286 - 1698 LES PROPHETIES DE M. MICHEL NOSTRADAMUS, STUART PROVENANCE

1698 LES PROPHETIES DE M. MICHEL NOSTRADAMUS, STUART PROVENANCE Lyon: without imprint , 1698. Half-page woodcut portrait of the author on the title-page. 12mo, [xii] 177pp + epitaph; vintage speckled calf with extra gilt spine and title label, elaborate gilt arms of Scottish nobility stamped on both covers “Nobilis Ira’ (noble wrath) and “Avito Viret Honore” (He flourishes in the honor of his ancestors), both being the Latin mottos of the Stuart Marquesses of Bute in Scotland. Nostradamus (latinized from Nostredame) was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book Les Propheties (first published in 1555), a collection eventually comprising 942 poetic quatrains allegedly predicting future events. After his death these were organized into ten “centuries”, each containing one hundred quatrains except for Century VII which only had forty-two. In the years since its publication he has attracted many supporters who credit him with having predicted many major world events. Most academics say these predictions are quite vague and could be applied and interpreted to virtually anything. Beginning in 1550 Nostradamus issued almanacs which included horoscopes which added to his reputation and encouraged a following in giving advice to clients. He devised a series of word games and employed foreign words in Greek, Italian, Latin and a French dialect called Provencal. His prophecies often used Numerology to match verses with dates or events, warning of major disasters, political assassinations, and global conflicts. Condition: Please refer to description. Please make all inquiries before bidding. All statements contained in the catalog, condition reports, invoices, advertisements, or elsewhere concerning the authorship, attribution, origin, date, age, period, culture, source, provenance, authenticity, genuineness, condition, rarity, importance, or value of any lot are statements of opinion only and shall not be construed as representations, warranties, or statements of fact. All lots are sold "as-is", refer to our T&C. Helios Auctions does not offer in-house shipping. We will provide a list of recommended shippers upon request.