The Explanation.
THis Prediction or Prophecy, call it what you will, by the Character, words and sense seemeth more antient then of yesterdayes minting; wrote long before the Raigne of Henry the 8. printed it was by Harvy in 1588. while the vertuous Elizabeth lived and governed; no exceptions was taken either to it or the author, or many more which he published, so free were those times of malice, and so judicious were the then Grandees of State: I hope I shall find them so now; Who ever he was that penned it, doth not appeare by any name, or any reading; the Prophecie carrieth a great affection to the English Nation, whom in effect it only concernes, and he had a great desire in a mysticall litterall way to premonish them of many dangers were like to befall them, but because he knew that if he should in particular expresse the thing he intended, he should have ill requitall, he therefore by five letters very significantly acquainted our Nation what in time to come they should expect, and from what people their miseries should proceed and be derived, and thus in effect he would have said:
England, I tell thee when Henry the 8. whom I represent by H the first letter of HEMPE, is dead and buried, and when Edward the sixt, Queen Mary, King Philip, and last of all Queen Elizabeth, intended by me in the •onte last letters of HEMPE: are all departed this life, after their deaths, I Page 21 say, thou England shalt come to infinite misery, sorrow and affliction, al∣most to destruction, but not totally. Thy enemies would have it so, and in the judgement of all thy neighbour Nations it will be so conceived, it will be a faire chastisement, but not thy finall ruine, &c.
For some yeares after Queen Elizabeths death, a most violent and trouble∣some warre shall afflict thee, and it shall continue with much fiercenesse three whole yeares; nay, it shall be prosecuted with that violence, thy Inhabitants in many Counties considering their extreme hard condition, shall wish themselves under ground on purpose to avoid the pittifull objects which whilest they are alive they cannot shunne. But England, saith he, mistake me not, these thy sad times cannot, or shall come upon thee untill Queen Elizabeth is dead: whereby thou hast a sufficient time to make thy peace with God for prevention of these mischiefes, or else hast opportunity of transplanting many of thy faithfull families: Thy Native English shall be three yeares in continuall warre, bloud-shed, and action; and thereby so weaken themselves with their intestine divisions; as then, and not till three yeares be ended, thou dost hazard thy liberty, weale-publike, and all the store thou hast, by giving occasion to the Emperour, the King of Spaine, the Pope, the French King, the King of Denmarke, King of Scotland, King of Sweth∣land, to joyne their united Forces or Councels against thee, all these Nations shall then take their severall opportunities of doing thee mischiefe, by sen∣ding men, money, politique devices, ships or the like in an hostile way for thy destruction:
This Prophecy in effect aimes at the same thing the White King did.
The White King and Dreadfull Dead-man are all one.
The Chicken of the Eagle, and he comming with the Dead-man are one.
The one is the Chicken of the Eagle, viz. well descended: the other is said a royall Y of the best bloud in the world.
The Chicken of the Eagle pacifieth the Brittaines.
The Dead mans assistant sets England in the right.
So that it seemes he fore-saw that England and Brittaine should be all one, or King of England, King of Brittaine.
If ever either of these Prophecies prove reall, into what a miserable con∣dition will the White King or Dead-man plunge himselfe; that wil∣fully plodding with seven severall Nations for destruction of England, shall never live to see his malice executed, but shall dye in pursuite of his malice, and loose both life and Kingdome, and perhaps to his everlasting infamy it will be recorded: Then all the people of the land rejoyced, and the Citie was quiet, after they had slaine the Dreadfull Dead-man with the sword.