Note 155 — LOUIS XIV. (1643-1715.)

Æmathien, or Emathion, Le Pelletier says, son of Cephalus and Aurora, who opened the gates of the morning to the sun. I do not find this account of him anywhere. Cephalus is the chaste Joseph of mythology, tempted by Aurora. But Hesiod makes him father of Phaeton by her. Possibly M. le Pelletier has mistaken Æmathion for Phaeton. Generally, Emathion is reckoned as son of Titan and Aurora, and a king of Macedonia. His connection in some way however with the sun is certain, and this suffices for the use made of his name by Nostradamus. Ἠμαθίων is given by Suidas as a proper name. Now, Ἠμάθιος is daily, with but the change of one letter. Further than this Ἠμάθιος is Macedonian, and Alexander is called Emathius dux, as in Milton, “the Emathian conqueror bid spare;” implying that Louis le Grand should be a counterpart to Alexander the Great, an impostor who also pretended birth from Apollo. By which flight of ambition he bastardized himself by choice, dishonoured his mother, and put his father outside the door. Shakespeare says, “By this sin fell the angels;” but a too prosperous fool seems equally ready to annihilate himself by it, and all belonging to him, of his own act.