Paul Grebners PROPHECY Concerning These TIMES. WRITTEN In the Reign of Queen ELIZABETH, Anno 1582. Taken out of the Original Copy from Trinity College in CAMBRIDGE. with a Paraphrase thereupon, By a Person of Honour.  

READER,  
THIS Prophecy received from an Honourable Person, coming so opportunely to my Hand, I thought it but Duty to transfer it to the public View; not daring to commit so great a Sin in the secret Concealment of a business of so general a Concernment.  
Touching the Author Paulus Grebnerus, he was a great Astronomer, and a man of surpassing Piety, and known Integrity, whose Erudition likewise and excellent Endowments, have received a public Character from this and other Kingdoms.  
His Prophecy here need no Panegyric; and a farther Amplification, by way of Apology, would prove impertinent where so many thousands have been so throughly prepossessed in the Truth of his Predictions.  
In a word, Schismatics (that speak evil of Dignities and despise Prophecies) may perchance persist still obstinate; I am sure all Royalists will rest here well satisfied.  
For my part, I shall therefore pray for the Conversion of the First, and Confirmation of the Last; wishing the one more Faith, and the other better Fortune.  
Farewell.   

Grebners' Prophecy.  
PAulus Grebnerus was here in England with Queen Elizabeth, Anno 1582. and presented her with a fair Manuscript in Latin, describing therein the future History of Europe, here and there limming in Water-Colours some principal Passages.  
Dr. Nevil, Clerk of the Closet, being in favour with the Queen obtained this Book of her, and bestowed it on the Library of Trinity College in Cambridge, where it hath been published to the view of all persons, till about five or six years ago, by much perusing and ill handling it was much slurred and defaced.  
In his Predictions,  
He describeth the Troubles of Russia, and the Election of a Swedish King SIGISMOND by name, to be King of Polonia, by which he shall irrecoverably lose his own Inheritance.  
That of the Swedish Race there should be one gustavus ADOLPHUS by Name, that should take heart from the Distractions of Germany to invade the Empire with a small Army; fight many Battles prosperously, but should at last perish in a pitched Field.  
That about that time should Reign Rex Septentrionalis nomine CAROLUS, qui ducit Vxorem Mariam Papisticam, ex quo evadet Regum infelicissimus. Tunc populus ipsius Ditionis eliget sibi alium Imperatorem, Comitem; qui durabit in Imperio tres annos aut circiter. At postea idem Populus eliget alium Imperatorem Equitem, non ejusdem Familiae nec Dignitatis, qui detrudet omnia sub pedibus suis: durabit aliquantò longiore tempore: & post hunc eliget nullum.  
Post hunc apparebit quidam CAROLUS è CAROLO descendens, cum immensâ Classe in Litore Ditionis Patris sui, & cum Auxiliariis Danicis, Suedicis, Holandicis, Francicis posternet Adversarios suos, & administrabit Imperium perfelicissimè, & longè latéque dominabitur, & erit CAROLO Magno major.  
Englished thus,  
About that time a Northern King shall Reign, CHARLES by Name, who shall take to Wife MARY of the Popish Religion; whereupon he shall be a most unfortunate Prince. Then the People of his Dominion shall choose to themselves another Commander [or Governor] viz. an Earl; whose Government shall last three years or there about. And afterwards the same People shall choose another Commander [or Goughnour] viz. a Knight not of the same Family nor Dignity, who shall trample all things under his Feet: He shall endure somewhat longer time: and after him they shall choose none at all.  
After him shall appear one CHARLES descending from CHALES, with a mighty Navy, on the Shore of his Father's Kingdom; and with Aid from Denmark, Swedeland, Holland, France, shall overthrow his Adversaries, and shall govern his Kingdom wonderful happily, and shall bear Rule far and near: and shall be Greater than CHARLES the Great.   

A Short Paraphrase on the Foregoing Prophecy.  

HOw well could Grebner in those blind Times see!  
And in these seeing-Times how blind are we?  
Our New-found-Lights are lost; those squint-ey'd-elves,  
And purblind Seekers, may now seek themselves;  
Who have thus erred, imagining Prediction  
Of Sacred Prophecy, but some feigned Fiction.   

But we (blessed Grebner!) who have still admired,  
And looked upon thee as some Soul inspired;  
Will hold thy Saws no longer in Suspense,  
Which now w'have reached with th' Optics of our Sense;  
Since what was once Apocalyps is known  
The unridled Truth of Revelation.   

Those two grand Champions (that trod on the Neck  
Of Nations, and had Kingdoms at their Beck)  
Are both extinct; and Fame can only give  
A bare Relation that they once did live.   

But Thou Renowned Charles, whose matchless Fate  
Designed Thee a Victim to the People's Hate;  
(Maugre the Malice of Thy Foes) were't hurled  
With Hallelujahs from the wondering World,  
A Conqueror o'er thy doom; from whence we may  
Infer, thou only livd'st, we died that day.   

And now look back, look back, and have recourse,  
From whence these streams of mischief had their source,  
Whiles those promiscuous Hodg-podg-powers oppose,  
Like high-swollen floods that River whence they rose.  
The Eagle thus dislodged; a Wren-like race  
Of Dunghil-Dors soon pierched up in His place.  
And Lapwing-Liberty e'er fledged takes Flight,  
First hath her Champion-Earl, the next a Knight,  
Whose heavy pressure hath so imped her Wings,  
She hath lost by Consuls what she got by Kings.   

And now (but Life's in Prophecy) we might  
Die, and despair to see thy Second Light,  
Great Charles who like the Bridegroom of the day,  
Shalt gild sad Britain with thy glorious Ray;  
Whiles all those Shower-shot Mushrooms, and those new  
Created Brats melt like the Morning Dew;  
And all those Ignes Fatui shrink and run  
Like Exhalations at the Rising Sun.   

This is the Wish Great King and Pious Care  
Of those who piece-forth Prophecy with their Prayer;  
O may Blest Grebner be added to the Small  
Prophets! and prove each Line Canonical;  
Whiles what in th' old Queen's Reign he did divine,  
May be fulfilled and ratified in Thine:  
O may'st thou Reign in thy known Realms who art  
Enthroned already in thy People's Heart!  
O may'st thou rule! and spend thy Fame through th' whole  
Earth; from the Arctic to th' Antarctic Pole.  
Till the just World with Grebner shall maintain  
Thee a mightier Monarch than brave Charlemagne.    
FINIS.   

London, Printed for Thomas Burrel, 1680