CENTURIA III · QUATRAIN LIX
The Fourth Man
Barbare empire par le tiers usurpe,
Le plus grand part de son sang mettre a mort:
Par mort senile par lui le quart frappe,
Pour peur que le sang par le sang ne soit mort.
The barbarous empire usurped by the third,
the greatest part of his blood put to death:
by a senile death the fourth struck by him,
for fear the blood by the blood should die.
THE MASTER SAYS…
This quatrain is connected with the great eastern nation, with China, and the various forms of government it has had in its history: emperors, mandarins and now, he says “communism,” meaning communism. Having experienced various forms of government, the people of China have survived periods of devastation and ruin. The fourth man represents both communism and the man who will be premier of China at that time. China will have even more difficulties, and again there will be great human losses. The word “aged” refers both to the government and to the premier, who may be of advanced age at that time.