(Michel), an able physician and a celebrated astrologer, was a Provencal, and descended of a noble family, and born Dec. 14, 1503, at St Remy, in the diocese of Avignon. By his grandfather he was initiated in the study of the mathematics. He afterwards completed his courses of humanity and philosophy at Avignon; and, going thence to Montpelier, he there applied himself to physic, till being forced away by the plague in 1525, he took his route towards Thoulouse, 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 Montpelier, 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 Caesar 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 quitted Agen after a residence of about four years. He returned into Provence, and fixed himself first at Marfeilles; 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 inhabitants, 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 afterwards 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 miraculously 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. This opinion determined him to throw them all into quatrains, and he afterward ranged them into centuries. When this was done, he hesitated about making 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 dedication addressed to his son Caesar, an infant only some months old, in the form of a letter or preface, dated March 1, 1553. This first edition, which is included in seven centuries, was printed by Rigault at Lyons. He prefixed his name in Latin, but gave to his son Caesar the name as it is pronounced, Nostradamus.

The public were divided in their sentiments of this work: many looked upon the author as a simple visionary 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 endued with the supernatural gift of prophecy. Lastly, some were found who remained in suspense, and refrained 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, receiving orders to that effect, he presently repaired to Paris. 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 afterwards 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 himself 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 this 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 predicted 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 clafes 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 Emmanuel duke of Savoy and the princess Margaret of France his consort. From this time Nostradamus found himself even over-burdened with visitors, and his fame made every day new acquisitions. Ch. IX

coming to Salon, was eager above all things to have a sight 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 enemies 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, 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 fifteen months, for he died July 2, 1566, at Salon. Besides his "Centuries," we have the following compositions of his: A Treatise de fardemens & 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 Almanac 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.

Nostra damus cum falsa damus, nam fallere nostrum est. Et cum falsa damus, nil nisi Nostra damus.