be more desolate then Ierusalem. Then shall the cleere word spring forthe & florishe through the worlde which never shall be taken from vs againe. After this a milke white dove shall be lifted vp to honour by ij golden lions & receiue a crowne of goulde.

But after all these things shall the ende of the world approche therefore shall there be heavie & pitifull dayes with much warres & other alterations of the world, All which is likely to ensue &c.

To this former fiction was joyned another called Tarquatus Vandermers 7 yeeres studie in Magicke upon the 12 months wherein many secrets are reuealed to the worlde 1509 or rather corrected 1598.

Ianuary Vpon the land where most sinne & wickednes doth abound, a shower of bloud prognosticating the destruction of that region shall raine the space of an houre.

February Rumors of warres in all nations shall cause them to muster the best souldiers. Trafficke by sea shall be denied, & eche country forced to liue of his owne.

March The seas by tempests shall overflowe an Island where the double crosse hath governments only because of the princes hainous sinnes.

Aprill. A terrible sea battell shall turne the coulour of the water into bloude, more sanguine then the redde seas.

May. The earth shall be burthened with bloudie warres. some nations shall be so desolate by furnishing forth soldiers that 7 women shall followe j man

Iune A province East shall fight in defence of a wrong cause & god shall raine downe fier from heaven & burne those people in theire tents.

Iuly The weather extreme hote, soldiers shall not abide theire ar= mour. multitudes shall die with wante of water. & cattell want foode.

August. Plague & mortalitie shall not leave enough to gather in the fruites of the earth. Swarmes of fowles & flies shall stroie the corne & from the grounde & where they goe leave the earth barren.

September. The earth being vnnaturall, cattell shall rotte above ground & breede store of vernine vermine that shall empoyson the soile.

October. Such wante of corne shall there be, that in some Countries the child shall sterve sucking, the mother wanting foode.

Nouember. A triumphant conquest shall be bruted through the world of mightie Conquerer that takes truce with the earth & settes it quiet.

December All warres shall ende, Religion shall be preached truly throu through the world. All things vnited vp in peace, treasons & rebelli= ons shall not be thought vpon. Thus will come that happie time the blessed soules in heaven doe continually pray for.

Right shall Roche & the people shall preache preste & the Temple shall tremble for his reste. The Falcons wings shall be pluckte in that store then dare he not abide in Castell non nor in tower The Eagle must flee over the moulde & an horse of tree shall be his best houlde When the beare is moseled & cannot bite When the horse hoppeled & cannot smite When the swanne is sicke & cannot swimme then shall the Flemings into England winne A Bishop shall haue the Crowne in governance Which was never borne to that estate The Commons of England shall aske on him a vengeance & cause all the land to be at strife & debate. A mowle shall come & overturne with her snoute such sawes & lawes as hir sonne went aboute A piteous case no truth can be found A Bishop shall haue his deadly wound Then woe be to them that take crosse in hand bassed & banished out of the land. /