Expositio vera harum imaginum olim Nurenbergae repertarum ex fundatissimo verae magiae Vaticinio deducta

the ignorant man who turned them headlong elsewhere was far from these. Some presages seem to have the appearance of good, which conceal nothing but poison if they are explained magically: for many small birds and also many flowers are seen in them, etc., not because they sing well or have a pleasant scent, but because they have a serpent hiding beneath them. Likewise, the person who previously wanted to explain these images and did not examine them so profoundly, but with quick judgment turned the true meanings of each of them toward others and washed his hands like Pilate. Their meaning is truly great and broad, because it touches the Roman Pontiff and whatever has progressed from him, and whatever has been marked with his character; it contains what admits him and what has denied him: and the path by which the Pope will reach his end, his kingdom will be divided, and his power will be extirpated, as well as those who will finish him, those who will subvert and eradicate it. Likewise, it denotes that not only is the Roman Pontiff of no value, but also that his adversaries are positioned in the same line of malice, and that it will not go well for those who have taken power away from him. For in these images, the end of both is destruction and extinction, and the future kingdom against the new Pontificate, and one with two, one with three, one faith, one charity, one heart under one new and just shepherd—all these things are signified as to come.