The old roads will all be improved,

One will passed on them to the modern Memphis:

The great Mercury (will take) of Hercules lily flower,

Doing to tremble lands, sea and country.

The 3 line. The lily flower historically served as a symbol of power in France. In quatrain 9.33 Nostradamus calls de Gaulle Hercules. After him Georges Pompidou (1911-1974) having won the presidential election in 1969 took power (the lily flower). The prophet calls the new president Mercury (the God of Trade), apparently in connection with the economic rise of the country during his reign.

The 1 line. The president paid special attention to roads and transport. With him new high-speed modern roads were built and the old ones expanded. The first high-speed railway lines appeared. A new international airport was built.

The second and last line is not characteristic of Pompidou, so other interpretations are also possible for this prophecy.

Linkage with other quatrains: 9.33.

Probable decoding of number 10.79. If 0 and 9 swap then we will get 1970-1=1969 – the year of election.

Quatrain 1.8* City of Sun

Combien de fois prinse Citй solaire,

Seras, changeant les loi barbares & vaines

Ton mal s'approche, plus seras tributaire,

Le grand Hadrie recouurira tes vaines.

How often will you be captured, O city of the sun,

Changing laws that are barbaric and vain.