NOSTRADAMUS, MICHEL, an able physician
and a celebrated astrologer, was a Provençal, and de-
scended of a noble family, and born Dec. 14, 1503, at
St Remy, in the diocese of Avignon. By his grand-
father he was initiated in the study of the mathema-
tics. He afterwards completed his courses of hu-
manity and philosophy at Avignon; and, going thence
to Montpellier, he there applied himself to physic, till
being forced away by the plague in 1525, he took his
route towards Toulouse, and passed on till he came to
Bordeaux. This course held him five years, during
which he undertook the cure of all such patients as were
willing to put themselves under his care. After this he
returned to Montpellier, and was created doctor of his
faculty in 1529, and then revisited the same places
where he had practised physic before. At Agen he
contracted an acquaintance with Julius Cæsar Scaliger,
which induced him to make some stay in that town, and
there he entered into matrimony; but having buried his
wife, and two children which she brought him, he quit-
ted Agen after a residence of about four years. He re-
turned into Provence, and fixed himself first at Mar-
seilles; but his friends having provided an advantageous
match for him at Salon, he transported himself thither
in 1544. In 1546, Aix being afflicted with the
plague, he went thither at the solicitation of the in-
habitants, and was of great service; particularly by a
powder of his own invention: so that the town in
gratitude gave him a considerable pension for several
years after the contagion ceased. Returning after-
wards to Salon, he became a recluse, and made use of
his leisure to apply himself to his studies. He had a
long time followed the trade of a conjurer occasionally;
and now he began to think himself inspired, and mira-
culously illuminated with a prospect into futurity. As
fast as these illuminations had discovered to him any
future event, he entered it in writing, in simple prose,
but by enigmatical sentences, as he declared himself;
but revising them afterwards, he thought the sentences
would appear more respectable, and would favour more
of a prophetic spirit, if they were expressed in verse. Nostradamus.
This opinion determined him to throw them all into
quatrains, and he afterwards ranged them into centu-
ries. When this was done, he hesitated about mak-
ing them public, till reflecting that the time of many
events which he had foretold was very near at hand,
he determined to print them. This he did with a de-
dication addressed to his son Cæsar, an infant only
some months old, in the form of a letter or preface,
dated March 1, 1555. This first edition, which is in-
cluded in seven centuries, was printed by Rigault at
Lyons. He prefixed his name in Latin, but gave to
his son Cæsar the name as it is pronounced, Nostradame.
The public were divided in their sentiments of this
work: many looked upon the author as a simple visio-
nary or a fool; while he was accused of the black art,
or black magic, by others, and treated as an impious
person, who held a commerce with the devil: at the
same time there were not wanting such, and those in
great numbers, who believed him to be really and truly
endowed with the supernatural gift of prophecy. Last-
ly, some were found who remained in suspense, and re-
frained from giving any judgment at all upon the point.
However, Henry II. and Queen Catherine of Medicis
his mother, were resolved to see our prophet; and, re-
ceiving orders to that effect, he presently repaired to Pa-
ris. He was very graciously received at court; and,
besides the extraordinary respect that was paid to him,
received a present of 200 crowns. He was sent after-
wards to Blois, to make a visit to his majesty's children
there, and report what he should be able to discover
concerning their destinies. No doubt he exerted him-
self to the utmost on the occasion; but what his sentence
was is not known; however, it is certain, he returned to
Salon loaded with honour and presents. Animated with
his success, he augmented his work from 300 quatrains
to the number of a complete millade, and published it
with a dedication to the king in 1558. That prince
dying the next year of a wound which he received, as
is well known, at a tournament, the book of our prophet
was immediately consulted; and in the 35th quatrain of
the first century this unfortunate event was found pre-
dicted in the following verse:
Le lion jeune le vieux surmontera,
En champ bellique par singulier duel,
Dans cage d'or les yeux lui crevera,
Deux classes une puis mourir, mort cruelle.
So remarkable a prediction added new wings to his
fame; and he was honoured shortly after with a visit
from Emanuel duke of Savoy and the princess Margare-
t of France his consort. From this time Nostradamus
found himself even overburdened with visitors, and
his fame made every day new acquisitions. Charles IX.
coming to Salon, was eager above all things to have a
fight of him. Nostradamus, who then was in waiting
as one of the retinue of the magistrates, being instantly
presented to his majesty, complained of the little
esteem his countrymen had for him; whereupon the
monarch publicly declared, that he should hold the ene-
mies of Nostradamus to be his enemies, and desired to
see his children. Nor did that prince's favour stop here;
in passing, not long after, through the city of Arles, he
sent for Nostradamus, presented him with a purse of 200
crowns,
crowns, together with a brevet, constituting him his physician in ordinary, with the same appointment as the rest. But our prophet enjoyed these honours only for the space of sixteen months, for he died July 2. 1566, at Salon. Besides his "Centuries," we have the following compositions of his: A Treatise de Fardemens et de Senteurs, 1552.—A Book of singular Receipts, pour Entretenir la Santé du Corps, 1556.—A piece des Confitures, 1557.—A French Translation of the Latin of Galen's Paraphrase, exhorting Menedolus to Study, especially to that of Physic, 1552. Some years before his death, he published a small instruction for husbandmen, showing the best seasons for their several labours, which he entitled, The Almanack of Nostradamus. Lastly, After his death there came out The eleventh and twelfth Centuries of his Quatrains, added to the former ten, which had been printed three times in two separate parts. It is only in these first editions that our author's Centuries are found without alterations, additions, &c. It is to this work that the following distich of Stephen Jodelle alludes.
Nostru damus eam falsa damus, nam fallere nostrum est.
Et cum falsa damus, nil nisi Nostra damus.