Prophecies: sold crucifixes, physicians, friars, and lime
Satirical riddles on selling crucifixes, doctors, mendicant orders, and burnt lime
A page of mirror-script prophecies, written upside-down, with no diagrams; each riddle carries its own heading and the tone turns pointedly satirical. Crucifixes that are sold show Christ crucified anew and His saints martyred; physicians who live off the sick trade on men's lost 'true riches', which is health; friars live by saints long dead who feed the living after a thousand years; and stones burnt into lime wall up the prisons that take men's liberty.
On this page
Of crucifixes that are sold
'I see Christ once more sold and crucified, and His saints martyred.' The riddle is the buying and selling of carved crucifixes and holy images.
Of physicians who live off the sick (health)
Men will fall so low that they count it a favour when others triumph over their ills — that is, over their lost true riches, which is health.
Of friars who live by their long-dead saints
Those who shall be dead, after a thousand years, will be the ones who provide the living for many who are alive — the mendicant orders sustained by their saints.
Of stones turned to lime for prison walls
Many that shall be undone by fire will, before this time, take away the liberty of many men. The answer is stone burnt into lime to wall up prisons.