Four shall be anointed, seeking in turn the highest things, and two shall succeed who shall so wear the diadem that they shall induce the Gauls to make war on them.
Again, the likelihood that the sense of this prophecy has been squewed from the original which existed in the Libellus Merlini is high. The four as we have discussed already are William the Conqueror, William Rufus, Henry Ist and King Stephen. They were anointed.
Matilda is the fifth, but it is never stated as she is Henry Blois’ nemesis (and was never anointed with the oil); This concept is only understood when the sixth is mentioned as Henry II, the Empress Matilda’s son. This is why Henry Blois cleverly posits in words of prophetic foresight into future events that two shall succeed. Matilda was nearly crowned but due to the manipulative Henry Blois starting a rumour, he caused Matilda to flee from London which resulted in the rout of Winchester. On Emperor Henry V’s death, Matilda was recalled to Normandy by her father, who arranged for her to marry Geoffrey of Anjou to form an alliance to protect his southern borders. Henry Blois terms the Angevins the ‘Gauls’ who ostensibly ‘make war on them’ and wrecked the peace of the nation during the Anarchy.
One not anointed, but both wearing the diadem i.e. fighting over the crown. When Robert of Gloucester and Matilda returned to establish Matilda’s claim to the throne, they brought with them mercenaries from the continent and it is these that caused havoc in the British countryside; these are the Angevins/Gaul’s that make war. The reference to the Gauls also may be pretence to be in the character of Merlin looking on the Normans as Gauls or may refer to the Angevins in general.