Riddles of the prophet
Richard West
France in the last few weeks has witnessed a social, as well as a publishing, sensation With the success of Jean Charles de Fontbrunne's gloss on an old prophet: Nostradamus Historien et Prophete: Ses propheties de 1555 a l'an 2000. M. de Fontbrunne's new 'translation' of Nostradamus's cryptic prophecies shows that the bearded old wizard foresaw not only the general election victory of the French left this year but future horrors during the last few years of the century, including the third world war and the demolition of Paris by fire.
I had heard much of Nostradamus since 1966 when I first made the friendship of Jean Ottavj, the Corsican proprietor of the Royal Hotel, Saigon. After his death in 1974, I wrote: 'M. Ottavj used to explain all world events, from the first world war to "Hitler et compagnie", through his study of these pages. "Nostradamus a tout prevu", he would say to me during the battles of 1968. 'He said that in the 20th century a mighty country would be overthrown by a small country. C'est le Vietnam, M. West". His friends used to laugh at these Prophecies until October last year [1973], When M. Ottavj forecast the Arab-Israel war, only three days before its outbreak • • . He was alarmed by a box of Laotian matches called "999" which he had seen upside-down and taken for "666", which he said was the sign of the Apocalypse. He thought that 1974 might see the beginning of war between the planets, with Earth Coming under attack from "Jupiter et compagnie".'
From what M. Ottavj had told me, I always thought of Nostradamus as rather a Shadowy, if not a fictitious, person. It seems I was wrong. Michel de Nostre-Dame Was born on 14 December 1503 at Saintkemy-de-Provence, studying at Avignon and at Montpelier where he took a degree in medicine. In 1524 he was sent to Languedoc to fight an epidemic. His courage was widely praised and, to mark the occasion, he Changed his name to Nostradamus. (As a reviewer sharply observed: 'Latinisation in those days was an affectation as modish as Anglicisation today'. — Georges Suffert in Le Point, 24 August 1981.) Nostradamus flirted with Protestantism. His first wife and their children perished in the religious wars. He was once more called in to deal With the plagues and epidemics that ravaged France at that time in the aftermath of the Constant fighting. He married again and fathered more children, to the eldest of Whom he bequeathed some of his enigmatic quatrains. However Nostradamus was honoured during his lifetime as a prophet. Catherine of Medici, Henry 11 and Ronsard were among his admirers and patrons. His first little almanack was as much a bestseller in 1555 as M. de Fontbrunne's edition of Nostradamus this year.
It is commonly held that Nostradamus has only been read at moments of peril, in particular on the eve of the first and second world wars. There is nothing to show for this theory. Nor is it true that the Christian world suffered a paroxysm of fear at the end of the tenth century, the eve of the first millennium. In fact the year 1000 Al) was awaited and passed with no more excitement than that which attends any impressive date. The millennium heresy, based on the reference by St John to 'the period of a thousand years during which Christ will return to earth and live with his saints', had followers during the early Christian epoch but did not regain popularity till the 14th and still more the 16th century — a time of prolonged war, religious dissension, plague, famine, and Nostradamus. The dissenting clerics like Luther and Calvin were much inclined to apocalyptic utterances. In 1508, a preacher at Strasbourg Cathedral advised his flock: 'The best thing to do is stay in a corner, bury your head in a hole and resolve to obey the Commandments of God in order to gain salvation'. These prophecies that 'the end of the world is nigh' became widespread in England during the next (17th) century and, of course, are the basis of recent sects such as the Mormons and Seventh Day Adventists. The millennial fear has been present at almost every period of the Christian age — except at the first millennium.
The 10th century was a time of comparative peace in Europe. The 20th has already witnessed two world wars, the German death camps and Russian's Gulag Archipelago. The development of the nuclear bomb makes it all too easy to play on dread of calamity. Earlier readers of Nostradamus, including my friend M. Ottavj, believed that Paris would be destroyed by fire from the air in 1999, to which M. de Fontbrunne has added the further gloss that the date may be as early as 1983. This gives the book a certain immediacy. Added to all this, M. de Fontbrunne boasts modern and 'scientific' qualifications. He works in a pharmaceutical laboratory — though he can now afford to retire; he plays down 'superstitious' aspects of Nostradamus: he uses the trendy jargon of computer analysis and symptomatology.
But undoubtedly M. de Fontbrunne's real success was foretelling last year (before it was easy) that Mitterrand and his Socialist Party would win the general election. This prediction was based on the Nostradamus quatrain (v.96) Sur le milieu du grande monde la rose Pour nouveaux faicts sang public espand A dire vray, on aura bouche close Lors au besoing tard viendra l'attendu.
This M. de Fontbrunne interpreted as: 'When Socialism will be in power (the rose is the emblem of Mitterrand 's party), the blood of the people will flow as a result of new actions. To tell the truth, freedom of expression will disappear (mouth closed). Then the awaited (saviour) will arrive late because of the poverty'. This is bloodcurdling stuff for those millions of Frenchmen who voted against the Socialists.
Once the French can convince themselves that Nostradamus foresaw the Socialists and a reign of terror, it is easy to swallow all M. de Fontbrunne's interpretations of Nostradamus from the likelier ones, like an Arab or Russian invasion, the violent death of the Pope and troubles in Poland, to prophecies that defy one's credulity such as the conquest of France by Switzerland.
England was not neglected by Nostradamus; one wishes it had been. He foresaw Churchill's exclusion from power in the Thirties ('the great mastiff chased out of the city') and Montgomery's leadership of the 8th Army ('Quand Rome aura le chef vieux Britannique'). He also predicted 'Debauchery in England' (iv.33) and the undermining of her society, followed by Russian invasion (fi.68). The islands will suffer famine and bloodshed. 'La forteresse aupres de la Tamise' (the fortress by the Thames) will fall and England with it. This particular prophecy has persuaded some French reviewers of de Fontbrunne's book that Nostradamus's prophecy of the city to be destroyed by fire, refers not, as the French always imagined, to Paris but to London. Thank you, Nostradamus.
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