Prophecies

I MEAN not to speak of divine prophecies; nor of heathen oracles; nor of natural predictions; but only of prophecies that have been of certain memory, and from hidden causes. Saith the Pythonissa to Saul, To-morrow thou and thy son shall be with me. Homer hath these verses:

I do not mean to discuss divine prophecies, pagan oracles, or predictions based on nature. I mean only reliably recorded prophecies arising from hidden causes. The medium at Endor said to Saul, “Tomorrow you and your son will be with me.” Homer has these verses:

At domus AEneae cunctis dominabitur oris, Et nati natorum, et qui nascentur ab illis.

But the house of Aeneas will rule all lands, as will his children’s children and their descendants.

A prophecy, as it seems, of the Roman empire. Seneca the tragedian hath these verses:

This seems to be a prophecy about the Roman Empire. Seneca the playwright wrote these verses:

a prophecy of the discovery of America. The daughter of Polycrates, dreamed that Jupiter bathed her father, and Apollo anointed him; and it came to pass, that he was crucified in an open place, where the sun made his body run with sweat, and the rain washed it. Philip of Macedon dreamed, he sealed up his wife's belly; whereby he did expound it, that his wife should be barren; but Aristander the soothsayer, told him his wife was with child, because men do not use to seal vessels, that are empty. A phantasm that appeared to M. Brutus, in his tent, said to him, Philippis iterum me videbis. Tiberius said to Galba, Tu quoque, Galba, degustabis imperium. In Vespasian's time, there went a prophecy in the East, that those that should come forth of Judea, should reign over the world: which though it may be was meant of our Savior; yet Tacitus expounds it of Vespasian. Domitian dreamed, the night before he was slain, that a golden head was growing, out of the nape of his neck: and indeed, the succession that followed him for many years, made golden times. Henry the Sixth of England, said of Henry the Seventh, when he was a lad, and gave him water, This is the lad that shall enjoy the crown, for which we strive. When I was in France, I heard from one Dr. Pena, that the Queen Mother, who was given to curious arts, caused the King her husband's nativity to be calculated, under a false name; and the astrologer gave a judgment, that he should be killed in a duel; at which the Queen laughed, thinking her husband to be above challenges and duels: but he was slain upon a course at tilt, the splinters of the staff of Montgomery going in at his beaver. The trivial prophecy, which I heard when I was a child, and Queen Elizabeth was in the flower of her years, was,

a prophecy of the discovery of America. Polycrates’ daughter dreamed that Jupiter bathed her father and Apollo anointed him. He was later crucified in an open place, where the sun made him sweat and the rain washed his body. Philip of Macedon dreamed that he sealed his wife’s womb shut. He took this to mean that his wife would be barren. But Aristander the soothsayer told him she was pregnant, because people do not seal empty vessels. A ghost appeared to Marcus Brutus in his tent and said, “You will see me again at Philippi.” Tiberius said to Galba, “You too, Galba, will taste imperial power.” In Vespasian’s time, a prophecy circulated in the East that people coming from Judea would rule the world. Though it may have referred to our Savior, Tacitus interprets it as referring to Vespasian. The night before he was killed, Domitian dreamed that a golden head was growing from his neck’s nape. And indeed, the rulers who succeeded him brought golden times for many years. Henry VI of England spoke about Henry VII when he was a boy and brought him water. “This is the boy who will possess the crown we are fighting for,” he said. When I was in France, I heard a story from a certain Dr. Pena. The Queen Mother, who was interested in occult arts, had her husband the king’s birth chart calculated under a false name. The astrologer predicted that he would be killed in a duel. The queen laughed, thinking her husband was above challenges and duels. But he was killed during a joust, when splinters from Montgomery’s lance entered through his helmet’s visor. When I was a child, and Queen Elizabeth was in her prime, I heard this commonplace prophecy,

whereby it was generally conceived, that after the princes had reigned, which had the principal letters of that word hempe (which were Henry, Edward, Mary, Philip, and Elizabeth), England should come to utter confusion; which, thanks be to God, is verified only in the change of the name; for that the King's style, is now no more of England but of Britain. There was also another prophecy, before the year of '88, which I do not well understand.

Because of this, people generally believed that England would fall into complete chaos after certain monarchs had reigned. Their initials spelled “hempe.” These monarchs were Henry, Edward, Mary, Philip, and Elizabeth. Thank God, this has come true only in the change of name. The king’s title is now no longer King of England, but King of Britain. There was also another prophecy before 1588, which I do not fully understand.

It was generally conceived to be meant, of the Spanish fleet that came in '88: for that the king of Spain's surname, as they say, is Norway. The prediction of Regiomontanus,

People generally thought it referred to the Spanish fleet that came in 1588. The king of Spain’s surname, they say, is Norway. The prediction of Regiomontanus,

was thought likewise accomplished in the sending of that great fleet, being the greatest in strength, though not in number, of all that ever swam upon the sea. As for Cleon's dream, I think it was a jest. It was, that he was devoured of a long dragon; and it was expounded of a maker of sausages, that troubled him exceedingly. There are numbers of the like kind; especially if you include dreams, and predictions of astrology. But I have set down these few only, of certain credit, for example. My judgment is, that they ought all to be despised; and ought to serve but for winter talk by the fireside. Though when I say despised, I mean it as for belief; for otherwise, the spreading, or publishing, of them, is in no sort to be despised. For they have done much mischief; and I see many severe laws made, to suppress them. That that hath given them grace, and some credit, consisteth in three things. First, that men mark when they hit, and never mark when they miss; as they do generally also of dreams. The second is, that probable conjectures, or obscure traditions, many times turn themselves into prophecies; while the nature of man, which coveteth divination, thinks it no peril to foretell that which indeed they do but collect. As that of Seneca's verse. For so much was then subject to demonstration, that the globe of the earth had great parts beyond the Atlantic, which mought be probably conceived not to be all sea: and adding thereto the tradition in Plato's Timaeus, and his Atlanticus, it mought encourage one to turn it to a prediction. The third and last (which is the great one) is, that almost all of them, being infinite in number, have been impostures, and by idle and crafty brains merely contrived and feigned, after the event past.

It was also thought to have come true when that great fleet was sent out. It was the strongest fleet ever to sail the seas, though not the largest in number. As for Cleon's dream, I think it was a joke. He dreamed that a long dragon swallowed him. This was interpreted as referring to a sausage maker who caused him great trouble. There are countless similar examples, especially if you include dreams and astrological predictions. But I have recorded only these few well-attested cases as examples. My judgment is that they should all be dismissed. They should serve only as winter conversation by the fireside. By dismissed, I mean that they should not be believed. But the spreading or publishing of them should by no means be taken lightly. They have caused much harm, and I see many strict laws made to suppress them. Three things have given them authority and some credibility. First, people notice when they come true but never notice when they fail. They generally treat dreams in the same way. Second, plausible guesses or vague traditions often turn into prophecies. Human nature longs to predict the future. People therefore see no risk in predicting what they have merely inferred. Seneca's verse is an example. Even then, it could be demonstrated that large parts of the globe lay beyond the Atlantic. It was reasonable to suppose that these were not all sea. Add to this the tradition in Plato's Timaeus and his account of Atlantis. Together, these might encourage someone to turn such an inference into a prediction. The third and last reason is the most important. Almost all these countless prophecies have been frauds. Idle and cunning minds simply invented and fabricated them after the events had happened.