XXIII.

French.

La Legion dans la Marine classe, _Calcine Magnes_, Souphre & Poix bruslera, Le long repos de l’asseurée place, _Port Selin_ chercher, feu les consumera.

English.

The Legion in the Maritine Fleet, _Calcineth Magnes_, shall burn Brimstone and Pitch, The long rest of the secure place, They shall seek _Port Selyn_, but fire shall consume them.

ANNOT.

Here we must observe four things, the first is, that _Calais_ is called by the Author, _The long rest of the secure place_. Because then _viz._ in the year 1555. it was yet in the power of the King of _England_, and had been quietly before, for the space of 287. years, that is, from the year 1347. till the year 1555. and was so still, till the year 1557. when the Duke of _Guise_ took it, whence we gather that it was a secure place that had enjoyed so long a rest.

The second is, that those of _Diepe_ did watch for the _Spaniards_, in the passage between _Dover_ and _Calais_, therefore the Author saith, _They shall seek Port Selyn_, _Selyn_ Port or Harbour is always taken by the Author for an Harbour in the _Ocean_.

The third is, that the great fight between the _French_ and the _Spaniards_ was by fire, so that most part of the Ships on each side were burnt, and the _Spanish_ and _French_ Souldiers did cast themselves into the Sea, to save their lives in their enemies Ships, where they were slain.

The fourth is, that those of _Diepe_ being extraordinary skilful in Sea-fights had made great quantity of artificial fires, to cast into the _Spanish_ Ships, but the Ships grapling one with another, they were burnt on both sides.

Upon those four circumstances the two first Verses say, that _the Legion in the Fleet Calcineth magnes_, that is Loadstone burnt, and shall _burn Pitch and Brimstone_, to make Artificial fires.

The third and fourth Verse say, that this _Sea Legion_ shall seek an Harbour in the Ocean, which shall be _a secure place, by a long rest_, that is _Calais_. She will seek that _Selyn_ Harbour to shelter her self, because _Calais_ did then belong to the _English_, but by reason of the narrowness of the _Sea_, the _French_ watched for the _Spaniards_ there, and to shew that they sought onely for _Calais_ to meet the _Spaniards_, they carried the _Spanish_ Ships which they took into _Diepe_, and not into _Calais_.

The _French_ Impression hath a fault here, putting _Port Hercle_ instead of _Port Selyn_, which is a manifest error, for the taking of _Port Hercle_ by the _Florentines_ the 14. of _June_ 1555. was by a Land Army, besides, that _Port Selyn_ is always taken by the Author for a Port in the Ocean.